A New Platform [Intro Post October]

[voidtreckermods]

On the Train

"Good morning passengers, it is day sixteen of the month of Horsehoe. Points have been updated on the system and new stock is available."

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. The first thing they may notice is that this platform is inside a basic shelter, making it warmer than the last couple at least.

As usual the first to leave the train notice nothing as they walk silently, rucksacks on their backs, towards the barriers. Adora, Alex Hashimoto, Catra, Cloud Strife, Elizabeth Midford, Feanor, Gerome, Gladiolus Amicitia, Glimmer, Ifrit, Isabella D’Oro, Maru, Nari Reno, Noctis Lucis Caelum, Prompto Argentum, Scorpia, Siobahn Chereshei, SXT-2, Tamamo-no-Mae, Tony Stark, Uta, Zidane Tribal

But on the platform itself there are many new faces. Wearing hoodies in all four colours 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 gloomy, even without the steam and fog. They are in a wooden building, open to the tracks on one side. It in a creaky shelter, cobwebs hang from the rafters and there is a peculiar whistle as wind finds its way through the cracks.

They are standing, in clothes that are not their own, styles they might not even recognise. They are carrying a rucksack on their back. For a moment it seems to just be them, alone in the white haze but then the steam begins to fade and they realise they aren’t alone.

The platform is not large and it holds nineteen figures all facing the tracks, all dressed in cargo trousers and hoodies. Both left and right the tracks disappear into the mist. Then there is a roaring sound and out of the fog arrives a train. Jet black with gold writing on the side. The Voidtrecker Express. There is a hiss as the doors slide open and out into the gloom 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.

A new carriage has been added, those that go to investigate will find a room full of lockers, designated as the Armoury. Even for passengers without weapons it is somewhere to secure possessions. There are instructions on how to use the lockers and enough for everyone to claim one.

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!

Comments

[ayao]

"Punish me as you see fit." Meng Yao gasps when his hand isn't pushed away and, somehow, he positions himself around Baxia, pressing his cheek to Mingjue's thigh, "I love you. My life has been yours since you accepted me."

He shakes with fear, but also with horror. Is that how Mingjue died? Closing his eyes tightly, his stomach heaving, he clutches to the man, reassuring himself that right here, right now, Mingjue is alive.

"I need to understand...myself. Why would I do that to you or anyone? There is something wrong with me."

[brightjade]

Begging for punishment. The position is so familiar it has him closing his eyes and turning his head away, lips pressing tightly together.

He knows what he should do. He should shove this traitor away and drive Baxia through his chest.

But...is that still the right thing? Hands clutch desperately at him, clinging tight. A horrified voice wonders at himself.

...And he feels himself relent. Just a little. Just enough. Enough that Baxia slowly lifts, then settles angrily at his back.

"Swear yourself to me again," he decides, voice sharp. "We will see if we can save you. Never lie or deceive me or Huaisang again."

[ayao]

He wouldn't be shocked if Baxia carved into him with all of Mingjue's force behind it. At least that would be a quick death. But, in the wake of it, there would still be a problem - a lingering question. Why had Meng Yao betrayed those he loved?

There is something wrong with him. Maybe it began back in the brothel or when his father rejected him so violently. Maybe Meng Shi, in her gentle way, schooled her son to be utterly ruthless. Regardless, the end result is there for all of them to see. Death won't free them from it.

Tipping his head back so Mingjue can see his tear-stained face, Meng Yao doesn't let go of the other man's leg.

"I swear myself to you, Nie Mingjue, and to your brother, Nie Huaisang. I will tell you everything. I will never lie or deceive either of you ever again." his voice is strong and nearly steady - as if he is putting all of his might into making the oath.

"H-Here..." he brings out his sword, Hensheng, to solidify his promise. The strange flexible blade isn't often seen.

[brightjade]

It would be his right, above any others. Except, perhaps Nie Huaisang. But it's just the two of them here, now. And so he must do what feels as close to right as possible.

He sees the braids in this man's hair - braids denied to Meng Yao since becoming Jin Guangyao. And with a clearer head than he's had in a while - not helped at all by Meng Yao himself! - he allows himself to relent a little. Far more than he would have in a good handful of years.

