trusthell | Induction.

Today seems to have been an exercise in providing more questions than answers. After all, aside from the rules on the walls, it's not as though there's much here that's going to help you understand what's going on, or why you're here in the first place. Some of you are angry; some are more confused than anything. Some are dealing in the best way that they know how.

But perhaps one question remains at the back of mind, regardless of what you choose to make of the situation, and rightly so: Who is responsible for this?

It's a question that doesn't seem to have a ready answer; after a while, though, you will receive something. It's not a solution, and it's not a way out, but it's contact – the sound of the public address system crackling to life somewhere above your heads, an indication that someone, somewhere, is aware that you're here and has something to say.

'I trust that all of you had a good night's sleep. Now that you have hopefully familiarized yourselves with your fellow Apprentices, allow me to make a formal introduction myself.'

The voice is male, that much is obvious; it isn't recognizable to anyone present, however.

'Welcome and congratulations, new Apprentices of Chronos University. You have been chosen for a valuable exercise of higher learning within these walls. Both the rules and a list of your fellow Apprentices have been provided for you in several locations, and I advise that you study both very carefully. Knowing them well can only serve to help you.'

'As for my own introduction, I am the equivalent of a headmaster to this educational institution. For our time together, you may refer to me as the Wordsmith. I do hope that you all endeavor to make the most of your time spent here, however you may choose.'

[OOC: You can be heard just fine through the PA system, so feel free to ask/say anything your little heart desires!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Gems don't need food.

[THAT DEFINITELY MEANS SHE NEEDS TO RELAX, THOUGH]

And I don't need any of this bullshit, but here I am. [If he finds a bottle of alcohol, he's sharing. Don't argue.]

[Gems don't even have a concept of alcohol, so this will go hilariously.]

The sooner we can find where this... "Wordsmith" is hiding, the better.

[Here's hoping they find a bar at some point. Or at least a well-stocked cabinet.]

Be sure to check high shelves, for me. I'll keep an eye on mouse holes for you.

[Is that a self deprecating joke? She isn't capable of it herself, but she does smirk.]

It'll be hard for him to hide things from people if we're looking everywhere.

At least, we can hope as much.

[Varric had his doubts, if only because someone capable of pulling him out of the equivalent of the spirit world likely could hide important thing. He didn't dare mention them out loud though -- best to not damper the mood anymore than it had been.]

You got a name there, Muscles? [Not that Varric would ever use it. Muscles seems as good of a nickname as any.]

[She frowns, like she wants to object to the nickname, but after everything that's happened today, she seems to dismiss it after a moment.]

Jasper.

Jasper. [He'd at least make an effort to remember it.]

Pleasure, then. The name is Varric Tethras. [Instinctively, he held a hand out. It took only one glance at her own, massive compared to his, for him to doubt his actions and pull his hand back to his side.]

It's...a pleasure to meet you.

[She sounds awkward saying it, but it sounds sincere enough. She offers out her hand, apparently not bothered by him putting his to the side.

...She's used to shaking hands smaller than hers. It's no risk, really!]

If only it was in better circumstances. Instead of... whatever this shameless charade is.

Yeah, well... [Varric reached out, wrapping a hand around one of her fingers. His grip was just as firm as if it had been the full hand of any other person. He'd met enough Qunari souls for this to be something close to normal.]

Met some of my best friends in shitty situations. Maybe it's a sign.

Maybe so.

[She frowns.]

I don't trust any of the "higher learning" this Wordsmith would have us do. It's best we all keep fairly close, when it comes to finding an exit.

Fine by me.

[Being buddy-buddy with the tallest person in the room seemed like a solid plan. Even if everyone decided to cooperate and not kill anyone, he could always a hand when it came to reaching those blighted high shelves.]

Now we just have to convince the rest of our flock. [Hopefully they were just as agreeable as Jasper was.]

Agreed.

[She looks around the room, as though she's trying to figure something out.]

There must be a way out without being tempted to play by... those rules of his.

Could try boring him out of his mind. You think if we sat in our rooms, he'd let us go?

[Someone else had suggested as much before. It was a far-fetched plan, one he wasn't particularly fond of. He'd much rather find the Wordsmith and be more direct about it.]

No, I don't think so. I believe if we all did that, he'd do something drastic.

He seems interested in watching what we do.

I don't know about you, but where I come from, we'd call that creepy.

[He was pretty sure it was a universal constant, but perhaps in Tall-Woman land, things were different.]

It is creepy.

[no arguments there]

That's why we must find him, before he has a chance to try to convince someone to act on one of these rules.

We better get to work then, huh?

[Which meant more questions, and more kicking around in various corners. Hopefully, something would come up. And if whatever that something was, was up high, he'd hope that Jasper would catch it.]

[She nods.]

Of course.

Induction.

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