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

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."

Re: Departure

[internetsexsymbol]

Reigen perks up at the person agreeing with him. His hand rapidly moves between several gestures before settling on pointing at Curufin as if to say 'this guy gets it!'.

"Exactly! This speed of Void travel would only be possible if you had something like three cubic tons of psychic force? A normal human would crumble holding that much power..."

Did he just pull ESP being measured in cubic tons out of his ass? Absolutely, but he sounds confident, and that's what counts. He's about to go on, but then Curufin mentions dying, and he can't leave that unaddressed.

"Oh, so you're a ghost? Don't worry, I've met ghosts that are leading fulfilling li--existences? Yeah, that. But I'm pretty alive myself."

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin grins at Reigen when he sees that gesture.

"If these psychic forces are anything like the powers of my world, I'd have to agree with you. No one person whether normal or not could wield that much force, enough to move an object the size of this train.

Curufin thinks it's funny, the measuring of spiritual or psychic force as tonnage. He admires that kind of humor and enthusiasm.

"I was a ghost, for a while after I died. And then I figured out how to re-embody myself. We Elves can do that, though most Elves don't know it. Glad you're alive! It does make life simpler." Another grin. "So, how long have you been on this train? I didn't see you on the platform, but then, it was pretty foggy there. Could have missed you in the mist." Pardon the alliteration and the assonance -- Curufin's a poet as well as a warrior.

[internetsexsymbol]

Whoa. What did this guy say about being an elf? Like a high-fantasy elf, or a holiday department store elf? If people can resurrect in other dimensional malls, they must have good salaries.

"Huh, awfully determined of you...I like it!" Reigen's already seen some less than human things both here and back home, so he can roll with an ex-ghost elf man. Who's he to judge?

At the admittedly corny alliteration, Reigen gives Curufin an amused smirk. "Ha. I've been here about five minutes, give or take. I guess you're in the same boat. Or train."

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin would die laughing at that joke! And he'd say he was more like a high-fantasy Elf, so the high salary wasn't an issue.

"I was determined. Elves are bound to the Earth until its ending; we don't have any other place to go when we die. Actually, we're supposed to go to the halls of our death-god, Mandos, there to await judgement for our actions in life, and possibly to be gifted with re-embodiment and another chance at life. I had no intentions of letting him judge me and possibly be sentenced to eternity in those dark halls. So I refused the summons of Mandos and stayed in Middle-earth as a ghost. And that's when I began to experiment with reincarnation and found I could do it myself, I didn't need the gods." Ex-ghost Elf man, you betcha!

For a fierce high-fantasy warrior Elf, Curufin has a fairly corny sense of humor, and he indulges it whenever he can! "I guess we are in the same boat. Train. Whatever." Grin.

"So if you've been here for five minutes, where were you before you came here? What was happening in your life?"

Kitchen aslkdfjalsdf

[bombashbunny]

Ash was a little overstimulated with all of the new people, so she had decided to head to the kitchen to get a piece of fruit and have a snack while taking a moment to herself. She wasn't very happy to find someone was already in the kitchen when she arrived, but she found herself quickly becoming invested in whatever this man was doing. She'd stand and watch him for a little bit before finally speaking up.

"I may be mistaken - I am no chef - but that much salt in most dishes would make for something quite unpalatable."

Re: Kitchen aslkdfjalsdf

[internetsexsymbol]

Reigen turned at the sound of another voice in surprise, the jar of salt still pouring into the plastic bag. A brief moment of silence passed, as if Ash had just caught a rat rather than a human being, before he laughed and shook his head.

"Oh, this salt isn't for food. I'm saving it in case of emergencies-- shit."

Noticing that the salt was getting dangerously close to overflowing, Reigen set down the salt jar and tried to seal the overpacked baggie to prevent potential disaster. So help him, he was not in the mood to salvage individual grains of salt off the floor on his first day in the void.

[bombashbunny]

Ash kept her gaze level with the man, patiently waiting for his response. Some little voice in her head told her that this situation was humorous, if only because of how ridiculous it was. The laugh caused her to relax a little and a faint smile crossed her face.

“Emergencies? Are you worried we will be attacked by slugs?” Her voice came off as if she were serious, but it was definitely meant as a joke. Hopefully it would translate despite her generally serious demeanor. She also recognized the silliness in how overly packed the baggie was and the care he took trying to seal it without spillage. There were many strange people on board, but this was something that amused Ash more than the others.

[internetsexsymbol]

"What? Of course not! ...though I'm prepared for a slug attack as well!" Given he'd had a conversation with a giant spider beforehand, a sudden onslaught of slugs wasn't out of the realm of possibility. 'Arataka Reigen, Greatest Slug Exterminator of the 21st Century' sounds way too specific to be worth anything though, so he'll probably just add it to his list of other skills.

"No, no, this is insurance against evil spirits! They hate this stuff, you know. A single splash of salt can eradicate about 20% of a spirit's energy normally, but in the hands of a professional? It's their Achilles Heel!" He would wiggle around the bag for emphasis, but he's still focused on not spilling any of it while slowly sealing it.

[bombashbunny]

There was nothing more to be said about being ready for a slug attack, but she did listen as he explained about the evil spirits. This confused her a little - she was thinking of voidsent such as wraiths and wisps. Voidsent were not weak to salt, no matter how many over-full bags one might have.

"I don't know what an Achilles Heel is and why your 'spirits' have them, but I am confused. How does salt do that?" Her ears were turned towards him and were far forward, a sign of curiosity. He had her full attention at this point.

