A New Platform [Intro Post July]

[voidtreckermods]

On the Train

Luckily for everyone the final couple of days of Fiddlesticks are quiet and mostly uneventful. Eventually though they awake to the announcement. "Good morning passengers, it is day one of the month of Grasshopper. Points have been updated on the system."

They have indeed and everyone can spend the morning shopping. Those who have been on the train a while will be expecting the second announcement that comes a few hours later.

"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. Also a loud pattering sound, which they will discover once the doors open are hailstones. They might want to grab their raincoats.

As usual the first to leave the train notice nothing as they walk silently, rucksacks on their backs, towards the barriers. Ann Takamaki, Drizzt, Geralt, Huehuecóyotl, Ignis Scientia, Ivy Wakefield, Jiang Yanli, Lan Sizhui, Maebhrin Tillinath, May Parker, Nie Huaisang, Osomatsu Matsuno, Raven, Roxas, Shaw, The Iron Bull, Ultimo, Wei Wuxian, Yuki Sohma, Yuffie, Yukito Tsukishiro

But on the platform itself there are many new faces. Wearing hoodies and waterproofs, in various states of confusion.

For New Passengers

At first all they can see is steam. Billowing around them as they come to their senses. The second thing they will notice is it is cold, hailstones rain down around them, though they don’t last long on the platform ground, melting into slush.

They are standing, in clothes that are not their own, styles they might not even recognise. They are carrying a rucksack on their back. For a moment it seems to just be them, alone in the white haze but then the steam begins to fade and they realise they aren’t alone.

The platform is not large and it holds nineteen figures all facing the tracks, all dressed in cargo trousers and hoodies. 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. Most are wearing the same hoodie in one of the four colours, red, orange, blue and purple though some are sporting different clothes in a variety of styles.

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.

Indeed whereas usually there is plenty time for people to be met and brought slowly onto the train, the whistles blow a lot quicker this time, as if hurrying the passengers along.

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, it seems carrots have taken over the bacon, though there are plenty of other staples.

Those from blue team who go to investigate will find a box of biscuits. There is enough for the whole team, including new passengers. Join in your team's success!

Those who are not new will quickly discover some changes made to make the train accessible to those who can’t see, including Braille translations of all the signs around the train.

There is of course the new music room to explore. A double carriage, the downstairs has instruments to learn and practice with, as well as a series of music screen points. Those who play around with the screens will soon discover their SCA’s can now store music and can choose their favourites to listen to around the train.

Upstairs is a performance area and holds a piano.

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 over the noise of the hail stones 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

Tokidoki Rikugou | Amatsuki | OTA

[yokeye]

1. Platform

[At first, the cold goes unnoticed, but as the steam dissipates, he's suddenly sharply aware of the hail and the chill; of the platform and the new surroundings. The rucksack is too heavy and Toki lets it slide off his shoulder onto the platform with a dull thud. He looks down at his clothes, blue, too colourful like the rest of this... place. Not the fluorescent yellow-white of the hospital. He's somewhere new again... or had that not been real either? The notion hits him hard, and his breath comes in shallow gasps as the edges of his vision darken. He can't stand any longer and drops to his knees.

The slush soaks into the cargo pants, which are not his. Not that he remembers. The boots feel stiff and inflexible after having been barefoot for who knows how long. The perception of time is skewed as he focuses on breathing and trying to figure out how he's gotten here. Why. Had he messed up somehow? Had he never left the Void of Death in the first place? Or even before that? He'd thought he'd made it home, but now it already seems like a dream.]

What happened!?

[His voice is hoarse, having spent the last minutes in his own world, if is had been his, screaming and crying brokenly; sounds echoing in the hallway from both himself, and her. But now she's gone, the hospital's gone, that place he'd been sure was real, sure for the first time, is gone. He pressed the button; had that been wrong? Was it a test he failed?]


