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

[its_dad_sanzo]

And right up into one of the cars he went, long braid swinging merrily behind him as he went.

"Okay, so!" Koumyou turned back to appraise Ken and his bug friend once they were all on board and away from the draft of the open doors. "What exactly is going on here?"

Don't worry buddy, he still wants answers. Just not as badly as he wants to not freeze.

[ramengroupie]

Ah, here we go. Though he's taking this well...

And that means Ken can get down to the facts.

"We mostly have hypotheses," he admits up front. "But this train seems to have its own will. It summons people from other worlds, and travels through a space called the 'void' so those people can help worlds in need."

What else? Hm. "Why it chooses the people it does - is also unknown. But it sorts us into teams, so criteria must exist."

"We're on the team that figures stuff out!" says Wormmon, who sure does look like a good stuff-figure-outer (no he doesn't). "You get to help people with Romeo and the Professor. That's good."

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Romeo and the Professor?" Naturally, Koumyou had to ask. Everyone here was brand new faces to him!

And, because both the human and the bug before him were sporting matching hoodies; "Is that what the color-coded clothing is all about?"

[ramengroupie]

"It is," Ken acknowledges. "There are four colors total."

Wormmon flops his hoodie sleeves around, partly to rep Orange Team but mostly because he loves this sweatshirt. This is technically a Halloween costume so he can dress up as Ken-chan, but he enjoyed it so much he has decided to wear it ALL THE TIME NOW.

Never mind that he can't hold onto things well or, uh, walk without falling over in it. MATCHING. HOODIE.

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Is that so?" Koumyou finally tried a sip of his worm-provided cocoa. Nice! Sugary drinks were kind of rare in temple life, even for a member of the very highest priest rank.

"Well, blue and orange are a great combination!" Especially when it was bright orange paper airplanes against blue summer skies. One of the few lessons he'd felt qualified to pass on to his son.

[ramengroupie]

"Yeah!"

Ken-chan has lots of friends who are blue and orange, both here and at home. So Wormmon can get behind that sentiment.

"If the schedule stays constant, we'll be assigned a mission soon." Ken, who has continued to think about things a new passenger needs to know, is running through a mental checklist. "Also, there's a theory no time passes in our worlds while we're here..."

Wormmon is watching Koumyou carefully, not only to check up on the new guy but - the cocoa was good? It was good, right?? He helped make it. He STIRRED it. It was hard in his hoodie but he did his best! "Magic train."

[its_dad_sanzo]

Considering the priest took another, larger sip, it seemed to meet his approval!

The comment about time not passing actually earned a fraction of a second of visible melancholy from the priest, before he laughed it off as usual. "Ah, well, time isn't a concern for me anymore."

Being dead, and all.

"What sort of 'mission' are these missions?"

[ramengroupie]

If Wormmon makes a happy face at that second sip, it's pure coincidence. Obviously. It wouldn't be cool to be beaming just from somebody liking his(?) cocoa.

(Somebody likes his cocoa!!!)

Ken - cannot say he isn't concerned about any situation where "time isn't a concern", but filling a new arrival in on the here and now comes first. "Apparently they vary. I'm afraid we're too new to have been on one."

He looks a little abashed at that. Perhaps he and Wormmon had gotten ahead of themselves by trying a platform greeting the first platform after their own arrival?

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Oh? Well, I hope they're something exciting!" Koumyou didn't seem offended at the lack of easy knowledge, at least. He'd find out when he found out, that was fine. "Maybe a daring rescue, against all the odds! One little train against an evil empire! With a castle!"

[ramengroupie]

"Evil empires are supposed to have castles?"

Wormmon peers at Koumyou, suddenly needing this information. He is two for two on platforms informing him that he and Ken-chan might have been derelict in their villainy, and that's sad.

Well, so was the villainy. Wormmon's glad it's long past. But Ken-chan could have had a CASTLE! Would he have been a little happier if he'd had a castle?

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Absolutely," Koumyou said with complete confidence, "I thought everyone knew that. What else is the use of having an evil empire if you can't have a super sweet spooky castle to go with it?"

please excuse the manzai routine

[ramengroupie]

"Oh, no."