Departure

[stealsyourheart]

"I don't feel dead. And I have no reason to be dead. Do you?"

Re: Departure

[internetsexsymbol]

"Great! I also feel alive! Unless I somehow died in my office from a curse or a paper cut." He doubted that, though. So far two out of three people were alive, he had to keep up the momentum.

[stealsyourheart]

"That makes two of us not-dead. Good odds? I'd rather not be dead, I have stuff to do!"

[internetsexsymbol]

"Yeah, good odds. Death doesn't stop everybody, but it's usually the types with grudges or god complexes that become spirits...you got any of those, kid?"

[stealsyourheart]

Well actually....

"Nah. I'm just a high school kid! The only grudge I have is wanting to pass my exams!"

kitchen quest

[happyends]

Good news for Reigen today: Madoka is way too much of a sweetheart to just assume anyone is a thief. Even if it's a person she has never seen before mysteriously scooping what seems like salt into.. a plastic bag? That's an odd situation for sure, but she's not going to make any assumptions. Or try to, at least.

But it's still odd enough to check up on, so she tries to softly get his attention. (If not just so there won't be salt literally all over the floor.)

"Um.. Is everything alright..?" Just making sure!

[internetsexsymbol]

Reigen turns at the sound of a voice, salt in hand. Oh great, it's a kid, and one that looks really concerned. He can deal with it, assuming this isn't one that suddenly gets an attitude. Teens did that, especially in middle school.

"Yes! Everything's fine! Don't worry, this isn't stealing! Stealing is very bad, by the way, follow the law." He sets down the jar of salt to carefully seal his bag. "I just need to grab some of this for anti-curses and evil spirits purposes. Now you have a fully-equipped exorcist on board, and there's still enough to cook with! Everyone wins!" Once it's all sealed up, he gives Madoka a reassuring thumbs up with his free hand. Please mistake him for an adult with some authority.

[happyends]

That is probably the last explanation Madoka expected as to why he was busy scooping salt into a bag. Then again.. she wasn't really expecting any explanation for it, really. It was just too weird to think of one. But she'll buy the adult guise since he does seem what he's talking about, even if what he's talking about is.. odd...?

And also kind of concerning? It takes a moment for the realisation to hit her, but the moment it does, Madoka looks kind of startled.

"There are evil spirits here?!"

Looks like you've succesfully scared the kid, Reigen.

[internetsexsymbol]

Oh no. Reigen doesn't want the girl to be spending her time freaking out about spirits. He quickly waves a hand in front of his face as if dismissing the need for concern.

"Hold on, don't panic! I haven't seen any evil spirits on this train yet, and if they are on here, they're weak ones. Like mice, not worth worrying about! Besides..." He points to himself for emphasis. "You're looking at the Greatest Psychic of the 21st Century, kid! Consider this train already spirit-proof!"

[happyends]

She isn't so sure about the first part of that reassurance. Evil spirits sound bad no matter how big or little they are.. Wouldn't even a small evil spirit still be able to do a lot of bad things?

Thankfully what he says after that is a little more reassuring, and it makes the hint of doubt on Madoka's face turn into surprise instead.

"You're the greatest psychic of the century..?" That's a bold claim, but Madoka seems to be willing to believe it, apparently. "Then.. you must be super powerful!"

Departure

[afterburner]

"Pretty sure we're not dead, no. Pretty sure I'd remember dying." Renee had suffered enough beatdowns in her life to be nigh-unto absolutely certain that yeah, she'd been alive when she'd boarded this train. And she hadn't died of boredom. Yet.

"So by psychic do you mean telekinetic, telepathic, or something else? I mean I suppose a powerful enough telekinetic could be 'powering' the train, but we haven't seen a conductor or anything like it yet, so I'm kind of leaning towards a no, here."

Yeah, have a mouthy, redheaded teenager in a purple hoodie with her left arm in a makeshift cast. But inasmuch as she is being mouthy, she's not being quite so sarcastic or snarky--her interest has been piqued, so she's attempting actual conversation.

[internetsexsymbol]

"Aha, I see that you're well-informed! Telepathy is possible if it turns out that this is an illusion, but...psychic's intuition is telling me that it's real." Psychic's intuition, or the pain in his back from that takeoff. Same difference, honestly.

"No conductor, though? Interesting...then I'd say that either this train is controlled from the outside by someone with a lot of energy to spare--maybe even a group of people--or the train itself is the fpsychic! Which would mean that the force behind it isn't even human!" He rubs his hands together in excitement, but...good lord, the implications of that are a little unnerving. Reigen immediately shrugs off his own menacing theory.

"That's just a guess though. It could be something completely different."

[afterburner]

"I hope so, I went to a school founded by one of the greatest telepaths on my world--I'm not psychic at all, though." Renee shrugged, then. "I know...oh, probably just enough to get me in trouble."

She chuckled dryly at that. Seemed to be the story of her life, there. Still, she listens to the guy's rambling and her brows draw down--she isn't quite frowning, but she doesn't seem happy, either.

"Still, your theory might be worth telling train boss about--I mean Tony Stark. He's not exactly the boss, I guess, but he's smart and he has people's best interests in mind, so..."

Couldn't hurt, either. Forewarned is forearmed, as they say.

[internetsexsymbol]

"They have schools for that kind of thing? And here I had to do all my own reading." Reigen would have to get more info on this telepath Renee's talking about sometime...might be worth having a reference of the real thing to add to his repertoire of fraudulent phenomena.

He squinted a little in thought. "Train boss, huh? I'll give him my thoughts...have you really been on here long enough to form a whole train government?"