rekindleme | Intro Log

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Intro Log - March 2014

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!)

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Six months? That was roughly when Yukari and Fuuka had both disappeared, and it unfortunately didn't help in Junpei's attempt to snap Minato out of his current delusion that he was still trapped.

"What? Yukari-san and Fuuka-san were here for a while before they left..." That was about all he could manage in disbelief because even a somewhat sleep-deprived person could tell that the details didn't match up well enough for him to say that he had to be right. His head was beginning to hurt from confusion and he certainly hadn't helped himself by sitting up and feeling faint from the sudden rush of blood, which left him in no condition to even notice that his bed had become slightly heavier.

At least not until the 'weight' drew attention to itself.

...a look at the boy located at the side of his bed was more than enough to startle the patient, and then Minato jumped like he really did see a ghost, yelping in agony as he nearly ripped out his IV tube from his sudden movement. "Pharos!?" Maybe he was already insane- it'd certainly explain everything better than whatever ideas he had.

Edited 2014-03-24 16:12 (UTC)

"W-WHOA!"

Junpei started hard when his current thought process of trying to figure out what the hell this dude was saying was interrupted by a familiar ~~creepy~~ kid's voice.

"J-jeez, kiddo, don't sneak up on u-- Minato, careful!"

He can't deal with this over stimulation man! Taking Minato's arm carefully, Junpei put it back on the bed, looking it over.

"Doesn't seem to be bleedin' though..."

Looking back at the younger kid, Junpei frowned.

"...And yeah, kiddo showed up here last month around this time. I guess he wanted to see you too... Does Minako know you're he--erk!"

Shit. He was probably overloading the poor guy.

"I-I mean, ehheh...heh..."

Pharos isn't surprised at all by their surprise, so he mostly just continues sitting there obviously the momentary chaos. But when addressed, he'll smile at Minato again- looks like he was right on that, too. Hopefully Minato wouldn't mind that they were from slightly different places.

But then Junpei stops in a middle of a sentence and Pharos turns his attention to him, frowning. "What?" He will talk about Minako, Junpei. Someone's going to have to break it too Minato sooner or later.

Minato wouldn't have minded ordinarily, but biting back the strain from his new injury while attempting to cope with what he'd just been told by accident was about all he could manage right now, mind still lost somewhere in between the transition from Haven to whatever this place was.

The good news was that they wouldn't have to tell him much about Minako...the bad news was that he had been close to her and that was about to be made clear. "How long has Minako been here? She vanished about a month ago...I need to see her." But that was probably not for the best considering that he was getting up again in spite of his poor condition, fixated on the idea that this Minako was the same one he'd known. He was already beginning to breathe hard again like when he'd first arrived, a warning sign that he was becoming overwhelmed...but he didn't care as long as he could find out that Minako was safe.

And Pharos...well, that he was there was troubling but seemed pretty relaxed right now, all things considering. It could have been worse if Ryoji had somehow reverted, but this one was clearly the one who'd been with Minako. Some small relief, if it could even be called that.

"W-wait, what-- Damnit, Minato!"

Junpei reached out now, gripping Minato's shoulders and pushing him down--hopefully not enough to hurt him, but with enough force to KEEP him there on the bed. Where he should be resting.

"Just. Breath, okay? Just breath. Minako said she's coming asap--"

Wait. Wait a second, this didn't make any damn sense...

"...How the heck do you know Minako? It's either you or her in a timeline, isn't it? And she didn't know about you till I told her...!"

He's not moving his hands until you calm the hell down, bro. Or until he calms down. Or gets some answers. He's really not sure which.

Edited 2014-03-27 07:56 (UTC)

"Ah!"

Junpei's grip was only strong enough to keep him on the bed, but from the way Minato jerked backwards and raised his arms to try and free himself it might have looked to anyone else like he'd been hurt. His frail grip on reality was slipping again too, and forcing himself to stop breathing heavily was difficult when he was still trying to grasp what Junpei was saying about Minako- her not knowing him or remembering anything was just too much to accept in his current fragile state.

"I've known Minako for ten months. She disappeared from where we were one day and never came back..." Neither had his other friends whether they'd been from his world or Haven, and he would have been glad for that except for the possibility that none of them had ever left. "Aragaki-senpai was there once too, and so were Yukari-san, Fuuka-san and Ryoji-san..." Why was he even telling this to Junpei? Whether or not having his friend here made him feel better was immaterial when it looked like they had never left, and his deep breaths gradually softened into what sounded like choked sobs.

