(no subject)

[initiates]

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.

Comments

[concealingeyes]

Yeah, definitely an old one, since they're pretty popular there. Ah, right, I'm Kido. I'm from Japan.

[overclocking]

Kido... it's nice to meet you. My name is Chrono.

[He racks his brain for a long moment, trying to call up what he knows about Japan. Outside of what he'd read in some (likely very biased) human history books... not much at all.]

What year was it, in the Japan you lived?

no one actually knows pretend that's a real number sob

[concealingeyes]

Chrono? That's a pretty cool name. I like it. [It sounds like some secret badass alias.]

Eh, the year? 20XX. Seems like that's 'modern' for a lot of people. But I've met some people from as far back as the 1700's.

LOOKS REAL TO ME

[overclocking]

[And this is the face of someone from the 1920s, yes.]

... That would explain a few things.

[concealingeyes]

[Poor kid. He'll adjust to the time differences. Probably.]

Don't worry about it. A lot of people are from all over, too, so even if things seem weird, we're all figuring it out together.

[She pauses at a particular vendor that has some and, after speaking with them for a few moments, comes back to him with an oversized black hoodie.]

It'll keep you warm and dry in this weather. Also, it should be big enough to cover everything.

[overclocking]

[Keyword: probably. Jury's still out on that tablet computer.

He takes the hoodie gratefully and tugs it on. The sleeves flop over his hands rather forlornly, and it likely falls almost to his knees, but a hoodie-dress is apparently far preferable to the previous clothing situation. After a moment's contemplation, he fishes his braid out of it and flashes her a grateful smile.]

Thank you. Honestly.

[He produces the small pouch of coins they gave him earlier (his old fashioned tendencies rearing their head yet again).]

How much was it? I should pay you back.

[concealingeyes]

[She smiles. What a cute kid. And polite, too. She shakes her head and shrugs.]

It's okay. I don't really spend much money so it's not a big deal. You should save up for now, right?

[overclocking]

[If he's honest with himself, he really hates being dependent on other people for things as basic as this--and there's more than a little twinge of guilt over troubling Kido in the first place. He can tell she's the kind of person with a generous heart, and he'd hate to take advantage of that.]

No, I couldn't possibly-- [Rejecting kindness isn't very nice, either. He looks flustered for a moment before deciding on a compromise.]

... Alright. But at least let me take care of lunch-- dinner? Breakfast. [A cursory glance at the sky-- not that that's a helpful indication, and it just ends with him shaking raindrops out of his eyes.] ... They didn't bother to tell us what time it is.

[concealingeyes]

Oh, uhm... [She loses some of her cool edge. That's...really cute.] It's about lunchtime now. Is that all right though? You don't have to if you don't want to.

[Kido is vaguely surprised at how this flusters her. It's just a nice gesture!]

[overclocking]

[Her flustering over him being cute is... well, cute (though he'll be keeping that thought to himself). It's like a feedback loop.

He just smiles and waves a hand, the sleeve of his hoodie flopping back and forth with the motion.]

It's fine! I wouldn't offer if I didn't want to, right?

[concealingeyes]

[Even the hoodie being too big is cute. Geez, she's losing all her cool points today.]

Well... all right. What do you like to eat? We can find somewhere warm at least.

[overclocking]

Honestly, I'm so hungry right now that I think I could eat anything...

[He glances around the assembled booths and the still-milling crowd, but it still all looks the same to him. He shakes his head a bit. Warm sounds good.]

How about the nearest warm, dry place?

[concealingeyes]

Heh. Sounds good. [She starts walking.] There's a little pizza place about five minutes from here. Uh, sorry I have to ask but do you know what pizza is? Hard to tell with time periods and all.

[overclocking]

[He follows easily, curving wide to avoid a puddle.]

Of course we have pizza! I'm not from the Middle Ages or anything... [A beat, while he considers the complexities of relativity and the timestream.] Er... well, I guess maybe by future standards I might be...

[concealingeyes]

I think we're all backwards to them, so it's fine.

[The place is small, the sort with ready to eat slices in a heated case but it's indoors and there are a few tables to sit at. Since most people are still out and getting their bearings, it's a good time to be here.

Right, Chrono said he was paying, huh? So she only orders one slice for herself.]

Oh, yeah, they like anchovies here so if you don't like those, be careful.

[overclocking]

I've never tried them.

[They can't possibly be so bad, right? After all, they're a pizza topping. He makes the dreadful mistake of ordering a single slice with anchovies, then pulls out the tiny bag of coins to pay for both slices.

He wrinkles his nose in some perplexity at the foreign currency, but eventually manages to give the shop owner a sufficient amount. It's enough to make him start regretting his choices, though]

I probably should have gotten that card thing after all...

[concealingeyes]

Don't worry. I grabbed the card but it's good to carry change, too. If your card got stolen, you wouldn't have anything, right?

[She adds, noticing his choice.]

If you end up not liking your pizza we can trade.

[overclocking]

I guess... though coins are just as easy to lose. [He waves a hand at the pizza comment, though.] That would be rude! I'm sure it'll be fine, how bad can it be?

[He says, as he takes a bite

and chews

and... stops... attempting to maintain his poise.

Okay, yes, apparently it can be that bad.]

[concealingeyes]

[She's usually nice enough not to laugh but for a moment it looks like she might before quickly biting it down.]

D-Do you want to trade or... I can by you a different one.

[overclocking]

[He swallows, finally, with some effort.]

N-No, it's fine, I'll just... [Pushes the plate back slightly, and begins picking the tiny fish off. Problem solving.]

It's okay. You can laugh.

[concealingeyes]

Ah... [She feels a bit bad getting caught.] Sorry, your face was just a little...funny.

[overclocking]

It's okay... I hear that on a daily basis.

[Truth be told, laughter is a thing he thinks he needs today. It might take the edge off of some of that insidiously growing tension.

He creates a little pile of tiny fish on the side of his plate before pulling it over again.]

I'll actually listen next time you warn me about something, though.

[concealingeyes]

[She feels some sympathy for him.]

I have a friend who laughs at me all the time too. I punch him, though.

[overclocking]

I don't really want to punch you, Miss Kido, you're very nice.

[A beat.]

... And if I punch the other guilty party, she'd probably just hit back twice as hard.

[concealingeyes]

[Sounds like herself. Except Chrono seems so sweet and undeserving of that, unlike Kano.]

Heh, I guess girls are rough no matter where, huh?