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

[kingcat]

He hums quietly, giving a lazy little smile. "I just go where I can fight without havin' to hold back," he replied lazily.

The question about being a hollow has his eyes opening a little more, focusing sharply on Curufin now. "Yeah, I was an Espada," he replied, sitting up so he could look properly up at him. "That means I'm one of the strongest hollow there've ever been." There were only two left that were stronger than him, now.

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin responded to that smile with one of his own. "I understand that very well -- that's my inclination too," he said. "Problem is, I'm one of the Orange Team leaders, so I have to stick with Orange Team. I usually can't sneak off to fight on my own."

He met those sharp eyes with a look of curiosity. "What's an Espada? That's a particular type of hollow? And I can certainly believe you're very strong. What are your particular skills, as a hollow?"

[kingcat]

"Tch," he huffed a little, leaning on the edge of the bath. "So lead 'em to the fight," he did not quite understand how missions were meant to work.

The question had him shaking his head. "It's a rank. Only the ten strongest arrancar get to be an Espada," more or less. "I was an adjuchas hollow, second-strongest type. Then my mask got broke," he tapped on what was left of it. "That made me an arrancar. Then my strength made me an Espada. Sexta." He turned, standing up so Curufin could see the six on his back. "I got lots of skills, but if you wanna see 'em, you'll have to fight me," he flashed a wild grin over his shoulder.

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin chuckled. "I would if I could. The problem is, the train entity assigns each team to a different part of the problem, and that can mean a different part of the planet. It's not always easy to get from one place to another. I did it once, when we were sent to a whole collection of planets to fight an interstellar war. I grabbed a spaceship and went to the part of the battle I was most interested in fighting. I'd have taken others with me, only the rest of my team was engaged in their own tasks. So, I told them I'd see them later!"

He listened to Grimmjow's answer to his question about the hollows. "I see, this is more complex than I thought." He looked at the six on the hollow's back. And then he grinned a wild grin of his own. "I wouldn't mind sparring with you, not at all. I'm a First Age Elf, and that means I'm quite powerful. But we don't have to kill each other. We could just meet in the Gym Carriage sometime and fight all over the place for fun."

[kingcat]

Spaceship. He doesn't even properly understand what the word means, even with all the context, but he understands the point of what Curufin is saying.

"Yeah, I can't feel your strength," he agreed. "So you're either way outta my league, or I'm outta yours," but he wasn't going to turn down an offer to spar. Later, though, because he's very happy to sink back into the hot water and relax. "Ichigo'd kill me if I killed anybody, or ate the ghost kid," he scoffed. "But even he can't complain if I spar with somebody that can keep up." As long as he didn't destroy too much with his antics.

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin chuckled. "I don't know what it means that you can't feel my strength, but I'm guessing we might be equals. In any case, we'd have to spar to find out. I'm looking forward to it. Yeah, Ichigo wouldn't like it if there was another killing on board the train. And I guess you mean Danny Fenton, the ghost kid?" More laughter. "I don't think he'd let you eat him."

He folded his arms around his knees and grinned. "I ought to find some swimming trunks and jump into the water. It looks nice and warm."

[kingcat]

"Yeah, ghost kid," he agreed with a nod, and grinned lazily. "Sparring'd be nice. Haven't had a real fight in six months," and he missed it. Not quite as much as he'd missed baths, but.

The last comment, though, that gets his brow furrowing. "You're gonna wear a person?" He knew someone on the train was named Trunks, and that was really his only experience with the word.

[so_dark_a_road]

Danny Fenton was one of Curufin's favorite people, though they did not talk often. "All right, then let's spar! We can arrange it for anytime you're free."

He had to laugh at that comment about wearing a person. "I don't think Trunks would appreciate that! No, I meant swimming trunks, a garment these modern people use to maintain modesty while in the water. There's a closet over there that has swimming attire." He pointed to the closet near the door.

And then he jumped up and went to that closet and rifled through it. He pulled out a pair of swimming trunks, dark blue cotton with a draw cord, and grinned again. "Just a moment, I'll change." He ducked into the sauna booth, threw off his clothes and boots, and got into the trunks, and came back to the pool side. He slid into the water beside Grimmjow.

"Nice!" he said, with a happy sigh.

[kingcat]

The idea of modesty attire makes him snort, but he files the information away for later. He's still lounging in the water when Curufin returns with his trunks on, looking like he's nearly nodded off, though his eyes squint open when the elf joins him in the water.

"Extremely nice," he agrees, sinking lower again and letting out a sigh of his own. "M'never getting out." He would, when he got hungry. Maybe. Or when the train teleported him, naked and wet, back into his bed.

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin thinks it's a bit funny too, that idea of producing clothing just for the sake of modesty. In his own world, he and his friends would have just shucked their clothing and dived into the lake and never thought about such a concept. But here, anybody could walk into the Spa Carriage and be shocked by a naked Elf. Not to mention a naked hollow -- but Curufin is not going to worry about that, as that's Grimmjow's choice.

He grins at Grimmjow when the hollow's eyes open in a squint.

"You do look comfortable in here! Me too. Maybe our trainmates will just find us three months from now and make us take a break from immersion." His shoulders are shaking with laughter, causing small ripples to run across the surface of the water.

[kingcat]

He chuckles at that, grinning a little. "Or we'll end up wet in our beds. Problem is mine has a small cat in it," he lifted his hands from the water to show the size of Shiro, Ichigo's kitten that usually slept in his bed when he wasn't there. "Little bastard is sharp as hell and gets straight through my hierro." He didn't understand how a tiny little kitten with no power whatsoever could get through his iron skin, but he sure did have the scratches to prove it.

[so_dark_a_road]

"Or that," he laughs. "We'll find ourselves drenching our blankets and sheets, and have to haul them all off to the laundromat."

His eyes follow Grimmjow's hands as they indicate the size of the kitten. "Oh, right, Ichigo has a cat! It seems to like your bed, does it?" He laughs again. "Cats seem to feel entitled to choose their people, their environments, their toys, and their entertainments. Maybe the little bastard likes you."

[kingcat]

Grimmjow snorted at the idea of hauling all that stuff to the laundry. He was still pretty annoyed that laundry was a thing he had to worry about now -- before Aizen had come along he hadn't even owned a pair of pants. Now he had multiple outfits and all the maintenance that came along with it.

"Yeah, the little brat is kinda cute, an' he makes a little rumbly noise that puts me right t'sleep. He's a bastard, but I like 'im." And despite making a lot of noise about how he was stealing the kitten the truth was, Shiro had Grimmjow wrapped around his tiny little paws. He'd even learned how to cook fish, just so he could get the kitten to stop yowling at him.