voidtreckerexpress | A New Platform [Intro Post November]

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A New Platform [Intro Post November]

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!

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"It's alright. It happens to most people at some point," Eva says as she twists to face the person, eyes tracking over him to make sure they -he? She'd have to ask- weren't hurt.

"Newcomer, right?"

The reassurance, he didn't catch, but he wasn't terribly worried about whether or not he'd done something embarrassing.

He did, however, catch her question and he nodded. "Yes." Yoite spoke softly and tucked his hands back into the pockets of his hoodie now that the initial jolt was done.

"Welcome. I'm Eva Iden'no, one of the Orange Leaders" she says with a bright smile and as much of a bow as she can manage. "Hey, you are a he/him, right? I don't want to assume."

Yes, that question is just blurted out.

"Eva?" He repeated, to make sure he understood what she said.

Her question seemed to openly catch him off-guard, his eyes going wide for just a moment. Most people did assume, but it was a difficult question to answer. The truth was that he honestly wasn't sure - he had no idea what he was and he went back and forth all the time, incredibly undecided. He didn't actually think so, but it was much easier for people to go with that.

"...Sure."

"Yeah, Eva," She says with a nod - and a slightly curious look, but she can figure out what it means later.

There's more important things- like that reaction. She's seen it before, been around those trying to figure it out themselves, enough times that it could be a tell. Or shock that someone asked, and that doesn't inspire her to have confidence in the world he came from. Especially with that response.

Still, his choice to what he's addressed as. "Alright, but just so you know, we've a they/them on the train. And my world has far more important things to worry about than pronouns."

Like say, survival in a world dominated by wild pokemon where one wrong move could spell doom for humanity.

Yoite nodded. He had actually never been asked his pronouns before, and while he couldn't figure it out, he let people assume he was a male. The number of people he spoke to was painfully small and there was no reason to decide something like that with his impending doom.

He blinked at her explanation though, as though such a concept hadn't ever been introduced to him. His mind tended to run on a track if he wasn't one thing, then he was the other, that was just how it worked, right?

"Pardon?" He asked, and then clarified. "I got what you said, I don't understand it." He didn't need her to repeat it.

"Someone who doesn't identify as male or female." Said like it's the weather, and as far as Eva cared, it might as well be. "I can explain more if you like?"

He considered her question and then moved to sit across from her so she didn't have to twist.

"Alright. I'm watching." Yoite answered without thinking about it.

Watching. Not listening- and while yes, he could have shifted so she wasn't twisted around, put that with what he said and-

"You're part deaf?" Again, it's blurted out without thinking.

Yoite nodded slightly at her question. "I can't hear anything." He pressed his lips together.

He could hear loud noises on occasion, but it was less frequently than it used to be. It had been awhile since he heard people's voices.

There's a sharp intake and Eva visibly swallows her reaction. This is not her problem, never mind she remembers her defeat in Sinnoh. The crushing, completely unexpected defeat at the hands of Aaron, someone she'd foolishly considered a non-threat.

"Hah! You've only yourself to blame, Leaf!" Satoru sneered as he sauntered past her with a two-fingered wave and she glowered death at the 17-year-old's back. "Get too cocky and the heat shimmer addles you, huh?"

It'd been the most memorable of humbling lessons, probably because her Rival had witnessed it, but it had stuck.

Deaf did not equal helpless and if he was here, then there was a reason. There had to be.

"Lip reading then? Sign language?" Not that she knew much of any, but...

Edited 2020-11-07 13:05 (UTC)

"I'm reading your lips." Yoite explained, with a bit of a nod. He wasn't entirely comfortable admitting the fact he couldn't hear though, he seemed a bit stiff himself in his posture.

He understood, as much as anyone, how much a problem it was. It was a huge detriment in his line of work, after all.

"I'll keep it in mind," Eva says, grin relaxed and honest. "Knowing the train though, it's probably already compensated for it too."

The question was working out how it'd done so.

"I honestly don't know, but it's the only thing I can do. It's a relatively recent problem..." He glanced away briefly. "But not an unexpected one. It doesn't really matter."

Eva's clearly not happy with the end of what's said, and it shows. Yet her voice is kind when she speaks.

"Just because it's expected, doesn't mean it doesn't matter. Lip reading can only get so far and it's the same with however the train compensates for this."

"I don't talk to people. There's just a few people I need to understand." The rest of the time he made himself scarce.

"So...I will manage." At least, for whatever reason, his chest didn't hurt. That was a welcome boon. He must've been having a decently good day.

"Ok, as long as you sure."

She doesn't like it at all, but she has to accept as his choice, as hard as it is, and she knows this her world talking, her own prejudices coming into play.

But he said he'd manage and she has to trust him on that.

"Anyway, I said I'd explain the 'they/them' thing, didn't I?"

There might come a time where learning a better form of communication might come in handy, but as far as Yoite knew, he was sick and there wasn't much of a point.

It was probably common in his world too, but Yoite didn't know anything about that.

"You did." He confirmed with a nod. It wasn't something he'd been exposed to, and he was somewhat curious.

"We're generally born either female or male, and 'she' and 'he' go with them- two of three basic genders for the two biological sexes. The third is 'they/them', which is used by most people who feel they don't fit the other two. It's not a perfect fit and I've met a person who uses their name to identify with, so..."

Eva shrugs a little in the end. Gender is complicated and she's never going to forget Candice. Ever.

"I...I see." Yoite said with a bit of a frown, looking like he was thinking about it. He thought that might sound like him, but he wasn't any more sure by that than he was about any of it.

"I know people are usually born male or female." Yoite wasn't though, which was a problem, and he didn't know exactly how that was meant to work. He had a lot to consider.

"Usually, yes. There's cases where it doesn't happen though; intersex. I can't say much as I don't know much, but I've heard the normal thing is to let the person figure things out as they grow up, but again, I don't know the nuances of that."

There's an awkward shrug at the end. She honestly wishes she knew more, but this now starting to get into 'things she knows about in passing'. "But I think a lot of them go with 'they/them'. Sorry I can't be of more help. At the end of the day, just... go with what feels right, and if that's 'he', then that's that."

"It's alright. I don't know that much about it either." Yoite admitted, and although he didn't say he was intersex, it didn't illuminate anything just because that was the case.

"It's fine, I mean. It's..." He didn't really know how to explain himself. "I don't really understand anything so I can't really say..." He seemed a bit flustered, actually.

"It's fine. Sometimes life's just that way, you know?" She says with a shrug, not really sure what else to say on the topic.

"I think I know what you mean, but thanks for explaining anyway." He said with a pleased little hum. It was good to learn something like that, even though he had a lot of inner confusion.

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A New Platform [Intro Post November]

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/slowpoke noises

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start wrapping?

All done :)