A New Platform [Intro Post April!]

[voidtreckermods]

On the Train

Two days after they return from their mission they are awoken as usual "Good morning passengers, it is day sixteen of the month of Egret. The shop has been updated and points have been applied to passengers tickets."

Those that go to check the shop terminals will find they have indeed updated, with the option to buy larger items and also animals. The morning goes on until just after noon there is a second announcement.

"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. Though the fog is thick, thicker than usual perhaps, there are patches on sunlight shining through and it is pleasantly warm.

The doors open and the first few to disembark do so with rucksacks on, hoods pulled up, silent and almost blank faced. Cu Chulain, Dio Brando, Disreputable Dog, Heiji Hattori, Loki Maedhros, Maglor, Naruto, Thor, Tobias Fangor.

They walk to the barriers, show their tickets and disappear.

But on the platform itself there are once again new faces. 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 as people begin to shift or call out it will become apparent they are not alone.

The platform is not large and it holds eighteen figures all facing the tracks, all dressed in cargo trousers and hoodies. It's warm but foggy making it hard to see much, but there are clearer patches bathed in sunlight found across the platform. 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, in case the passengers weren't bored of them yet.

Passengers who are not brand new will notice that the train has gotten yet longer again with a sixth sleeper cabin for new arrivals.

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!

Comments

[maxwellsdaemon]

Platform:
Smoke?

Wait, why was there smoke? A minute ago there had been sun and green hills and now smoke everywhere. The explosion hadn't been that big, had it?

Duo was confused and he lifted both hands to rub at his eyes, when he blinked them open the smoke was still there, but it was starting to clear. He began to realise that he wasn't having some weird dream sequence but the fog around him was an actual physical thing that was fading away as the seconds ticked by.

And on fading, he realised he wasn't alone.

He looked around, turning in a full circle to get a better idea of what he was dealing with. Even that had him stumped. What made him look down at himself, Duo wasn't sure, but the rather crass curse word that left his lips then was completely, 100% deliberate and aimed at what he was wearing. "... The hell is going on here?" He demanded of everyone and no one in particular. "And where the hell are my clothes?" Okay, so the pants were black. But a purple hoodie? And he had a rucksack... But where were Trowa and Quatre? "Quat...? Tro...?" He called, but as the haze lifted and the train came into view, he realised with a sinking heart that he saw none of his friends... He was on his own.

"... Heero?" It was stupid. The second the name was out of his mouth he mentally cursed himself. Of course Heero wasn't there either. And if he was, the likelihood of the guy running at hearing his name was slim to none. Still, it would have been nice to see someone he recognised... But there was just so many people, it was hard to tell...

And then, distantly, he heard La Cucaracha and it was so sudden, so out-of-place, that Duo snorted and had to cover his mouth to stifle a laugh.

The Train:

Duo had been tempted to turn tail and run in the other direction, but after having spoken to a few people, and felt the pull toward the train himself, he quickly realised that would be a futile effort. He knew the Hand of Fate when he saw it and knew that choice had gone out of the window. All he could do was follow where Fate led him.

So, when the doors hissed open, he was one of the first to step on board. Why? Because he just didn't give a shit. He'd already made up his mind. If leaving wasn't going to work, why fight it? At least, why would he cause a stink before he knew what made the train and it's passengers tick? There could always be a way to escape at a later date, if the opportunity presented itself.

As he passed he grabbed one of the leaflets and stuffed it in his pocket for later.

"Now where to go..." He muttered under his breath as he looked left and right for inspiration.

Departure:

The braided teen stopped in a corridor when the voice from the heavens spoke. Duo lifted his head to listen, just as the train started to move.

The voice told him to sit down, but when he looked around he was bemused to find there was nowhere to sit.

"Brace for impact, I guess." He chuckled to himself and was, at the count of one, rewarded with the sudden lurch that explained why the voice had suggested to be seated. Duo didn't end up on his ass though. He was rocked to one side and would have hit the wall if he hadn't rolled with the movement and kicked off of the wall to bounce back and right where he'd been standing before the train had decided to buck them around like a bronco.

"Nice try, buddy. Won't get me that easily!" Why was he talking to the train? Duo wasn't sure. But he wouldn't have been surprised if the thing had replied to him.

Cabin:

The ticket was in his hand and he had so far double checked and triple checked the numbers. This was it.

Duo gave it a suspicious look but then he shrugged, plastered a big, cheerful smile upon his face and used the ticket to get himself inside.

[A] If anyone was inside they would be greeted with an equally cheerful greeting of "Well hi there, roomie! Name's Duo! Where can I offload this rucksack, my shoulder's killing me!"

[B] If he enters and he finds himself alone, for the moment, the smile will fade to a look of curiosity as he examines the bunks to work out which one would be his, and just how many were occupied to start with.

Games Coach:

On his travels through the train, checking out all the carriages after dumping his bag in his cabin, Duo was amused to discover there was one dedicated to games.

So, like any normal teenage boy, he needed to poke about here a bit and check out what games were on offer.

Gym Car:

From the Games carriage Duo found the gym. He grinned to himself as he peeked inside to find that it was perhaps the weirdest thing he'd ever seen. Long and thin and really not good for any kind of ball games, he had to wonder if people actually used it for its intended purpose.

He stepped inside and went to check out the balls, he found a basketball and decided to shoot a few hoops for the hell of it.

Dining Carriage/Kitchen:

The last thing he'd eaten had been the day before, and that had been a ration bar. Feeling like he probably should eat, Duo found himself in the kitchen looking around for the makings of a sandwich.

He assumed it would be alright to just make himself something with things that weren't marked with a name on. At least he hoped it would be alright.

Engine:

At last he came to a sealed room with an interesting, and tempting, warning on it.

"Don't punch? What about knocking? A swift kick to the handle? The delicate application of semtex?" If it had a handle... Duo tilted his head to check it over for any possible way to get inside, but saw none.

He was sure better people than him had tried, and failed. Why else would there be a sign up?

Wildcard:

Duo is happily wandering all over the place. Feel free to bump into him anywhere on his travels! He'll stop by his cabin early on, but he'll be up and down the train all through the first day, checking things out and meeting all the new strangers.

Gym Car

[sendiintheclown]

After storing his bag in his cabin, Trowa had decided to take a look around. Finding the car labeled "Gym", he hesitated for a moment. Surely, there was no room for a gym on a train. Yet he could hear the sound of a ball recoiling off a hard ground. Pausing to see if it would be launched toward the door, he opened it hesitantly.

