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

is it ok if we do a time lapse or something here because lolnobittyknights

[for_altea]

It was a kind gesture. Of course it was - but it was a kindness he wasn't entirely sure he deserved, even though going back and back over the past week in his mind brought up no oversights, no errors which could possibly explain being taken to another world. Katarina, yes. That was an oversight, a failing, but at this point he still had confidence that Chris would be able to make her stop. The two of them had a bond, even though she was a betrayer - he could see it. It was as plain as day to him. But Katarina was not responsible for this. Nor the masked one. That was certain. And the seventh platoon were not going to be found by shoegazing.

A very fleeting smile followed the small measure of comfort, gone almost as soon as it was forced upon his lips and replaced by a look of resolve.

"Thank you, my friend. Come. We will find them!"

hell yes it is /slams fist on the fast forward like a motherfucker

[gaggles]

Of course, you can't find things that were never there in the first place. Not for lack of trying, though; they'd covered some amazing amount of ground together, poked their heads into every building which looked as if it might allow such intrusions.

And still no wandering knightlings.

When he'd been spurred into frantic zeal by Marth's assurance earlier, now Gordin's just...
Well, he's sweaty, and wheezing, and rather downhearted on top of that. Is it a good thing that they're nowhere to be found in the city? What if they're outside the boundaries (an area no one had addressed as far as he could remembered, for better or worse) or in the locked off areas?
What if they're still in Altea, apparently under attack still? Not just Ryan (although naturally, that's his first and foremost thought), but all of their friends and family...It's a bittersweet feeling to consider that they might be home and celebrating a victory without them.

The real point is that Saeng Seong has been rather thoroughly scoured for hide and hair of their comrades, and Gordin is done with the search for now. Fanning himself with his map (they're apparently in District 5, near the hot springs which would explain the humidity), he bitterly groans and tries to resist the strong urge to throw himself on the ground in a tantrum.

"Hah...That's that. They're either not here, or...Or hiding, which would be a poor joke if they are. But I think we need to stop for now, if you're willing."
After all, his boots are starting to rub like a bitch.

[for_altea]

By this time, Marth's own feet were beginning to hurt. And he was starting to feel pangs of hunger - which he'd seen fit to ignore, especially since they had an objective, but knew couldn't be put off inevitably. While both of them had covered the entire continent on foot in the past, there was only so much ground they could cover in a day. Paved, or otherwise. They simply couldn't continue any longer. The sun had already gone in, and they were perhaps in the third or fourth hour of nightfall.

Marth, mid-words with a passerby (and asking for perhaps the seventieth time today if said passerby had noticed any horses or knights) turned at Gordin's words. He was right, of course. Since they both could actually read maps (Unlike the seventh...) a quick check of his own proved that indeed, the entire city had been scoured. Disconcerting. Very much so. At hearing the citizen's words that no, she hadn't noticed anyone or anything of that description he thanked her, walking back to the archer.

"Yes... you are right. It will not do us any good to exhaust ourselves looking any further. But we can resume the search after rest." ...He wasn't going to give up. Not at all. Postpone, yes. But stubbornly, he still clung to some hope that they had been extremely unfortunate and missed them at every turn. He was used to misfortune, after all.

"Also... tomorrow, we may fare better. I asked inside the first building about the network the letter mentions. Apparently, we may use it to contact others. While now, it is a poor manner of looking for them, with time, others may take notice, and may be able to assist us."

...There was a chance, right? He moved to settle beside the archer, forcing a smile. He wasn't feeling particularly optimistic, but he did have a front to display. Be it to one member of his army, or all of them. "Let us rest, for now. Let me know when you are ready to go to the housing district."

[gaggles]

Thank the gods for those maps, at least. They'd helped infinitely in doing a full circuit of the city, and in marking where the city is apparently still blocked off.
Three districts. They'd be a good starting point tomorrow, surely? Even to just wander the boundaries, do...Do something. Anything.

Definitely tomorrow, though; even with the profuse lamplight starting to speckle each street, there are too many shadows (and they are too exhausted) to make the search worth pursuing.

