voidtreckerexpress | A New Platform [Intro Post March]

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A New Platform [Intro Post March]

On the Train

Luckily there are no more crises after the strange dreaming, except the ones passengers created for themselves and soon the month is turning. "Good morning passengers, it is day one of the month of Egret."

Those that have been on board a while know that new months usually come with new people and so the message a few hours later will not be a surprise. "Shortly arriving into a designated void platform. Exit from void in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one." A lurch and a jolt and they are soon surrounded by the fog that means they are at a platform. It will come as a relief that it is not raining this time. However it does seem to be quite blustery.

The doors open and the first few to disembark do so with rucksacks on, hoods pulled up against the wind. Amery Vallet, Steve Rogers, Darth Vader, Peggy Carter, Bran Corbie and Ash. They walk blank faced to the barriers, show their tickets and disappear.

But on the platform itself there are nineteen new faces, or rather seventeen new faces and two that some people have definitely seen before. All are stood, waiting for the train.

For New Passengers

At first all they can see is steam. Billowing around them as they come to their senses. They are standing, in clothes that are not their own, styles they might not even recognise. They are carrying a rucksack on their back. For a moment it seems to just be them, alone in the white haze but then the steam begins to fade and they realise they aren’t alone.

The platform is not large and it holds ninteen figures all facing the tracks, all dressed in cargo trousers and hoodies. The air is cold and the wind is strong, blowing their hair, if they have hair, across their face. Both left and right the tracks disappear into the mist. Then there is a roaring sound and out of the fog arrives a train. Jet black with gold writing on the side. The Voidtrecker Express. There is a hiss as the doors slide open and out into the cold step a selection of people. Some are human, some are less so. They are wearing the same hoodie in one of the four colours, red, orange, blue and purple.

The Train

The doors hiss open. Those from the train may encourage those on the platform to board. It’s not like there is anywhere else to go and even if there was, you feel a pull. A need to board, a feeling that staying on the platform would not be a good thing. If that is not enough, there are plenty of people on the platform now, to encourage them onto the train.

Each ICP shows the same message and next to the screens there are stacks of leaflets written by those on the train, with further information. The store rooms have been restocked with an abundance of onions! Any of blue team who who go to check the luggage cart will find a parcel containing rainbow macroons. One for each of the blue team, including new members, come share in the reward!

Passengers who are not brand new will notice that the train has gotten yet longer again. A transparent domed carriage, with a grass aisle and soil beds, ready for the passengers to do with as they wish. Crates contain bulbs and seeds ready to be planted and there are all the tools a budding gardener would need for this task.

New passengers will find their tickets allow them into their cabins. They may need to negotiate for beds, especially if they want a top bunk!

Room is tight but there are storage cubbies at the head of each bed, beds fold up and the bottom bunks double as benches for the small table. There is storage under those benches and you will hopefully find a pillow for your bed if it has not been nabbed by a roommate, there are also spare blankets for if it gets cold.

Departure

A second horn sounds to encourage any stragglers and the doors slide shut. Veteran passengers know what will happen next, they may wish to brief their new companions.

The train sets off, the fog obscuring the view as it picks up speed.

"Welcome aboard, passengers of the Voidtrecker Express.” A female-coded artificial sounding voice echoes throughout the train. "Please take the time to read the passenger information displayed on the Information and Communication points and familiarise yourself with the layout and emergency exits."

The train begins to tilt, leaving the ground and rising up into the fog filled sky.

"Entrance into Voidspace imminent. New passengers are advised to remain seated. Entry into Voidspace in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one."

A shudder, a jolt, a lurch to the left. A flash of light, colourful and blinding. As quick as it happens it is done. The train seems to steady. The fog from the windows is gone now, replaced with a kaleidoscope of ever changing colours.

Welcome to the Void!

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He gave a small and somewhat human nod. It broke his hearts to see his son crying like that. < Alright, > he said softly. HE hadn't had strength before. But for his boy... what couldn't he do?

He focused. The changes were slow at first, though they got faster as energy from a healed body took over from the weakness of his injuries. Like usual, morphing never made any sense, there was no order to it. No beauty for a non-estreen. First his tail went limp. Being given a choice, he would always keep his tail and eyes till the end, but when was he ever given a choice?

Logically once limp it would have sucked back into him. No such luck this time. Instead hair started to sprout on his head, an eyebrow above each eye, and down his arms. Which were still weak and blue Andalite arms. Then his mouth opened in the bottom of his face like a gash. He winced at the sound and itchy feeling of teeth growing in even as his skin shifted in color. Then sloop sloop his legs sucked into his chest. His back ones, of course, leaving him falling back towards his tail, windmilling his arms for balance. Thankfully human feet appeared out of his remaining hooves just then, which helped some.