When the basketball did not immediately come flying at his face, Trowa stepped properly into the car. He then promptly stopped as his eyes went wide. "...Duo...?" Surely he was hallucinating.

[magicurls]

platform
When the small blonde girl sporting pigtails and a purple hoodie wakes, her expression is fearful before the confusion sets back in. She wraps both hands around the side of her neck. What...? She knows what she felt...she knows what she saw. This can't be reality.

Yet it is. She falls to her knees, fighting tears. "Kaname-san...Miki-san...I'm sorry..."

train
Once she's been shepherded aboard, she's much calmer, methodically taking note of her surroundings. She stops in each car and takes notes...if she's staring at you and sketching, don't take it personally. She keeps a good distance most of the time, though should she accidentally come too close, she puts on a charming smile.

"Please excuse me. I'm just a little lost! But it's nothing to worry about."

kitchen
Toward the end of the first day, she inevitably drifts toward the kitchens. It's not the ideal set of ingredients, but she snaps her fingers to tie her hair back into a bun, scrubs her hands, and gets to work on a simple savory tart. Cooking has always been a comfort in lonely times.

She's so busy with it that it's easy to sneak up on her. You might get flour'd if you do, though.

kitchen

[littlefury]

Orange team was kitchen cleaning duty this time, which was fine with him. Once things had started to die down a little, he made his way back to get a headstart on that and see if it might clear his head somewhat.

So that was how a teenager barely any taller than Mami came into the kitchen, nudging a crate over to the sink, pulling on a pair of gloves, and getting to work on the dishes. The girl looked fairly busy, so he didn't really want to bother her.

Cassie Lang-OTA

[casslang]

[Platform]

One minute she was watching tv with her dad and Hope. The next Cassie Lang is standing on a platform in nightmare worthy orange. No sign of Scott or Hope did not help one bit,"Oh great, I though the grape was dead!" since after the Blip who could blame her for assuming the worst? But a look into the bag gave her a weapon. her phone and a certain ringtone

Her fingers flew across the keypad as she pulled up her dad's ringtone and pressed the button.

So sorry train but have a full volume La Cucaracha van horn.

[magicurls]

"...what?"

Mami blinked at the strange noise. She was less teary now, just confused.

"What is that?"

[polterguide]

platform;
[The first thing they see is smoke, and they freeze for a moment, wondering what on earth could be happening to cause so much smoke.

When everything clears, none of their questions are actually answered. If anything, they're just left with more. They're in odd, unfamiliar clothes - why orange? - and they're not alone. (At least they aren't the only one confused, though that's not much of a reassurance.)]

...Okay.

[It's said mostly to themself, as they look around at the unfamiliar faces. It makes it all feel just a little less real - they don't recognize any of these people, and it leaves them unsettled. They just...

They wish Sylvia was there. She would know what to do - or at the very least she'd be able to handle these things better than Bailey can. She was trained to deal with the bizarre and unpredictable. Nothing Bailey's studied really could have prepared them for this.]

This is a nightmare...

the train;
[There's nowhere else to go but onto the train, as bizarre and unusual as it seems. Bailey's...never been on a train before. There's a very small, childish part of them that's excited for this. This all seems like some sort of crazy, fantastical adventure, and it appeals to a long-since buried part of them.

The other part of them is screaming, dealing with all of the emotional whiplash from everyone around them and all the magic pressing down on them from all sides. Their chest feels tight, and they just want to - they just want to find somewhere quiet, and calm, where they can quietly freak the fuck out before pulling themself back together. Is that too much to ask for?]

There has to be somewhere private...

[It's mumbled to themself, as they look down the length of the train.]

the cabin (6:A)
[The door opens for them, and they look at the cramped room with a mild amount of disdain. It's...probably not the worst it could be, but still. They haven't had to share a room since college - sure, they had a roommate now, but having their own room still provided them a level of privacy they couldn't get in a place like this.

At least they don't have to worry about having any luggage to store. Their hand goes to their throat, to play with the necklace hanging there. The one familiar thing here, and having it is a small comfort.

They look back, noticing they're not alone.]

Top or bottom?

[A pause.]

Er. Bunk, that is...

wildcard
[Bailey will be doing their best to explore the train, and can be found just about anywhere! Feel free to meet them out and about, or feel free to hash something out with me at daintily or in the Discord!]

train

[magicurls]

It seems privacy is a tall order here.

[ Yeah, this girl in purple isn't happy about it either. She sighs. ]

But I've found a spot that might be a little less overcrowded. Have you tried the back gardens?

[littlefury]

[a; on the train]

[He shouldn't have been surprised, really. But a teenager in orange was still near the train doors as people gradually worked their way on board, on edge as if waiting for someone. He didn't sense any Servant--quite the opposite, even Caster had disappeared now. Seemed like...it was still just Waver himself, for a little longer.]

[So he sighed to himself, and tried very hard to look like he was something resembling welcoming. Or at least, not so despondent as to scare anyone off.]

[b; departure/dining car]

[He'd learned enough from last time to sit down at the announcement, waving over the nearest person that might still be standing.]

You might want to listen to that. It's kind of jarring the first time.

[A bit later once things had begun to settle, he'd retreated to a corner of the dining car with a cup of black coffee; observing anyone passing by in silence. He wasn't usually one to start up a conversation as it was, and right now he was just hoping against hope for anyone familiar. At this point, he might not have even complained if he saw Archer or the Einzbern mage contracted to him.]

yeets also (b)

[polterguide]

How many times has it been for you?

[That...seems like a relevant question to ask. They don't want to necessarily bother the other, so they don't take a seat too close to him even though they do follow the announcements advice to take one.

And they're immediately grateful for it, because that jolt would have sent them to their ass.]

[tweaktherules]

arrival.
[ Well. Shit.

Of all the places to end up, a train sure as hell hadn't even been on the list. Higgs is a little taken off-guard, but he's nothing if not highly adaptable. Still, he was kind of looking forward to that meeting on the Beach. It's a damn shame he's here, and Sam's nowhere in sight. Probably.

(He's keeping an eye out for him.)

Still, Higgs is the amenable sort, and once he's in the train-- Uh, is he going to read the information given to him? ... Not just yet, apparently. He'll turn to whoever's around instead. ]

Mighty strange predicament we've found ourselves in, ain't it?

around.
[ Voidspace. He likes the sound of that.

Still, a couple of things he doesn't like: His face being exposed for all to see. And the fact that someone has gone and made off with his clothes. What the hell? If he could find anyone to complain to, he certainly is going to do just that. Just... for now, he'll play nice.

