NEW COMERS POST 1

[proximods]

Who: OPEN TO ALL
What: The first wave of newcomers arrive in the hospital.
Where: The Hospital, Center City
When: July 26
Warnings: Please tag any smut or triggers in the comment subject line.

The common room is just as brightly lit and white as the rest of the hospital. There are some scattered seats - large plush chairs and stiff looking couches, as well as wooden chairs at tables - and a TV blaring local soap operas in the corner. A few long tables are set up along the walls, each with a sign dangling down from the front to inform newcomers of what they can find here. Housing, job opportunities, and the Proxima Gamma Information Desk. Minus a few pamphlets about the unique attractions the island has to offer, there isn’t really that much of use on the last table. It’s clearly meant more for tourists than people who have been kidnapped.

Another set of tables hold a variety of snacks; fruits, vegetables, various candies, as well as a table with water, punch, and soda. No alcohol, unfortunately - this is a hospital, after all. You’ll have to leave to go find a bar for something stronger than that.

There’s not much place else to go - so come on in, settle down, and maybe find a familiar face, if you’re lucky.

Comments

Chloe | Noir (CRAU) | Wide Open

[true_noir]

In an alcove of the common area, one girl simply stood and watched. One hand held up the device they'd given her in one hand, tapping at the screen briefly before sliding it out of sight again. It wasn't of much use just yet, after all.

Cloaked entirely in a green, high-necked cloak, her body was difficult to see clearly, heavy boots touching the ground at its base. Purple hair framed mixed Chinese and Italian features, narrowed eyes gazing at everyone that she saw curiously, but not approaching at first. It was almost like she was watching for something in the people that emerged from their rooms.

Recognition.

[hermetics]

Ed was trying to push his anger down so he could focus on gathering information - something he was not entirely used to. Okay, wasn't used to at all. He wanted to just go up and start beating the shit out of whoever looked like they might have answers so that he could snag some from them, but in the past that hadn't really worked, and in situations like this... Well. He remembered how badly some fights with that so called goddess had gone and he was sure the scientists wouldn't be much different.

He still wasn't thinking entirely clearly or maybe he would have felt someone nearby in the more concealed portion of the common room. Instead, he was busy stuffing his face with some cake and not really caring if it was drugged at this point. He'd woken up starving and he was going to satiate that hunger for now, seeing as it was the only solution to any problem he had right now.

[true_noir]

"Did the thought occur to you," she said, walking towards him quietly from the spot she'd settled in earlier. "They could have laced that food with almost anything? Poisons, drugs, chemicals just to make you more docile? They've already put a chip in our necks you know, Ed."

It was a gamble, but why not assume mister metal-hand knew her? She saw little point in making the pretense. Her facial expression was concealed within her cloak. After all, at her height, even she was taller than shorty.

[hermetics]

The familiarity of the voice was enough to make him choke on his cake midbite, of course. It wasn't exactly the first person he thought of when trying to hope for someone he knew in this God forsaken place. Even if he'd come to a sort of... understanding with her, she was one of those people that just made him an uneasy, and made it a little higher on the People He Wouldn't Miss From Atia list.

So of course she'd be here. People who ran places liked this thrived on discomfort.

"You're probably going to kill me before this bread does, Chloe," he grumbled, but still stuffing the last bite of sweet into his mouth. "I thought about it, but I decided I'm too hungry to care. They're probably going to do that shit anyway, not like not eating the food ever stopped the other bitch from anything."

[true_noir]

She snorted. "True," And, just like that one of oranges bloomed with the back end of a knife, jutting out of it. It was apparently a blood orange, because the red that drained out was definitely of the sort that made it look like she'd killed something.

Reaching down, she plucked the fruit up and began to peel it with that impish look back on her face. "And please. I don't kill most of the time. It's not like either of my masters are here to ask that. And, without that little noose? I might not be in a rush to do anything else for once."

[hermetics]

Chloe with knives was something that might have made him the slightest bit nervous, but he did his best to not let it show on his face. His best just happened to suck a lot. He went to grab some of the grapes from the table and popped one into his mouth quickly to preoccupy himself.

