A new platform [intro post September]

[voidtreckermods]

For those on the train

“Good morning passengers, it is day one of the month of Bassoon.” The train announces the morning the month changes. It seems the train counts months in days of thirty. Team Points have been updated on the system.

The day continues as most days do, chores, eating, getting ready for another day. But those who suspect that a change of month may bring something else are correct. It is only an hour or two later that there is another announcement.

“Shortly arriving into a designated void platform. Exit from void imminent.”

By now they should know to hold on as the train jerks and jolts. There is only fog outside the windows but the train soon comes to a stop. The doors hiss open.

As they exit into the fog they may notice Evie exiting from the luggage carriage door. Much like Hibiki the last time they were on a platform. She leaves the train, backpack on her back as she walks through the station. She heads no call, reacts to no words and cannot be stopped as she walks to the ticket barrier and disappears through it.

Strange. But even stranger still is that there on the platform that whole time is Evie. Dressed in purple, backpack on back, with her are others. Waiting for the train.

For new arrivals

At first all they can see if 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 your 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 very large, but it hold twelve figures all facing the tracks, all wearing similar clothing. The tracks stretch left and right into steam, or perhaps fog. Nothing can be seen to either side. There is a wall around the platform and the only entrance is a ticket barrier. It cannot be open, nor do there seem to be any staff.

What there is, is a train. Jet black and gleaming where it stands on the rails.Voidtrecker Express is emblazoned in the engine in gold. There is a hiss as the doors slide open.

Out step a selection of people, some less human than others, wearing clothes just like those worn by those on the platform.

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.

Once on board there is lots to explore. Passengers both old and new will hopefully be delighted to see the boredom of this train journey is somewhat alleviated by the introduction of a game carriage. Plenty of games, both familiar and new to play with your new travelling companions.
Each ICP shows the same message. If Red team go and look they will find a box in the luggage compartment that contains their prize. A dralite themed cake lolly each. There are enough for the new members of Red team too, share in your teams previous success!

The food stores have been topped up with new fresh food. Salmon has taken over as the primary ingredient of choice. Hopefully everyone likes fish!

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. For those who boarded two weeks ago they will know what is coming next.

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."

Hopefully someone warns you that you really want to heed that warning because a moment later there is 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 voidspace.

Comments

Part OTA - his series is CW all, though he himself generally is not. Spoilers as well

[sell_tickets]

A bad first impression - closed narrative

Anyone who spent the more recent half of their life around Jaenelle Angelline couldn't escape learning a few dozen Eyrian curses. More than he learned from any of the actual Eyrians he knew. Despite this, Khardeen was not usually one to USE any of those words. Usually he found amusement in most things, and when he didn't he was usually surrounded by people with tempers far more volatile than his own.

This however... This was the exception. Because none of this made sense in a way that did. It took a lot of Craft and skill to move a Sapphire Jeweled Warlord against his will. More to do it so fast he wasn't aware there was cause to fight, and as he couldn't sense anyone through his ring of honor, even more to move him so far that he could no longer sense ANYONE. And the amount of skill to change his clothes while they were at it? All without him sensing anyone near him? While he had been awake, alert, and riding? He could think of exactly three people, alive or dead, with both the raw power and the skill to do this. And if any of them had done it, he would have trusted it, because he trusted them.

However it took a lot less skill and power to ensnare his mind to make him THINK that he was somewhere else in unfamiliar clothes and cut off from everyone he knew and loved. Any fully trained Black Widow could weave such a web. They didn't even need to be close to him if they had left it as a trap covered with a sigh shield or illusion. And all they had to do to keep him from detecting that bit of Craft was wear a Jewel darker than his Sapphire. The Red, the Grey, the Ebon-Grey, the Black, and Ebony could all do that. He would bet that Twilight's Dawn could as well, but that had everything to do with the Witch who wore it, rather than the depth of the Jewel.

The compulsion to board the... whatever that metal thing was... only seemed to reinforce that this was a Tangled Web. This was an illusion meant to trap him in. Meant to harm him, and through him, the people he loved. And that thought brought instinct to the fore. He wasn't a Warlord Prince, but that didn't mean he couldn't wash this land in blood, that he couldn't blast his way through walls trying to find a path to freedom. But training was stronger than instinct.

The High Lord was one of the only two male Black Widows in the history of the Blood. And he had been one of Khary's teachers. Multiple of his sisters in the Court were Black Widows. And of course there was Daemon Sadi. He had learned a lot from all of them. And he had learned from what happened to Surreal in that Spooky House. He might be able to punch his way through the spells, so long as the Jewel used was lighter than his own. But even if he could, the first hit would hurt like a wicked *****. He could handle that. But that first blow might actually tangle him into the Web worse. Make it harder for Jaenelle and the others to free him.

His wife would notice he was missing when he didn't show for the midday meal. And if somehow she didn't, by dinner she'd notice for sure. And then Morghann would contact whoever was closest, and the alert would pass through the whole first circle. And they'd find him. Finding him was only half the battle, he knew. No way to tell from here where his body was, what it was doing, or what shape it was in. If there was a compulsion on him, Jaenelle would recognize it. Mother Night he hoped she would before he did anything he couldn't live with. But he knew the other males would stop him before he did anything too bad. He had to trust that. His body might be healing, which could be the next battle. Had he fallen off his horse? He wished he had been riding Daffodil or one of the other Kindred horses, they would have noticed a change in their rider at once. But he had been training up a young stallion that was going to be going to Cassidy soon for the landen community in Eyota. They had enough to deal with with the Scelties, and besides, he didn't know any Kindred horses who had any interest in going to Terreille.

