[IC] SoA-Ep1: Passage

[Darvan Korematsu]

Felix looked apolegetically at Nikki. "Whoa. Perhaps I came off on the wrong foot. It's just been a tiring journey. I'm Arceus knows how many miles from home, on some relatively shoddy-looking boat with equally shoddy weather. Take a look outside. It's gloomy, the harbor smells like the usual rank shit of dank sea water - the docks at least - and well...I'd hope you'd understand. I'm sure this place is absolutely beautiful in the middle of summer. But again, take one look outside and you'll see why I'm just not feeling it."

He sank as low as he could in the chair as it felt like most of the eyes in the room bored into him. He looked back at Nikki and pulled out another hamburger from his backpack. "If you want it, take it. I've lost my appetite." He gulped down the last of his water and sheltered himself from the room by drawing the hood of his parka over himself.

Damn it Felix, why the fuck did you have to say some stupid shit? He thought to himself.

[Chevaleresse]

Who the hell just keeps fully prepared hamburgers in their backpack? For that matter, why would one continue to insult this place when someone has clearly been offended? "I think we're all just a bit tired from the travel here and the ensuing frustrations. Perhaps we should simply wait for the good. . . well, he isn't the captain, but the man who is willing to explain this whole confusing situation to us." Yuuki was a bit nervous, and he wasn't sure whether it showed on his face. He wasn't precisely used to the idea of being a mediator, but the task seemed to have fallen to him.

[Hiss13]

Yuzuki stayed in the seat she found earlier and silently watched the scene unfold around her. She realized that someone like her who generally kept her emotions suppressed would probably have reacted more calmly in that situation. If she was not the type to suppress her emotions, she would feel quite proud of that but that would be a contradiction. So, she simply just watched with a neutral expression.

After Yuuki had delivered his little spiel to get the rest to calm down, Yuzuki silently nodded to express her agreement.

[Chim]

Things escalated quickly when the woman next to him got into an argument with a guy named Felix. Other people interfered but Joey did nothing except for moving his hand in front of his mouth and making weird throat noises that only the people close to him could hear.

When things seemed to calm down, Joey's muffled snickering escaped passed his hand and it didn't take long before he bursted out into laughing. “S-sorry,” he snickered, “but that was funny! Felix, was it? You wanted to protect me by flexing your muscles? That's the best excuse I've ever heard! But are you sure you weren't trying to show off?” The blond man took a deep breath and placed his hand on his ribs. “Man, I think I broke a rib or two while laughing...”

[Sutoratosu]

The Conference Cabin

Among the rather... interesting bouts of confrontation between the travelers the sound of a door cracking broke the conversation, and with it the sound of heavy booted feet strolling across a hard wood floor. The slab of tempered, blast-proofed steel slammed shut of it's own accord the moment the Black Mutineer took his position at the head of the table. Something in the back of the room clicked several times as a numerous array of lights came to life on the panel next to the only exit, each one carrying a fearsome glow the color of fresh blood.

"Well, I see we've all made ourselves relatively comfortable, more or less." He laid his hand out flat on the polished, white surface of the broad table while looking over each of the assembled trainers in turn, taking it away after a few moments as a green light formed a perfect replica of the limbs outline before fading moments later. Another click, much like the sounds the locks had made, and up from the center of the table arose a small circle of it's surface, a small frapicino machine rising out of the cavity with seven cups already set into position beneath dispensing snouts. Each of them were already steaming with the liquid inside, some black as night, some a deep, rich milky brown.

"As promised," The man continued "Cofee and hot chocolate for any who desires it. Before I begin though... I would like to take a second to ask: Who here has studied the history of the world, as it was 10,000 years ago? Of course, they teach such things in the primary schools, but so much of the curriculum tends to either be distorted from the truth or just outright wrong entirely..."