To say that Minato felt lost would have been an understatement at this point, confused and distressed as he was seeing what wasn't there at all.

"--!!"

Junpei knew that frightened look too well; it was like he was looking at Chidori during one of her bad times for a moment, and he quickly withdrew his hands on instinct.

"S-sorry! Sorry, I didn't mean to freak you out..."

He could feel his own hands shake from the shock of what he'd caused; in order to stem that off, he shoved them into his pants pockets. He listened to Minato through his sobs but... None of this was making sense; Fuuka had come with him, Ryoji'd never been here before unless Akihiko-senpai never told him.

But... maybe, maybe he'd been somewhere else? Somewhere other than Tatsumi's Port?

"Was... was this back home, Minato, or somewhere else? Where were you that all this--"

Pulling his hand out again, he gingerly waved over Minato's form, indicating his state of health at the moment.

"--Happened?"

It occurred to Minato somewhere in between that his friends might not have heard about the place where he'd been, and he at last mumbled something while he was still trembling and trying to stop sobbing.

"...Haven West. But it doesn't make sense- why would you all be somewhere else then?" His thoughts were getting hazy again from thinking too hard, although it looked like he was starting to question what he was seeing in front of him. It just didn't fit what he knew of the Yao Corporation to actually separate its test subjects, no matter what the reason...could he actually believe that what he'd thought before was true and not just some desperate belief that he had actually escaped?

While Minato was explaining, Junpei quickly grabbed a box of tissues, and held it out for Minato to use. He was a little too nervous to start trying to touch the guy again, after that terrified look on his face.

"Haven West?"

Shaking his head, Junpei glanced down again at the burn marks on Minato's hand.

"I've never heard of that place before... I've only been here in Saeng Seong, or back in Japan. I... I guess the people here pulled you out of that place, somehow."

"They what?"

He stopped sobbing at once, dumbstruck by what he'd just heard (...although apparently not enough to stop him from reaching out for the tissues). Assuming what he'd just heard was true, it meant that he was actually free after thinking that he'd never be able to leave the place. He was alive, safe and sound with his dearest friends in a much better world...

Edited 2014-03-31 15:57 (UTC)

But it also meant that he was never going to see his friends in Haven ever again, and he'd left them when their fate was hanging in the air, when they could all be dead the next day with no hope of returning to the lives they once had.

Minato didn't want to believe that he'd been the only one brought here out of everyone else who had deserved better, but he couldn't deny how real Junpei's words sounded too no matter how much he tried to reason that things couldn't be that easy. The tissue went unused in his left hand as tears began to well up in his eyes, unable to hold in his frustration any longer- why him, when he was already dead and should have been returned to the Great Seal? Why was he here alone when he'd promised a dear friend long time ago that he'd only leave if everyone else could, back when they'd first became friends and had such high hopes for the future?

"...Why am I here by myself then? Everyone else deserved to leave too!" The rest of what he said was incoherent, lost between accompanying choked sobs and pained gasping. For the first time he felt that Fate could be so cruel, to show him a world where lives were treated as little less than rubble only to release him now- it was unfair, so very unfair!

"M-Minato..."

Now everything made sense; he'd been someplace incredibly horrible, someplace that had left him destitute like this and traumatized. And somehow Saeng Seong had managed to drag him out of there, give him (another) second chance, rescued him from that fate... but...

Junpei's chest ached; he knew that pain Minato was feeling. Knew the pain of living on when someone you care about was trapped or... gone. It hurt like a bitch, it lingered on the edge of your awareness even when you started to accept it. In the end, you had to keep going though... but it was no good saying that yet to someone so upset.

"...I ... I don't got an answer for ya, man. I'm sorry."

He meant it, in several different ways. Reaching out again carefully, he gently took Minato's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"I'm here for you though, promise. Okay?"

It was really all he could offer now.

Pharos has been sitting here, watching and observing the conversation and its rather extreme emotions. The words he can follow... he's having a harder time with the rest of it. But one has been pretty easy to figure out. Even Pharos can figure out that Minato's really upset.

