INTRO LOG - FEBRUARY 2014

[rekindlemods]

Who: Everyone
Where: The Welcome Center
When: 18th February, evening
Summary: The new arrivals, freshly pulled from their worlds or others, awaken in a strange place...
Warnings: Inbox death may occur. System overload at own risk. SOME NPC RESPONSES WILL BE SLOW UNTIL THE ONE WHO PLAYS THEM IS PRESENT.

It's a shuddering breath, a sensation of being pulled to elsewhere and finding oneself pressed against something on the soft and some place cozy. However, before one can fully stir, there is and odd, warm stirring sensation that lifts you up from wherever you've been dropped, when you begin to drift off once more.

Yet the feeling passes quickly, and when you awaken, you begin to realize your surroundings. It's a small room with what some might recognize as a Far Eastern theme when it comes to decor, from the walls to the sofa (or bed) you find yourself on. Illumination is provided by carefully crafted lamps, and even a candle flickering on a nearby desk. The doors are made from paper and wood, with a thin frame; through them it's easy to hear other people stirring, talking, or coming to.

You are not alone...

The people who arranged this room aren't stingy with treats, either. Close by is a plate full of mostly benign chocolates...Though there isn't any milk on hand to go with them. There's also the sound of more noise from further downstairs, and even the faint whiff of something warm and tasty. And to add to all of that, close at hand there's a note that reads:

WELCOME CENTER
Newcomers: Please come downstairs to the lobby for refreshments and your welcome packets!

(PS: This includes milk.)

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, there's a gentle knocking on the door as someone comes from downstairs to usher you along.

"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 you've had a chance to stretch your legs!"

Whether you go downstairs immediately or linger a little longer, eventually you must come down and get out of the small space, 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 warming, comforting 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 Assistance
Devin, Technological Assistance

Unlike 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 downstairs 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 first five 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

Outside, and through the translucent glass you can see a banner hanging from the tiled roof of the building across the street. It's looking oddly bright and cheery against a darkening sky:

WELCOME TO SAENG SEONG
(ENJOY YOUR STAY!)

Comments

[darkhourdear]

Pharos sees nothing wrong with this reaction! His eyes follow the boy as he makes his way around him, just as curious. "My name is Pharos," he said. This boy does look quite a bit like him... but he's not a Shadow.

[smallspot]

"It's nice to meet you, Pharos!" Diarmuid finally comes around to stand in front of the other boy again. He then bows politely, "You just arrived, didn't you? Do you have any other clothes besides those? You are going to get cold!"

Diarmuid has just learned about needing mittens and scarves and coats in a place that stays as cold as this one does. Now he wants to make sure no one is going without proper clothing. It's bad enough people can get sick from not touching. He doesn't want them to get sick from other things too.

"Did you get your welcome packet and everything?"

[darkhourdear]

Pharos doesn't really understand the boy, so... he doesn't copy it. Sorry about that. He will, at least, answer the questions. "I just got here, yes. I don't have any other clothes." He's not sure he understands why the other boy is worried about him getting cold. Does that do something?

But there is one more question, to which Pharos nods. "I did. I'm not sure how much of it I understood, though..."

[smallspot]

Don't be sorry, Pharos. Diarmuid is...odd sometimes. It's all part of that training to be a knight--nobility and honor and...X.x

Diarmuid holds out a hand to Pharos, "Do you mind coming with me? I have some extra stuff at my apartment! I will give it to you and on the way I can try to answer your questions. I have been here since the beginning!" He pauses a moment and then adds excitedly, "Do you like puppies? You can meet my brother and my puppies!"

[darkhourdear]

Pharos looks at the other boy's hand curiously, slowly reaching out to take it. Is this what he's meant to do? "Alright." Diarmuid certainly seems to know what he's doing... maybe Pharos will learn more if he follows him.

[smallspot]

Diarmuid notices that Pharos seems unsure and squeezes the other boy's hand comfortingly, "Have you ever gotten to play with puppies before?"

The not fun questions can wait, Diarmuid decides and he starts in the direction of his apartment building. First fun!

[darkhourdear]

Pharos shakes his head. "No, I haven't." Puppies are dogs, right? He thinks he knows what those are, at least, even if he's never seen.

[smallspot]

"Oh! We will fix that. Every boy should have a puppy dog to call their own. They make great friends and partners!" Diarmuid nods as he continues to lead Pharos, "My puppy's name is Grey and my brother's puppy's name is White. They are going to be really big once they grow up, but right now they are small."

"My brother also has a horse named Blackie! Blackie doesn't live with us, but we go visit her a lot. Have you ridden a horse before?"

[darkhourdear]

"No, I haven't." Pharos hasn't seen a horse, either. He's quickly discovering just how much he's never seen. "Horses are big, right?"

[smallspot]

"Yes, but Blackie isn't an adult. Just a baby, so it's not so bad," Diarmuid holds out his hand to show roughly how big the horse is. It's much closer to a pony in size at the moment than an adult horse.

