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[initiates]

Date & Time: Evening, 10th February 3312
Location: Transport Room
Characters: Open To All
Summary: Everyone is brought into the transport room at roughly the same time, in a great succession and flow of imported individuals. Everyone is being lead around in small bundles, or left to their own devices together inside the Initiative Hold.
Warnings: None.

Widespread and crowded, everyone is being transported into this unusually bright room with an efficiency that is almost horrifying. One after the other, new people are appearing -- being led, shown around and then ultimately abandoned with one final phrase; "Good luck."

The Initiative Hold is wide, like a small town in its depth and industry. You've received your weapon; you've got your keys, your netbook, and one of those robed strangers has shoved a small pouch full of what you can only assume is money into your open palm. You've been given an apartment, but where on earth -- are we on earth? -- is it? Your best opportunity right now is to mingle; at least, that's what everyone else appears to be doing. Those strangers in the robes have left. They're tending to the people who are arriving, one by one and in a quick procession. Energy bustles all around you, as you're strapped up with your sudden gifts and looking around.

Hey, maybe you'll even see some familiar faces.

Comments

[flightlessbird]

[ If she even registers the apology, it's thoroughly ignored. She's going for his hand instead, looking to snatch it up in a... pretty demanding handshake. ]

You do this when you meet someone new. It's a handshake.

[stonefaith]

[ Bariyan wasn't expecting the sudden grab and when he founds himself caught in a handshake, he practically goes rigid. ]

Yes, I've-- done handshakes before-- thank you--

[ It's awkward. Bariyan's not much good at handshakes, he's all dead weight and cold skin and he can barely feel her grip, never mind how strong it looks (and it looks might strong). He lets go, hoping that she'll relinquish his arm back to him now. ]

[flightlessbird]

Good. I met a man that did not know-- [ Distraction! She blinks, peering down at his hand, and then up at his face. He can have his hand back, she guesses. But only because it'd felt so weird. ]

Why are you so cold? Because you gave me your shirt?

[stonefaith]

[ Bariyan takes his hand back and immediately goes to scratch at his neck. ] Ah ha. No, no it's not that...

[ Is he supposed to tell her that he is technically dead? Is that even the sort of thing you bring up in first meetings or introductions? Hell, he doesn't know. Before this, everyone he'd interacted with had been well aware of his circumstances. And he hadn't cared what they thought of his social etiquette anyway, seeing as most of them had been trying to stuff him back into the grave.

This, though. Everything's different here.

Okay, how to do this... ]

I'm dead.

[ Quick and deadpan and straight-to-the-point and definitely awkward. Good. Fantastic. Great job, Bariyan. ]

[flightlessbird]

[ She blinks to hear that and, for once, bears no particular expression. ]

No you aren't.

[ She sounds pretty sure of that, Bariyan. Might want to checck that pulse again. ]

[stonefaith]

[ Nope, pretty sure that pulse is still MIA. Bariyan sighs and, rather uncomfortably, gestures towards his neck. ]

I... someone brought me back. I've been called a zombie, if that means anything to you.

[ His tone of voice has gone very flat, and suggests that he'd very much like to leave it at that. ]

[flightlessbird]

[ She peers up at his neck, intent and thoughtful, before finally leaning away and shaking her head. She has no idea what a zombie is supposed to be, but she sure knows this guy is just doing way too much talking and moving around to be dead. ]

But you aren't dead. You are-- [ a vague gesture ] Moving. And speaking. So you aren't.

[stonefaith]

[ He sighs, resignedly. All right. Come on, it's not like this is physically painful to think about or anything, he's not that stupidly fragile. ]

Yes, but that's through... magic. It doesn't make me alive. Here.

[ He leans down, and gently reaches for her hand to take to his neck, right under the jaw. Where there definitely is not a pulse. ]

[flightlessbird]

[ Artika is not looking at all convinced, possibly helped by the fact that "magic" is another new word to her. She waits to feel a pulse, frowns when she doesn't, and lifts her other hand to her own neck. Huh. Well, she's apparently checking in the right place...

