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

[happyends]

For a second Madoka bites her lip. It's still a little hard to talk about - partially since the whole thing is just so huge and overwhelming, and partially since she's so used to keeping it a secret.. But it should be okay to talk about it in this case, right? Reigen is going to help her with the situation, after all, so she should be truthful..!

"Um, okay.." She takes in a deep breath. "Where I come from.. There are these monsters called Witches. Usually magical girls fight them and get rid of them, but.. um, because of some circumstances this time I'm the only one who can take care of it, and I don't have any magical powers at all.."

'Some circumstances' being 'hey all my friends are dead', but let's not go there. There's a reason she kept it so vague.

"And this Witch.. It's really powerful. If I don't stop it, it'll destroy the whole world."

[internetsexsymbol]

Reigen nods thoughtfully, listening to what she says and trying to make sense of it in his head. "Magical girls" sound like they could be psychic, and witches...evil spirits, or also something psychic? World-ending power was a little more than most spirits he'd seen, but he could see a psychic getting to that point if they lost control. (He has no clue how accurate that particular thing is).

"You have to fight these things alone?" He frowns with concern at that, then shakes his head. "We can't have that! The first thing we need is backup: I happen to know a couple other powerful psychics, so we'll make a stop by my office before we go take care of the Witch." If it really was the end of the world, Reigen figures it'd be easy to convince some former Claw members and other psychics to help. Mob wouldn't even need convincing once he saw Madoka, probably.

"Do you know anything about the Witches? Are they sentient spirits, or more like animals?"

[happyends]

Her eyes are wide as Madoka silently stares at him for a moment. It's mix between surprise and admiration - he can say that so easily, after all! Like this is just a normal situation they could easily get under control. Like it's something she doesn't have to face all by herself. It's kind of mindblowing, really, after how sure Madoka had been that nothing could have been changed about the situation back home.

She's not even questioning the logistics of it. If Reigen says it like that, then it just really seems like it'll happen that way.

Her answer to his question is even delayed for a moment or two because of the staring - she has to snap herself out of it, blinking rapidly as her brain tries to reboot.

"Ah, sorry! Um.. I'm not sure, but.. I think they're somewhere inbetween? They can't talk like normal people, but they're not totally instinctive either.. Sometimes there's something a little crafty about them."

[internetsexsymbol]

"I see...then a spirit with a particularly powerful grudge? Doesn't explain why they can't talk..." Reigen half mutters to himself, trying to find an explanation that makes sense with his own knowledge. He knows the resentment a ghost has can be a powerful force, so perhaps the 'Witches' are similar. Either way, the more he knows about these things, the better. It's for Madoka's sake and his own self-preservation: he'd rather not get himself and others killed by going in blind.

"Do you have any idea where they came from?" He asks at a normal volume.

[happyends]

That question is decidedly more awkward. Not because Madoka has no information to share with him about that, but since the answer to that - and how she gained that knowledge to begin with - is really, really painful. It's like she's shrinking in front of him just thinking about it.

When she manages to speak up, her voice is a little softer, and she stares at her feet.

"Witches.. They're.." It's hard to say, even now. It sounds like she's oddly choking up. "When magical girls use up too much of their magical energy, they.. they turn into Witches.."

[internetsexsymbol]

How quickly Madoka's expression falls gives him some idea that he's asked a question with a bad answer. When she does finally give him the answer, Reigen realizes just how bad the situation really is for Madoka. Even without the specifics, the choked sound of her voice implies that she's seen this firsthand, and suddenly what she said before about being the only one who could handle this particular Witch makes a painful amount of sense.

"...I'm sorry, Madoka-chan." His voice is far more subdued when he speaks, and he lightly pats the girl's head. Reigen has a lot more questions, but those aren't as important as making sure Madoka is okay.

He feels the weight of the promise he's made to her much more clearly now, and just how important it is that he keep it.

[happyends]

Oh no. There seems to be something about that headpat, since when she looks back up at him after it, Madoka's eyes are a little watery. Like that little gesture of comfort is threatening to open up the waterworks. (Because it does mean a lot to her. Since all the people who could have comforted her about it back home are already long gone, completely oblivious to the lifethreatening situation or - like Homura - in an even worse position than she herself is.)

She doesn't want to selfishly cry though, so Madoka quickly reaches up to rub at her eyes before any tears can fall.

"N.. No, you don't have to say that.. I shouldn't be acting like this about it anyway, since I have to be strong to set everything right."

[internetsexsymbol]

Reigen lightly ruffles Madoka's hair when she answers like that. Not hard enough to ruin it or anything, but just enough to express his disapproval of her answer.

"Come on, you've been thinking you have to fight this thing on your own for how long? You can take a minute to cry about it if you want." He bends down a little to get at eye level with Madoka. "You're already strong for getting through what you've seen."

She really is a lot like Mob, he thinks. Both of them have had to shoulder a burden not everyone would understand, and they're far too kind to let anyone else get hurt. It's that sort of selfless kindness that Reigen can't help but admire.

[happyends]

"Thank you.."

Madoka herself doesn't think she's that strong at all. But it'd be far from her to deny that now when Reigen is putting in all the effort to say it despite only just having met her. She doesn't want to be rude in the face of his great kindness.

She doesn't cry more though. Not now. She really wants to try and be strong, even if she doesn't know whether she can do it or not.

"I'll just keep doing my best.. That's the best I can do, right?"

[internetsexsymbol]

"That's right. Your best is already enough, Madoka-chan."

Reigen stops ruffling Madoka's hair and pats her on the shoulder before standing up straight again. He's not about to let her beat herself up over what's not her fault. Whatever put her in this situation where she has to face the end of the world alone and watch her friends turn into monsters is on his shitlist already, though. Who that is and why they're doing this are questions for some other time, right now he wants to make sure Madoka can take her mind off of stress.

"Hm! I think that's enough to process for now! Is the kitchen the only place to get food here?" He doubts there's train-ride food, so that hinders his usual system of taking coworkers/students out for ramen when they did a good job or just need the pick-me-up. Time to improvise...