rekindleme | February Intro Log!

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February Intro Log!

Who: Everyone
Where: The Welcome Center
When: 12th February, early 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.

'I'm sorry for this... but we need your help.'

Yet the feeling -and the voice - pass quickly, and when you awaken, you begin to realize your surroundings. It's a small room with what some might recognize as something akin to 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 red 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...

On a small table beside you, there rests a note atop a manilla envelope (that oddly enough is enscribed with your name). Unfolding the note will reveal some answers in the form of a letter addressed to all arrivals.

Inside the manilla envelope , 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 second letter folded neatly on the top.

Odd... Neither were written in your own language, and yet you find it easily understandable. Soon enough, if you don't make an exit 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 or upset as to what's going on, but we promise to explain further once you've had a chance to stretch your legs!"

Whether you go downstairs immediately or linger a little longer, eventually you must come on down to leave 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 warm and filling food and drink, including some you probably aren't familiar with. It's just as well they're in good supply, as rain is pouring outside with no sign of relenting. During this time of the year, it's definitely something to leave a chill in the bones. Perhaps picking up a rain coat by the desks on the other side of the room might be a good idea. Who knows? You may just find something suspiciously in your size!

Speaking of those desks, two ladies seem eager to answer any questions you may have, names and positions conveniently written on signs on their desk.

Irene, General Assistance
Andi, Technological Assistance

Outside, and through the heavy rain and translucent glass you can see a banner hanging from the tiled roof of the building across the street. The deep autumnal colors on it match the welcoming (though rather damp) atmosphere as the letters proclaim:

WELCOME TO SAENG SEONG
(ENJOY YOUR STAY!)

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Since Hiro doesn't seem to need anything, Diarmuid takes a moment to crawl up into a nearby chair before responding to the other boy's words, "It's okay. I know it is a lot to take in. Take your time and don't rush yourself. You will eventually start getting used to it. Almost everyone is really nice and willing to help new arrivals."

The boy pauses a moment to count on his fingers before tilting his head, "I have been here over a cycle now...way over a cycle! It will be two cycles when June is here again! I don't know if there are a lot of patterns. Sometimes something will seem like a pattern and then it will stop. New arrivals come every month! I know that hasn't changed since I came here. And...we know a little bit about how people are brought here, but not a lot. It's...complex..."

Almost too much so for a kid his age to follow sometimes.

Hiro sat back while Diarmuid explained things, mulling things over while he did. He sipped at his hot chocolate with a frown. It wasn't much to go on but one thing that the boy said surprised him.

"A cycle...you mean a year?" His eyebrows raised. "You've been here about a year and a half?" His heart felt like it fell into the deepest pit of his stomach at that. The thought of being separated from everyone and away from home for that long. Maybe longer.

He stared down at his drink. "What do you know? About how people are brought here? Don't worry, I can understand complex..." He grinned a little, trying not to show how shaken he felt.

"Yes! A year. That is what they call it here. We call them 'cycles' back home. I went home once and a whole year passed for me, but when I came back only a few days had passed here. It was strange, but this place is kind of like a fairy realm so strange is pretty normal," he might know for a fact now that fairies have nothing to do with what is going on here, but this place still reminds him of a fairy realm.

"I am glad you can understand complex! I have a lot of trouble with it," Diarmuid looks down at his hands, trying to sort out his thoughts. "There is a lady named Rhea. She is a priestess and she is a big part in bringing us here. There is another lady named Cyntia. She is a scientist and is the one who makes it so we don't remember anything when we leave. That is about all I know. The rest of the details I just don't understand and so I can't remember them very well. My friend Lord James is better at keeping track of those kinds of things."

Hiro nodded. "I'm not an expert on quantum physics, but it's understandable that time would flow different from one dimension to the next." Especially when one took into account the vibrational frequency of each dimension among other factors. Hiro halted that train of thought and shoved it aside for later. He could probably ponder that one for a while.

Hiro paid close attention to what Diarmuid had to say, filing away names and info for later. Perhaps he'd be able to find and talk to these people. Maybe figure out some alternatives so that they wouldn't have to randomly pull people from different dimensions. It was a thought at least.

"Lord James huh?" He said curiously. Diarmuid had an interesting way of speaking. "I'll have to find these people to talk to at some point. I may not be an expert at quantum physics, but engineering and tech I can do."

"Kantum physics? I don't know what that is. I'm from a long time ago!" Diarmuid motions with his arm to emphasize his point, "That is okay. There are others here who will understand. Just use the Network and ask them to talk to you! If you know about kantum physics you know how to use computers, right?"

"Some people call Lord James 'Bucky.' I can show you where he lives if you want. He will probably be the easiest to talk to. Lady Cyntia isn't usually...available. And Lady Rhea...is recovering..." Diarmuid isn't really sure how else to explain how Rhea is. The rescue was such a flurry of activity. It's hard for Diarmuid to even believe he was part of it.