Shadow Force 1

The morning snowfall had seized as the sky overhead had yielded to the sun, gray blankets of dejected cloud matter tearing down it's very center to reveal the blazing ball of light and heat light-years away. The winds had gotten the message as well, it seemed, receding from their previous frenzy and now only barely above a whisper in the ears of the figures who stood on the docks, eyeing the vessel with the giant sitting on it's boarding plank. Each of them wore a cloak darker than a winter's stroke of midnight, hoods pulled up high.

The ship was a large one, they had to give it that, capable of carrying at least 100 passengers, crew members included. It had no sails, had to be propeller driven; which meant it had to have a substantial power system given the heavy armoring of the hull. That was at least full foot thick steel plates, something that even vicious beasts like Sharpedos would have trouble with, even in a small pack...

"I wasn't expecting them to take on visitors." One of them said; a woman, given the pitch. Her accent made it clear she was Hoenn born.

"It doesn't matter." Another responded. "We still have work to be done. That hull could be an issue though- sinking the thing will likely be out of the question, even with the enhancement..."

"You act as though we didn't prepare for this possible avenue, brother." A third chimed, another woman, this one with a voice sweeter than combee's honey. The man shuddered just hearing it. "Visitors or no, if we can't sink it, we simply conquer it."

"Yes, yes... it as you say, sister Avelia... but what of the girl?" He said.

"Girl? You dare call her a girl, with the power she wields?"

"I am not one to... believe the hype, sister Avelia."

Avelia only sighed as she drew back her hood, letting the ashen blond curls fall from the place in it's confines. "Exon, it isn't hype if she has a trail of bodies to her name. It's called fear, and rightly so."

"Commander!" a voice crackled from Avelia's belt. She took up the comlink without hesitation, gazing back over her shoulder towards the city...

"What is it, report your situation."

"She-" The sound of crackling like Ice broke the sentence as static faded in. Avelia shouted into the mic, called for a response... but still nothing but static come through. She kept her eyes fixed on it, cursing beneath her breath.

"What are we waiting for then?" Exon said, That had been enough for him to reconsider the child's power, now heading off towards the ship... and the giant. He reached down to his belt and tore the capsule from it's magnetic binding, the casing burning with the colors of the sun as his hand made contact. The giant seemed to have no inkling of the presence closing in... "We need to finish this before she arrives- otherwise their diversion will have been for nothing."

[Felicity]

"Why the hell do we need to know mythology for a trip closer to Arcadia? Just tell us what to do to earn our keep and be done with it." Nikki asked belligerently, scowling at the unnecessary question. She was still annoyed due to the people she had encountered, leaving her in a less than stellar mood. Nikki made no move to the mysteriously appearing machine. She really disliked boats with too much technology on them, especially when that technology appears from nowhere. What was wrong with a good old, simple wooden vessel?

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

"I've read into some of them... It's important to exercise the mind as much as it is the body. However... as you said I highly doubt their accuracy. " Steele walked forth and grabbed one a cup of coffee. She didn't care much for it, but there wasn't any tea here... she'd have to settle for the dirt water. She didn't put any cream or sugar into it either. She wasn't one for all that frou-frouy nonsense. The cups were a plain unassuming white. Nothing special or fancy about them, much to Johanna's liking.

"So' the answer is yes I have, probably a lot more than some but I doubt even then I have the whole truth of such matters. It hard to find solid evidence of anything that is accurate in the realms of history. After all the winner writes the books, and the history. They already inherently lie in conquer and then it further dilutes in time. Who's to say anyone truly knows the origins of anything anymore. I'd imagine you ahve a good guess if you're asking about it, and that it has some relevance to this situation. One doesn't ask a question with no meaning, or jsut to ask it. They ask to discern something. What is it you are discerning?" Steele asked of the man. She sat back down in her chair still next to the bumbling fool who asked to sit next to her. She wasn't going to be rude and sit somewhere else and just hurt the kid's pride. But still she didn't overly like it. She crossed her leg over her other leaning back in her seat. She looked intently at the man who had seemed to take charge for now. She was interested now. Hopefully there was something to keep hold of that interest.

