(no subject)

[initiates]

Date: July 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.

Comments

chrono | courtyard | otaaaa come at me bro

[overclocking]

[There are some unfortunate consequences of allowing an overly-enthusiastic woman to dress you in a sailor's outfit for her drunken dinner party. Those consequences being the (apparently very good) chance that you will be whisked away to fight in a war through time in space, and still be wearing a ridiculous sailor's outfit.

Which is why, after locating who he was looking for, a young boy of around twelve, with purple hair, red eyes, and pointed ears, is weaving his way through the crush of people, looking somewhat overwhelmed. The weather is jarring, as is the amount of people, and all he really wants is some clothing that isn't... this. Pretty much anything would do.

He murmurs quietly to himself as he wanders through the courtyard, possibly bumping into people here or there. (Sorry!)]

There has to be something around here somewhere...

Re: chrono | courtyard | otaaaa come at me bro

[acemedium]

That's right! There has to be! [..Pipes up a scrawny and weirdly dressed teenage girl from close by, clenching her first in a dramatic fashion!!!]

[Then she blinks]

... wait, what are you talking about? And why are you dressed like that? Did you get kicked off a boat or something?

Re: chrono | courtyard | otaaaa come at me bro

[overclocking]

[Turns-- stop. Blinks.

This conversation hasn't even begun yet and he's lost control of it.]

Of course I didn't get kicked off a boat! Do I look like a sailor to y--

[overclocking]

[. . .]

Actually, please don't answer that.

[acemedium]

[Opens mouth...!]

[... Closes it]

Well, okay. But you're the one dressed like that.

[overclocking]

I'm not normally dressed like this-!

[NORMALLY IT'S WORSE.]

This was an accident.

[got_it_memorized]

[As he meanders down the crowded street, there's a rough jostle from his left, and Axel glances down in time to see a young kid with bright purple hair sort of stagger backward from the impact. He arches an eyebrow. This one must be new--he's sure he would remember hair like that.]

Easy, short stuff. You're liable to put your own eye out that way--never know who might have bony elbows. [And he indicates his own decidedly pointy elbows to emphasize.]

[overclocking]

["Short stuff".........

He reels a bit, rubbing his head. Being short is absolutely terrible sometimes, and not just because of the nicknames. He seems far more sheepish than anything else, though.]

Excuse me-- sorry! I was distracted...

[got_it_memorized]

S'okay, no harm no foul. [He tilts his head a bit and watches the boy try and regain his composure, then frowns a little.]

You okay kid? You're new, aren't you?

[overclocking]

[He straightens up, finally, and then looks... up. Way up.]

I suppose it must be obvious... I just got here a little while ago.

And I'm okay, don't worry. [... Maybe not entirely convincing when you're soaking wet, exhausted, a tiny bit shell-shocked, and more than a little overwhelmed, but for him it's an obligatory statement regardless.]

[concealingeyes]

[Oh my god even Kido is deeply confused by what she is seeing.]

D-Did you lose a bet?

[overclocking]

[That would be a much easier explanation.

He pulls a face, coloring somewhat. This is terrible.]

No. I mean--

...

It's more like a bad decision was made.

[concealingeyes]

Looks like a really bad one.

[Kido is helpful. And at least she realises he probably has bigger problems.

...Maybe.]

Uh, I know where there's some spare hoodies if you want me to get you one. You really stand out like that.

[taggeda0]

[It's one thing to get bumped into, it's quite another to be bumped into by...this. The surprise on his face quickly turns to a sort of begrudged disbelief. What is this, exactly?]

[overclocking]

[This is a very inappropriately dressed shouta. Surely that's not so rare in a warzone! No? Well ok fine.

He looks... up, once he rights himself a bit, clearly apologetic.]

I'm sorry, sir, I wasn't watching where I was going--

[taggeda0]

[How someone can face the light of day while wearing that is the greatest surprise of all.

He points to the outfit and gesture.]

...Why.

[loveagain]

If by "something" you don't mean a boat or anything like that... [Okay that was probably a poor joke but that is one elaborate outfit, and this is coming from someone who's used to being forced into things like cat costumes.]

[overclocking]

[It's okay. He deserves it.

He just barely resists running a hand down his face.]

No boats.

I mean-- no, sorry, I just... wanted maybe a cloak or something...

[loveagain]

I figured as much. [She smiles sheepishly.] If a cloak is what you're looking for, there should be one somewhere around here. With how much it rains, you think it'd be good to have them around too.

SORRY I'M LATE

[anklets]

[Her lungs are still not being kind to her, but Lenalee has forced herself to breach the beaten Hold and swathe herself in clothing less— well, she's decided thigh-highs and bright slickers are not what one should clothe themselves in when trying to blend. That is the excuse she has settled upon for finding herself in the crowd, searching for one more familiar face, one more Exorcist.

He does not bump her, but the draw is in the clothes and the face (young, if not strange-looking).

PERFUNCTORY CONCERN: ACTIVE.]

Most anywhere, if you've the energy to fight the crowd to get there.

i would wait a thouuuuuusand summers

[overclocking]

[He looks around (and, well, up) in some surprise, shoving wet bangs out of his eyes. He has to blink at her a few times to register that, yes, that was a response to his inane rambling.

He slows to a stop, torn on whether it's the kind of statement that begs a response, or the kind you mutter under your breath when you're sufficiently exhausted and distracted. Sort of like he's been doing for the past half hour.

In the end, though, politeness always trumps everything else, including uncertainty.]

You mean it's always this crowded?

you flatter me so

[anklets]

[She moves with the crowd as it pushes and pulls on either side of her, wood floating atop the tide. Her eyes are tired.]

No, it thins out as the month progresses. But more people will come once this one has ended, and more after that, and anyone who has been here for long enough will begin to come out each time to search for friends and family.

[diedahero]

[Well okay, the clothes are weird, but that's not what catches Link's attention. It's the ears, and the fact that he seems to be a kid like him. There weren't that many other kids that Link has been able to find, much less any that looked sort of like him. So off he goes, chasing after the other kid, running to catch up before he disappears in the crowd.]

Hey wait!

[overclocking]

[He stops as he slips around yet another passerby, craning his neck around. Part of him suspects that call wasn't even for him--after all, he doesn't know anyone here, so what would anyone want with him?--but he scans the milling crowd anyway, just in case.

When he spots Link approaching, he can't help feeling a bit taken aback, himself. It's usually only demons who have ears like that, and this child certainly doesn't feel like a demon. It's with a certain amount of curiosity that he side-steps another approaching person, leaving a clear path between them. (Well, aside from the mud puddles).]

Yes?

[diedahero]

[It's probably a good thing that Link's fairly single-minded, or he would have gotten sidetracked splashing in those mud puddles.]

[He'll probably splash in them later.]

Your ears are like mine. [Pointing.] Where're you from?