Even if the horse hadn't thrown him, he knew nothing of the witch who had done this to him. Had she poisoned his body while his mind was trapped? Saving his life might take priority over untangling his mind. So, finding him and healing him had to happen before they could even think of freeing him. Before they could even attempt it. It could be days in the real world. Who knew what that meant in this web.

But he trusted his Queens, he trusted the Dark Court and the family he found there. Trusted that they would find him. Trusted that they would find him, heal him, save him. Trusted they would snarl at him for trying to fuss over them as soon as he would wake up from this. So he wouldn't make things harder for them by fighting the Webs. Not without a signal he could trust. But he wasn't going to let it beat him either.

He triggered the ebony shields in the ring of honor he wore and then... the first of those swear words slipped from his lips as he realized he couldn't just not sense anything through the ring. He wasn't wearing it. He wrapped himself in a double Sapphire shield with a Purple Dusk Shield over it, letting anyone who can sense the power think that he wore the Purple Dusk. Let them underestimate him.

He let the pull drag hom forward and he went onto the... whatever it was... and searched until he found a bathroom. Entering, Khary shielded the room and Craft locked the door. He took care of some private needs, and more importantly he used the privacy to see to a few other things.

His storage space was all but empty. But there were some key things there. His Jewels, thank the Darkness. Whatever this game was, he wasn't cut off from the abyss. He put on his Sapphire pendant but hid it under his shirt for the time being. He also found the ring of honor, and was relieved to put it back on, though it still bothered him not to be able to sense any of his brothers or any of the Coven through it. But he did sense the shields in there, waiting to be activated. He didn't tap into them yet. But knowing he could made him feel easier. And no one was going to see that ring, given where he wore it. At least not while he was fully dressed. Then he put on his wedding ring and felt even easier. He still had these connections, even in the Tangled Web. He ran his finger over the plain gold band of his wedding ring. He could almost feel his wife's warmth, could almost hear the giggle of their little one sleeping in the other room.

He checked the rest of his supplies. No food or water. No way in **** he was going to let Yaslana chew on him for not carrying, even under these circumstances, so he;'d have to find some soon. But he had his Eyrien War Belt, and a quick check showed it had his weapons and whetstone. Good. He vanished it again, and then... between the russak and his personal storage he found two things that made him stop, and then laugh. Whoever did this had a sense of humor at least. Cradle and chess. Mother Night. Well, he hoped whoever tangled him up was keeping a close watch on him. And he hoped she suffered watching him play chess. Everything has a price, and while he might not be trying to blast his way out of this web, he could mess with the head of whoever was messing with his. Because he knew how to play chess, unlike most females. And since there was no way Sadi or the High Lord did this to him, whoever wove this web to trap him was female. He grew up with Warlord Princes. He knew how to make a woman squirm....


__________________________

OTA - FINALLY

More settled now, he set about finding out the rules of this particular game. That was another lesson from the Spooky House. Learn the rules, because you could be a much bigger pain in the *** by following them than by ignoring them. So he was setting out to learn, to find out who some of those other people he saw before he followed the mental tug were supposed to be. Who the people he passed here were supposed to be. He knew that the odds that any of them were actually real were low. But there was always a chance. So he would treat them as if they were real for now. He'd play the game. And he'd come out of this with stories to tell the Coven to take the edge off their anger over what had been done to him. It was just another way to serve.

So the man in his twenties was striding through the train, russak vanished so nowhere in sight despite him being new. Ticket was also not in evidence. His hands were in his pockets as he wandered, looking around politely as if he was on a vacation and was playing polite guest in someone else's vacation home, rather than dragged into a mental web meant to shatter his mind.

There were a lot of ways to describe the quick to his lips in a half grin, to describe the glint in his blue eyes. As the High Lord would say, they all added up to trouble. But he would point out that the right sort of trouble... could be fun.

[mtsilver_conquor]

And here comes Eva and Princess, the clefairy riding an awkward shotgun on her shoulder/back, vestigial wings flared for balance as the young woman makes her way to what she can only assume to be a new arrival. It's not a face she's seen before after all.

She's very much wearing an orange polo shirt and cargo trousers- but also barefooted as she walks the train. Because what's the use of shoes when you can't go outside?

"Hi. One of the newbies we picked up, right?"

[deductiongeek]

The problem with all these narrow train hallways is that sometimes it was necessary to get out of the way quickly. Especially when you were Conan's height, and people didn't always look down.

Conan hastily scrambles out of the way and moves over to the wall as he sees someone coming down the train from the other direction.

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin was exploring the train, generally trying to stay out of mischief but really, really curious about the engine compartment. After a few tries at entering it, he decided it was impossible without special tools -- possibly magical ones. Oh well, he'd worry about that later. He continued looking through the train cars with great curiosity.

Soon he spotted a young man with curly brown hair and a look on his face like he was familiar with trouble. Oho, a kindred spirit!

"Hello," said Curufin, with a smile.

[hashtagparkerluck]

Peter's doing the same thing he's usually doing around this time of day, and that is napping in a web hammock that Charlotte has generously provided. He might have stayed asleep but a slight prickle at the back of his neck has him snapping out of his doze and glancing around to figure out what caused that. Charlotte's not around so it's not her teleport.

"Oh, hi!" Peter notes the man below and rolls out of his hammock. "You must be new, I'm Peter-Peter Parker."

