voidtreckerexpress | A New Platform [Intro Post January]

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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!

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"No no, not...I mean I guess it's not bad news." Persephone pulled back, trying to school herself into something more calm, rather than get herself worked up about it.

"Just ... Alarming. You know how I'm a goddess? Well mortals--humans, they have stories about gods and goddesses. Sometimes true, sometimes kind of cobbled together out of rumor. Well, I just kind of...I learned something about who I might become from another god, different world, and I was kind of upset that humans here might have known these stories and not told me. You just got kind of lumped in."

"Oh.."

That's Madoka's initial reaction, while she's still trying to take in the information. It's a lot, after all. The information about gods and goddesses, the whole thing about someone from a different world.. but even though she's young, the girl can still wrap her mind around it.

And look concerned. Because whatever Persephone heard from that other god, it can't have been fun. Why else would she have reacted so intensely?

"I'm sorry, I.. I really didn't know." She shakes her head. Madoka is really not well-versed in mythology at all, after all. "But like you said.. sometimes the stories aren't true, right? And you say it might happen! So y-you don't have to end up like that for sure.."

"It's not a bad thing. Well, not all of it. There are parts that I'm less than thrilled about. And I guess the me before all of this train nonsense might have wanted it?"

She steps back and turns off the oil, just to keep some fiery mishaps from happening while she talks.

"But I've grown and learned a lot, so I don't know if the me right now would want it. It's all kind of complicated."

"It sounds complicated," Madoka softly agrees as she moves to lean against a counter, thinking.

"I guess I can understand it a little bit.. I think I've changed too since I first showed up here. Even if it may be just a little." It's been a long time, after all. Over half a year at this point, being stuck here, far away from pretty much everyone she knew back home in her life.. "But it sounds like you've grown for.. um, the better, I think?"

She says it carefully, like Madoka doesn't want to say it too strongly in case Persephone may not agree. A little nervously.

"I don't know that it's for better or worse or anything so black and white. I've just--changed."

They say going to university changes your perspective, but being stuck on a train full of beings from various other universes changes it far more. Gives you things to think about.

"Either way, getting some weird news put me on edge. I never really meant to take it out on you. I shouldn't be snapping at anyone honestly. No one's fault."

She shakes her head. "It's okay."

Then again, she's the kind of doormat who would say plenty of bad things people do to her are okay, just because she's a little too forgiving. Especially when it's someone she already likes to begin with, like Persephone, who has been kind to her before.

"I think sometimes stuff like that just happens. Um, you know.. when emotions become a bit too much to deal with. So I understand." Especially since the other already seems to realise too that it wasn't very ideal. "But.. if you need a distraction from it, or want to do something fun, please let me know, okay? Even if you're a little on edge!"

It's really not but Persephone knows how that is. Letting people walk over her. Insisting is just going to get more denials.

"Of course. Um--this was supposed to be a distraction but it turns out that it just gives me more time to think. It's not something you have concentrate very intensely."

She hesitantly holds out one of the fried dough balls, glazed with honey.

"Do you want to try one? I promise my had mood didn't get into them."

"Of course..!" Please, as if Madoka is ever going to turn down food when it's offered to her. Especially when it's sweet, or when someone else put in the effort to make it. She tries to offer a grateful smile as a way to thank her. "I think they'll probably taste pretty good.. You seem like you'd be good at baking."

There's no much hesitation at all in the way Madoka takes the dough ball from Persephone, staring down at it in her hands for a moment or two before putting it into her mouth and thoughtfully chewing it.

"These aren't that difficult to make, honestly. Anything fried dipped in something sweet is pretty hard to screw up. If you don't burn them, they tend to taste pretty good regardless."

Peresphone waits, not with bated breath exactly, but curious. She likes them, that's why she made them, because selfish comfort was the name of the game today.

"I'm going to miss the honey when it finally runs out."

