(no subject)

[initiates]

Date: May 1st
Location: The Initiative Hold & Courtyard.
Characters: Everyone.
Summary: New Transports arrive and are shuffled into the Courtyard after their initial briefings, while those Transports on the mission to Wollongong return.
Warnings: None.

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

Jesse Pinkman | Breaking Bad | OPEN

[hostage]

[Jesse is seated closest to the cookie tables, slouched in his chair and watching the newcomers pass by with a mixture of interest and something else. Unease, maybe, like he's avoiding someone but he expects them to walk by at any moment. In any case, he looks like the man in charge of this establishment. A strange sight, to be sure. The cookies in front of him look so sweet and cheerful, but he looks like a thug who wandered out of the bad part of town: hollow-eyed, unshaven, dressed in black - complete with a leather jacket - and a cigarette hanging from his mouth. Still, he doesn't look unfriendly. Just out-of-place.]

Re: Jesse Pinkman | Breaking Bad | OPEN

[demonbloodblade]

[Meliantha brings in a small table and a sign before the flood of people happens, and gives Jesse a small nod. She smiles a little, and says:]

This is a good idea. Thank you for starting it.

[Then she sets up as noted below.]

[hostage]

Ah, yeah. It's nothing.

[Not like he solved world hunger or anything. It's a tent and a few tables. He leans back in his chair, noting her sign.]

"Questions Answered". That's good. I suck at that part.

[demonbloodblade]

Nobody else thought of it.

[She chuckles a little.]

Well, there's always a stream of them. maybe for next month I'll make a little handbill for people, the questions that get asked most.

[hostage]

Somebody made one, didn't they? 'course, the more the better.

[no_strings_attached]

[Kriem made her way down from where they'd dumped the rest they'd pulled here while walking by his elaborate stall. Like Jesse, she looks just out of place among all the new Tranports as she's dressed in a hospital gown with gauze still taped to both of her arms. In her tight grasp, she also held a bowler hat to her breast as if her life depended on it.

She seemed a little unsteady on her feet here and there, but Kriem otherwise held herself up high as if she wouldn't let the world around her beat her down.]

[hostage]

[Jesse can't just watch a girl walk by looking like that and not do anything about it. As soon as he spots her, he gets up out of his chair and rushes out of the tent. He doesn't grab her - oh he has learned not to do that suddenly - but he does offer his arm to her.]

Hey, hey - are you okay?

[no_strings_attached]

[She was too proud to take the offered arm, even if her legs were giving her a little trouble. Kriem does offer him a smile, even if it didn't quite reach her eyes.]

No, but they won't ever be again.

[It may have been cold out there, her skin paling in response, but Kriem didn't feel it.]

[hostage]

[Wouldn't be the first time a woman's refused to touch him. If she won't take his arm, she probably won't take his jacket, but he's shrugging it off anyway.]

Here. Take this. Do you, um... Do you wanna come in and sit down for a second? I could get a doctor, or...

[no_strings_attached]

[It's nothing personal, she's just too proud to accept help in her current condition. She glanced at the jacket. There was a moment where it wouldn't look like she'd take the jacket, but Kriem eventually thought better as she reached forward to take the jacket.]

I don't need a doctor.

[No, why would she went she'd been the one to end her life?

She reached up to put the bowler hat on her bare head. It sat perfectly there while Kriem began to slip the jacket on. It was easily too big for her small frame, but did well to hide the gauze taped at her elbows.]

I'm not meant to be here.

[thephix]

[Oh thank god, there's a look she can recognize, and there's something reassuring in the familiarity of a guy who looks like he comes from her part of the world. Thugs are people she knows how to deal with, even if the fact he seems to be handing out free baked good is a little surprising.

It's possible he's just had a rough night and she's misjudging entirely, but it can't hurt to wander over, arms wrapped protectively around herself, a grey pitbull following her happily. Once she's actually close enough to reach for a cookie, she pauses, casting a glance at Jesse, giving off the impression that she wants one, but feels like it'd be impolite to take one without saying anything.]

Hi. [Her voice is quiet, but a brief, unsure smile flickers across her face.] Are these for us?

