A New Platform [Intro Post December]

[voidtreckermods]

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!

Comments

[strawberryprotector]

"The pads on the feet of cats, and sometimes dogs, get called toe beans by people. Because they're kinds shaped like beans, and they're cute. Yours are still kinda bean shaped." Ichigo gently took Grimmjow's hand and prodded one of the aforementioned beans. "See? Your hands don't have these when you have Pantera sealed."

[kingcat]

He blinked a few times at his own toe beans, flexing his fingers a little and reaching out to touch one of them, himself. "Weird," he decided, but he was content to leave his head right where it was, and let Ichigo touch his 'toe beans'. "How come you got soft hands?" he demanded, his eyes at half-mast as he thoroughly relaxed. Between the catnip and the ear scritches he had his guard almost completely down.

[strawberryprotector]

Shrugging, Ichigo lightly massaged Grimmjow's paw pad. "I use lotion to keep them soft. As a med student, and in the future as a doctor, I have to wash my hands a lot. So lotion helps the skin stay soft."

[kingcat]

Grimmjow let out a sound that was perilously close to an actual purr. "You got some here?" He liked soft things -- there weren't exactly a lot of them in Hueco Mundo, and if there were little luxuries here that he could take advantage of, well, he was gonna do it. Like forcing Ichigo to give him ear scritches, for starters. And putting lotion on his 'toe beans'.

[strawberryprotector]

"Yeah, and so do you. That bag with the soap and stuff for showering has a small bottle of lotion in it. There's no fancy smell to it, but that's usually better because fewer chemicals." And if Grimmjow let him up long enough to grab that bottle of lotion, Ichigo would happily massage it into the beans on the arrancar's hands.

[kingcat]

"Yeah?" he picked his head up, slowly getting to his feet and looking almost unsteady as he grabbed the catnip off his bunk, and the bag of toiletries from the cubby near the foot of the bed, bringing it down and dumping it in Ichigo's lap.

Perhaps alarmingly, Ichigo will find that only the bar of soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, and comb have been opened and used. All the rest have been simply ignored, as Grimmjow pops another dried leave in his mouth and sets his free hand in Ichigo's lap.

[strawberryprotector]

When Grimmjow had gotten up, Ichigo scooted back so he was sitting against the wall with his legs stretched out in front of him. Taking the lotion out, he put everything else back in the bag and set it aside. "Okay, since your hands have fur on them right now, do you want me to just put lotion on the pads of your fingers and your palm? Or do you wanna go back to your sealed form and I can do your entire hand?"

[kingcat]

His tail lashed behind him as he thought about his options, narrowing his eyes as he stared Ichigo down. When he finally closed them, his tail vanished, his hair shortened, and his ears went back to normal... and so did his hands. "Just don't do anything weird," he growled, crawling into the bed and draping himself over Ichigo's legs because he could. And to put his hands within reach, of course. He totally wasn't attempting more cuddling.

[strawberryprotector]

Having Grimmjow's head in his lap made Ichigo's heart skip a little as he popped the cap on the lotion. He squeezed a little dollop onto Grimmjow's hand before closing the small container and setting it aside. Slowly, Ichigo began massaging the lotion into the other man's palm. "I won't do anything weird, I promise."

[kingcat]

"You're always doin' weird shit," Grimmjow countered, but he was very relaxed and happy to let Ichigo massage lotion into his hands, his eyes narrowed to thin slits. "But this ain't bad-weird," it was, in fact, good-weird.

[strawberryprotector]

"You know, your hands aren't in bad shape. I don't know if it's your special skin thing you have or what, but your skin's pretty smooth." Not that he was stopping, of course. Ichigo worked the lotion into each finger as well, getting a little more when he needed it.

[kingcat]

"Dunno," he replied with a shrug, watching Ichigo's hand work over his own. It was definitely weird, but he liked this whole touching-without-fighting thing. It was nice. Downright pleasant, even. "This lotion stuff gonna make 'em softer?"

[strawberryprotector]

"Gotta use it regularly, but yeah. It will." Once he'd finished with Grimmjow's palm, Ichigo got out more lotion for the back of the other's hand. "And you gotta make sure you get the backs of your hands, too."

[kingcat]

He hummed softly, his eyes narrowing as he watched, fingers spreading open for Ichigo. "You like 'em softer?" he asked. "This stuff feels like oil."

[strawberryprotector]

"Well, I usually use lotion to make sure my hands don't dry out to the point that they crack, but having soft skin is more polite for patients than having a doctor with rough skin." Shrugging, Ichigo started working his way toward Grimmjow's wrist. "Some lotions are more oily than others, this one is more oily than what I use back home. It's why a little goes a long way with it."

[kingcat]

He let out a rumbling hum that bordered on a purr. "Put it on yours, too," he insisted, reaching for Ichigo's hands, rubbing some of the lotion onto them, too.

[strawberryprotector]

"I'm getting plenty on mine from working it into your hands." Ichigo chuckled, finding the near purr pretty cute. He reached for the lotion again to get a little more. "Here, gimme your other hand and I'll put lotion on it, too."

[kingcat]

Grimmjow withdrew the lotioned hand, and offered the other one, letting Shiro come over and sniff his softened hand, grinning at the little kitten. "You better. If you break your hands from cleaning them too much, how the hell're we gonna fight?" He scoffed.

Couldn't let Ichigo get the crazy idea that Grimmjow actually cared about him.

[strawberryprotector]

Ichigo's chuckle turned into a laugh as he got more lotion out for Grimmjow's second hand. "Oh please, like a little cracked skin is going to stop me from fighting you? You know I've fought you with far worse injuries." And if it took more control than he wanted to admit to resist the urge to press his lips to Grimmjow's skin? Well, that was Ichigo's own secret.

[kingcat]

Grimmjow hummed in a way that sounded like a purr. "You better not let it get in the way of our fighting," he agreed, swapping hands and pulling the lotioned in one for a sniff, even though he knew the stuff was unscented. It felt weird, but he liked it. "If this stuff's unscented, how come you smell so good?"

[strawberryprotector]

The question made Ichigo blush. "I dunno. I just use the same soaps and stuff that the train gives everyone." It wasn't like he'd spent points on any fancy soap or aftershave.

[kingcat]

Grimmjow narrowed his eyes at Ichigo, considering the answer like he thought Ichigo might be trying to mess with him before shrugging his shoulders with a huff. "Well, whatever. Don't change it, I like it."

[strawberryprotector]

Snorting softly, Ichigo nodded. "I have no intention of wasting points on soaps when we get perfectly good ones for free. Don't worry."

[kingcat]

"Good," he grumped, letting his eyes slide all the way closed, relaxing with Ichigo's hands on his. "I like sniffin' you," if he'd been sober, or less relaxed, he might've realized how weird that sounded.

[strawberryprotector]

Hearing that made Ichigo's heart flutter a little, and he knew the grin on his face was at least a little dopey looking. "I'll make sure I don't start to stink, then."