Survival 101

[big_blank]

Who: The NEET siblings and YOU
When: July 24th
Where: The Safari Lodge where else Specifically, the second floor (maybe you'll spot them making an ice machine run), or if you're lucky you might catch them at the cafe briefly
What: Maybe you saw them during the initial welcome, maybe you didn't. In any case, you probably haven't seen them since, but it's not like you'd be worried about 'em or anything, right?


     Day 1 of their grand vacation getaway. No sooner had Sora and Shiro been allowed to escape to find their lodgings had they done so. It had been way too much excitement for one day, and between being stuck in a plane for almost an entire day and then a helicopter, only to be released into foreign sunlight with dinosaur-shaped trees, they had been past exhausted, even with their already screwed up sleep schedule. So it was that they had completely passed out the rest of that day.

     Day 2 for the siblings began around half past noon, and that was only because the light had started to stream in through the window at just the right angle to become annoying, resulting in two bleary-eyed Japanese kids finally rousing from their bed. ...and then panicking a few seconds later when they realized that they weren't at home. It took them a moment more before they recalled where they were and what they were doing here, a few minutes of lying on the bed again to lament the cruelty of their parents for sending them away, and then, because the sunlight had by then found another perfect angle to pierce through the shutters, they were finally prompted to get up to do something about it. The comforter from the bed had been converted into the ultimate blackout shade, the AC had been adjusted to a suitably comfortable temperature on the thermostat. Clearly it was time for them to do their most important set-up if they wanted to survive the three weeks of hell away from home.

     That would be to unpack their video game console collection. They'd only managed to bring with them several systems, two being handhelds. The light had to be turned on for ease of hooking things up, and Sora had come prepared in case they needed to do any adjustments to the television connection and add something like a coaxial connector. So it was a bit of a pain, but it would be worth it. Leaving Shiro to heat them up some water in the coffee pot, they could enjoy the first two of their stock of cup ramen that they'd also packed away, and by the end of the day, they had the Playstation, Sega Saturn and Super Famicom hooked up and were well into Pop n' TwinBee.

     Day 3 started off like day 2, only that they woke up around two. The rest of the day had been spent indulging in games, although out of curiosity they decided to flip through the park channels to see what all would show up on the dino-enclosure channels, later on.

     And then Day 4....

     Again, the siblings were not early risers. When they finally did wake up, it was about three or four in the afternoon, and it was about that time that they decided to see what kind of food they might find at the cafe, since the both of them decided that they were a little hungrier for something more solid than ramen. They'd definitely be keeping an eye out for vending machines on the way. If they weren't hindered by any unexpected run-ins, they'd scamper back to their little floor two hideaway in room 201, where it would probably be a repeat of the day prior unless someone or something else happened to break their routine.

Comments

[inordertobelieve]

[ Mikami had not noticed their presumed disappearance at first - in his head, he had a pretty clear list of all the visitors, but he himself didn't spend a lot of time socializing so he didn't realize the two of them were 'gone'.

But by day 3, he started to think it was worrisome he had not seen them at all. He wasn't worried per se, because there was not much space to wander off to, but he found it odd.

So when he spots them outside on the 4th day, he does what he normally would not have done - he actually approaches them. ]

Good afternoon. Have you two been doing alright these past days?

[little_blank]

[Everything was going so well. (Kind of.) Like a small animal, the younger of the two siblings freezes on-route to the cafe. Then she blinks.

Oh wait a minute. Shiro knows this guy. Or, to be more precise, she remembers the man from the first moments they all arrived on the island. And he seems like a good guy. Tolerable. The little girl relaxes, drawing her hands up in front of her as she thinks about it.]

...We're surviving.

[Hey, at least she's honest.]

[big_blank]

[At the back of his mind, Sora had expected that their absence wouldn't go unnoticed. There were a few people around during the initial welcome that particularly seemed to stick out to him, although he didn't give them too much thought.

Sora lifts his head as he notices the man approaching them. His thoughts are along the same as Shiro's, and he watches Mikami as he nears. The man had been concerned from the start, so he's not surprised at the question that's asked them. Since his little sister beats him to the punch, Sora nods, since it pretty much sums up what he would've said.]

I don't suppose anyone's opted to cut this trip short, have they? ...I guess that wouldn't be possible considering we're out on some secluded island.