She waits a few more seconds for something to make sense, and looks a little disappointed when nothing steps up to the plate. Finally she drops both hands. ]

Then your heart is not moving, but you still are not dead.

[stonefaith]

[ Against all expected rational behavior, Bariyan starts to laugh.

He doesn't really know why. He guesses it's Artika, and her refusal to accept that he's about half a step away from worms eating his eyes. Her stubbornness is actually kind of endearing. ]

All right, if that's how you want to think of it. You should try stabbing me some time, though. It'll be interesting, I promise.

[flightlessbird]

[ Aaaannndd Artika's pretty sure that she'd made the right decision to like this guy, even if he's so confused that he think she's dead. Anyone who laughs like that -- and not cruelly -- isn't bad. So she goes straight from defiantly bemused into smiling. ]

Why, what if I stab you? Is it different than if you stab me?

[stonefaith]

Oh, yes. Very different.

[ There. Hopefully that's enough to sate her curiosity for now. If not, they'll go back to the armory and let her try it out. ]

How about we see to getting you a better shirt, now?

[flightlessbird]

[ Silly Bariyan, of course that's not enough to sate her curiosity. And if that sudden wide-eyed and leaning-in interest isn't enough of an indication, then he might be dead and blind. ]

No, I am warm. Do you have a knife?

[stonefaith]

[ Whoops, Bariyan is suddenly threatened by another onset of laughing. He stifles it as he leans away from Artika. ]

No, but there were plenty of knives back that way-- [ He jerks his thumb back towards the armory that they'd been walked through. ] --at least, as far as I recall.

[flightlessbird]

Okay. Then we will find a knife. [ And she's darting forward immediately, looking to capture one of his arms in both of his to pull him along with. Curiously, as she does: ] What will happen?

[stonefaith]

[ Bariyan goes dead stiff at the contact, but allows himself to be dragged along. For now. He arches an eyebrow at her. ]

You really want me to tell you? It'll spoil the surprise.

[flightlessbird]

[ If she notices any unhappiness, she's a pro at ignoring it. ]

Yes! [ because suspense sucks. but seriously, how can anyone say no to such an earnest upward stare from down here at his elbow?? ]

[stonefaith]

[ Bariyan picks at his stitches with his free hand. He looks down at Artika. All right, all right, he'll spill, put the puppy eyes away. ]

It won't hurt me. I won't bleed. And I won't die.

[flightlessbird]

Oh.

[ She mulls that one over for a few seconds, glancing away again. Huh. How weird. She's not sure if she believes it or not. Everyone bleeds, right? That skepticism is back when she looks up again. ]

Why?

[stonefaith]

[ Uh oh. Circles. Artika's almost like a small child, and-- Bariyan starts when he realizes that Artika reminds him of someone. He pushes his hair out of his eyes and shakes his head of the thought. ]

It's because I'm-- [ Dead, he's about to say, but thinks he knows where that will get him. ] --because I don't have a heartbeat. [ Close enough. ]

[flightlessbird]

[ Impatiently- ] No, no. Why are you...

[ Like this, is about all she can think to put to words, but that's not very specific, and probably wouldn't get any questions answered. She considers the phrasing for a few seconds, getting more agitated, and finally just spews a stream of birdsong.

At least she can ask her question in one language, even if he won't understand it. ]

[stonefaith]

[ Unfortunately Bariyan is not versed in the language of birds and has no idea what's set her off. He stops walking. ]

Uh... you all right, there?

[flightlessbird]

[ She nods, but looks a little miserable. ]

I have not learned the words in my questions yet.

[stonefaith]

[ Bariyan shrugs. Inside, he is resisting the urge to pat her head. ]

I'm sure we can work it out. Is the question about me being dead again?

[flightlessbird]

You aren't dead. [ oh look, the sharp insistence can cut pretty easily through that language-barrier despair, how nice. ]