(no subject)

[initiates]

Date: December 1st
Location: The Observatory.
Characters: Everyone.
Summary: New Transports arrive and are shuffled into the Observatory after their initial briefings.
Warnings: None.

Your arrival here has been very unceremonious. One second you were somewhere else, and now, very suddenly, your feet hit the glowing white of the Transporter pad, and you're here. You aren't alone, either. There's a crowd of others around you, each seeming just as bewildered, angry, or confused as you might feel. At the head of the group is a woman in purple robes, solemn and taciturn. She hurries over a quick overview of your intended purpose here, and gives direct answers when asked for them, but to most things she simply shows you how to access the tablet you've just been given, or tells you that the DITR's greeters will explain everything. On the tablet, you can find the history of this place and a record of what your new cohorts have experienced. Someone stands on hand to give you a weapon, and though the armory is now greatly reduced, you should be able to find something to suit you.

You're shepherded down a walkway tunnel and into the Observatory, where you will find screens mounted on three sides of the wide room; they show multiple variations of satellite images, focused on... somewhere snowy. It's difficult to say more than that, but those that record heat readings seem to suggest there are people there, where ever "there" is. It's night outside the great wide windows, and the lunar landscape isn't much to look at right now. But, hey, at least all the lights are on, right? No more creepy red emergency lighting upon arrival — not that you'd know anything about that.

You're free to explore the base, visit and use any of the VR rooms, or discover your new room and roommates, but try not to step out of any airlocks if oxygen is a requirement for your system.

Welcome to the moon base, and to the remains of Exsilium.

[[ ooc; As a note for players of current characters: please keep your root comments confined to the various groups and organizations that set up root comments to greet new characters! We highly encourage tagging around here, but since it's a log meant for new characters specifically, we ask that they be the ones to set up root threads to the entry. Thank you, and happy playing! ]]

Comments

[smiled]

[absorbed in her thoughts, vanille doesn't hear lockon approach, and it isn't until he laughs that she becomes aware of his presence at all. the suddenness of it startles her forward; she bumps her face against the glass.] Ouch!

[whirling around quickly, she lifts a hand to rub at her sore nose, and offers up a sheepish smile.] Ah, sorry! I didn't know anyone was here...

[dead_shot]

[ —okay, he had to try not to laugh at that reaction, but he's smiling all the same. ] No, I'm sorry for startling you. You seemed like you were having fun.

[smiled]

[her smile slips a little at that - 'fun' isn't really the word she'd use - but the lapse in its brightness is brief, covered up by something less sheepish, more friendly, and not altogether completely genuine. it's hard to appear so joyful in such a miserable situation, but that's one thing vanille's had a lot of practice at, so it's likely barely noticeable if at all.] It's okay!

[she shoves an enthusiastic arm out in front of her for an introductory handshake.] I'm Vanille, it's nice to meetcha!

[dead_shot]

[ He'd rather keep his judgements in reserve. Most people here have been just as lost as he was. No one could be blamed for losing face for even a second, given the circumstances. Anyone who could genuinely go along with things with such a positive attitude is a hell of a lot stronger than him. ]

[ Checking his hand to make sure he wasn't holding the helmet gave him a moment to consider his answer before taking her hand in his gloved one and giving it a shake. ] Nice to meet you, Vanille. I'm Neil. [ . . . ] The rhyme is coincidence, I promise.

[ He fancies himself a funny man, sometimes. ]

[smiled]

[vanille gives his hand a little squeeze before dropping hers. she's always been a tactile person, and it's nice to have a bit of human contact, even with someone she's only just met. it makes her feel a little less lonely in this place full of perfect strangers.

the rhyming thing makes her laugh, a high-pitched, musical sort of sound.] Neil and Vanille, huh? Sounds like we'd make a good team!

[she pauses for a moment, tapping a finger against her chin. when she speaks, it's a little more subdued, though that too might be difficult to detect.] Say, Neil? How long have you been here?

[dead_shot]

Sounds like it. [ "Team", huh.

Her overall demeanor has him questioning how his brain could have possibly drawn any parallels to someone familiar to him, earlier. Then again he should be suffering from a massive concussion and has instead a big headache in its place, so maybe it's just a short-circuit. Who knows. ]

Me? About two hours of being mostly lost and fifteen minutes of being totally lost. You?

[smiled]

[vanille's first instinct in unfamiliar and frightening situations is to put on a happy face, to cover up her fear with a smile. of course, this often causes other people to view her as a little strange, but she doesn't mind. she is a little strange after all.

so when neil tells her he hasn't been here for long, she's able to keep smiling even through the letdown. she'd hoped maybe he knew whether or not her friends were here. still, there's no harm in asking. she might've just missed them.]

Mmm, about the same for me! I was looking for my friends, but... [she pauses then, allowing a little of her disappointment to show.] Maybe you've seen them?

[dead_shot]

[ Seeking that what isn't there is likely a common theme with the new Transports, himself included. ] I've been too busy getting my bearings to talk to many people, but... If you give me some more information, I can tell you if anyone sounds familiar.

