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First.
ENCOUNTER 1. Your searching of the building won't be for nothing; in the end, it is a building, and buildings are wonderfully finite spaces. Eventually there's an exit, and the exit isn't sealed; in fact, compared to the impartial corridors of the rest of the place, the doorway leading out seems surprisingly professional. There's a reception desk and a small waiting area, and a vending machine in the corner - it looks the way one would expect the entrance to a professional corporation to look, as opposed to something housing the large number of strange people that seems to inhabit the building. The wind is cool as it hits your face when you make your way outside - because surely, you do want to make your way outside? - and you're greeted by a city enveloped in the darkness of late-night; the building you woke up in is elevated, overlooking the rest of the buildings below from the highest point in the city. There are cobbled steps leading down to street level proper, however, and if you want to turn to get a better look at the building once you're down there, you'll find that it's not particularly inconspicuous, all things considered. There are buildings once you're down on street level, several of them; almost all of them are dark. Whether they're abandoned, closed for the night, or simply housing sleeping occupants is a bit difficult to say at the moment; however, one building seems to be lit up brightly - isn't as massive as the place you just left but it's large enough, and perhaps most importantly there's a woman standing outside of it. She's standing tall and still, and were it not for the large amounts of blonde hair cascading down her back and framing her face, she might be difficult to see - she's dressed all in black, in a long duster coat and pants, and her arms are folded across her body as she watches the building. Her expression is calm; it's difficult to tell much else without approaching her, to see if she's exactly like everyone else you just left behind, but as soon as you approach and she's able to take a look at the rest of you... She smiles. The expression is gentle, understanding, though there's a hint of concern in her features; it easily reaches her eyes, and she tips her head while studying those of you she can see in the light from the building behind her. "Well! You are all a sight for sore eyes." When she speaks her voice is warm, affectionate in a manner that one might expect from a friend or maybe an older sister; she glances behind her, toward the lit-up building with its orange roof, before she turns back to you, beckoning you inside after her. The room you're led into is large and open, with a courtesy desk with a large set of machines behind it, and a woman stationed there as though it's her job; the blonde looks at her for a moment, pursing her lips as though bothered by something, and it isn't difficult to see why - the woman is one of the strange ones, one of the ones that don't seem to respond properly to much, stock-still and dead behind the eyes. She doesn't address her, though; she just gestures as though inviting all of you to sit - there are benches near the wall, though some of you may not mind taking the floor. There are stairs nearby, and that's where she takes up station herself, walking up a couple of steps before turning and settling on them, hands on her knees. She smiles again when she addresses you, though the expression is a little subdued. "My name is Cynthia. I'm sure you have a lot of questions; we have a lot to catch up on." |
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[You'd be sort of like everyone else if you weren't, and that would certainly not be a good thing.]
This wasn't my doing, though. I'm a Pokémon trainer - I raise creatures just like yours.
[She gestures toward the Deino.]
I don't know how much you know about them yet, but it looks like you're already making friends. That's good to see.
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[Like, holy shit. You're an actual human person with feelings. What is this witchcraft.
Still, listening to Cynthia's explanation is...interesting, if nothing else. What does that make her in this equation, then? Their savior, perhaps? Or is she in league with whoever did this...?
Camilla finds her petting of the Deino to become just a little more insistent, though the smile stays on her face.]
Oh, the second I laid eyes on this darling, I was completely smitten. He's as adorable as they come; I would love nothing more than to become this little one's friend. His lack of responses, however...they are quite concerning. I can't tell whether he's enjoying the attention or simply humoring me...
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That gets a bit of a concerned look in the direction of the Deino; her brow furrows a bit, delicately, before she speaks again.]
Unfortunately, I don't think he can enjoy it right now. It's nothing you're doing wrong.
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Camilla seems to tense a bit at the assertion, her smile faltering. She's not sure whether it's the idea of her lavishing basically meaning nothing to the creature itself that gets the reaction, or the idea that almost everyone in this entire, gods forsaken world was just a bunch of emotionless husks that simply existed--]
What happened to make him this way? [It's stated with a bit too much edge, and Camilla takes a moment to calm before speaking again.] Is it the same thing that became of most those other people? It's absolutely unnatural, unless everyone has simply always been like this...
[Cynthia existing seems to kind of. Blow that out of the water, really.]
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[She hesitates a little before pressing on with it; it isn't pleasant, but...]
The same thing has happened to almost everyone in this region. There was an incident, caused by the leader of the group you just left. His ultimate goal was to create a world without spirit.
He was a very...unwell man.
[She doesn't sound angry when she says it, or like she's passing judgement; it's just...how things are. Deeply unfortunate, but...]
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Oh, what the--]
Unwell seems to be an understatement! [...Yeah, that flared up without her meaning to, and the petting of Deino's fur stops while she separates her hand from the creature. She doesn't want to hurt him in anger. Ehem, let's just get a little more dignified--] I can't possibly understand what that man was trying to accomplish. And this is the result of such things? People and creatures with no will of their own?
[...Wait--]
Wait, was...he going to repeat the gesture, with all of us? Is that why we were dressed in that hideous garb?
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