voidtreckermods: (voidtrain)
VoidTrecker Express Mods ([personal profile] voidtreckermods) wrote in [community profile] voidtreckerexpress2021-01-01 07:08 am

A New Platform [Intro Post January]

On the Train

It’s been a month of ups and downs for the Voidtrecker Express and its passengers, but like clockwork, they are awoken by a familiar message that morning.

"Good morning passengers, it is day one of the month of Jelly. 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. The air is particularly crisp and clear here, the view blocked only by the fog around the platform, and while not overly cold, the temperature can best be described as brisk.

As usual the first to leave the train notice nothing, walking silently, rucksacks on their backs, towards the barriers. Fingon, Galo Thymos, Hikaru Aosora, Jin Ling, Lio Fotia, Minako Aino, Nerdanel, Nie Mingjue, Thorne.tcai, Webmind and Yotsuyu goe Brutus 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. As their eyes adjust, they will see they are on a platform, glass and dark stone rising in sturdy arches around them. 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; then the steam begins to fade and they realise they aren’t alone.

The platform is not large with fifteen figures scattered around, all facing the tracks, all dressed in cargo trousers and hoodies. To both the left and right, 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 step a strange assortment 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

After a short time, the doors hiss open again. 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 fresh ingredients, including several crates of avocados, the ingredient of the month of Jelly, as well as all sundries.

For passengers that have bought items, these are also scattered around the luggage carriage in various suitcases and bags. For each member of Blue Team, a small gauze bag with their name on it contains a generous handful of sweet rainbow fudge.

New passengers will find their ticket allows 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 full of spare blankets and pillows.

Departure

A second horn sounds to encourage any stragglers taking advantage of the fresh air, 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 itself. The fog from the windows is gone now, replaced with a kaleidoscope of ever-changing colours.

Welcome to the Void!
worthallthis: (lookdown-mask)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2021-01-02 10:15 am (UTC)(link)
There's a moment when Soldat feels frozen. Mission. They knew about them-- they're in the pamphlet and the information terminals, and everything-- but hearing it said out loud is somehow different. (Steady, pal. I'm okay. I'm fine.)

This way to start folding a crane, then this way, then unfold and fold this way... okay. They're fine.

"Not much like my home, either. But people can be surprisingly okay. Sometimes." They turn off the music, now, and tuck the tablet away, looking up in Yoite's direction. "How did the mission go bad?"
comefadeaway: (Hmm?)

[personal profile] comefadeaway 2021-01-02 10:27 am (UTC)(link)
"Some people and robots attacked the base camp." Yoite explained. "I can't do much against robots. Everyone else has better skills than I do though. I got seriously injured...so did a lot of other people." He admitted.

"But I think it doesn't always go like that."
worthallthis: (look up)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2021-01-02 10:35 pm (UTC)(link)
"Everyone has different skills." This is something Soldat has learned. They're happy to be the one doing the fighting for people, sometimes, so they can scout or make food or just cheer you up. (Fuck, now I miss Pudding. You of all people missing Pudding. Shut up.)

So they look up at Yoite's face, not quite eye contact but close, and smile faintly: "You let the ones who can fight robots or whatever do the fighting. And you do what it is you do better."
comefadeaway: (Hmm?)

[personal profile] comefadeaway 2021-01-02 10:39 pm (UTC)(link)
"Oh, well all I'm good at is killing people." Yoite explained. "But robots don't have qi pathways so I can't explode them from the inside out."

That was unnecessarily graphic, perhaps, but that was just what he did. He didn't know how else to put it.
worthallthis: (sheepish)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2021-01-03 01:24 am (UTC)(link)
Oh. Ouch. (That sure do sound familiar, don't it. Not the qi-exploding thing. No. You both know exactly what I mean, stop pretendin' you don't.)

Yeah, okay, they do. Soldat scrubs the flesh hand over their hair. "I used to be like that," they say. "Killing was all I was good at. But I learned more things. You just need to find more things to try until you find things you like. To be good at."
comefadeaway: (Default)

[personal profile] comefadeaway 2021-01-03 01:28 am (UTC)(link)
"I don't really do anything else." Yoite said, shaking his head a little bit. He was sort of okay with that, sort of not. He was undecided. It was a common problem for him.

"I had a friend I was protecting. Now I'm here."
worthallthis: (origami-crane)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2021-01-03 03:00 am (UTC)(link)
Which means he hasn't tried anything else. Soldat considers, then unwedges themselves from behind the seats. "Yes. I had people I was protecting, too. I'll find people here to protect too, I bet. But that doesn't mean you can't do something else, too. Here."