[She means "Transports", presumably.]

[hostage]

[It's been a rough month, but Jesse always has an easy smile for a cute girl.]

Totally. Take as much as you want.

[He punctuates that with a grand gesture to the trays. They're nowhere near running low on supplies.]

[thephix]

[She murmurs a quiet "sit" to the dog, who obeys despite seeming more interested in shoving his face in the cookies.]

Thank you. [That gets a brighter smile out of her, as she takes a cookie, breaking it half so she can give half to Maurice, in lieu of having any dog treats.] Is this an, um, Initiative thing? Or are you from somewhere else, too?

[She's 99% sure it's the latter, but still.]

[hostage]

[He's momentarily distracted by the dog, resisting the urge to hop over and play with it. Probably not such a good idea.]

Oh - um, nah. This is just, like, a thing we do. I'm from Albuquerque.

[thephix]

He doesn't bite. [The dog, because she sees that distraction and despite the fact Maurice looks like he might take someone's hand off, he is pretty much the friendliest dog.

Max still isn't sure how it happened (Marissa would tell her it's because she spoils him).]

New Mexico? [She huffs out a laugh, like that's a relief.] I keep expecting to hear people are from Jupiter or something. [Yes, "Wendy", that's a sensible thing to think.

To be fair, she did see someone who was green.] I'm from San Diego. I don't think I've ever seen this much rain.

[An exaggeration, but she's heard it mentioned that the rain kind of. doesn't stop.]

[ex_b_a_n_g251]

[Jake stepped into the tent in order to get out of the pouring rain for a few moments. He actually wasn't planning on talking to anyone, just to flick water off of his coat and smooth down his two-tone dyed hair. He could care less where he flicked his water either, but he was still peering out of the tent for anything of interest.

He already doesn't like this place. It's boring, and he doesn't like his distinct lack of connections. He determined this had to change.]

[hostage]

Oh shit, you're the guy!

[Jesse's already scrambling to his feet, just in time to get hit in the face with water droplets. Oh well, he'll assume that was an accident.]

Your, um - This chick named Kriem was looking for you. Jake, right?

[ex_b_a_n_g251]

It's "I'm the man", chump.

[Jake turned to regard the scrambling dullard swinging around like a retard. Seriously, this place is full of rejects.

Wait, Kriem?]

Kriem, eh? She always knows when to scuttle out of the woodwork. I'm Jake. Consider yourself blessed to know it too.

[hostage]

[Great, he's an asshole. Well, that figures. Jesse's disposition does a 180° and he's suddenly ice-cold.]

Yeah, whatever. She's out looking for you and she's hurt, so you should probably find her and get her to a doctor. Like sooner than later.

[ex_b_a_n_g251]

[Jake just smirked a little more at the change, giving that knowing look.]

Hurt? Kriem's not hurt. [She was sitting on the couch drinking tea the last time he saw her after all.] Hmpt, don't tell me what to do.

[He tilted his head a little as if trying to pick up on a particular sound. He was actually mentally groping around for Kriem's mind, but it was apparently beyond his range.]

She's probably cold wearing that skin-tight outfit of hers.

[lar]

[ By now, Ella is shamelessly looking for people offering cookies. She's in shock alright? Weird new world and everything, sue her. ]

Whoever came up with the idea of offering cookies to placate interdenominational travel trauma deserves a star. Or some of these cookies, really.

[hostage]

[That earns a smile from Jesse, and he gives a rather dramatic bow for someone sitting in a folding chair.]

Oh, thank you. You're too kind.

[lar]

[ He looks kind of silly to her, but Ella's going to mirror the bow. Now she looks kind of silly, she thinks. ]

No, you're too kind. Go on man, grab a cookie. Or maybe it would look bad since you're sitting there? Are appearances important over here?

[hostage]

[He is pretty silly. It's okay.]

Not really. I had a bunch already, though. I'm good.

[lar]

Because I so didn't get dragged here to keep a Facebook profile or some crap like that.

[ She's not even sure there's Facebook in the future. ]

Well, I'm Ella. Nice to meet you, Good.

[ Terrible jokes. Terrible jokes everywhere. ]