Glimpse of Nature

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Who: Everyone who has enough proofs! Where: District 4 When: September 20th to October 4th Summary: There is a new district reopening, and the city needs your help to get it up and running! Warnings: Inbox death may occur. System overload at own risk. SOME NPC RESPONSES WILL BE SLOW UNTIL THE ONE WHO PLAYS THEM IS PRESENT. Also, remember that you can still submit proofs at any time here between now and October 4th to have your character be allowed in the new district before it's open to the public! Additionally, you are all free to start your own logs set in District 4 outside of this one, HOWEVER if you want your characters to explore in territory that hasn't been looked at yet, we ask you to please use this log! A different side of the city. Anyone hanging around the wall that blocks off the forth district will be in for a surprise on Friday - new signs are being put up, barricades are being torn down, and NPCs are standing around, both directing all the work and talking to anyone who approaches to enter. A few doctors are on standby as well. Any of the visitors who try to walk in will be redirected to these doctors, who will scan them, take a few measurements on some portable computers they've brought out, and then tell them their results - those who reach measurements that are high enough will be allowed to enter, and those who aren't will be turned away and asked to return when the district is more stable to avoid any health risks associated with the drain effect. They will then suggest to any characters turned away to try participating in more physical contact if they want to enter sooner rather than later. Those who are allowed to enter will immediately be greeted by a place very different from the rest of the city. The area is wide and open, with a path that's only loosely based on the locations of the few buildings around. Though much of it seems to be struggling to grow, particularly as the winter months begin to inch closer, there is nature and life all around - trees, large clearings that are or once were filled with grass, and most notably areas that seem designated for recreational activities, like swing sets and basketball courts. A perfect place to relax and have fun. Welcome to the parks and recreation district.

Comments

The Sacred Gardens

[rekindlemods]

On the other side of the area is another large building, but much more ornate. The sloped roof is detailed with tiny designs, hard to make out from the ground, and the dark wooden double doors have splashes of color in the upper corners, in swirling circular patterns - deep blue in the upper right, white in the upper left, moss green in the lower right, and red-orange in the lower left. They look they they've had to be repainted countless times...in fact, the whole building is obviously very old, though very sturdy. Some may recognize it as being similar to a the outside of a Buddhist temple, though there are no statues of clearings around the building. However, it is notable that the grass and even a few flowers are growing very strongly here.

It's hard to tell what might be inside, but the doors are unlocked for anyone who is curious.

[hamburgerhero]

[This had to be the best looking building America had seen in Saeng Seong so far. It looked more colorful, more vibrant and healthy than many of the run down city buildings. The flowers nearby were an especially welcome sight. He hadn't seen much nature for far longer than he was used to. Even for a city Saeng Seong could have used some more gardens like this one.

He took a walk along the side of the building, simply taking in the view at first. The building really did look like one of the many temples he had seen on his trips to Asia. Now that he thought about it, was this a temple?

Walking around to the front he found no obvious signs of what the building was exactly. If it was a temple there weren't any symbols depicting the god or spirit it was dedicated to on the outside. Perhaps on the inside.

Going to the doors, he tugged on one handle, half expecting it to be locked, then to his surprise it swung open. He stuck his head in first to take a look at whatever hid behind the doors.]

[rekindlemods]

[He'll probably have a difficult time seeing until he steps inside and opens the door completely, as there is no electric light within the building. However, there is obviously another light source to the right, likely a window, and he may also be able to see a narrow hallway to the left.

The front room itself is simple and wooden, like the outside. There does appear to be something on the walls - some simple paintings, perhaps? - but they'll be hard to make out until he can get a closer look.]

[hamburgerhero]

[He can't see much from the doorway, so with a deep breath and some mental reassurance that this would be like the great archaeological adventures he always craved, he stepped inside, closing the door as quietly as he could manage behind him.

As he walked in his eyes started to adjust to the light. It looks nearly as plain inside as it is on the outside but... There's something on the walls. Paintings of deities perhaps?]

[rekindlemods]

[Once his eyes adjust to the limited light - which, now that he's inside, he'll also be able to see is coming from down the hallway - he should be able to make out the paintings. They aren't of deities, but of flowers, in the same style as the shapes on the door. They're in the same colors as well; deep blue on the wall in front of him, white to his right, moss green to the left, and red-orange on the wall behind him, next to the door.

Though the room is mostly plain and empty, there are a few objects inside. There are four white candles, one in each corner of the room, and a red lantern hanging from the ceiling, too high to reach without a ladder or stepstool. The room is very dusty and has clearly been left alone for awhile, but it's not uninviting.]

[hamburgerhero]

They must really like their flowers.

[Considering the place has nothing but flower images outside and inside it. On second thought the flowers could always be a symbol for something else. Sure it looked like a Buddhist temple, but perhaps there was a religion here that didn't depict what they worshiped with statues and the sort.

After checking out the candles and the lantern, America turns his attention down the narrow hall that the light is coming from. He starts down the hall, figuring he might has well keep going.]