Wormmon blanches like he just remembered that he's left the oven on. "Ken-chan! Ken-chan, we---"

...Again? Why is the train arranging things so Wormmon learns new important trappings of evil....?

"I had the base, Wormmon," Ken reassures his partner.

"But! But you deserve a castle!"

Aaaand now Wormmon looks like he's ready to hop off Ken's head and build him a castle. Right here. In this train carriage. Somehow.

HE CAN DO ANYTHING IF IT'S FOR KEN-CHAN!

[its_dad_sanzo]

Koumyou watched this unfold for a moment, "--Wait, you had an evil empire? A real one? Really evil?"

Matching sweaters and hot cocoa boys?

[ramengroupie]

Self-conscious, Ken looks away. "It was years ago. I know better now."

"But, buuuttt..."

No contradiction. No excuses. It's a thing that happened. Years ago.

Ken is not even twenty.

[its_dad_sanzo]

"How evil was it?" Koumyou felt it was a natural question!

[ramengroupie]

"How evil...?" Ken's not sure how to answer that question - personal mental bias has always led him to default to thinking he had been The Absolute Worst. Elaboration, please.

Wormmon is also stuck in a hard place. He wants to brag about Ken-chan! But is it bragging about Ken-chan when what you're saying is that Ken-chan used to be very sad and mad and took it out on other people because bad people tricked him?

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Well... what sort of things did your organization do? Kidnapping, extortion, loan-sharking, murder?"

Worse?

Koumyou had a hard time believing this kid had gotten up to much worse than stealing someone's lunch money, but he also knew appearances could be very deceiving. Just look at Koumyou himself.

[ramengroupie]

"Hm." Ken considers the things he did. This is a surreal conversation to be having, but part of him is a little nervous. How evil would someone else think he'd been....? And what answer is he hoping for?

Wormmon shifts to clinging to Ken's front so he can snuggle, and Ken places a hand on his partner's back. The absolute worst thing he did was take Wormmon for granted...worse than that, devalue him. But, overall -

"Animal cruelty and experimentation, I suppose."

[its_dad_sanzo]

"That is pretty bad," Koumyou agreed, and then, "why did you stop?"

Because clearly, he had.

[ramengroupie]

"That's...." Ken looks at Wormmon. Wormmon looks up at Ken, trusting. Adoring. Fine with any answer Ken wants to give.

This gives Ken his response. "I realized the costs."

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Well, I can't absolve you of your karma," Koumyou's cheer hadn't wavered much, at least. "But at least you've reformed! That's something. Too bad about not having a castle, though."

[ramengroupie]

Why is he still smiling? Ken doesn't look like he's about to be blamed (not that he would have minded; he'd deserve it). And because he doesn't know where he stands, he's also not sure what to say.

So he settles on being polite. "It's all right."

Wormmon, however, is NOT all right. He looks at Koumyou with saucer eyes.

"Um. What's a karma?"

Ken-chan doesn't have his license, so if Ken-chan has karma, it must be something different than a car.....

[its_dad_sanzo]

"You reap what you sow. In short, your actions will always come back to haunt you. It can't be helped," Koumyou dug around in his pockets, hoping whoever had dressed him like this had at least given him a single pack of cigarettes. Alas, they hadn't.

"...But it's not usually my job to judge, despite what some would assume. Maah, there's not a person alive without karma digging into their shoulders -- if there were, they wouldn't be very alive at all."

[ramengroupie]

"Oh." Wormmon thinks about this. "Ken-chan's...suffered a lot. It hurts."

Ken, meanwhile, is struck by the profundity of Koumyou's last statement. A person who hasn't made mistakes is a person who hasn't lived - in other words, mistakes are necessary and inevitable. That's right, isn't it. That's what he hadn't realized, when he was making his own.

So now he's curious. "'Despite what some would assume?'" he asks.

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Life is suffering," Koumyou said cheerfully to the worm, and took another sip of the drink in his hand. At Ken's question, the newcomer... paused for a second.

Not because his profession was any kind of a secret. Kind of the opposite, really. He was so used to people knowing what the raised, blood-red chakra on his forehead meant, placed there by the Gods themselves. Not to mention knowing what the indestructible paper draped over his shoulders was, with all the danger that knowledge brought with it.

How novel!

"Well, I'm a priest."