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

[recurrens]

[ Homura looks just as surprised -- her eyes are open wider than usual, and her hand remains in the air where she was going to open the door. ]

Madoka?

[ Maybe later she’ll regret using Madoka’s first name -- she tries to keep as much distance between the two of them as she can manage, but… there’s a barrage of emotions flowing through her, so much so that she’s not entirely sure what she’s feeling.

For a moment, her arms make a movement, almost like she’s going to give Madoka a hug, but then she clenches her fists and drops her hands back to her side. ]

I… [ Her voice is just slightly higher pitched than usual. She doesn’t know how to end that sentence. I didn’t know you were here. I’m glad that you are here. I’m glad that you’re safe.

The last time she saw Madoka, she had appeared in the middle of Walpurgisnacht. When she appeared on the platform alone, she had worried… ]

[happyends]

[ For a moment they're both just caught up in the mutual surprise. Just standing there, staring at each other.

Surprisingly - or maybe unsurprisingly, it's Madoka who makes the full first move. Homura may only have moved, barely made an attempt at reach out to the other girl to hug her, but Madoka full on goes for the hug. She practically throws herself at Homura, her arms wrapping around the other girl, clinging to her tightly.

Maybe this isn't right. Back home everything was still a little awkward, with how Homura only just told her about everything she went through, and then went to face Walpurgis by herself-- and even with that, Madoka doesn't even know if the Homura in front of her is from that same point in time, if it's not a Homura from the past, or the future, or a different timeline altogether, considering Homura's particular powers.

But Madoka can't help it. Today has been so rough, and it's just.. She just...

She buries her face into the other girl's shoulder, sobbing into it. It's a near mirror of a time not too long before she had found herself on the platform - a time back home when it had been Homura clinging to her, Homura crying.

But now it's the other way around. ]

H--Homura-chan..! [ Madoka hicks. ] I.. I can't believe you're here..!

[ Sure, her relationship with Homura may be complicated, seperated by timelines. There are so many things she doesn't know about the other girl yet, despite having been told just what Homura had been doing for Madoka all this time, without Madoka even knowing.

But she's still familiar. More familiar than most other things on this train, and so Madoka can't help but cling to that scrap of familiarity in the middle of all this misery. ]

[recurrens]

[ If she had been surprised at seeing Madoka, it’s nothing compared to the shock that she feels when the other girl begins to sob into her shoulder. ]

...Madoka?

[ There’s… a lot to focus on. Homura might have been in this very same situation not too long ago, but it has been quite some time since Madoka was the one that hugged her. Maybe that minute difference isn’t very important, but it’s meaningful enough for Homura.

She, slowly and carefully, wraps her arms around Madoka. She’s aware that she’s maybe not the best person to come to for reassurance anymore, but if she can help even a little, she wants to try.

It’s hard not to ignore the fact that, last time she saw Madoka crying with this amount of fervor, Tomoe-san was having a meltdown. Miki-san was gone, Kyoko was gone, and Homura would have been next, if not for Madoka herself. She wonders what must have happened, for Madoka to get this upset.

Homura still has questions -- many questions. But none of them are important right now. So she just closes her eyes and allows herself to hold Madoka just a little bit tighter. And maybe, maybe, she can allow herself to be just a little vulnerable, too. ]

I’m so glad you’re safe.

[ Yes, Madoka might be crying and upset. Something terrible might have just happened. But she was here. She’s alive. Homura’s time magic can’t fix everything, but at least she doesn’t have to fix this. ]

[happyends]

[ At those words coming from Homura, Madoka clings to the other girl just a tiny bit tighter. At least Homura is right - Madoka is safe. Relatively speaking, anyway. Even though she's emotionally hurt, she looks the same as ever, other than the fact that her hair has grown a bit longer than it used to be due to having been here for a long time now. But wounds, scars.. there's none of that on her.

And when she sniffs, and finally slowly pulls her arms back to stop clinging to Homura like that, there's no ring on any of her fingers either. No magical girl contract.

Madoka raises a hand, rubbing at her eyes to try and get rid of the tears. Realising that there are more important things going on right now than the pain of her own loss. ]

A.. Ah, I'm so sorry.. [ She sniffs. ] I should have asked you first if you're okay too.. O-or what the last thing you remember is.

[recurrens]

[ Homura makes a conscious effort to look at Madoka’s hands when she pulls back, and can breathe a little easier when she notices the lack of rings. She doesn’t know how she got here, doesn’t know how Madoka got here, but at least she hadn’t been too late. She doesn’t know what she would have done, if Madoka had been a magical girl on top of everything else. She’s grateful she doesn’t have to find out.