"It's too bad my friend Kotaro had to go home," a sad look crosses Diarmuid's face. "He had a pet bear! Lord BowWow was tame and you could ride him. He was so big!" Diarmuid holds out his hand again in an attempt to measure the bear's height, but even jumping to try and increase his own height doesn't make his reach enough.

[darkhourdear]

Oh. That doesn't look nearly as big as he was thinking. Though, if it's a baby, that means it should grow as well. He thinks.

"A bear?" Again, no experience with them, but he knows that bears are probably not normally pets. And then Diarmuid tries to show how big it was. "That must have been very tall..."

[smallspot]

Again Diarmuid nods, "He was, but I think he was a magic bear. At least, what Kotaro said made it sound like that and Lord BowWow seemed to understand when we talked to him. Most animals can't do that! Look! That is where my apartment is!" He points ahead of them at a building that has a 3 on its side, "Do you remember what your apartment number is? New people usually end up in Building One. It's nearby, but you can't see it from here very well. I can take you over there when we are done if you want."

[darkhourdear]

Pharos takes out his key, examining it properly now. "It says Building 1," he confirms, looking up at the building. It's certainly much bigger than the dorm. "Are there a lot of people living here?"

[smallspot]

"There is a good number and new people come every month," Diarmuid looks over at the key and then points at the other number. "3-07. That is your room number! It will say that on the outside of the room that is yours and you can use the key to open it. The rooms in Building One are for one person each, but if you decide you want to live with someone else, you just need to ask. They will move you to one of the other buildings then. Like Building Three! My brother and I moved there when we decided just being next door to each other wasn't good enough."

[darkhourdear]

Well, it's nice the number's written on there so he doesn't forget. That would probably be easy to do, with all the information he's getting today. "What's having a brother like?" he asks, still following the other boy. Neither he nor Minako have any siblings, so he doesn't know much about that.

[smallspot]

"It's really nice and so much fun! There is always someone there to play with and to help me!" As they approach Building 3, Diarmuid holds the door open for Pharos, "He's not my real brother, but my father isn't my father by blood either, so it doesn't matter. I call him my brother and that is the important thing. I don't...have a brother at home. I'm the only child there. That is why I am always so excited to meet other boys."

Don't mind the odd pause in that sentence, Pharos. Diarmuid has a memory block that he knows about concerning that topic and every so often he picks at it. Sadly, he doesn't ever get anywhere...

[darkhourdear]

Too bad, because Pharos is curious! If you don't have a brother, does that mean you can get one? "You don't have a brother at home, but you do here...?" He repeats this bit of information, clearly intrigued by it. "You can do that?"

[smallspot]

Ah...but who can deny such curiosity? Certainly not Diarmuid! He will be glad to talk about the parts he remembers.

"Yes! What is important isn't if you share blood but the bond you feel between yourself and that other person," Diarmuid leads Pharos toward his room. "If you feel strongly enough about that other person to call them brother, then why shouldn't they be your brother? People are meant to protect and care about each other! It only makes sense that strong bonds would form between them then!"

[darkhourdear]

"So it's about the bond, and not if you're actually related..." The only person he has a real bond with right now is Minako, and he doesn't feel like he should call her his sister. But maybe he'll find someone else to be like family around here. "Are you glad you found someone like that?"

[smallspot]

"Yes! Big families are the best. Everyone should have one!" Diarmuid stops in front of a door with some pictures that were obviously drawn by children on the door, "I hope you find someone here to be your family. If you want, my brother and I will be your family. Or if we don't feel like family to you, we will be your friends. We like everyone and we want everyone to be happy here!"

[darkhourdear]

Pharos was not expecting the request, and it's pretty clear from the look on his face. "I... don't know what family feels like," he admits after a moment, glancing away. It's obviously very important to Diarmuid, after all. He feels a little bad for not understanding.

[smallspot]

Diarmuid shakes his head, "Don't feel bad! We can help you! I am just sorry that you haven't gotten to feel that before now!" The boy starts to step forward wanting to hug Pharos so that the other boy won't look so sad, but then stops wondering if it will be okay, "Can I hug you?"

[darkhourdear]

"Hug...?" He knows what that is. But once again, he's never experienced it. It takes a moment, but Pharos finally nods, a little apprehensive but that won't stop his curiosity.

[smallspot]

That apprehension makes Diarmuid frown for a moment. If Pharos doesn't know anything about family, does that mean he's never been hugged before either? That...is just not right!

He steps forward and wraps his arms around the other boy, hugging him tightly, but not so tightly that Pharos can't pull away if he gets uncomfortable or scared, "Hugs make people feel good. It lets them know you care about them. If you haven't had any before now, we need to fix that!"

[darkhourdear]

Pharos finds him bracing himself a little for the hug, tense as the boy moves towards him and-- oh. Oh, this isn't bad. This is actually quite nice. It takes a moment for that to sink in before Pharos relaxes, looking down to see what the boy is doing. Carefully, he raises his arms to try and mimic the motion, loosely holding his arms around Diarmuid. "Is this right?"