INTRO LOG - JUNE 2014

[rekindlemods]

Who: Everyone
Where: The Welcome Center
When: 18th June, late 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. NPC responses may be slow.

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 cool and relieving food and drink, including some you probably aren't familiar with. It's just as well they're in good supply, as the windows outside show a city well heated from a summer sun.

On the wall opposite are a pair of desks, each with a sign, and one person at her station-

Rhea, General Assistance
Andi, Technological Assistance

The plaques have a shiny new look to them, as do the desks. The one with 'Andi' listed appears to be empty, though. Gathered around both desks and several tables are boxes as well, and...Empty jars? The woman minding her desk doesn't appear to give them a second thought.

However, before you can go over and give at least one of 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 Rhea
Arrival Liaison

Outside, and through the translucent glass you can see a banner hanging from the tiled roof of the building across the street. The cheerful colors on it match well against a bright blue sky:

WELCOME TO SAENG SEONG
(ENJOY YOUR STAY!)

Comments

[A]

[strikeachord]

Billy, guitar across his back, is on his way in for a drink and a snack because hanging out in the plaza playing guitar is thirsty work when he spots a man who so puts his mind of Juji that for a second, he forgets how to breathe. It isn't the mannerisms – no, this fellow moves differently, flightier, somewhere between sneaking and storming as opposed to Juji's surly prowl – it's the mood about him, the numb feeling of emptiness Billy gets just watching him. It's a terrible thing to see; he can't imagine what it's like to feel that way. Juji always plastered anger over it in layers, but the stranger seems to just wear it like it's the most normal thing in the world.

So of course Billy has to at least try to help. If he can, anyway. He changes course from the refreshments table to intercept the newcomer.

"Hey," he says, all conversational and light as he reaches out to rest a hand on the other guy's shoulder, "you okay there?"

[heismymission]

Unfortunately, the jittery newcomer is not a person who takes being reached for very well, and his automatic reaction is to grab the young man's wrist in a painful (but thankfully flesh-and-bone) grip. It's evident that his right arm is shaking while he's touching the kid, even though it's hardly visible, but it's only a moment before his words and appearance are processed by the soldier and he shoves the hand away from him.

This kid is impeding his process, but he doesn't appear to be a threat. He must have some kind of reason for it.

"What do you want," he demands quietly with a tinge of impatience.

[strikeachord]

"Ow– hey!" Billy yelps at the powerful tight hold on his wrist, partly in pain but more in fear; his hands are his livelihood, after all. And though he feels his hand tentatively for damage, flexing the fingers, his eyes are squarely on the stranger. Who really isn't well, he's sure. Billy's certain he felt a tremor in the grip that fended him off.

Best not to let himself be sore about it. This fellow seems all sorts of mixed up. Billy can't quite put on a smile – he's too worried – but he brushes off the notion that he could now be nursing a broken wrist. His unease is entirely for the new guy's well-being.

"I just wanted to make sure you're all right," he says. Honesty is the best policy, gramma always said. "You don't look too hot."

[heismymission]

No attempt at retaliation comes and the soldier's posture loses a bit of tension, but he's still about as stiff as a board. Waking up with an extra hole in his memory is certainly enough to put him on edge for the rest of the day.

His eyes flick from the blond kid to the desks and back, and for the first time he's starting to take in the room and how many people are around. Plus the fact that there are a lot of... robot things. Robot things that look armed and dangerous. He doesn't know just how many weapons in this room would be aimed at him should he attempt to start anything, and it's unsettling. For a moment, he clenches his jaw, trying to will himself to stand down for the time being, and pulls his outrage at the situation back in for now. It's better directed at people who can do something useful, in a more secure location.

"I'm fine," he says shortly, eyes alert and focusing on the young man for whatever motive he might have to ask. "I need answers."

[strikeachord]

Billy has to wonder for a second if life with Juji would've been more like this if only Billy had been corporeal at the time. He deliberately doesn't dwell on it long, not with that expectant look on him.

