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(no subject)

Date: June 1st
Location: The Initiative Hold & Courtyard.
Characters: Everyone.
Summary: New Transports arrive and are shuffled into the Courtyard after their initial briefings. Now with 200% more People-Seeking lists!
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. Now and then around you you might spot paper fluttering in the faint wind from somewhere relatively dry. It looks like a list.

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.

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[Stanley doesn't actually object to being pushed a bit, though it does make him look up. Nice. A really beautiful girl. But she's not going to want to talk to him. He's dripping into the mud puddles, and he smells like the river that he was just in.

Not to mention he's slumped over a bit, trying to hide a very large and obvious bulge under his shirt. Still, he watches her for a moment after she literally brushes him aside, then he turns to go, but forgets to check his position first. He bumps right into the table with a hip, and gets an angry shout of protest from the vendor for it. Whoops.]

Sorry.

[babydoll glances towards the boy, brows raised. a flash of concern shows on her face, then it mixes with slight confusion. where did he come from that he was already soaking with water? then she does a once over of him, eyes locking on what he was trying to hide -- it didn't look like a weapon, but she couldn't know for sure.

still, she keeps herself composed, looking back up to his face.]

Are you okay?

[Okay, not a great first impression. But there isn't much to do about it now besides try to be friendly. He tries to muster up a smile, but can't quite manage it. It's cold, and he's wet, and he's still trying to understand why he's in Future London at the moment. He does manage to glance at her, and then pats himself down for show, carefully avoiding the mysterious bulge.]

Yeah, all in one piece. It probably won't even bruise.

No, I -- [she shakes her head.] it's just, you're soaked.

[it's too late for avoiding that, kid, she's already seen it and she's hoping it's not a strange weapon she's never heard of.]

It's not any of my business, but did you fall in water before you got here?

Oh. Yeah. A river.

[He looks a bit sheepish as he admits that, and then a bit concerned. But he doesn't bother to explain himself, whether it's because he doesn't think she'd be interested or because he doesn't want to talk about it is anyone's guess.]

How about you? This shit is bananas, right?

[her expression remains somewhat neutral besides a tiny smile that manages to show itself on her face.]

It's not right, no.

[she looks up -- the rain doesn't look like it'll stop any time soon.]

But it's going to be okay.

How do you figure?

[No offense chicka, but he's not seeing the silver lining here like you apparently are.]

Because, I've been through something similar.

[she's not lying about that -- she has shown up in different worlds. all she has to do to get out is complete the mission, even if this one will take a little longer than usual.]

[another glance down at the mysterious lump under his shirt. she resists asking.]

We're going to be okay.

[Stanley's barely even been out of town, let alone to any different worlds before now. He's not feeling as hopeful about it.

But it is oddly reassuring to hear someone say it. Even if that someone seems to be used to this sort of bullshit. Stanley frowns.]

Seriously? That sucks.

[she shakes her head at that and smiles. there's really explanation that she can give him that will make much sense, but she can offer knowledge.]

No, it doesn't.

[her tone is soft, reassuring.]

I'm gonna escape from here. If anyone wants to come with me, they can. All we need is to finish the mission they give us.

Where are you going to?

[Because the other part is better not to comment on. There's definitely no way they're going to complete this mission, but pointing that out isn't going to help anyone right now.]

Home.

[she doesn't know where else she'd end up going, but home is the only place she really knows right now.]

Right. That makes sense.

[Unless there's a testicle chopping psycho waiting for you back home. In that case it's better avoided. But that's probably another thing this girl is better off not hearing about.]

So...are you a spy or something?

Edited (AUTOCORRECT STOP ALREADY) 2013-06-14 00:37 (UTC)

[a spy? babydoll may look like a lot of things, but she didn't think a spy was one of them.]

No, no, I'm not a spy.

[she's a fighter, a soldier. that's how she defines herself. she has her weapons and that's all she'll ever need to defend herself. yet, she doesn't tell him what she is, because she's not sure that he'll understand. she came from a lot of places and it's much too complicated and personal for a simple conversation.]

[Of course a spy would deny it anyway, so he'll consider that question unanswered for now.

He fidgets awkwardly, trying to think of something else to say to her so she won't realize he's boring and run off, but all that comes out is an unexpected sneeze. Crap, did he just spit on her? So much for first impressions.]

...Sorry.

[oh boy, this kid is a piece of work. luckily, he didn't sneeze anywhere near her face. maybe he should work on covering his mouth when he sneezes...]

It's fine. Are you coming down with something? You should get some dry clothes.

[or an umbrella, something.]

Yeah? Seen any?

[It's not a bad suggestion, actually. He's kind of freezing as it is.]

Or maybe a really big hand dryer?

Yes, there's a booth a little further down that sells clothes.

[she didn't pay much attention to it, they could have been cloaks, but a cloak is better than nothing, and this boy didn't look like he would have scoped it out for himself.

she smiles at his joke, shaking her head.]

No, I don't think so.

Guess I better check it out, then.

[Not that walking around wet and miserable isn't great, but it's probably better not to tempt the fates as far as his upper resperitory health goes.]

Which way?

[she points behind her, then turns her head to face the direction she's pointing. it's only several booths down.]

You better get them before you get sick.

You worried?

[It's probably a bit too brassy, though. She's way out of his league, after all.
Stanley shrugs, almost to excuse himself, but the words don't make it the whole way out. Instead, a bit of gratitude does.]

Thanks.

[the look she gives him in return is a quiet intensity, which may seem intimidating considering she doesn't have any issues with eye contact.]

Welcome.

[babydoll takes a step back, leaving him room to move around her -- she doesn't really want to get sneezed on again, either -- and starts to walk away herself. if he needs anything else, he's free to call her back.]

[Whoops. She definitely didn't laugh. Stanley, who occasionally has been known to say stupid things and cause girls to stalk away, accepts this. Yeah, that was pretty much his fault. He'll have to try to watch it next time they're waiting for the same elevator or something.

With a shrug, he wanders off to see about those clothes or whatever...]

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