"Good." He paused, going to rub at the sore spot on his neck through the bandage, heaving a small sigh. "Hopefully whatever they've got in plan for us here is a little less pervy. I can't say I'm looking forward to seeing what these new freaks can cook up."

[true_noir]

Her free hand reflexively ran over her throat, feeling the freedom of bare skin and breathing a sigh of relief at it. "We can but hope. What would be the odds of being captured by one crazed sex goddess as her perverse toys, only to end up captured by someone else to be their warped sex slaves?" She took a piece and pulled it free, biting it and enjoying the juices as they dripped over her lips. It took a finger to keep it from running over her chin.

A swallow and she went on. "I'd almost think this really was hell if that was the case. Almost."

[hermetics]

He held up his hand as though begging her to stop talking, cringing at the very thought. "Don't go and jinx us, Chloe, geez." He lowered his hand again, mulling it over, and hating how... logical he could make it all seem in the long run. "Not that it wouldn't be a great way to get a large sample of people who were already pretty used to this shit. Scientists they called themselves, right? Might be a freaky way of getting some kind of control group."

[true_noir]

She frowned. The next slice slipped off of the orange and she chewed it thoughtfully. A hand patted at her fanny pack, visible when she pulled the cloak to the side. "Well, if that's true, at least I came prepared." She managed to giggle, hoping beyond hope that this wasn't going to be like that. "But, as long as it's not have sex or die..."

[hermetics]

There was maybe a twitch of a smile, but Ed would've denied it if she pointed it out. "A positive side to everything." He popped another grape in his mouth, leaning against the food table as he thought about it. "I dunno what it is with these places and being so vague about why they brought us here. It's not like we can change anything if we know the details."

[true_noir]

She smirked. "We fixed that, you know... around the time you left. They started putting that guide of mine into baskets." A little sigh escaped her lips. "They added dildo candies. It was stupid. I understood why Link asked us not to use his."

"Would an explanation really make you feel better? Knowing that nothing they plan for us can be good?"

[hermetics]

A basket? The idea was good, but a part of him wondered how likely he would have been to sit down and actually read the pamphlets before getting on the network and raging about things. He was always too impatient for that kind of thing. "I guess it helps a certain type of person, at least."

He shrugged at her questions, finishing off the last few grapes by putting the remaining few into his mouth all at once. He was avoiding answering because he knew the honest answer was no. "I'd at least think they had more credibility as so called scientists. Blind experiments are one thing, but this is just ridiculous."

[true_noir]

"A social experiment, most likely." Anything else, like he was indicating, wouldn't really achieve that much. "They would probably put us in a situation, and see how we react to it. Telling us would defeat the purpose. Foolish all the same."

Cleaning her knife, she slipped it back into one of the copious sheaths she had on her person. "That, or they're just lying scum. Always an option. Not like Atia was better."

[hermetics]

He deflated a little, grumbling at the fact that she was right. Not like he ever liked to admit it. "Social experiments," he said with clear distaste, rolling his eyes. "If that's all they're running, they've got a lot of nerve calling themselves scientists."

Ed sighed, closing his eyes and feeling the energy of the place running through him. It was a feeling he'd missed in Atia, a disconnect to the earth that he had felt incomplete without. "At least they seem confident enough in letting us keep our abilities here. They must not be as cowardly as Atia was."

[true_noir]

"Atia had a lot of nerve calling herself a goddess too. It doesn't stop them, does it?" She snorted, recognizing that the same could have been said of her for so many years of calling herself a 'servant of death.' Was she still? In the end, did she still have faith? She wondered. The symbol was almost more sentimental any longer.

"They do seem brave at that. They even let me keep what Thanatos granted me," she said, reaching out a hand. Frost formed there and soon ice, a chill wafting by while a blade of ice rested in her hand. "I think I prefer the brave to cowards too."

[hermetics]

It was easy to tell that Ed was slightly surprised that she got to keep her powers from another world entirely, but the shock faded quickly as he shook his head and realized that there was no reason that it wouldn't make sense.

