exsiliumlogs | (no subject)

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[It'd be a lie to say that while her roommate is away on his mission, the apartment's been much quieter. All thing's considered, he's the most quiet of the three people Oriko frequently shares a living space with. There's no peace and quiet for the weary, after all.

The inevitable teeming crowds that surface with the arrival of new Transports aren't intimidating to her, though Oriko rarely comes out or stays long. But her restlessness cast her out today, and she's taken the opportunity to pick up a few things and take a look for any improvements made to the greeters' tent or to the map.

Near enough to Barbara to hear her complains, Oriko rests her own umbrella across her opposite shoulder so she can turn to speak with her.]

I'd be happy to show you to a seller I've done very good business with in the past. He'd probably appreciate the business.

[Someone should crunch the numbers on necessity and amenity sales for the beginning every month...]

[Barbara glances up, smiling faintly. It only falters a moment when she realises she's talking to another teenager.]

Thanks, and I'd be happy to give him some.

It wouldn't surprise me if they do their best business these days. At least, for what you can say about this economy. [Self-contained, largely private, little regulation...

He's likely to have been struggling some in the days since the last attack. And they'd been caught so off guard by the presence of sleeper cells in other stores - Oriko should have more ears and allies in the market, if they ever warm to Transports again.]

It's this way, ma'am. The weather will be like this tomorrow... And probably the rest of the week, I'm afraid! [She chuckles, small and polite.] Not much variation.

[Barbara's nod is pensive as she follows along.] Having a working economy at all in an anarchy is pretty impressive.

So it is.

These people are resilient. [They do what they can. Still, it's hard to ignore the ways a significant population of outsiders must be a strain.] I find they're rarely mentioned but often the most affected.

[This city reminds her more and more of home.] That's usually how it is.

[Her voice drops, dims.] I heard about the attack.

[Oriko's mouth pulls into a line as her pace slows. More that she could do nothing to stop.] Not long ago.

Worse because so many were ill or weak. They were prepared. For that.