voidtreckerexpress | A New Platform [Intro Post October]

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A New Platform [Intro Post October]

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Then, why did the train pick Ken-chan to ride on it?"

Ken looks down in surprise to find Wormmon making an extremely Smug Bug expression. "You've been wondering about that, haven't you, Ken-chan? So I'll find the answer for you."

....Ken can't say he thinks this tactic will work, and he feels a bit bad for Romeo. But he appreciates the thought, Wormmon.

"Um... I don't really know." He smiled at Wormmon and Ken. "But I think it picks people who are really good at teamwork or people who can be good at teamwork even if they need a bit of practice!"

Like mister Zetta. But he is pretty sure Ken is in the first catagory.

"I think from how mister Ken was helping you just then he must already be really good at teamwork!"

"I couldn't say..."

Those honestly aren't words Ken's ever associated with himself. If it's true, that's rather touching - he's definitely come to see how much he'd been missing by maintaining a sense of distance between himself and others.

Wormmon, though, is nodding. "We like teams. Especially teams where everyone is friends. Aren't friends great, Ken-chan?"

"....Mm."

And Wormmon inclines his head once more, the picture of smol green sagacity. There. He rests his case.

"That's good! I hope you make lots of friends here!" He grinned at them both.

"Before missions we get told what we got to do and what bits all the teams need to do. If you think that the bit orange team is doing will be too tricky for you or if you think you will be better at another teams mission you can do that one instead!"

He had went with Joss once to purple team and that had been good, to see what purple team missions were like!

"Don't worry," Wormmon is quick to assure Romeo. "Nothing is too tricky for Ken-chan!"

"Well, I'll certainly try to contribute." Ken looks at Romeo, notes his different-colored clothing. That's....the same team as his roommate, the Professor, isn't it....?

"What does your team do?"

He grinned, Ken might be a bit shy but he believed Wormmon, after all he thought so highly of Ken so Ken must be a really good person!

"Blue team looks after people! Well... Last time we rescued a dragon from a big cage and the time before we went to ask some Gry about their dreams and then there were so many monsters! Then before that they helped some people on an island and stopped monsters from attacking them ." He grinned.

"I guess what we do isn't as obvious as Orange team because it is fighting like red and purple and purple go and protect people too."

Orange decodes, blue cares, red fights, purple fights on others' behalf. There is quite a bit of overlap. But one of the advantages to working together to solve problems is the ability for no one to need to shoulder the whole burden themselves. It's a good setup.

And the train does seem to pick at least partially by affinity, if this boy is on the "looking after people" team. He's so helpful, and open. Ken smiles. He's not the kind of person who prioritizes talent, not any more. Instead....

"You've worked hard."

Romeo beamed at him, "Thank you sir! It's important to work hard and to try your best all the time!"

It was what he tried to do all the time. He smiled at both Ken and Wormmon.

"Did you both find your rooms yet?"

"Yeah! But my name wasn't on the door."

"If it bothers you, we can add it." Ken thinks. "Ah, but we don't have supplies....."

He has a notebook and so forth in his new rucksack, but he doubts that would make for a very sturdy or good-looking name plaque.

"We got lots of art things if you want to make a name poster! It could have everyone in the rooms name on, including Wormmon's!"

It's strange that Wormmon didn't have his own room! But he was sure Ken wouldn't mind sharing his bed, they seemed like good friends!

"We got big paper and a lot of paint!"

"So making our own is an option."

Looking at how Wormmon just lit up at the prospective, Ken has to nod along: it wouldn't be a bother to his bunkmates, would it? He might need to ask permission first. But it would be worth it, for Wormmon.

...Oh, but. "Though I'm not very good at art."

"You're good at origami!"

"Thank you." He's not going to be folding a sign....But that doesn't keep Wormmon's support from being appreciated.

"You could make an origami sign!" He has no idea how but Wommon's enthusiasm is contagious. He grinned brightly. "I bet if we all work together we can make a really good sign!"

He's sure of it!

Whoa, Romeo didn't just have a good idea - he volunteered! "Ken-chan, he's going to help with the sign! Isn't that great?"

"It is." Ken smiles; he has no idea how to make an 'origami sign' either, but "anything goes" seems to be the mode for this project. It's oddly liberating. "If it's no trouble, we'd love to have you."

A boy like this probably has lots of friends on the train; his demeanor isn't quite the same, but Ken is reminded of someone he knows well anyway. That instant, unthinking acceptance of others, and willingness to lend a hand -

It reminds him of some of the most important lessons he's learned.

"It's no trouble at all!" He grinned and jumped to his feet. "I'll go get the things!"

They are in this carriage even! On the storage shelf above one of the tables so he skips down the aisle and then scrambles up onto the table to pull down paper, an art case and some assorted craft materials before carrying them all back.

"Here we go!"

"Ooh." Wormmon climbs onto the table to have a better look at the proceedings. Ken joins Romeo in examining the supplies, as well.