Homura shakes her head. ] It’s fine. [ And this time, at least, she actually means it. She wants to be someone Madoka can rely on. She knows Madoka doesn’t remember anything of the past, but they had been close, once. She hopes they can become that close again. ]

I’m fine. [ She’s still confused, of course, and she has a a lot of questions, but. Madoka is fine, and so is she. None of the wounds she’d had fighting Walpurgisnacht are present, and even if they had been, she simply could have healed herself with her Soul Gem. There’s no need for Madoka to worry about her.

And, Homura doesn’t smile, per se. It’s been a long time since she had a reason to smile, but her lips do twitch upwards in slight amusement. Asking her what the last thing she remembers is. ]

Shouldn’t I be asking you that?

[happyends]

[ For a second she's quiet. Instead Madoka is just staring at Homura, almost like she's searching her eyes - especially when Homura says it's fine. Like she's trying to see whether it's actually fine. Whether Homura is fine.

Thankfully it does seem to be the case. Madoka can maybe still spot some slight confusion in those eyes, maybe some questions, but.. Homura at the very least doesn't look miserable. That's good. At least one good thing about today.

And at the tug of those lips, Madoka's head dips, though this time more in slight embarrassment than any real upset. ]

Ah, you're right..

[ Homura sure knows of a lot more potential points in time that Madoka could be from than the other way around, after all. ]

Everyone else was.. gone. [ She doesn't want to use the word dead. Not today of all days. ] You told me. About.. About everything that happened to you. Everything you went through.. for me.

[ It still feels weird to say that. The very thought of it is odd. Why would a person do that much just for her? She's no one special, and yet Homura suffered so much for her sake. It doesn't feel fair. ]

Then you went to fight Walpurgisnacht.. Do you remember that? I.. I'm not sure if you noticed, but I came after you.

YELLS i'm so sorry this took so long, please forgive me ;;

[recurrens]

[ Of course she’s fine. Sure, she has some questions, but none of them are as important as this: Madoka is here, she’s safe and she’s unharmed and she’s not a magical girl. She doesn’t have any reason to not be fine, after all that.

Besides, any wounds she might have suffered from Walpurgisnacht are gone -- even if they weren’t, Homura can simply use her Soul Gem to heal herself. It wouldn’t be the first time, and she’s sure it won't be the last, either.

The good mood that had been brought about by sheer relief, disappears when Madoka starts explaining the last thing she remembers. She does remember everyone dying. More times than she can count, really. In fact, the way they all went out was pretty par for the course, not much was out of the ordinary.

Except for her breaking down and telling Madoka everything.

She averts her gaze. She’s not sure if she’s feeling embarrassment over breaking down so many times, or shame for not being able to hold it all together.

She returns her gaze to Madoka when she mentions showing up during Walpurgisnacht, eyes focused. ]

...I did.

[ Granted, she doesn’t remember much after that, but…. Homura drops her eyes, again to Madoka’s hands, needing that reassurance that Madoka is not, indeed, a magical girl. Walpurgisnacht is the one time when Homura can’t be by Madoka’s side, a fact that Kyubey takes full advantage of. If Madoka showed up during the battle… that means…. ]

Kaname-san. [ And just like that, Homura’s voice has turned cold. ] Why did you come after me?

[ She has a feeling she already knows the answer. ]

sssh it's ok, you're back now!!!

[happyends]

[ Ah.

It's not unexpected, that tone. It's not even unfamiliar. It's how Homura has often spoken to her, after all. Especially earlier on, when they - from Madoka's point of view - first met. Not that it doesn't discourage Madoka a little all the same, usually wilting a bit every time she's met with that kind of attitude.

But she can't avoid the question. It wouldn't be right. So despite her natural instinct to shrink away, she doesn't.

Instead she answers. ]

I couldn't leave you alone, Homura-chan.

[ Madoka is well aware that it's not the answer Homura is waiting for. Not what is still hanging in the air between them. And she-- she'll get to that, but she feels like this one is more important, needs to be put in front of it. ]

There's.. There's no way you could fight that kind of thing all by yourself. It wouldn't be right for me to just hide away when someone who did so much for me was fighting something much too strong.

[ She shakes her head. ]

Besides.. Kyuubey told me. [ And he doesn't lie. He omits, he is vague, he does a lot of things that won't tell them the full truth, but Madoka has never caught him in a full on bold-faced lie. ] That you have no choice but to keep fighting. Even if you have no chance but winning. T-- That you'd fall into despair if you gave up.

[ And they all know what happens then. ]

Homura-chan.. You're my friend. [ That's something she can still say, even in the face of that cold tone. If anything, Madoka's tone takes on an edge of determination at those words. ] I won't let you keep suffering by yourself.