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taxonomites2011-11-13 03:42 pm
thornandmoss.livejournal.com) wrote in taxonomites2011-11-13 03:42 pm
Entry tags:
Arrival Post
Briar's wary gaze slid around the unfamiliar room, and he prepared a tiny shoot of power to untie the hemp cords that held knives in place under his shirt, an impractical sheath for anyone but a plant mage. No windows, no visible entrance or exit. Metal walls, metal device above his head, metal pedestal with a partly metal device on it. And as he focused on his knives, Briar noticed something unfamiliar on his wrist just below the hilt of the knife. He rubbed at the metal bracelet that bisected a bright blue orchid tattoo. It didn't budge.
"Great, everything's metal," Briar grumbled, magically reaching out to the shakkan, his only company in the bare and polished room. The tree's calm and patience steadied him through their connection. "Y'know," he called out to no one in particular, "I think maybe you were aiming for my sister. I can't do anything with all this metal." That's of course if they were aiming for someone to work with metal. They could just as easily have been looking for someone helpless against it. That last part was what had Briar fighting down a growing urge to panic.
Confusion only added to that urge. Briar couldn't think of anyone who'd capture a person only to give him an anchor and boost for his power. He went down the few steps, fingers running over the walls in search of a catch for a hidden door. Seams would be awfully hard to hide in a smooth metal surface, but illusions and metal mages were both things that could just maybe manage it.
Several minutes of searching later and no closer to figuring out where he was or how to escape, Briar sighed. He tapped into his bond with the shakkan again to give his power the greatest possible reach, speaking through his magic, Daj'? I don't know if you can hear me, but I could really use a hand right now. If anyone could get him out of a metal room, it'd be Daja. When no answer came, Briar strained for a sense of any of the three girls. None were there. He had to be cut off magically if he couldn't even feel them; they'd certainly been in range before, even if all four had closed doors on their minds.
"I'll just sit here then," he remarked dryly, "And wait for someone to tell me exactly what you've snatched me for." While he waited, Briar strained his magical senses for hints of plant life outside the room. He concluded that his suspicions about a magically shielded room were tentatively confirmed, as he could reach no local greenery either, not so much as a blade of grass. The mage stopped trying, saving his energy for whenever his captors did make an appearance.
"Great, everything's metal," Briar grumbled, magically reaching out to the shakkan, his only company in the bare and polished room. The tree's calm and patience steadied him through their connection. "Y'know," he called out to no one in particular, "I think maybe you were aiming for my sister. I can't do anything with all this metal." That's of course if they were aiming for someone to work with metal. They could just as easily have been looking for someone helpless against it. That last part was what had Briar fighting down a growing urge to panic.
Confusion only added to that urge. Briar couldn't think of anyone who'd capture a person only to give him an anchor and boost for his power. He went down the few steps, fingers running over the walls in search of a catch for a hidden door. Seams would be awfully hard to hide in a smooth metal surface, but illusions and metal mages were both things that could just maybe manage it.
Several minutes of searching later and no closer to figuring out where he was or how to escape, Briar sighed. He tapped into his bond with the shakkan again to give his power the greatest possible reach, speaking through his magic, Daj'? I don't know if you can hear me, but I could really use a hand right now. If anyone could get him out of a metal room, it'd be Daja. When no answer came, Briar strained for a sense of any of the three girls. None were there. He had to be cut off magically if he couldn't even feel them; they'd certainly been in range before, even if all four had closed doors on their minds.
"I'll just sit here then," he remarked dryly, "And wait for someone to tell me exactly what you've snatched me for." While he waited, Briar strained his magical senses for hints of plant life outside the room. He concluded that his suspicions about a magically shielded room were tentatively confirmed, as he could reach no local greenery either, not so much as a blade of grass. The mage stopped trying, saving his energy for whenever his captors did make an appearance.
[holo}
He wiped his hands on the washcloth and drained the sink, throwing the cloth over his shoulder and turned to face the tablet, lying on its lonesome on the living room table. He looked at the young man, acknowledged that he really had no idea what actual age he was, and walked on over to send a holo message of his own.
"No one knows why we're here, kid," he said, offering a small, knowing smile to go with his matter-of-fact tone of voice. "I wish I could help. Name's Wyatt Cain...I'd call it a pleasure under any other circumstance."
[holo]
"I'm Briar Moss," he offered, stifling the worry and frustration before it could creep into his voice. "I don't suppose you'd have any idea where here might be, would you?" It was easy to make the question sound nonchalant, but really, who did Briar think he was going to fool with that? His new acquaintance was right about one thing. The circumstances did pretty much preclude pleasure and pleasantries.
[holo]
"Nope. But I got a name for you. 'Taxon'. It's a very large city, with just a handful inhabitants like you and I. Prisoners, for want of a better term. We don't know why or when or where, but we're trying to gather information as we go along. Record things, for future reference."
[holo]
A large city as a prison was a far more intimidating idea than one room or building in a familiar city. It might be a more attractive prison, but it didn't bode well for getting back home. "Any information I should know?" Briar asked with an attempt at a jovial grin. Time to start looking for a way out.
[holo]
Cain figured - as he often did - that the basics would have to take precedence over the mind-boggling, brain-breaking stuff that seemed to pile up as the days turned into weeks turned into months.
"First things first: Once you get out of that room, dubbed the Arrival Room, you'll find yourself in a large building located at the very center of the city. From there you can choose to go anywhere you'd like - any vacant house or room you happen upon is yours to claim by pressing your hand to a scanner by the door. The bracelet will keep tabs on any expenses you may have. Housing is free of charge."
...he knew this wasn't the most informal or friendly approach to welcoming the new kid, but he also knew what he himself would (and did) prefer. Hard facts before friendliness.