From a pocket, they pull out a little folded paper crane, holding it on the palm of their flesh hand. "I can show you how to make one of these. Folding paper. It helped me."
comefadeaway: (Hopeful)

[personal profile] comefadeaway 2021-01-03 03:32 am (UTC)(link)
"Folding paper?" Yoite asked, blinking a few times, looking between the crane and Soldat's lips.

"If you go slow...I'd like to learn." Yoite said softly. He was trying a bit to be more forthcoming and outgoing which one could imagine was difficult for a ninja assassin.

"You'd have to, or maybe, could you explain and then show me? I'm deaf, I can't look at two places at once."
worthallthis: (friendly)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2021-01-03 05:53 am (UTC)(link)
Oh. Huh. Didn't pick up on that-- it's not like they seek out eye contact, so someone not even trying to get it, looking at their mouth, had just been a kind of background relief rather than something terrible noteworthy. Soldat nods. "I don't need to explain, I can just show." They pat the floor, a nice flat surface, for them to both sit. "I will go slow."

And once seated again, this time where they can put the isle between the seats between them and Yoite, they pull two sheets of paper out from the protective casing of their tablet, offering one to Yoite.
comefadeaway: (Hopeful)

[personal profile] comefadeaway 2021-01-03 03:49 pm (UTC)(link)
A lot of people didn't pick up on it. Yoite was good at masking that fact, following along enough so that people didn't suspect anything and at home, most people didn't talk to him anyway.

It was just getting more difficult and someone had told him that he should try and trust the people around him.

"Thank you." Yoite said, accepting the paper and settled in so he could follow what Soldat was doing.
worthallthis: (origami-crane)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2021-01-04 02:35 am (UTC)(link)
Without another word, they flatten their sheet of paper out on the ground, and start with one of the simplest origami forms they know, the first one they ever saw themselves: the crane. They go very slowly, wordlessly showing Yoite each fold-- and unfold, because halfway through they have to undo one of the moves they just made, as part of the process. They make sure he has a clear view of their hands and of the paper.

It may not be as soothing for Yoite as it is for Soldat, but at the very least it's something he can make, something new to learn, to prove that he's got more in him than just killing people. And Soldat is slow enough, and careful enough to watch Yoite's progress and make silent corrections if need be, that following along shouldn't be hard, and should result in a little paper bird. Soldat demonstrates that pulling gently on the tail makes the wings flap.
comefadeaway: (Hopeful)

[personal profile] comefadeaway 2021-01-04 03:04 am (UTC)(link)
It was surprisingly soothing, and more simple than he'd feared it would be. Yoite moved his fingers just as carefully, watching, mimicking the best he could and he was still almost shocked when a bird was made from the page.

He did just like Soldat and tugged the tail lightly to show him it worked.

Yoite smiled, just a little bit.
worthallthis: (smilegreen-sarge)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2021-01-04 05:05 am (UTC)(link)
Soldat smiles, back, and ducks their head to give Yoite a cue to look at their face. Then they say, "Good job. That's a very good crane. And now you've made something all your own." It's a first step, anyway. Everyone always has to make a first step.
comefadeaway: (Smile)

[personal profile] comefadeaway 2021-01-04 05:34 am (UTC)(link)
This time he got a genuine smile out of him and Yoite nodded.

"Thank you...I..yes, I did make this." He was a bit surprised that he did, but he managed just fine.

"I have a friend here, that I made here, do you think she would like to see it?"
worthallthis: (look up)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2021-01-04 07:25 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, that's good. He has a friend, that's a good start. Soldat remembers the moment they realized they had friends. Their first friends, now long gone. Their smile shades warm and a little sad. "She just might. You should definitely show her."
comefadeaway: (Hopeful)

[personal profile] comefadeaway 2021-01-04 07:54 am (UTC)(link)
"I will." Yoite agreed, picking up his crane carefully and getting up because obviously he should find Madoka before something happens to the crane.

"...Thank you for showing me."
worthallthis: (smilenice)

[personal profile] worthallthis 2021-01-04 08:21 pm (UTC)(link)
"You're welcome." It's satisfying, teaching someone a new thing. It's been a while. Between that and the origami itself, they're feeling a lot better. "If you ever want to learn more, just come find me. I know lots of shapes."
comefadeaway: (Smile)

[personal profile] comefadeaway 2021-01-05 01:10 am (UTC)(link)
"Okay. I will." Yoite responded before turning to leave because he had to find Madoka to show her what he'd accomplished that day.