He's not entirely sure what to do about this. He knows he doesn't like it, but he can't think of a way to help. At least, not until he sees Junpei take his hand. He's seen how this place works.

Pharos proceeds to move up Minato's bed until he's sitting next to the boy, very tentatively (since he's still a little wary about initiating) hugging the older boy.

Minato accepted both the hug and the hand squeeze passively, sitting still and taking in the gentle warmth of their touch until he finally stopped crying. He continued to remain silent for a while after that, not knowing what to say after such an abrupt outburst- the only thing he knew was that he still felt awful and he wasn't ready to just accept everything that had been said to him just before this.

"...I'm sorry." It was barely a whisper, and it was impossible to tell what was he apologizing for. "I can't accept this just yet...I need some time." The pain in his chest had subsided by now, leaving him feeling numb, drained and wanting to be alone. "Some medicine would be good too," he added hesitantly, not liking the thought of taking them even if he knew it was for the best.

"...It's alright, dude."

Junpei understood, letting go of his hand with a nod. In some ways, Minato was grieving... and sometimes you just needed to give someone time to do so. Junpei knew that better than most.

"I can go find a nurse... but others might be in to check on ya. Is that okay?"

Looking over at Pharos, he nodded a little, holding out his hand for the kid to take.

"We can head out for a bit, if you want, but I dunno if it's good to leave you totally alone, Minato."

It takes Pharos a minute to get the cue that he's supposed to let go off Minato and take Junpei's hand, and once he does get it he's a bit reluctant. It seems strange to him (and it would feel even weirder if it was actually Minako instead of Minato, but he's not differentiating too much). Still, he will move back and take Junpei's hand, but that doesn't stop him from staring up at Minato in an expression resembling concern.

Minato noticed the expression and moved his right hand in response, almost reaching out for both Junpei and Pharos before pulling back. "I'll be fine," he said, looking away from them as he recalled a time long ago when he had been left alone, waiting for the people he'd never see again and finding people who didn't care. He wanted so much to believe that they were both real and that they cared but even then he shook his head, gripping his blanket as he thought about the possibility of everyone else coming to visit.

Should he say something about that? He thought a while before looking down again, indicating that his previous response would be enough. It wasn't as if he'd have a choice after all; his friends would never abandon him if they were real and he could always believe in that, even with his heart broken as is.

"... We'll be back tomorrow, okay?"

That expression... it made Junpei's chest ache, and even if Minato needed time to accept what had happened to him, Junpei couldn't leave him alone like this.

"Akihiko-senpai's gonna be bringing you clothes- but is there anything else you'd want? Like, books or food, or somethin'...?"

Anything, anything to make this guy feel better...

That at least had Minato looking a little less gloomy than before, and he stared quietly at Junpei while he considered his options.

"Some books and food would be nice." There was a slightly wild look in his eyes as he mentioned wanting some books, almost like it was important in some way...was he just a bookworm or was there something more meaningful about it?

"Sure thing! What sort of books wouldja want?"

...Nothing violent, that was for sure. Maybe some gag comics...?

"And I know a place that has AWESOME ramen, I'll bring ya some of that, okay?"

He definitely backed off a little at the mention of 'awesome', but the offer was at least replied to with what sounded like a little enthusiasm laced with a larger dose of suspicion. Then again, Minato was a bit too resigned to the fact that he didn't have much of a choice in these things- might as well go for broke, he thought.

"Any kind of book would do, but I'd like to have something close to the ramen we used to have at Hagakure, if it's possible." That, and there was absolutely no possibility that the Yao Corporation would be bothered to replicate a bowl of ramen simply to brainwash him, right?

... Man, this was gonna be a lot like Chidori again, wasn't it? Saying things wrong and not knowing why...

Still he kept up his smile as best he could, nodding this head.

"You got it man. I'll swing by tomorrow with both, come hell, high water or nosy nurses! ... You, uh..."

His hand moved to rest on Pharos' head, giving it an affectionate pat.

"You take care, kay? We're all here for ya now, I promise."

It wasn't anything Junpei said so much as the emphasis on awesome, not that Minato would have blamed him for that as it wasn't anything people would normally be afraid of. He still felt bad about everything, but what Junpei said at least gave him reason to nod as he looked back questioningly.

"Alright." And as if on second thought, perhaps hoping that he would be back- "See you tomorrow, Junpei."

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Intro Log - March 2014

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