His body narrowed in places, broadened in others. His legs filled out at the same time his arms did, leaving him mostly human, except for his extra eyes, limp tail, and slit nose. The eyes dropped into his head and as they did the main eyes became his human eyes. The front of his face bulged and reshaped into a pointed human nose, and then his tail vanished into his back with a disturbing sound. He felt the final changes happening, internally, as his chin shifted the last bit and the last of his hair finished growing. He swayed, unused to being back on two legs again.

But of the morphs he could have chosen, he chose human. His son's father. Loren's mate. Even if he lacked the artificial skin - the clothes - that he knew humans always wore. A few years as a human wasn't enough to make him care about that in the face of everything else, however.

It's a good thing morphing takes as long as it does, because it gave Tobias plenty of time to realize exactly what problem was about to present itself. "Oh, fuck, you never learned to morph clothes," and he pulls his shirt over his head, holding it up to cover the essentials whenever they appear.

But when Elfangor is human again, Tobias can't help the actual, genuine smile that lights up his face. "You wanna hold this in place while I see if they put some pants in your backpack?" he suggests. Honestly, the absurdity... it's so distinctly Andalite that he can't help being happy, even though he's on the verge of crying again. "I can't believe you're really here. Whoever is controlling this train, whatever they want... I'm in." If it got him time with his father, he'd do damn near anything.

"I became a Nothlit almost as soon as I learned to morph human," he said, readjusting to having a mouth. He worked his jaw a few times, obligingly holding the shirt in place. He wanted to give his son a very human hug, but time with Loren taught him that doing so without clothing was a problem, though he still did not fully understand why. Usually she blushed and changed the subject, which was fine. He just accepted it as an odd human thing.

"I do not know where here is yet," he pointed out, his free hand going to his face. Still so odd, the human mouth. "What train? What is going on? How is this even possible?" he did his best to keep his words calm, his tone and pace measured. It was hard. But his frustration anger, stress... none of that was the boy's fault. Getting to be with Tobias was a gift he had not expected, he would do his best not to sour what might be a short time they were allowed.

But there was one thing that his son needed to know. "If I had known I was going to have a son, I wouldn't have listened to the Ellimist," he said softly. "He told me that leaving and going back was the only way to save your mother... I should have stayed, learned human ways to keep you both safe...." He closed his eyes, back to only having the two. It was disturbing.

Tobias goes around to the bag, pulling it open and getting out a set of clothes, coming back around to the front to hold up Elfangor's much larger shirt to cover him and handing over the pants and underwear. "Yeah, learning to morph clothes wasn't exactly quick and easy," he agrees, managing an awkward, forced smile. "I've only been here a couple of weeks and I have way more questions than answers, but we'll get to that," he promises. "It seems like the usual Ellimist nonsense, only he hasn't poked his head out to say hello yet, so who knows who or what is doing this, but..." if they were letting him have time with his father? He really wasn't so sure he gave a damn.

The second Elfangor is decent enough for it, Tobias drops the shirt and wraps him in a tight hug. "I know he tricked you," he replies softly. "I know you wouldn't have left, but if you hadn't, we'd all be controllers right now." He holds tight, letting out a heavy sigh. His time is as limited as Elfangor's is in human morph. "I became a nothlit, as a hawk. The Ellimist returned my morphing ability and let me re-acquire myself from the night before I met you," the night before Elfangor died, before the Animorphs were created. He presses his face into Elfangor's chest, taking a deep breath to steady himself. "There were no human ways to save us. You did the only thing that could have -- that did. We defeated the Yeerks. We didn't just stop the invasion of earth, we stopped the whole war machine. Five kids and," he cuts himself off with a laugh, "and your brother, Ax. We took down the Yeerks, freed the Hork-Bajir, even the Taxxons."

He got dressed swiftly, and after so much time with Ax it might have almost been surprising how competently he managed. His head however, was spinning. A human phrase he found very useful at times like this. There was a lot of information. His son already knew how to not only morph but had learned something that wasn't easy with it? Weeks? It had been minutes, at most, had it not?

He returned the hug, listening to all that his son had to say. His son understood now? But just before... wait, what? What? His son was a Nothlit hawk, but the Ellimist... this was a lot to take in, even for an Andalite. The Yeerks were stopped? Aximili helped? Well he always knew Aximili had it in him to be a hero. But still, there was so much to take in. The Yeerks stopped, his son safe, his brother a hero, the Hork-Bajir free and the Taxons... "Arbon?" he asked, not even aware he'd said the name out loud. Ao much in his mind all at once as he held his son close, hearing the boy's heart. Hearing his words.

He knew he was probably throwing too much at Elfangor right now, but he was sure if he didn't get it all out, he was going to burst. "Lived to see the end of the war," he replies quietly. "Alloran has his freedom back, too. It's... I'm not sure how long it's been. Five years? Maybe six? Since you crashed in that construction site. Whoever brought us here was able to reach through time," not unlike the Ellimist.

And here they were, here he was, with his father, with a parent who not only loved him but could remember him. He can't help himself -- he presses his face into Elfangor's chest and lets himself cry. A rare luxury that he only has in his human forms.

