voidtreckermods: (voidtrain)
VoidTrecker Express Mods ([personal profile] voidtreckermods) wrote in [community profile] voidtreckerexpress2020-12-01 06:00 am

A New Platform [Intro Post December]

On the Train

It's only been a couple of days since the Voidtrecker Express took to the void once more, and many of the passengers are still recovering and recuperating after a very hectic end to their latest mission. Nevertheless, they are awoken by a familiar message.

"Good morning passengers, it is day sixteen of the month of Imagination. Points have been updated on the system."

They have indeed, and everyone can spend the morning shopping. Those who have been on the train for 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 the windows fill with the fog that means they are at a platform. It is warm outside with a pleasant breeze that flows down the platform, rustling the light spread of leaves that litter the floor.

As usual the first to leave the train notice nothing, walking silently, rucksacks on their backs, towards the barriers. Akemi Homura, Alfred the Poisoner, Donatello Versus, Chie Satonaka, Joscelin Fitzthomas, Ronan Lynch, Rose Tyler, Tangle the Lemur, Trowa Barton, Wester Mazaki and Whisper the Wolf all pass through the platform, not looking back before 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 swirling leaves at their feet, moving in flurries and rattling against each other softly. As their eyes adjust, they will see they are on a platform, cement and packed earth forming a very practical, plain-looking shelter. Behind them is a set of barriers, and in front of them is a single track extending both ways into thick fog.

They are standing, in clothes that are not their own and a style 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 eight 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's 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 lead to something terrible. 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 (see
'Publications'). The store rooms have been restocked with more jars of honey, the ingredient of the month of Imagination, as well as sundries.

A new carriage has been added right next to the luggage carriage. It is a second medical carriage, or triage carriage. Downstairs is more open with beds and chairs, upstairs are two surgical bays for those that need immediate attention.

For those intrigued by the claim of a parcel for every passenger they will find several large boxes filled with small blue bags. Inside each bag is ten dark blue coins imprinted on each side with a silver snowflake. Each bag has a small label with a passengers name. On the other side of the label it reads: Keep these safe for now.

Of course for any passengers that have bought items, these are also scattered around the luggage carriage as well.

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 taking advantage of the pleasant weather and the doors slide shut. Veteran passengers know what will happen next, but they may wish to brief their new companions.

The train sets off, the fog obscuring the view again 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!
forleaving: (008)

[personal profile] forleaving 2020-12-07 04:04 am (UTC)(link)
Adam considered that for a moment. On the one hand, he could probably talk about Ronan for hours. On the other, it might not be the best idea here on the train.

"I don't watch a lot of movies," he said eventually. "Theaters are expensive. And here...I've been busy." One could argue that Adam was always busy. If he didn't have something to do, he would find something. "Do you like horror movies?"
reluctantjinrou: (Glancing Around Corners)

[personal profile] reluctantjinrou 2020-12-07 05:14 am (UTC)(link)
He didn't mind Adam taking the opportunity to seek out a different topic. He could distract, if nothing else.

"I didn't, but after I started watching them I've developed a bit of a taste for them." He quirked a smile slightly. "There's interesting correlations on how they treat the creatures between the pieces of fiction and what they get right or wrong."
forleaving: (008)

[personal profile] forleaving 2020-12-08 03:42 am (UTC)(link)
"Like, if they follow the lore of the creatures or not?" Adam didn't know what he thought of horror movies. On the one hand, he'd had enough horror in his actual life, but on the other there was something to be said for things that were clearly fictional.
reluctantjinrou: (Default)

[personal profile] reluctantjinrou 2020-12-09 07:45 am (UTC)(link)
"Yes, that's a rather new interest of mine." Natsuno nodded, taking another sip. "Might seem like a strange hobby but..."
forleaving: (006)

[personal profile] forleaving 2020-12-10 03:51 am (UTC)(link)
"That's not weird at all," Adam said. "I have a friend who's obsessed with dead Welsh kings." Now that had seemed weird at first, before it had become an every day part of his life.

"If the hobby makes you happy..." he shrugged.
reluctantjinrou: (Glancing Around Corners)

[personal profile] reluctantjinrou 2020-12-10 03:45 pm (UTC)(link)
"Dead Welsh kings? How specific." Natsuno looked somewhat amused.

