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

[sonoflucis]

Noct raised an eyebrow. This girl was pretty optimistic. It wasn't unwelcome. Honestly, it reminded him of Prompto. "I guess that's one way to look at it. I could be here alone. My friends are actually here."

[adropofsunlight]

"That's great to hear~," She said happily. It was always nice to hear of people who have had friends who are here as well. Means they can settle in much easier, right?

"I think having friends here will make things much easier for you."

[sonoflucis]

"Yeah. I'm the type that doesn't cope well, so if Iggy and the others weren't here..." He shuddered. "I might've imploded." He knows himself well enough to at least admit that. "I hope you have friends here as well?"

[adropofsunlight]

"Then I am more than glad you have friends here. As for me. I've made friends since I arrived, but I never had any before I arrived here." She figured the wording might get a bit of a question so she wondered if it was best to explain why she said it in such a way or not.

But this time she figured at the moment she was going to focus on the other. "It makes me hope that even if not right now that in the future we can maybe become friends?"

[sonoflucis]

"You seem like the type to make friends pretty quickly." Noct smiled. "You remind me of someone pretty close to me, so I'm pretty sure we're going to be fast friends. In fact..." He extended his hand for a handshake. "It's nice to meet you, um...well, this is embarrassing, I don't know my new friend's name."

[adropofsunlight]

"I do seem like that, but I don't know if that is actually the case or not." Plus she just didn't want to make anyone hate her, so she figured why not befriend everyone instead. But soon she extends her hand to take it, even if she is a bit sheepish at not mentioning who she actually was.

"Oh! Sorry. My bad. I'm Rapunzel."

[sonoflucis]

"Noct." Noct grinned, giving her hand a shake. "It's very nice to meet you." He had to admit, she was a positive force, something he desperately needed. "So...Now that we're friends, I have to ask, do you happen to know Gladio, Prompto, or Ignis?"

[adropofsunlight]

She soon let go before thinking about the answer to that question. "I believe I've met at least one of them. Gladio is a name I do recognize at least."

She was pretty sure she met him on the last platform and show him. "Cannot say 100% about the other to, but if I haven't I am sure I'll see them someday"

[sonoflucis]

Noct nodded. "Ignis has been here for months, he said, so I thought he would be the one you knew." Noct shrugged. "But they're all great guys." He smiled softly. "They would be your friends, too, I'm sure."

[adropofsunlight]

"I think that's a name I have heard around here, but not someone I have met face to face yet." Didn't mean she wasn't going to try and at least say hello to everyone, she might have that goal in mind.

"But I hope someday I'll meet them all and be friends. Though I can tell you care for them a lot"

[sonoflucis]

Noct nodded. "Yeah, they honestly mean everything to me." He said honestly. "They've always had my back. Doesn't mean I can gather more friends. I think kindness is underrated these days."

[adropofsunlight]

"I wouldn't say it's underrated, I think a bit of kindness is what most people need." She appreciated the kindness she has always gotten from those here. It had been vastly different back home. Though at the time she did think what was going on was her mother showing kindness, but now she understands it a little better.

"I mean we all come from various places and who knows what experiences they have been through, so I think showing kindness is at best the first thing we should do."

[sonoflucis]

"I guess maybe things are a bit messed up back where I'm from. A lot of kindness is met with suspicion these days." Especially when you were an undercover prince trying to avoid getting caught. "But I agree with you. It really calms a person when the new people they're meeting are kind."

[adropofsunlight]

"I'm sorry to hear about where you are from being a bit messed up at the moment." Not that she knew how or anything, but messed up is a bad thing and it makes her feel a little sad regardless.

But she soon nods briefly. At least to her the kindness had always been a positive. "But I have to wonder if maybe I might come across a little too much? If that makes sense? Like too kind that it might be overbearing."

[sonoflucis]

"Maybe you do? But not for me, at least. You remind me of my best friend." Noct flashed a smile. "I think you're smart enough to read body language enough to know when you're too much. At least, you seem like you're that smart." He scratched his cheek. "Sorry, I'm not good at pep talks."

[adropofsunlight]

"I don't think it's that bad. The pep talk I mean." she could understand them thinking it wasn't good though, but she thought it was fine. "But maybe I am. I just need to have confidence. But oh! I realized have you seen more of the train than just what you can see outside the window?"

[sonoflucis]

"Really? I'm getting better, then." Noct laughed softly. At her question, he shook his head. "Just a quiet room my friend took me in because I was overwhelmed." It had helped. He had taken the time to calm down and gain his footing.

[adropofsunlight]

"I've never been to the quiet room..." She knew it was there, but didn't find a reason to stay there a lot of the time.

"Oh, but you have the garden and the games room to go too. I... haven't really played any of the games, but they look fun. Good way to relax."

[sonoflucis]

Noct perked up at the sound of a game room. "Games? What kind of games?" He wasn't really picky, though, but this was important information!

[adropofsunlight]

"There's these things called video games. There are also board and card games too." She didn't know as much about the video games, but she was happy the other seemed interested at least.

[sonoflucis]

"Video games?" Okay, that was good news. "Awesome. I mean, board games and cards are great, but I love video games." They were a good way to cope with life. "That's the best news you could have given me...unless there's a fishing pond somewhere."

[adropofsunlight]

"I never knew what they were until I cam where. I still only know so much from watching through." But she soon shook her head slightly.

"Sadly, no fishing pond. I'm not sure you could fit one on a train, but I could be proven wrong/."

[sonoflucis]

"They're common where I'm from and they're great. You can do basically anything with the games from home!" He laughed. "And no worried, I didn't think there would be. Maybe there is at least a fishing video game."

[adropofsunlight]

"I see. Well I might give them a try sometime." She didn't know what exactly was good about them but the only way to know was to try them, right?

"Maybe there is. Only way to know is to go check it out."

[sonoflucis]

"Can't know unless you try." Noct nodded. He was trying to be open-minded about things, and encouraging others to do the same helped.

"I guess I'll have to do that...after some rest. It's been a long day."