exsiliumlogs | (no subject)

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(no subject)

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

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[Haha, ouch. Why you gotta make him feel his age, he already feels it all of the time!!]

I'm afraid I haven't heard of anything like that. [And he can't discount the possibility that he simply didn't get out there enough, even if he's traveled a good amount and all... Well, the world is vast. It's a weird thing to be embarrassed over.] I'm just not worldly enough yet, I guess.

[But she likes Uncle Kariya even if he's old.]

I'd offer to get you one but I don't know if I can buy them here. [Well, even if she could, she doubts she has money to burn.]

Don't worry about it. You can borrow mine if you want.

[But he's not even old.....]

... It's all right. I'm sure they have other ways of listening to music here.

[He's not sure what use he'd have for it; music, rather like television and books and food and... well, various other luxuries haven't been much of a priority lately. It's kind of strange to be contemplating it right now. It's strange that it's strange. Man, he doesn't even know anymore.

Either way, it's probably best her iPod doesn't come into contact with him.]

You should be careful of your weapon.

[They've just met, after all. It's a little worrying that you're willing to share so easily.]

Oh... Yeah, I forgot for a second.

[She looks down at it. How can it be a weapon, anyway? She didn't want one or need one. Turning it over a couple of times, she finally puts it back in her pocket.]

I... [Kido hesitates. Even if he's nice, she shouldn't be so open. But she also has a feeling he might understand, so...]

You sensed me earlier, right? Before you saw me?

[He has to resist the urge to shake his head at that; it was because of her earlier ability to disappear that he'd assumed she could do a little better for herself than someone completely unacquainted with magic or powers of any kind.

Whatever else magic does, it prepares its holders for the world (the world of magi, but in many ways it is a harsher world than the human one).

It's also the reason he doesn't hesitate before answering her questions.]

Yes. Before you showed yourself.

[It's a vague guess; he knows she was using some type of power, but he won't intrude further than she's willing to share. It would be disrespectful, after all.]

[He's being considerate? She really is warming up to this guy.]

Thanks. It's all right. Just don't give me away, got it? And... if you need to hide you can ask. I'm just not used to people being able to tell.

[It means she'll have to practice again but if other people can sense her, then she has to work on eliminating that.

What kind of powers does he have though if he can do that...? They might be why he looks how he does. She's lucky in that case.]

Your secret is safe. [Another flash of wryness.] I may just take you up on that offer sometime.

[Because man Kido you really do not want to know about his powers. Hell, he doesn't want to know about his powers. He does hesitate this time before continuing.]

Just remember that the use of power will affect your surroundings. The use of supernatural energy is still energy. [She may not be a magus in the strictest sense of the word, but maybe she'll be able to get something from that... Though, who is he kidding. He's never even been a formal student of magic, so explaining it to others is a little--] ... I'm sorry if that made no sense. You can ignore it if you like.

[She shakes her head.]

No, uh- It made sense. Do you know how to make that...sort of thing work better? My friend taught me. So if you know...

[Kido scratches at the back of her head.] If you have pointers, I'll listen.

[What else can she say? She won't lay it out that she's had trouble with this in the past. But even mentioning she'll accept help is a big deal for her.]

Ah. Without knowing about your abilities-- No-- [He drops his eyes to his feet. That's what he gets for meddling.] I'm not well-educated in this myself.

[Just be glad he didn't say 'this stuff'. Gotta keep a little credibility. His own vanity makes him want to laugh; good thing Tokiomi isn't here. Good thing no other magus is here right now.]

I can only tell you the results, Kido, I'm sorry.

[She just smiles for him. Relax, old man.]

That's fine. My friends and I just... figured it out as we went. No one told us. You probably could figure it out a lot better.

That's... You have too much faith.

['In me' goes unspoken, but the general sentiment is also true. Much as he'd loved Rin and Sakura and done his best to be worthy of their trust (and how well did that turn out?), he'd also never quite understood it.

What was it like, to be able to trust like that?]

I'll do what I can to help. [He hadn't planned on it -- on getting involved with anyone here. That's not his first instinct anymore. But she'd asked.]

['Too much faith' huh? She doesn't quite laugh at it but she nods.]

Well... leaders need to have faith, right? If you believe in others, they start to believe in themselves.

[Someone has to start when it comes to trust. Kido doesn't think he needs to do anything more to earn it than what he's already doing.]

... That's a good philosophy.

[It just completely fails when it comes to the world of magi. But since that's not the world they're confronting at the moment (he hopes they aren't too alike, at least), it should be all right.

He wants it to be all right.]

You should get out of the rain soon. I'm sure your roommates would enjoy your company, too.

[He... simultaneously wants to prolong and cut short this meeting. There are too many mixed feelings on the table at the moment.]

[She kind of understands. And he's right, she needs to look around some more anyway.]

Yeah, I need to see if anyone I know is here, too. Take care of yourself, got it, Kariya?

[Kido pushes off the wall and tugs her hood over her eyes more.]

See you around. [She smiles at him but the next time he blinks, she's gone.

Of course, he can probably feel her walking away now but let a teenager be dramatic sometimes.]

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