Intro Log - March 2014

[rekindlemods]

Who: Everyone
Where: The Welcome Center
When: 18th March, afternoon
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...

Close at hand there's a note that reads:

WELCOME CENTER
Newcomers: Please come downstairs to the lobby 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, 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 bright against a mostly blue sky:

WELCOME TO SAENG SEONG
(ENJOY YOUR STAY!)

Comments

[fons_et_origo]

OPTION A: OBLIGATORY WELCOME CENTRE
It takes a moment to recover, because when one is in transit themselves when they're suddenly pulled off-course it's a bit of a head-trip. This isn't where he's supposed to be by any stretch, not in place and not in time. This isn't the stark and sterile setting of the Castle that Never Was, this...

well, that's all explained, at least, though he feels rushed around. Immigration? Really? He'd never had any sort of paperwork when he travelled between worlds himself. He almost preferred it to this, really. So he was to be a battery for these people through physical contact? That's what he'd been derailed here for? Sorry, he has better things to be doing and Time is going to throw a hissy fit all over this place if he's not there for it.

With destination in mind it takes no effort at all to open the corridor of darkness. Sorry, Saeng Seong...

OPTION B: THE POND

He doesn't expect the corridor to terminate in midair, but it does, and for a moment he windmills his arms as though he can retreat back through the portal. It closes behind him merrily, and with a splash he lands in the middle of what appears to be a rather lovely pond. Or at least it would be lovely if he wasn't soaked through. He drags himself to a shallower part, wheezing slightly - it's much colder than the water he's used to, if nothing else. Something squishes on his head - a frog seems to have gotten caught up in his hood. He yanks down the offending fabric, and the frog makes a sad little croak before jumping off back into the water.

He sprawls out, looking up at the sky, wiping away the hair plastered to his face with one gloved hand. He was more than sure this was not how things were supposed to go... he can't help but laugh.

1/3

[risingland]

Knowing Sora, Aqua and Terra would probably tell him if one of those from their worlds appeared, Riku had other plans then just spending all day lurking near the welcome center in hopes that he'll see someone (preferably yet not Kairi and Mickey). This time, it was simply fishing in the pond. There were plenty to catch, and he only really needed one for a meal he was planning. So why not?

What he expected was a lot of splashing on the other end of the line. What he didn't expect was the sound and the smell of a failed dark corridor from above and in front of him preceding it.

[risingland]

[risingland]

He spent a few seconds simply staring at the figure that wasn't too taller than him in the all too familiar black coat. To anyone who didn't know him, it would seem as though he were dumbfounded by the suddenness of the new arrival. Yet to him, it was a quiet and cold moment of wanting to possibly make their day a little worse.

That was when the frog did his job for him, and he couldn't help the chuckle at Xehanort's plight. Nor could he help the fish on the end of his line likely smacking him as well while he continued to attempt reeling it in.

"What's wrong, Xehanort? Did it kiss you?"

Proof #5894 that, deep down, he was still a brat and damn proud of it.

[fons_et_origo]

At the sound of a voice - that voice - he whirled around, spraying water everywhere and tripping on a fish.

No, he was going to keep his head in the water until he was ready to handle this. One gloved hand raised itself, a finger pointed out. Wait.

Finally, he needed to breathe so he jerked himself back to a sitting position so that he could glower at Riku. Or attempt to glower, that is. He had been supposed to meet him, after all... though this was hardly the avenue for it.

"I'm sure some day your prince will come, Riku..." he said, though the effect was lost with his hair stuck firmly against his forehead like that.

[risingland]

Riku simply shrugged and waited, patient enough to let him try to forget what the sensation of frog felt like for a few moments as he placed the fish in the bucket beside him. Not even the comment seemed to phase him, as he simply shrugged it off.

"I can go without," he retorted. "Besides..."

He paused, attempting not to laugh again as he grinned almost from ear to ear. "Looks like yours is in another castle."

Option A

[fallingsky]

Riku may have opted out of going to the Welcoming Center, but Sora always liked to go and meet the new people. But he couldn't deny that he was especially hoping to see some more of his friends show up - like Kairi, or anyone else he knew, really!

...but he takes that thought back just moments later, when he walks away from a conversation near one of the seating areas and spots Xehanort. No, not anyone he knew.

Especially not him.

