here they talked of revolution, here it was they lit the flame

[initiates]

Date: October 1st
Location: The Observatory.
Characters: Everyone.
Summary: New Transports arrive and are shuffled into the Observatory for the show of the year. Initial briefings are very brief this time around, and that Greeter just won't stop crying.
Warnings: new confused people and old sad people??

Your arrival here has been very unceremonious. One second you were somewhere else, and now, very suddenly, your feet hit the glowing white of the Transporter pad, and you're here. You aren't alone, either. There's a crowd of others around you, each seeming just as bewildered, angry, or confused as you might feel. At the head of the group is a woman in purple robes, with eyes red as if she'd just finished crying. She hurries over a quick overview of your intended purpose here, and gives direct answers when asked for them, but to most things she simply shows you how to access the tablet you've just been given. There, you can find the history of this place and a record of what your new cohorts have experienced — although it won't have Network access for another 8 hours. Someone stands on hand to give you a weapon, and though the armory is now greatly reduced, you should be able to find something to suit you.

You're shepherded down a walkway tunnel and into the Observatory, where you will find screens mounted on three sides of the wide room. The only lighting comes from dull red emergency lights, and the scenes of a dreary, rainy city from various cameras up on the screens; the largest of the screens opens up to a view of Earth from a good distance away -- this one isn't a screen at all, you might realize, but a window. As you watch, all screens in the room fill with light, impossibly bright. It consumes the buildings, the people, everything. There is no sound played, perhaps mercifully, only that white light -- and then nothing.

Through the large window, there's a pinprick of light over one of the landmasses on the blue planet. It grows to a tiny blossom and then dies away, but a cloud begins to mushroom outward in the same spot. It pushes the natural clouds out of the way, claiming that small portion of the world and wrapping it in a uniform gray.

Strings of numbers begin to fill the blanked out screens as the base's AI begins collecting data and calculations, but the show seems to be over. You're free to explore the base, visit and use any of the VR rooms, or discover your new room and roommates, but try not to step out of any airlocks if oxygen is a requirement for your system.

Welcome to the moon base, with front row seats to the grave of Exsilium.

[[ooc; reminder! The Network will be down for 8 hours after the wave of new Transports.]]

Comments

look i'm giving you the friendship freak it's your fault if the mass murder gets in the way!

[inhumanity]

[What he gets is a red haired man with an umbrella open. It's not raining, but still, he has it on his shoulder. And on his face, he has no look of horror or despair. There is no point in suffering an emotion you have long since surrendered to.

Instead, he wears a kind, serene smile, on a face that looks like it belongs in Halloween Town. He turns that gentle expression to Sora, the umbrella spinning in his fingertips as he smiles at the boy and speaks in a voice as gentle and serene as his expression.] How joyful to see someone so new already compromising to the unnatural necessities of our existence. Such dedication to adaptation is remarkable. It's inspiring, in fact. I'll do my very best to follow your example.

ruuuude

[heartstorage]

[Sora looks over when he hears this guy. This guy is really...bizarre]

Huh? What are you talking about?

[inhumanity]

[Prejudice!

With a soft chuckle, twirling his umbrella clockwise and then counterclockwise, he replies in his pretty, musical voice.] You're new, are you not? Even if you aren't, you're new to me. So we must introduce ourselves. We must become friends!

[Christopher swings the umbrella around, closes it, tucks it under his arm for a perfectly flashy bow.] My name is Christopher Chareau de Red. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Let's adapt to our circumstances together, all right?

[heartstorage]

[Sorry but you are!!]

[And yep. this is not getting any less weird. He's really not sure...what to make of this guy. ] O..kay.

I'm Sora. Nice to meet you- [THAT NAME IS LONGER THAN NEKU'S] uh....do you go by something shorter?

[inhumanity]

Of course, you can call me by my first name. [The clouds haven't even reasserted themselves in the Earth outside the window, and Christopher talks with warmth and ease.] Or a nickname. Some kind of affectionate form of address used only by one person is an excellent marker of closeness between friends.

[There will be no helping. Just friendship?]

[heartstorage]

[....] I think I'll just stick with Christopher.

But yeah, I just got here. Do you live here?

[inhumanity]

Well, that doesn't matter. I've brought plants with me. [He laughs with an innocent happiness that doesn't match his appearance at all.] I'd like them to meet the rabbit or man who lives here. He might serve them cheese. Why? Are you a census taker?

[heartstorage]

[What in the effing world? Going to Wonderland made more sense than this guy]

A what? No, I was just curious, that's all!

[inhumanity]

Curiosity is a healthy thing in a boy your age. [Christopher's head tilts. He continues to smile.] Why are you curious?

[heartstorage]

[...]

Oh! No reason!

[inhumanity]

Whimsy, then. [Christopher assumes an air of paternal concern.] You should be careful, Sora. I don't mind, but others may take offence at you being so light-hearted after such a tragedy as we just witnessed. I would hate for someone to get the wrong impression of a friend.

[heartstorage]

[What what hey---] Hey- you're one to talk! Why are you acting so cheerful right now anyway if you know what's going on?

[inhumanity]

[Christopher answers as if it's the simplest thing in the world.] All these people are already my friends. They know how my heart truly feels. [To emphasize his point, he puts his hand over his heart.]

[power of friendship ok]

[heartstorage]

[Yep. Completely bizarre. This is even worse than dealing with, well, either of the Jacks]

But didn't half of these people just get here? How's that even possible?

[inhumanity]

[A pause. A moment of consideration.

A hand to wave away the problem.] I'll befriend them later. Just as I'm befriending you.

[heartstorage]

Uh...huh.

[He crosses his arms in a rather lax manner]

But alright then, if we're getting to know each other, what does your heart truly feel?

[inhumanity]

[He looks down at the hand pressing against the heart. He presses the hand against the heart more to get a better feel of what it's feeling. And he answers Sora like someone taking a guess at the nature of a strange plant.] Despair, already deadened to the thoughts of what has happened to those I truly care for, I imagine.

[He looks back up at Sora.] All the more reason to make many new friends, wouldn't you say?

[heartstorage]

[That's...not the answer he was expecting, and it was certainly concerning]

Huh? What do you mean? What happened to those you care about?

[inhumanity]

Wow! So much compassion even at this early stage in our friendship is almost difficult to bear. I don't think I can stay standing under the weight!

[So he sits down. Right there. And puts the umbrella over his lap.] At this point, I think we really ought to have nicknames for each other.

[heartstorage]

What-

Hey! Don't change the subject by saying a bunch of random stuff! If you don't wanna talk about it, just say so!

[inhumanity]

[He gives Sora a frown of disapproval.] That's rude, don't you think? Perhaps where you're from it's normal to tell people how they should or shouldn't avoid a topic, but in America, we respect an individual's right to dodge, deflect, and deceive as they please. That right to freedom is the American way!

For all true Americans, that is. People such as myself and immigrants and women obviously don't count.

[heartstorage]

[He groans] Forget I asked...!

[inhumanity]

[Head tilt!] What were you asking?

[heartstorage]

[staring]

...You're a really strange guy.

[inhumanity]

[He chuckles bashfully.] Thank you, thank you. I won't hold your ordinariness against you.