First.

[azumods]

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."

Comments

[ventulus]

... He needs to be stopped.

[ He turns around, looking towards the exit and then back at her. He's caught between thinking of running out of here to try to stop him but also he learned he can't summon his Keyblade here, so. ]

[azumods]

Believe me, I intend to do that very thing.

Leave him to me. I can't allow the rest of you to get involved.

[discutio]

...I disagree.

We're involved whether you permit it or not, Cynthia. If this plague of sorts threatens our worlds, then it has very swiftly become our problem. Much as I admit returning as soon as possible needs to be our priority, that would not solve the root problem by the sound of things.

[niceoppai]

You know, he's right. You're one person and you've been dealing with this for years! We should be able to help, too.

[azumods]

You can disagree all you like, Ignis. I'm not going to stop you from arguing.

But things are as they are. I'm sorry.

[discutio]

Apologies, but I'm afraid it's too late to convince me otherwise.

I have a world I promised someone I would look after. If this person threatens it in such a way as you imply, then he has become as much my problem as yours. I can do no less, whether you wish it or not.

[azumods]

And I'm not going to allow the lot of you to advocate murder against him like a group of barbarians.

[ventulus]

...but it doesn't make any sense to leave this all just to you!

[ He can't let someone do all of this by themselves. It wouldn't be right.

He's decided. ]

Besides, we're all involved anyway, right?

[heritrix]

We might be involved, but that doesn't mean we're equipped. We know nothing about this man or how strong he is, other than the fact he somehow had the power to rob this world of its free will.

[Rin folds her arms, frowning. Everyone chipping in is probably well-meaning, but still.] If we poke our noses where they don't belong, we may do more harm than good.

[discutio]

A matter of equipment can be resolved, as well as the knowledge to utilize it. We're already somewhere we don't belong, so I think it's a bit too late for the latter concern.

[heritrix]

"Equipped" and "equipment" have entirely two different meanings, in this instance. This world works differently from my own. I don't know about you, but I don't have the same abilities I had before. Don't make the situation out to be so simple.

[Not that she would have those abilities even if things were normal, but that's beside the point. She assumes some people here might be like that as well? If not, welp. This is a weird enough situation; let's throw caution to the wind.]

Putting aside that... [She gestures to the blank-eyed receptionist.] We're in a world populated with people who's wills are no longer their own. Their leader probably already knows we're here, and is taking precautions.

These people might not mind our presence now, but we already stick out like sore thumbs. If we make a big organized movement against one man, he's going to order them or his underlings to get in our way.

[Scoffing, Rin puts a hand on her hip.] Are you just going to risk their lives like that, when they don't have any say in the matter? I'm not saying we should do nothing, but we can't all go against this guy. We need a less obvious plan, and there's going to be other ways to help.

[azumods]

...Thank you.

[this one gets it.]

[heritrix]

[Oh, she wasn't expecting a thank you for that. Rin colors slightly, then nods.]

Of course. [Ah—] But if there's anything else we can do, I'd like to hear it. I agree that we should let you handle Team Galactic's leader, but the others do have a point. If our worlds are in danger, we have to act quickly.

[enjoymyatelier]

I agree that it’s best to be cautious, but It’s entirely possible that our path home might require us to put him down at some point. We shouldn’t rush to engage him unnecessarily, but we should probably work on finding out what we can do in case an open conflict with him becomes necessary.

[azumods]

[oh holy fucking wheel of arceus-]

No one is "putting him down."

[semistableman]

Know the enemy before you even think of striking.

It'd be suicide to go up against the guy now.

[ventulus]

[ Ventus' eyebrow furrowed, opening his mouth again for a second, and then closing it again. He doesn't want to do any harm. But still...

... he looks over to what other people are saying and then back at her. ]

...When we know more about things, then.

[ He doesn't exactly agree on the whole 'poking noses where they don't belong' and it shows, but she does have a point in that they don't know much. ]

[divinedescendant]

Forgive me, but I think it's too late for that.

[firm and steady, voice rising some maybe in hopes of speaking above the murder scramble???]

If being taken so far from perhaps our very worlds, if I'm understanding all this correctly, weren't enough to involve us, the threat all of this poses to our beloved homes certainly would be. I think we are rather past the point of permission.

[azumods]

You can believe what you want. The fact of the matter hasn't changed, however.

[divinedescendant]

It's hard to believe anything else—for any of us, I'd say—when many of us are still in shock, and with so few specifics.

[Buuut it won't do any good to upset this woman by defying her when she's the only friendly face and source of information they have right now.]

But this would be a task to be performed far from the immediate future, as things are now, yes? It may be that we'll have to take things one step at a time and reconsider our options when the time comes.

[perfectselfie]

I agree. If we can do something - absolutely not something that would hurt anyone - but something to help, we should.

[divinedescendant]

[oh emm likes this girl. she's pure.

now that she's talked this out with Cynthia some more though—]

We'll have to take things one step at a time, it would seem. There are plenty of ways for us to offer aid short of a direct confrontation right out of the gate, yes?

[swiftasacoursingkawa]

E...everyone else is right, you know?

[He twiddles his fingers nervously.]

Besides, we're here, right? We should at least do something...

[azumods]

I'm sorry, sweetheart. But I can't allow that.

[swiftasacoursingkawa]

B-but why not? [When he thinks about everyone waiting back home, everyone else that might...lose their dreams, or something, it doesn't feel right. Everyone he knows has such larger than life personalities, to think about them losing all of it is just...]

I mean...It's not just you and Sinnoh that's been affected now, right? We want to help! Even if we just got here, and don't know much about this place, and don't really have any supplies, and...

[His hyperractive imagination takes over, thinking about some mysterious devil-like figure (that looks suspciously like Hiruma, for some reason) swooping down and cackling, before zapping them with some mysterious power turning them into its slaves. Then he shudders.]

...oh...