Re:

[myblueskies]

Romeo was still very confused. He was sort of glad Joss was here but also sort of sad because that meant whatever had happened had happened to them both. Something had stolen them from heaven and put them in strange clothes.

Romeo still had his rucksack on and was moving down the sleeper cabins looking at all the names and looking for his own. There's no other name he recognises so far. No Elfnein. He's sort of glad she's not been brought to this strange train but at the same time he's worried because it means she's all alone. Was this what had happened to the other shinki and gods that had disappeared. Had he disappeared now?

He sees the man in blue and smiles in greeting. He's not sure if the people here can see him properly but it's best to be polite even so!

Team Smooth Operators, the Reboot

[internetsexsymbol]

A man who was nothing but trouble, huh? People would likely say the same about Reigen, with varying degrees of fear or annoyance depending on how much they took him for his word. At the moment, he wasn't looking for trouble, per se, just evidence. The sleeper cabins were shockingly normal, however, so he would have to look elsewhere.

Elsewhere happened to be in the path of a blue-eyed man close to his age who appeared awfully confident considering their arrival in the void. There had to be a reason for that, and Reigen was very bad at minding his own business today.

"Hey, did you find something or what?"

Warning: Joss's language is rarely safe for work.

[dredefulchilde]

New Arrivals

At first, all he can see is white mist. Is it fog?

Joscelin's first, puzzled thought, is that it must be. It's been ages since London had a fog like this, hadn't it? So thick a body can't see a single thing, not even those with supernaturally gifted eyesight.

Wait, London? He hadn't been in London, he--

"...Mum?" The baffling word somehow makes it past his lips. Mum. He's never called anyone that before, not unless...

The boy shakes his head and the smoke seems to clear. Somehow, the action also helps his jumbled memories fall into place, and he's seized with a sudden panic. Mum. Where is she? Why can't he feel her any more?

Why does he have these new memories of the other Joscelin?

And why is he wearing this? These aren't his clothes.

"Mum!"

He takes a step forward and the spell breaks. He's on a train platform, there is a ticket in his hand, and a massive steam engine is in front of him.

He's also suddenly starving, and not for what he'd been eating before he came here.

"Oh, for fuck's sake."

The Train

This whole thing is a bloody farce. He, Joscelin Fitzthomas, the Little Prince, is stuck on another off-world adventure. Away from his Goddess. Away from everyone. Stuck on a godforsaken magic train, surrounded by idiots.

He can't take this. The next person to bump into him will get their head ripped off. Possibly literally. He is rather parched, and he hasn't yet discovered that the dining car has made accommodations for his particular dietary needs.

"Watch it!"

Later On--Baggage Car

The charade can only be kept up for so long. She's gone. Ayumu's gone and it's like a piece of his heart has been ripped out. Worse still--his Name is different. Before, it had been a bold, bright red. A part of him. Now, staring down at his stomach in the privacy of the baggage car, he sees that it's gone all wrong. It's patchy and faded now, like a bad tattoo. Hell, maybe it is a bad tattoo. It doesn't feel right anymore. It just...is.

Alone, Joscelin curls in on himself and begins to weep.

New Arrivals

[mtsilver_conquor]

"Language!"

Sorry, it's the first thing out of Eva's mouth at the sound of a child swearing. She knows not to take him at face value though even as she mentall curses whatever is bringing them here from adding another child, and there's a shake of her head as she comes closer.

"Sorry, habit of mine." One she really should try and break, but that's not the issue right now. "But your mum might be one of the passengers too. I'm Eva, by the way. What's your name?"

OTA - on the platform

[kumoko]

[ She has to wait for the doors to clear before she can scurry out, but she's here, she's ready, and she's fabulously dressed in her cleanest orange hoodie and a lovingly-woven silk banner that reads I'M NOT A BAD SPIDER that drapes around her abdomen like a grotesque parody of a dancer's shawl.

Hell yeah, she's gonna make so many friends. First off, she wants the new Orange people. She's seen the adorable bat cake pops that Red team got this month, and her jealousy is tangible. Clearly she needs to find her teammates early and train them, instill in them the seriousness of getting the most points they can.

Then... who knows. Maybe eat a guy.

Joke, that was a joke.

... Unless? ]

[mtsilver_conquor]

[She'd heard about the giant spider, but hadn't, yet, managed to meet her. So when she spots the-

Holy Shit, that's a lot of legs for a spider, even a non-pokemon one.] Do spiders have this many legs in your world??

[Yea, even Princess is staring, the pink pseudo-rabbit-like pokemon at her heels, small vestigial wings held lose against his side.]

Evie Grimhilde - OTA

[blueberryprincess]

[Platform.]

Evie's very, very confused by this whole situation. She'd been running, heading to the Isle with her three closest friends. Heading to see their parents after so long and suddenly she was on a train platform. There was no train heading to the Isle, and she certainly didn't have anything with her.

Nor had she been wearing purple.

And to make matters even more befuddling, the flash of blue hair that flies nearby is jarring. She'd recognize that hair anywhere It was hers. She'd styled it in so many mirrors that there was no mistaking it.

However, just when she goes to follow herself and demand answers (because this has to be either a spell or a very weird dream), her other self is gone and Evie's starting to feel that pull to move. Towards the train.

[On Board. ]

Evie can be found in several places once she's on board. Her first stop is the sleeper car she's apparently staying in, dropping her stuff off in Sleeper Car E1 and inspecting the room. It's small, and there are clearly others that are staying in here, so Evie's decided she's going to do her best to get along with them, even if they are complete strangers.

