Welcome to Gaia! ::

As his mind struggled to come to terms with the current situation, he caught movement near him, and saw that someone else had woken up. He kept silent, not sure how to approach the other. Was he aware of the situation? Eta V had previously checked the cellphone that was strapped to his waist, so he was aware of what they were supposed to do. But it just made talking to others so much harder...

What was the other thinking? would he be a alley? or a enemy?

At his question, his gaze rested on the third table, and he saw the map there. Brilliant! a map would be quite useful, and something else to think about instead of these ghastly ideas. For now, he nodded to the other, and moved towards the table to look it over.

The map itself held vital information, and it was enough to give him some idea of where he was, which was a island. Where the location of the island was, he couldn't say, nor could he remember anything familiar about the locations the map pointed to...Except the cornfields. It reminded him of a movie he once saw...

Slowly, more people began to awake and amass themselves around the table and began to talk about their next move. One of them, Eta-4 by the name of the mask, suggested the idea of them being a team. A team...it was a welcome idea. People he could trust...and not have to consider killing.

However, he remained silent, trying to form some sort of plan as the others talked about scouting and then, left the tent. Perhaps he would follow them on their mission...perhaps he would not. He had to consider all ideas.

((η XI is entering))

η XI finally returned to their camp by himself after taking a rather haphazard route back. He looked around and listened, then turned off his sneaking mode
and walked normally to the tent. He poked his head in, not seeing much activity.

"Buh, yo' all so boring. He complained, walking in and looking at what looked like a Civil War hospital tent. "They kill y'all already? Where's Sixie at? These stupid helmets done make everyone look like clones."

η XI rolled his eyes, although it probably wasn’t all that noticeable through his mask. “Sixie. You know, η VI. Dumdum, have you seen her around?” It was hard to pick people out when they all had on the same clothes. This person had η X on his helmet. Although, unlike Sixie, he would probably be called Dumdum until a new name popped into η XI’s head. He decided to fill the conscious people in on what had happened.

“η IV, η IX and I went to the windmill down that way, and Sixie stayed here with you guys in case anyone showed they’s ugly mugs. While we were out we met some from the γ group. Seems like they don’t mind making a truce with us until we’re the only ones left and have to figure out who out of the 24 of us will be the last 13. ‘Though, some thought it good to make small mixed groups with a few from each of our teams, but nunna that’s been decided.”

He looked over at η II. “Yup. They’s checkin’ out the windmill. I’m thinkin’ of goin’ back and keepin’ watch on them.” He felt bad sort of ‘ditching’ the girls, but they were being all diplomatic, so he thought he’d play messenger for a bit. η XI would go back very soon, though, to make sure they were okay.

η XI obliged, holding his stake up. “I got this. It’s a killer toothpick.” He thought, visualizing what had happened earlier. “η IV has nunchucks, and η IX has a dagger.” His mind fought to remember what the others had. “Uh… I think I seen a gun and a dagger in the γ group. I don’t remember what else.” He looked around, then back towards the door. “I’m going to go back in a sec. Questions? Not too many details. I’m not smart enough for all that.”

The buzz of the cell phone was annoying. I feel like I must not have been the sort to carry one of these around. Before this point in time, η XI hadn’t really thought about his past life. He didn’t particularly care, though. He doubted he’d see it again, and then he’d miss it if he knew what it was.

He checked the text and frowned. Pendants were stupid and for girls. He wasn’t too into this whole adventure thing.

η XI nodded to η II, then he turned and left the tent, taking another weird, roundabout route to make sure he couldn’t be traced back.

((η XI is leaving Eta Squad Base Camp and was on his way to Eta Scouts before getting distracted by the Boss Fight. ))

((η VII entering))

A small form still lying on one of the cots finally stirred, slowly coming around to the sound of voices and a persistent buzzing sound. She fought against the thick fog that clouded her mind, until it finally cleared enough that she could sit up. She shook her head, which didn't help at all, and then decided to try standing. Her first attempt was a complete failure, and she quickly sat back down, waiting a little longer. She looked over to the other figures, noticing first their strange attire, which a quick check showed that she, too, wore. Somewhere in the back of her mind, it occurred to her that they had all woken before her, and seemed to be well over the effects of whatever they'd been drugged with. A thought drifted up from depths of her mind - It must have hit me harder because of my size. The thought itself puzzled her, but drifted away again before she could consider it further.

The buzzing finally caught her full attention, and she noticed a cellphone at her waist. Checking it, she read the messages, and frowned to herself. Three days? Since what? And seven days until there could be only thirteen survivors... out of how many? The faint memory of a room full of people came to her - was it just a dream? She hoped it was just a dream. A quick count showed only nine people in the tent, she rather hoped there weren't too many more.