It was hard to say exactly what Sora was thinking right at that moment - Sora wasn't much of a thinker in general. He followed his heart, his emotions, and seeing Xehanort right now made him...well, angry. Whether it was at the fact that he was there, or just because he was angry at him specifically, was hard to say. Probably a lot of both. Either way, as can be expected, Sora didn't think about it much.

Briefly, it occurred to him that he didn't have to go over and talk to Xehanort at all. He could just ignore him completely, leave, not give him the time of day. But Sora has always been more of the sort to try to face his problems head-on...and this was definitely a problem.

"Hey, you!"

Sora would be braced for a fight, if it wasn't for the fact that this would be a terrible place for that to happen. There would definitely be words, though, if Sora had anything to say about it.

Re: Option A

[fons_et_origo]

A familiar voice snapped Xehanort's attention away from his attempted departure - Sora. He turned, a note of confusion on his face. That... was unexpected, to say the least.

"You're awake..." he said, masking the surprise before washing it all away with his standard bemused sort of expression. "How nice to see you again, Sora."

[fallingsky]

"What, are you surprised?" he asked, and though the question sounded like it was just the first thing that came to Sora's mind, it was actually kind of important - how much did he remember? Did Xehanort know that the Organization's plan to make Sora their thirteenth member didn't work, or was he from before the test finished, like Riku?

Sora should have been wondering about that a bit more than he was. The truth was that he had so much to think about at that moment that he was barely thinking about anything at all. It was a little weird, actually - it hadn't ever occurred to him to think about would happen if he ever saw Xehanort's younger self again. He didn't think it would ever happen.

He would've been pretty happy if it hadn't, honestly.

But not having a plan didn't stop him from wanting to say a thing or two, if only because he'd hardly had a chance to during most of their conversations - if you could really call them that.

[fons_et_origo]

"Perhaps it's just a dream for you. A dream of being awake, a dream of being here." It's a long shot, really... if he's here then he's definitely not asleep in the abyss of dreams. If this place could pull him from there, well...

The notion of Sora being woken up dances in his mind for a moment, but he dismisses it. The future has not yet played out. Who can say for certain what happened? Unless of course this Sora is from the past... has he had other periods of slumber too?

Silence for a moment, as he looks Sora over, concentrating on him...

[fallingsky]

"Sorry, but I'm done napping." Maybe he wouldn't have known for sure before, but Sora had learned a thing or two about dreams - enough to know that this wasn't one. Xehanort wasn't going to have any luck in making him doubt that, he told himself.

Besides, he wasn't sure if Xehanort was messing with him...or if he really didn't know about how things turned out. He wasn't so sure that he'd be able to get a straight answer, either.

B

[shadowsgambit]

...She sure did see someone fall into that pond from midair. Fortuna jogs over as the cloaked figure sprawls out. He looks kind of like he could be a mage in her world. Could this be the time she actually meets someone who knows what she's talking about most of the time?

Problem was, she was pretty sure if mages could teleport or fly, it would make a lot of things less complicated...

"You okay there?"

[fons_et_origo]

An unfamiliar voice, and he cocks his head to see who's there. Of course, it's someone he doesn't know. He should be on edge just in case, but really, he just fell into a pond. If whoever it is is going to attack him then he'll have to get serious. For now, he smiles a little ruefully, slowly heaving himself upright - that coat is much heavier than expected when wet.

"Outside of a wounded pride, yes. I suppose that's the simple way of finding out that there is no way to leave through conventional methods."

[shadowsgambit]

He would be forgiven for expecting an attack on some level, given she's eight feet tall and horned. Then again, dressing like a person and talking like a person rules out "monster" for a few worlds, doesn't it?

"That was 'conventional' for you? Looked like you just showed up out of thin air."

[fons_et_origo]

Amusingly enough, she isn't the strangest being that he's encountered in his travels. He's learned not to judge someone by what they look like, at least. After all, a walking talking anthropomorphic mouse is a force to be reckoned with in his neck of the woods...

He nods, attempting to wring out his hair a little bit. "I attempted to take a Dark Corridor. It didn't let me leave, and instead rerouted me here... though I suppose that such an ability is foreign to most people here."

B!

[for_altea]

The sound of a splash, something heavy hitting water at no small speed made Marth break out of his quiet reflection on the other side of it. His eyes widened, a hand instinctively moving to his rapier. He was a soldier. He'd assumed an attack, an ambush, anything other than a man actually falling within, seemingly from directly above it.

