<div class="floatleft">(http://i.imgur.com/N2fK3w9.jpg)</div>Name: Tessa Holland (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=269765.msg13298614#msg13298614)<br/>Time: Day 1 Afternoon<br/>Location: Sector 3 Social Zone<br/>Tagging: Open to All<br/>Notes/Warnings: Blindfold Icebreaker<br/><hr/><br/>Everyone could hear other people being led into the room, but everyone kept silence, other than Phil and Phillippa's warnings, so by the time the door closed, it wasn't particularly clear how many people were there, or where. This was all by design. At the click of the latch, the lights turned off and the voice began. It was Tessa's; that was sure. But it wasn't quite evident if she was in the room or if it was merely a recording. The acoustics of the room didn't help matters. In fact, it almost felt as if she were talking in each of the participants' ears.<br/><br/>"Hello, beloved guests and welcome. Thank you for taking part in my little experiment.<br/><br/>"We as a species, or group of species, are mostly habituated to depend on our sense of sight - to take in the world through our eyes, and through a lesser extent with sound through our ears. Here, however, we shall get to know each other through a more immediate medium - our sense of touch. Touch is important in more ways than we can imagine. The very act of contact requires that we break through the bubbles of space we artificially create for ourselves and each other. And as such, it is the most immediate and intimate of our senses. At birth, it is by touch that we initiate that very first bond - that of mother and infant. It is through touch that we are comforted when sad, or afraid, or lonely. Touch brings us pleasure, though sometimes pain as well. When we luxuriate in our senses, it is usually through touch. It is why we enjoy baths and satin sheets, and why we prefer to enjoy them in the nude. It is the foundation of every hug, every kiss, and every caress. And when we make love, it is touch that rises to the fore.  So come with me as we explore each other through this most personal of senses."<br/><br/><br/>As she continued, through the blindfolds, all could feel the room darken, even more than when the lights first came off. By the end, the blindfolds were mere accessories - the room had no more light than a developer's darkroom, or the interior of a cave. There was nothing but true dark. And the voice continued with the first command. "Stand and take two steps forward. When you have done so, reach out and take the hands reaching to yours. And<em>feel</em>the hands. Explore each finger, each palm, each nail, each line. Our hands alone say so much about us, if we are only willing to take the time to find out."