voidtreckerexpress | A New Platform [Intro Post September]

On the Train

The days after the holiday on Jema’Grethy tick away until they are awoken one morning. "Good morning passengers, it is day one of the month of Horsehoe. 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. When the doors open it is to snow, crunchy beneath their feat and falling from the sky in a light flurry.

As usual the first to leave the train notice nothing as they walk silently, rucksacks on their backs, towards the barriers. Alice Liddell, Arataka Reigen, Dread Thunderstorm, Duo Maxwell, Fandaniel, Guy Cecil, Kaito Kuroba, Khardeen, Rainbow Dash, Sarai Thunderstorm, Victor Creed, Xiao Xingchen, Yuna, Yuuri Wakasa. They crunch through the snow, not stopping for anyone.

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, as snow flurries around them, coating the ground around them in white.

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 twenty five 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, with… teddy bear shaped luncheon meat being the main ingredient to be found. There are plenty of other staples including a lot of fish caught from their island holiday.

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

A new carriage has been added, those that go to investigate will find a library. A double carriage it has a less formal, comfy downstairs fiction area and a more serious study library upstairs. It is devoid of books, though hopefully those who have bought books before will slowly begin to fill it.

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 braving the snow 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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Grimmjow's snarl dropped in an instant when Ichigo growled at him. There was something... strange about this whole situation, with Ichigo so close and so threatening and so... possessive. It actually made him blush, and he snarled again. "Tch, I'll fight who I wanna fight," he retorted, straightening up just slow enough that Shiro was able to jump back to the seat Grimmjow had plucked him from a moment before.

And he cast a glower at Guilmon, a low growl rumbling from his throat. "I'll be mean t'you instead, y'stupid blood lizard." Does he know what a blood lizard even is? Not really, but it sounded like a decent insult. Probably. He's a little distracted right now.

Ichigo flicked Grimmjow's ear, just because he could, and looked at the boy. "Ah, so you're Takato? I'm Ichigo, the grump is Grimmjow, and the small furry one is Shiro." The fish in the pan was getting ready to flip, and the takoyaki maker was heating up quite nicely as well. But that needed to get hot and be hot for a while before it could be greased, so Ichigo let it keep doing its thing. "I'll be more than happy to make enough takoyaki for you and Guilmon to share with us as soon as this fish is done cooking. It'll need to cool before Shiro can eat it, anyway."

Takato has a quick flash of temper at Grimmjow's behavior towards his friend, and resolutely steps up beside Guilmon. "When you're mean to one of us, it counts for both of us."

Takato didn't like fighting, and he really didn't like being mad. But he wasn't about to let anyone just say things like that to his friend.

"Come on, boy." And he guides Guilmon over to Ichigo's side of the kitchen. "Let's get you something to eat, okay?"

Grimmjow hissed when his ear was flicked, raising a hand to rub at the delicate appendage. "I ain't a grump," he replied, as grumpily as possible, and glowered at both Takato and Guilmon. He did, at least, have the sense not to threaten them again with Ichigo right there. He'd save it for later.

Instead, he sat himself on an empty stretch of counter to sulk. And glower. And tap an annoying rhythm on the metal counter with his nails. Maybe scratch it slowly, just to see if he could get under somebody's skin.

He'd been bored for six months and as interesting as this train was, he had a lot of pent up frustration stewing right beneath the surface.

As soon as the fish was done, Ichigo moved it to a plate to cool and then started to pull out what he would need to make the takoyaki batter. "Really? Not a grump? Coulda fooled me." He couldn't help teasing Grimmjow a little. "Once the fish cools some you can try a little. I didn't add any seasoning, but that piece is pretty much twice what Shiro'll be able to eat." He hadn't cut it down because then it would be cooked fish for later.

Now that there wasn't anyone actively threatening either one of them, the pair had gone back to their usual selves. For Guilmon that meant watching the food very closely, and for Takato that met watching Guilmon and fretting over every thought that came into his mind. New universe meant a lot of new things to worry about.

Guilmon slowly gets closer to Ichigo as he watches the fish. "What are you making now? Is it good to eat?"

Grimmjow sneered at the back of Ichigo's head, but the fish had his attention almost as thoroughly as it had Guilmon's. It smelled. And not in an entirely bad way. In fact, it smelled so not-bad, that his stomach chose that time to announce that it would very much enjoy a sample of that fish.

Grimmjow looked down at himself, somewhere between perplexed and horrified. "The fuck was that?" He has not learned the lesson about profanity yet, apparently.

"Fish. No idea what kind, though. Caught it on the last world we were at." Looking over his shoulder, he saw Grimmjow staring at his own stomach. "What, did your stomach growl? It's a thing that your body does to let you know you're hungry and that you should eat."

Turning his attention to the talking lizard, he smiled as he worked on the batter. "It's really good. I'm going to make little pancake balls with octopus in the middle."

"Ohhh, that sounds good! What's a pancake?" Guilmon was still pretty clueless about human food that wasn't bread.

Scowling, Grimmjow folded his arms tightly over his stomach and glowered at Ichigo, as if this were all somehow his fault. While occasionally switching the glower to the other two in the kitchen with him. "Well I don't see anything that looks like a soul layin' around," he grumbled.

"Then I guess you'll just have to try some normal food, won't you?" Ichigo smirked a little at Grimmjow, pushing the plate with the fish on it closer to the man and the kitten. "Try some of the fish, you might like it."

Turning his attention to Guilmon, Ichigo let the lizard see the batter he was making. "It's sort of like bread in a way, but there's no yeast so it doesn't rise. Regular pancakes are made on griddles, and are sometimes called griddle cakes. Really thin ones are called crepes, and are usually filled with things and then wrapped up to be eaten like a sandwich, sort of."

A New Platform [Intro Post September]

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