She finally tried to stand again, finding her legs much more steady this time. Quietly, she made her way over to the tables. The others had already taken most of the gear, so she grabbed one of the remaining first aid kits, and then turned to the table with the knapsacks. She started to reach for the closer one, before realizing they both had names - numbers? - on them. She suddenly realized she had no clue which one was hers; she had no clue what her name was! Or, come to think about it, who she was. She drew back sharply, before remembering the "dream" again, becoming uncomfortably aware that it was most certainly more than just a dream. Which means she'd been given a "number". A quick look at the others was enough to figure out where to check, and her fingers traced her gas mask, finding the designation "η VII". She grabbed the corresponding bag, and peeked inside to see a pair of nunchucks. Wonderful, she'd be as likely to hurt herself with those as to hit anything.

Shoving the first aid kit into the bag, she turned to face the other members of her "group". A surge of uncertainty hit her, but with a quick shake of her head she forced herself to walk over and join them. Still a little muzzy from waking up, though, she couldn't think of anything to say, so instead waited to see what was going on.

Again, another person seemed to take the role of leadership, and addressed them all in a small speech that seemed to calm down Eta V. It was something else to focus on, and more then that, this person seemed to hold similar ideas to him. Sort off. He detailed a plan though that seemed easy enough to follow. Split into two teams, scout the area, and return every time they received a message.

He had also seen the other take out his weapon, so that Eta II could take note of the weapons each person possessed. A paused followed, before he too took the Stake from the bag, holding it up for Eta II to see before placing it back inside. Deep inside, he hoped that this was not a mistake. He then turned to the other person. "I agree with you, and I would like to accompany you on your scout team, if you would allow me to.

The others seemed to be talking about courses of action, and while instinct was telling VIII that she should be pondering what it was she should do to survive, her mind was stuck on auto-pilot. It refused to budge from a single thought; She missed... she missed something. Someone? Multiple someones? Or was it just an item or an object she missed? Perhaps, it was none of the above, but rather, a place. All in all, VIII wasn't sure what it was that nagged at the back of her thoughts, but it was making thinking logically a rather difficult task.

Her gaze flew from one person to the other as they took turns talking, but still she remain to the side, her arms wrapped around her bag, clutching it tight against her chest, as if it were some sort of lifeline. In all honesty, had anyone bothered to ask her, she'd have told them that she thought this might all be a dream. A really bad, horrible nightmare, specially given the fact nothing seemed to make any sense. At least... not to her anyhow. Alas, she'd edged away from the main group and remain partially hidden behind one of the larger bodies, which was not particularly difficult for her, since she was rather lithe to begin with. Her cellphone vibrated and when she checked the message, she felt her heart sink to the bottom of her stomach. The notion that she might not make it alive out of that place was sickening, almost drowning her, and for a moment, she clutched her chest with a hand, near hyperventilating. She wasn't a warrior! She wasn't a fighter! What in god's name was she doing here? Trying to calm her nerves down, and only just managing to avoid hyperventilating, she turned to watch η III and η II as they spoke.

The notion of splitting up though, instantly set her off, and she finally ventured out from behind η I's body, which she'd actually been using as a shield of sort. Her hand lifted in the air where she stood, "Sir?" a pause followed, her hand curling and then lowering down; why had she done that? The reaction had been an instinctive one, and she had no idea why. Alas, she had very little time to process the stray thoughts, instead deciding it was in her best interest to at least make herself of some use, she spoke up, directing her voice (which was obviously breaking due to shock, fear and countless other emotions that clouded her mind), "If... if there are less then five pendants to be gained and.... so many of us, isn't it a risk to team up amongst us too? There are no emotional ties or bonds amongst us. Just a color," she swallowed the vile she felt creep up her throat, "What's to say we won't be in danger even amongst us?" She wanted to trust them all, desperately, but she wasn't sure whom would, or would not turn against them at any given moment. Groups should be formed through emotional ties, something that bonded them together other than a letter, a number or a color, "I think we should wait before making smaller groups... we should wait until we know each other just a bit better and we know whom we can trust and whom we get along with," there was another pause and she diverted her gaze away from them, "That's what I think."

Fear and the need for survival tended to make monsters out of people.

η VIII was unsure where that notion came from, but the moment it surfaced to the front of her brain, she shrunk back a step, her head turning towards the door, "Emotional ties..." this was murmured under her breath before she dig into her bag, dug out the extra bandages, frowned at them, and then looked back at her group members. Again she spoke up, pointing towards the exit, "I... I'll be waiting outside. I don't know what group I'm meant to go with, but I'll go with anyone that takes me," she seemed to concider her own words, a small sigh escaping her, "I still think it's a bad idea though," that said, she shoved her bandages back into her bag, and clutched it with both arms before walking outside.

((η VIII exiting out into the Boss Battle))