exsiliumlogs | (no subject)

Date: September 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. 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

[Juno has gathered just enough of herself at this time to realize she's hungry. Once she's over the whole breathing thing, she makes the conscious effort to buck up and go about her day like she didn't just witness the horrible things she did.

Easier said than done. Her head is still loud with the monsters' shrieks and her friends' cries and blood when she approaches Poppy. She swallows dryly before she forces her words:] You still offering those?

[Needless to say she's completely oblivious to whatever is going on in the other woman's mind - Poppy herself seems to pop out of a deep thought of her own when she notices she's being addressed, mouth still half-full with the cookie. She quickly wipes the crumbs from her hand and gets to her feet, extending the box towards Juno.]

Oh, yes! [At which point she covers her mouth, because talking with your mouth full is rude, woops.] Sorry. Go ahead.

[Juno takes it upon herself to sit down next to Poppy and help herself to a cookie. It's been a rough day and everyone else seems to think so, so she decides everyone is on the same page as far as manners are concerned; they can be excused for now.

She takes a big bite out of the cookie, and her chews are firm, sort of masculine if there is such a way of chewing.]

Thanks. [She wipes the corner of her lips with a fingertip as she swallows what she has. Her sore leg stretches extends to rest.] What's your name?

[Oh. She didn't expect to have a guest sitting next to her. She supposes it could be a lot worse. And at least she's eating one of the cookies.]

Poppy. Poppy Chadwick. [She places the box down between them, in case Juno wants to take another one. Intertwining her fingers over her lap, shaking her hair off her face,] And... you are-?

Juno.

[It's not like she's gone days without eating, but holy hell this cookie tastes delish right now. Juno devours it quickly and wipes her hands on her athletic leggings.]

So to make something clear, were you about to die before you showed up?

[Oh, dear. She should probably offer her another cookie. Poppy leaves the box within reach just in case.]

About to die? Uhm. No. No, I wasn't. Why do you ask?

[Just now she realizes there's a right and wrong answer to that. Poppy's response bums her out for some reason.

She shakes her head dismissively before she looks at the cookies. Suddenly she's uninterested in another one.]

I'm just trying to make sense of this place.

Did - [No, Poppy. Don't pry.] Is there... something you'd like to talk about?

[She shakes her head.]

No, but thanks. Oh, [She withdraws her tablet.] this works like a phone, right?

[frowning... a little... but she isn't here to insist on that. Just to distribute cookies and answer questions.]

Oh, yes! Yes it does. You can text people, or call them - it has all sorts of functions, really. Well - you can't call the police with it, unfortunately, but it works fine with just about everything else.