Later, she'll be in the new game car, looking at everything inside with some amusement. Video games were not her thing. That was more Jay and Carlos. But the board games looked like fun. There were ones she'd never even heard of and she was currently inspecting a box for the game Operation, reading over the instructions carefully. It looked like a kids game. She'd already seen a few small children on board in passing. Maybe she'll convince one of them to play it with her. She was missing Dizzy and Celia and the twins terribly at this point, so finding other children to look out for was a small goal for her.

[ The Barrier between the Conductor and the Passengers ]

Of all the stupid things Evie's ever seen, it was this barrier. She was used to barriers in general, having grown up on an island surrounded by one. But that barrier was (at the time) there for a reason. It kept the bad people from making life miserable for all of the good people. But then all the bad people started having kids who didn't deserve to be there, a whole lot of crazy stuff happened, and now the barrier was down with magic.

But even with Mal's spellbook in her hands, Evie had a feeling magic wouldn't make this barrier budge a hair. Not that she'd tried it. She'd considered it, even went back to her room to get her friends spellbook, but something told her it was a very bad idea to use a spell.

So she's inspecting it, trying to find a seam or a button or some hidden door handle. She had questions for the conductor and from the way her face is very slowly going from Angry HBIC to defeated, it looks as though she's realizing those questions won't be answered by the one person she wants answers from.

[wildcard. choose your own out of Kitchen where she's getting herself some fruit to eat or reading Mal's spellbook in the Standard Coach, picking at a bowl of grapes as she does so.

ooc: harry hook might make an appearance in any of the threads but only if you're okay with it! let us know! ]

Platform

[mtsilver_conquor]

Though she hadn't really interacted with Evie outside of learning her name, Eva still felt a pang of loss (and jealously) as the other girl departed. One less person to talk to. (One more person who'd gone home (she hoped)).

So, of course she was confused when, who does she see in the crowd of newcomers but that very same girl.

"What-" A shake of her head then Eva is moving towards her, face etched with confusion and a pink pseudo-rabbit-like pokemon at her heels, small vestigial wings semi-flared for balance as he follows. "E-Evie?"

Gwen: One thread for Miles and Peter, OTA for the rest

[hibana_incursa]

[Miles and Peter]

Gwen had zero plans to leave the train to greet new passengers today. It wasn't that she was unfriendly. No, no. She was one of the Friendly Train-borhood Spider-People. Maybe not the nicest, that was reserved for Peter. She could be nice, she just did't feel the need to meet any of the strangers boarding. They were going to be on the train soon, so what's the rush, right?

Except the morning of arriving on the new platform, Gwen's slightly more psychic spider-sense was telling her she had to be off the train. She wasn't in danger. It was just important and she should go go go.

So...go go go she did, launching herself out of her room and using every piece of her spider abilities to get where she needs to be. Ceilings were climbed across, people were slid under with a 'SORRY!' as she continued on and that high energy kept her moving. She was at the doors before they'd opened, a general sense of un-Gwen-like urgency surrounding the girl.

The second they are open, she webs herself to a high vantage point and crouches, scanning the crowd carefully.

Why was she out here? Why? Her spider-sense tells her nothing, just tells her she's where she needs to be and she has to just wait. Shaking her hand some to rid it of nervous energy, she still watches the crowd very carefully. Whatever brought her out here, it was in the din and crush of people and she was going to find it.

[ Take-off. ]

This was Gwen's least favorite part of leaving platforms. The sudden lurch into motion. But she had her strategy to survive it. So, new people, there's a girl who's wedged herself into a corner in one of the standard cars, and in her hands are the instructions for a game called Kerplunk, casual as you please.

The second the warning is issued, she speaks to the new people in the car with her, calm and casual as she pleases, not looking up from the pamphlet she's thumbing through.

"You really should listen to the guy. Take-off is rough.

[faithfulson]

Luke glanced up from what he was looking at at the warning, frowning slightly. It seemed to be a little overkill what the person was doing, wedged into a corner like she was. How bad could take-off on a train be? It couldn't be nearly as vomit-inducing as going into hyperspace for the first time on a Star Destroyer; thousands of pounds of durasteel suddenly accelerating to lightspeed travel had been enough for quite a few people Luke had gone to school with to lose their lunch. He had always been fine, though, and he suspected he would be now.

He was so, so wrong.

To his credit, he managed to stay on his feet when the train shuddered. Even the jolt wasn't enough to knock him over, though he did have to fumble a bit to keep his footing. The lurch was what sent him toppling head over heels, landing with a loud thump against the wall.

Luke let out a groan as the train steadied again, plopping his prosthetic hand over his face to hide his embarrassment.

"Right... I'll remember that for next time..." he muttered.

Luke Skywalker | OTA

[faithfulson]

[ Newly Arrived ]
This wasn't Mustafar.

This was the furthest thing from Mustafar, and on top of the fog, the lack of TIE fighter he had been heading toward, and the lack of his father's presence, everything in the Force felt wrong to Luke Skywalker. He should have been able to see, he should have been able to feel something, but there was nothing, save for the urge to panic slowly starting to rise in his chest. He forced it down, shifting on his feet as he tried to think, and noticed the rucksack he was carrying, instinctively felt the familiar weight of his father's old lightsaber and sensed it in the Force just after.

Without thinking about it, he slung the rucksack off his shoulder, quickly grabbing the weapon from it and slipping into one of the pockets of the strange pants he was wearing. He was afraid to find out why he was wearing different clothes, intimately aware of the fact that his prosthetic was left bare, with no compression gauntlet to be found either on his person or in the bag. It wouldn't be a problem -- his father had made certain that it would be built to his exacting specifications, after all -- he just hoped the metal appendage wouldn't scare anyone else.