He moved a hand to the back of his son's head, trying to take that all in. And wishing for all four of his usual legs, since it felt like the ground kept shifting under him. Years? It has been years? And War Prince Alloran.... Elfangor was not looking forward to that reunion for all that the news that he was free, that the Abomination was dead, was good. At least, he presumed he was dead.

"We will figure out what game the Ellimist is playing, and we will face it together," he assured his son.

Edited 2020-03-04 07:31 (UTC)

It takes Tobias a few minutes to compose himself, scrubbing an arm over his face. "I'm not so sure it's him. I've been on this train for a couple of weeks, and he hasn't shown up yet. There's been no... directive, other than get on the train," he explains quietly. "But whatever he wants us to do, I'll do it. This is worth it," getting any time at all with his father was absolutely worth whatever price he had to pay.

He's sure by now that it'll be terrible, whatever it is. "We should get on the train, find your room," he suggests, stepping back and rubbing his hands over his face again. "You'll want to talk to Tony. He thinks he's in charge of the train, and he's mostly right."

"We will make that choice together. And we will find a way to be together, even if we refuse whatever is asked of us," he assured him. But he nodded. "It is probably best if I take my own form before we meet anyone, so that they know what it is that they are in for. Unless that you feel there is some danger in being an Andlaite here?" He was wondering how he was going to handle being trapped on a train, but if he was going to be... he wanted four feet for when it started moving rather than two. He had only been on a train a few times, and they had always been disorienting.

"No, I don't think being an Andalite will be much of a problem," he assures. "There aren't any Yeerks," he'd done a very careful and thorough search of the train. "Though I'm not really sure how you're going to eat," because he hadn't noticed the new addition of the garden car just yet.

He steps back, to give Elfangor as much room as he needs to morph back. "I'm going to stay like this until time's up, there's someone I want to show this body to," which was a super weird way to put it, but he knew it would at least make sense to Elfangor.

"We will figure it out." Small confined places were also not something he was eager for. But he would deal with it, for his boy. "Before I morph back though, there is one thing I have always wanted to be able to do, if you would permit me," he asked softly.

And yes, he understood that.

Tobias can't help it, a question like that makes him suspicious, but only because he knows just how ridiculous Andalites can be in a human body. "Whatever you want," he assures. Even if it would be something horribly embarrassing.

He nodded and leaned down, kissing the top of his son's head. "Thank you." he has a human body for months, he got most of the food insanity out of his system. Potentially. Maybe.

With that he started to undress so as to not ruin the clothing when he morphed.

Tobias blinked when he was kissed, looking up with a watery smile, this one as simple and genuine as if he'd never been a hawk at all. "Any time, dad," he replied, and fetched the shirt from the ground, to provide cover while Elfangor demorphed.

When Elfangor was done, Tobias folded up the clothes and tucked them back into his father's bag, holding it up for him. "I love you," he says quietly, like it's a secret, or he's afraid someone will overhear and make fun of him. "I'll give you the grand tour," he offers.

He took the bag and slung it over his back again. Then he put a thin Andalite arm around his son's shoulders. "I love you too. I'm glad I can finally say it where you can hear me. And I will be happy to see anything you wish to show me."

"Do you have your ticket handy? You'll need it for all kinds of things," he warns, leading the way back towards the train. "Oh, and that guy over there? That's Tony. There's a survey he'll want you to fill out. Humans know all about Andalites by the end of the war, so there was no reason not to answer honestly," so, you know, Elfangor would know that if he lied their answers might not match up. He kept one of his hands over Elfangor's, like he was afraid the alien would disappear if Tobias broke contact.

"Ticket?" Tobais had been the one to go in to his bag, so he had not yet found it... it or his one item. "Should we speak to him now, or would you rather wait?" He noticed his son's hand, and was glad of it.

Tobias nods. "When I showed up, mine was in my beak. Maybe yours is in the bag?" He shakes his head at the idea of talking to Tony now. He didn't want the snark raining on their parade. "He doesn't like me very much, better for you to make your own first impression."

His shoulders and tail stiffened somewhat at the mention that this leader person did not like his son. They would deal with that, but Tobias was right, better to do that on his own. Clear up a few things so that everyone knew that Tobias was not on his own, and if his son needed help standing up for himself.... well... he would help with that too. < I shall look in the bag then, and then I will see whatever you want to show me, and talk only to the people you choose to introduce me to. > He pulled the bag around so that he could dig though it before pulling out his ticket. < This? >

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A New Platform [Intro Post March]

CW to anyone stalking this, for body horror. Because, well, morphing.

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Booted back up because this came in.

Lmao sorry I thought I'd waited long enough to leave it for you in the morning. :P

Lol, it takes me a while to get ready for bed after shut down, usually.

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Sparing the whole morph post again, then, lol.

Sorry!

No worries!!!

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Forgot the thought-speak last post.