It's a shuddering breath, a sensation of being
pulled to elsewhere and finding oneself pressed against something rather hard with the sound of water coming from nearby. However, before one can fully stir, there is something that lifts you up from the rather warm (yet why did it feel like a chill going down your spine?) stone when you begin to drift off once more. It felt as though someone had thrown you from the frying pan, and then into the freezer - all you wanted to do was sleep...
Yet the feeling passes quickly, and when you awaken, you begin to realize your surroundings. It looks like...a plaza of some sort? As they look around them, the ground beneath them is an intricate mosiac - a water fountain at the center of the plaza in this foreign world. There are many buildings around its perimeter, making this location seem like a central hub of whatever town this was. Some may even recognize the peculiar design of the buildings and sloped tiled rooftops as a Far Eastern theme. Were they somewhere along the Pacific? Who knows! But what is quite apparent is this: Along with the many buildings surrounding the plaza, the first thing that is noticeable is the amount of people sitting or standing around you in a similar daze.
You are not alone...One building seems to stand out among all the others; one that seems large enough to house all of the completely lost and confused masses gathered here to the welcome plaza. A sign outside the door reads:
WELCOME CENTER
Newcomers: Please come inside for refreshments and your welcome packets!Odd... This wasn't written in your own language, and yet you find it easily understandable. Soon enough, if you don't enter on your own, someone comes from inside the double doors to usher you and everyone else inside.
"Welcome to
Saeng Seong! I know you must be confused as to where you are and what's going on, but we promise to explain this to you once we're inside and away from the hot sun!"
Whether you go inside immediately or linger outside a little longer, eventually you must come in from the hot summer day, and sooner rather than later would probably be better. You'll find yourself in a well-lit lobby, filled with comfortable-looking couches and chairs. Along one wall are refreshment tables, loaded with all sorts of food and drink, including some you probably aren't familiar with. On the wall opposite are a pair of desks, each with a sign and a person seated behind them -
Irene, General AssistanceDevin, Technological AssistanceUnlike a few waves before, the only people in charge seem to be the people behind the desks. They look a bit busy.
However, before you can go over and give them a piece of your mind and ask questions, the same person who ushered you inside hands you a manilla envelope that contains your welcome packet, urging you to read this before asking the two figures questions that the packet likely answers.
Inside it, you will find: a ring with a key and apartment number on it, some kind of cash card, a
map and informational guide to the city, and a letter folded neatly on the top -
Welcome to Saeng Seong!
You are among a new group of arrivals to our city, from many far-apart worlds.
We have gathered you here because our city is in a crisis, and we are at our last resorts. The energy of the city is in a slow downward spiral, and is dangerously close to expiring altogether.
That's where you come in - you and everyone else we've brought to the city. Unlike those of us here, you have the potential to generate the energy the city needs, but you'll need to work together to do it.
Why? Because the energy can only be generated when two people touch each other. Any touch will do, but it must be between two of you who are new to the city. If you don't keep in contact with someone, eventually your energy will begin to drain as well, making you dangerously ill.
A few other things:
The closed-off sections of the city are closed off for a reason; approaching them will cause your energy to drain very rapidly. We're working to open the rest of the city to you as soon as we can, but for now, please remain within the two central districts of the city.
You have been given a key to a one-bedroom apartment in a complex set aside for you and the other new arrivals, near the riverside in the 1st district. You're free to change your living quarters whenever you like, and we encourage you to move in with someone in one of the larger apartments. When you want to change, just come back to this building to exchange your key.
We've also included a cash card with a living stipend; if you're unfamiliar with this system, or the network established for new arrivals, you can talk to Devin in the lobby for help. It's what he's here for. If you need medical assistance, contact Mai, one of our nurses.
Again, welcome, and thank you for all your help.
Irene
Arrival Liaison
Back behind you, others still linger, and through the translucent glass you can see a banner hanging from the tiled roof of the building across the street in the blistering summer day:
WELCOME TO SAENG SEONG
(ENJOY YOUR STAY!)
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rekindlemods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
rekindleme2013-09-17 11:59 pm
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You're telling me! I've been here a couple months and I'm still not used to it. But you just got here, right? Did you read your papers yet?
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Mostly he's being overly obnoxious to make up for the fact that Lloyd should be angry at him and confused agh guilt is terrible.]
Hahaha! This could almost be paradise, though! Have you seen all the cuties around here?
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[There's a note of goodnatured exasperation in his voice. Honestly, Lloyd's gotten used to Zelos's weird behavior around girls, even if it still baffles him to a degree.
The comment helps remind Lloyd of something important, though, and in a moment, Lloyd's hooking an arm around his friend. It's a hug in the spirit of horsing around, mild heckling - but still a kind of hug.]
Paradise, huh? You better just make sure you get plenty of hugs. Trust me, it's not fun if you don't hug people enough. The papers are telling the truth about that.
[Which is why he's preemptively hugging Zelos right now.]
1/2
And from Lloyd?!
Way to make his guilt skyrocket.]
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And the words show that even more.
So all he has to do is up the ante. That is, shift further into the hug with feigned surprised joy and wrap both arms around Lloyd's neck from his side. The playful laugh is already louder than ever, too...]
Oh, bud! Are you worried about me? Do you seriously think of me as someone who'd have trouble getting physical attention? Come on, man, think about it! [Eventually he loosens up a bit from his over the top return hug, there, but he doesn't pull away either. (Just drops one arm.)
So it does cause problems without enough. Guess he better stay like this just in case. For Lloyd more than himself, but.] Are you saying you were so hug-neglected you started feeling crappy?
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Though not worried enough that he won't sputter and shove Zelos when the guy wraps his arms around his neck. Come on, guys just don't do that!]
I don't need hugs that much! It only happened once! I'm just thinking about what'll happen if you tick those girls off like you do with Sheena. You won't get any hugs if they're hitting you on the head!
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[A long pause in which even Zelos has to admit of course it's going to happen.]
Okay, so it might, but shouldn't that count, too? Besides, not all of them are going to be violent, right?
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Since when does hitting someone count as a hug?
[He's under the impression that physical contact needs to be friendly for this.]
Are you really sure about that? [Yup, back to teasing. He even grins, reaching out as though making an attempt at another hug.] What if no girls want to hug you at all? You might need me to save your butt!
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Are you kidding? You're definitely going to be the one who needs saving. There's so much more than hugging when it comes to physical contact! I happen to be the master of that, y'know?
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What, you mean like holding hands? I can do that, too!
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Man, it's gotta be rough in your head, bud! You can't just limit yourself to a couple things like that. That's not fun at all.
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What's that supposed to mean? You mean you want to play tag?
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He's not sure if he should feel more annoyed or sorry about this level of innocence.]
Something tells me we're going to run into this sort of conversation a lot, here.
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[Whining this. But he takes a step back, hands moving to rest at his hips as he shifts for a more casual lean in to peer at his friend.]
Enough already with the harsh attitude! Are you going to show me around here, or what?
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Who's being harsh? I'm just saying it like it is!
[But he really is just teasing, which should be more than apparent when he laughs and gestures for Zelos to follow him.]
Sure, come on. This place has some really cool stuff! And I can help you find your room, too! You have your key, right? What room are you in?
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[He could just tell him, but it's a lot more fun to pull out the key and give it to Lloyd through a light toss aimed his way. He's watching him for a reaction, curious to see what's around here or where this key leads to exactly, anyway...
Building 1, room 2-10.]
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Building one, room two-ten...
[The dots connect and his face lights up.]
Hey, that's just across the hall from me! I'm in two-oh-seven! How lucky is that?