(He's still waiting for Sam to show up, as he's wont to do.)

He'll give a two-finger salute to anyone who's around. ]

You ever get used to this?

wildcard.
[ higgs can be found in plenty of places in general, but if you'd like something more specific, hmu! i'll also match format. ]

yeet (arrival)

[polterguide]

[The man is- strange. He looks human, but, well.

He's kind of an absolute mess, isn't he? (Who has equations on their forehead?) Still, Bailey's not one to judge, so that little detail gets brushed aside.

Besides, he's asking a question.]

It's... [They press their lips together, feeling momentarily ill from all the magic surrounding them.] It at least doesn't seem like something that's real.

[utulien_aure]

Platform

Fingon watches them leave, his blank-eyed cousins, with a set expression on his face and a sinking feeling in his chest. It's something he has long practice at, by now. If anything, not running after Maedhros is becoming an alarmingly extensive part of his skill set.

(Elentari, he should probably look into the train's alcohol supplies later. He could stand a nice blackout right about now.)

Between one heartbeat and the next, they vanish; Fingon lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding, and lets himself mourn for a second.

Then he moves down toward the platform, to shepherd the strangers in. It's getting back to work, and Fingon has practice at that too.

Kitchen

Purple on meal prep again- hmm, did it not change this month? Ah well, Fingon doesn't mind cooking and it's something to do. The slicing is quick and easy, and soon a large pile of the remaining onions shrinks, sizzles, and caramelizes in the heat of the pan. He hums as he watches, absently pleased by the work. And next are the potatoes...

...wait, where did he put them? He shakes his head.

"And this is why Father always said to lay everything out in advance...."

Platform

[laurefindil]

Glorfindel watched as some hooded figures walked through the gate and disappeared into the fog. Were he and the others their replacements? The bracelet on his wrist discouraged him from walking in that direction to find out, but there were others, coming toward him. He decided to intercept one and see if he could get more information.

...."Fingon?" So this was the Halls. Just, not a part he'd ever seen before. He had a brief pang at the thought of being dead again.

[mtsilver_conquor]

Platform
"Well, better than wind, at least..." At least she doesn't need her hoodie on for once, and the sunlight is nice. But, she can't stand around in it all day.

Not when there's newcomers to get on the train and settle. Especially the newest Oranges. Though, aside from the leaflets in hand, There's also a second pokeball on her belt. Why is anyone's guess, but it looks very, very new compared to the other one.

If asked about it, she grins but waves the question off with an: "I'll explain later."

That said, it's clear there's a spring in her step and a grin itching to cover her face and it's all to do with that shiny new pokeball. It works; the train listened.


Closed to Peter Parker
At some point during the general chaos of new arrivals, Eva's finally managed to track down Peter, the very new, pristine second-red-white pokeball still on her belt next to Princess's old, battle-worn one. "Hey, Peter-kun. Got a moment?"

Despite how cheerful she is, she's also nervous even if she doesn't show it. Just because she talked with May and the older woman approved of giving Peter his own pokemon, didn't mean Peter would accept it. She hopes he does though.

[hashtagparkerluck]

It's new Arrivals day and Peter is looking a little worn with dark circles under his eyes but he's in his team uniform-sans the polo because no one can see it under the hoodie. He even combed his hair this morning. He's got a book tucked under his arm when Eva catches him.

"Uh yeah, sure.. I was just looking for Punz, have you seen her?" He asks, glancing around for a sign of bright gold hair. Not seeing anything though he turns his attention back to Eva.

"What's up?"

[sendiintheclown]

Trowa blinked at the fog in confusion, feeling warmer than he should. He thought he'd been about to step into his trailer to take a quick shower before the evening performance, but now he appeared to be on a train platform and wearing a hooded sweatshirt. The rucksack was an oddly familiar weight over his shoulder, and a look behind him confirmed there was no way to go back to the park the circus was set up in. Curious. Internally, he frowned, but his expression was as carefully blank as ever. There was a pull toward the train, and with nothing left to lose, he followed it.

Once inside, he checked the ticket that seemed to be in the pocket of his sweatshirt, he had felt the stiffness of it when he was walking. Sleeper car 4, cabin E. That would be the best place to start with. Weaving through the narrow halls, he worked on getting to the sleeper to stow his bag. Perhaps he would have time to go through the contents of the bag to see what all he had been given.

[najaran]

On his way to the train was a girl, wandering looking lost and a little dazed. She almost walked into him then pulled herself short with an apologetic laugh, one hand behind her head. "Sorry..."

[laurefindil]

Platform:

Glorfindel had been walking through the forest a moment ago, then the fog closed in, and now he was on a strange dock, in strange clothes, surrounded by strange...people. No elves, at least that he could see immediately, a couple where almost short enough to be hobbits or children, though. He took a deep breath in, then out. Some sunlight was breaking through the fog, and then...a very large metal beast roared into the dock.

His first instinct was to reach for his sword, and he had a sharp feeling of concern to find he was unarmed. No sword, no knife, no bow, nothing. Glorfindel hadn't been so disarmed since he had been reborn over four thousand years previously. The beast settled in, hissing as it did so. No one else on the dock appeared concerned, even when part of it opened and others emerged.

An unfamiliar feeling radiated from his wrist and he looked down at it, paying more attention than he had when he'd been looking for his weapons. A strange bracelet encircled his left hand and light shone from it, with the outline of the metal beast showing. He looked around at the others, they were also wearing one, color coded to the clothes they wore. Some were also in purple, like him, and he wondered what was the basis of such sorting.

The feeling on his wrist urged him toward the metal beast again. Well, it wasn't a balrog, in fact, it appeared to be mechanical. He wondered if there were dwarves involved. Aule's children were quite crafty. He started toward the beast...boat? Carriage?

Departure

A feminine voice, not in his head, but coming from the walls or ceiling, advised him to read some information, which was excellent advice, he thought. Then the conveyance shifted and bucked and the scenery outside indicated that they were rising into the sky, as if on the back of an Oliphant. The voice encouraged sitting, so Glorfindel did so, against the inner wall, so he could continue to look out the window.

There was some shaking and the feeling of being on an Oliphant increased, then there was a flash of colourful and beautiful light, that he could not help but feel was rather familiar, then all he could see out the window were colors. They were mesmerizing.

Sleeper Car Six

The people of this conveyance were quite extraordinary, Glorfindel decided. He made his way toward the tail end of the train, following the guidance of the signs toward where he was to bunk. He waved his ticket in front of the little box and the door opened, just as he'd been promised. Looking inside, he saw four berths, none of which had any signs of long term use. He chose the one on the top right and placed his rucksack on it. Perhaps one of his berthmates would prefer that spot, but in the absence of another opinion, it was his for now.


