A New Platform [Intro Post November]

[voidtreckermods]

On the Train

The morning after the Halloween party passengers are once again woken by a familiar voice.

"Good morning passengers, it is day one of the month of Imagination. 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. But through the fog comes sunshine, causing patches where the light shines down to warm the concrete. Looking up passengers will not be able to see the sun through the fog, or much of the sky at all.

As usual the first to leave the train notice nothing as they walk silently, rucksacks on their backs, towards the barriers. Bryn Pendragon, Bucky Barnes, Colden Rollins, Elena, Fai D Flourite, Jiang Yanli, Juliette d'Aubigniy, Misa, Peter Parker, Samata Mahto, Satou Kuroneko, The Doctor, Tohru Mutou, Zuko, 10 Vigilant Gaze Purges The Horizon. They all walk silently and do not look back as they disappear through the barriers and into the fog beyond.

But on the platform itself there are 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 the thick fog, penetrated by beams of light. As their eyes adjust they will see they are on a platform, behind them are a set of barriers and in front of them is a single track.

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 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 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.

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 and Honey is the newest ingredient, jars of honey stock the shelves and the ICP's in the kitchen have recipe ideas for the month.

A new carriage has been added, those that go to investigate will find a small but function-able spa, complete with a small hot tub and even a steam room. It is a relaxing room with sun lamps and relaxing music or nature sounds available through the ICP. There are a couple of massage tables, with a course for how to give massages for those eager to learn.

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 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

Aziraphale | Good Omens (show)

[salutosinedelectat]

I. Platform
At this point, Aziraphale has made it a habit to wait for the train to make its stop in the next platform, and to step outside and stand near one of the entrances. The pattern seems to be about the same every time: the fresh new faces, hazy and then confused, some more alarmed than others, sometimes a myriad of different constitutions; the wave of those who step out of the train and through the platform, unhindered and unstopping, silent, and leave through gates none of the others seem to manage to reach; sometimes, more unfortunately, the sorrow of those who watch the ones they care for depart in such a manner.

The angel just watches it all, offering pleasant smiles to the newcomers that look his way, in hopes of offering them at least some comfort or a word of advice or help, and offering greetings to those who, like him, know full well what is to happen soon.

II. Rest of the day
As soon as the train departs, Aziraphale returns to his usual milling about the day. The library and the kitchen are the most common places to find him - the first, mostly, as he secludes himself in the sadly empty, but well furnished top floor, with whatever tomes and publications he's managed to get his hands on, sometimes sneaking in some tea and a biscuit; the second, well, for the obvious tea and biscuit, and sometimes a stronger drink to share with a certain demon.

But he's also taken to stretch out his legs by traversing the train, as it seems to have been growing long enough that that particular activity doesn't quite feel like a poetic display of monotony and possible insanity.

He stops at the statue garden every so often, leisurely gardening at the works he's now seen several dozen times in grand detail, seemingly lost in different thoughts. He certainly stops in the greenhouse car even more often, making his stop by a particularly exquisite plot, often greeted by a small strange technicolor creature that wobbles out from among the foliage, to which he gives a gentle pat.

[OOC: Make your own prompt here. If you want to plot something, feel free to comment here, PM the account, or find me at skree.]

Kitchen

[dreamtamer]

Takato enters the kitchen mid-afternoon, accompanied, as always, by the large red dragon that was his partner.

His very hungry partner.

"Takato.... Guilmon is hungry again. Do you think the kitchen has any bread yet?"

"Maybe! The kitchen just restocked, so there might be bread now." The boy blinks as he sees that someone was already in the kitchen with tea. "Sorry, are we bothering you?"

Re: Kitchen

[salutosinedelectat]

Aziraphale investigates the refrigerators and cupboards as he waits for water to boil, wondering if there's anything he could perhaps prepare or bake to go with his tea, when the two enter the kitchen.

He glances over, and wouldn't be too surprised if not for the presence of Guilmon. Not the strangest creature he's seen, but still catches his eye for a moment.

"Oh, no, not at all." He closes the cupboard, moving out of the way. "The bread is over there."

[dreamtamer]

"Thanks!" the boy tells him cheerfully. "Guilmon has been really looking forward to having bread again."

Guilmon is already over at the cupboard, sniffing at it hopefully. Takato follows him over and gets out the bread and a jar of peanut butter for his friend.

[salutosinedelectat]

Aziraphale watches them for a moment, noting how the creature looks remarkably like a dinosaur. Which aren't real, of course. Not where he's from, anyway.

"I believe it's from this morning. Not sure if some other passenger baked it."

[dreamtamer]

Takato grins as he turns away from tending to his friend.

"That's okay. At home Guilmon always eats up all the day old bread from my parent's bakery."

[salutosinedelectat]

Aziraphale eyes the reptile--dragon- creature once more, a little more blatantly. By all means, he's used to seeing things beyond those that exist in the world he hails from, but what with dinosaurs and dragons not actually having existed, he can't help but to feel curious.

"Ah, yes." A curious creature it is, but, having heard it speak, it feels specially impolite to ask the boy what it actually is. "Supply might be limited, but you could always make more. It's fairly easy."

[dreamtamer]

"I think I might have to!" Takato says with a laugh. "Guilmon eats a lot of bread."

The topic of the conversation gets the digimon's attention.

"Takato is going to make bread again? Nah, Takato, can Guilmon help? Let's make lots of it! Enough for all our friends!"

