exsiliumlogs | (no subject)

Date: August 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

[Halfpipe's definitely odd-looking enough to attract stares, between the pink hair, teal face tattoos, and prohibitively high heels. But she's more used to Exiles staring than Transports, so she stops when she catches Spike, raising an eyebrow.]

Not a great first impression to make, bud.

[He shrugs elaborately, putting effort into not looking bothered at all.]

You're interesting enough for me to stare. There are worse things in the world, you know. And I could be staring for worse reasons.

Oh, don't I know it.

You may as well go ahead and introduce yourself.

Not really any other choice, is there.

Spike. [Not extending a hand to shake.]

Halfpipe.

[She's not a handshake person, either.]

I take it you're new.

Interesting name. [He's not one to talk.]

And yes, I'm new. Sadly. Any advice?

I know.

Advice? [She taps her chin, thinking.] Okay, here. Play nice with the natives, least as far as you can, even though they're being pretty bitchy lately. The vendors can and will rob you blind, but since you get your own allowance, that's not as huge of a deal. Don't expect a lot of transparency from the big guys, try not to make too many enemies, the weird looking star-shaped fruit in the market is actually really good.

I think that's about it.

[Thinks that over for a long moment, going over every point individually.]

...Sounds alright. Bitchy natives aren't so bad, and transparency is rare anyway.

Pretty much like home, then?

Rainier and with a little more kidnapping, but... you have a point.

Yeah, but you get free rent and an allowance instead.

Allowance. What a good start, getting treated like fifteen-year-olds.

Child soldiers.

[Raises an eyebrow at that, making a quick "so-so" gesture.]

That got dark a little quickly.

Well, there are a couple kids here. I don't think they actually fight, though. Just misfires of the great big dimension-hopping cannon.

[Frowns, though not overly bothered.]

Rough for them, then. How young?

A lot of teenagers, from what I've seen, not sure how much younger they get.

[She's not really the kind of person that attracts children.]