[Video]

[asecondfaster]

[Ian (who is only sixteen) is standing outside the ship. He looks confused and annoyed at the same time; he wants answers, and he wants them now.]

Gabe, are you around here somewhere? Suki? CJ?

[after no response from his friends, he frowns] Where am I? Is this some kind of test, or experiment? Some illusion created by Whisper?

Maybe it’s a dream...but it’s a pretty weird dream, if it is. Even weirder than the yellow elevator one, or the one where Conner called me his liege, whatever that means. [he pauses] At least Señor Guapo hasn’t made an appearance yet.


((ooc: I'll reply to everyone's permissions posts and tags sometime tomorrow! For now, I sleep. Also I have a pathetically small number of icons rn, but I will fix that soon.))

Comments

[asecondfaster]

But I've heard that all before. I couldn't escape Tower Prep, so how am I trapped somewhere else? If it really is somewhere else. [He's still pretty sure this is some elaborate test.]

[abetterway]

[Her tone becomes a bit wry as she responds.] These people, whoever they are, seem very adept at their job.

You'll meet people from across the universe, here, and across time. It doesn't surprise me that they could breach your school's defences.

[It sounds like a school, at any rate - if a sinister one, and that's what makes her frown, now.] You were being held there?

[asecondfaster]

Headmaster's pretty adept at his job, too. [there might be a bit of sarcasm there. or you know, a lot. That should answer her last question.]

[But then he looks back at the ship, and up at the sky. He still doesn't quite believe it, but.] If I'm really not at Tower Prep, then what is this place? Are there really people from all over the universe here?

[abetterway]

[Xavier's nod is quick, almost excited.] Yes - it's extraordinary, really. I never supposed we were alone in the universe, but I hardly expected to meet our neighbours.

The ship that was carrying us crashed here. It's a world called Verdana. I don't know if this was the intended destination or not.

[asecondfaster]

...I've gotten used to some pretty weird things, but another planet? Aliens?

[he sits on a rock somewhere, trying to take that in. ] Who are you, exactly? Were you abducted, too?

[abetterway]

[Another nod, this one a bit more grim.] I was. My name is Jocelyn.

It's quite a lot to take in, I know. I've been trying to focus on the problems at hand.

...If you don't mind my asking - what sort of weird things have you experienced?

[asecondfaster]

[Ian isn't sure how much to tell her, or even what to tell her. His internal conflict is written all over his face.] I'm Ian. Ian Archer.

I've been through this before. Not this exactly, but...all the students at Tower Prep wake up there with no memory of how they got there, and we couldn't leave. That's why this seems like some sort of test. But it's pretty elaborate, if it is one...

[abetterway]

I see. [It's a low murmur, with a distinct edge of distaste.] What kind of tests have you faced there?

[asecondfaster]

Headmaster wants us to develop our unique potential, so we all have different training programs, along with the classes everyone takes.

[abetterway]

Hmm. [Her eyes narrow; at the phrase, at the implications.] Developed for whose benefit?

[asecondfaster]

[wryly] I wasn't planning on sticking around long enough to find out. But I didn't think I would escape like this.

[abetterway]

But you did have plans to escape. [That gives her hope for the children still there, at least.]

[asecondfaster]

[He's going out on a limb and trusting that this isn't some elaborate setup. That she isn't a Headmaster plant, trying to get information out of him.]

We've been trying. We finally got a call out to the outside world before I came here...my mom told me it was dangerous. But I don't know if it was dangerous for me, or dangerous for them. We were going to make another plan to get out before I woke up here.

[abetterway]

[Her expression softens, at the mention of his mother, an old ache pinching her brow.] I'm sorry. I hope they're all right. [She won't tell him she's sure they are; she doesn't lie to people when she can help it.] It's possible your family was taken here as well, or your friends.

[asecondfaster]

[Ian frowns.] I'm not sure it's any safer for them here...but I haven't heard from them yet, anyway.

[abetterway]

[A slight nod.] It's difficult to say.

Have you encountered anything hazardous, so far? It can be dangerous, out in the open.

[asecondfaster]

Not yet, but I know how to defend myself.

[abetterway]

A fine skill to have, but best as a last resort. It would be best to avoid confrontation, if possible.

[asecondfaster]

Well, running away doesn't always work.

[abetterway]

No, nor does diplomacy. I always like to try, though.

Where did you learn your self defence skills?

[asecondfaster]

[he shakes his head] Diplomacy never works. Unless you're Gabe, and you can talk your way out of anything.

...I've had a lot of practice. [a.k.a. he gets into fights a lot] And Coach trained me, at Tower Prep.

[abetterway]

[With an arched eyebrow] Certainly not with that attitude - and I imagine Gabe can give you some pointers.

[Oh, her lips quirk at that; she knows what it means.] Are they more trustworthy than the headmaster?

[asecondfaster]

[Ian rolls his eyes, but then he frowns.]

I'm not sure. Sometimes he's more open about stuff, but sometimes he's not. And it's not "the" headmaster. Just Headmaster, and just Coach. We don't even know their real names.

[abetterway]

If they know themselves. [It's a dark murmur, and she quickly moves on.]

Coach may be trying to aid you as much as he can, in the circumstances - or he might just be feeding you misinformation.

If it's the latter, I'd be wary of his training.

[asecondfaster]

I think they do. Know their own names, I mean. Headmaster says they do that to keep things "simple, yet respectful". [Ian thinks it's probably to keep the students from finding out their real identities.]

But I'm pretty wary of everyone there who's not a student. And even then, I really only trust a few of them.