[salutosinedelectat]

Aziraphale really can't help his curious stares at the red scaley creature, which seems to have a basic grasp of English. Or, has history would tell in his odd intencionalmente train, a basic grasp on some sort of language.

"I'm sure that would be enjoyable for everyone. And the smell of baking bread is rather lovely."

[dreamtamer]

Takato finally notices the curious glances.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I should have introduced us. "My name is Takato! I'm a Digimon Tamer. And this is my partner and best friend, Guilmon. He's a digimon."

[salutosinedelectat]

"Oh, hum. Aziraphale. My pleasure." He nods politely at the both of them, prim and proper.

"I'm sorry, did you say- digimon? I'm afraid I've never heard that word."

[dreamtamer]

"Its short for digital monster. Digimon are living creatures made out of data." The boy rattles the explanation off quickly. He'd gotten used to explaining this during his time on the train.

"And Guilmon is the digimon Takato created," the digimon adds. He was very proud of this and wanted to make sure that everyone knew.

II.

[storms_eye]

Silvia spent a considerable amount of her time in the library and garden cars herself, but today she was in the kitchen doing a little bit of cleaning. She would have preferred cooking duties to cleaning but that apparently wasn't what the train had in mind. It was probably just as well, because who knows what sort of ingredients would be on the menu for this month anyway.

She was lightly singing to herself, when she thought she was alone but when she saw the pair of shoes some feet across from where she was kneeling on the floor she abruptly stopped and her cheeks turned pink.

"Sorry, I didn't know anyone else was here." Despite the issues with last month she was still fairly reclusive.

Re: II.

[salutosinedelectat]

Aziraphale enters the kitchen with a mind full of ideas of what to get, or bake, to accompany his tea, before he ever takes mind of the singing, and the other person in the car.

"Oh, don't mind me." He adds politely. "I'm just here for some tea."

Garden car

[soldier_blade]

[Sonya wasn't much of a gardener. She never had the time to properly devote to the hobby, but she understood the basics and how to take care of them.

She was checking on some of the plants, pruning or clearing the dead stems, when she saw someone step into her line of vision. Then the little creature comes out, and she couldn't help but stare.] I didn't know this place housed animals as well as plants.

Re: Garden car

[salutosinedelectat]

[ For a moment, Aziraphale almost expects it to be Crowley creeping up behind him and ready to complain about how the angel gives the creature too much attention, and that he's going to spoil the horrid little thing somehow. But it's not Crowley, and Aziraphale stands back up to look at her.]

Oh- well, no. But this one decided to live here.

[ Aziraphale looks down at the strangely shaped, technicolor being again, which just wags its large flat tail at him. ]

Keeps it out of the way, I suppose.

Re: Garden car

[soldier_blade]

So, it's yours? [In this case she didn't want to make assumptions. For all she knew, the creature made its home here and was just simply that friendly.

She sat back on her heels, studying it.]

Re: Garden car

[salutosinedelectat]

[ Aziraphale's lips flatten, as she falls upon a question that's a bit more loaded than she'd ever be able to imagine. Still, he stays polite. ]

Not quite. But it did follow me and my associate into the train, as it were.

[ Ferdinand looks up at her, closing its mouth while doing nothing to pull its tongue in, which begins to create a thin string of drool dropping onto the dirt. Its tail continues to wag vaguely as it tilts its head curiously. ]

Re: Garden car

[soldier_blade]

[The creature was almost cute, even as it started drooling, and looked like a dog after a bad acid trip.] Maybe it adopted you, not the other way around.

[She considered and recalled that she had seen this dog in the garden car before.] Did you have a patch around here you were meaning to look at?

[salutosinedelectat]

[ The horrid little technicolor creature continues to stare at her for perhaps a little too long, before stepping over to sniff at her ankles, and apparently grant her the blessing of another string on drool right on her shoe.

Aziraphale stares at the creature, and doesn't remark on it. ]

Oh, just this one right here. [ He turns to look at the plot the creature emerged from, full of luscious, verdant, very healthy plants. ]

[soldier_blade]

[The drool barely gets a second look. Considering what she's had to wade through in the past, a little animal drool wasn't worth being disgusted about.

She reached down and scratched it behind its ears, before looking at his plot.] Christ...could you tell me your secret or is it that deep?

[salutosinedelectat]

[ Ear scratches seem to be exactly what the thing was looking for, by the wag its tail wags faster and it leans its head against her hand. ]

Oh, no, I'm afraid this isn't my work. It's, hum- [ He pauses, for just a second or two, as if he isn't sure about his next word. ]

--it's my partner's plot. Quite the green thumb, that one. Perhaps you've seen him?

[soldier_blade]

[The reaction reminded Sonya of how she always wanted a dog for her own, but the reality of her schedule and constant moving around meant that was never in the cards.]

[She did catch the hesitation before he used 'partner', but she let it slide; maybe it was complicated, maybe it wasn't, either way it was clearly not her business.] Maybe, if he sticks around this car, but for the most part I keep to myself.

[salutosinedelectat]

[ It was less a matter of the relationship being complicated, and more of a matter of the angel being complicated. He also belatedly realized that he might have not actually called him that word before. ]

Ah, he's hard to miss. Red hair, dressed in black. Sunglasses.

His methods seem a bit orthodox, but he does get results.

[soldier_blade]

Definitely have seen him around. [A few times atleast; by that description she would recognize such a person] But just in passing, never actually spoke to him. What's his name? Might have to ask for advice.

She really needed a few more hobbies.]