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

a.

[outway]

[ gaius wasn't really used to the custom of welcoming new arrivals... he had gone through it once himself when he had arrived, but the arrival of new people seemed somewhat secondary in importance to everything else that had been going on lately. he'd met and spoken with some people, but more out of coincidence than anything else.

but when he spots a familiar figure among the crowd of people, he immediately tenses. he had seen jude, muzet, and even milla already... but he never expected to see one of his chimeriad here. not since they had all perished in battle.

though he knew that the initiative could pick people from worlds at different points in time, he'd never really considered the idea that he could re-encounter those he'd already lost. still, as conflicted as he may be at the idea, he can't just stand around staring all day. so eventually he approaches, finally speaking in a somewhat stiff voice... also in long dau, but i'm too lazy to actually write his speech out in long dau, sorry. ]

Lin.

[ebonwing]

[ An idle thought of Wingul's was that this is just some weird dream. An afterlife thing, maybe. Unlikely, but he was trying to consider each option equally.

But Gaius blows that option right out of the water. If this was a result of death, Gaius wouldn't be here. He doesn't have to be alive to know that. He recognises Gaius's voice before even registering his own name and turns towards him, bowing his head. He also takes a second to try and decide how to reply to him... with his recent failure, he's somewhat ashamed to be in front of Gaius already. ]

Your highness.

[ His death is still fresh in his memory so he has to work to keep any actual emotion out of his voice. If he was asked if he was happy to see his king, he wouldn't be able to answer honestly, because he himself doesn't even know. ]

[outway]

[ so it really is him. gaius isn't entirely sure how to react, so he simply stands silently as usual, grimly determined... though what exactly he's determined to do is anyone's guess. instead, he simply nods in response to wingul's greeting, carefully considering his next words. ]

I was not expecting you.

[ that seemed straightforward enough. even his unflappable second in command seemed rather perplexed by this turn of events... though why that was, gaius wasn't entirely sure. it also meant gaius needed to tread a bit lightly, for now. just like with jude, gaius couldn't be too sure what exactly wingul knew. ]

[ebonwing]

[ The main problem with dying (apart from... dying...) is that you really don't know what happens to everyone after that. He has no way of knowing how long he's been gone — it could be just seconds, which is what it feels like to him. Or it could be days, weeks, months.

That comment gives him the feeling that more than a few seconds have passed for Gaius. And that he probably knows about his death. Because otherwise, Wingul would have followed him anywhere. ]

I would never have expected anything like this.

[ As much as he hates to admit that. ]

[outway]

Yes... even you couldn't plan for a conflict like this.

[ whether gaius is joking or serious is more or less completely up in the air, since his expression doesn't betray anything either way. wingul's confusion is understandable, though gaius doesn't really know where to start. but he might as well try to answer any questions wingul might have...

though admittedly, gaius probably isn't equipped to answer most of them. ]

Do you understand what has happened?

[ebonwing]

[ ...Well despite that, he'd still rather it be Gaius. ]

I was revived here, along with people who are not from familiar places. And that the history behind this area is extensive. Anything more than that... I do not understand fully yet.

[outway]

Revived...

[ he says the word carefully, as if testing it. that certainly tells him a lot about where wingul is coming from, or at least when. it's a disturbing thing to consider, but he's somehow thankful they won't need to dance around that then. ]

I see. We've been recruited to fight in another war. [ he moves his hand to his sword, still at his side. ] Against an enemy that is far greater than any we've faced before.

[ebonwing]

[ Recruited, hm. It's one thing to take him, but to just presumptuously take Gaius and expect that of him... well that's incredibly aggravating. ]

It's convenient that they can just seemingly pick anyone and bring them here for a cause like this.

[ It's really more the being taken without being asked first that is bothering him (and not even regarding himself but everyone else here, Gaius included) especially if the threat is so terrible. ]

[outway]

Convenient? [ a slight grunt. ] That is one way to look at it. To me, it is nothing more than desperation. They have nothing else they can rely on... so they must rely on us.

[ and in his mind, they aren't the best of soldiers for this cause... even if they have incredible power, they aren't very set on fighting for their masters. ]

[ebonwing]

[ ...well, desperate works. But weirdly so. Why not just import entire armies?? Because they're not appable, Wingul... ]

And are you going to help them?

[ He really doesn't care much for a yes or no. Not yet, when he's just arrived anyways. But the only thing he really believes that he has left is his belief in Gaius. ]

[outway]

No. Not them.