"I don't know about happy, it's more like morbid fascination maybe."
forleaving: (008)

[personal profile] forleaving 2020-12-11 02:50 am (UTC)(link)
"If he ever shows up here, don't ask him about it unless you want to sit through hours of rambling." Of course, the rambling was pretty endearing in Adam's opinion.

"Also that sounds close enough to the same thing to me," he added.
reluctantjinrou: (Default)

[personal profile] reluctantjinrou 2020-12-12 06:25 pm (UTC)(link)
He quirked a bit of a smile. "I suppose that's only fair, although I can't imagine there's that much interesting about Welsh Kings."
forleaving: (015)

[personal profile] forleaving 2020-12-12 10:34 pm (UTC)(link)
"You'd be surprised," Adam said with the ghost of a smile. "Everything about them is interesting to Gansey." Even if it was the most boring thing imaginable to anyone else. "It's the same way math is fascinating to a mathematician."
reluctantjinrou: (Glancing Around Corners)

[personal profile] reluctantjinrou 2020-12-15 06:04 am (UTC)(link)
"I'm not sure I've ever been passionate about a subject like that." Natsuno mused.
forleaving: (005)

[personal profile] forleaving 2020-12-16 03:55 am (UTC)(link)
"Me neither," Adam said. "Though I've got a healthy interest in a lot of subjects."

But it didn't border on an obsession like Gansey with Glendower. Though to be fair, he'd probably have had an obsession too if he'd been in Gansey's shoes.
reluctantjinrou: (Glancing Around Corners)

[personal profile] reluctantjinrou 2020-12-17 02:14 pm (UTC)(link)
"Tohru-chan was passionate about video games." Natsuno offered. "But apart from that, mostly what I did was school and study. Running, for my extra curriculars."
forleaving: (008)

[personal profile] forleaving 2020-12-18 04:05 am (UTC)(link)
"I've never played many video games, myself. I was always busy with work and school." And he'd been too poor to afford many games, but that was a point he didn't feel like bringing up. That and he'd always been very competitive, academically.
reluctantjinrou: (Default)

[personal profile] reluctantjinrou 2020-12-19 01:42 am (UTC)(link)
"They were new, and expensive at the time I'm from. It wouldn't interefered with my studies if I did." Natsuno commented. He wasn't afraid to talk about the cost.

"I'm pretty sure Tohru just liked spending his money on something fun. He was still trying to figure out if he wanted to go to university or something."
forleaving: (005)

[personal profile] forleaving 2020-12-19 05:20 am (UTC)(link)
Adam nodded a little. "I know people like that." Both people who spent money like it was nothing and people who hadn't decided if they wanted to continue their education or not.

"I'd always planned on going to a university," he said. "I worked too hard in school not to. But I know it's not for everyone."
reluctantjinrou: (Sleepy)

[personal profile] reluctantjinrou 2020-12-19 09:20 pm (UTC)(link)
"Me too." Natsuno agreed. "I wanted to be a lawyer. I mostly wanted to go to university to get away from my family. We just didn't get along." He sighed. It was harder to be so miserable towards his parents when things turned out as they did.

"We have different outlooks on life."
forleaving: (008)

[personal profile] forleaving 2020-12-20 05:25 am (UTC)(link)
That struck a chord with Adam. He'd never gotten along with his family, either, and he'd always dreamed of going to university to get away from them, Henrietta, and everything else about the place. He'd never had anything to go back for, until his boyfriend.

"I'm sorry," he said after a moment. "Not getting along with your family is terrible to have to go through." But not every family was great and sometimes there was nothing you could do about it except sever ties and move on. "I'm lucky to have a supportive family."
Edited 2020-12-20 05:26 (UTC)
reluctantjinrou: (Sleepy)

[personal profile] reluctantjinrou 2020-12-23 01:21 am (UTC)(link)
"That's good. It's...it would sound strange if I tried to explain how our relationship was." Natsuno sighed. It wasn't horrible in a traditional way maybe, but they were just very, very different people.

His parents had been so anti-conforming that when he wanted to engage in normal things, they didn't like that. It led to arguments. It was frustrating.