"A long time ago huh?" Hiro blinked. The kid was from the past? That was interesting. "Yeah...I'm pretty good with computers..." He built his first one when he was barely 5 years old. He made a mental note to ask Diarmuid more about where he came from later. Right now, he was more interested in learning about this place as much as possible.

"So the network. It's like this place's version of the internet?" He asked. It sounded like he would have to track down this 'Bucky' person at some point. "I may take you up on that...I think today is just a day to uh...settle." He said finally. "What's Rhea recovering from?"

"Yes! A long, long time ago! Before machines or books even!" Diarmuid doesn't mind talking about his time, so whenever Hiro wants to hear more about it, he will be glad to share. For now, though, time to focus on the present.

"If I understand what I have been told, yes, that is right. The Network is like the internet. Some things have been put on it and people can use it to contact each other when they want to!"

When Diarmuid gets to the question about Rhea, he suddenly looks uneasy. His fingers twist together and his eyes dart around the room, "I don't know if I should talk about it here. Come visit me and we can talk more, okay? My brother and I live in Building 3, Room 2-05."

Hiro's eyebrows rose at that. Diarmuid was from the long ago past? Like...ancient times? That was pretty crazy. He definitely wanted to ask more about that later. He grew up in a technologically advanced society so the idea of living in a place before all that was a little mind boggling.

"I'll have to check that out then. I have my laptop and phone with me that I can link to it." He had all ready checked them out earlier and had discovered there was no signal so linking to this network was a must.

The boy's nervous caution was a definite red flag, and Hiro frowned slightly. Maybe this place didn't seem as safe as the people here would like it to seem. He definitely had to find out more about that. He nodded finally.

"Yeah. My key says I'm in building two. Apartment 3-11." He smiled a little, but it was wistful. "Your brother is with you?" Well, that was good - Diarmuid seemed a bit young to be by himself.

Is two thousand years ago long enough to qualify as ancient?

"I think you need to have someone modify your computer so it can connect to the Network. Then it will work just fine! Lord Devin helped me learn how to use the Network, so maybe he can help you get things set up!" Diarmuid thinks Devin is really nice, though, mentioning him reminds the boy he hasn't seen him for a while. He hopes the young man is okay.

Diarmuid nods in answer to Hiro's question, "He's not my blood brother, but we are from similar times. He will be my hero when he grows up, but right now he is just a little boy like me. We adopted each other and share an apartment with our puppies and my pokemon, Lir! My brother's horse lives in the stables with the chocobos!"

"Yeah." Hiro nodded. "I know how to do some hacking or programming and would probably be able to figure out linking my stuff. But if it's something that needs to be done with the hardware and you know someone that can do that, that will be great. I don't have access to my own equipment to do it myself."

Oh, so him and his brother weren't related? That didn't matter. Blood made someone a relative, but family was something else. He had lived with his older brother sure, but his Aunt Cass was more a mom than his real one. His actual parents had died when he was too little to remember them.

"Wait...pokemon?" What? "What's a chocobo?" Definitely not animals he'd ever heard of.

Diarmuid smiles and then points over at Irene, "Talk to Lady Irene. She is really nice and knows a lot. I know she will be able to put you in contact either with Lord Devin or someone else who can help you."

When Hiro asks about pokemon and chocobos, a very excited look fills Diarmuid's eyes, "Pokemon are partners and friends. As they grow stronger, they can change form. The pokemon I have is called a horsea and looks kind of like a dragon and a sea horse mixed! He is a water pokemon, but there are all kinds of pokemon!"

"Chocobos are big fluffy birds that can be used as mounts. There are a lot of colors and some can even fly!"

Hiro glanced over at the woman that Diarmuid pointed to, nodding. "Yeah. I'll do that." Before leaving to check out the place he was assigned.

"Huh...yeah I've never heard of Pokemon." Hiro said finally, sitting back in his seat and resting his mug on his folded legs. "Is there a lot of them here? The Chocobo's kinda sound like an Ostritch..." He mused. Though Ostritches couldn't fly.

"I never heard of Pokemon or Chocobos before I came here. They came with people who were also brought here. Most of them are gone now, but Professor Oak knows a lot about Pokemon and he is still here. He has a pokemon, I have one, and my friend Kit found one too. I don't know if there are anymore around or not..." He thinks on this for a bit and then shrugs, "The person who owns the chocobos is still here, though! Every so often she posts on the Network looking for people to take Chocobo eggs!"

"I'd be curious to see what these Pokemon and Chocobo are like." Hiro said after a moment. If he was one thing, he was always curious alongside his thirst for learning.

He pondered over what Diarmuid had said for a moment. "You said that some people aren't around anymore, which tells me that people can get sent back." He looked at the younger boy. "Have you noticed any patterns to that too? Does it have anything to do with the whole...physical contact thing?"

"If you want, when you can come visit me at my apartment, I will be glad to let you meet Lir! Later, we can go meet my friend Kit. She has a pokemon and a chocobo! I am sure Professor Oak and Dragonite would be happy to meet you too," Diarmuid is really excited that Hiro wants to learn more about both pokemon and chocobos.