Because there were definitely others here; he was beginning to sense them now, all... weird in the Force, like they were just as out of place as he was. The fog slowly cleared enough for him to see them, as well as the train that was... just there? Had he heard it pull up? He wasn't sure, and he glanced helplessly at the others, before letting out a breath.

"I have a bad feeling about this..."

[ The Train ]
Get a sense of the natives and your surroundings; those were the two most important things when it came to crashing on a planet you weren't familiar with, and Luke was following that here. He was sure to offer a small smile to anyone he passed, even saying hello, though his awkwardness with the situation was probably obvious.

He was sure to stop by his new lodgings first; he didn't particularly care what bunk he got, but it was always important to know the kind of people you'd be sharing a sleep space with. He made his way through the other cars next, mindful of the spider webs taking up one of them, frowning at the strange food in the food stores (seriously, what kind of fish was that?), and lingering curiously outside a door marked "Keep Out".

It's the game carriage that particularly catches his attention, especially the little headsets upstairs. A moment of looking over the ICP, and he ended up picking one up, turning it over in his hands curiously.

"...is this like a portable simulator?" he asked, not exactly expecting an answer, too busy being amazed by the small device.

Train

[mtsilver_conquor]

"Relax- none of us here bite, though some can be... abrasive."

She would have said Tony Stark, but she's not about to drag her bunkmate thank you very much. She does have to live with him, and avoiding someone was next to impossible on the train. That said, she does offer a friendly smile and short bow. "Hi. I'm Eva. It's nice to meet you."

New Arrival: Kaito Kuroba

[stealsyourheart]

Platform

He blinks, and there's steam, and ... smoke? When the hell did he get there.

...and what the hell is he wearing.

"Akako?" He tries. "This... isn't another of your plots is it? Akako, this really isn't going to make me love you..."

Train Exploring

He isn't at all pleased to be compelled aboard - but it's not as if there's anything else to do. So. Have a Japanese High School Student wandering up and down the corridors and sticking his head in any open doors he finds.

"Hi! Do you know what's going on here?"

He seems to have remarkably good balance for someone who wasn't actually expecting to end up on a train through the void.

Platform

[deductiongeek]

It hadn't taken Conan long to decide to leave the train and inspect all the new arrivals.

He hadn't expected to see this arrival.

Okay, technically Conan had never seen Kid's face clearly. But what he did know is that Kid looked similar enough to himself to disguise himself as his own teenage self without a mask. And what were the odds that there would be a third doppelganger out there?

All he needed was to see this guy's reaction to his own presence here.

"Who's Akako?"

Open

[castintoflames]

New Arrivals -

(When venturing into the unknown, it is best to not include a Fëanorian. Maedhros stiffens when he finds himself on a platform, facing a... What is that monstrosity? His fingers twitch and he remembers, with a wince, how he had injured his hand on the Silmaril.

Oh. The Silmaril. And then the chasm. Closing his eyes tightly, the too tall Elf tries to drive the memories away. He tries to envision the sea. Water is cool, refreshing and comforting; he should have drowned - not burned.

The sound of the train brings him back and he opens his eyes, shocked. The rucksack on his back is filled with Eru knows what and Maedhros feels...lost. He glances around, his scarred features blank except for the fear in his eyes.)

Train -

(Train compartments are not meant for seven foot tall Elves. That thud is Maedhros's head colliding with a doorway. He curses, his voice soft but very deep, in Quenya. At least the ears of children will not be scorched by his temperamental tongue! Unless, of course, they know Quenya.)

Departure -

(It takes some doing, but finally he is tucked by a window and relatively comfortable. The flashing light frightens and irritates him. Turning his head, he tries to block it out, his hand gripping the seat under him.)

This is the work of Morgoth! (What else can it be?) The Void?

(Well at least he had been correct. Is this some special place designed for him and his kin?)

Nanyë nyérinqua...

Train

[enthunder]

[ While she'd originally intended to go and meet people on the platform, the distraction of her book order arriving has meant that even now she's still curled up in a booth in the main carriage, leafing through Diary of a Voidtrecker, occasionally making sparse notes in her journal or folding over the corner of a page for later.

Still, she's not exactly an avid reader, so when the thud vibrates through the coach, she glances up, almost glad for the distraction.

...

Hmm. ]

What did the train ever do to you?

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea - OTA

[bighookenergy]

[ Platform ]
[ Harry is waiting for a train.

He doesn't know he's waiting for a train, of course. There's fog and nothing and he's not in his usual clothes, his hook's not in his hand, and he's got a backpack. It's all very weird, and he's not particularly pleased about any of it, but he stands on the platform all the same, staring into the fog like it's got any answers.

When the fog clears, there are others, and that's at least something. Other people waiting on the platform, and he chooses one on a whim to make his way over to, all cock-sure and wide, reckless grin. ]

You too, huh? There a party or something nobody mentioned?

[ Train-side ]
[ It didn't take much encouragement to get him on the train. Big fancy thing going somewhere, he was there in the absence of anything better to do, and from there it was just a matter of settling in. He explored the place stem to stern, as far as he could get in either direction, being a general nuisance to everyone he found. Pickpocketing was a guarantee, as were shameless flirting and a short temper if it seemed to be going that way, but eventually he found his own cabin and set to making it his own.