"Sir! Sir!" He called out, immediately forgetting all sense of decorum and stately dignity which he'd been forced into at this entire situation. He made his way to the correct side, before... well, his jaw dropped. The man wasn't unconscious. He wasn't in need of rescuing. He wasn't drowning. He was... laughing? If the young prince was honest, he'd have felt the urge to laugh himself. But instead, he extended a hand to pull the unfortunate man from the water.

"Are you all right? Please, take my hand."

[fons_et_origo]

Oddly enough, given the lecture about this place and its mission, he has little trouble accepting the offered help. He takes Marth's hand and hauls himself to his feet... his coat is heavier than expected when wet, and its weight settles over him uncomfortably.

"A bit surprised, and little more than wounded pride I suppose. Thank you for your assistance. My apologies for the overly dramatic entrance, it was rather... unexpected."

/casually takes a third option...ish

[ofsongandstrings]

She was on her way to her shop after practicing with her bow, which was fastened to her quiver on her back, when she heard a splash coming to her right. Blinking for a moment, she could have almost swore she'd seen a-

But she hadn't gotten the migraine she tended to have when an Ascian nearby... was this like Terra and they just wore black coats for the laughs?

Sigh. It was like she was running into those types more and more lately, as she walked over and held out a cloth. "Are ye alright? You have the look of one about to have a chill, soaked like that."

[fons_et_origo]

Ah, a stranger - he turned to look over to who was addressing him. A lady, and one who meant business judging by the bow and arrows she was armed with. He spread his arms outward and bowed his head slightly in greeting.

"I took a bit of an unexpected detour, unfortunately. I'm rather new here, unfortunately... ah, thank you," he replied, taking the towel and wiping his face a little bit. "My apologies for the inconvenience."

[ofsongandstrings]

She laughed a little under her breath, waving it off slightly. "We all had our embarrassing stories first arriving here, don't fret. I was simply passing by when I'd noticed your...plight."

[fons_et_origo]

He looked about himself and couldn't help but laugh again. "Plight, indeed. Faux pas is perhaps the better term." He slowly began to heave himself upright, clutching the towel carefully to keep it from getting too wet. "Though it is gratifying to know that there are others who have less graceful entrances into this realm."

both because i'm an ass idk

[humility]

It's like a shiver up her spine, when she first senses it. Aqua pivots to look behind her, standing in her usual spot to scan the crowd of newcomers for a familiar face. She doesn't see anything at first, but that awful feeling continues...

Familiar and not.

There's a moment where she sees a coat she recognizes, and a glimpse of silver hair before the figure's gone in a flash of darkness. Breath caught in her throat, Aqua is frozen and rooted to the spot. Even if it doesn't feel quite the same, it's hard to ignore the name being screamed in her head.

Now that she's aware and looking for it, the presence reappears not too far away. Not even really able to explain it to herself, Aqua follows, running. It's a small surprise when she ends up at a small pond, and it takes a moment's frantic search to realize that...he's in it.

Aqua slowly walks up to the edge, watching warily as the boy struggles to surface. Her face is taught and doesn't make a single change despite the mishap with an amphibian. Even when he starts laughing, her arms are stiffly at her sides, her right hand's finger twitching as if missing something.

"...You're not hurt, then."

works for meeee

[fons_et_origo]

He stops laughing when he hears an unfamiliar voice. His head lolls lazily to one side, looking at her in a lopsided fashion. His eyes narrow briefly in recognition... it's her.

"Blue hair." he says simply. He doesn't know her name or anything about her. It was only minutes of heated battle that they'd shared. One of three defeats. A reason to get stronger. After a moment, he smiles, slowly rising to his feet and sending water everywhere.

"You're here too, huh. Long way from your mountain, isn't it?"

[humility]

"For better or worse."

There's no bitterness or anger. She almost sounds distant, her eyes narrowed as she continues sizing him up. It takes her a moment's silence.

"So you know who I am. Strange, considering how you looked the last time I saw you."

[fons_et_origo]

"What, like this?" He reaches back to pull his hood over his head. It clings to his head, his hair pushed forward and sticking out of the front of the hood in a comical fashion. "I don't know you. I just fought you once at that mountain place. You're the only lady with blue hair I've ever seen."