WEEK 0 — ARRIVAL

[cartesio]

Week 0: Arrival

When you wake up you immediately feel something’s off. You sit on the bed and find it’s not your bed, and this isn’t your room either. You seem to be in a rather normal-looking motel room. To your side there’s a trunk, if you open it you’ll find a military uniform, the key to your room, a set of rules and a debit card. Don’t lose those items! Or do lose the rules, you'll find a brand new copy the next day under your pillow. There’s also a calendar on the wall, you can see today’s date. The year is unreadable, but the month and day are very clear:

March 28^th
There it says ‘Meet the Sergeant at the Lodge, 9:00 AM’. There’s also a circle around March 31st, with the word ‘END’ scrawled there.

For now leaving your motel room would be a good choice. When you reach the lobby, you see the receptionist’s desk— no one’s manning it. There’s a rack filled with maps, marking several locations in the town.

There are also many strangers here – and you’re one more. For now it may be a good idea to take a map and explore the town.

After all, looks like you’re stuck here in the boonies for a while.

Links

IC Rules
Room Assignments
Locations
Tasks (LOCKED currently)

March 28^th
March 29^th
March 30^th

Comments

[londonstar]

[ oh good fucking god that was definitely someone running into him.

el melloi the second may be a tower in terms of height, but he's as thin as a toothpick and stumbles when sakura rams into him. at least he doesn't fall, so he can keep at least some of his pride.

he quirks an eyebrow, and sees that it's...a young girl. ah. ]

Are you alright, my Lady?

[clearities]

Um! Um...!

[The moment she finds out she's run into someone is the moment where she realizes that she should honestly slow down, taking a step back, even though she's stumbling quite a bit.

She nods several times, bobbing her head up and down in response.]

I'm sorry! [Let her just. Bow in apology for bumping into him first.] I'm okay, I just-- I don't know where I am, so...

[londonstar]

Don't fret. [ he should have seen her first, so he accepts her apology without a second thought.

his expression softens when he realizes that she's lost in this place as well. ]

It seems that we are in the same situation-- did you also wake up in the motel?

[clearities]

[She nods, bringing her hand to her chest to take in a few deep breaths, in and out, trying to calm herself down. Panicking would do her no good in a situation like this. Even if she's fully aware that she knows who would be concerned about her...]

...Ah, yes! I did!

[londonstar]

I see.

[ he nods slowly, letting the girl relax before taking out one of the maps that he took from the lobby, handing it to her.

he thinks of the rules and the chance of being killed and he feels a sour taste in his tongue. ]

This is a map of the area. Would you like to investigate the area with me, Lady?

[clearities]

[Thankfully, Sakura hasn't exactly seen the rules yet-- she probably will later, though. But when he hands the map to her, she eyes it rather carefully, looking rather in awe at it all.]

If you wouldn't mind me... I definitely would not mind investigating! [Oh, wait.] But first, I should introduce myself. My name is Kinomoto Sakura, it's nice to meet you.

[And she bows politely from the waist down.]

[londonstar]

[ ah, japanese. though it's not something that fills the mage with joy, he won't mention it around her either. ]

Very nice meet you, Lady Sakura. [ he bows back, though it is a lot more discreet; an englishman from start to finish. ] I'm Lord El Melloi the Second.

[ he nods. ] Shall we go?

[clearities]

Hoeee....

[That's a very long name, and she's not sure where to start with that.]

So is it El Melloi-san? Or El Melloi the Second-san?

[What does she use, she's not sure what's proper etiquette. It definitely is a mouthful, though.]

Mm! [She nods at his question, though.]

[londonstar]

[ el melloi sounds grating enough that he looks away when she mentions it. but he wouldn't want to put her through having to say such a long name.

he thinks about it while he begins to walk, and then nods when he makes his decision. ]

Professor is fine. If it makes you feel more comfortable, sensei is fine, too. It means professor in Japanese, right?

[clearities]

Ah... yes, it does. But you're a professor? What do you teach? [Sakura Kinomoto asks the question with a bit of curiosity in her eyes, blinking several times with sheer interest.]

[londonstar]

I am the head of the school of Modern Magecraft.

[ if this brings up the question of what magecraft is, he's not gonna explain. sorry sakura. ]

[clearities]

Hoeeee... you know how to use magic, too?!

[Very subtle, Sakura.] I didn't know they had schools for that!

[londonstar]

There are some. The one I'm in is one of the most famous ones.

[ he tilts his head. no need to mention his own shitty abilities as a magus. ] Are you also a magus, my Lady?

[clearities]

[Sakura claps her hands together, bringing it near her lips, embarrassed. But she does nod.] I wouldn't call myself a magus... but I can do magic-- [And she tries to find something under her shirt and then makes a rather surprised yelp.] It's gone!!

[londonstar]

[ eh? he blinks, confused over her sudden reaction. ]

Did you lose something, my Lady?

[clearities]

There was a key--

[Now she has to check her pockets now, as well.] And my cards are gone, too!

[londonstar]

[ waver stays silent for a moment, considering the situation. he doubts that she's exaggerating about the loss and that, in turn, worries him greatly.

considering how well planned this kidnapping was...he doubts that their captors would make a silly mistake like dropping a key and some cards. ]

...We may have to consider the possibility that they were taken from you.

[clearities]

That's...

[She swallows hard, completely concerned; it shows in how her voice trembles and how she brings her hands together in what seems to be an almost fruitless prayer.]

Why would they take it? [She has an idea, but she asks it nevertheless.]

[londonstar]

There's many possible reasons.

[ unfortunately, he's not very good at comforting. but he'll still do his best and lay a hand on her shoulder, his expression sympathetic. ]

But it's most likely to...keep us here, probably. I'm very sorry.

[clearities]

That's horrible! [Someone has to say it, and she supposes that it's got to be her.] If I don't get the cards back, then-- [She doesn't know what will happen. It's possible that bad things might happen.]

[londonstar]

[ bad things are definitely going to happen. ]

It truly is horrible. And yet for that same reason, we cannot give up, Lady Sakura. The situation is dire, but it is not hopeless. [ not yet, at least. ]

[clearities]

You're right, sensei. I have someone to go back to, and-- [She closes her eyes, relaxing as she says the words, calmly:] "Everything will surely be alright." That's what I want to believe.

[londonstar]

[ one thing is being rational and another is being outright cruel. while he has a gut feeling that not everything will be alright, el-melloi doesn’t have the heart to crush her hopes so coldly.

so he nods. ]

I believe so as well. I will do my best so that nothing befalls you, my Lady.

1 / 2

[clearities]

... [Emerald green eyes widen in surprise, quiet for a moment when he says that. It makes her heart flutter with warmth that's almost familiar-- it's different from the feelings that she has for Syaoran, but it's something kind, too. That she can definitely trust him. At least, she desperately wants to believe that.]

[clearities]

[And then, she finds herself smiling. It's the kind of smile that shows innocence and grace. While everything may not be alright in the end-- her steadfast belief in her own words, her invincible spell, is something that will get her past all that.] Mm. [There's a nod, full of confidence that wasn't there before, along with a rekindled determination.] And I'll do my best, too, sensei! [She even pumps up her hands into tight fists, making a rather eager pose that shows just how much she would do the same, in spite of the fact that she's thirteen and might not be able to do much in this state.]