The boy nods at Hiro's question and suddenly looks a little sadder, "They can be sent home. Sometimes is it just a short time and sometimes it for good. I don't know if there is any pattern, but there are some people who get really sick suddenly and can't get healthy no matter how much contact they have. Those people get sent home so that they don't die."

Hiro waved a hand at the boy's enthusiasm. "Yeah sure...definitely later." Once he's settled and had a chance to process all this. It was still a bit of a shock.

He frowned a bit listening to what Diarmuid described. It was downright disconcerting. This place seemed okay at first glance, but...something didn't feel right about it. It bothered Hiro. There was so much unknown's that he didn't like.

"So...people can actually die if they don't get enough contact?" He asked quietly. Yeah....this would be interesting. Hiro didn't really consider himself to be a huggy person or cuddly. It was going to be challenging.

"I don't think anyone has ever died. They get sent home before that happens, but they can get sick! Sometimes sick enough that they sleep at the hospital for a long time. Sometimes, they just lose control of their abilities instead. It seems to get worse the longer you go without contact," Diarmuid raises a finger to shake it at Hiro almost as if he knows what the boy is thinking.

"So make sure to get a hug or even just shake someone's hand every day! It doesn't take a lot of contact and that is better than getting sick and possibly losing control of your abilities and hurting someone!"

Hiro's eyebrows raised. "A-abilities?" He asked with surprise. "You mean like superpowers?" Maybe he did get teleported into one of Fred's comic books after all.

"Well I'm just a regular guy. I don't have powers." At least that was a good thing. He wouldn't want to lose control of whatever and cause damage. He sighed and leaned back in his seat, looking down at his mug.

"So handshakes work huh? I..I've just never been a hugging sort of person. It's hard for me to do that sort of thing with people I don't know." At least Baymax was here if he was in the mood for it.

"Superpowers is one way to put it, but I am only a boy too! Well...unless my magic butterfly counts. Father made him for me and he knows what I am thinking most of the time. I suppose things might go weird with my bond to him, but I don't know what that will do to him. Better not to risk it!" As the boy talks, a small blue and green butterfly crawls out of his hair and flutters in the air next to him.

"Yes, handshakes will work! Sometimes you can even get enough contact if you are sparring with someone while training! I like hugs, though, so I usually go with that. It's easier to judge for me. With how little is needed, it's really silly to risk not getting enough!"

Hiro squinted. "A magic butterfly?" His eyes widened though when a real butterfly chose that moment to crawl out of Diarmuid's hair and flutter next to his head. "Oh..." He uttered - a bit surprised.

"So uh....does your butterfly have powers?" He couldn't help but ask.

At least handshakes would be able to work for the contact thing. It was something that seemed a little more palatable to do with strangers than straight up cuddling or hugging.

Diarmuid holds out a hand and the butterfly flutters over to land on it, "I don't know if I would call them powers, but he always knows where I am and sometimes knows what I want even before I know I want it! He will go and get people when I need them, and Father said that he can't ever be destroyed permanently! He will always come back."

It's not shooting lasers from his eyes or anything like that, but for a curious little boy who sometimes gets into places he needs help to get out of, the butterfly is a perfect guardian.

Hiro leaned forward slightly when the butterfly landed on Diarmuid's hand so that he could get a better look.

"Wow that's pretty crazy..." He commented. "Did you name it?"

He could only imagine that having a pet companion like that would come in handy. At least it seemed that the boy had something to look out for him. It still struck him as shocking that someone so young would be dumped here by himself.

"I didn't have a name for him until I came here," Diarmuid holds his hand out some so that Hiro can better see the butterfly. Said butterfly flutters his wings as if to show he enjoys the attention, "After I got here, someone suggested I name him Little Dia, so I did! It fits because he is always with me."

"Little Dia?" Hiro echoed, grinning a little and holding out a finger towards the butterfly, wanting to touch it, but knowing that the wings were delicate. It probably wasn't a good idea. "The name suits him."

"Too bad I couldn't introduce you to Mochi, my cat. I live at my Aunt's house. She looked after me and my brother since we were little." He paused a little at the mention of Tadashi, but kept going. "She runs a cafe downstairs and we live upstairs." Diarmuid probably would really like her actually.

"I'm glad Mochi's there to keep her company." She was probably freaking out that he was missing.

"Yes! I am glad you like it!" As Diarmuid is talking, the butterfly hops up from the boy's hand and lands on Hiro's outstretched finger. He doesn't seem afraid of Hiro hurting him at all.

"Baymax told me about Mochi! I wish I could meet Mochi and your family too! And all your friends!" He likes making new friends and so far he has liked everything that he has heard about them.

His excitement fades, though, when he notices the change in Hiro's tone, "Are you worried about them? Don't worry! Time stops while you are here. No one will know you are gone and nothing will happen to them!"

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