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

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Zetta stared at the horrible creature with blank, unblinking eyes for a moment.

"...Oh HELL no, I'm not ranching THIS monster. Get rid of it and bring a new CD so I can get something cooler, like a golem or a pixie!"

One of the minions stepped up, and helpfully began prodding the two with a disc, trying to figure out where to put it so it could have a new random monster generate from it.

[ramengroupie]

"Hey! Don't poke Ken-chan!"

Thus objects one of the two heads, snapping out of its confusion to exert whiny indignation instead. It even bends down, extending its - oh, god, its "neck" has a collar and like. Little nubby arms.

The other head blinks too, but the confusion continues.

"Um...."

The disc is having no effect. No matter where the minion puts it, the randomizer does not engage!

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Look, would you just be a better monster already? I'm not feeling terribly patient today." Zetta scowled down at the creature. "Seriously, you look like pocky with Frankensteinien ambitions."

[ramengroupie]

"Don't badmouth him, either!"

And with that, one of the creature's heads - drops off. Plop. Right onto the ground. Trailing more neck, and appendages, behind itself. And begins to waddle towards the Prinny cluster.

The head that remains attached continues to have difficulty processing. He'd just caught up, and now he's behind again!

"Pocky.....?"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"I'm badmouthing both of you, I'm an equal-opportunity villain," Zetta explained, mostly ignoring the kid. The Prinnies, meanwhile, began to sidle back and away in a manner that was not at all casual.

[ramengroupie]

"So that was a display of villainy....."

Ken is torn. On the one hand, villains of all stripes get his hackles up. If this book (?) tries anything, he'll take action! But...on the other hand....

......Is this all an elaborate feint to keep his guard down....?

Wormmon just keeps crawling towards the Prinnies, apparently oblivious to the fact that the distance between them is growing. "You're villains? Are villains' partners supposed to sing songs?"

No villains he's ever fought before have sung a song. But no villains have had an entourage quite like this, either. It made Wormmon remember days that are usually best forgotten.

And it's making him worried. Was he....when Ken-chan had been bad....it was a terrible, awful time for both of them....

But was Wormmon a bad partner for not singing a song??

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"They're not partners, they're minions and servitors, so they do what I tell them!"

Abandoning all subtlety, the Prinnies scrambled behind the other minions, who were watching this all in their particularly vapid way.

[ramengroupie]

"How can you say that so casually?!"

Ken doesn't understand. This entire situation is bizarre - it's so unlike his other world-hopping experiences, even the ones where he's been unwillingly routed to a different world than intended - but he refuses to believe in that this organized a circumstance could contain any element of fluke.

So...why? Why would a world where something existed that only he could do also require...

...and is it pride...or fear....making him wonder that?

"Weren't you summoned by the same forces as the rest of us? What's your goal onboard this train?"

Wormmon pauses in his advances to look back and see if Ken-chan needs a wormtervention. If the Prinnies need a moment to escape this dread creature, now is the time!!

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"My goal is to get the hell off this train and stop being a book, obviously!"

What Prinnies? By the time Wormmon looks back, there are no Prinnies, just one very tall guy in a trenchcoat and fedoram, and apparently wearing a penguin mask for some inscrutable reason.

[ramengroupie]

"But that's irresponsible--"

Oh, the Prinnies are gone, that's too bad. But there is this person instead. Maybe they can help. Wormmon clearly needs to stop this scene before Ken-chan gets hurt, and he thinks he knows just the thing.

He waddles up to the mysterious masked man. "Hey. Do you have a microphone?"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Uh, no microphones here, dood." The frantic nervous sweat probably meant nothing, right?

[ramengroupie]

"Awww".

Disappointed that his plan to distract Ken-chan (and restore his own good name as former follower of a bad guy who never sang him a song), Wormmon turns around to waddle back to Ken. He's distracted, though, so his abdomen may knock into that person's leg if they aren't careful.