[inordertobelieve]

[ Mikami is still a little unsure what to make of these siblings - they worry him because they are younger and seem fragile, but he can only wonder what it is that made them this way. It's odd.

At Sora's question he shakes his head. ]

No, we're still expected to stay the whole three weeks. According to Mr. Hammond 'we didn't even get to the best part yet' after all.

[ Does he want to see the best part? No. Only to find out if it's illegal, maybe. ]

His lottery doesn't seem to have found the most enthusiastic audience.

[little_blank]

[There is a very small frown crossing her pale features, one that probably saw that, while completely possible, the chances of getting off the island early were slim to none.]

That's too bad. Shiro wonders if they also were forced to come here, but a few were very excited about seeing the dinosaurs.

[big_blank]

Figures.

[He lets out a sigh that seems to start from the tip of his toes and squeeze every bit of air from his body, sagging forward slightly as if the reminder from Mikami just saps his energy further.]

...the best part, huh.

[Sora doesn't sound all that thrilled, but it probably would've been more surprising if he was. He absently pats Shiro on the head.]

Wasn't our idea to come here. Was our parents that got the passes, but they gave it to us instead.

[inordertobelieve]

I understand.

[ And while this is probably the most annoying stand-alone statement an adult can make, it's everything but empty words. In his case, the parents are his superiours at the prosecution who found this entire business way too shady to go uninvestigated - but in spirit, the sentiment remains.
The three of them were all dragged here for one reason or another and the opposite of delighted. ]

Presumably your parents wanted you two to have a good time. Although I am not yet convinced this is a good place for that.

[ It's eerie and all the safety precautions around the Visitor Center and Safari Lodge make it feel more unsafe than safe.
Mikami doesn't think it's really a place for unattented children - but Hammond doesn't seem to care. ]

[peoples_keeper]

Since there is nothing more important to Izaya than people, he had certainly noticed the absence of the siblings, especially since he spent little time confined to his room and there weren't that many people to begin with. Also, the scientists were too incredibly busy to chat with him at the moment.

This late afternoon, early evening found Izaya hanging around the cafe bothering the catering staff with silly questions regarding cooking dinosaur meat. The chef had been humoring him but Izaya could tell he was now thinking of what dry rubs might best suit tyrannosaurus thigh meat.

"Ah. You two are still here. Have I just missed you around or have you two just been shutting yourselves in your room the past few days?" He knew it wasn't the former.

[big_blank]

     He supposed that with such a set number of guests, it was inevitable that they'd run into someone. Sora rested his hand on his sister's shoulder as they entered the cafe, glancing over at the person who noticed them. He looked at Izaya quietly. Oh yeah, he vaguely remembered him, happily pelting Colonel Sanders with questions.

     "Yeah, that's about right," he replied, not bothering to specify which since he had the feeling the man knew perfectly well what the answer would be.

[little_blank]

Shiro scooted closer to her brother, peering up at Izaya with some curiosity in her eyes.

This man...she's sure she had seen him briefly as well. Her brain also connected him to that moment when they finished hearing Colonel Sanders welcome them to the resort. And if she remembered correctly, he was a very talkative person. He already was showing that presently, anyway.

Still, she nodded, long strands of hair falling in front of her round face.

[peoples_keeper]

"Eh? That's really no good. You guys are missing out on some great food. Hey, what are your thoughts on dinosaur meat, would you try some if the staff cooked it up?" He kept his comments and questions somewhat tame in order to keep them out of their room at least for a little while.

[big_blank]

     "Not like we care for anything fancy," Sora said, shrugging. He just doubted that their cup ramen would last as long as they'd have to stay. "Although I guess it'd be a little disappointing if they didn't have some kind of dinosaur steak on the menu- unless there's some kind of properties to dino-flesh that'd make it hazardous for human consumption."

[little_blank]

"65 million years of unknown diseases and contamination," Shiro added quietly.

[masaka]

The twins aren't the only ones trying to be quiet about their general existence. Ever since Masaomi found out that Izaya had been invited to the park as well, he's been trying to keep a low profile. He doesn't want the information broker to know about what he's been doing. Admittedly this is an impossible feat considering the paucity of their numbers, but watch him try anyway.

He wasn't there for Hammond's speech, having been very distracted by a herd of brachiosaurs, so he's a little surprised when he spots two little kids up and about. Ordinarily he'd have thought nothing of it, but he's been mulling over what the information broker had said about the park's history and hasn't been able to fully conquer this sense of malaise growing in his head. There's no need to let that show.

