(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

[indirection]

Hold on. I don't think this is quite fair right now. I gave you my name, told who you I was ... I think I at least deserve the same courtesy in return, don't I?

[onblackwings]

[ She looks annoyed, but only for a second. Fine, if that will get her what she wants to know.

Impatiently: ] Khisanth. I'm a black dragon of Krynn.

[indirection]

[A black dragon--but 'Krynn' is unfamiliar. A different world, then. That would explain why he couldn't properly sense her, at least. But then, if she wasn't of Azeroth, and she knew Deathwing ...]

... is my father here?

[onblackwings]

[ There it is again, 'father'. She wonders vaguely how old that makes this dragon, but... well, it hardly matters. At the reminder of the abandonment, her annoyance surges back to the surface again. She huffs disdainfully, tossing a lock of hair over one shoulder. ]

Not anymore. So much for his plans, and so much for anyone counting on him.

[indirection]

[well, he looks to be in his late teens, but who can tell with dragons ...]

Counting on him? So you were his ally, then.

[His voice becomes very soft on the second sentence. And not the good kind of soft.]

[tragicomedienne]

Don't ask stupid questions!

Do I look like someone who'd waste her time with something like a band? [Even if that isn't the point, her preferred method of deflecting the conversation is to insult on rapid-fire.]

What would a girl like you understand about fashion or status?

[ex_havenofear960]

[Huh. Well, magic's pretty cool.]

I guess they do usually have magic, yeah. [... in D&D.] What about you, what's your deal, exactly? Since you obviously already know mine. [Just a little bit nosy.]

[onblackwings]

[ She could have stayed loyal to Deathwing, provided he didn't betray her. But all that changed as soon as he abandoned her, and the only sense of loyalty she has around here is to herself. Meaning, of course, that there are some things you just don't tell the powerful murderer of a former ally. ]

Do you see me mourning his death? [ As flatly as she can manage, mouth pressed into an annoyed line. ] We worked together for as long as he suited my purpose, nothing more.

[indirection]

[Unfortunately, he doesn't find that answer particularly endearing. To his mind, there's no reason any sane person--or dragon--would ever ally with Deathwing.]

I'm going to try, for a moment, to generously give you the benefit of the doubt. I'm going to assume you did not know of the many names my father had back on Azeroth, though, honestly, I should think that 'Deathwing' would be enough to make anyone wary. Anyone with good intentions, at least.

[He takes a step towards her.]

But he was also known as the Destroyer. The Worldbreaker. The Aspect of Death itself. He nearly tore apart Azeroth in his madness--and he corrupted every other member of my race, aside from myself.

[another step.]

Am I being clear here, Khisanth? Because I hate to be unclear.

[ex_havenofear960]

[ Gosh, you sound like a few people he used to know back home. ]

Good to know there's something worth fighting for, I guess. Not that this war thing isn't interesting, but it's a little over my head. [ It isn't, actually. More just trust issues. Speaking of which, he's got snooping to do. ]

So I've got snooping to do, but I'm sure I'll see you around. You know, fighting the good fight, et cetera.

[ He's almost about to make a quick exit when he remembers something else and offers a hand. ]

Spider-Man, by the way.

[ex_havenofear960]

Yeah.

[ ... actually, lots of them can talk, can't they? ]

Actually, no, I guess there's also myths where they can talk. But really, you don't talk to them? Why not? I would think it would be kind of a- [ And he stops himself there, because is assuming a dragon-man would relate to dragons racist? Speciest? He has no idea. ]

[redheadcarrier]

Hey, I'm just curious! You could be a band-geek for all I know!

[Her voice has that same, sickly-sweet sing-songy lilt it tends to get when she's pretending not to be insulting, but totally is. She shrugs, but a flash of irritation runs over her features.]

I happen to have been one of the most important people in the world where I come from - in charge of saving it, actually!

[And there's her wounded pride, although she takes pains to make herself sound imperious instead of angry. It doesn't quite work - she's always worn her heart on her sleeve.]

[ex_havenofear960]

[ He should just give up on trying to pretend he's a good person, really. ]

Yeah. We come from a place called Spider Planet, it's all spiders and spider people. It's an arachnophic's worst nightmare.

[ And hey, good question. ] Fuschia is... pink? Purple? Lovechild of pink and purple? But hey, cool hair. Back on Spider Planet people have to dye it to get anything that crazy going on.

[onblackwings]

[ If she were in her own shape, her scales would be bristling. She stands her ground firmly, watching him intently for signs of an attack. But she won't back down, no matter how powerful he is.

...And it reminds her, incidentally, of that one passing comment he'd made. Something about destroying the world, hadn't it been? She'd taken issue with that, but she seems to remember the matter had been smoothed over immediately, he'd distracted her with some spell or gift. By Takhisis, she'd been so easily fooled back then. ]

If that was his intention here, he kept it well hidden. [ And... ugh. She scowls briefly, annoyed again — but this time only at herself. ] And I was a good deal more trusting, back then.

[ex_havenofear960]

[ Just meta, noted. So is the delay in answering, and it makes him a bit more suspicious of this whole lurking-in-alleys character. On the other hand, if someone asked him what his deal was, he'd probably take a while to answer too. He can't really judge. ]

I'm more of a Rubik's cube guy.

[ So yes, complicated, please. He wants to figure out as much as anybody's willing to share about this place or themselves, really. It'll theoretically help him feel more grounded. ]

[indirection]

I guarantee that his true thoughts were occupied with little else. He had to be put down. [the friendly smile returns.] And so he was.

lmao tony

[ex_havenofear960]

[ We'll give the secret identity a few weeks, tops. It'll fall apart spectacularly. ]

Seriously?

[ Then there's a pause for thought, because- ]

Are there even that many bad guys here? Actually, no, I take that back. I guess if I was recruiting for a temporal war I'd stick my hand in the vigilante cookie jar, too. So what's your deal, then, are you baseline or meta?

[ Look, he's learning new words!! Words that apply more to that other comic subsection of heroes, oops. Blame the Batkids. ]

[onblackwings]

Good riddance.

[ because people that abandon her DESERVE NO OTHER FATE. But she pushes that aside, and returns her considering stare to Wrathion. Hmm... ]

There are other dragons here, but you and I are the only black dragons. I suppose that makes us kin.

[indirection]

You might think twice before calling yourself my kin, Khisanth. I got rid of every last one of them, after all.

[onblackwings]

[ She finally smiles, somewhat bitterly, and offers a shrug. ]

Of the three black dragons from Krynn I've met, I've seen them all killed. At least you're in good company.

[indirection]

Did your race also suffer from an intrinsic corruption?

[tragicomedienne]

[...What? It's such a non sequitur that the deviation dampens her anger for a second - just enough for it to come back louder and more incredulous than before.]

What are you talking about? What do you mean, 'match?!' I want to know what you have to do with this!

[Anthy Himemiya is as weird as ever, but Nanami hasn't forgotten that she is also very scary. Everyone else here might not have any idea, but Nanami knows.]

You and... [That man.]

[onblackwings]

[ no just assholery sorry ]

They suffer cowardice and disloyalty.

[indirection]

And you are different?

[governorkang]

Let's just say we don't get along.

[It's just one big happy family when it comes to dragons and draconians on Krynn.]