He listens to the swear and pokes at the wording and gesture ruthlessly before touching the top of Meng Yao's head. "Put it away and stand."

[ayao]

He wears those braids with pride, his fingers grazing them whenever he needs a reminder of his importance to the Nie sect. They have not been denied him yet and perhaps, in the long run, it is far better that he never becomes Jin Guangyao.

Nothing good has come from the Jins. Not for him.

Tucking Hensheng away - up his sleeve - he rises, his legs barely supporting him. He feels dangerously close to passing out or throwing up. Neither is acceptable in Nie Mingjue's presence, so he steadies himself, using sheer will-power to stand.

"I wish to remain with you. Please... I don't know what will become of me, but perhaps the roots of it can be found."

[brightjade]

Meng Yao should stay Meng Yao. Nie Mingjue had never liked Jin Guangshan. He still thinks the man a fool for how he'd treated Meng Yao. Even with all that Meng Yao had done to him.

Where before all the pain and betrayal had been done and Mingjue would have helped support the other man, he's slow, now, to do the same. He doesn't let himself reach out again, lips pressing firmly together as he thinks and weighs...everything.

Meng Yao is strong enough on his own.

"Do as you claim to wish, and I will not send you away."

[ayao]

And that alone proves that Nie Mingjue is worthy of every ounce of respect he has ever been given. He deserves more, in fact, and Meng Yao feels awed and lost in his radiance. It occurs to him, distantly, that the latter feeling might be why he started to turn.

He doesn't like being ignored. He doesn't like feeling belittled.

You're just a whore's bastard.

His smile is strained and he bows, lowly, to Mingjue.

"You must be exhausted. Is your room in order? I can make you something to eat in the kitchen if you like."

[brightjade]

That's the thing about Nie Mingjue. He never saw someone unworthy of common decency when he had lifted Meng Yao up through the ranks of his sect. He'd watched how hard Meng Yao worked. Always with a smile - perhaps that should have been a clue?

How long he has wondered just when the other man had started to turn. The first indication he'd gotten of it was that first murder, and how Meng Yao had claimed at first it wasn't him, then that he'd been forced, then that he'd had no other choice. Which was the truth?

He doesn't stop the deep bow as Lan Xichen would. He doesn't have their sworn brother's heart and gentleness. But he does acknowledge it with a nod, gaze never far from Meng Yao.

"I am more clear of head than I have been in years." His gaze flicks briefly away as he verbalizes that observation. "My room is serviceable." Cramped. Small. Shared - and not with people he chose.

A breath.

"We should eat." Because Meng Yao is probably just as hungry, and he will not neglect such a base need. Not even here, and now, with this man who has, will, do so much ill.

[ayao]

Smiles can mask so many emotions. Whores know that trick, don't they? Keep smiling, keep laughing, be pleasant and you will live another day. Meng Yao had perfected his sweet expressions in the brothel, peering into his mother's mirror while obscene things were done to her. He had to learn to be numb.

Too numb.

"I'm glad." he softens with a sad frown, "There isn't much room in them, but the gardens are worth visiting."

His pale cheeks turn pink at Mingjue's kindness. So what if it isn't exactly like Lan Xichen's? It exists and Meng Yao isn't going to waste it.

"This way." he turns and leads the way to the kitchen, immediately seeking out ingredients that will make a pleasing meal for Mingjue. With his eidetic memory, the process isn't difficult and -

"I'm...unusual." the admittance comes out quietly while things are cooking, "I only need to see or hear a thing once and I never forget it. My memories are...real. They exist before my eyes. I sometimes have a difficult time telling which is the memory and which is reality."

[brightjade]

It's a skill that unfortunately remains useful in their world. In so many ways, Mingjue is lucky to be who he is. He wishes - fiercely - that he could help other sects act more noble, rather than careless as the Jins do. But the Nie sect started out different from the very beginning.

So he can only continue to be true to himself.

"Would you like to eat in the gardens?" Two and two.

