exsiliumlogs | (no subject)

Date: September 1st
Location: The Initiative Hold & Courtyard.
Characters: Everyone.
Summary: New Transports arrive and are shuffled into the Courtyard after their initial briefings.
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

[Celena dipped her head slightly to the comment, not pressing the matter, though she sensed there was more to it than Tempest let on.]

Indeed, over all the initiative and those here have been quite accepting of the varied races here, likewise with our fellow transports in general. Barring the odd one or two of course.

[She gives a slight amused shake of her head to that as she casts her gaze about the marketplace before returning her gaze to Tempest.]

Have you been here long?

[she follows Celena's look, giving the marketplace a long look before shaking her head at the question]

Two months, today. I am still fairly new.

[Celena offers a slight smile to that.]

Not much newer than I.

I've been here for but a month longer, although this is not the first time I have found myself in such a situation.

[Tempest tilts her head]

What do you mean?

This is not the first time that I have found myself amongst those from other worlds, brought together to fight in such a war. A war fortunately won prior to being brought here.

Although the manner of arrival was somewhat..different between now and then.

[the thought that other worlds did such a thing . . . Tempest wasn't sure how she felt]

Different how?

Those who awoke there awoke within organic stasis pods, covered in slime, not the most pleasant of awakenings for most.

[There's a slight hint of amusement to her tone at that.]

We did not awake to a world such as this, but rather on board an immense vessel, one that did not travel the waters or skies of a world but rather traveled through the 'bleed', the space between worlds and dimensions.

[she makes a face at the thought of waking up covered in slime, but . . . wow]

How strange . . .

[Celena can't help grin slightly at the face she made at that before she gave a slight nod.]

It certainly made for an interesting experience. A chance to learn of other worlds and the opportunity to see many first hand.

[Though she smiles at that, there was a hint that not all had been pleasant during her stay.]

It does not sound so bad . . .

[it sounded a lot like this world]

There were many times that it wasn't so bad indeed.

[She offers a smile to that before her expression turns grim.]

Yet war it was, a war wrought across the multiverse itself, fraught with destruction, deception and betrayal.

We were not only those recruited for such a war, the 'chosen' but also survivors of worlds that had already fallen victim to the war.

[that . . . was unexpected]

So this war affected your world as well?

Indeed. The worlds of all who had been brought onboard, whether those awakened or the millions that had still been in stasis, had been similarly affected.

[She gives a smile at that deciding it best to lighten the mood.]

In the end however we were able to restore all that had been lost. Both those worlds that had been destroyed and those who had given their lives during the course of the war.

Ah . . .

[the lighter tone does help] I am glad to hear that it ended well.

As am I.

It was just a few months after the war, after I returned to my own world that I was drawn here.

That was not much time spent home, was it.

Indeed not, but it is enough to know that all is safe once more.

[she could give a damn about her world, but she nods anyway; at the very least, she should be polite]

I am glad that it is.