[Darvan Korematsu]

Felix unrolled his parka, sighing aloud. "Nikki, it might be part of the reason why he's hesistant to send us to Arcadia in the first place. But that's no matter, I've delved a little into this subject before."

"Sir, if I do remember correctly, we as humans, how do I put it correctly..." Felix mused to himself. "Lost our way perhaps? The first signs of human civilization date that far back, and there's no older evidence that suggests otherwise. In Canalave in Sinnoh, the librarians spoke to me about the world folklore. Pokemon and humans used to be one in the same, and maybe that long ago, humans....seperated maybe?"

He shook his head. "It's been a while sir, I may need to recheck my facts."

Felix shook his head and propped his feet on the table, crossing them over one another as he stared at that little buttwipe guy from earlier and the bitch in the top hat.

[Hiss13]

Yuzuki walked over and picked up a cup of hot chocolate before walking back and blowing at the surface of the liquid. She didn't like coffee. It contained caffeine…and she did not like the effects caffeine would have on someone like her. In the end, tea was ideal for someone like her but she'd settle with the one that had no caffeine.

As she sat down, she listened to the man. "If we're talking about 10000 year old history, I would assume you're talking about the start of the ice age and the birth of the first modern human beings, correct?" She said before taking a sip out of the cup.

[Aurorix]

Lloyd went over and garbed a cup of coffee, proceeding to fill it with cream and sugar. He was never fond of the deep bitter taste of black coffee, it was too strong for him. Peering into the the black liquid, it couldn't help but remind him about how he felt as a child. Alone, lost in the deep, black, shadow that was his brother's. Remembering how he was before always always gave a bitter taste in his mouth. 'Now I remember why I didn't have anymore coffee until now.' He thought to himself starring at the now caramel brown coffee in his cup. In all honesty he wanted to throw away the cup of joe, not even wanting to take a single sip. But throwing it away now would be rude to the people of this ship. So he simply held it in his hands, and waited till a good moment to dispose of it.

On the topic of the past 10,000 years ago, he didn't know anymore then what had already been said so he just kept quite an listened. What would be the point of stating what had already been said.

[Chevaleresse]

Yuuki simply nodded at the question as he reached out to grab a cup of coffee. He put a small amount of cream and sugar into it, and took a small sip. It tasted fairly good. He savored the taste for a moment before replying to the question properly. "As she said, you're referring to when humans first appeared to differentiate themselves from the populations of Pokemon? Some theorize that it had something to do with how we interacted with Spectra - perhaps a mutation that somehow allowed the carriers to survive the harsh conditions more easily."

[Chim]

“I don't remember all that much about it,” Joey said while he grabbed a cup of hot chocolate and some cream. He carefully moved the cream in specific way. Careful not to mess up his cup he grinned to the woman next to him. “Look! Octillery!”

As he imitated the water type's face and stared at everyone, his eye eventually fell onto the man in charge. “Oh yeah, sorry, you were going to give us a history lesson. I don't really see the point though...”

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

Steele was so taken aback by this kid's action... she couldn't help but let loose a little laugh. She didn't really know how to react and was taken off-guard by the whole thing. She smiled slightly. It was the first positive emotion that had come over her face the entire time. Apparently she wasn't immune to them after all. It was a small flash in her otherwise cold exterior. It didn't last long, but it was visible. "He might really be an idiot. Or maybe he's just got a bad attention span. I'm still not sure why on earth he'd want to sit near someone like me, someone he just met. People... are very strange. I've never really understood them I suppose. After all... I've avoided them quite often." Johanna thought to herself. She sipped from her cup of coffee, not particularly savouring the taste fro long, just moving through the motions before responding.

"One doesn't bring something up for no reason. I'm sure there is some meaning to this after all. I don't think this man would waste our time with pointless questions. If his goal was to waste our time... we'd still be talking to that Captain." she mused. It must be true to some degree if they were here.

