I. Video

Hello! [Luke is smiling at the camera, and waves politely to his audience. He's sitting at the counter and has a book in front of him, but the image is catching a view of Teanie Teas that some who have been in Genessia longer might find familiar--Luke has set his mismatched china out on all of the tables, he's stocked his shelves with various arrays of tea, and the kettle is on the stove behind him.]

I've not been in town for a long while, but now I'm back and taken over the shop again from Miss Kiryuin. And everyone knows a proper celebration deserves a puzzle!

[Come now. You can't have expected anything less.] I promise it won't be too hard. If you can solve it, you may have a cup of tea free! So, what on earth is this message trying to get at? "Blank is one thousand times blank blank." [Complete with air quotes.] You can fill in the blanks with a single letter from the alphabet. What's the letter?

II. Action

[As promised, Luke is back in the tea shop for most of the day. As a shop with no other employees, he simply spends his free time in and about the shop.

Today and with the heat wave, he's looking at boxes of tea on the shelf, arms crossed with a small frown and head tilted just slightly to the side. He's talking quietly to himself, clearly lost in thought.] I'm sure there's something that will make a nice cold tea, but what?

so.

i guess you can actually sleep for a month.

I mean this kinda wasn't an intentional experiment but just in case anyone was wondering.

sleeping for a month is actually totally feasible.

[Just add crippling depression!]

thanks for not burying me, i actually appreciate it.

[ text ]

[Ever since Akira awoke from his cocoon and listened to the welcome spiel from the hologram near the Bay, he's been scouring the network for more detailed information about this place and the people who have ended up here. He's managed to learn a great many things just by getting lost in the posts for about an hour, and he's even seen a few familiar faces in the process. Knowing that he isn't alone here provides him with a small sense of relief, although his feelings about this whole situation are still very mixed.

The best way to get their attention would be to make a post of his own, but just saying something like "Hey *insert names here*, I'm here now" would be boring, not to mention obnoxious for everyone else who has to scroll past his post. Just having his name attached should be enough, so he should ask about something he hasn't managed to learn from his network surfing. He could introduce himself while he's at it like other newcomers, but none of the information he's willing to share about himself to a bunch of strangers is terribly interesting compared to the others, so he'll just get straight to the point.]

Question for the coffee lovers here: who has the best coffee in all of Genessia?

[Because he could really go for some coffee right now, okay.]

[ action; near the bay ]

[Anyone who happens to be walking near the Bay area before the network post may find a frizzy-haired, bespectacled teenager seated on a bench, eyes glued with intense focus to that tiny smartphone screen. Next to him is the white box every new arrival receives with a copy of the brochure from the magazine rack laying on top of it, signifying his newbie status. It's clear from the look in his eyes that the grogginess from his awakening hasn't fully worn off yet either; in fact, staring at a screen for such a long period of time is making him feel worse, but he wants to absorb as much information as he can while he tries to come to terms with this situation.

The more he learns, the harder it is to believe that this is all real, yet he has no choice but to accept it. It's fascinating, but thinking about what he's leaving behind fills him with sadness as well as anxiety due to the circumstances he left under, and it shows on his face.]

[ action; genessia city ]

[Akira can't just sit here going through posts and stewing in his thoughts all day, though. Shortly after he posts his message to the network, he slips the phone into his pocket and picks up the box and brochure as he rises to his feet. Shifting the box under his arm, he opens the brochure to the page that contains the map of Genessia City. Might as well check out his new place and drop off his stuff while he waits for responses, so he locates Genessia Commonspace on the map and takes a moment to plan his route before heading off.

He isn't used to following a paper map, so at times he may get a little lost into it and nearly bump into someone. That someone may be you. Fortunately, he has enough Proficiency to sidestep away from you moments before a collision can happen. It's still a little too close for comfort, though, so Akira looks up apologetically.]

Sorry.

[At least he didn't actually bump into you???]