exsiliumlogs | (no subject)

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Date: April 1st
Location: The Initiative Hold & Courtyard.
Characters: Everyone.
Summary: New Transports arrive and are shuffled into the Courtyard after their initial briefings.
Warnings: None.

You've just been hustled and bustled through mazes of information and literal, wide corridors of the Initiative Hold and you've been equipped with your weapon—be it a gun, a sword, or even your existing powers. They've handed you this light netbook and a small pouch of coins (or a debit card, if you're more inclined), and there are several Transports before and after you going through the very same motions. You can hear the Greeter's voice as she walks alongside large groups, telling them all about the history of this place and sharing with you your purpose here in a hurried and urgent tone. "You're in luck that we have enough rooms for all of you; the housing building is getting awfully full. Please, let me show you into the courtyard."

You pass what looks like huge gymnasiums, all with dummies and targets strewn and splayed around the room. Training areas. There are even classrooms, and a few small offices. You're rushed past a large library while the Greeter informs you that you can find almost all your information there, if you've got the time to look—and trust her, you'll have time. You don't spend a lot of time in the bank, and it's a bit of a blur of exchanges with more and more of these strangely-accented and oddly polite-seeming members of the Initiative.

Soon enough, you're in a massive courtyard bustling with all the other Transports. It's not exactly what you'd expect, and it looks more like barracks than anything—huge walls of concrete and stone, separating you from all of the hallways you'd just passed through. It's raining heavily, and dark clouds loom in the air, though it hasn't turned to snow. It's a chill cold, and there are shelters—long cloth hangings that extend from the walls of concrete to house you from the rain, but not enough. Most notably, the courtyard is filled with a marketplace. Even in the cold and the rain, there are several citizens seated at their covered booths and tables, bundled up against the weather. They're selling all manner of their own handmade goods and foods, and citizens and Transports alike are traveling from one small covered shop to another in search of all manner of necessities.

The Greeter's voice has become so faint now, but you swear you can make it out in the back of the crowds as she tells you, "Good luck. Be safe!"

Her voice is drowned out by the busy marketplace, though even the transactions taking place are somewhat subdued. Nobody is overly happy, really, though most citizens can be found with smiles on their faces. It doesn't seem like they're that shocked to see you, either; even if you're not bound in tattered rags and wrapped in heavy shawls as they are. You're welcome to walk up to a shop, and find yourself something to eat—hey, maybe you'll even find something akin to a raincoat. Or, you can join the others under the coverings against the walls. Where am I? What war? She was talking so fast, and it didn't all make very much sense… did anyone else catch it all?

Welcome to the courtyard. Welcome to the Initiative Hold—and most importantly, welcome to Exsilium.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[It's that time, again. Although fewer new Transports have filtered in these past few months, Asami is one of many old faces contributing to the crowd of the courtyard looking for somebody familiar. The apprehension isn't any less dulled, either; she doesn't wish this circumstance on anybody from home, not even on those for whom she carries resentment.

Especially not her father. That would be a disaster.

Her eyes are peeled, because if anything helped her through her first arrival (and the second one, really), it was Korra's reassuring presence. And this time, she brings an umbrella. Her search begins to seem fruitless, for better or for worse, until her eyes land on a speck of red.

A fire ferret? It must be someone from her world, unless fire ferrets are prevalent in others (and she's checked, they aren't, and neither are polar bear dogs or wolfbats or boar-q-pines or anything else). Even if she and the figure don't know each other, there should still be relief in finding someone with the same background, so she approaches on that chance.]

Hey, excuse me. Is that a fire ferret?

[Wait. There's no way. There's no way.]

ASAMI!

[He's forgotten about the fact that he's wearing the mustache and, if he even notices that Asami doesn't seem to recognize him, he writes it off as a joke. But really, the important part is FAMILIAR FACE!

He tackles her in a bear hug, somehow managing to not crush the flowers or the cupcake.]

O-oh wow!

[She's too startled by his sudden step forward to yelp, but her body tenses within his crushing arms.]

Uhh..! [She wriggles out of his arms, a hand stable on his shoulder.] I'm sorry, do I know you? [And GEE that looks a lot like Pabu!]

Know me? Of course you know me! I mean, I know you just started dating Mako and all, but it's me!

[Oh. OH.

He takes off the mustache.]

Bolin! [giving the mustache an impressed look] Man, this thing really does work!

Wait, what?

[Her gaze is frozen on the mustache in his hand, but then she breaks it to glance at someone who... is very much Bolin! Forget his earlier statement; they can catch up on that later. The hand on his shoulder softens before it slides off.]

It really is you, isn't it? What just happened?

This is the weapon they gave me. It's supposed to make me completely unrecognizable.

[He puts it back on. Now that Asami's seen him in it, of course, she'll know it's him. The weapon hasn't evolved that much yet. But it should still give her a vague sense of "you don't look like Bolin..."]

Pretty cool, isn't it?

[Other people might spend their time right now freaking out about this surreal and kind of frightening situation, but Bolin is saving that for later. It'll hit him eventually. Right now he'd rather focus on this cool new toy and the fact that he's not alone here after all.]

[Asami squints her eyes.]

Huh. Well I'll be.

[She reaches over to slowly strip it off his face, pauses to glance at him—okay, he's still there—then... kind of curiously puts it up underneath her nose. Yes yes she might look ridiculous but this is legitimately one of the most curious things she's come across yet.]