[Sutoratosu]

"Aye, you're right." The man nodded simply before turning his eyes to the other three who had spoken up "As are you. I asked the question to make it easier to do what the...captain, Jack, was too Bull Headed to do. You're right in both regards- indeed, 10,000 years ago, the ice age began as the polar ice cap of the northern hemisphere began to expand for some reason modern science still hasn't determined, and it was around that time that certain officials in the field of genetics and paleontology believe theorize that the first genetic humanoids were born... the first humanoids who were completely separate from the pokemon race"

He paused for a minute and pulled a chair to the table, sitting down and reaching out for one of the mugs, giving a little tug of his fingers into thin air. somehow, the cup came off it's place of it's own accord, sliding across the pearly white surface and into his palm, not even spilling a drop.

"And I use the term 'Theorize' very loosely here... mostly because they're all wrong, of course; the evidence they might have found might seem as though it is a logical conclusion that Humans evolved prior to the ice age and formed hunter and gather societies, nearly went extinct when the big freeze began, and then once it was over repopulated thanks to the discovery of agriculture... but the truth is far different." He took a sip of the mug, seeming to relish the pure, unsweetened, unbridled strength of the beverage. "But... that's a bit too far ahead. On to why you're all here- Arcadia... I am afraid that it's a ruse, my good folks. A lie, a scheme. Everything that's been circulating about the frozen wasteland for the past two years has been mostly fabricated. In fact, the word "Arcadia" isn't even the proper name of a single place; it's more of a metaphor than anything- a word in a dead tongue used to describe a world that was filled with snow and ice, where the sky was either overcast or dark for eleven months of every year. The world used to describe an era of literal darkness over the earth, an era that lasted 1,000 years...

So you see... we can't take you to Arcadia. We could never take anyone to arcadia at all, because most of it's lore was a complete exaggeration and misinformation to begin with; it was the name of a time, not a place. But that surely begs the question of why anyone would go to the trouble of making all this up and maintaining the lie for two whole years... well, the answer is relatively simple- the Arcadia Hype was created to draw out the strongest trainers from all corners of the globe. People like yourselves, people who are either bold, or crazy, enough to willingly go to a place where countless stories had been created of death and destruction and failure, wanting to try their own luck and their own skill in such an environment. Project Arcadia was meant to find those trainers who had not only power, but the courage to actively use and further develop that power to achieve a goal... to find warriors, to find the type of people that the world is need of right about now..."

Shades took another draught of his mug, gazing at the group with eyes hidden by coal black lenses. He seemed as relaxed and at home as could be, as if he'd sat in that very spot and delivered the same speech hundreds of times over...

A long silence was beginning to draw in the room... now was likely the time he was expecting questions to be flung left and right like rapid fire.

[Darvan Korematsu]

Felix chuckled. "We're not soldiers sir. We're simple people with equally simple goals. While our motives vary from one another, I'm pretty sure we're not warriors. I mean, are they trying to play Arceus-God or something? Because that's an insurmountable task."

He finished by drinking more water out of his second canteen. "They'd be Zubatshit crazy if they thought otherwise."

Edited August 5, 2015 by Darvan Korematsu

[Sutoratosu]

"You may deny it all you like, Felix." Shades said, not missing a beat, saying the man's name as if he had known the machinist his entire life... "But it does not change the facts of the matter. you, all of you, hold the hearts of warriors and kings- the hearts of Pyroars, even if you do not know it. That much is proven by the fact that you're seated here now."

[Felicity]

Nikki digested the information slowly. She found it hard to believe, one man's word versus the array of informers and sources that she had heard talk of Arcadia. However, he was being very accommodating, the talk of being soldiers put her on edge. This man wanted something. Nikki wanted a challenge.

