A New Platform [Intro Post January]

[voidtreckermods]

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!

Comments

[happyends]

Maybe Madoka still isn't feeling entirely better herself. But while she can't fully cast out worries from her heart, time is making them a bit more bearable.

Bearable enough that she can focus her attention on someone else who seems to need it right now. It's not every day that Madoka sees the other like this, after all. Ple Two, standing there, tears in her eyes.

What else can she do in the face of that, other than run up to the other girl and wrap her arms around her in a fierce hug?

So that's exactly what Madoka does, clinging to the other girl. Trying to hold her as tightly as she can.

"I'm so sorry.."

She doesn't ask what's wrong. It's obvious, after all. There is only one reason people ever look like this on the platform.

[pleple]

There are plenty of worries between the two of them, more than they should have to deal with. Here they are though. Ple Two... is not doing great, and she worries that this day will come for others as well.

Somehow, she'll need to find them again. At the very least she needs to thank Nerdanel somehow, so that she can move on.

Ple Two can feel it coming a moment before Madoka wraps her up, and she leans into it, into Madoka, and her warmth and comfort. Turning her head, she presses her face against her, allowing herself to let out just a little more, crying just a bit harder.

[happyends]

Madoka allows it all to happen. If anything, the moment Ple Two turns like that and leans into the hug, she just shifts her hold to be able to hold the other even more comfortably. Almost a bit protectively, even, despite knowing that there's nothing she can do. She can't shield Ple Two from this pain - she can't even shield herself from it. It's an inevitably all of them have to deal with on the train, no matter how much it hurts.

Which is also why Madoka knows that it's impossible to make this better. There's not even anything good to say for it.

She just lets the other cry for a few moments, her hand moving to rub soothing circles on Ple Two's back. Madoka will stand here for as long as the other needs it.

Or, well, until the train leaves, at least, since they'll have to get back on it before then. But there are still other people lingering on the platform for now. There's still time.

[pleple]

There is nothing anyone can do to alter this. There's only accepting it as best you can, and she's known that more friends would surely leave.

"...Nerdanel..." she says slowly, her voice shaky, as they hold onto each other. "She... made me feel loved. She had... no duty to do it but..."

Some, it seems, are just made to be parents to whoever needs one, and it's not fair that a person like that has to leave.

[happyends]

".. she cared for you," Madoka softly adds as the other girl's voice trails off, obvious that that's the implication here.

And she gets it. To a certain extent. Madoka has lost two dads here on the train before too, after all, and she knows how hard it is to just watch them walk away, even though you know they cared for you. And it must be even worse for Ple Two. At least Madoka has had loving parents before. This was the first time Ple Two had that sort of thing..

And now it's gone.

"I'm sure she would have wanted to stay with you longer, if she could have.."

[pleple]

"She did." She saw Ple Two in need, and helped her. Nerdanel provided... love that she'd never had in her life. Now she had more friends, and mentors, and allies, but...

"I know. I... hope I can at least find a chance, if just a moment... to thank her." The Void Trecker answered that contact might just be possible in the future.

So that is what she'll need to make happen.

[happyends]

These things work simply. If there's something Ple Two wants, any wish the other girl releases from her lips.. Then Madoka wants to do anything she can to help make it come true.

Even when she's not sure what exactly it is that a girl like her could do to help.

"Do you know what the place she's from is called..?" Madoka didn't know Nerdanel well enough to know, unfortunately.. "I-It could be good to keep in mind, in case we get a chance to ever contact a specific world.."

Because Madoka doesn't want it to end like this between Ple Two and someone so important to her. It's not right.

[pleple]

There are a lot of wishes that they might want to take their time with - Ple Two is perhaps a bit needier than she lets on.

"I... believe it was simply known as 'Middle Earth' which doesn't mean much to me." What makes it middle?

[happyends]

"I'm from Earth, but.."

She also doesn't really know what the 'middle' part could mean. The middle of the Earth? But it can't be the same as hers, because..

"We don't have elves, though." So that kind of puts a stop to the possibility of Nerdanel coming from a world similar to her own, let alone the same one.

Madoka pauses for a moment, shaking her head as she squeezes the other girl.

"We can look into it though. Together." Because she sure doesn't mind helping the other out. Madoka tries to smile, hope it's even the slightest bit encouraging. "But you first should take some time to rest.."

Ple Two has a lot of emotions to deal with right now. Pretty obviously so.

[pleple]

You can't put people in the middle of the Earth! "Mm. I don't know of anything like her either." People with pointy ears who live for millennia... she'd probably have heard about that.

"I'll see if anyone from there is here as well. E... eventually." It's too exhausting to think too hard about it now.

[happyends]

Eventually indeed.

Madoka glances around. It really seems like even the last of the departing people has left now through the gates. Nothing left out on the platform, except for the new people and the people who were already on the train, trying to greet them.

That means there's no point in standing around here anymore. Which means Madoka pulls back - but only a little. Still holding onto the other girl, but trying to pull her attention, or maybe capture her gaze.