Wow, Madoka would not stand for this devaluation of her compliments.. if it wasn't for the fact that her mouth is very, very full right now, and she doesn't want to speak up with her mouth full. It's rude.

So she's making sure to thoroughly chew before finally swallowing it. She does smile when her mouth is empty though, showing her reaction on her face before she even says it out loud.

"Oh, it is good..!" Madoka laughs. "I-I mean.. I like most sweet things, but still..! I always think that when someone baked it themselves like this, you can always taste a bit extra to it. Like you can taste the effort, almost..?" She presses her fingers together bashfully. "Hehe, it probably sounds a little strange."

"No no I get it! It's kind of why I prefer to bake things myself, I like putting the extra effort into it. When someone buys you dinner, it's nice, they're spending their money on you, but when they make you dinner, it's totally different. Same with this sort of thing."

She clasps her hands behind her back, glancing wistfully at the cabinets, "I wish you'd had some of my baklava, that was real effort. Took hours and it came out so well...But I'm almost positive it's all gone by now."

"Aw.. I wish I could have tasted it too."

Because if these things are anything to go by, Persephone is pretty good at making things. And Madoka can definitely appreciate things that are well made!

"What kind of ingredients do you need for baklava? I've never made it before.." Or so she thinks, anyway. Madoka hums for a moment, like she's thinking about whether she has or not. "Do we not have those on the train right now?"

"Well we're fast running out of honey. And I'm pretty darn sure we're out of phyllo dough and that stuff is a pain to make by hand..."

She hums and starts looking through cabinets. It's a nice diversion, to think of something so mundane. More effective than the donuts had been, in the end.

"Walnuts are important. A little orange zest for contrast, I add a few spices when I can...I could probably buy some phyllo and nuts to be honest."

Madoka hums, attempting to think along while Persephone is busy looking through the supplies present here. There are some things that do seem like they'd have to buy them, like the dough, since you can't just find that anywhere out there.

.. unless they run into a mission that has a supermarket, but considering their track record so far, it seems unlikely.

"Some of those things we could maybe find on a mission, if we ended up going to a place that has them." And not, you know, outer space like they went to before once. "I think a place like Irivar would have had bees.. probably."

Madoka doesn't know for sure, having been stuck in the icy parts of that world. But at least that place had seemed relatively normal and populated, even though it was kind of medieval.

"Should I keep an eye out during the next mission? I really want to help you be able to make it so I can taste it! And everyone else too!"

The likelihood of any world having the dough, honey or nuts--unlikely, though possible. She's nearly at the point where she's actually contemplating making tissue thin dough in the middle of the night just to get it when she shakes her head at her own forgetfulness.

"Oh--I bet I could get that mealkit thing? Nita and I did that once when she brought up gingerbread houses and I'd never had or made one. Maybe get the things to make a whole meal from home..." It's either that or get enough to make a meals worth of baklava for four people.

"Oh, that's a good idea too."

Since it would provide all the stuff necessary for it in one fell swoop, huh. Though that would cost points..

But that shouldn't be too much of a problem either. Especially since Madoka, ever helpful, quickly pipes up--

"Do you have the points for it? Otherwise I can help, I have a whole lot!" And it's not like Madoka to only buy stuff for herself with it, anyway.

"Oh, I have some points. How many--I'd have to check. I haven't bought much in a few platforms."

And she's equally as resistant to having Madoka to spend her own points on something Persephone is perfectly capable of buying. She fumbles about for her ticket, patting around until she finds it and holds it up.

"There--now I'll just go find out."

At least Madoka doesn't seem offended in the slightest at Persephone wanting to use her own points - she can kind of understand it. She'd be pretty flustered if someone else offered to buy her something...

"Alright!" If she hasn't bought much, then Persephone probably has enough points. But just in case.. "Just let me know if you do end up needing the help."

It's no trouble for her, really!

"Um, I guess I should get going now.. But I'm really looking forward to the baklava, if you do end up getting it and making it!"

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A New Platform [Intro Post January]

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