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

[irrationally]

"I was," she replies, though she frowns as she answers. Not because she's unsure of what she meant - oh no, it's just what he said.

"Please tell me you aren't implying that people somehow use rocks to make music where you come from."

[swansongs]

He started laughing. "No, lot literal rocks. Rock is a genre of music, like classical and pop and hip hop, that kind of thing." He hoped that was a good explanation. If it wasn't, he was at least in a position to demonstrate now.

[irrationally]

"Hip.. hop?"

Yeah, apparently that explanation didn't help much. It's not like Alice has even had a lot of time to explore all the different genres of her own time, let alone all the ones that exist far beyond her time.

"You aren't trying to pull a prank on me, are you?" There's a hint of a doubting frown on her face, but it's not too intense. Dyme seemed harmless enough when they spoke before, so she's willing to give him at least the slight benefit of the doubt here.

[swansongs]

"No, no, definitely not. You've never heard of hip hop?" Or rock, or...had she heard of any music genres? "There's a whole bunch of different kinds of music." And even Dyme didn't know all the genres, but he felt like he knew a lot. "And some of the genres totally sound made up, but they're not."

[irrationally]

Alice shakes her head.

"I'm not too well versed in music." Or most things, really. That's the problem with being stuck in a catatonic state for ten years.. "But even then I'm fairly sure that kind of music might just not exist where I come from. I haven't even heard it mentioned in passing."

But she doesn't think Dyme is lying to her about this. .. Probably. The differences between all of their worlds seem wild enough that she's willing to believe music genres with those odd names might exist somewhere out there.

[swansongs]

"Maybe," Dyme said. "That'd be a shame, 'cause music's great, but weirder things have definitely happened." He would've made a lot of assumptions about music and other worlds at first, when he'd just gotten here, but now he knew better. Everyone came from somewhere different, and it didn't always make sense, but things just...were the way they were. Honestly, compared to places with magic and shit, worlds without the same kind of music was really tame.

[irrationally]

"Then.. why don't you let me hear something right now?"

She's kind of curious now. Alice has absolutely no idea what to even imagine from a music genre named 'rock'. And Dyme himself obviously knows and seems passionate enough about it.

[swansongs]

"Sure! I can do that." He fussed with his guitar for a moment, then started playing one of his songs that he'd written, a rock song. It was fairly mellow, as far as rock went, but lively enough to still be fun.

[irrationally]

It's hard to tell what exactly Alice's reaction is. On the upside, she's not walking away mid-song or anything impolite like that. She stands there the whole time he's playing, and she does seem to be listening attentively. But her facial expression hardly changes as she listens - though that might be since it hardly ever changes aside from moments of extreme emotion.

Even when he finishes, all she says at first is just:

"That was unlike anything I've ever heard."

[swansongs]

"I'm going to hope that's a good thing?" It was hard to tell with Alice sometimes, but he was starting to get used to the fact that was just the way she was. Some people were just hard to read, and he wasn't offended by it. It did make him a little nervous after playing one of his own songs, though.

[irrationally]

"Well.." It's almost as if she's trying to be suspenseful on purpose, but no, she's genuinely thinking about it for a moment before she continues. "It's not a bad thing."

.. Apparently she's also just bad at being straightforward with compliments, huh.

"Are those the kinds of songs you often played back home?"

[swansongs]

He leaned in a fraction while he waited for her answer, the suspense almost getting to him. When she finally did answer, he laughed, leaning back again. Well, if it wasn't bad, that meant it was at least acceptable.

"Yeah. I really enjoy rock songs. My band's good at 'em, too."

[irrationally]

"You must have been relieved to find this carriage then. You can carry on as you did back home." She pauses, glancing around them before turning her gaze back at Dyme.

"Although with less of an audience, I suppose."

Just the random other people who might stop by this carriage on their way around the train.

[swansongs]

"Yeah. And that's fine with me; it's not always about having an audience. Sometimes it's just nice to lose yourself in the music." Which wasn't to say he didn't enjoy having an audience, but it wasn't because he liked to be the center of attention that much. It was knowing that he was giving people something important that they were connecting with. The fan letters he treasured the most were the ones who talked about how much his music had helped them through tough times or inspired them.

