transport log » ❝ welcome to Exsilium ❞

[initiates]

Date & Time: Sept 23rd, 2012.
Location: The Initiative Hold & Courtyard.
Characters: Everyone.
Summary: New Transports have all arrived and have been 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. "This isn't standard," she's saying, walking perhaps faster than most of the people she's dragging around. "We don't normally have so many Transports at once. 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. 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. 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.

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

[getwrenched]

Ah.

[ About all she has to say on the subject, since his explanation makes enough sense for her to swallow it without much examination. ]

Looks like we were both taken away from work at the wrong time. Maye they've got something you can change into in the rooms we've been offered? If nothing else, I think I saw a few street stalls with plain shirts and the rest.

[livinuptothename]

[ At least with that, Jason relaxes a little. He'll worry about formulating the rest of his Totally Legit Circus Life later. ]

Honestly, it's not the shirt I'm all that worried about. Might as well see where these apartments are first before I try haggling over pants in the rain.

[getwrenched]

[ No need to glance down then. Pants are a good priority. She started moving toward the entrance of the building, figuring that's the best course of action by now. ]

They're supposed to be this way. Do you see a sign?

[livinuptothename]

[ He follows after her, squinting through the rain at the surrounding building. ]

No... Everything kinda looks the same. [ Busted up as all hell. ]

Did they give you a map back there or anything?

[getwrenched]

No.

[ And from the way she frowns right after that, a map would have been a practical solution she feels should have been offered.

Of course, if the map were electronic, Winry wouldn't know about it. ]

Their 'help' has been a fat lot of good so far. After rushing us through those buildings like that, the least they could have done was offer a map of the place!

[ Her lips press together. With a shake of her head, she sets her shoulders. No matter. If the Initiate wasn't going to be helpful, she wouldn't stand around waiting for them to change their ways. ]

Their housing is in the same area, I remember them saying that much. We'll just keep looking in buildings until we find the right one.

[ Simple. Bothersome, but simple. ]

Starting with this one.

[ That said, Winry pushes through the double doors on the right, leading into one of the massive, dilapidated buildings of the Hold proper. ]

[livinuptothename]

Woah, hey wait up!

[ He had to admit, her decisiveness was pretty impressive, but watching what for all he knew was an unarmed civilian stroll into busted buildings unknown did put him a little on edge. Okay, the place was no Crime Alley and he had a cover he was trying not to blow his first hour of being here, BUT STILL. He follows close behind her. ]

[getwrenched]

[ Winry stops once she's inside, looking around the lobby area. This didn't seem to be any sort of housing building. A sign off to the side announced Gymnasium 2. It was answer enough to the question they had, but there was one thing of interest in this front area: someone standing by the far counter.

Shifting her toolbox, still covered by her apron, Winry switched direction. ]

Hello, sir? Could you point me and my friend in the direction of the housing building?

[ There was something to be said for the direct approach. The man turned at her address, blinking and perplexed. He opened his mouth to answer, then frowned as he looked between Winry and Jason.

"They should have already told you during the tour. This is the training building." ]

[livinuptothename]

They weren't too big on showing us around.

[ Jason's Robin-y grin turns into a liiiittle bit of a smirk when the guy behind the counter does a double take at his costume. ]

Hey, the circus is in town, man. We're just trying to find a place to put up all our lions, tigers and bears.

[getwrenched]

They'd need someplace big. Almost like a gym, would you say?

[ She sets her toolbox on the countertop right next to their man. ]

We'd really appreciate a little help getting pointed in the right direction.

[ The man keeps frowning, looking back toward Jason almsot believing there's a whole circus that might just walk in through the doors behind him.

"Back out the way you came," he said at last. "Take a right, walk two blocks, then take a left. That'll bring you to the East Entrance to the apartment complex." Considering his good deed for the day well dispensed with, he eyed Winry's toolbox and apron, one eyebrow quirking up. "Are we done here?" ]

For now. Thank you!

[ She says with a smile as she steps back, toolbox coming along with her. ]

Sounds like we're pretty close after all.

[livinuptothename]

[ Jason does a pretty decent job at suppressing a laugh, turning back as they leave to wave and smile broadly. ]

Don't forget to check out the show!

[ He coughs a few times to hide the laugh, so it's a second before he can speak normally. ]

Yeah. Gotta wonder what kinda digs they got set up for us.

[getwrenched]

As long as it's relatively clean and waterproof, I'd say things are looking fine.

[ She keeps moving, trying not to look up and around herself to marvel at how disturbingly familiar-yet-not the buildings themselves are, or the heights that stretched passed a more sensible three stories or so. There was something intimidating about this city of rain and gray. ]

The fact they have housing for us at all is more troubling than the rest.

[livinuptothename]

Yeah, I know what you mean.

[ The grey and the rain is almost familiar and he feels a little uncomfortable, moving around on the street like this while he's dressed as Robin. It feels almost vulnerable. ]

You get the feeling they're not setting us up to stay for a short visit.

[getwrenched]

They don't want us to feel like refugees.

[ The thought strikes her, why there's familiarity in some of how people native to here are conducting themselves. ]

Even if that's part of who they are, it's like they're trying to say, "Think of this as a home."

[ She frowns, reassured by the weight of her toolbox in hand. She doesn't need a home here, and she doesn't like the -- manipulation. Ahh. She recognized that on some level as well. ]

[livinuptothename]

Yeah, nothing creepy about that.

[ He glances around them, wondering if they're also being tailed. That would kinda fit the whole creepy Big Brother sort of thing. ]

So they pick us up and dump us here, with our own digs and everything. Makes you wonder just what the deal is with this war we're supposed to be fighting for them.

[getwrenched]

[ Rounding the corner, doors for the housing complex are coming up on the side. Winry presses her lips into a thin line. ]

I'd hazard a guess they're not on the winning side of whatever it really is. Either way, it doesn't change the fact they've brought us in to fight something I absolutely won't.

[livinuptothename]

It can't be that simple... Why bring us here if they didn't have a way to force us? Or bribe us.

[ He frowns, looking up at the complex building. ]

Guess this is our new home away from home. [ Don't he sound excited. ]

[getwrenched]

I don't know.

[ As she also looks up, still frowning. Then she breathes in deep, and out slow. ]

Beats sleeping outside in the rain. [ So far. Winry smiles, determined to make some sense of this past the anger, confusion, and (if she were being totally honest), the fear hiding behind the rest. ] Might as well see what room's we've been set up with. Are they expecting us to share?

[ She figures more along lines of hotel rooms than actual town home or apartment living. Either way, she heads inside, digging her key out of her draped apron pocket once in the lobby. ]

What number was on this thing again... are we supposed to go let ourselves in? I don't see anyone working at a front desk here.