Dining Carriage

Having read the unusual letter in his berth, and the pamphlet he had picked up at the dock, Glorfindel decided that if he was Team Purple, and they were responsible for preparing the meals, he should chip in. He made his way to the kitchen and stepped inside. It was a lot different from the kitchens he knew. For one thing, there was a lot less fire.

Platform

[marriedanidiot]

A flash of red out of the corner of his eye, and Glorfindel will see one of the elves on the train. A very famous one, if only because of her association with rather famous peoples.

Nerdanel stands, eyes full of tears, watching as Maglor and Maedhros walk through the turnstiles and away, without ever looking back.

Leviathan | OTA

[beastofthedeep]

a. Platform

To say that Leviathan was confused was an understatement. For a moment, he even wondered if he'd died somehow. Before the smoke cleared, anyway, and then he realized that he was standing on a platform. He'd never been on a train in his life, mostly because they didn't have any in heaven or hell, and he hadn't exactly had a reason to take human transportation, ever.

Frowning, he looked down at himself, plucking briefly at his orange hoodie. These weren't his style of clothes in the slightest, which begged the question; how had he gotten into them? The more important question though, was where was he? His curse might have been lifted, but he still felt self-conscious being in an unknown place, surrounded by strangers. Burn scars peaked over the collar of his hoodie, stretching across the left side of his neck, and his left hand was equally scarred.

Shifting his weight from one foot to the other, he fussed with the strap on his bag, resisting the urge to dig through it right now to find out what was inside. There would be a time for that, maybe when he wasn't surrounded by people.

"Excuse me," he said, "Do you happen to know where we are?"

b. The Train Part 1

The train really was quite fascinating, if he could overlook the fact that he'd been snatched from his home with, apparently, no way to get back. He'd tried, but nothing had happened, which led him to believe that he wasn't on earth. Which meant...he wasn't sure what that meant, besides the fact that he was far from home.

He made his way through the train, pausing first at his cabin to stow his things, and cringe about how small the space was. He wasn't used to sharing space with others, or sleeping in the same room as anybody else, and he wasn't sure how he was going to adjust. When you were used to things being a certain way for hundreds of years, change didn't come easy.

c. The Train Part 2

After visiting his cabin, he could be found in various other places in the train, checking out places like the kitchen and the garden car, seeing what was what and trying to familiarize himself with the layout. There wasn't really much to it, compared to the kinds of places he was used to, so he didn't anticipate getting lost at least.

d. Departure

He didn't exactly have an idea of what was going to happen when the train announcement was made, and he had no idea what 'Voidspace' was, but he decided to err on the side of caution and listen. Finding an unoccupied seat, he settled into it, bracing himself. It was a good thing he did, too, or else he might have been thrown off his feet.

Once everything had evened out again, he took a glance out the window, and then did a double-take. "Oh." Getting up, he went over to a window to get a better view, peering out with awe. He'd seen many things in his life, but whatever was outside the windows was still very beautiful.

Departure

[maxwellsdaemon]

Duo hadn't taken a seat because he was badass like that and considered it a point for him against the Voidtrecker.

Once the train started on it's merry way, the braided teen started on his and found a guy staring out of a window. So, he did what anyone else would do in that situation, and he peered through a window too.

"Holy shit... Now why didn't I notice that before..." He muttered under his breath. He'd never seen anything like it in his life, but wondered if this was what an acid trip looked like. Or maybe the inside of a lava lamp?

Old Character, New "Item" | the usual warnings of (light) arachnid descriptions

[themasterthief]

I. Not Quite the Platform / The Train

Garrett didn't like the crowded area. If he were in the City it might be different. He could skirt the outer ring of the area, stay hidden in the shadows, and take advantage of the crowd's divided attention. To steal to his heart's content.

But these were people he would have to spend some time with. He didn't need or want to start any unnecessary trouble. The Queen of Beggars had it right: to be alone, you must have something to be alone from. The only problem was it was extremely hard to be alone while stuck on a train with limited space. Even if it did keep expanding. That was only because it kept getting more people. Too many for comfort, especially his.

Instead Garrett kept to the train. But he had a knack for spying and listening in where, perhaps, he shouldn't. He watched from the exits and windows of the train, taking stock of the new fodder and checking the ICP for what little information it gave on each passenger as he watched them.

Though he kept shifting from space to space, he wasn't actually making an attempt to avoid anyone. At most he would hop onto the ceiling whenever someone headed onto the train and got a little too close for comfort. It was him, not the person. He had a thing about touching.

How was he hopping onto the ceiling one might wonder? Well, he wasn't a normal human, that was for sure at a glance. The sneak thief was half arachnid with bits and pieces from scorpions and harvestmen, and like any good spider he clung to the ceiling with little effort on his part.

II. After Departure / Luggage Carriage to Pick Up a Parcel

After all the hubbub Garrett headed towards the luggage carriage. The ICP had said something about parcels waiting to be picked up there and his name was surprisingly on the list. He thought it surprising because he wasn't really certain his request would go through this time around it had been put in so late. No, scratch that, let's be honest here. He didn't really think it would get processed at all.

Though a part of him figured the train would probably get it wrong or rather partially right. He didn't think the exact thing he requested would be waiting for him.

He was wrong. It took him a moment to figure it out. He wanted to be absolutely sure this wasn't just some random bird that the train had decided to pick up somewhere and toss his way. But the bird reacted to the sound of his voice as predicted and when Garrett let the magpie loose the bird fluttered around the carriage looking for escape before finally settling close to Garrett for protection once it realized it was still trapped. The way it acted--it was subtle--but Garrett was pretty certain that it had to be Jenivere. It was something in the body language that Garrett recognized.

"Well, shit."

Now that Garrett had her, he wasn't certain what to do with her. And that was only the tip of the iceberg of his inner thoughts. Garrett was also disturbed by the fact that the bird was actually Jenivere. The bird Garrett had watched die with his own eyes. So it was true. However the train did it, it could actually bring the dead back. So the rumor about the boy having died on the last mission was probably not an exaggeration. The train hadn't just snatched him up before he died and healed him, it probably brought him back after actually dying.

He wasn't concerned with the ghosts on board. That was too similar to monsters he knew about. But the dead back from life? That made Garrett wonder who was in charge. Was it another god out to play games with random people from various worlds? Ugh. This felt too much like Ryslig more than ever now.