[irrationally]

"Lose yourself.."

She repeats the words. It's actually easier for her to grasp that way, despite her not being very musically inclined at all. Alice would hate standing in front of an audience, she can't even imagine what others must see in it enough to get up on a stage. But losing yourself in something - well, now that's something she's very much acquaintanced with.

"I think I can understand that. Although it does feel a tad like the train is trying to appease us by giving you something you enjoy so much."

[swansongs]

"Yeah, it does a little." He couldn't really complain right now, but maybe that was the point, maybe the train wanted to keep them happy, but...why?

"Do you think the train feels threatened by us? Like if we're not happy, we're going to discover all of the secrets or something?" He had no idea how they'd do that, but it was the only theory he really had.

[irrationally]

Alice seems to consider his words for a moment, but then raises her shoulders very slightly into a shrug.

"I suppose it's most likely something like that. Although I imagine that rather than being worried we are going to uncover all of its secrets, it's most likely worried about us protesting in different ways. Like not going on missions, or all randomly getting very violent." Granted, this may be Alice projecting a little bit, considering she herself would very much go violent before trying to solve things logically.. "Giving us things like these seems to work well enough to keep most of us complacent."

[swansongs]

Not doing missions...he hadn't even considered that, because of course he would do missions, happy or not; people needed them. Protesting the missions would hurt others.

"I hadn't thought of that." He shuddered a little. "I hope everyone doesn't decide to get violent any time." Soon or not. "I mean...I'm not gonna complain if the train gives me nice things just to make me happy, but. I guess I'll always be suspicious now." That was a healthy trade off, right? Be happy but be aware of how things could be suspicious?

[irrationally]

She nods. "That seems like a good attitude to have."

Dyme usually seems to have a pretty good head on his shoulders, so she's not too surprised by him saying something decently smart, really.

There's a moment of hesitation, but then Alice realises she has to.. at least try and admit something here. Otherwise she's practically just lying by ommission.

"I'm not so sure though if I'm the right person to tell about your no-violence wish. I.." She pauses, unsure of how to put this. Alice doesn't want him to think she's crazy, even though she knows it's the truth. It's hard. "I have been known to be volatile at the best of times." That sure is the understatement of the year.

[swansongs]

"Yeah? I used to be, too. When I was a little younger." And by 'a little younger' he meant like 'last year'. "That doesn't make you a bad person or anything, though," he added. "Unless you're like, going around hurting people." Besides that, she seemed to be on a pretty even keel to him.

[irrationally]

Alice is definitely assuming he means 'when I was a little kid' rather than last year.

She opens her mouth, but then he adds the part about going around hurting people and she closes it again. Honestly, Alice isn't so sure what she could claim here and have it be truthful at the same time.

"I.. try not to." She sounds slightly doubtful of her own words as she says it, and her hands join together to fret a bit. "But it gets tough. Sometimes."

[swansongs]

"Trying's the important part, right?" Of course, he could have always been wrong, and sure, she was a little weird, but weird didn't always mean bad. He might have been a little bias, considering her a friend and all, and automatically thinking the best of friends until proven wrong. "We've all had times when we've wanted to smack somebody or something."

[irrationally]

She thinks her impulses are a little (understatement of the year) worse than just wanting to smack someone, but.. honestly, part of her appreciates that he's trying to relate to her, despite how weird she is. Alice could probably never feel fully normal, but things like these get her a little bit closer towards it, at least.

"Have you wanted to smack someone before?"

[swansongs]

He laughed, looking down for a moment. "Definitely. And I have. I'm not...proud of it, but I've gotten into some fights before." Not like the fights here, where they were up against monsters, but times when he'd fought with someone who hadn't deserved it--though some of them had. Some people were jerks. But Salem...and some of the others, they hadn't deserved it, for sure.

[irrationally]

"Why aren't you proud of it?"

Alice sounds genuinely confused. Sure, sure, she has at least some grasp on social norms by now, considering even back home she has already been wandering the streets of London for a while by now. She knows stabbing people isn't exactly socially acceptable. But getting into fights...

"It just means you were standing up for yourself. That's a good thing. You seem to be a good person, so you shouldn't let anyone else put you down."