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transport log » ❝ welcome to Exsilium ❞

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

( It's that understanding of magic. Man, she almost forgot about that. Her smile is small but genuine. )

It's like a kind of magic that's been given to me. It's... changing form. When I want to, to certain things. Like an eagle.

( She gave up explaining that it was a technology that functioned in a way more familiar overall as magic. )

Magic is a good thing here. Not everyone believe it, because some people are stubborn and willingly blind ( coughcEdgeworthcough ), but magic is real, and magic helps as much as it can also be really scary.

( Koltira and his mist comes immediately to mind... then those healers, and such things as floating orbs of light and small blessings granted to friends. )

[No smile, nothing like that-- but Merlin's eyes do light up, and his heart speeds up as he hears that. A place where magic is a good thing? Where people feel free to tell others they have such a gift?]

I take it that people are free to tell others about their gifts, then? That it's not-- not illegal, nothing like that.

[Obviously not, but it's like prodding at a sore tooth; he has to test the parameters of this place.]

Magic? No, no way! It's legal. I mean, here's another secret, but we don't have any ironclad set of laws right now. It's something a friend of mine is working on, but it wouldn't call magic illegal. Our clinic staff is mostly run by people who use magic!

. . . well.

[His exhale is a little shaky, and he glances away as he stumbles back onto his feet.]

That-- that certainly could help people. Especially if people are bringing diseases from other worlds.

[--and he can't help the little smile that's on his face now, one that seems to be getting bigger all the time. His heart is soaring; he feels like he's made of air-- a place entirely welcoming of magic, a place where people are free to practice where they like-- god, but it's like a dream come true.

He finally aims that grin at Colette, the excitement clear in his eyes.]

It sounds brilliant. Can you show me your powers now? I mean-- not now, not if you're busy, only-- I'd love to see it.

( It's like watching a flower bloom, and it makes Collette smile with warmth in return to his grin. Even with his request sending her into a nervous giggle, though she nods her head in assent. )

Sure, just not in this room, if you don't mind. And trust me, you'd prefer the end results to watching the process. There's nothing pretty about how I get from me to feathers, fur, or fins.

( She looks over to the side, then gestures toward a door back out into a side hall. )

That way?

[He nods eagerly. As they walk:]

I don't think magic is precisely supposed to be pretty. So you become any animal, then? Or is it a specific set?

( She lifts one hand from her wheel rail to waggle her fingers in Merlin's direction, coasting under her own momentum for that moment. )

Whatever I touch that I want to change into later. As long as it's alive, and has something like a mind.

( She doesn't mention she could do the same with people -- she isn't the sort to do so, and permission issues were not ones that her particular crew had to worry about.

When they're out in the hall, she points herself to the far corner. It's not one of the more used hallways, particularly right now. Mental inventory tells her where her stop watch is, and she comes to a stop, flicking her brakes on. )

I'll need to take my shoes off, and I seriously, seriously mean this is going to make you nauseous, but if you really want to watch, I can't stop you.

( She waits for any response to that as she unties her shoes and tugs them off. One, then two, placed neatly on the ground. )

[He watches her eagerly, though he tries to hide that-- and as she works, he adds:]

This is sort of an odd question, but-- what precisely did I tell you of myself when I was here before?

[Magic magic magic, that's what's on his mind, but he adds instead:]

I'd hardly want to repeat myself.

Not so much! We sort of had other things we were talking about. Besides, I don't mind repetition.

( She considers that her last warning, picturing the pigeon in her mind and feeling the shifting changes of a morph begin. This time, it's her legs that change first, seeming to waste away near spontaneously underneath her leggings. Her nose starts to curve downward, melting down her face as it extends and changes color, thickening near her eyes as the nostrils themselves start to move up and her lips harden and crack as her beak begins to form. Feathers sprout all over her face, her hair sucking back into her skull while her fingers meld together the meat of her hand turns in on itself.

She has bare wings by the time shrinking catches up with her, Collette disappearing into her own shirt as feathers push out all over her body.

Oh man, she's going to have to figure out how to escape through the neck hole, isn't she? )

[It's a horrific change, and Merlin is alarmed at first-- but it soon becomes clear that although this looks awful, Colette isn't in any real pain. So Merlin kneels, trying to watch the last half of the transformation, fascinated by it.

He laughs once she disappears into her shirt, and carefully pulls at it, trying to free her.]

