(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

[velveteened]

Don't worry! Even meeting a friend of his is nice. A friend of Gil's is a friend of mine, after all!

[motioned]

Right! How did you meet him?

1/2

[velveteened]

How...?

2/3

[velveteened]

That's simple!

[velveteened]

I'm his master!

[motioned]

[She stops and stares for a moment, until all of a sudden all the things Gilbert has told her about this 'master' filters in - he's so much better than I am, the life of a servant has no worth with their master - and the reaction is immediate. Her eyes narrow, her mouth draws back into a line. She reaches down to grab the handle of the wagon, pulling it harshly behind her as she hurries away.]

[velveteened]

( wh...at..........

hurries after?? )

Ahiru?

[motioned]

[She turns back towards him as she hears his voice, the anger evident on her face.]

Don't follow me!

[velveteened]

( follows her )

What did I do?

[motioned]

[UGH she turns around and kind of ineffectually shoves her wagon at him so it lightly bumps against his shins. This is effective ok.]

Go away!

[velveteened]

( it doesn't really hurt but the fact that she'd do that on purpose...! )

Did someone say something about me?

[motioned]

Yes, but I don't have to tell you anything, I told you to go away!

[Pulling it back and then shoving it into his legs again!!]

[velveteened]

( wow that's so rude!! he kind of jumps when she shoves it at him again, which ends in him landing in the wagon. not as planned, but hey. )

Isn't that kind of dangerous...?

[motioned]

[She just stares at him in shock for a minute because wow did he really. The nerve!]

Get out of my wagon.

[She realizes she's still holding the peanut butter cookies and throws them at his head.]

[velveteened]

( he really wants to know who has been badmouthing him behind his back! was it vincent? he bets it was vincent )

Who was it?

( and oh god he ducks to avoid the flying projectiles is this the real life )

Ahiru! ( okay this is getting ridiculous ) I'll leave you alone if you tell me.

[motioned]

[She huffs, crossing her arms over her middle, staring down at him with a glare.]

It doesn't matter who said it! I don't care if - if you think you're his master or whatever, you better leave my father alone if he ever shows up here! Or else I'll—

[But she doesn't actually have a threat. Oop.]

Now get out of my wagon!

[velveteened]

( there is exactly one thing that registers from all of that )

Father?

[motioned]

We—

[Signed the adoption papers just days ago. And there's a wave of guilt there, at leaving him so soon after, despite the fact she knows it isn't her fault.]

Yes. Now get out!

[velveteened]

( sorry he's still trying to process this.

GILBERT YOU SLY DOG )

[motioned]

[WOW

Yeah, she's reaching forward to grab a sleeve so she can try to pull him out of the wagon.]

You said you would get out!

[velveteened]

If you answered my question!

( he moves to pull a sleeve out of the way, but his reactions are still SLOW FROM SHOCK, so then it's him trying to shake her off. )

[motioned]

I did answer your question!

[Wow pulling harder!!!]

[velveteened]

( what did he do to deserve this )

I can't move if you keep doing that!

[motioned]

[abruptly stops]

Out.

[velveteened]

( GOD HE'S GETTING OUT '^' )

Don't forget to return it to Miss Martha.