voidtreckerexpress | A New Platform [Intro Post April!]

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A New Platform [Intro Post April!]

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Yeah. Slowly, everything was falling into darkness." Noct said. "Daemons everywhere. The Regalia is wrecked..." That hurt a lot. He loved that car. It was one of the places he felt happiest. "It sounds kind of bad ass saying it out loud, but we had to run under a train and it crashed down before we could all get through."

"Damn.." He breathed, feeling chills run through his blood. "The Regalia.. it's gone?" He couldn't hardly believe that was real. He was gone as was the car from Regis. Gladio and Iggy were on the other side of that train. Why hadn't the Voidtrecker come to Eos to save them? They were a world drowning in darkness too. It wasn't fair.

"Yeah.. but I'm sure it didn't feel that way to live through it. I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you. I was following the track but I'm not sure I make it." In fact, he knew he didn't. He remembered how he was feeling the second before he came here. He'd been falling and he knew he wouldn't be getting back up. "You know I would've if I could, right?"

"Yes, she's gone." Noct said, his throat tight. "As for you...at some point, Ardyn gets you again. He was taunting me with you." Noct said. "But yeah, I know, Prom. You've always got my back, right?"

It was a lot to take in. That car had been their fifth member of their group. They'd always been able to count on the Regalia bouncing back. It was just wrong that there was a point she couldn't.

His focus snapped up to Noct's face hearing about Ardyn. "What? You mean.. I don't die?" Although if Ardyn was the one who was telling Noct this, maybe he was. "A- are you actually trying to get me back? And, yeah, of course. Whenever and whatever, you can always count on me."

"No, you don't die." Noct said softly. "I know that for a fact." Noct's voice was stern, with conviction. "And of course I'm trying to get you back! You're my best friend. I would never leave you behind!"

It was tiny, but maybe there was a chance Gladio was right about his deep, dark secret. Maybe Noct wouldn't think of him as a traitor. Not now, obviously- by the six, Noct had enough to face right now. But some day maybe he would.

"I just.. it means a lot. Thanks." He looked down at his hands for a moments. "Um.. oh, so about the clothes? We get assigned to teams when we get here for some reason. Yuffie started the black team so even though I was assigned to purple, I've joined the black team. You should join it with me! Then we'll dye all your stuff black. We decided our team mascot is Ebony, that black chocobo chick. Remember?"

Noct shook his head, laughing. "What's wrong with the teams you all were on?" It seemed like a rebellious sort of thing to him. "Did you guys get punished for starting a new team?"

Ebony. That brought him back to simpler times. "Good mascot, though."

He paused at that question, obviously never having thought of it before. "I don't know. Nothing, I guess. Black's just our color and Yuffie, the leader of the black team is awesome!" He looked down at his clothes. "Technically, I'm purple. Gladio and Iggy are blue. And nah, it's been no big deal. Although we go on these missions to help save worlds and stuff and we're given tasks based on our teams. There are team leaders and stuff too. I don't know too much about it. I went with Iggy last time and no one said anything about it." He really hasn't paid that close of attention to these rules and how things are set up.

"Yeah! We picked a midgardsormr for red team, a purple cactuar for purple, a wombat for orange- which I was told is a fuzzy little animal, and a turtle for blue. I didn't get the wombat but Yuffie said it was a good fit."

"Then what's the..." Noct sighed. "Never mind, it's making my head hurt. Also why the hell does my team have to be a midgardsormr?" He pouted. He hated those things. He wasn't sure about switching teams, but he did want to be with his friends. "I guess I have to really learn the ropes here..."

"I don't know. The red team I've heard is made up of assholes so we thought something poisonous worked. I don't know where that attitude came from but they had the scariest mission last time." He paused realizing what this meant for Noct. "I'd feel better if you stayed with us when missions come up." He didn't want something bad to happen to Noct.

He tried to think of something else that the other guy needed to know. "Uh.. oh, everyone has chores too that are tied to their team. They have me in the kitchen, Noct! The kitchen! So far I've just done the dishes but I don't know what they're thinking.."