"The train is this well-stocked..."

Wormmon has found construction paper and some scissors. He pulls out the paper and walks it over to Ken-chan, then goes back. "Here. You can fold this..."

But it needs to be a square, right? So he also needs to bring the...

Bring the....

Wormmon eyes the scissors warily. Are you supposed to carry scissors by the round or pointy part, again? This is somewhat intimidating.

"Me and mister Tidus and miss Rapunzel all bought lots of art things because we didn't have much..."

He spots Wormmon eyeing up the scissors and smiled at him reassuringly. "It's okay, I can get them!"

Romeo knows how to hold scissors safely! He picks them up, holding the blades in his fist, pointing the sharp part down and handed them carefully to Ken.

Teamwork, Ken notes. He smiles and accepts the scissors. "Thank you. Getting all this was a good idea."

And shows how pretty much anything can be requested, too. Not just items from home, but supplies for general use....And this is the kind of train where multiple people pool their resources to get arts and crafts. There's something comforting, about that.

Ken remains unsure how he's going to incorporate origami into this sign, but as everyone's been nice enough to give him paper, he'll measure out perfect squares and begin cutting. This paper isn't the optimal thickness, but if he creases the folds just so...yes, he can make this work.

Satisfied Ken-chan will make A Masterpiece, Wormmon turns to Romeo. "What should we do?"

The sign needs....decorations and everyone's names, doesn't it? Uh-oh. Wormmon just realized he doesn't know how to spell the Professor's name.

It had, like. Numbers after it and stuff.

Romeo grinned at him, it had been a good idea! It had mostly been Tidus' idea because he was really good at thinking of things to make everyone happy! He was very very good at teamwork!

"Do you got a favourite colour Wormmon?" That was a good place to start! He grinned, "And what's mister Ken's favourite colour?"

Also important. They might not know all the people in the rooms favourite colours though... That would be trickier.

"Hm...I like green!"

Do tell, Wormmon.

"But I want my name to be Ken-chan's favorite color. Ken-chan, what should it be? Black?"

That's what most of Ken-chan's clothes are.

Ken, however, mostly wears black because he's uncomfortable in bright colors. "Hmm...That doesn't seem right for a sign." He considers this. "What if your name were...."

Huh, what is his favorite color. He has no idea. It probably is black, or grey, the colors he's used to, but even Ken can tell that's not the aesthetic here.

He had a sweater he liked once, though. It wasn't black or grey, but it was comfortable. Parts of it were blue, but it was also -

"Purple......and mine was green?"

"Ken-chan, you want to be MY favorite color?!"

Green is a good colour and it's a good job Wormmon likes it because he is green!

Black would be a bit boring for a sign but if that was Ken's favourite colour it would be alright... Except then he came up with an even better idea!

"That's great! So we can write mister Ken in green and Wormmon in Purple!"

They can have each others favourite colours!

"Ken-chan in green...Gyahaheeehehe."

Wormmon sets about rooting through the art supplies to see if they have purple and green markers, paint, crayons, or any other kind of object that leaves marks on paper. He's humming to himself and absolutely cannot carry a tune, but he seems quite happy.

Ken watches fondly for a moment, then looks down at his allotted portion of the decorations. What should he fold? If you're going to decorate with origami, though, one classic design stands out....

Thinking about it, he sets most of his stack of now-square paper aside and begins to fold. His fingertips run along the creases, gentle but precise. Back and forth, back and forth...

Bit by bit, something's taking shape.

Wormmon is such a cheery bug person that it makes Romeo grin as he watches him looking for colours. Ken is quieter but he also seems very nice and Romeo watches as he folds. Romeo knows some origami, but what Ken is doing looks more complicated than anything he can do.

So he's interested as he folds and folds and folds, excited to find out what he is making!

"Did you find green and purple, Wormmon?"

"Yeah!"

Says Wormmon, and promptly drops a crayon, which rolls over to Romeo. Wormmon has done so well at finding green and purple that if it's an art supply on the train, and it comes in green and purple......Wormmon is currently carrying it in his top two legs. And barely holding on.

Ken's origami creation now looks like some sort of...diamond? And he's playing with the folds. The most interesting part is about to happen....

Romeo picked up the crayon with a smile, Wormmon has found so many colours! He's a very smart creature.

He keeps watching Ken with a grin, "It looks like you can't fold anymore, mister Ken!"

"Almost," Ken agrees. This...and then this....And then, when he pries the results apart.....bends this down...

Behold! The folded-up diamond has unfurled into a crane!

Ken sets it down, pleased the texture and thickness of the paper hadn't gotten in the way. Wormmon giggles, and looks expectantly at Romeo.

It's cool, right? It's cool. Ken-chan is just the COOLEST. ~~Him and his....geriatric old Japanese man hobbies.~~

Edited 2020-10-21 00:03 (UTC)

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