2. Information

[Oh my god. There's so much to read. The SCA information, the leaflets. This is hell. It's hell. After boarding the train, Toki drags his rucksack along behind him, one hand on the wall to support himself. He loosely holds the the leaflets in the other, trying to make sense of them. It's too much information and his brain is melting. He'll whine in frustration at whoever approaches or tries to pass him, weakly waving the leaflets.]

These aren't like, required reading, are they?


3. Cabin / 6A

a; scenario i

[Upon finding his assigned cabin, Toki gathers all of his strength to appear happy and even excited. He waves as he heads inside, throwing his rucksack on the nearest bunk, a feat which takes great effort.]

Hello~! This place is pretty neat, right!? I hope we can be friends!

[His carefully crafted introduction is ruined when he takes another step and promptly trips over his untied boots.]

b; scenario ii

[The cabin is empty when he gets there, and so he explores; going through whatever belongings are left from the other occupants. It's not really an invasion of privacy if he can reasonable say he didn't know said belongings weren't simply provided to him, like the ones in the rucksack.]


4. Wildcard
Anything goes! Start something or plot on plurk (hylidae), or discord

2

[jerkchicken]

[When the question is posed as Gyro tries to get by, he heaves a sigh. He cannot get a moment's peace anywhere, can he?]

Why wouldn't you read it? This train is clearly something unique, wouldn't you want to understand as much as you could?

[yokeye]

I tried!

[There's a little bit of indignation there.]

I did! For like, a few sentences, but then things just ran together and then I forgot what I read and I had to start over and it's just so much!

[jerkchicken]

[Gyro rolls his eyes.]

Don't throw a fit. It's really not that hard to understand. We're on some sort of train that clearly has some sort of interdimensional quality to it, and it doesn't look like we can just get off. We're stuck here until we come to a stop. One of the platforms or worlds that were mentioned. Whether we have to get back on from there, I can't say yet.

[He seems unfazed by that, as he looks the human over.]

You're obviously on the blue team, tasked with laundry for the month. Your ticket should stay with you, and it acts as a keycard, or something, for your room. That should probably be your first step. Find your room and put your things away.

See? Simple.

[yokeye]

[All of the interdimensional train explanations get ignored for the most egregious part.]

Laundry!?

[He's immediately taking off his jacket and pulling at the hoodie.]

Switch with me! I can't do laundry! I'll turn everything pink or like, things'll disintegrate!

[jerkchicken]

What? No, I'm not going to switch with you! Doing the entire train's laundry is even more disgusting than making the entire train's meals.

2

[goingthroughaphase]

[ Sorry, she can't really relate, she'd been more than happy to read all of the information she could get when she first boarded. ]

Well no, they're not required. But they do help.

[yokeye]

[Not required is all he needs to here, and he drops the leaflets to the floor.]

Great! Do you know which way cabin...

[What was it?]

The blue cabin is? No, it's a number!... Six! The sixth one!

[goingthroughaphase]

Sleeper six? Sure, it's back down that way... [ She points down the corridor of the train. ] All the sleeper cars are after most everything else, but they go in reverse order, so once you pass Sleeper seven it'll be the next one.

[yokeye]

[His eyes light up at the knowledge sleeper six is actually closer.]

So it's really like the second one! I can do that!

[Looking down the corridor though, it still seems far away.]

2

[myblueskies]

You don't got to read them sir! [He smiled at him as he spotted him on his walk through the train. He tried to help everyone on their first day, because he knew how scary and strange it could be!

This man is wearing blue, he's a teammate so he will make a special effort to stop and grin at him.] But they got lots of things in them that it's good to know!

[yokeye]

Oh! Well...

[There's contradictory information here, and he doesn't know what to do with it. The leaflets are apparently unimportant enough that he doesn't have to read them, yet there are things he should know inside them. Toki spends almost a minute deciding whether to read them after all. He doesn't, shoving them in the pocket of his hoodie.]

Problem solved! Hey, you're blue!

[Not that he knows what that means, if it has any significance at all.]

[myblueskies]

I am! You're blue too so we're on the same team sir!