[rekindlemods]

[As soon as he steps into the hallway, the source of the light coming from it is obvious - there's a door-shaped opening at the end that leads straight to the outside. It's hard to see much of what it leads to without going all the way down, though as he gets closer he might be able to make out that it leads to a wooden porch of some sort, and that the slope roof hangs down enough to be seen over the entrance..

In the hallway itself there are two doors - one one about a quarter of the way down, and another halfway down. The sign outside the first reads "Library", and the second is unmarked. However, both of them are locked.]

[hamburgerhero]

[America tries to open both doors as he passes by but to his disappointment they don't budge. He notes the library sign. Perhaps he could try back again later- a library in a place like this begged for some investigation.

He heads down the hall outside onto the porch, back out into the sun, and looks around.]

[smallspot]

[It's so quite and peaceful here. That is what draws Diarmuid to the garden and more specifically the temple. That and the plant life. It reminds him of home. Of the special places in his father's house. The places where rituals happen and blessings are given and magic is called. The places where his father does the actual work of a god and the places where Druid...

The boy pauses in his exploration as a light pain strikes him. He's growing used to it now--a sign that he's thinking too hard about something connected to whatever it is he can't remember. Diarmuid sighs, frustrated, and then lets it go. He wants to keep exploring the new area. Wondering about the past can come later.

Diarmuid puts a hand on the door to the temple and opens it quietly. Before entering, he bows to show his reverence to whatever gods or spirits are around the temple and then he slips inside.]

[rekindlemods]

[The front room of the temple is quite large, particularly for a small child, though it's not unwelcoming. The wood floor may creak as he steps inside, and the room will be darker if he shuts he door behind him - there's no electricity inside. There is, however, a window to the right that brightens the room. If he looks left, he'll see the start of a narrow hallway, and some light is coming in from there as well, though it's source can't be made out.

The room itself is mostly empty, with the only objects being four small, dusty candles in each corner, and an unlit red lantern hanging from the ceiling.

On each of the walls a simple flower is panting in smooth, circular shapes, each one a single color - the same colors on the four corners of the door, in the same order.]

[smallspot]

[Fortunately, because Diarmuid is from a time before electricity, the lack of it in this building really doesn't bother him. His eyes quickly adjust so that he can pick out some of the details of the room. The patterns, the candles, their placements all seem to reinforce to him that this is a holy place. However, since it doesn't feel unwelcoming he continues to carefully explore, his soft steps take him over to each painting. The boy looks at each one, bowing to it before his feet finally take him to the hallway.

Part of him wants to call out since if there is light, there is probably someone with the light and he doesn't want to surprise them. Still, it seems wrong to raise his voice in this special place, so in the end, instead of saying anything, he starts silently down the hallway toward the light.]

[rekindlemods]

[The hallway is long, but immediately he'll be able to see that the light source is natural - there's an rectangular opening at the end that leads straight outside, though it's difficult to see what's over there.

There are also two doors in this hallway - one about a quarter of the way down, and another halfway down. The sign outside the first reads "Library", and the second is unmarked. However, both of them are locked.]

[smallspot]

[Diarmuid makes his way down the hallways until he comes to the first door. He tries the handle and frowns slightly when he finds it locked. The boy frowns again when he finds that the second door is also locked. He's a curious little boy and would have really liked to see what was inside, especially since he can't read what the signs say.

However, he doesn't let the locked doors upset him for long. Diarmuid shakes his disappointment off and continues down the hallway until he gets to the rectangular opening and then peers out it, curious to see just what is out there.]

[rekindlemods]

[There is a large, enclosed rectangular space outside. He will step out onto a wooden porch that surrounds the entire enclosure, save for a small staircase in the center of each that leads down into...

A man-made pond, in the center of a place reminiscent of a zen garden. The pond is small, but even from a distance he may be able to see that something is moving in it - what looks like twirling, multicolor ribbons move beneath the surface of the water. Large rocks and sand, the rocks placed in patterns that look deliberate, surround the pond.

Perhaps most striking, though they are out of the way, are the flowers that grow in each corner. As can be expected, they are the same colors in the same patterns as the paintings, and they seem almost unnaturally vibrant - but they are very real.

There is also a sign on the wall to the left, in beautiful handwriting.

The Garden
A place of quiet.
All who wish to may go to the water and pray.]

[smallspot]

[For several moments, Diarmuid just stands in awe of the beauty that is surrounding him. He notices the sign out of the corner of his eye, but since he can't read much yet, he just files it away in his mind as another beautiful detail of this amazingly beautiful place. And then the movement in the pond catches his attention and he races down the steps toward the pond so curious to get a better look that he doesn't even think about all the warnings he's been given about staying away from water since he can't swim.

Fortunately, he stops at the edge of the pond and doesn't try to enter it. Instead, he just stands there watching the 'ribbons' move under the water. It's so peaceful and the closest he has felt to home while still being in the city.]

I wonder if Father can hear me from here...