"Woah, when did you two get here?"

[little_blank]

She's the littler one. That was her role, after all. But that wasn't important right now.

Shiro might not know what was all going on in Kida's head, but her eyes made it look like she could burrow through his skull and into his thoughts. Thankfully, that didn't happen. She was still a little shocked that some people were spotting them.

The question, however, was met with a blink. She looked at Sora.

[big_blank]

     Twins only in spirit, seven years spanning between them. It might be odd, but Sora does't mind keeping company with an eleven year old. And being the oldest, of course the eighteen year old has to take some responsibility.

     He looks over at the other teenager, blinking slowly. The question is one he could potentially be asking, himself, save that it seems a little pointless, but then again, Sora doesn't recall seeing Kida around at the speech either. ...of course, he and Shiro had been a little distracted by the uncanny resemblance that John Hammond had bore to Colonel Sanders.

     "...about the same time as when everyone else did," he replies, resting a hand over Shiro's shoulder.

[masaka]

The intensity of the girl's stare creeps him out, and because it creeps him right out he defaults to humor. Bad humor.

"Ehh, what's with that stare? Could it be that you're reading my mind? Are we on the same wavelength?" Helpfully, he wiggles his arms to illustrate what a wavelength is. Who ever said that speaking to Kida isn't educational?

"Or maybe you're dumbfounded by my sheer magnetism?"

Looking at the older teen, Masaomi laughs. "This happens all the time. What a curse."

[little_blank]

The weight of Sora's hand on her shoulder reassures her that he isn't too far from where she stands. Any closer and he'd be stepping on her. But as Masaomi finishes speaking, Shiro glances back at him. Another handful of seconds pass before she answers with a deadpan tone:

"Yes."

...Well. That doesn't answer anything. One can never be too sure about her sense of humor, either.

[big_blank]

     "...I know my cute little sister has her irresistible charms, but she's still too young for you," Sora says as he eyes the other boy flatly. Big brother mode, on.

     Shaking his head, he looks around a bit, maybe to make sure that they haven't hit some sort of communal time, but so far it looks clear. Holding back a sigh, he looks back at Kida.

     "Don't think we saw you before either, though. Have you been in the hotel all this time too?"

[cinematography]

On the third day, there's a knock on the door.

"Room service," Sam sings out.

[big_blank]

     "....?" Sora flicked a suspicious glance towards the door. He knew they didn't order room service, and he hadn't even wondered if the place had such a thing until now.

     "...wonder what this is all about," he muttered as he looked at Shiro to see if she had any opinion on the matter. He hauled himself to his feet, wandering towards the door, if not a little reluctantly. Peering through the peephole, he frowned a little. Cute Asian woman standing outside, what should he do...??? Wait, more importantly, what did she want?

     Clearing his throat, he raised his voice enough to be heard through the door. "Don't recall ordering room service," he said.

[little_blank]

There's a soft mumbling noise coming from under the comforter. And a visible lump. That lump is the one making the sound, and it slowly rises to let Shiro peer out from under the covers.

Someone was nodding in and out of sleep. Looks like she just drifted back into napping mode.

Still, the girl blinks blearily at her brother, rubbing her eyes while shaking her head because no, she doesn't remember anything about room service or making any calls for it. Who does that

[cinematography]

"It's a surprise treat for all our visitors," Sam calls back, shifting to hide the cafe food behind her back. "On the house!"

That first part was a white lie, but she'll probably hit up the other visitors later on. But these kids whom she hasn't seen since the initial tour are first on their list. Hiding in your room is no way to spend an all expenses paid stay at a resort!

[big_blank]

     "Uh-huh."

     And Sora would argue that it's totally a way to spend an unexpected, undesired stay out in some hideously humid climate in the middle of the ocean.

     "It's okay, we'll pass. Um, thanks anyway, though," he replies, still watching through the distorted lens that offered his only window into the hallway.

[little_blank]

'On the house' is usually a good thing, right? But it still sounds suspicious. They like keeping to themselves. Well, most of the time.

Shiro barely gets to the edge of the bed before plunking back down onto it, trying her best to look around the corner without moving so much because she's lazy.

And then...she falls asleep again. Good job, Shiro.