"Assholes..." Noct frowned. Was that what the train thought of him? Maybe he was...Gladio sure had made him realize that before. Prompto's concern pushed that thought aside for the moment. "I would rather stay with you guys, too. I don't know what's going on...and you guys are the only ones I really trust."

Chores. Seriously? "So, the train can spirit us away from home, but it can't keep itself clean? What the hell? Please don't attempt to cook, man."

Prompto winced hearing Noct latch onto that part. "That's not you!" He was quick to protest against. "Maybe it means leaders o- or something.. you know, people might just be wrong that any of these teams mean anything at all."

He frowned a little, unsure what to say to that. "There are some good people here so.. I mean, you can trust some of them. I mean, obviously you're going to have to make that call for yourself, but just so you don't think this is a bad place or something."

His cheeks colored a little, but he found it funny nonetheless. "I've warned them about that but there are a few who keep insisting on me trying it! This guy Bucky, he has this cool metal arm and he gave me this knife demonstration. I've been avoiding him whenever I go near the kitchen so he doesn't try to teach me something else." There's some obvious warmth to his tone to say this was more friendly than it might sound. "Iggy's the one to really ask about people though. He's been here a lot longer than Gladdy and I have. We just showed up two weeks ago."

"It's fine..." Noct sighed softly. If the train thought he was an asshole, he couldn't do much about that.

Noct smiled wryly. "I'm sure there are good people. I'm just not going to trust everyone right off the bat. Not after being tricked into hurting you..."

He had learned a harsh lesson that way.

"I'm sure if you practiced you could get it. You're smart." Noct said, smiling softly, but dropped for a moment. "Is he hitting on you?"

Well and who cared what the train thought about him anyway, right?

"How exactly did that happen?" He'd been so relieved that there had been a reasonable explanation for why Noct had decided he was a horrible human being that the actual story hadn't even registered. "Is there something I can do to help?" He felt bad that Noct had been carrying around that guilt.

The compliment was unexpected and had his smile growing bright but a little bashful. It meant everything to him that Noct believed so highly of him. He was getting all wrapped up in that warm feeling that the question totally threw him off guard. His eyes widened and the like pink on his cheeks turned a vibrant red. He would've looked less surprised if Noct had thrown a pie in his face. "What?! Who? Gladio?"

... no Prompto. They were not talking about Gladio.

"He messed with my mind. When I was chasing you through the train? I thought I was seeing Ardyn." Noct said. "He can make other people look like him..." It was a terrifying power. "...Just forgiving me is enough."

Noct jerked back in confusion, blushing just because Prompto was. "No! That Bucky guy. You said he wanted to teach you other stuff. Sounded like innuendo!" Noct cocked an eyebrow. "Who said anything about Gladio?"

He nodded quickly at that. He would have forgiven Noct for a whole lot more than that. The fact he'd been used so horribly hurt everything inside the blonde on Noct's behalf. "You know you have that. You were hurt just as much as I was. That's why he did it!" There had to be a way to stop that guy.

Of course, that was back home and this was the train where these two chocoboheads were staring and blushing at each other. "Oh.. I don't know. Maybe? There's uh.. there's a couple who do. But um.." Oh crap.. now how was supposed to explain how Gladio's name popped up? His gaze dropped from Noct's face as he scrambled for an explanation to this. "I.. I don't know. I think my mind just sort of wandered a bit. D- do you want to go find him? I can see if I can go get him to come here? Or we can keep hanging out, that's totally cool too. I just- I know Iggy and Gladdy are going to want your time too. I shouldn't hog it all, even if I want to."

"Yeah, he's sadistic. I don't completely know his motives, but..." Noct sighed. "At least we get a break from him."

Noct folded his arms. This was a classic Prompto deflection if he's ever seen one. "Prompto Argentum." He said sternly. "I know you well enough to know you're trying to change the subject now. What's up?"

