(no subject)

[initiates]

Date: February 1st
Location: The Initiative Hold & Courtyard.
Characters: Everyone.
Summary: New Transports have all arrived and have been shuffled into the Courtyard after their initial briefings, while older Transports are returning from the mission to Uruguay.
Warnings: None.

While those who have been guests of Exsilium since at least the last wave of Transports return from their desperate mission and are pressed out of the Transporter room and into the Courtyard, the Initiative prepares to receive a second wave at the same time. And if you're in that second wave, the fresh meat, then 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.

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

Comments

MOMENTS OF IDIOCY FORGIVE ME.

[justthedriver]

[ No, he's not blind, but that little warning gives him what he wants, nonetheless. The shades are as much part of the man as the hands, and they are probably not prosthetics. Nikolai has never seen prosthetics work well enough to pick up a cigarette and light it. (Then again, he doesn't know much about prosthetics. They are expensive things, to say the least, and in the village where Nikolai had grown up, children who are born with any kind of disabilities just tend to be thrown out.

Kinder to them, that way. When you're in Russia, you can't guarantee that your healthy children will have food. Plus if they can't work... Nikolai shakes his head. ]

Depends on which thieves you been thinking too, [ he says easily. It's obvious enough that he's a thief - if this man can speak a wisp of Russian, he should know enough to know what the tattoos on Nikolai's skin means. ]

I don't like following men home when they look more like robot than person. [ He tips his head to the side. ] Not very safe to, da?

[ It's not polite either, all that you've done in this conversation. But then again, Nikolai is a contradiction. ]

[justthedriver]

[ Funny. Nikolai was going for 'mildly terrifying'. Then again, win some, lose some. ]

Nikolai Luzhin. [ He looks upwards for a long moment. ] Sky always this bad?

[ He speaks good enough English most of the time. Sometimes he just likes to fuck around with it.

He wonders if Vanadi is actually speaking English. ]

[ladyofrivendell]

[Well before most people, really. That's the tricky thing about elves.]

I am the Lady Celebrían. And yourself?

no worries! <3

[pixieboots]

About a month now. Only seems like it's been two hundred.

[ The Initiative sure knows how to pick them. He tucks his thumbs back into his pockets and hunches his shoulders a little against the rain. ]

Did you get the whole welcome spiel already?

[tragicomedienne]

That's what I said!

[Troll, monster: it's all the same to her.

She lets out a sort of small, distressed whimper. The flier is getting worked anxiously in her hand, and it might end up crumpled anyway.]

Of course not. What kind of a...How could I have?

[stonewall]

Whoa, whoa, whoa. I wasn't...

[ He trails off, sounding embarrassed about the mere idea. Even if he wasn't engaged, she's awfully young, and besides — all he did was give her an umbrella.

After a moment, he laughs awkwardly, realizing it might have been a joke. ]

You'll wanna keep that on you, though. It's almost always raining here.

[fe_male]

[ are you just matching all the J-names together

Well at least they're in agreement about what they're not going to talk about. And without even talking about it a little bit to make sure! This'll be easier than Tony thought. ]

It was a nickname basis, mostly. [ Sort of. He called you 'Capsicle', you called him, you know, other things. But whatever, how about a handshake. He doesn't remember having done one yet. It's a little late into the conversation, but signs of good faith and all that. ] Tony's fine. Or Stark. Mister Stark is a little formal, kind of a mouthful, all that consonance with the 'stuh' sound.

[lifemelody]

Wonderful! Thank you Captain Coby!

[crystalia]

<sub>( ooc : no worries! )

( She actually has to laugh, at that. She was first introduced to Steve when she was very young, and though he didn't look terribly old he was still the leader, still the old man. He hadn't thought much of her, back then, and she'd wanted very badly to prove him wrong. )</sub>

He doesn't look much older than that, no. But I think people looking up to him makes him seem a bit more mature.

[strategic_guile]

Actually, she's about yay tall [holds hand up somewhere around his chin], but she is green. And flies.

[nuclear_raven]

Cool, I think I got it then.

[speakveryclearly]

"Well, it's not," she says with a little bit of laughter - Haruka really is one of the clever ones, Kanaya will have to remember her (and be remembered, but that's too much to hope for, or at least correctly).

