azume | Welcome.

AWAKENING.

You're asleep, and the first thing you're aware of is the pulse.

It comes quickly, flooding through your system and jolting you awake; the room you're in is dimly-lit but the bed you're in is soft, and while all of this is jarring you'll soon become rather aware that you aren't going through this alone. The room you're in is lined with beds not unlike the one you're in; you'll be able to hear other people stirring, coming awake as they respond to the pulse too, and...

...And it will soon become evident that whatever just happened, something is wrong.

Whatever your response may be to waking up in a low-lit room full of people is going to be highly amplified, the emotion rubbing your nerves raw in a way that makes you feel like you're experiencing it for the first time, and whenever you manage to sit up, you'll feel something...strange on your head, tickling the sides of your face, and as you turn your head a little you'll catch a glimpse of an odd, synthetic-looking green.

A wig...?

Your clothes, too, are different from whatever you remember last (because whatever you remember last, it wasn't this room, it wasn't this place - ); they feel warm, designed to withstand cold weather, and if you throw the blankets off at any point (or even just pause to look beneath them) you'll be greeted with an outfit made of thick material that's alternating parts black and white and glossy silver, with an emblem inscribed on the chest - a G inscribed in gold and black.

Whatever's happening here, you aren't given much time to dwell on it; everyone here seems about as confused as you are. There are twenty-four of you in the room altogether, and you're all going through the same thing; whatever you're experiencing, the door is closed, so at least you're experiencing it in relative privacy.

For now.

It isn't long before a voice can be heard, soft but agitated-sounding, as though trying very hard to not awaken everyone in the building; it sounds like a man, and you can hear his footfalls pause just outside your door as he speaks to someone else, voice soft and androgynous.

"And you're sure they're gone?"
"Yes, Commander."
"And don't you think something should be done about that...?"
"Right away, sir."

With that, the man and whomever he was speaking to can be heard parting ways, one moving rapidly down a corridor and the other pausing, shifting a bit before eventually moving on himself.

You have several options.

I. You can sit here for a while and get to know each other, seeing as none of you know what happened. That might be a good idea, all things considered, and as long as the door remains closed there's no rush. It's the middle of the night, after all, and it isn't as though anyone is going to come looking - despite the urgent conversation outside, there isn't any alarm going off, nor is there any reason for most of the building to be on high alert.

II. You can explore the building. Should you do that, you'll find several winding corridors leading to what look like dorms, with several rooms containing sleeping people and areas such as formal break rooms; exploring a little further will let you find conference rooms and other large, empty spaces that don't seem to have much of a purpose. There are signs and notices in several places referring to "Team Galactic" and its protocol, all adorned with the same emblem that's on your clothes. Some of these corridors also lead to doors that are, unfortunately, locked and staying that way; some of them lead to people dressed exactly like you, bizarre wig and all. They seem to be a little strange, however; they'll greet you, and they'll speak to you if spoken to, but they look odd and dead behind the eyes and there's not much to their answers, and asking them about preferences or any personal information will just net you a blank stare. It's going to be a long strange journey through the building, but at least you're traveling light; you don't seem to have any belongings with you - save for the outfit you woke up in and the red and white capsule attached to your belt...

III. You can also pause to try to figure out what's going on with those capsules. They each contain something very important to you, after all - a creature that seems to have been assigned to you specifically. They don't seem to have anything on them indicating a name or another person that owns them, at any rate, so it's probably safe to assume it's yours. That said, something seems decidedly wrong with it - it seems alarmingly apathetic, the look in its eyes dull and resigned as opposed to alert and emotive, and while it's willing to follow you (it's almost a bit too willing to follow you, it will stay close by your side in the manner of a dog trained to heel if you try to walk away from it) it doesn't seem to be due to any sort of genuine affection. It's all very...sterile, for lack of a better term.

Welcome to Sinnoh. Glory to Team Galactic.