Or at least loudly proclaiming the top bunk to be his and daring anyone to challenge him, then vaulting himself onto it to get comfortable. ]

train-side

[dredefulchilde]

[It’s not that Joss particularly wanted the upper bunk. He doesn’t want a bunk at all. He’s extremely put out by the whole thing, and the prospect of being imprisoned with roommates may be a bit too much to bear.

And then the lanky teenage idiot he’s stuck with decides to steal the top bunk before he gets a chance to reject it. The nerve.]

Presumptuous, aren’t we?

[Are those fangs glinting in the mouth of a tiny, skinny ten year old? They most certainly are.]

After Departure - OTA

[mtsilver_conquor]

[At some point after the train's back in the Void, Eva can be found in the Standard Coach at one of the table seats, notebook out as she writes.

What is she writing? A Welcome Guide. Or at least it seems like it, and every now and then, she stops to ask-] Does this look good?

[or if you are not a newcomer-] Does this cover the basics you think? Should I break it down even more?

[As for what she's written down-

- The VoidTrecker is a Void/Space train. We all felt a pull to board it.
- No, we don't know where we're headed or what the ultimate destination is.
- Every one of us has been brought here by unknown forces and we're all from differing worlds. Dimensions. Universes.
- Yes, we have proof.
- We don't know why, not yet anyway. We haven't been able to speak with the conductor. Yes, we have tried.
- We make stops sometimes. We haven't yet been able to work out a pattern, but we've already stopped at one world and stopped at three stations.
- We stayed at the world for a week before we re-boarded. or who's behind this."
- None of those you'll meet here are responsible for this nor do we know how to get home.

It's basic but it's what she has so far, and over time, more will likely be added.]

Re: After Departure - OTA

[hibana_incursa]

[ Gwen is in a web hammock, sitting near where Eva works. When she's asked if what she's written down is good enough, she leans some to read it. After a moment or two, she nods. ]

It's good. I like it.

[ Settling in her hammock again, she thinks for another second or two before pointing at Eva. ]

Make a note that disappearances happen and that if people return, they have no memory of what happened when they disappeared. And to not be alarmed if you wake up in a suitcase in the luggage car. It's not locked. You can get out.

New Arrival: Heiji Hattori

[deductionrival]

Platform- OTA

[Last thing he knew, he'd been carrying a few shopping bags to Kazuha's home after a shopping trip- first to a clothing store (yawn), then to a craft store to buy ribbons (double yawn), and finally groceries (he was almost comatose with boredom). It wasn't even interesting groceries, like things he got to look forward to eating. No, this was a list for her mother's Mahjong group tonight. It was full of old lady tea cookies and something for a salad. Ugh.

So why then had he turned a corner and suddenly been here instead? That wasn't the important part either. Where was she? He'd been miffed at her for taking him on the trip, but that feeling was long forgotten as panic and the need to protect someone he loved took its place.]

Kazuha? Kazuha!

[As soon as the area became more visible, he took off running around the platform trying to find her. There was a backpack he didn't recognize and he was in weird orange clothing, but he didn't pay any attention to that. He wasn't being the most careful of other people either. He tried to avoid running directly into them but he might bump shoulder another person in his mad dash of this surprisingly small place. It was full of strangers and a train but no..]

Kazuha!

Cabin 2:B- Calling Luke, Kaito, and Miles

[He was much calmer now that he'd been given a general run down of what was going on. The most important part was for better or worse, Kazuha wasn't here. Oddly enough, Kudo was here. Well, Conan. He didn't understand the point of that particular charade but he'd go along with it.

He finds his room and from the looks of things someone might have already been here. He's not sure which bunk was safe to take, so he stashes his items on one of the top bunks and hopes it's okay. He'd be willing to switch if necessary.

What was the etiquette for rooming with people when you all were just kidnapped? Did he care?

Around the Train- OTA

[He's calmly walking around the train exploring everything. Feel free to put him anywhere if you want to meet him.]

Re: New Arrival: Heiji Hattori

[deductiongeek]

The fog was still too thick to see him, but Conan knew that voice. He would have known even if it hadn't been calling for Kazuha.

Conan starts running in the direction of the other detective's voice. "Hattori!"

Curufin Fëanorion | OTA

[so_dark_a_road]

New Arrivals:

[ He seems to come into existence again and finds himself standing on a train platform in a thick mist that eddies and swirls around him, with a ticket in his hand. He looks down at himself and finds he's wearing ALL ORANGE CLOTHING??? Not a choice he'd ordinarily make. He feels a weight on his shoulders and shrugs them out of the backpack, opens it and searches amongst the items and finds his tool kit, THANK GOODNESS! The clouds of steam begin to clear and he sees other people around him, all wearing the same type of clothing, but in three other colors besides his. This is very different than any scenario he expected to find himself in, but it certainly is interesting! He speaks to the nearest person, or to whomever comes near him. ]

Where are we? What is this place?


On the train:

[ He gazes at the shiny black train with its gold lettering. The VoidTrecker Express, it says. A vehicle that travels the Void? He understands the Void to be the emptiness between universes. The doors hiss open, the horn sounds, and he feels compelled to board. No problem, he's dying of curiosity. He wanders up and down the carriages, figuring out how to use the ICP, finding his room. You can meet him anywhere you want, just say where. And he'd especially like to meet his roommates in 2:A. Watch he doesn't grab the top bunk first! He's heading for it. ]


Departure:

[ He grabs onto the arms of his seat with a grin, as the second horn sounds and the train lurches and leaves the tracks and launches itself into the Void. Colored light flashes blindingly, and when he looks out of the window again, there is no obscuring fog, only a shimmer of ever-changing colors that fill the sky, or what used to be sky. ]

Now THIS I haven't seen before! [ So excited he can hardly stay in his seat. ]

New arrivals

[tinkerheart]

[Feanor is not the nearest person. He's actually standing a little behind his son.
He wasn't even first out of the train. Quite the contrary, at first he didn't plan to get out. What's the point? How one stupid train platform can really differ from the other? But then it is some sort of distraction. Right now he's glad that he did.]

