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]

[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?

[allsongs]

[her mouth presses into a thin line as she listens, piecing words and contexts together as she finds them.

...ah.]

...It is choice then, yes? Free will.

[modestchivalry]

[his face lights up, very happy she was able to get the general idea]

Yes! [a pleased nod] That's right. Knights choose to become knights.

[allsongs]

Hmmh... [the note again. she smiles small, vaguely emulating his approval. knights. soldiers. chosen warriors. she nods.]

I understand what you say. Thank you.

[but that doesn't mean he's off the hook just yet:] Will you tell me the word castle?

[modestchivalry]

[he actually doesn't mind explaining thing to her - in fact talking to her has done a great deal at distracting him from his anxiety]

Castles are very large, elegant yet powerful structures where Kings & Queens live. They're very big on the outside & can seem a little intimidating but they're very beautiful inside.

[allsongs]

[pressing on:] How are kings and queens different?

[modestchivalry]

Kings & Queens are the rulers of their kingdom. What they do represents all people they rule. Knights serve under their hand & protect both them & the people of the kingdom.

[allsongs]

[rulers. rule. her brow furrows faintly as she seeks to piece them into familiar places. serve, protect, people and kingdom...]

Do I understand this correct? [her hands lift in gesture.] A kings and queens are listened to by knights and peoples?

[modestchivalry]

[he nods once more, smiling the more she understands]

Yes. They set laws & rules for their people to abide by. Knights enforce those rules so that everyone lives safe & happily.

[allsongs]

[her eyes squint a little as she gives him another scrutinizing glance. this Castor, a knight...and all these other things.]

I know these things. Knights and kings and queens. [she nods slow, looking elsewhere, upward.] I know many.

[modestchivalry]

[his features soften & he smiles when she confirms her understanding]

Is that so? I'm glad... If there is anything you wish to know about, I will try to do by best to explain to you.