"What do you want?" Nikki asked bluntly, staring into the shades to get a glimpse of the man's eyes. "I figure you wouldn't be commenting on our supposed skill and bravery for nothing."

[Hiss13]

The man had dropped quite the bombshell right there. The fact that Arcadia was nothing more than a metaphor to describe an amalgamation of conditions that had occurred in the earth's history. The fact that rumors about Arcadia had been artificially created and maintained for two years.

It was jarring. Still, she showed no indication of being completely shocked. Instead, she simply sipped her hot chocolate and asked the obvious follow-up. "So, for what purpose was Project Arcadia developed, then? Why would the world be in need of this project?"

[Raindrop Valkyrie]

"Hmmm, that's fine. I was expecting something a bit different but as a warrior I'm okay with that revelation." Steele wasn't phased. Honestly... she didn't find it too surprising. It was a clever idea to get those dedicated to the cause to show their dedication. It was a way to see just you had the spirit to follow up on something that might not be real, that could just be a legend. Only dedicated folk would seek it out, people who truly intended to go through with it. It was a good way to find those that had the aptitude. Clearly, it made sense why she was here. The others... not as much. She didn't know why they had arrived here. However... as the man knew the name of one their number, it made something very clear. They had eyes and ears out there, at least on some of them that were assembled here. Clearly they orchestrated this to move them towards this place, to have them in specific arrive. Steele noted this. It was very apparent. While they might not seem like much, those assembled here... had to be something. They wouldn't be here otherwise. She wondered just how far this rabbit hole went. Steele smiled with her eyes, they became fierce. Otherwise she remained quite relaxed. Things were about to get interesting. Perhaps all the training she had done... would finally pay off.

[Sutoratosu]

"Right to the chase then... very well." Shades adjusted himself in his seat to face nikki and Yuzuki, noting how non chalant Steele was and filing it away later all the while. Nothing on his face gave even the slightest hint of emotion. Infact... he looked kinda fuzzy for some reason- like he was out of focus from the surrounding interiors... "We want the same thing from you that we have wanted from all those who sat where you have sat, from all those who pursued Arcadia's legend and found us awaiting them instead. There are individuals in this world... individuals seeking something that is a dream best left unrealized. Individuals who have been hiding and moving in the shade for over the past hundred and some years, individuals whom are responsible for the surge of technology since then, starting with the pokeball, and then gradually up-scaling from there. Individuals... whom both they and we refer to, as the Brotherhood. Ever since they were founded, they've been after only one thing- trying to make the world...better in their eyes. They claim they want the brightest possible future for humanity, for mankind to realize his full potential...

But do tell an old ghost one thing, children: Do you appreciate having freedom of will? Freedom of choice? Do you enjoy being able to direct your own life whoever you so please, with the mandatory condition of consequences included, of course? Do you enjoy the ability to travel wherever you so please, make whatever friends and enemies you deem fit, build bridges and destroy them as needed? Well... in a world run by the Brotherhood, you would not enjoy such liberties and rights, for in their eyes, Liberty is the greatest vice of mankind, at least on such a massive and nondiscriminatory scale as it is in the world now. If the Brotherhood ruled the world at this moment, you would all lose everything and everyone you have ever cared about. What they seek is a Drone State, a world of puppets and puppet masters, cattle, and sheperds, in as literal a sense as the metaphor can get.

They think the world has been corrupted, that crime and wrong doing have become too rampant in the world... and they seek to fix their perceived issue by removing what they feel is the cause of it all...I am sure you can guess what it is to them."

[Felicity]

"So, you're recruiting us to fight nutters?" Nikki questioned, eyes narrowing. "Do tell then, why did the captain of this vessel seem so eager to shoo us away? Surely he's in on it if you are. Unless, of course, you are of a higher authority in... something"

Nikki didn't really take in the revelation of this Brotherhood. The world was full of weirdos and idiots, what made these guys so different?