Thunk.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

With a yelp, the tall figure stumbled backwards, sleeves flopping as if they weren't full of arms at all, then collapsed backwards into the train. Three explosions rocked the assembled group outside, leaving Zetta to sigh.

"Super."

[ramengroupie]

"What?" Ken looks around, startled. An explosion - why had there been -

Wormmon is squatting there with singed antennae, mouth hanging slightly open. Having a vertical mouth instead of a horizontal one does not make this expression look any less dumbfounded. People EXPLODE when they fall over in this world!

That's really strange!

"....I'm sorry."

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Eh, they're cheap to bring back. So what's your deal?" Zetta asked, as if the horrible destruction of the Prinnies was absolutely nothing to care about. Which, to be fair, it really wasn't.

[ramengroupie]

"My deal?"

Wormmon tilts his head, confused. Ken hurries over and picks up Wormmon before this HEARTLESS DASTARD has a chance to do anything to him, like explode him and then not express remorse!

"You really are a villain...." he realizes, doubt now vanquished. Anyone whose flunkies can self-destruct and he doesn't bat an eyebrow - anyone like that -

Ken checks his pockets. No Digivice.

.....This could be a problem.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Damn straight I'm a villain," Zetta said, pleased to have finally gotten some acknowledgment. "And you're a what... Weedle? A Weedle, right?"

[ramengroupie]

"I'm Wormmon! Wormmon!!"

Apparently getting it wrong twice also merits being corrected twice. And flailed at. If Wormmon had a tongue to stick out, he'd be doing that, but as he doesn't he's settling for wiggling legs and antennae.

Ken grits his teeth. On this crowded a platform, causing any more of a scene than this would be a problem....but if he has no way of evolving Wormmon, then if this Zetta wanted to start doing villainous things instead of merely singing about them, what could he do?

There has to be something. But what?

"And you're also a passenger on the Voidtrecker Express," he says. Just. To get it all out there. That there is a villain. On the train. And nobody seems to have done anything about it.

What sort of train is this?

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Right. Abducted by the damn thing the same as everyone else. I hate to say it, but we're all in the same boat there." That, of course, was why no one did anything about him. Necessary mutual coexistence. Certainly not because he seemed so hopelessly ineffectual no one cared!

[ramengroupie]

"....I don't understand."

Ken looks conflicted. Frustrated. He does not know what to make of this. They wouldn't have been brought here without a specific purpose, right?

So then why - why -

Which is Wormmon's cue to start trying to get his partner out of here again. "Hey, Ken-chan, let's think about it on our own. He's just a book, it'll be okay."

...A book who got a theme song, though. Wormmon does feel mildly neglectful about having missed his chance to sing a villain theme song, if that's really something you're supposed to do for someone you care about who is making mean decisions.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

If anything could frustrate Zetta, it was a declaration like that! "I'm not JUST a book! I'm the most badass freaking Overlord in the entire cosmos! Don't think I'm just some ordinary villain!"

[ramengroupie]

"Whoever you are, I won't let you hurt Ken-chan!"

Staredown. Between two terrifying parties. Wormmon's going to get his partner out of here safely, so there! He's not afraid of a book!

He's a STRONG TOUGH DIGIMON!

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Yeah, yeah. You notice I'm not even trying?" At least the bug had a proper understanding of villainy. That was a pleasant change of affairs.

[ramengroupie]

"Then....we can go?"

For all of Wormmon's grasp of villainy, his grasp of tact is - not that. He was going to leave whether this book wanted them to or not.

But if he doesn't have to fight a book, that works out better for all involved. This is a crowded platform, and if anybody uninvolved in the conflict gets hurt anyway, that will make Ken-chan sad!

Wormmon must not make Ken-chan sad.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Go where? You're stuck here. Or on the train, when it leaves." Go away from his reach? Impossible! All things are within the reach of the almighty Overlord!