He follows though. Instead of taking a seat while the other cooks for him though, he remains standing and works beside him. Firmly, silently, announcing they are not master and servant.

The admission of memory...makes sense. "Find me if you can, if you are unsure of what is real and what is false." A pause. "Xichen taught you songs of clarity in an effort to help me." Thus the music which was turned against him.

[ayao]

It's funny: when he thought himself completely rejected, the Nies stepped in and offered him a chance. They didn't throw him out. Oh some of them loved to rub in his parentage, but the majority of them weren't so bad - especially now that Mingjue and Huaisang valued him so openly.

He wants to - needs to - stay with them. That means he will spend his time on the train rectifying where he went wrong.

"That would be nice." his smile is shy but genuine, the warmth touching his eyes. He finds it impossible to look up at Mingjue while they cook; his cheeks are far too hot. He imagines he is beet red.

Even so, he starts to tell the other man the truth.

"I will." Meng Yao feels something happy curling in his chest, "Thank you." he adds, softer.

And then another piece of the puzzle falls into place. Songs of Clarity. He sighs and winces, reaching out and touching Mingjue's arm.

"There is a theory that...all you need to make a good spell or talisman wicked is to write it...or play it...in reverse." his lips thin, "I think I must have lost my grip on reality and you were my victim."

[brightjade]

And now Meng Yao is on his very last chance. Only because he hasn't lived through the others yet. Even now though, Mingjue won't use the other's parentage against him.

At the answer, he nods again - decisive. That's all that needs said, in his opinion. That's where they will eat.

He notices the dark red of that familiar face and knows what caused it. But he doesn't stop his portion of the work, dicing and chopping as the dish requires.

He sees when Meng Yao understands, and doesn't brush away the gentle touch to his arm. It will be a very long time, if ever, that he will want to listen to any music at all.

"It is not a theory." He refuses to lie, even with this. Being referred to as a victim, no matter how true, has his jaw clench. But he doesn't strike out. It's a sad fact.

He turns a grim look on the other man, their meal cooking away without immediate need of tending. "I do not know what happened or why. Only the result in loss of faith and decency."

[ayao]

All ingredients are placed either in a pot to cook or set to the side for use later. Then there is nothing for his hands to do except to meekly comfort Mingjue. His fingertips follow the stitching of his sleeve, recognizing, easily, the muscular arm beneath. That arm could crush him without the aid of Baxia.

"I will abstain from music." he faces the other man, his brow furrowed, "The Song of Clarity is meant to bring balance. If I performed it in reverse without you realizing, I caused you chaos. I caused you confusion."

What better way to throw a wrench in the gears? But all for who? Guangshan is the only one who has that hold over him. Had his father made a request?

His stomach curls angrily and he lifts his hand to lay it against Mingjue's cheek, light and warm.

"I will discover the truth and share it with you when I do."

[brightjade]

It's a familiar touch he wouldn't allow just anyone. And few beside have ever dared. Yet he finds himself allowing it all the same, if only by not shoving it away or moving away himself.

Mingjue rests hands on the counter, gaze fixed on Meng Yao and watching intently for any signs of deception. But hoping to find none. And the promise...wrenches something in him a little. Loosens some of the tension, quite despite himself. He should stay alert and wary of this man.

But he also has to give one final chance. So when the hand moves from his arm to his cheek, he doesn't lash out. His lips press firmly together and he weighs his words carefully.

"I will share what I found out with you. You won't be spared the knowledge of what your future holds."

[ayao]

Meng Yao fears his future. He wants to beg and plead that Mingjue not tell him more. None of it can be good; none of it seems to go his way no matter what tactics he employs. But he has to understand, whether he likes it or not, where he went wrong. He has to understand why his tactics failed.

Gathering a glass of water for himself, he tries to calm his nerves by sipping on it. One...two...three...

"I'm not like you. I only want a place to hide. The unknown...my future...frightens me."

It's ridiculous to whine; Mingjue died - horribly - and he isn't whining. Meng Yao sets the glass down and closes his eyes tightly.

"If I only had a piece of your bravery, I would be a better man."