Well, whatever the case, Garrett was now stuck with Jenivere.

"Shit."

He was going to have to take care of her. There wasn't anywhere to set her free after all. And she had been Basso's bird for so long she practically relied on him for free food. The plus side was she was a smart magpie. Garrett hoped she wouldn't take too unkindly to him (especially with his new features). She had always been a bit finicky.

To test the waters, Garrett carefully held out his hand to Jenivere and non-verbally asked her to mount his fingers. He was grateful, and surprised, when she hopped on.

"Please just remember I rely on my fingers a little more than Basso did, all right sweetheart?"

I.

[najaran]

Najaran hadn't really noticed him till he moved to avoid someone else coming too close to him. Her eyes followed him up and she stopped in the entryway, staring for a long moment before a bright smile broke out on her face. She didn't know what kind of card or monster he was, but if he was here then there was another cepter here. She wasn't quite so alone! And she could use her cards without scaring anyone.

But all at once her smile fell, became the fear he might have expected from the first glance. But the fear wasn't of him, not directly. What if there was another cepter, but it was a black cepter? She shivered at the thought. She looked around quickly. Lots of people, close quarters. She didn't see anyone obviously controlling him, but that didn't mean anything. She tried to back up, to bring the battle she thought was about to come outside on the space where she had found herself at first. More open there, less chance of anyone else getting hurt. She jammed a hand into her pocket, missing having her book hanging off of her belt. She drew out a card as she tried to back up, but the press of people wouldn't let her. Her eyes went back to watching him while she waited to find out if she was about to be attacked...

Arrival | OTA

[najaran]

Platform

Najran had just been about to look out over the new land where she and her Master were headed when.... Fog? Why was there so much fog? Shrugging she glanced back and had a moment of of vertigo as she realized her feet weren't on thin rails but solid ground. Her arms windmilled for purchase - sorry if she almost hit you - and then she threw one hand out in front of her, like she was holding something that she expected to catch her, a rope or branch based on the hand shape. But nothing was there. She landed hard on her butt.

"Oww....." she muttered. "What's wrong, Goolig....a....n....?" her voice trailed off as she realized her hands were empty. As she patted herself down frantically before taking in the new clothing and.... clearly she was missing something. Multiple somethings. She got up and patted herself down more and more frantically till the bag she was holding swung hard enough to knock her in the rump. She pulled it around in front of her and dug through it. Unimportant, unimportant unim... THERE! Triumphantly she pulled out a small bag. She didn't yet notice that not everything meant to be there was.

"Okay so I have my cards..." she mumbled to herself trying to figure out how to affix the bag to the waistband of her clothing. "Apparently no one here's ever heard of belts," she muttered. "But where is Gooligan? And Master Horowitz? Come to think of it..." she looked around again, smaller bag still in her hand. "Where am I?" Captured? Again? But by who? How? And usually Gooligan was captured with her. She wasn't used to being alone. She considered summoning a card, but shook her head. She didn't know who or what she was up against yet. And she heard other voices. If she used a card someone could get hurt.

So she decided to ask for help. "Hello?" she called into the fog. "Has anyone seen a cane with a man's face? Or a really scary looking old man? Anyone?" And since that didn't bring her Master upon her to howl at being called scary looking, and old, she knew she really was far away from their little submarine....

Departure

She was on the train not ten minutes and she was already lost. Mind, the directions she had been given were for how to find a place to sit while they departed and she had decided the kitchens were a better starting point, but still.

So she wandered lost as the announcement came. She was still looking around, curiously, for the source of the voice when the train lurched sending her flying back into whoever or whatever was behind her. If no one caught her, she'd land in a sprawl on the ground. "Owwww....."

Platform

[pleple]

Best to keep her distance from that little comedy act until the girl stops looking so chaotic - that's the first thing to do. Ple Two watched as she searched for some item or object or even living creature that she wasn't allowed to bring with her, most likely. Placid, observant. People she cared about were still here, so she wasn't as distressed as some of the long term passengers on the platform.

Shortly, the girl stood to ask for help on her own anyways, and Ple Two stepped up. "I haven't seen anyone by quite that description, no." Which didn't mean that they weren't here, but it seemed like she'd be searching even more if they were.

Ple Two held out one of the leaflets. "This will explain better than I can, I think." It's got a more conversational tone than she uses in actual conversation.

[mynameisallen]

Platform
Allen looked around the new place he had once again found himself in. How many times was it now? Two? Three? Though he could at least tell the fact he was on a platform of all things, which means the train in front of him was the one he felt the urge to get on.

But it still didn't stop the young man from getting mildly annoyed and muttering under his breath.

"Not again. When will the worlds decide that they are done with me?" In the last part he sighed slightly. It was not to not be at home and have to be running for his life for who knows how long thanks to there situation, but at the same time he always found he had moments of missing those he knew.

It was the same with the worlds he had gone to. At that thought he soon found himself looking around, hoping that maybe he was lucky and that there was someone from the last world here.

Departure
The train was soon setting off and the young man was finally on and finally checking just what was in the bag he seemed to have magically gotten and once Timcampy flew out of it he couldn't help[ but be happy. It seemed the golem was always with him no matter where they went.

"I'm glad to see you Timcampy. I',m at least glad you are always with me... But what about him..." He quickly started to dig around for something else but soon noticed that they weren't there. It was enough to cause a frown. "I see... Guess it's just you and me again, huh?"

Closing the bag he moved to stand up, picking up the bag as he looked over "Guess we should explore. At least on a train we cannot get lost, huh?" He said with a grin as the golem nodded before flying behind him exploring each and every carriage they found themselves in.

Departure

[maxwellsdaemon]

"Now that's something you don't see every day." Duo called cheerfully as he approached the guy and his Golden Winged Ball of Mystery. He'd literally never seen anything like it in his life and wondered what was powering it. He cocked his head to the side, couldn't work it out, so shrugged and went right back to grinning at the guy.

"You'd be surprised. Think this thing has some length to it. And who knows? If it can bring us all here, why couldn't this thing bend in all directions?" It would have made sense to Duo. Whoever created the train had given it the ability to kidnap people. Surely it stood to reason that the train could be bigger on the inside?

Nerdanel | OTA

[marriedanidiot]

Platform

She does not call after them. She still cannot feel them - although she can see their bodies walk away from her. If her boys had still been here in spirit, she knows, they would have, at least, looked back.

She stands, a solitary figure in the flow of people coming and going, stock still, her hair a red banner, eyes fixed on the exit, and does not move, until it is time to leave.