[He's not sure just putting the leaflets in his pocket is a problem solved at all, but maybe he means to read them later!]

[yokeye]

What are the teams for?

[That was probably covered in the leaflets, but he doesn't learn well from the written word.]

Platform

[only_one_wei]

"I have no idea," said the similarly blue clad man to his left. "But I just saw myself leave through those barriers there."

[yokeye]

"What?"

He'd seen people leave the train, but wasn't paying much attention, and doesn't recognize Wei Wuxian as one of them.

"So you're like... a robot? Or was the other one the robot? Or like, an... avatar?"

Both of these are plausible scenarios, but he's confused over which one is more likely.

[only_one_wei]

Avatar was a word he recognized, but robot wasn't. He shook his head. "No, despite claims by my detractors I am neither a spirit or a demon. And my other self...the spiritual energy was very muted, suppressed, I'd say. Like I was under someone else's control." He bowed to the other. "Wei Wuxian."

[yokeye]

"Toki. Nice to meet you." He bows in return. "I think I get that, under someone else's control. I... saw myself once too. He came out of a mirror and attacked me and he was like, evil."

2

[irrationally]

[ Poor Toki, he picked exactly the wrong person to start whining to.. Because the moment Alice turns to give him attention when he starts whining, her reaction is already so obvious. It's written all over her face as she just gives him the most stone cold expression possible. Apparently there's no sympathy here... ]

I don't know. Would you rather just die?

[ OVERDRAMATIC MUCH, ALICE? Not like not reading it would just kill him..

.. well, not right away, anyway. ]

[yokeye]

[He gives that some thought, because it's an option he won't outright say no to.]

Is... that somehow related? Will I die if I don't read all of it? Die here or like, forever?

[He's also very confused now.]

[irrationally]

[ This is honestly an excellent opportunity to troll him.

But maybe it's since Alice has been in a poor mood lately, or maybe fortune is shining down on him today.. she opts to be honest instead with a slight shrug. ]

It's not inevitable, but not taking in that information sure does raise your chances of dying in an extremely preventable and frankly embarrassing way at some point along the line.

[ Such fun news, right. ]

.. also, did you just assume that dying here isn't the same thing as dying forever?

[yokeye]

So... not required and not guaranteed death! I got it!

[No need to read the information. As for her question...]

Well, yeah! Like, dying in here isn't like, real... because you'd wake up or like, start over, and dying forever is... you need to be outside of...

[He gestures vaguely.]

I-in the real world. Which this is not.

Cabin 6A

[laurefindil]

Glorfindel quickly reaches out to catch the new human. "I hope we can too," he said laughter warming his voice. The empathetic elf wasn't fooled by the outward cheerfulness, but he wasn't one to call out someone he just met.

"My name is Glorfindel," he said. "Mine is that bunk," he said with a nod at one of the two top bunks. "The other is Xander's. He's easy to spot, with the green feathers," Glorfindel said.

There was a very healthy vine growing across the top of the cabin, as well.

[yokeye]

"Uh, thanks."

That was embarrassing, but he brushes off the awkwardness.

"It's nice to meet you, Glo... Glorifen!" He forgot already. "I'm Toki!"

Apparently, the bunk he left his rucksack on is free, so he leaves it where it is.

"You said this other guy had feathers? Why are there so many bird people!? I met like, two ducks! Two! Not that I haven't like, you know, hung around with bird people, because I have, but like, I didn't expect them on a train..."

He trails off, because he's just babbling and none of it matters.

[laurefindil]

"....you can just call me Glor," Glorfindel offered. He really did not like being called Glory, so he thought he'd better just put a stop to that before it got there. He never sought glory, so to be called that almost physically hurt. "It is nice to meet you."

"I wouldn't say there are a lot of bird people. Xander is mostly humanoid, he just has wings, being an angel." He blinked. "Okay, two duck people is twice as many as we used to have. You are familiar with bird people? Why would you not expect them on a Train?" Okay, now he's lit the fire of Glorfindel's curiosity!