"It'll make things a little different, that's for sure. Hopefully not as... chaotic as it got whenever people got their powers back there."

[true_noir]

"I imagine someone will try something... but probably not everyone at once. Well... after the first week anyway," she said. "When I'm done here, if nobody tries to wreck the joint, I plan to find somewhere to lay low, where nobody is tearing buildings apart. It seems the smart plan." She had enough sense to know that his tricks didn't put her in the high-ends of fighting categories against godlings.

"You?"

[hermetics]

He nodded in agreement. It was probably the longest he'd stayed on the same page as Chloe for a while. "I found my brother and Winry. I'll probably take them both with me and find the best place to keep a safe eye out on things. Might not even stick around here for that full week that they offered us. There are probably more answers on the outside than there are in here, if it's anything like Atia."

[true_noir]

"Atia did a good job killing any real answers," she started before her head froze and she cast a very slightly nervous look in his direction. There'd been something he'd said that got a reaction. "Winry... you say? I saw Al. I don't think he remembers me... but does she?"

She might not have wanted to antagonize a certain girl much. Just in case she ended up needing her services... that and Winry could be scary, even for Chloe.

[hermetics]

There was a moment of silence from him as he tried to figure out why it mattered, before he remembered just how much Winry had disliked Chloe. For every ounce of him that had been furious with the woman, Winry's had probably had two. Or three.

He couldn't help but smirk a little, shrugging. "She doesn't seem to hold any memories from it. So I guess you'd better be on your best behaviour around her so she doesn't end up hating your guts again."

[true_noir]

She managed a laugh. It was a little hollow, but still natural. "I ... would like to think I've learned a little from the lessons life has given me. It's been a while since you were gone, you know." She managed a little grin at him. "I don't promise that something weird won't happen, but it won't be like there. No noose... no need to push as much."

Though... would she complain if he used his arm on her again? No.

ayyyy fancy meeting you here

[brandedrose]

And she'll recognize one such person as she comes out of a room. Lightning cautiously steps out from the room, eyes narrowed as she takes in the surroundings. For all that she's perturbed, she's not shocked or scared like many newcomers are. The setting is new, but the game - or whatever else it could be called - was familiar.

As she takes a few steps into the room, though, her eyes sweep over to the other side of the room and land on Chloe. They widen in surprise. "Chlo-" She stops herself. This was a new place, and while she may have been taken here straight from Atia, this Chloe might not have been. She remembers how it works. But she'd already said too much, and while she waits for Chloe to say something, her mind backpedals and tries to think of what to say in case Chloe doesn't recognize her.

Really, she does not want to peeve the former assassin.

Such a small world we have

[true_noir]

Chloe's eyes turned towards Lightning, and her expression was concealed while she began to approach. She gave no obvious sign that she'd heard Lightning, though the fact that she was aiming straight for her was probably a little telling. Keeping her mouth an about half of her face concealed behind that cloak of hers, she neared, looking her over.

The first sign that everything was normal ... or at least as normal as it could be here, was her fingers, reaching towards Lightning's throat while she chuckled. "Well, well, what do we have here? So they fetched you as well, did they?"

[brandedrose]

Light stood rigid, defensive as Chloe approached. There was no telling what she was going to do, and with having given no sign of recognition, she began to prepare for the worst-

-until she chuckled. That and her comment and those fingers brushing against her neck, Light instantly relaxed. Whatever the chances were, it was the Chloe she knew.

"So it seems. I have to admit, I almost can't believe you're here. Atia seemed pretty content keeping you around."

[true_noir]

Chloe smiled to herself, her lidded gaze taking on a fond feel. She stepped in close, into Lightning's personal space. Her lips were curled upwards and she was sighing, the fingers lingering before they slid down, settled at her own side. "I've escaped her. I'm free of that bitch's touch. I almost don't care what they do to me right now, Lightning. They could poke us, cut us open, test the parts to see what makes us tick. I'd forgive it. She's not choking me anymore, not choking you or Sheena, or... heh, even Ed."

She snickered at that. "It feels good to breathe doesn't it?"