"So," continues the cool rainbow drinker who has completely succeeded in this social interaction "I guess I will see you later, then." She makes a small wave and walks backwards at a normal-looking pace through the stairwell door, which she closes in front of her.

One of the main differences between her speedy movement and Gamzee's is that when kept up over an extended distance such as, for example, three flights of stairs, her feet do successfully generate a notable clattering noise.

DONT WORRY this happened to me too

[neveraskedforthis]

[ He has a hunch.

But fine, he's not gonna force anyone; but at the same time no one can say he's not trying to be a little bit courteous towards the new arrivals. Exsilium is a very small island, and it's not difficult to keep track of people, or find out about their secrets. His own are no exception. He doesn't hide what he is and doesn't deny an answer if directly asked, but he sees no reason to go around and tell people. He always just tells as much as necessary. ]

How horribly prejudiced. In my experience it's a lot more dangerous not to follow and keep an eye on them. But it's your call.

[ He just gestures in the appropriate direction. ]

Down that road, left turn at the first intersection. You'll see it on the right side after another five minute walk. Looks a bit like it got hit by a bomb.

[ Probably because it did at some point, but they tried their best to fix it back up. ]

Welcome to the shithole that is future London. You'll feel right at home, I'm sure.

[motherofnemesis]

[ a glance back as he introduces himself and she makes sure she remembers the face and the name that goes with it. Another person to place on the possible ally list. ]

Good to meet you too. You get all your questions answered already?

( ooc: never a problem! )

[chore_boy]

(OOC: Slams this down here.)

There's no need to be so formal. It still feels a bit odd being called by my title.

[velveteened]

( he blinks in surprise when the umbrella obscures his vision and keeps the rain from hitting him, then smiles, lowering his gaze to look at their surroundings. )

Yep! I'm brand new here.

[velveteened]

Curiouser and curiouser! So it'd be something like, the blade gets less likely to break? Sounds like it'd get heavier too...

( oz stop gesturing with it before you take an eye out )

[chore_boy]

[Coby found himself remembering himself immediately, knowing how hard it was to train. If only because he trained under Garp, he turned himself from a frail creature into a Captain in only two years.]

No, I wouldn't think of it as imposing at all. I had to train very hard to get to where I am now and I'm thankful for the progress I've made.

Anything I can do to help would be a reward upon itself--especially as a Marine is indebted to protect. This, I suppose, would be a natural form of protection, right?

[iorhael]

I agree, though I would have to say that they go above and beyond any master burglar, even my uncle.

[itsmagicallydelicious]

... I wouldn't know. The Clock Tower has their own ways of classifying things.

[Magi is just an overall classification, he knows that much -- there's scores of different disciplines and specializations, and the Archmagi of the past, but Kariya doesn't know much about the top of the food chain in the present age.

It's only natural: he's an outcast, and not particularly interested in their opinion of themselves.]

[queenoftherock]

[Ollie shrugs, fixing his arm in his sling.

He'll eventually find out who this guy is.]

I've got plenty of that.

[He says it in an offhand manner as he leaves the Russian stranger in the opposite direction.]

[itsmagicallydelicious]

More or less. [He nods and steps back a little; there are probably other people who want brochures and whatnot, he's been in the way for a while.] If that's the case, I should be able to find it on my own.

Thanks.

[itsmagicallydelicious]

[He's honestly not sure how to react. He has a feeling he should be offended, but the man changes his tune so fast Kariya's having trouble keeping up. It doesn't help that his reaction times are slowed by general disorientation and tiredness.

So he just sighs in response to all the antics -- at this point, ventriloquism is the least of what he's seen. If a man wants to talk to his doll... well, he's seen magi talk to stranger things.]

It's rude to talk about someone as though they aren't here. [That's all he's going to say about it.] And... that's in the plans, yes.

[He'll likely beeline for the bath now once he gets inside. Hopefully, his roommates won't be around.]

[treehopping]

Alright.

[She looks down at it again, fingering the tiny telescope... then she let's go. Rue decides she'll look more closely at it later when she's on her own, she'll figure it out. She has to be useful somehow.]

What did you get, Jesse?

[fintastic]

You're welcome! Take care, and let me know if you need more help!

[ Feferi waves once to see him off, but her attention is caught by someone else just a moment later. She can't help if she's an excitable little girl. ]