Intro Log: Eight Legs No Heart

[hadrielmods]

Who: New arrivals and everyone else!
What: The intro log for June.
Where: The colosseum and all around the city.
When: June 10th-15th
Warnings: Spiders. Soooo many spiders. New people. Probably swearing.

For once, the new arrivals to Hadriel will not be waking up on the cold hard ground of the colosseum. Oh, sure, you'll still awaken in the arena - but this time the Door has been kind enough to ensure that you wake up comfortably arranged in a very nice chair. Or maybe not so comfortably. Some of those look pretty awkward - hopefully you didn't wake up with a crick in your neck! And hey, feel free to try to drag some of these super cool chairs to your new homes. They're probably not cursed or anything.

As you make your way out of the arena, be careful getting to close to the walls - well, except that's the only way out, so good luck! Chilling up on there waiting to get the drop on you are Skulltulas. These funky-looking spiders have squishy underbellies, but their upper exoskeletons are hard and very difficult to break through. They really just want to nibble you a few times, and maybe suck out all of your blood. No big deal, right? Have fun!

Have you conquered your arachnophobia and managed to escape? Great! Feel free to go explore the rest of the city! Find a house, find a new monster, or simply scavenge for supplies. Good luck, and enjoy your stay in Hadriel!

► This log covers June 10th-15th.
► Feel free to make your own logs as well!
► All characters arrive with phones that have network communication.
► Please put your character's name and open/closed in the subject line of your starters!

Comments

A.

[circumitus]

[Oh good, another goddamned giant spider assaulting the new fish.

[Rey hasn't lingered long enough to question why this guy isn't dead from blood loss. What she immediately sees is someone getting the actual life sucked out of him. (Minus the "losing any life" part.)

[But hey, it's not like Rey is one to stop and ask questions to a person who looks like he could use a hand -- or a foot. Instead, she sprints forward, launching herself towards the spider on top of Elmer. With a swift and powerful kick bearing the force of a battering ram, the tip of her boot sends the abomination off its prey and rolling across the dirt with a dent in its shell. For the moment, it appears to be too stunned to move.

[Sup.]

[keep_smiling]

[That surprised him just as much as the spider attack itself. He sits there for a moment frozen in the midst of trying to pull off more web. After a few blinks, he smiles gratefully at Rey and gets to his feet, still working on the rest of the web.]

That was amazing! Startling, but amazing! I guess we should go before that thing gets back on its many legs?

oops, i just realized i labeled the wrong letter prompt thing in the subject header. :x oh well.

[circumitus]

[She starts to move in case he needs help getting up, but he seems to have that covered. Good. It saves her the trouble.

[She nods at his idea, turning, but keeping her eyes on the stunned arachnid rather than to Elmer.]

Sure. You know your way into the city?

[Judging by the looks of things, he seems new. So, not likely.]

no worries, i know what ya meant!

[keep_smiling]

Afraid not. I just woke up on some strange cow chair, and when I tried to leave, a giant spider jumped on my head. That's about it so far!

[Yep, super new. But it hasn't seemed to put a damper on his mood. Looks fit as a fiddle, too.]

Can you point me to an exit not being watched by spiders, by chance?

<3

[circumitus]

A cow chair...?

[Hey, that's not fair. Rey didn't get to wake up in comfortable furniture when she got here. Both times, even!

[She huffs, moving on despite the injustice of it all.] Yes, sure. Have cleared a path out. Should be safer that way.

Take it you're not much of a fighter?

[keep_smiling]

Afraid not. It's fine, though. I'll be okay. But if you want to lead on, I'll follow along.

[Better to have someone punch spiders out cold than to keep getting wrapped up in webs.]

Are spiders of that size normal here? Wherever "here" is.

[circumitus]

[Not much of a surprise. He doesn't look like someone who's inclined towards combat. Not everyone is, though.

[That's fine. Rey can handle it. She almost always does. However, she isn't necessarily disposed to knocking a spider out cold. More like the other way around.

[(Hint: It involves way more fire.)]

Fine. Follow, then.

[It doesn't take long before he starts asking the inevitable questions. Just about any new person would have them, of course.]

Not really. Just those. [So helpful. But hey, at least she's leading him to the exit. Or entrance, however you want to look at it.

[Either way, be prepared for a trail littered with a few charred spider corpses here and there.]

[keep_smiling]

[Elmer keeps an eye on the surroundings as they go, trying to make sure no spiders are going to get the jump on them. He'll keep the questions until they're out of there and into relative safety. Don't want to distract the person who's keeping you from being eaten.]

Never saw anything like them before. Any chance you could tell me where I am? Like I said, just woke up on a chair and all. Just a few minutes ago, I was in Tokyo.

[circumitus]

Tokyo?

[Of all the corners of the world Rey had traveled to, Asia wasn't among them. But she knows enough about it.]

Take it you weren't a local. [Just saying.

[At least she is aware enough of her surroundings. While she may be focused on what's straight ahead, she can humor him with some answers. What little she's able to provide, in any case.]

Well, suppose if no one else has given you the crash course yet... [Sigh.] This place is called "Hadriel". It's an underground city that plucks people from their worlds and timelines and lands them in the middle of this clusterfuck. Wherever that technically is.

[Trying to figure out what sort of world exists beyond those caves is something of a pet project for Rey.]

[keep_smiling]

[He laughs at that statement.] No, but it is one of my favorite places to visit. I was meeting some friends there. Now they probably think I've stood them up.

[Elmer considers the explanation for a few moments. He doesn't seem too disturbed by the news, more just curious.]

"Other worlds and timelines", you say? Seriously?

[circumitus]

If it's any consolation, it seems that it's possible to return home as though you've never left at all.

[Rey says this with certainty, as one of the few who've actually experienced this.

[Making her way to the edge of the Colosseum, she casually steps over a crispy spider; wisps of smoke still seeping from its black carcass. Yum.]

Seriously. Have been here for over half a year now. If not for that, wouldn't have believed it, either. [Though this guy doesn't seem like he's in much disbelief. Or shock, for that matter, despite almost being made into spider food just a few moments ago.]

[keep_smiling]

A year and a half? That's an awfully long time. I'm guessing you wouldn't be sticking around on purpose from the sound of it, but then how would you know that bit about returning home?

[This was all very strange. Get to be 300 years old, and you think you've heard it all.]

[circumitus]

Well, not on purpose the first time... [Pause.] Not on purpose the second time, either, just-- am not eager to return to that life anytime soon.

[Unlike so many others here who want nothing more than to return to their homes. Rey does notice that this guy doesn't seem too concerned with that as others usually would be, though. Interesting.]

As for "how" -- don't know. Don't think anyone knows.