exsiliumlogs | (no subject)

Date: July 1st
Location: The Initiative Hold & Courtyard.
Characters: Everyone.
Summary: New Transports arrive and are shuffled into the Courtyard after their initial briefings. Now with 200% more People-Seeking lists!
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. Now and then around you you might spot paper fluttering in the faint wind from somewhere relatively dry. It looks like a list.

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[No, don't look sad! Miranda can't take more sadness.]

B-but I am pretty new here myself! Honestly, I-I'm still not sure where anything is here; it might be!

[ Man... Aoba can tell she's trying so hard to help him out right now, but he's almost almost certain it's not going to do a lot of good. He's forcing a small smile. ]

It's not something that's easy to miss. If you've never heard about it, then it's probably not here in the first place.

[;__;]

I'm sorry...

[ Wha-- Hey... no! Don't look so upset! ]

It's not your fault. There's no reason to apologize.

But if I knew more about this world I could at least tell you where it might be...

Well, if this really is another world then it's not something that I think is on it. It's definitely not anywhere near a place called Exsilium.

Ah...right. [Sometimes she forgets that, though how she does even she can't fathom.] I suppose that would make it difficult.

Yeah...

[ Looking down for a second before a his face takes on a determined look. ]

You wouldn't happen to know much about the people that were randomly sent back to their worlds, would you?

Eh? A-h, no. No, I'm sorry. I've only been here a month...[Wow, it's already felt like so much longer.]

I really am sorry! There--there should be someone nearby who can help you much more than I--! [She proceeds to begin looking about wildly, trying to find said help.]

[ Oh jeez. She looks like she's panicking here. He definitely didn't mean to upset her asking a question. Maybe he should just... stop with that. ]

What-- Hey! Come on, don't apologize for that. It's fine.

But I should be able to help you! You've only just arrived, but I've been here a month. I should--I should be able to help you more than this...[Oh no, not again. This is the worst.]

[ Man, how did things turn out this way. He sighs and waves a hand in front of himself dismissively. ]

A month isn't that long a time for something like this though.

Ah, you're right, but for a place like this...

Have they--did they tell you what to expect here?

[ His expression falls. At this point he hasn't been able to talk to many people, but he did hear just enough from who he has to get the general idea. ]

I'm not sure if I got the full story, but I heard enough...

I'm sorry. If...if there was some way to send you back...

It sounds like there is, but...

[ Considering what apparently happened to the last world that someone was sent back to, he's not sure he wants to risk that happening to his world. ]

There is? But how?

[No seriously, how? And why hasn't it been Big News all over the place?]

[ Looking kind of confused by that. He sort of thought this was common knowledge. ]

I didn't really ask about it, since it sounds like the consequences weren't worth it.