Hullo-- it's all right, it's just me, you don't have to be scared--

( There's some fluttering and shifting inside the shirt as he's freeing her, Collette's mental laughter echoing to the general population in the vicinity as she hears what he's saying. )

< I don't have to be scared? I love how you say that, like this is totally normal on your side! You really are something, aren't you? It's a good thing. >

( The last hastily added on, as she realizes in her Thought Speaking she may be offensive due to oversight. Very soon, Merlin will find himself face-to-beak with a wonderful example of a 20th Century Pigeon, city rat and iridescently pretty bird for all the tones of grey. )

[Mental telepathy is something Merlin is used to, although not something he particularly enjoys. Still, it's nice to know they can communicate like this. Still holding the pigeon carefully, he settles onto the floor, tucked away against the wall where (hopefully) no one will see him.]

It's not the first time I've seen someone transform into an animal-- though it's the first I've seen it done non-painfully. You are all right, aren't you? What sort of bird are you? I don' think I've ever seen something like this before.

[The fingers of his free hand find the back of her head; gently he pets her, still beaming.]

( She has to admit this is the first time she's ever been pet while a pigeon. Collette behaves, opting not to flap her wings to regain balance in one of those moments while he's moving. It's fine to trust him, she feels.

She fluffs her feathers up on her head, settling down. )

< I'm fine, morphing looks like it should hurt but it doesn't. It feels super weird though! >

( Strange to think, but it has to be true pigeons aren't universal. )

< I'm a pigeon right now. They're pretty common in cities and all over the country where I'm from. Some people I know call them flying rats, because you find them everywhere. They're great fliers, totally different from the raptors like hawks and eagles. >

They're quite beautiful.

[He grins and continues petting her, his thumb rubbing against her neck gently.]

Can you turn into any other animals? Not that this isn't fantastic in its own right.

< Yep! But the ones who can fly are the best. I really mean it! Flying is about the best feeling... just ever. When you're out there riding thermals, you feel like you're both part of and right outside the world, and like you're in so much control of what's going on. >

( She shifts her wings, then carefully opens them, not wanting to startle Merlin. )

< Anything living I've touched and tried to acquire, I can turn into. It's pretty cool! >

( Make that way cool, and also way weird, but useful for getting around where chairs weren't able to go here in dystopia land. )

< Have you ever flown, Merlin? >

Once. On a dragon. It was fantastic-- I can't imagine what it must be like to be able to do it yourself.

[He glances around again, making sure they're alone-- because this isn't the sort of thing he just tells anyone.]

Although-- er-- I'd appreciate if you kept that to yourself.

( There are dragons here -- she's seen them in the air, if she's never talked to them -- so the idea isn't foreign like it used to be. She still finds it exciting, her mental voice carrying some of that excitement over as she stretched her neck out toward Merlin. )

< That's amazing! You rode a dragon? There are dragons around here, but I'm not sure they're big on people riding them, even if that would be the ultimate kind of cool! Next to flying as one yourself. >

( His request takes a moment to process, Collette fluffing out her feathers and nodding her head. )

< I'll do my best! Sometimes I talk before the rest of me catches up, but I think I can keep secret dragon riders quiet. >

( As long as it never became suddenly and bizarrely relevant to a conversation she was particicpating in. )

My lord doesn't take too kindly to magic, or magical doings such as that. Thank you.

[He grins at her.]

I wish I could fly for myself, though. I should think it'd be-- well. I don't know if I'd ever want to stop. How don't you always stay like this?

< Hahaha, it's tempting! Sometimes it really is. But I'm me, Collette, the human girl. I won't give that up for a pair of wings. >

( She reaches her head around to nibble at whatever of his she can, tugging gently. )

< All the freedom in the world isn't worth losing myself, defective or not! >

I suppose not, no. Can you stay in this form as long as you like, or is there a limit?

< Two hours. >

( One day, being this open and honest was going to bite her in the butt. )

< Any longer and I'm stuck forever in the form I morphed into. >

I suppose every power has its limit. Still, it's a magnificent form of magic. Ah-- should you change back, then, or would you like to stay in this form? I think my lord will be missing me soon, but if you'd like you can come with me to meet him.

< I might take a rain check. Getting back to decent takes me a little bit! Who's your lord? Do you mean that literally? Can I meet him later if not right now? >

( An outpouring of questions from the bird nestled in his hands. Collette stretches her neck out toward Merlin, twisting it to one side to view him with one of her eyes. )

Prince Arthur, and yes, I mean that literally; he's been my lord for years now. And you can meet him later, of course you can! He'd quite like that, I think.

[...maybe. Whatever!]

( Wow these names sound oddly familiar. Collette coos, more out of a desire to vocalize than anything else. )

< When you guys are settled in, maybe then? >

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

transport log » ❝ welcome to Exsilium ❞

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oh my god merlin stop being adorable

He loves magic SO MUCH

thus his life is suffering in the darkness

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