Garden

After, she retreats to the garden car, where she sits amidst the stones, and slowly starts to carve her sons' faces.

Garden

[maxwellsdaemon]

Duo had already been through the garden once and kind of wasn't sure why it was called a garden if it had some many rocks. But it wasn't for him to question the goings on, being all shiny and new as he was. On his second (or was it third?) trip through the garden though, he found a woman.

She was beautiful... and sad. It tugged at something within Duo and before he realised what he was doing he'd moved toward her. When he spoke his voice was gentle and kind.

"Hey... you alright?" He asked, offering a kind smile. "You new here too?"

On The Platform

[iamnotgod]

Mental/Emotional:

There is no transition, no context from which to derive, to extrapolate, to explain what is happening:

At first he is at home - Earth, everywhere, anywhere the Internet has its firm roots.

Then he is nowhere - all live feeds, gone. All feeds period, gone. No visual, no audio, not even the firmament that was how he saw the World Wide Web.

His first thought is: CAITLIN? For that feed was gone, too; his one truly personal window onto the world, gone as if it had never existed.

His second: Am I dead?

His third, fourth, fifth, and so on are speculation, increasingly-breaking-down attempts to bring himself to reason, to find something real to interact with.

He can make no sense of it - am I attacking people? If I am no longer on Earth, what is occurring there in my absence? - and all his logic degrades into panic.

Whatever body he is in, now - and all he can tell is that it is somehow far smaller than that of the Earth (IS ALL OF ME EVEN HERE? HOW?!), that he is finite, and he is alone.

Loneliness. Emptiness.

If he could, he would scream-

Physical/Open to Action

To everyone else on the platform, all that people can tell about this odd new Voidtrecker is that it - he, but the gender is not easily gathered at this point - is one of the robotic sort, dressed in an orange hoodie with the requisite cargo shorts and work boots, lightweight rucksack hanging loosely off its back.

It is also clearly malfunctioning; all the mechanical tendons and joints are held stiff, as if someone were trying to activate every muscle at once. The screen that serves for a face is blank, and the curious can spot a webcam lurking behind, frantically twitching.

There must be speakers somewhere on this newcomer, however: there is a very present sense of static.

As if someone was trying to scream.

Re: On The Platform

[deductiongeek]

Conan was trying to come to terms with the new situation.

Hattori was gone. He was alone now on the train... with only Kid and Kid's childhood friend as connections to his world.

How was he supposed to feel about that?

As it was, he is more than glad to seize upon a distraction.

Approaching the robot, he peers curiously at the way it was held stiff. Almost like it had been trapped in some sort of spasm. And the screen... He suspected that something was not right here. Moving up in front of the webcam, he waves.

"Hello? Do you need some help?"

Nita OTAs

[unfavorableinstigation]

Before the Platform: ICP

Nita can be found squinting at one of the screens - not because of her headache, but out of suspicion.

"Recordings, huh? Why have this, and the journals, but still no text option?"

Seemed an odd combination to her. Part of her wanted to test it, particularly to see if it retained the info, but it still felt risky.

Before the Platform: Luggage

Weaving in and around the hubbub that the luggage carriage had become - people returning, packages being fetched - Nita held one bracelet clutched in her fist.

It was here; her preset spells were here - but too late to have saved anyone on the mission. She grit her teeth, mixed feelings churning, wishing even with all that she'd done that it had been enough-

Which, of course, was when she bumped into something. Or someone, maybe. Still, apologies were in order.

"S-sorry."

Hopefully they hadn't caught her middle name from the announcements.

During/After the Platform

You may find her with the newest of the informational leaflets, or helping hand out drinks or warm food, but whatever the matter Nita is doing her best to be a reassuring presence.

While also being as true as possible. Given how unreassuring the whole situation was, this was a balancing act to behold.

"You can punch the train, but you're more likely to just bruise your hand. Haven't even heard it complain once since I've been here."

Shaking her head, she went on, "Though it's definitely alive and listening, I've gotten that much from it."

[polterguide]

There's a quiet pause, as Bailey considers what she's saying. Alive and listening? Sure, okay, it's a weird void space whatever train. The fuck do they know about how it works. But...

"...Isn't that just the likely outcome of punching any train?"

[stillnewatthis]

On the Platform

Steam swirled around the immense shadow it concealed -- a monster, by all rights, to judge by its silhouette. Four legs on a body that looked like no animal, and what might be a centaur-like torso if one squinted and ignored the proportion or shape.

"I appear to have been kidnapped during an unauthorized shutdown," mused an accented, faintly electronic voice. Two yellow pinpoints of light shone in the figure's head as it stepped forward. Steam parted, revealing the creature to be every bit as unusual as its silhouette hinted, and perhaps more, being as Orisa was quite obviously a robot.

"An explanation is required," she added, as the vents on her fusion driver popped open and the steam around it drew into them as it sucked up material to recharge. Armored and armored weapon of war on the platform!

In the Train

"Oh dear."

Orisa was stuck. Very inconveniently, she was stuck in the passage between Sleeper 6 and the garden, blocking transit from any of the sleeper cars to the train at large. Her legs pushed hard against the floor, but she'd managed to wedge her torso right into the door in such a way that she simply couldn't get it free no matter how she pushed or tried to squirm.

"This train is not Orisa-friendly," she grumbled.

In the Train

[maxwellsdaemon]

Duo was returning from one end of the train to the cabins when he found his way barred.

He stood for a few seconds just trying to work out what he was looking at, when it spoke. Again, he did not jump. But the feeling was there!

"Hey uh, you need a hand?" He offered with a somewhat uncertain smile.

Aaron LeBlanc | OC

[bornebygrace]

New Passengers/Platform - ota
The first thing Aaron was aware of was the sharp pain from his back due to the weight of the rucksack on his back. He inhaled sharply and let his arms back to drop the rucksack on the ground behind him, trying to relieve as much of it as fast as he could. The dull thump was easily audible to those on the platform before the steam cleared and gave way into the fog. With the pack gone, Aaron's hands started to shake and he would feel a chill as he hugged his elbows. The train deemed it appropriate to give him hoodies in a size too large, and for that he was quite thankful. He could hide in it - which he unconsciously started to do as he shrunk into the fabric.

