welcome, welcome!

[iterumadmin]

[ A day or so after the Chosen start arriving, three loud chimes begin going off on all devices across the City to alert to an incoming Magistrate message. These will be different from the regular ringtones that alert a Chosen from any close friends of incoming calls or messages.

A woman with platinum blonde hair sits behind a large desk, offering a smile that's all business. ]

So. Here you all are. Okay, I guess it’s up to me to formally welcome you to – or back to – the City. You'll see that not much has changed geographically for those in the latter group. Those that are new? Listen to what the returning people tell you. I’m sure they’ll have a lot of important information relevant to your interests, comfort and safety.

Your district Magistrates have all changed with the exception of Nina, who’s still in charge in the Coliseum district and Star who does her best with what she has over in Shantytown. Aiden Knight is your guy over in Leisurebrook. Fern Wilder heads up Finance Street while Skiffell Lubbee is stationed in the Gardens of Pleasure. Then we have the handsome Baren Everett over in the Red Lantern District and that leaves me, the Duchess, presiding over the Tower District.

[ Gets prompted from someone off camera. The Duchess looks at her watch. ]

Alright. I’ve got roughly ten minutes before I’m due in another meeting, so the floor is open for questions. Well, most anyway. Let’s steer away from the more complicated ones, yeah?

Oh, yes! There will also be a welcome banquet at the Tower next weekend in your honour. Information about that will be on the invitation in the basket you received upon arriving in the City.

Okay, who's got questions?

Comments

[needsabreak]

How about telling us why we're here and what the hell is going on. Or is that one of the 'complicated' ones? [Yeah, he's not happy about being kidnapped.]

[iterumadmin]

I'll be blunt, the City wanted you. Whether that's to feed off whatever emotions you can't help yourself having while you're here, or you have a job here to do that you won't know you've completed until you return home. However, that looks.

[needsabreak]

The City wanted me- us? [He obviously doesn't believe her. Trying to blame the city itself seemed like a cop out.] Ok, so that's the narrative you're going with - 'the city' is doing it. And conveniently, no one knows specifically what the city actually wants from us. Right.

So, what makes you a Magistrate? Are you able to communicate with the City or something?

[iterumadmin]

You should talk to some of the Chosen that have returned who can offer some of their first-hand experiences. It's not a narrative.

What makes me a Magistrate is my experience with running places like the City. This isn't my first rodeo. Communicating is part of it, but not all. Think of it like you would any other body of government.

[needsabreak]

[He shakes his head.] That's not what I mean. [It's even more annoying because he isn't really sure if she'd misinterpreted his question because it was insane or if she was being obtuse on purpose.] I don't mean can you communicate to everyone in the City. I meant is the 'City' an entity that you can communicate with.

Most governmental bodies I know of aren't chatting with some inhuman, universe bending lifeform, or whatever.

[He did intend to ask the people who had been here before about their experience though. And he'd be damned if he called them 'the Chosen'.]

[iterumadmin]

I think you phrased it perfectly fine, Mr. Kennedy. Yes, we communicate with the City, it is sentient. Those that have been here before will tell you that, too. The native citizens, however, might not want to get into it. But you can try.

And are you sure about that? It might not be a sentient City, but governmental bodies do chat about a lot of things the wider public knows nothing about.

[needsabreak]

[His expression stays neutral, but he goes stock still. The thought that the City truly was a sentient entity is terrifying.

Her next insinuation makes him narrow his eyes.] Yeah. I'm sure. I know a thing or two about classified info and it's not about living fucking cities.

[iterumadmin]

I would wager it's something equally dark and disturbing but that's just my experience speaking.

Did you have any other questions?

[needsabreak]

[He'll give her that much. It's not quite on par with a living city but the things he knew that had been covered up were pretty horrific.]

Yeah. When you talk to the City, what's it say about us - the people it's pulling here. Just that vague 'they have some role to play'? Nothing more than that?

[iterumadmin]

The City isn't capable of gossip if that's what you mean. As you might recall, I explained that you and everyone else who has been brought here have been chosen for something. As for what exactly that is, I can't be sure. Nor do any of the other Magistrates. We're all here to do a job.

[needsabreak]

I didn't mean gossip. I was hoping it might have something more than a vague reason as to why we're here. Guess not. Or if it does, it's not telling you. [It's a bit of a jab at her. He isn't sorry.]

[iterumadmin]

I'm afraid the communication works differently and that's one of those complicated questions that I don't have time to answer.