[OOC: Welcome to Azume! Feel free to use this log to get to know one another iCly; you can use the prompts given or come up with your own, though for now you're confined to the building. The Commanders are currently not present in the building (anywhere that you can find them, anyway). For now, have fun getting your bearings.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

...surely they couldn't have removed it. We'd probably notice some physical effect from that. It might just be completely dormant?

[...at the very least, it's making him a little less suspicious of Rin to start out with. Like, yeah, after spending time away from the actual Holy Grail War situation has given him a lot of time to wonder what his successor was being truthful about and what was complete and utter bollocks, but given the Tohsaka family's alliances...]

Furthermore, in speaking with several people here, I've noticed something particularly alarming- we don't all seem to be from the same worlds to begin with.

[From wrist to elbow, she massages the muscles in her forearm. Traces tendons and ligaments, and invisible pathways she knows should be there.]

It better be dormant, or they won't see me coming.

[Grumbling hotly, it's only the situation that keeps her from shouting. That's her family's legacy we're talking about here. OKAY SURE, she ripped out a big chunk of it to hook Shirou up with some mana wi-fi, but that was on her terms?? HUFF.

Honestly, she has the same thoughts as Kayneth—Magic Crests are notoriously difficult to transplant. It would take time to heal if it was removed, and if performed by an amateur could leave lasting damage. It doesn't make sense... Rin drops her arm in frustration.]

But it's not just that. There's another person I've met from our world besides you, and our timelines are seriously confused. It's like someone took key parts from mage history and threw it in a blender with a mystery ingredient.

I'll be right there with you, because honestly...

[...and huh. that's something, alright, but...]

Really...? Well, I'd imagine that your timeline and mine are probably different, as well, given that something happened during my Holy Grail War that caused everything to go completely off the rails. At least, I got that impression, anyway.

[I mean, she's going to have a funny moment at that meeting with Shirou in a few days when she realizes he meant something really unusual, and not just the off-the-rails Fourth Grail War she's already gotten a few accounts of.

Right now, she kind of expects Kayneth might be dead and unaware, and doesn't want to go into too much detail with him.]

I suspect that as well. [Nodding, she agrees simply.] It wouldn't be the strangest thing that's happened.

We should discuss this at another time, once we've determined more about our current situation. I don't know what your position might be towards my family at the moment, but if you're a participant of a Grail War, I imagine by design we were once opposed.

[Regally, she makes a proposal with her finger aloft.] We can sort out the specifics later, but I'm willing to offer a tentative alliance for as long as it takes to get to the bottom of this. Is that agreeable to you?

That's very agreeable to me, and I was honestly thinking about proposing the same thing myself. I have no personal issues with the Tohsaka family, [unless they actually were scheming with the Trombelios but honestly he has no fucking idea if his successor was being honest about that] so given that the Holy Grail War isn't a factor here, there's no reason why we shouldn't work together. In fact, even if it was, I'd say this matter is more pressing than anything else.

[Good. Once again they're on the same page, so Rin nods easily.]

Then it's settled. As you've already introduced yourself, I'll do you the same courtesy. My name is Rin Tohsaka. I'm the current head of the Tohsaka Family.

[She folds one arm across her middle, looking towards the door.]

Without magecraft, there's no means to make our alliance official with a formal contract, but we can seal it with a handshake if you wish. If you have nothing else to ask, however, we should shelve the rest of this conversation for a later time, and focus on finding answers and a way out of this building.

...I see.

[Well, you know... he has a few questions, even if he’s less thrown off than he might otherwise be, but that’s for later. For now, he extends a hand.]

I’m sure any questions I do have can be addressed later. For now, I agree that we should shake hands and get to getting our bearings.

I promise to meet those questions earnestly when the time comes, and answer them as truthfully as I'm able.

[She'll return his grasp firmly, then! Like... Kind of really firmly, she has the handshake of a man. When she releases his hand, it's to push for the door.]

Until then, let's get a move on.

Right.

[a good, firm handshake is always a good indicator of someone who at least knows what they're doing, for the most part.]

We should probably split up and get to know the other people who are stuck here and see if we can figure out any patterns.

Welcome.

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