rekindleme | INTRO LOG

INTRO LOG - JUNE 2014

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!)

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At Bucky's confirmation on the food, she walks over to the refreshments, making sure not to knock any of the kids over before grabbing a sandwich and a juice box. Wasn't the lunch of champions, but it'd certainly do in a pinch. And right now, the human could probably eat anything that was safe.

She strides back over, kneeling down and holding it out to him.

"Name's Chromia, by the way."

He nods, both to acknowledge the offer of her name and of the food, and takes them. Unfortunately manners are not a thing that HYDRA thought their asset needed, so he doesn't offer any name of his own in return. The thought doesn't even come to mind.

He's still slightly suspicious about the food, but the evidence suggests that it should be fine, and at least he didn't have to steal it. He takes a bite of the sandwich first, tearing the thing in half with his teeth in a not-entirely-polite manner before chewing. He'll have to figure out the juice box in a second.

He manages to swallow before speaking again, another thought having come to mind as he looks to Chromia.

"Do you need to eat?" It's asked more out of curiosity than anything; in his experience, machines take fuel, but he doesn't think he sees anything like that here.

That's okay, she's not really up on proper social ettiquette as it is. In fact, she's more interested in how he eats. Granted there's definitely a species gap, but she assumed like-bodies individuals eat the same way. Guess he's probably just starving. She leans back in that chair, arms folded as she watches him, considering grabbing some of the Energon stocked for herself.

Which brings her to his question.

"Sort of." Figuring a demonstration's best, she stands up, walking back over to the table and grabbing a cube of blue, oddly glowing liquid. A few steps and she's back to where she was, sitting down and swirling it. "Same method, different fuel."

He's already finished the sandwich by the time she returns, though he was watching as she retrieved the... he guessed it was some kind of fuel. He wipes his mouth with the back of his left hand and nods. It makes sense to him, that a machine in the shape of a person would take in sustenance that machines use but like a person.

The soldier takes a look at the box in his hand and has to stare for a few moments. He recognizes that a straw is attached to it, which he pulls off, but otherwise he can't recall having used one of these before. He isn't sure if that's because he can't remember or because he hasn't had one of these before.

He'll get it. Just... give him a second.

She's thankful for the lack of questions, really. In fact, she's pretty much an enigma to her own kind back home--and often asked why this or why that. Pronouns like 'she' are strange to them, and just having that lack of curiosity was a boon.

Although, she sees him struggling with that juice box, staring at it silently. She doesn't want to tell him how to do it--it seemed like common nature for humans, at least.

So she'll...help him out. By curling one hand in a fist and another pretending to hold a box. Joining them together.

You got this, Bucky.

Her gesture gets a glance from the soldier, and after a moment he finally notices the circle of aluminum on the top. After that, it's not hard to figure out what to do. Pointed straw, Chromia's miming, thinly covered hole, bam. Done.

Out of the things he's had to learn in the past two weeks or so, this is about the easiest he's encountered. Not to mention it comes with a reward--something to drink--which he decides to go ahead and have. If only everything were that simple.

Straw in his mouth, he returns to observing the surroundings, including glancing at Chromia to see where she might be armed. The wheels on the back of her shoulders certainly catch his attention, and he wonders what they're for.

As he figures it out, she can't help but smile, even if it is just a little victory. There's a small reach out to him, but decides against it almost as quickly as she starts. From first appearances, he didn't seem the touchy type.

That hand quickly retreats to her knee, watching him as his gaze eventually turns on her, brow raising. He could see him focused on certain parts, looking up at her wheels and then back to him.

"Vehicle mode. To get around."

Just in case he was curious.

He frowns slightly, processing what he's just been told and examining her for another moment.

"You can turn into a vehicle?"

That sounds highly useful. If he was a machine like her with a vehicle mode, he could imagine that traveling would be much faster--not to mention he would have to rely on the surroundings even less. He wonders what this mode looks like and how she takes on the form.

"We all can. Part of what makes us...us."

There's a vague gesture out with her hand, back to the crowd. It was basically like trying to explain why humans walk on two legs.

"If you want, I can show you."

And it's in NO WAY an attempt to show off what are you talking about.

Considering how many of them are here in this city, even if it's only those currently in the room, it seems a good idea to see what they're capable of. He gives Chromia a nod after considering it for a short moment, waiting for an indication to see if he needs to follow her outside or not. He thinks there may not be enough space in here to transform, but he could be wrong.

At his affirmation, she does stand up, cracking her neck a moment before starting to head out. To be honest, other than just wanting to show the humans what she could do, she was itching to get out of here. It was too crowded. Too many hogging up the air. Not that she could breathe, but details.

"Follow me."

Not much else, because if there's one thing she's learned about this guy, the simpler the orders, the easier things were. She could work with that. She starts to step out, finishing off the cube of Energon before making her way outside, arms immediately stretching out.

"Finally. So good to be out of that place."

The assassin stood and did as Chromia said, following her with a minor slouch and putting his hands in his pockets. It was far too crowded, he was too noticeable, and he didn't know enough about the situation to respond appropriately.

But stepping outside felt like he'd just been let out of shackles. The city was open enough that he could easily escape and regroup; the buildings were familiar enough in architecture that he could navigate them with ease, which meant he could track people down if need be. Some of the tension eased out of his posture as he straightened, taking in a breath. He hadn't realized just how much the buzz of conversation in the background and being surrounded by possible threats.

(He had not started to worry over such things until recently, after the first time he was bested, after what he felt was the first time he could have been killed by someone. After that, almost everyone became a possible threat.)

Once she was out far enough, She spins around, hands at military position and looking down. Not nearly the size difference she's used to--here it's only about 2 feet taller than the soldier, but she can only hope she'll maintain the same size.

"Alright."

As if that was the code word, the plating on her body starts to shift on its own. It slides over other metal,her head now ducking into her body like a turtle, and moving down into a more horizontal position. The wheels on her legs snap together, forming one large front wheel, while the ones on her back also snap together, to form the rear. Blue armor envelopes what was once her body, wrapping around as if they were mere pieces in a puzzle.

A large sheet of glass slides over the top, and her sirens flicker.

The soldier was now looking at an armed police bike, the same blue shade as her, all the same parts as her, but now different.

"And that's it."

Oh yeah, and she still talks.

He watches in silence, standing a comfortable distance away as he takes in the transformation. He doesn't entirely comprehend how the parts fit together in each form, but he gets a good idea of it, and that's enough for him.

He dares to step closer when she's finished, almost stalking around her to get a good look. If he didn't know any better, he would have assumed she was simply a somewhat advanced, painted bike and not an alien robot. It makes him wonder.

"You look like a vehicle from Earth."

"That's the idea."

Her mirrors keep an eye on him as he walks closer to inspect, remaining still until further notice.

"Or at least, what I've been told. Guess humans aren't too fond of aliens, or anything outside what they can understand."

He raises his metal arm slightly to reach towards the bike out of curiosity, but pauses as she speaks, considering her guess with an absent look.

There's so much that the soldier doesn't understand, and her words bring him back to the mission on the helicarrier and his failure. He thinks about how lost and confused he was after being unable to stop the captain, confronted with a face he did and didn't know, a target that did not even try to finish him off when he had the opportunity and who saved him and told him things he didn't understand. He had not known any other way to confront that confusion other than to react violently.

His arm lowers.

"Maybe you're right," he says, but he wonders if his reactions are anything like other humans'.

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INTRO LOG - JUNE 2014

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