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. 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 trio of desks, each with a sign and a person seated behind them -
Irene, General AssistanceDevin, Technological AssistanceMai, Medical AssistanceRen, General NuisanceHowever, before you can go over and give them a piece of their mind and ask for 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 three 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 the first of many new 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 at her desk today, or at the hospital in case of any future accidents.
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 bright summer day:
WELCOME TO SAENG SEONG
(ENJOY YOUR STAY!)
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rekindlenpcs) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
rekindleme2013-06-06 03:04 pm
no subject
There's a thoughtful look on his face now. He's never really pondered the specifics of how this whole bringing-people-to-Saeng-Seong thing works; he's a simple guy, really. Science and math gives him a headache. All he really knows is that it does work.
"What I was told about it is that time kinda... stands still for you guys? Er, your guys' worlds. Well, that's not exactly right. But when you go back you'll go back to the exact moment you left, so you don't have to worry about time paradoxes or anything like that. 'Cause we're not trying to mess things up for you! We're just in desperate need of help here."
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She thinks about it for a few more seconds before slamming her fist into the palm of her other hand, as if having reached some sort of epiphany.
"So one second in the future I'm already back home!"
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He offers her a friendly grin. "Does that make it a little less scary?"
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This is, of course, a lie.
"But what am I supposed to do about studying...? I don't want to go home forgetting everything I was studying before I came here! This is like, kind of inconvenient..."
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He seems to buy her lie, at least. That or he's humoring her.
"There's bookshops around here, and a learning center. Most of the stuff they teach is technical stuff, but a lot of the people there are really smart, and they wouldn't mind tutoring you."
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She gives a little sigh, thinking about what he's said. "Tutoring...I guess that's alright. I'm so used to being in school all day, though. I'll have to find stuff to do, I guess..."
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As it is now, he's fully grown and he still hides behind his big sister when people yell at him. Just imagine what he was like as a teenager.
"Well, think of it as kind of like being on vacation, yeah? You can use the time to do anything you want!"
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"I guess I'll find something to do eventually, then...I'm used to being able to plan out my vacations ahead of time, though."
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A pause, and then, "Yeah, uh... sorry about the lack of notice. We didn't really know who was going to be brought here until you all appeared either, so..."
no subject
She tries her best to keep her cool. After all, she's been abducted here! This is no time to get excited over a beach! ...The beach...
She shakes her head a little and clenches her fists together in an attempt to stay focused and does her best to look serious, though it may look an awful lot like pouting. "S-So you all just brought a bunch of people at random!? What if you like, brought someone dangerous!?"
no subject
God knows he's spent more than his fair share of days there (often instead of actually doing work - see, this is why he's the general nuisance of the group).
At his next question, though, he shakes his head.
"No. It wasn't random - it was keyed in to look for people who would help us. Some of the people who were brought here might be rough around the edges, but I think they're all good people deep down."
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The gears in her head start to turn again. If just being from another world wasn't what did it, what did? Pilouette is certain she won't be able to figure it out and sighs, realizing she'll probably have to wait until someone else did.
"Maybe I should just start like, sorting stuff out since I'm going to be here a while." She sounds just a tiny bit resentful, though it's not her intention.
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And then he smiles. "That'd be helpful! I don't think the scientists are gonna want to give out data about what they're working on," At this, he makes a face; they were stingy, "But I bet there's a lot to learn from the others who were brought here. And it's a great way to make new friends too!"
no subject
She lets out another quiet sigh before continuing. This is all a lot for her to take in at once.
"I guess I'll have to make friends here if I'm supposed to go around...touching people or whatever."
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Well, it would mean almost certain death for the natives. Ren's not really sure he wants to risk that.
"I think most of the people here are probably going to be really friendly. And you're nice, so you'll make friends in no time!"
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"Well, everyone kind of has to be friendly, don't they?" She glances briefly at the letter in her hand as if to emphasize this. "...But I guess it wouldn't hurt to make some new friends. I should probably try to figure out what it is I'm doing. Thank you, um, for all your help."
She offers a polite nod. Though she's still quite nervous about things, she feels a little better after speaking with Ren.
no subject
Then he chuckles. "Hey, no problem. It's what I'm here for. If you ever need me for anything else, you can come find me anytime. I live over in some apartments too, just not the same ones you all are in. And I'm around town a lot. You can ask anyone where I am and they should be able to point you in the right direction."