Does it work?

[blink. blink.]

Wow. You look like a completely different person with a mustache! If I hadn't seen you put it on, I wouldn't even recognize you!

Right? It's pretty strange. Neat, too.

[She peels off the mustache and hands it back to Bolin, careful as she considers his hands are full.]

So then what about the flowers and the treat?

[There are so many more important things to discuss but everything about Bolin's arrival is so peculiar she has to ask.]

These? [He lifts up the flowers and cupcake.] They're a present for Korra. [RIGHT. Asami hasn't met Korra yet.] You know, my teammate. Who is also the Avatar. She basically saved my life and I thought that deserved a reward.

[Okay, actually, he just wanted to give her stuff because she's the most awesome person ever, but that's embarrassing to say to a girl you barely know.]

[Her eyebrows crunch with mild worry for Bolin. She's aware he used to have a thing for Korra. He basically admitted it to her right after he delivered The News to her about Mako and Korra, and he'd been a tad transparent about it previously.

So those must be... right.

What is she supposed to do? Come, Bolin, let me spin you a tale about how Korra and Mako dumped our butts to go canoodle with each other.

Bah, she'll worry about it later.]

Well, they're really pretty. Here, I'll carry this... [And now she takes the cupcake to carry beneath the umbrella, just because it looks like it's getting soggy in the rain.]

So Korra's actually here, you know. I know this won't make sense, but both of us have been here for a few months.

[The cupcake is actually safely ensconced in plastic, but yeah, under the umbrella is probably best for it. He hands over the cupcake and frowns.]

Months? You're kidding me, right? I just saw you guys yesterday! Unless.... [GASP] Is there an imposter Avatar in Republic City?!?!?

[DUN DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNNNNN. It only takes Bolin a moment to see the flaws in this theory.] Wait, that doesn't make any sense. We didn't even know each other months ago.

No, it's just Korra. [But her voice drowns out, and her expression drops.]

I know, I know. Let's see... have you ever read any science fiction, Bolin?

I'm.........not really a reader. [Literacy? Not really much of a thing when you're a kid starving on the street. He can write his name and can read some, but not enough to make reading fun.]

[She could've guessed, but it doesn't hurt to ask.]

Well, the idea's been around for years, traveling through time? You know, when you say, "Oh, I wish I could go back in time" and stuff.

It's actually sort of a thing, here, in a way. We have people here from places you've never imagined, and the three of us who are here now are all from different times. I've seen the end of the Equalists. They've even pulled benders from decades before we were even born. Time doesn't... matter back home from where we are now, really.

[She sighs.] Does that make sense?

Oooooooooooooooooooh. [said in a tone of sudden understanding, and then --] Not really, no.

[Asami sighs and tries to think of another way to explain it. Her eyes wander in thought until she lands on a booth offering children's puzzle books and inks.]

... Okay. Why don't you go pick out a table for us to sit, and I'll be right back?

Yes ma'am! [He mock salutes and looks around for a decently dry table. He'll have found one by the time Asami finishes at the booth.]

[In a short matter of minutes, Asami returns with a booklet and a writing tool. She situates herself in a seat across from Bolin and flips to the blank back of a page. A palm holds it steady against the wind.]

Alright, let's see if I can illustrate this. So this big circle here is Exsilium, which is where we are now. And these little circles... [She marks Exsilium then quickly draws smaller circles around it.] These are different places where other people have come from, because you'll find they don't come from the same planet we do. And here's ours.

[She labels their world and draws herself, Korra, and Bolin next to it. LIKE SO:

And then she hastily scribbles another picture while she talks.]

This is Exsilium, once again, and thiiiis is a timeline. We've been kidnapped to Exsilium at different times of our lives. See, you're back here, so you only know what's happened in our world up until this point. Korra and I are up here, and we've lived and experienced events up to the end of the Equalist thing.

[She pushes the drawings up to Bolin to study, lips pursed until she gauges his response.]

[Hmmmmmmm.......HMMMMMMMM........]

Okay. I think I get it. Weird. So weird.

[But okay, he can deal with that.]

So we really beat the Equalists?

[Asami leans her weight against her arms while she nods.]

Yup, that's right! I can tell you about it later if you want. For now we should probably go look for Korra, since it seems like Naga hasn't sniffed you out yet.

That sounds like an excellent plan! [He's still got flowers and a cupcake to give Korra, after all. Although the flowers are looking a little worse for wear... But still! Korra!]

Maybe she's found Mako. [After all, if Korra's here and Asami's here and he's here, Mako has to be here too, right? Bolin can't imagine being without his big brother. It's not even conceivable.]

[As if on cue, the Avatar clears her throat loudly, standing a few yards away under an awning. Her arms are crossed, and she's grinning brightly.]

You rang?

Korra!

[Asami looks behind her and points back to Bolin with her thumb.]

Look who I found.

[He's not going to bounce like a puppy nope he is a grown man and he got that "I'M NOT ALOOOOOOOONE!" flailing out of his system with Asami. He won't tackle her in a bear hug.

But he can't keep a big, doofy grin from spreading across his face. Seeing Korra makes him happy. It always has.]

Greetings, fellow prisoner of mysterious forces.

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omg ilu

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