EVENT: HERE THERE BE MONSTERS

[initiatesnpc]

Date & Time: October 24 - October 31
Location: Throughout Exsilium
Characters: ALL; tag yourselves in
Summary: The Transports return from their mission to find the island crawling with monsters.
Warnings: Violence, possibly injuries (notify a mod if there's cause to add a particular warning!)

The Transports return from their mission to Medieval Russia, but the Initiative Hold is eerily deserted. Normally, their would be a number of Initiative personnel prepared to meet the Transports at the end of their mission for debriefing.

Instead, there is only silence.

That is, until a distant thumping sound can be heard. It is growing closer, and suddenly the beast is bursting into the room. It lets out a roar and charges. Within minutes, it is easily defeated, but damage has already been done -- it collided with the Transporter machine, which is now making a low fizzling sound and lets off a couple sparks. The commotion is enough to draw the attention of the few remaining Initiative personnel who still inhabit the Hold, who arrive immediately afterwards. They are able to tell the Transports two things: that the machine is broken and currently unable to sent anyone back in time, and that the island has been overrun with aggressive, mutated beasts sent by the United Earth. They have been under siege for months, with the island's population reduced to a mere fraction of what it had once been.

Comments

[modestchivalry]

[the knight's been keeping himself busy with exploring the Hold & just catches the group of Transports returning back from their mission. that huge beast nearly gives Castor a heart attack & before he can even jump into the fray, it's defeated in a blink of an eye. yeah... that certainly didn't help his uneasiness.

what does though, is the sound of a distant song & it catches his attention. out of the corner of his eye he sees Simmaeri on the bench with the woman. for a moment he just... listens, though at a distance he's able to feel calm himself]

[allsongs]

[soon, but not very, the woman stops her sobbing, and Simmaeri's song ends in turn. soft words are exchanged, unintelligible from the distance, and the woman leaves after a shaken, but grateful farewell.

as she watches her go, Simmaeri's eye turns, catching the figure in her peripheral. she turns her head, staring.]

[modestchivalry]

[oh shoot, Castor it's not becoming of a knight to stare - quick, be polite& apologize!]

Ah-- My apologies! I-I did not mean to... [eavesdrop? is that what he was doing? shoot he's drifting again]

Y-You have a very lovely voice!

[allsongs]

[from that distance, his words are more sound than meaning. the faltering tone, the fluctuation of volume...

her expression begins to warm. she lifts a hand, giving him a beckoning gesture. come here, boy.]

[modestchivalry]

[uh oh... this couldn't be good. nobles don't like when you stare & Castor had to learn that the hard way, getting many a scolding. he gulps before slowly making his way over to her, a look of guilt plainly written all over his face]

I truly am sorry, milady. Please accept my apologies. [with that he gives her a very apologetic bow of his head!]

[allsongs]

[apologies?

oh, she is more certain she knows this man's make now. her smile warms all the more as he bows his head, her own tilting as she gives him a fond, appraising look. she gives a soft hum.]

I have seen not...your face here.

[modestchivalry]

[seeing her warm up like that helps him relax slightly though he's careful not to lose posture]

Ah? Oh, yes that is because I just arrived here... not that long ago. [finally there's a smile of his own! see, he can smile when he's not anxious]

My name is Castor. [a formal bow] It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, milady.

[allsongs]

[the formality is hardly necessary, yet Simmaeri's grown so accustomed to it through the ages that it's pleasing to see. a little piece of the old realm...he did have a noble air about him, didn't he? albeit unsteady.]

Castor... [the smile finally reaches her eyes. she bows her head in turn.] I am Simmaeri. Hello.

[modestchivalry]

[something about her smile gives him a very much needed sense of calm, even if temporary. he can't help but return it out of politeness]

If I may, you have quite a beautiful voice Lady Simmaeri.

[allsongs]

[her head tilts and turns slightly, giving ear to his statement. her smile purses a little as she listens, pulling the words she doesn't know out of the sentence, then fitting them back in when she's sure of the rest. it's becoming much quicker for her now, given the time she's spent learning. who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks? Simmaeri's proof that's a lie.

then again, this is her passion. words. language. sound. if she's not good at picking up a compliment, she ought to have gotten a new hobby centuries ago.

it may be a little later than normal, but she receives it well, giving a pleased sound.]

This is kind to say, Castor. Thank you. [she does not dwell on it very long, however. actually, she's already moved on to giving him another once-over even as she speaks, considering his garb, his posture, his expression...

strange, how different worlds could be, yet still show facets of home. his garb makes her wonder...

she tilts her hand in gesture to the empty space beside her.]