[Sutoratosu]

"The man has his own issues, I'm afraid." Shades responded simply. "He was involved in the wars on terror a few years ago... had things and people taken from him bit by bit one could say...which it part of why he's such a bull headed arse now, as you all could plainly see. He thinks he can bring back his friends if he just does one thing right, as if one action will counteract the other and negate the consequences of fate... what a fool." He took another long sip of the mug, face still cold as stone, no sign that he even had any eyes under those black glasses.

"That is not the point though... the reason he was denying you all the time of day out there is because technically speaking, his team was removed from Project Arcadia a few days ago, given a new assignment. So he wasn't lying when he told you he and his men couldn't take you, both for that reason, and the reasons I've stated previously. He has a phobia of sorts... he's a soldier, though a broken one, a soldier still. He wants someone to salute and orders to follow... religiously so. If he let you on, that would've been insubordination in his eyes, so I let you onboard myself so that Jack wouldn't have to. There needs to be a voice of reason in certain situations, you see... and I simply stepped in to fill that role."

[Aurorix]

After all had been explained that Arcadia was a hoax and that he was being recruited to help the world all Lloyd let out was a silent "Tch..." He really wasn't expecting all this information to be thrown at him when he was just trying to get a boat ride to a location, which apparently was fake. He couldn't help but feel he was being played with a bit. 'The world needs me? Is it that desperate to call upon a fugitive who has blood on his hands?' He thought to himself. But maybe this was a chance to redeem his previous actions. He could never forget, let alone wipe away what he did but he could prove to himself that he isn't just some sloppy second.

"So, you're just letting everyone in and not even going to check their background or history? Not that I'm complaining nor care that much about the life stories of the people in this room but if it's this easy to join, it wouldn't be hard for this Brotherhood to have already infiltrated your ranks." He asked with little emotion to the man explaining this whole situation to everyone.

[Sutoratosu]

"So long as they meet the criteria and say yes to the offer." Shades said. "Even you, dear Lloyd. There is little that you may have done that the Captain of this very vessel himself did not commit at some point during his time as a service member, and yet... here he is." He put down the mug, now empty, and slid it off to the side of the table. There was something different about him... something off. perhaps it was the strange smile on his face, the fact that he seemed a bit...too happy about something...

"And about the brotherhood... don't worry. We have our ways of dealing with them, many have tried to infiltrate, all have met aweful ends, like they deserve... in fact... here are some more now. Come children, if you're interested in the offer... why don't you give these opponents a proper end for me? M'kay, little ones?"

The very minute he finished speaking, an explosion that would've registered on the ricktorscale rocked the whole boat, sending the room into shambles as the lights suddenly went pitch black, even those of the lock on the door. The air was cold... colder than it should've been, each of them felt it, as if something were walking past and creating a heat sink... and then it was gone, the temperature returned to normal. The lights flickered back into a dim life... And shades was nowhere to be found, the chair he once occupied sitting against the far wall of the room as if it had been there the whole time. The mug he had taken was back in it's place, still steaming with coffee. The entire event had been less than a few seconds. too little time for a human being to have sprung up and dashed to the heavy steel door, let alone undo the fail safe locking mechanism...

But yet the door was hanging wide open. The smell of salt and smoke wafted it's way into the rooming as shouting voices and the unmistakable sound of battle droned in from the stair case down the hall...

[Chevaleresse]

Yuuki was startled, to say the least. He was also intensely curious about the phenomenon he had just experienced; some sort of group hallucination? Now was not the time to ponder, however. The scholar filed the information to the back of his mind for now as he stood up. He released Janah with a crisp, practiced motion, and the Gallade immediately came into a ready stance. "My friend, we'd best prepare ourselves. Swords Dance," he ordered. Yuuki turned to the rest of the group. "I think that regardless of what just happened in reality, we should be ready for a fight." He started to move cautiously into the hall after the statement, peering toward the stairs. Janah followed closely behind him, still gathering his own energy for the fight.