"I think.. we should go back into the train for now." So she can find a spot where Ple Two can have some peace and quiet with her to deal with all these feelings. "Are you okay with that..?"

[pleple]

Ple Two takes a breath. She needs to keep it together but maybe... she can take it a little easy. There's no helping out with the train talk group like this, at this point, after all.

"...let's. Let's do that." Standing here won't change anything. "Thank you."

[happyends]

She shakes her head a little, as if to wordlessly say that Ple Two doesn't have to thank her for this. And without saying anything more on the platform, she starts moving, gently tugging the other along to take her back onto the train.

"Should we go back to our room?"

They do have an empty spot there, so there's the possibility that they're getting a new roommate.. Which may not make exactly the perfect circumstances for cuddles, huh.

"Or would you rather go somewhere else..?" Ple Two is the one who needs comfort, so she gets to decide.

[pleple]

Ple Two knows she doesn't - she's still not entirely, completely sure when to than Madoka, actually. It's just... normal things, that people who care for each other do.

"...maybe if it's empty. Or somewhere else... private?" Cuddling is a good idea, they seem to be of the same mind. "...if there's someone new it could be better... somewhere else."

[happyends]

"Hmm.." It's a hum, but it mostly seems to be one of agreement. Even without knowing what their new roommate is like (and once Madoka figures it out, she will definitely think it was for the better to not have gone there), it's good to have some privacy in general.

So she starts leading the other girl along in the direction of the quiet carriage instead. At least it shouldn't be too busy there, considering people must be busy greeting the newcomers. Which means they can just sit real close to each other and have some physical affection comfort time there.

"In the meantime.."

Since walking silently like this is a little awkward, isn't it.

"Why don't you tell me about some nice memories you have of her..?"

[pleple]

Ple Two doesn't even want the average new arrival butting in on them, let alone, uh... that. Kinda guy.

So she follows along, not that she doesn't obviously know the way herself. Ple Two's better at remaining silent than Madoka, but she understands the need to break that silence too.

"When we were ice skating... I was thinking about how she taught me to do it, in the first place." Obviously a mother with all that experience was a much better teacher.

[happyends]

That sure explains how Ple Two knew how to ice skate in the first place, huh. It didn't exactly seem like the kind of thing they would have bothered to teach her back home, considering her circumstances..

"Did she teach you that day?" She asks, gently. "Or did that already happen earlier on..?" It wasn't the first time they had seen snow, after all.

[pleple]

It's nothing a weapon needs to learn - but a child who wants to have fun is a different story. And Nerdanel treated her like that.

"A while ago. When it was on the train." She's come a long ways since then, hasn't she?

[happyends]

Madoka smiles thinly, but warmly at the same time. "I remember."

It really has been a long time since then. Maybe half a year already? It almost feels like an eternity, especially here on this train, where everything happens so much that it feels like their time here has been even longer.

".. A lot has changed since then, huh?" For both of them. Gaining parental figures, watching them leave. Watching friends leave.

Madoka squeezes the hand she's holding. "But we're still doing our best."

[pleple]

Such a long time. "...I've grown a lot. On the inside, but also..." A little taller. Older. ...she was never sure if she'd really have a chance to grow up back home, or if her roll as a tool would end her life quickly.

She squeezes back. Now she's here. "...people like her have... made me able to change so much, to work... so hard." To be better and happier and to take care of others, too.

[happyends]

"I'm sure she's happy about that."

Because Nerdanel only left now, which means the woman still had a chance to see Ple Two grow - especially if she's been here for so long. She must have noticed the change too, no matter whether she ever pointed it out out loud or not.

"And I know it's hard, when you miss someone.. But I'm sure all she wanted is for you to keep going like this. To keep getting better. That's what I promised dad and papa too, even though it's been a long while since they left by now."

[pleple]

"I... I know she is." It feels good to know that too. Nerdanel got to see Ple Two become so much happier.

"You're doing really good too, Madoka." And they have each other. ...please let them keep having each other for a long time...

[happyends]

The compliment makes Madoka smile a little - and it seems they've already ended up at the quiet carriage a moment later. She gently guides the other girl along to one of them to go sit down together - obviously dragging her onto the same side of the booth as her, so they can sit real close.

"Here, you can lean on me," Madoka says, patting her shoulder. Feel free to make it your pillow for the time being, Ple Two. "Then we'll stay like this for a little while."

[pleple]

Ple Two sticks close as Madoka pulls her into the booth, leaning against her - cuddling up to her - exhaling. It hurts to see Nerdanel leave. But at least...

"...I love you a lot, Madoka," she says quietly, resting against her.

we can wrap it here, i think!

[happyends]

Her cheeks colour a little at the words. But there's no hesitation before she replies, "I love you a lot too."

Madoka's arm sneaks around Ple Two gently until she can hold the other with one arm too while Ple Two is cuddling up to her side. Compared to all the sounds and sights on the platform, it's a lot more quiet in here, with just the two of them. But for now, until Ple Two feels better.. Just the two of them and just some calm, quiet cuddling is enough.