That, my dear boy, is a platform of Voidtrecker Express. Though I cannot tell you where exactly it is.

[A pity though his favorite son isn't on his team.]

Tony Stark: Leader of the Train.. or something. OTA

[runs_on_batteries]

[Damn.

He looks around the platform as he gets off the train and sees a fresh batch of confused and stressed individuals. There's an air of authority about him as he stands near the doors to the train and he scans each person who comes close.

Was this going to be a consistent event on this train? Every two weeks they had to deal with a new basket of crazy newcomers? If that were the case, then they needed to come up with a better system than this. In fact, they needed a way to control this whole train as more people brewed more problems. It was a recipe for disaster without some leadership. One more look around the platform and he didn't see anyone he recognized among the new faces. That meant they wouldn't know him or who- what he was to the rest of the train.

He would need to think more on that later. Right now, he needed to make certain no one attacked Charlotte or was aggressive toward anyone else. If approached or nearby someone, he would cut in and clear up any confusion they had that he could help with.]

[dredefulchilde]

The uncomfortable tugging is getting worse. He needs to get on that train. He doesn't want to, but he feels that something very, very bad will happen if he doesn't.

Grudgingly, the small boy adjusts his rucksack and starts moving towards the carriages. As he does so, he notices an older man--far older-looking than anyone he's seen yet (though he himself is living proof that looks can be extremely deceiving in that regard)--standing by the doors. He's not really blocking the way, but there is too much human standing between Joss and the door, and Joss isn't much of a people person even in the best of circumstances.

These aren't the best of circumstances.

"Move," he commands with all of the authority that a prepubescent voice can muster. "You're blocking the entrance."

OTA - Arataka Reigen

[internetsexsymbol]

[Departure]

It wasn’t like Reigen zoned out all that often. He was always bright and aware of his surroundings, aside from those rare times when work was slow and he hadn’t gotten a proper night’s sleep in days. Today hadn’t been one of those times: he had been on the phone with a client who had a problem with a haunted computer one moment, then he blinked, and all he could see was steam and fog in the place of his office. There was no way there was a gap in his memory so large that he’d forget coming here, so he immediately suspected the supernatural.

“Oi, do either of you sense any—....“

When Reigen turned to speak to his coworkers, he found nothing. Mob and Serizawa both were gone, just like the office. A cold sweat began to form on the back of his neck as thousands of ideas as to why he might be alone here went through his head.

Then the fog dissipated, and he could see eleven others on the platform just as confused as he was. Still no familiar faces in sight, but at least he wasn’t completely alone in facing...a train. Rational thought was telling Reigen that boarding a train heading for god-knows-where could only be a bad idea. It had nothing to do with him. However, overpowering instinct said that he should get on before it was too late. Besides, staying on the platform by himself? Definitely the worst option.

At the sound of the whistle, Reigen scrambled onto the train car before the doors closed. He took a moment to get his bearings and assess the train he had just climbed onto, only for said bearings to be immediately taken again when the thing began to speed into the sky. With a noise similar to a broken accordion, Reigen was slammed into the nearest seat as the car lurched to the left. Well, at least he was planning to sit down there anyway.

Once the train and his dizziness stabilized, he stood up and folded his arms, a thoughtful smile on his face.

“Hmm, this is definitely the work of a powerful psychic force...assuming we’re not actually dead. We’re definitely not dead, right?”

[Kitchen Quest: the Search for Salt]

Once Reigen had gotten over the initial shock and felt more used to his surroundings, he realized that he was woefully unequipped compared to how he usually went about his business. All of his personal effects were lost (aside from some business cards--he just got them made last week, so he was glad to have them!), including his usual suit. He felt underdressed, and orange wasn’t really his color, but he wasn’t going to get disheartened so easily! Spirits and Such could still continue outside of office and significantly less staffed for however long he was here, he’d just have to improvise.

Which is why Reigen is currently in the kitchen, searching the pantry for any table salt he could get his hands on. Anyone who’d find him scooping the stuff into a plastic bag might mistake him for a thief with a weird fixation on seasoning, but they would be mistaken. Arataka Reigen is a professional, and if an evil spirit happened to wander onto the train, he would be the best defense against it! At least, that’s what he’s hoping. His luck with common table salt tended to vary.

Departure

[so_dark_a_road]

Another orange-clad person is sitting near Arataka amongst the passenger seats. He overhears that question and wonders whether he should answer it. But how could he not? It contains two of his favorite subjects.

"Powerful psychic force, maybe, and I wouldn't be surprised. This train must be powered by something more than mere physical forces, to get in and out of the Void. But as for the question of whether we're alive or not -- I've done some world-hopping before this. I started my journey by being dead. I hope you haven't, but in case you have, at least you're alive now."

[hashtagparkerluck]

{ A. There she goes! Down the track! }

Peter really hadn't intended on leaving the train this time, he'd intended on sleeping through it all but Gwen was up and out the door so fast he was a little confused. What happened?

