Perhaps you felt a rumble beneath your feet, a sensation of what you were standing upon giving way underneath you as something
pulled you in and away from what it was you were doing. Or, perhaps it was simply a gentle tap on your shoulder before you had the same tugging sensation from behind your navel. No matter which it was; there is one other constant:
lp...A quiet rustle of the wind, wherever it is coming from as it hits your face.
help... u...The earth grumbling beneath you resounds with something unintelligible. Of course; it's the earth. Dirt can't speak, after all. Yet it won't stop, nor does the wind. All you wanted to do was sleep...
Yet suddenly it stops, and as you begin to stir, you begin to feel the crisp wind still seems to be picking up, yet as it settles, it's almost as if it whispers something to your ear.
'elp... u... sh....Before you can make sense of it, it is gone; 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 mosaic - 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 this windstorm!"
Whether you go inside immediately or linger outside a little longer, eventually you must come in from the slight autumn chill, and sooner rather than later would probably be better. ...What
was that shadow from the corner of your vision?
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 AssistanceMai, Medical 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 four districts in the south and west parts 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 newest and brightest doctors.
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!)![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rekindlemods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
rekindleme2013-10-18 07:17 pm
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Tamaran is my home planet. It does not inhabit the same solar system as Earth. And I have indeed seen you on the television, but that is not how we came to know one another.
[Would you like a demonstration?]
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...Does anyone broadcast Earth TV to your planet?
[Thus encouraging you to jump planet and end up here. With your uncle, the Tamaranean Manhunter? Is that what happened? Is it? Is that it? Because you are a strangely-colored redhaired girl and it's unnerving him.]
I can't really see myself on a space voyage.
no subject
[Well you said you had time, right?]
Though the Robin that I am familiar with is older. I am curious if we hail from the same universe.
no subject
[Formed the what now. It sounds like a team, but...
But the other two Batgirls just... he can't assume.]
Seriously, not sure how you'd test that. But as long as you're on our side, I guess it doesn't matter too much.
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Because she already knows how to test her query. That is a hand on the back of your neck, Dick, and those are her lips closing over yours. How's this for a "Hello, nice to meet you!"?]
no subject
[His eyes pop up wide and there's a brief thought that maybe I should dropkick her but...
Well.
It's kind of nice. Dropkicking people who do nice things like this is kind of counterproductive, but Barbara is probably around here somewhere and somehow he doesn't want her to see this, not that it probably matters to her since she insists on treating him like a bratty kid brother and he's got M'gann already to exercise his brattiness on, thank you, and how do you breathe while doing this seriously Barbara let off after a while.]
no subject
And then, with some effort, in French-]
It would seem that we are not from the same timeline. [Before switching back to English, after a beat, with both surprise and amusement.] But it would also seem that you are well versed in Earth's other languages. Robin did not possess the knowledge of these other languages when we met.
no subject
[back up, WHAT]
Language centers are in the brain, not the-- the--
Uh. Throat.
no subject
no subject
[It just. Spills forth like water runneth from a cup.]
I've spent so many hours studying Spanish, French, Mandarin, Portuguese, Japanese... I love the work, don't get me wrong, but you can just-- and then there's Superboy-- and M'gann can do this thing--
[Man. Just. Pouting.]
no subject
And she may seem crazy.
But here's a hand on your shoulder.
Take comfort, maybe.]
Yes... but there are many things that one does not learn in this way. There are... gaps, words that do not have translation. Humor, the "slang"- [said like she's not used to the word at all] and culture are not acquired in this way. It is only by studying and observing as you do that I able to understand the whole. [And if it isn't obvious she's still missing parts.]
no subject
[He's. Not comforted, but he doesn't try to make her move, at least?]
It's not perfect, but it's a decent hack job.