"Of course, sire. We can't give up after a day, right? That's not what Alteans do. I'm sorry, I'm just...Hah. Today's really been something, hasn't it?"

That's not the half of it, naturally. But giving up so soon still stings Gordin's pride, makes him puff out his cheeks rather sullenly at such a resounding failure.
"I wonder how this network, er...Works, if it can contact everyone in a city at once. But it can't hurt! If we can put some kind of notice, maybe some description of everyone so that people can keep an eye out...That'd definitely save us some legwork."

Even if he's sulking over everything somewhat, when they're seated side-by-side it's hard not to spare a wry smile for Marth's sake. It's way too easy to forget that they both have a lot on the line here, and as the eldest, it's his duty to try and be the strong one.
For what that's worth, anyway. "If you'll bear with me, I'll be right in a minute or two. What house number does your key have? If we're near each other, I'll feel a lot better about things."

Ah, go on. It's probably a bit much, but he's going to sling one arm around the other man's shoulders in what's intended to be big-brotherly affection.
Might as well if Jagen's not here to snap at him.

[for_altea]

"Yes." He agreed, nodding slightly at the mention of the network. "Can you imagine if anything like that existed in our world?" It'd be amazing, actually. To not have to bother with letters and carrier pigeons, and messengers, interceptions...

The thought of contacting others like that made his mind return to Hardin. And the rumours of the Akaneian empire. And it made his brow furrow as he settled close to Gordin, deciding to take the weight off his feet himself. Jagen had told him once that when a rumour reached a castle, that had meant that it had done the rounds upon the townsfolk more than a hundredfold. The rumours of Akaneia's aggression had reached him quite a while ago, a long enough time for him to have sent out three messengers to Hardin regarding them. ... therefore, it must have been old news indeed.

Either way, none of those messengers had returned.

"May I ask you something, Gordin? Have you... heard of the Akaneian empire recently about town, or while you have been training?"

He was still of the mind that they were nothing but insidious rumours. Someone, somewhere's lies, intended to bring down a good and righteous man which could truly make a difference in the world. Little did he know how wrong he was.

He was mid-removing one of his boots when Gordin's arm went around him. That... well, that was unexpected. He could practically hear Jagen snapping at the archer now. ...And probably ordering him to collect firewood. Or join the hunters in actually bringing something edible to camp. Or something like that. He laughed, smally.

"Are you trying to lure a certain paladin out?"

[gaggles]

"Mm, it'd save me writing letters all the time! And I can't imagine how much use that sort of thing would be to you, right? ...Maybe we'll have to look into how it works, see if we can't make one when we go home."
It'd stop his intense homesickness, that's for sure. Getting to catch up with everyone back home over one network seems such a pretty notion. ...Either that or annoying--

What a strange question, and how strange that it should be asked of him. Gordin yawns, shifts his feet about in the slightly oversized boots that Jeorge had lent him, and mulls over any information he might have garnered on his little trip. "Akaneian Empire? Um...I'm afraid I haven't really had time to pay mind to news not about home, sire. That, and I think Mister Jeorge would think it a distraction. Why, what have I missed?"

Oh sweet summer child. There's no way he can fathom that Jeorge's recent frowns had anything to do with the rumours that plague Marth even now; a betrayal by Hardin, by someone they all trusted as a valuable ally from the War of Shadows, would possibly shatter some strange little innocence in Gordin.
Allies don't backstab. Allies don't, not to Altea. How could they not trust and believe in his lord as he does?

Not that he even considers that possibility at the moment, when Akaneia is, if he's honest, the last of their problems.
"Mmaaaaybe. If he's here, surely he'll come thundering along any second now, ready to tan my hide!"
Marth's laughter (no matter how subdued) proves infectious, and Gordin tips his head back in mirth. It's totally inappropriate given how dire things could be, but...Laughter is the best medicine. Laughter and one-armed, comradely hugs, or so he hopes.

"Er, that's if it's alright with you. I hope I'm not overstepping my boundaries, but I suppose that, um...It's my silly way of trying to make you feel better too."