Will you stay? Will you speak to me?

[modestchivalry]

[this woman is different than the noble ladies he was used to interacting with. of course not all of them were pompous & rude but this one she seems... different, almost in a pleasant way.

that smile on his face remains and he could feel the tension making his muscles so stiff gradually relax]

It would be my pleasure, milady. [he takes a seat beside her, careful not to sit especially too close. of course he sits up straight, gloved hands on his knees as if he were patiently awaiting an order to be given]

[allsongs]

[milady must be some kind of pleasantry, she thinks. lady is faintly familiar, but hardly enough to give her a real conclusion. ah, well. she has nothing but time to find out.

she glances him over once more, as he gives a different message at rest than at attention...except, she sees, not truly. he looks the sort to be very...groomed for a kind of propriety, something she's encountered often in grander places than Exsilium.

she gives him a thoughtful little hum, starting to squint.]

Where is it...your home? Castor. The place you are from.

[modestchivalry]

[she has a very unique way of speaking & it's interesting, that's for sure]

My home? [at the mention of his home those gloved hands begin to absently rub at each other]

The Kingdom of Arcadia... in a world called Sanitas. [he's not here for that long & already he's starting to feel homesick.

no, that's enough Castor! you were brought here for a reason. toughen up!]

Ah, what about you?

[allsongs]

Kingdom of Arcadia. [she tests it out, matching his intonation. the pause after his question doesn't give barely a second of thought to it at all, rather, she skims her memory, searching for a place in time when she's known Arcadia to be a place.

Arakay, she wonders...but no. giving him another look, that can't be. it's another realm. why else would he speak this new language?

ah, the question.]

Home...Mine is many names. Many peoples call it many names. All one home.

[modestchivalry]

[Castor watches the way she repeats the name of his home & how her face changes look as she thinks. she's definitely unlike anyone he'd ever met before but... that was just fine. her company was well appreciated]

I see.. [he doesn't quite get it but he wouldn't want to be a bother by asking her to explain. instead he offers her a small smile] Do you miss it?

[allsongs]

[she is silent for a moment, turning the question over in her head. she has heard miss in a few contexts...miss spoken as less a word and more part of one, she gathers.

missit?

her eyes squint a little for a moment, still pondering, before she looks back at Castor mildly.]

Will you explain miss it to me? [tilting her head down just slightly.] Please.

[modestchivalry]

[did he say something wrong? maybe he phrased the question wrong & because of that she looks confused, making him feel a little guilty]

M-My apologies! [his head tilts down to meet her eyes, offering a soft smile] I meant to ask if you miss your home world.

[allsongs]

[goodness. he is a bit of a hasty sort of man, isn't he? quick to reply, quick to apologize, quick to question...it has familiar rings in Simmaeri's mind.

she smiles, shaking her head a little, her voice low and reassuring:] No apologies, Castor.

[she settles a hand on her collarbone as she explains:] My home...the peoples speak many words. But not the words here. I learn them all...and I learn these words here, now.

[the hand lifts and tilts, gesturing to him.] You speak more, I learn more. Yes?

[modestchivalry]

[now he was even more interested in this woman & her world, but first they needed to get on the same level.

he gives her a warm smile as he slowly nods] I will do my best to help you in any way I can.

[allsongs]

[help offered is never refused. Simmaeri smiles, pleased by this, and nods in turn.]

It is good. Will you tell me? About your home.

[modestchivalry]

Certainly. My home world is called Sanitas & I am a knight of the city Arcadia. It is a very big city, split up into four parts & in the center of it is a large castle. I— [hold up, cowboy. don't get ahead of yourself]

A-Ah... am I going too quickly?

[allsongs]

[she hums a note through a quirked smile, parsing through the words she's heard.]

Tell me what a knight is...[squinting a little.] you are? Is what you say.

[modestchivalry]

[he's curious about the humming but before he asks, he should prooobably answer her question first]

A knight is someone who protects the kingdom they live in & the people that live in it.

[allsongs]

[another soft note. while she considers, she combs hair behind her ear.]

Is this...same as all here? Called by Initiative of Exsilium.

Are all knight here?

[modestchivalry]

[that's a good question, actually. he looks thoughtful for a moment]

Hmm.. well, I suppose in a sense that is true. Knights can be both metaphorical & literal... [but that's confusing, Castor. try thinking of it in a different way she can understand]

Knights are... similar to soldiers, I suppose you could say. They live to fight & protect. The Initiative are made up of regular people, rather than just soldiers.

Does... any of that make sense?