"Well, I'll do what I can," he says, easy and cheerful and hoping that if he keeps being relaxed about things, some of the tension will fizzle out. "But I've only been here a month or so, I'd say, and I don't know too much more than what's in the folder they give you when you wake up." And since there wasn't anyone at the help desks when he arrived – and he'd know because he never forgets a lady – he doesn't think to suggest asking either of them.

Though maybe he oughtta introduce himself later.

[heismymission]

Somehow he doesn't think this kid is privy to the details of how they've been brought here, especially with what he said, so he goes for the next best thing--how to survive here until he gets how to return out of someone.

"The letter," he says, indicating the crumpled envelope in his left hand under the fingerless glove, "Is it accurate?"

It would be good to establish just how much of what they're trying to feed them is lies so he can get a head start on how much to trust them. He's leaning very heavily towards not at all given the kind of place he was in last time when he woke up with memories missing.

[strikeachord]

Billy can't quite hide his embarrassment over the letter when he remembers taking off without even reading it. Not until a while later anyhow.

"Far as I know, yeah," he answers. "I start feelin' kinda sick and run-down real fast if I haven't given anybody a handshake or a hug or somethin' in a few days. And they set me up with a place to live and everything." And brought him back to life. That's the big one. He can just hear Juji growling about how it's too good to be true.

A look of dawning comprehension washes over Billy's face as it hits him: that's what's so familiar about this guy.

"I'm guessin' you got somewhere else important to be," he ventures. It's that sense of imperative and drive.

[heismymission]

He takes in the words confirming that he needs contact, but assumes that he'll be able to handle more than the average person here. He'll go a week without--he isn't interested in getting that close to anyone for any length of time unless someone gives him a reason to strangle them--and see how it goes. The last thing he plans to do is follow orders like this blindly without knowing for sure. He isn't going to succumb to another HYDRA.

The kid draws his attention with the look on his face, but the soldier is unsure of the reason for it as he answers.

"I have... things to look for," he replies, planning to keep his lack of memory mostly to himself.

[strikeachord]

"Sounds kinda like you're a fella on a mission," Billy declares with a rueful smile. He's used to guys on missions. He sort of misses it himself, really… but not enough to try and get in on this one right now. He offers his hand for a handshake, though.

Very carefully.

"I hope you find what you're lookin' for," he says sincerely, "and if you want a hand or something, just lemme know. I'm not half bad at it if I say so myself. And the name's Rocketbilly. Rocketbilly Redcadillac."

i'm so sorry about him.

[heismymission]

The soldier straightens slightly at the sound of the word mission, and his jaw tenses as he recalls his last one--failed, completely subverted, and as a result he fled. But he supposes what he's been planning to do lately is something of a mission, though without a clear goal or set plan, and his usual methods are all but useless.

His gaze falls to the offered hand for a brief moment, not moving to strike or push it aside thanks to Billy's careful manner. He knows vaguely what the gesture means, having seen exchanges between people meeting in the past two weeks; it's a greeting between two people who are on the same side, or plan to be.

But he has no time nor patience for anything but searching for more answers, so he simply moves to step around the young man, having deemed him harmless enough to let his attention move to something else. Namely, the woman at the desk who supposedly is there to answer questions. The kid already admitted he hadn't been here long, so it's likely his knowledge is limited.

It's all good!

[strikeachord]

It doesn't really bother Billy when he gets blown off and left behind.

…Okay, maybe it bothers him just a little. But no more than it ever did, and either way, he's used to this sort of thing. He just casts a worried look after the guy and lets his hand drop.

"You take care, now," he calls after him.

[heismymission]

Though he's pushed the kid aside, he spares him one last glance at his parting comment, already having committed his appearance and voice to memory. Depending on how he needs to proceed, the young man may be able to offer something useful in the future.

He doesn't waste any more time than a second, not pausing in his stride as he continues towards the desks.