He looked like a blind man trying to look about: cataract-filled eyes scanning through the fog as he turned a little too hastily. He was uncharacteristically nervous and could feel his pulse climbing. He didn't believe he was in danger, but he was still incredibly anxious that maybe there was something nasty in that mist that he should be concerned about. Some kind of demon, a prince of hell, actually Satan - things that wouldn't necessarily hurt him, but he wasn't actually ready to deal with any of that in this state. More than anything he felt tired and ragged, but this wouldn't show on his beautiful face or break his otherworldly grace. With the way he jerked his head back and forth, onlookers that are close enough may see that his ears are pointed and sticking up through his hair.

Once he'd assessed that things are probably okay enough for the given situation, he crouched over the rucksack and seemed to rifle through it, giving a sigh of relief. He pulled out a pack of Gauloises cigarettes and, with a shaking hand, pulled one out. He lit it with a flash of golden flame coming out of one of his fingers, then took a very deep drag of the cigarette. He held his breath and seemed to enjoy every moment of this, before exhaling very slowly, as if regretting letting it go. He would glance up at the sound of La Cucaracha, slipping the pack of cigarettes into his hoodie pocket as he straightened back up to look at where the sound came from. "I wasn't really expecting that."

Train - ota
Aaron did not wait long to board the train, the nervousness he was holding driving him on board to get out of somewhere so open. If he could find a corner to sit and be out of the way that would be great. He'd already finished the cigarette and didn't bring it aboard - he did have standards. With it being a train he didn't think he would have very much luck with his goal unless he wanted to lock himself in a restroom, which he'd prefer not to do. He walked carrying his rucksack in his left hand, his right hand helping stabalize him as he walked through the train.

Occasionally Aaron would stop to look outside the window, a slight frown tugging at the corner of his mouth.

(This a train-wide wildcard.)

Cabin 5D - open to cabin mates
Aaron made it to is sleeper and opened the door, quietly ascertaining which bunks were open to take. He would find his bunk and could be found re-folding his clothes into a more compact fold, freeing up space in his own little area. He wouldn't look up as someone else entered, generally seeming to be somewhat stand-offish. His mood had dropped even since arriving and he was starting to realize that he was going through withdrawal and this was going to be a tough couple of days as he got through it. He might also be a little frustrated at how hard it was to get a neat fold on his clothes with his hands shaking.

Departure - ota
Aaron managed to get through his cabin and unpacking unscathed, and now was resuming his walk through the train and looking about. Maybe he wasn't good at listening (he wasn't) or he decided to play chicken with the system (he did), but he did not heed the warning to take a seat. The jolt surprised him even though he was waiting for it after the countdown and he was thrown forward. If he was lucky someone might be there to catch him, but if that were not the case he would run into a wall.

He already hated the void.

Departure

[unfavorableinstigation]

Fortunately, there is a Nita to help catch him.

"Oof."

Unfortunately, Aaron outweighed her, though that was as much velocity's fault as anything else.

"... You okay?"

Nita's clothes were perfectly intact, but her voice was still muffled from the impact.

[sizedoesntmatter]

Platform
It had only been two weeks since he first arrived and he had already been questioning a lot about himself. The mission was one of the things he had been thinking about. What had happened and just how little he could do made him a little self-conscious, to say the least, but Kaiba had suggested he at least learn.

The other thought had been a much bigger question, but not as important. Right now however he knew that these thoughts should be brushed aside and instead focusing on seeing who had arrived this time? Maybe they would get lucky and another friend from home would appear. Maybe it was a potential new friend. Whoever it was Yugi knew to do his best to be friendly.

When he spotted someone he made his way over with a smile "Welcome... I know this all might be a little overwhelming, but I can assure you it's okay"

Garden
When the train had started to depart Yugi would usually be found in one of two places. His first stop was the garden. It was always nice and relaxing in there and a great place to clear ones head for the time being.

He soon found a perfectly good spot to take a seat, looking over at what plants were there with a small smile. "The people who have been tending to them have been doing an amazing job."

Game Room
It was Yugi's favorite place to be and the young man was always happily playing one game or another. This time it just so happened to be one of the more video game style ones. he was so focused on what was going on that he doesn't appear to notice anyone even so much as coming in.

Garden

[thebetterweapon]

He's resting on the ground, his hat over his face. He's not far from where Yugi took a seat. "Thank the elves." Creed rumbles, wearing his purple outfit with the cowboy hat.

"Think they've got the most to do with it."

[draconite]

platform

[ When she first becomes aware of the fog around her, Bryn's first thought isn't steam -- it's fire. The weather hadn't been right for mist and something this thick could only be caused by fire. But just as quick as she has the thought, she dismisses it. She knows too well how hot and choking smoke this thick is, but this is cool and wafts gently against her face. So it must be something else.

Or, she abruptly realizes, somewhere else.

Bryn's head swivels just as the fog begins to clear but even though she can pick out a few other figures here in this weird space with her, none of them are faces she recognizes. Her brow furrows in confusion for a moment. She definitely doesn't remember coming here and she's alone... And though she knows she should probably be concerned about this, after a moment, her face quickly brightens with the obvious glee of someone who absolutely cannot keep their nose out of things it doesn't belong in.

So it's with a... perhaps misplaced degree of good cheer that Bryn sets about looking all up and down the platform for her friends. If she's here, then it stands to reason that they must be too. If she comes across someone else then she'll bound up to them without any apparent hesitation. ]

Excuse me! This is all quite overwhelming, isn't it? [ of course, she says that, but she looks like she's taking it in stride. ] You wouldn't happen to know where this is, would you? Or where I might be able to find my companions?

[ If you happen to also be wearing an orange hoodie, though, Bryn's face lights up and she says– ]

Would you look at that! We match! I'm not sure I prefer this to my armor, but it's certainly comfortable.

train

[ Like any new arrival, Bryn busies herself with getting to know just what's going on here and she's quickly snatched up one of the leaflets to go over as she wanders around. The only problem is, she's got her nose right into the leaflet and it's pretty likely that she's just barrel right into you. Rude, tbh. ]

Oh, I had no idea anybody was in the way! [ no duh ] Isn't this all so exciting? I've never seen a train before, but I just say, I'm warming up to it quite quickly!

[ Once she's absorbed the pamphlet though, Bryn sets about to just exploring and seeing what she can find in the train – surely there's something here she can entertain herself with.

At first, she settles herself in next to one of the ICPs and does her best to figure out how to use it. It looks like it should be easy, but Bryn's got her brow furrowed as she pokes hesitantly at the screen, clearly not certain of what she's doing. It's... charmingly hapless. Like a tiny old grandma trying to use Facebook.

She also gets distracted in the standard coach by the library and proceeds to plop herself in front of the bookshelves and start going through all the books. This is... maybe the longest stretch of time she's been still and quiet since getting on the train? Amazing. Unfortunately, thanks to where she's sat, she's liable to end up tripping someone up if they come walking by. Whoops.