[ he'll never think of it that way, even if it's practically the same thing. ]

But I will do what I can to help save this world.

[ebonwing]

[ ...Wingul really didn't expect anything else. So that's what he's going to say. ]

I expected nothing less from you, Erston.

[ He didn't know how many of the people here were innocent. Or what to call the ones who brought him here. Or what the enemies were. He really couldn't have learned all of that in the very short time he's been there, so it's on his immediate to-do list — but even then he knows that his decision won't change. It's purely for information; if Gaius plans to help them, then he knows that's the right thing to do.

...99% of the time, anyways. ]

[outway]

[ he just nods, not sure what else to say. what are you supposed to tell your dead former best friend/sidekick when you've been reunited to fight some strange war on an alien planet?

...actually, there probably are a lot of things you could say in that situation, but gaius has never been a big talker. ]

It will be good to fight by your side again.

[ebonwing]

[ He'll figure it all out eventually. Well, the physical stuff anyways. The death stuff can wait. For a while. He doesn't really want to talk about that right now.

...He does admit to himself that it's reassuring to hear that. ]

It is an unexpected opportunity, but I am grateful for it.

[outway]

[ a stiff nod. man, what are you feelings, and how do you deal with them. obviously, the gaius approach is to just pretend they don't exist, and they'll probably go away after a while. much like a stray animal looking for food. ]

Have you found your quarters yet?

[ gaius probably isn't the best person to lead you, but whatever. let him try to be helpful. ]

[ebonwing]

[ But they won't, because stray animals happen to love Gaius Dumplings. They will not stop dogging you until they are satisfied with the amount of food (GD in this case) you have given them, and much like feelings, once they're done they'll be back for more.

...Okay, so he has some emotional problems too. But for now he'll just push aside his usual ones — pride, jealousy, determination, the ones that he usually ignores anyways — in favour of just feeling slightly content for the time being. He's apparently alive (for now) and Gaius is here. And he has something to focus on. ]

No. Not yet. [ Everyone seemed a bit busy. ] Is it found on this thing?

[ Idly pressing random stuff on his tablet... it was more just very different and confusing rather than outright impossible to use. Like going from Power Macintosh G3 to Windows 7... ]

[outway]

[ wow, this metaphor took a weird turn...

if the location of your quarter is determinable using your tablet, gaius wouldn't know it. so he just kind of cringes at the question, turning away as he gazes down a hallway... at nothing in particular, but just to avoid having to look at wingull's face for a moment or two.

okay, moment passed. ]

Machines like that are unreliable. It's better to find your way yourself.

[ sure it is, gaius. sure it is... ]

[ebonwing]

[ ...Well alright then. He'll believe you for now, Gaius. ]

Then I will do so. [ He really, really hopes that the doors are labeled with names or something similarly helpful. ] But first, where are your own?

[ Things a best friend/sidekick needs to know: that. ]

[outway]

I will lead the way there first.

[ why not... things have been pretty disorganized since he got here, but he at least knows the way to his own quarters.

though admittedly he still isn't really used to having roommates. either way, off they go. ]

[ebonwing]

[ No that's a good thing, then he won't have to wander the area looking for Gaius. That's kind of embarrassing even though he can probably pass it off as just... wandering around... but that's not the point.

He follows behind him silently, taking mental notes of everything that seemed interesting. Along the way he also keeps an eye out for his own supposed room, just to save on time. ]

[outway]

[ when he finally arrives at his quarters, gaius just stands outside, gesturing. ]

This is it.

[ he seems to have no particular interest in entering though... if only because there are probably others there, and he's kind of distant and aloof in general. ] Have you encountered others from Rieze Maxia here yet?

[ebonwing]

[ It's not like he wanted to be in Gaius' room anyways!!! ]

No. Who else is here?

[ Well Jude will find him eventually but that hasn't happened yet. ]

[outway]

[ wow... fine, be that way. you just lost room rights. ]

Jude. And Muzet.

[ probably not the most welcome answers for wingul, but whatever. ]

[ebonwing]

[ that goes two ways. catty school girl rules. ]

...I can't say that I'm surprised.

[ It could be worse. He could have said Rowen. That would just be the icing on the cake. ]

Even with the arbitrary method of arriving here.

[outway]

Whatever our circumstances back in Rieze Maxia, they are invaluable allies here.

[ in other words, play nice wingul. ]

At this rate, there may be others still to arrive.