transport log » ❝ welcome to Exsilium ❞

[initiates]

Date & Time: Oct. 24th
Location: The Initiative Hold
Characters: Everyone.
Summary: New Transports have all arrived and have been led to a banquet room within the Hold.
Warnings: None.

NOTE: This takes place during this plot, though the plot log will not be posted until tomorrow. The Transports already in game have returned from their mission to find the island overrun with monsters. The log is set within the safety of the Initiative Hold, however, so while characters will be aware of what is going on outside, they can otherwise go about their business as usual if they choose.

--

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. She looks worse for wear, pale and gaunt, though is putting a great deal of effort into maintaining her energy and professionalism for the new Transports. "I am truly sorry that you came at such a bad time. That wasn't intentional, I assure you."

She leads the way through the Initiative Hold. The walls bear the occasional claw mark as a sign of the misfortune that has plagued the island, but it hardly seems deserted anymore due to the other Transports recently returning from their mission. After turning several corners, you arrive in a large room that has been transformed into a makeshift banquet hall. The food presented is perhaps not as luxurious or bountiful as one would hope, but it is certainly enough to go around, and isn't inedible by any means.

"We wanted to try and make this up to you," she explains. "It's meagre, but we did not have much time to prepare." There are a number of Transports already present, some looking over the long banquet table, others seated throughout the room at large, round tables meant to each seat eight people. The mood is grim, despite the Initiative's efforts to raise morale.

Before the Greeter turns to leave, she is reminding you that it will be perfectly safe to explore the Hold, the courtyard, the housing building, and even a several block radius around it. "Hopefully things will be back to normal soon."

Welcome to the banquet. Welcome to the Initiative Hold—and most importantly, welcome to Exsilium.

Comments

[aceordisgraced]

"Phoenix is fine. I'm not that old."

He glashes her a grin, tapping his fingers against his leg. He's nervous, trying to mask that with a cheerful, laid back attitude. He wonders how well it's working but his mind is still going a mile a minute. The magatama is still in his pocket, and he squeezes it through the fabric for comfort.

"So Mia. I guess you're here from after that trial, since you know who I am."

[feyted]

He had been dodgy earlier. She's not sure if he'll continue that way now, watching him as she answers. "I'd at least assume I've accepted the case," she says lightly, "Though you're right. The trial concluded yesterday. Which is why it's a little surprising to hear ten years later you're playing the piano badly when last I heard was about how you were going to be a lawyer to help someone you care about."

Art student or not, he'd had an enthusiasm about it she'd believed just yesterday. Hard to believe today he'd tossed that to the side in the intervening ten years.

Of course, she's already said this once, but some things bear repeating.

[aceordisgraced]

"Wouldn't you like to know." As with Apollo, he doesn't make it subtle that he's got stuff up his sleeve that he refuses to reveal. But as for telling her what that secret is...

"Sorry, Mia, but as a man of the future, there's a lot of stuff I have to be careful about revealing."

[feyted]

"Such as the winning lottery numbers?" She keeps her tone light, wondering what he specifically doesn't wish to say -- but wondering appears to be all she'll do for now. "From what I've heard so far, there's no evidence of knowledge from here being retained when someone returns to their proper timeframe."

[aceordisgraced]

"Even if I told you that, it's not like you'll be guaranteed to get that winning ticket, right? It's something bigger than that."

Nope, not even addressing that second half. It's not any easier to tell than it would be to hear.

[feyted]

"Bigger than getting rich quick?" For whatever reason, that makes her smile. It's not so polite or forced this time. "At least you've got your priorities straight."

She should suppose the future was not meant to be something you heard ahead of time. How much that would hold true, and if she could prevent herself from analyzing and pushing to find out anyway.

It's tempting... but less important than the rest. "What's a pianist who doesn't play piano all that well picked up about his new audience?"

[aceordisgraced]

"Way bigger." The smile is encouraging, and he grins back even wider. He folds his arms across his chest, now without a pair of pockets to stuff his hands into.

At Mia's next question, he pauses.

"What do you mean?"

[feyted]

"Entertainers tend to know something about the people they try to entertain. Even if you're not much of a pianist by your own confession, you're still claiming to be an entertainer." It's another question asked with a lift of her eyebrow, wondering what it is he has learned, if anything, beyond what the harried guide rattled off to Mia and her group.

[aceordisgraced]

"I do know about my audience. Most of them know not to expect much from me, and the occasional person requests a song and stops after the first song." He grins. It's hard to tell if he's lying, but he's really not. He even testified it!

[feyted]

"Who've you played for here?" They have pianos? Wonders never ceased in the far off future of nuclear wastelands and totalitarian dictatorships.

[aceordisgraced]

"Here?" Oh.

"None, yet. I haven't had the chance. The place was getting bombed when I first arrived, we rebuilt everything, then we were off to Russia and then -- this."

[feyted]

Not much time spent in observation, with all of that going on. "The Guide seemed sure this part of everything would be over soon."

[aceordisgraced]

Not a whole lot of time to be ninja-ing around at all. "I hope so. All this excitement is a little too much for me, y'know?"

[feyted]

"I think it counts as too much for most people. We do what we can and get through it the best we can." A half-reassurance that indeed, it makes sense. Backed up by a smile to pretend she doesn't feel wildly out of place, Mia considers there may be more than he's willing to say yet again -- but she wonders, also, if part of that isn't heightened paranoia from the situation as a whole.

"Thank you for the welcome, all things considered. And your loan."

Mia plucks at the collar of his sweater.

[aceordisgraced]

"Hey, we do what we can and we help one another when we can, right?" He gives her a grin, the most sincere one he's given her tonight, perhaps.

"I would like to get it back before winter really hits, but don't worry about that for now, Mia."