"Gwen?" He hops out of bed in his normal Spider like crouch and then dashes out the door. No shoes, no socks, and still in his pajamas. He shouts out quick apology as he makes his way through the train and leaps over people, careful not to hit his head this time as he dashes out the door and-YIKES! There's Mr Stark.

Doesn't seem like he's been spotted yet. Peter glances down at his NASA shirt and the distinct lack of that sign Tony had made. Maybe he won't notice? He quickly turns away to hide the fact he completely forgot to wear the sign. Now, where'd Gwen go?


{ B. Spider-Shaming... }

Peter's back on the train again, wondering through the train muttering under his breath, now dressed in normal clothes with a purple hoodie and a sign he's wearing draped around his neck.

"Stupid sign, it's not like I'm gonna sleep in this." He grumbles to himself. He hears the call for entry to the void space and moves to lean against the train wall and casually sticks to it.

"Uh hey, you might wanna uh... sit down or hold on or something." He offers to someone he doesn't really recognize.

[runs_on_batteries]

Tony had plenty of things to do and handle today- too much to deal long with his intern's antics. However, when he passes by him on the way to the kitchen to start dinner, he very casually says, "Additional two days."

With a smile playing on his lips, he tires to simply keep going. However, it won't be hard to get his mentor to stop if he tries.

[unholyandbroken]

[Unoffical Smoking Car]

Jessie is making full use of things to sneak a smoke, being down to a quarter of a pack especially. "So need to restock." as she lights up and takes that badly needed first drag. She also decided to make a sigh to warn people a smoker does live onboard too. "If just to avoid more questions more than anything." but come bug the girl in purple perched on a trunk smoking.
----
[Platform]

But in the end she gets curious and goes onto the platform. "Maybe more smokes can be found?" but dark wary eyes scan for any signs of Angelville showing up. "Also have to lose the head to toe purple." missing her black clothing and jewelry. But at the same time she can hope the train snags Tristan, she needs her best friend and soulmate back.

unofficial smoking car

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin is still exploring and finds Jessica sitting on that trunk with a cigarette in her hand. He hasn't met all his roommates yet and so doesn't recognize her as one.

"What are you going to do when you run out of smokes?" he asks. He isn't a smoker himself, but he doesn't condemn people who are.

I'm A Humble Idiot Assassin and What's This? OTA

[filmnotyetrated]

New Arrivals
Wade blinked, trying not to cough through whatever this plume of smoke was. He had just gotten up to go to the bathroom, was somebody hotboxing it in there? Did he collapse again? He couldn't have an inventive, new, plot-driven disease could he?

No, that would be ridiculous. Probably. He raised a hand to wave away some of the smoke and stared intently at the train in front of him.

“Holy shitballs, it's the Hogwarts Express.” He whispered, a hand coming up to hold his cheek in shock. He flinched back almost immediately upon feeling the uneven texture of his face. He had definitely been in full kit just a minute ago. He looked down in confusion at his new duds. At least the sweatshirt was red?

Wade reached back to tug the hood up over his head to hide as much as possible. Who knew if there was something sinister to how he got here, best not to draw that sort of attention to himself.


The Train
Speaking of something sinister, there was a creeping feeling crawling up Wade’s back the longer he stood looking around on the platform. Something urging him to board the Hogwarts Express in front of- what the hell is that Mark Hamill?

Wade shook his head. Focus up, Wilson, get on the train, what’s the worst that could happen? He thought, rolling his shoulders as the creeping feeling intensified.

He stepped into the train, trying to keep his head down and not bump into anyone. He could feel the absence of his weapons like a lost limb (a feeling of which he was intimately familiar) and didn’t want to risk getting into trouble.

Nevermind that he was far more likely to start something than anybody else he could probably run into here. He’d rather get a grasp of what was going on before stirring the pot.

Hah, special forces training still here, score: one, Deadpool. He reached up to tap his forehead like he had spoken aloud and frowned as he smacked himself in the face with a piece of paper that until this point he had not noticed he was holding.

“The fuck is this?” He asked, much more loudly than strictly needed given the car he had stepped into was just not that big. Wade looked over the paper, not crazy about how it seemed to have his name on it, along with some sort of cabin number.

Train

[mtsilver_conquor]

"Your ticket. You'll want to keep that safe."

Eva sounds faintly amused as she comes to a stop several feet from him. Deadpool might notice that, aside from the orange polo and plain cargo pants, the young woman strongly resembles a Pokemon Trainer by the name of Leaf/Green from the Games side of the Pokemon franchise. "I'm Eva. Has anyone filled you in yet?"

Probably not if he's asking what the ticket is, but it never hurts to ask.

Thunderstorm Greetings

[thebiggestguy]

This was going to be a routine thing, huh. Okay, they can work with that.

Side-by-side and hand in hand, the huge Roegadyn and the tiny Au Ra walked the platform, looking for new arrivals within the swirling steam. Couples didn't come more unlikely than this, but both of them showed a distinct relaxation in their posture, their movements, their smiles. 'This is my other half,' that attitude said -- but also, 'Yes, you can be happy here on the train.'

That message was important. Not just for new arrivals, but for their friends and comrades here as well -- who often seemed to need the reminder.

So anyone out on the platform could run into the pair -- or one or the other alone, as Sarai zipped off to be her social butterfly self while Dread paced around as a much quieter figure who really didn't MEAN to startle people by looming out from the steam at them.

((Just say in your reply if you want one or both!))

Dread

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin was still wandering the platform, curious about the passengers and the train.

Suddenly he came across the big guy. Curufin himself was tall and sinewy, but this guy was big!

"Hello," said the Elf, cheerfully.