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

[ramengroupie]

[ Ken beams, any overthinking of being called a "strange kid" (why..?) overruled by his desire to see the Professor have a good time. ]

In that case, you must join us!

[ Wormmon hops down off Ken's head. ] Ken-chan, can I go in first?

Watch your step.

[ See, Waver? You had a good idea, coming here. Even the WORM is going to soak! ]

[fionnuisce]

[a spa was not something he expected anyone to be so enthusiastic about, clearly]

Well, I'm already here, so the alternative is to get dressed and pretend none of this happened. Sounds like that'd be a little pointless.

[ramengroupie]

...That's true.

[ Got a little overeager. Ken chuckles. He's learned to laugh at himself when necessary.

Wormmon, also eager to get the fun started, hits the water with the world's least dignified "plop".

Which, given the average dignity level of anything that can be summarized as "plop", is saying something. ]

[fionnuisce]

[Reasonably satisfied his overly long hair was tied up off his neck and out of the way, Waver stretched out his damaged shoulder and sank into the water properly himself.]

I take it you two do this kind of thing often?

[ramengroupie]

Hm. [ Ken thinks about it. ] Every break, at least once.....Since sixth grade?

[ He slides in and immediately flips Wormmon over so his partner can breathe. Belly flops are startling.

Wormmon spits a little water into the air, fountain-style, then picks up the conversation. ] Ken-chan had a really bad cold! His voice sounded awful. So we went to a hot spring that was good for throats.

[ Ah, he remembers it like it was yesterday~~~ ]

It made him all better, so we started seeing what other kinds of water did.

[fionnuisce]

Breaks, huh, can't imagine.

[Spoken like a fgo farmer a tired college professor.]

...Saracasm aside, I am a little envious. I doubt there's any hot springs in London, and I didn't have time to look for one in Fuyuki.

[ramengroupie]

You live in London?

[ Wormmon does not know much about London, but that's in the country that has a fancy queen and things, right? No wonder the Professor has such an elaborate name! Maybe EVERYBODY over there is like that! ]

[fionnuisce]

Always have, more or less. That's where the Mage Association's seat of operations is, and where I've been teaching for a while now.

[ramengroupie]

I see.

[ Ken is also thinking about what he knows of England, now. He can't say London holds any especial interest - though for all he knows he'll end up there if they're doing new or interesting things with ramen - but.

Ah, but! ]

The waters of Bath would be nice to visit someday....

[ He slips deeper into the pool, a dreamy smile on his face. ]

[fionnuisce]

Hm...never been, myself. I'm afraid I don't get much chance to travel--makes for a terribly depressing lack of interesting stories.

[ramengroupie]

But you're magic. That's interesting!

[ MAGIC GRUMPY KEN-CHAN IS COOL AND WORMMON WILL NOT LET ANYONE SAY OTHERWISE ]

[fionnuisce]

Magecraft's not all that uncommon. Besides, I've had it my whole life--it's hard to consider it all that interesting on a wider scale. To me, it's the equivalent of being a science teacher on a train with digital bugs and dinosaurs and whatever the hell else goes on around here.

[ramengroupie]

I don't get it.

Wormmon, it's not strange to you that you have a partner, is it?

[ Wormmon shakes his head. Sorry bout the flying droplets from his antennae. ] Not having you would be stranger!

[ Ken's an easy mark; he smiles at that. ] Has everyone we've met here understood that?

Nope. It's sad there's all those worlds where nobody has a....

[ Wormmon's head tilts. He looks up at the ceiling. ]

Oh.

[ ...Ken hopes he helped, Waver. ]

[fionnuisce]

[Waver chuckled under his breath, folding his legs with an almost completely repressed wince. Maybe he'd been almost literally running around a little too much lately.]

Now you're catching on. Sure, the subject itself is a fascinating one, but even the baseline insanity that is my usual life pales in comparison to half this train. And I'm someone who's almost gotten killed by demigods and what have you, so my understanding of 'crazy' is already a mess.

[ramengroupie]

--Demigods? Really?

[ Ken's eyebrows go up. The Professor definitely has led quite a life! And for the train to be odder....

Huh. Ken's never thought about his life being stranger than someone else's, but he's adapted to the Voidtrecker Express surprisingly quickly. He almost has a moment where he realizes he's learned to be resilient and live in the present, but he's still Ichijouji Ken, so he assigns greater weight to how everyone reached out to him and supported him.

He's grateful. ]

[fionnuisce]

Oh, sure. Go far back enough into history and most people worth mentioning are either partially gods, involved with the fae, or both. [A shrug. As surreal as the Holy Grail War was, it didn't really register as completely out there to him. It was just a series of events that happened, and the impossibility of the figures that fought it felt almost incidental.]

The further back you go in mythology, the more powerful they are. Gilgamesh, for example; more god than human if you believe the legend, and I'm pretty inclined to believe it.

...Sort of a jackass about it, though, so power's hardly everything.

[ramengroupie]

Ken-chan, is that true?

[ No offense, Professor. But Wormmon does not know much real-world mythology, and must confirm with his Most Trusted Expert. ]

Hmmm....it would be. Mythological figures are all larger than life.

[ a pause to think ]

And powerful people can be....cold.

[ guess who got distracted by the implications of the jackass comment ]

[fionnuisce]

‘Cold’ is one word for it. ‘Obnoxious’ is another. But when someone has enough power to eradicate a city, you learn to keep your mouth shut when he calls you short.

[waver.]

[ramengroupie]

[ professor. ]

One would, wouldn't they.

Don't worry, Ken-chan. I'll scold anyone who calls you names.