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

[studieswaitressing]

Really early teens? I haven't asked, exactly, but from the look of them...that seems about right.

[Scary, right?]

[breakablegirl]

[She really doesn't like that. At all. The core of anger that Claire keeps inside of her at all times stirs at the news. One of her hands clenches into a fist, and a darkness rises in her voice.]

Who the hell do these people think they are? They're children.

[At this point, Claire's nearly forgotten that the person she's talking to looks like an alien. She's just getting used to it really quickly. It's kind of a needed talent of hers to get used to weird fast.]

[studieswaitressing]

[This is something that Mystique makes note of, though. Used to freaky stuff faster than normal, check. She takes back the idea that maybe Claire doesn't have any mutants in her world.]

Seems like it's normal for a lot of people here, actually. Probably why they were chosen in the first place.

[She pauses.]

Kanaya's not much older than -- fourteen or fifteen, I'd guess? But she's pretty good with a chainsaw.

[breakablegirl]

[...... That's disturbing.]

O-Okay. [INSTANTLY CLOSING OFF FROM THIS TOPIC.]

Yeah, I'm probably going to need to uh, have some serious adjustment time here.

[Her gaze wanders off to nothing in particular, a disturbed kind of distant look on her face.]

[studieswaitressing]

...yeah, it's -- something, all right.

[Whoops okay, this girl is one of the few people here who actually seems to be close to her age and kind of normal.]

If you need help finding anything, I can always help you out. The apartments and that kind of thing are pretty -- normal.

[breakablegirl]

..Thanks.

[So very not normal but she's good at seeming that way. Habit.]

That's good to know. [A little awkward smile twitches on her lips.] Not that not-normal is bad. Just the part with the kids.. Kinda gets to me.

[studieswaitressing]

[She shrugs again, brushing a hand over her hair.]

Like I said, the ones who are younger don't seem unfamiliar with it, so at least they're not thrusting inexperienced kids into things, I guess.

[She manages a half-smile of her own.]

What's 'not-normal' in your world, exactly? For reference's sake.

[breakablegirl]

[Suddenly looking a little uncomfortable.]

Uh. Y'know, like. Some people are different. They have special skills, or..

[Claire can't quite understand why she's being so cautious about her ability here. Especially in front of someone who is obviously like her in some way. Sure, the lack of trust of everyone here is a factor, but she did just jump off of a ferris wheel in front of a live TV audience.]

It's kind of hard to put a definition on not-normal, I guess.

[studieswaitressing]

[Now seems as good a time as any to show Claire what she can do, so it's with a ripple of blue that Mystique warps down to her human form -- with one eye still that pretty gold colour.]

It's easier than most people think.

Special skills, though. I think I understand what you mean.

[Just disagree or agree, Claire.]

[breakablegirl]

[She's stunned. Completely stunned, and she's left in awe as a slow smile forms on her lips. Claire exhales, impressed. A genuine joy and wonder in her eyes at Mystique's ability.]

That's incredible. I've seen someone- [... Um.]

I guess it is.. Sort of the same kind of special. [She admits, with a half-smile. If Mystique could live out in the open like this, in front of everyone here.. Maybe..]

[studieswaitressing]

[...yeah, well, to be fair -- she's leaving out the part about someone trying to kill her. No need to scare the new person with something like that.

She smiles, though, pleased at the reaction.]

So, did you know any of these people yourself, or was it just something you saw on the news?

[Just for curiosity's sake, Claire. She has her suspicions, after all, considering that particular reaction to her shapeshifting.]

[breakablegirl]

I, uh.

[Heh. Heheh.]

Maybe we should-? [Claire gestures with her chin to the door. Somewhere.. With not so many people around. Because she wants to show her, she really does. But she can't take the chance that the wrong person will see it.]

[studieswaitressing]

[Oh jeeze she's actually going to show her, this is kind of exciting...maybe they can come up with a sweet nickname for her to replace the name her parents gave her

and then Claire can figure out Mystique has some daddy and mommy issues, sure.]

Oh, yeah. Sure.

[She heads toward the door, out into the street. It might be a safe zone, but it's obvious that the place has seen better days of late.]

...I swear, it's not always like this.

[breakablegirl]

[Don't worry Mystique, you're in good company with the daddy issues.

Claire follows her, taking note of the uh.. State of the place and raising a critical eyebrow.]

So our prison is usually nicer. Good to know. [She snarks, then reveals the knife she'd stolen from the buffet earlier. Claire does her best to make it as non-threatening of a gesture as possible, and matches it with a sort of dorky smile. She glances around them and makes sure nobody's watching.]

This is usually the part where I tell people not to freak out, but..

[Claire holds out her hand, palm up, between them, and makes a deep, instantly bleeding slice with the knife. There's a light grimace on her face, but not from the pain, because there isn't any. Within seconds, the gash knits itself closed, leaving only a smear of blood behind.

Claire watches Mystique the whole time, waiting for her reaction.] Ta-da?

[studieswaitressing]

[Especially in this place, it isn't often that she feels kinship with people outside of the others that she knows are mutants or 'freaks' like her. One of the people she'd gotten to know best here was a damn angel, after all.

She watches Claire carefully, letting her eyes widen with the cut to her hand (which then closes up).]

..that? Is pretty amazing. I've never seen anything like that, and I've seen -- uh, a lot.

[No, really, like 'poof-in-teleporting-demons' and things like that.]

[breakablegirl]

[Claire can't hold back the satisfied grin at her approval. She wipes off the remaining blood on her hand on her black jeans.]

Thanks.

Yeah, me too. Seeing a lot. But your other form, it's- It's kind of beautiful. Strange, but beautiful.

[She means it. It sort of makes her blush a little, but she's sincere in a shy way.]

[studieswaitressing]

[Oh, Claire. It's -- probably one of the first times another girl has told her that. It's more encouraging, she thinks, than the men here who've told her. Her smile widens.]

You're in the minority of people who think that, I think, but maybe that's just because you've got better taste.

I don't mind being blonde, though...blondes can be pretty tempting, too.

[Whoops is she flirting]