"B- but.." He gaped trying to find words to deny what he was being accused of, but of course he couldn't. Noct knew all about Prompto just as the others did. Even if he was good at lying- which he wasn't- he wouldn't be able to get away with it from his companions.

It wasn't that he didn't want to come clean about Gladio, but he was nervous about coming right out with it too. He'd experienced some really wonderful things at that Big Guy's hands. They were things he wanted to share with Noct. Other people might find something so treasured they want to hoard it away in secret. That just wasn't Prompto. When he found something amazing, he was always like an excited puppy racing back to his friends so they could experience it too. What would Gladio think of him saying this? They weren't even sure what they were to each other, were they? Even without those definitions worked out, he was pretty sure telling Noct that he really needed to come try this cock wasn't exactly normal. And Gladio was more than what was between his legs too.

This was confusing.

"We.. um.. Glads and I uh.. well we, sort of.. .. .. .. slept toge- are uh, sleeping together."

Noct was a little nervous as Prompto's entire demeanor changed. He wanted to wave it off, just to get Prompto to calm.down,but then Prompto dropped the bomb and Noct had to strain to hear but he heard it.

"You... Excuse me? I..." He felt a little... Betrayed? Prompto had never told him he liked Gladio! "I... Um... Well... Um..." Yeah, he didn't know what to say.

Prompto felt his heart twist in his chest painfully when he saw the hurt on Noct's face. He hadn't known what to expect from the dark haired beauty, but there was something in that look that took his breathe away. Unsure what to do, he reached a hand out across the table, palm up.

"I don't want you to be mad at me. If you tell me to, I'll stop." It would hurt if he was told he had to give Gladio up, but it was for Noct. That was a good enough reason to do just about anything. No, correction, literally anything. "I- we didn't know we felt that way about each other til we got here. We've both been kind of lost here without you. We're not us without you." His gaze dropped to his hand on the table. "He's being really good to me."

Noct gently took Prompto's hand. "I wouldn't ask you to give him up." Hisnvoice was barely above a whisper. "I just should've known. You're my best friend."

He hadn't expected any less of Gladio. It was just so strange. "I'm glad he's good to you. I hope you're both happy." He truly did.

His fingers curled around Noct's, feeling like he finally had a piece of him that had been missing ever since he got thrown from the train. "You're mine too. And Noct.. this doesn't change how I feel about you. I'm sorry this came up so fast too. Like, you just got here and this is a lot being thrown your way. So for that, I'm sorry."

His gaze managed to find Noct's again and his smile was creeping back. "It's pretty amazing. Not only that but like.. we don't have anyone after us here. So, we can really just be us." He blinked back a little emotion in his eyes as he thought about it. "It's a relief. And now that you're here? It's.. I don't know. It's incredible. You being here is incredible."

Something about the way Prompto had said nothing would change between them made Noct's eyes burn and well up with tears. Things could be like they were before Insomnia fell.

Well, except now his best friend was sleeping with his Shield.

"Incredible..." He said softly. "You..." He tried to throw some humor in. "You had time to miss me while you were hooking up with Gladio?"

That was exactly what Prompto had been trying to say! Somehow Noct had heard it even if he hadn't gotten the words just right. They were free. Even if the train was crowded and they couldn't get off, they were still free of what they left behind in Eos- especially Noct. That was what had made Prompto hopeful despite his fear that Noct would arrive and his feelings wouldn't have changed.

The joke landed and Prompto laughed. There were notes of surprise there had been a joke at all but also enjoying thoroughly that Noct felt like he could do that. "Hey! We're not rabbits!" Although they didn't have a ton to do around here and Prompto didn't have roommates up until- aw, crap. He probably had roommates now, didn't he? "We play games in the game room! There's some cool virtual reality video games and like all the board games you'd ever want! It's pretty fun!"

Noct felt relief wash over him as Prompto laughed. That was a sweet sound. "That does sound pretty fun." He admitted. He had to know something, though. "Did you always like Gladio?"

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