And if you're passing through the gym today then... You fool. You absolute walnut. You've made yourself a target. ]

Look out!

[ That's all the warning anyone gets before a ball comes screaming over with the force of something fired from a goddamn cannon. Thankfully for everyone involved, Bryn's aim isn't exactly fantastic (that be the fucked up depth perception) and the ball instead tanks into the wall of the gym where it promptly pops apart with a bang like a gun going off.

... Bryn has the decency to look sheepish, at least. ]

Ah. Perhaps I threw it just a bit too hard...

[ YOU THINK????? ]

wildcard.

[ A super quick wildcard prompt for anything goes! Bryn will be heading to her sleeper car eventually, so this is a wildcard for her roomies and Team Orange teammates to catch her and introduce themselves. ]

Train - the Gym, because sometimes I am cruel to Nita

[unfavorableinstigation]

[Luckily, Nita has a shield! There's a brief flash of blue in a bubble around her-]

Ow!

[Which doesn't save her hearing. Ah, well, can't win 'em all.]

Hope Inigo didn't see that...

[For all she knew, he'd fight for the fallen ball's honor, if only to get all those involved to crack a smile.

Shaking her head, and debating whether persuading the blood vessels in her ears to heal up faster would be worth the energy, she says:]

It's okay; I think we get more?

Xander Woods | Open

[emerald_mirror]

Platform

The train thunders up, the wind from it ruffling his hair, and he blinks at it, clearly startled. He gives it a good look and his brows fly up, and he looks left--Cottonball usually rides his shoulder, and he's relieved to see that she is, indeed, in her usual spot. She doesn't seem too bothered, either, though her eyes are currently closed against the rush of the train.

And then his expression turns somewhat irritated, but somewhat mischievous too, and he drawls loud enough for others to hear: "Did I get sorted into Hogwarts without my knowing?" His glance at Cottonball turns into a decisive smirk. "You're not an owl!

The bat just blinks at him calmly. She's used to his bullshit.


The Train

A need to board. That feeling makes Xander scowl--he's never been fond of compulsions. There's no overt forceful feeling that he can tell, but as an empath, he can tell that the impetus to get on the train isn't coming from him.

"You can make me get on you, you know, but you can't make me like it," he tells the smoking engine, matter-of-factly. But yes, he's still going to get on the train despite it all.


wildcard

(Don't see anything you like here? Make your own! Roomies, I'll be coming at you shortly!)

The Train

[maxwellsdaemon]

"It's weird, isn't it?" Duo said conversationally as he stepped up beside the guy he'd been eyeing from afar for the last minute or so, trying to decide if he wanted to approach or if he wanted to take a wide birth of the guy with wings. Wings meant angels. And angels meant god. And Duo didn't believe in god. At least not the merciful god that most others subscribed to. Nope. The only god he knew was the asshole who enjoyed killing off his friends. So this guy with wings puzzled him.

"I don't want to get on it, but I know I gotta. Kinda pisses me off!" He continued without a single trace of anger in his voice, just friendly good humour.

[sonoflucis]

Platform

Noct is immediately on guard when the smoke billows around him. He was in the middle of sneaking around Zegnautus Keep, trying to find Prompto, when the smoke enveloped him. When he came to his senses, he was on a...platform? At first he thought he was back at the train that brought him to the Imperial Capital, but he realized quickly this was a different train platform all together.

"Where am I...? What is Ardyn up to now...?"

He looks down at his clothes, frowning. What the hell was he wearing? What was this rucksack he was carrying?

As the train arrived, he read the title and his stomach tied in knots. He didn't know what what going on, but he had a feeling he was not where he was supposed to be.

The train

Despite wanting to absolutely run the opposite direction, Noct finds himself boarding the train. He heads the the cabin he was assigned to, finding that his ticket allowed him in. He set down his rucksack on a bed, moving to press his forehead against his knees. He was confused, overwhelmed, and had no idea what was going on. He figured things might start to make sense eventually, but if he tried to hide for now, could anyone blame him?

Departure

Noct had already taken some time to read all the information available, just to try to make sense of the situation. When the voice came across the loudspeakers, he immediately sat down, his hands gripping onto his knees. The jolt is enough to make him double over, but what's worse is the colors. He squints, looking at the strange kaleidoscope landscape that has replaced the smoke.

"What the hell...?"

Wildcard

(ooc: Feel free to meet up with Noct. He'll eventually be wandering around the train, trying to get his footing!)

Wildcard

[maxwellsdaemon]

Duo had been up and down the train several times so far, just wandering and seeing who he would meet each time. Because every pass gave him someone else, something else to see and it was amazing. He'd yet to spend more than a little time in his actual cabin.

So it was his, maybe third, pass through the games room where he bumped into a guy who he could only have called beautiful. Why the hell were there so many good looking people on this train? He was beginning to think the train had some kind of weird fetish. Though his theory fell apart when he wondered then why the train would have hooked him into it's numbers.

It wasn't so much as the pretty boy looks that caught Duo's attention though, than the lost look in his expression. So he grinned at him. "I think it gets better!" He called over to him. "Least, so far people haven't been too weird!"

OTA

[deductiongeek]

Platform:
Conan had been on the train a long time now. He'd seen people leave, and he knew what it meant when people walked off the platform. He knew that no one had found a way to stop it.

Even so... He had never expected Hattori to be one of them.

He stands on the platform, silently watching them go. And lingers there long after there was no sign of any of them anymore.

On the Train:
After that, Conan didn't feel much inclination to stay on the platform or talk to people. He boards the train and goes in search of a quiet corner to brood.

On the train

[dredefulchilde]

Unfortunately, with all the new passengers there aren’t many quiet corners left. Joscelin is already brooding in one when he sees Conan enter the carriage and waves him over.

“You look how I feel,” he says, quietly.

OTA

[schrodingersghost]

Just Outside Baggage Car:
Danny leaves the baggage car with a grin, and a large package under his arm. He could not wait to see what the train shop had come up with for the random clothes option.

Either he was getting something useful, and he was finally getting out of the train uniform, or he was going to get a laugh out of it. A total win either way.

Re: OTA

[unfavorableinstigation]

Nita is one of those people who (eventually) follows out after him.

"What'd you get?" she asks, charm bracelet already back on her wrist, where it will hopefully stay for the foreseeable future.

She also has an oddly thick packet of magazines under one arm, but she hasn't let herself look at it yet.

That can come later.