[smiled]

[Or in Vanille's case, what is there... well, some of them anyway. Her eyes light up a little, and she smiles as she can't help doing when talking about her friends.] Well, there's Fang... she acts all tough, but really she's nice! We've been best friends since we were little. And Hope, he's a little younger than me, but he's pretty strong. Sazh keeps a chocobo chick in his hair. Snow is about thiiiiis big... [She stands up on her tiptoes and stretches her arm way above her head, probably still falling short of Snow's actual height.] He's a hero! And Lightning... well, she's just Lightning!

[She looks up at Neil, head to one side.] Are you looking for someone, too?

[dead_shot]

[ He inclines his head at her demonstration and his brows rise, too. ] No, I'd remember a guy like that, for sure. [ Not too many people are that much taller than Lockon. And those names... Like he and his friends can judge. ] I'm afraid the names don't ring any bells either, but that doesn't mean much coming from me. I'll keep an ear out.

Hm? [ For a moment, the question is rather odd to him. There's no hiding the brief look of surprise, but he dismisses the thought with a wave of his hand. ] Nah. If my friends were here, I'd trust them to find me. I'd rather go on thinking they were somewhere else.

[smiled]

[She didn't really expect him to have seen her friends; he'd just arrived as well, and if she hadn't been able to find them, there was no reason to think someone else as new as she was would have seen them either. But she'd allowed herself a little hope, and so kind of disheartening to hear. She's grateful for his willingness to help, though, and that shows.] That's okay! If they're here, I'll definitely find them!

[And his response to her question is odd to her!] You don't want to be with your friends?

[dead_shot]

[ Her spirit was commendable, but he could not find the same sort of hope and enthusiasm in himself at the moment. He can only fake his disinterest to a point, too, being as fatigued as he was. ] They've got their own situation to deal with. If it came down to that and being here then they're better off at home.

[smiled]

[There's a little bit of a frown when she picks up on his distinct air of tired unhappiness, and Vanille's natural curiosity and desire to help take hold.

She reaches out, giving Neil a gentle slap on the arm.] Well, if your friends aren't here, we'll just have to make you new ones! [Then she smiles brightly up at him.] Starting with me!

[dead_shot]

Heh. [ The gesture strikes him as equal parts endearing and amusing. That kind of attitude is refreshing, and almost contagious. ]

How can I possibly refuse an offer like that?

[smiled]

[What a silly question! Obviously no one can, and Vanille says as much with a grin and an air of seriousness that mocks itself.] You can't! It's tough to refuse a cute girl like me!

[She claps her hands together decisively.] So, now that we're friends, you have to tell me about yourself!

[dead_shot]

Tough, but not impossible. [ Lockon can tease, too, but in all seriousness he isn't about to go delving into his personal life that easily even if she was cute and cheerful.

He tapped his chin. ] Hmm, for starters, being dragged here is about the strangest thing to happen to me in a long time. I'd be more excited about the idea of ending up a few thousand kilometers and a few hundred years' time away from where I was last... if it wasn't just overwhelming to think of.

[ Gesturing down at his flight-suit. ] At least I was dressed for a moon landing. It doesn't look like they caught you prepared at all. [ Nothing against her clothes, but they are quite out of place in the current setting. ]

[smiled]

[It's okay; Vanille understands the need for privacy. She has secrets of her own, after all, things she has carried close to her chest and guarded with false smiles and insincere laughter while fear bubbles in her gut and guilt chokes her every breath. She has pledged herself to the bravery of truth since, has come clean about her lies and deceptions to those that matter... but they will never be things she speaks freely of with strangers, will never be things that do not weigh heavy on her mind, no matter how many amends she makes, no matter how many sacrifices.

In this new world where Vanille feels so very lost and alone, she is reverting back a little to that shallow, dishonest exuberance that got her through those first several days upon waking on Cocoon.

But her friendliness is true; she is a social person with a big heart, putting others before herself at every turn, and she would rather be together with a stranger engaging in smalltalk than staring up at the stark blackness of space and worrying about things out of her control.

So she pushes any dark thoughts to the back of her mind and laughs lightly, looking down at her outfit. This is not the first time she's woken in a strange place in wholly inappropriate attire.] It's pretty strange for me, too! But I wonder... if anyone is ever really prepared for something like this.

[dead_shot]

Heh. No, I don't think many people would be prepared for sudden time travel. Not anyone I'd call sane before today, at least. [ No tin foil hats, here. ]

Can I ask you something? Have you encountered anyone who... seemed to already know who you were? I mean, someone you didn't know before. [ Lockon couldn't stop dwelling on how weird that encounter earlier had been. ]

sorry for taking awhile! went on vacatioooon

[smiled]

[At Neil's question, Vanille turns pensive, once again resembling the thoughtful girl that stood at the glass staring out into space.

She frowns a little in thought, thinking back on a conversation she'd had earlier: a girl she didn't know, who seemed to know her.] Yeah... she told me I'd been here before. [A pause.] Did it happen to you, too?