hadriel_logs | Event Log: Oh Shit (B side)

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Event Log: Oh Shit (B side)

Who: All the characters in Group B
What: The event log for Group B
Where: The right side of the city
When: The evening of March 28th-April 9th
Warnings: You're safe! But you're starving. Soon enough you'll be attacked by monsters, which will probably change both of those.

March 28th brings many changes into the city. First of all, that loving, dopey feeling? Gone. But you don't have too much time to mourn your affectionate side because, in addition to the humiliation of being voted in last, Love is also getting their personalized event overshadowed by the first major citywide disaster of Hadriel.

On the evening of the 28th, the city splits itself into two for some reason, isolating the left and right halves of the city. In the right half, if anyone tried to figure out where the other half of the city went, they'd find themselves staring down a massive rock wall- which is unfortunate, because this is the unlucky side without Hope. That means that after the split occurs, the lights flicker and die, the network takes far longer to get up, and what few stores there are will no longer be stocked with food.

The first two are solved within a couple of extra hours- dim lighting and profoundly glitchy network access will be created, particularly when attempting to contact anyone on the other side of the city. As if that isn't enough, without Hope there is no new food being stocked in the stores at first, and what is there isn't exactly being kept fresh and will run out within just a couple of days. Eventually, Love will try to substitute a replacement, but the bulk necessary to actually effectively feed everyone just isn't there, so enjoy your prolonged starvation!

That seems to be the main thing to worry about it until March 30th when the monsters begin to push and prod at Confusion's ineffective barriers and break through into the main city, where delicious meals (read: you) await them. The flow of monsters from the bestiary into the caves will seem almost unending, as we're stocked up on 18 months worth of them (and any/all offspring they may have created during that time).

Try to hunt some of them if you can, but watch out for the poisonous ones! It won't take long for hunger and thirst to start to settle in, so you might want to act fast. Additionally, since Hope is not present, there will be no revivals until the end of the event. You can deal with a minor permadeath setting, right?

► This log covers March 28th-April 9th.
► Feel free to make your own logs as well
► Please tag headers of threads with content warnings where they apply
► Please put your character's name and open/closed in the subject line of your starters!
► If you die of starvation or animal mauling, please let us know here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He catches 'em outside, just beside the wall. Figures he would. They're only a few feet up, but a fall at any height can be fatal if you land in just the right way. That's really the last thing any of 'em need on top of anything.

They've died enough.]

Chara.

[He probably looks just about as tired as he feels, and it's only just begun.]

Hey. That's not gonna get you anywhere.

[Busted.

Chara doesn't look down. Not because they're ignoring him - they stopped climbing once he called out to them - but because they need to concentrate. The rocky wall did have some good footholds but they knew better than anyone how a fall could be fatal.

Too bad it didn't do its job before. Ahahahha.

But they know that they're not going to get any farther. Sans could just pull them down with his magic and because they don't know how long this wall goes unless they developed the ability to fly.

...oh hey, there's an idea.]

Sans, I need you to do me a favor.

[His left hand slips out of his pocket, warily. Their grip might be firm and their focus might be unyielding, but he's not takin' any chances. If they slip, there's no way they'll be able to catch themself before takin' a fall.

The rumble of warning hums beneath his tone as he answers carefully.]

What's that?

[He has the right idea, although not in the way Chara's thinking. They look up at the unending wall before them.

They don't know Sans's limits when it came to how high he could toss someone with his magic but it's better than nothing.]

I wish to see how high this goes. Your magic could get me high enough to see the top, if there is one.

Didn't you hear the broadcast, kid? There's nothin' on the other side. They're in a whole other world.

[If they drop, he might end up not havin' any choice. Hopefully they won't make that gamble. But knowing Chara, he's not about to bet against that. Not when the memory of a Locket striking his double clean across the skull is still hot and vibrant.

They do whatever it takes, if they have to. He's learned that much.]

[They don't. Not yet.

Chara heard the broadcast and Sans probably saw them threaten Fear to his face. How they weren't kidding they'd bring this whole place down if the Gods didn't help them fix things. They both know there's nothing beyond this wall yet Chara is still here.]

I know. But it's better than doing nothing.

[There were parts that they found that are hidden away at the moment, but they won't bring it up just yet. Not unless they absolutely couldn't show Sans.]

We're not doing nothing, kid. But gettin' yourself hurt climbing that thing - it ain't gonna help anybody.

[Almost pulls one outta his arsenal, the underhanded jab of what would Asriel think? What about Frisk? But that'll just prove they're somethin' to be trotted out and held hostage.

Not again. Not anymore.]

....I did gather some parts. They are located in the store closest to the wall.

[That's the only warning he'll get before Chara lets go of the wall, pushing backwards gently.

There's no random root in the ground that'll trip them up and they're high enough that it will hurt them if they land.

Chara doesn't make a noise as they drop. Don't struggle. Either Sans will catch them or they'll hit the ground and break something or die or both.

Maybe this fall would actually finish the job. Now that certainly would be funny!]

[It's only by virtue of expecting 'em to slip and fall at some rate or another that he's at all ready and equipped for what comes next. They simply - let go of the wall.

There's no sound. They drop, and it's as if it all tracks in slow motion. His left hand darts out, catching their SOUL in a flare of blue before they hit the ground.

Careful, slow, easy, he moves 'em down, feet-first.]

Geez, kid.

[The words emerge an exhausted puff of sound, one socket squinting shut at the effort to lower them smoothly. Going slow always did require more control.]

Y'know, uh. [His grin is vague, his voice still faint with a tremor he don't wanna put a name to.] One of these days, you're gonna be the death of me.

[The last time Sans had turned their SOUL blue had been accompanied by a panic attack. Nothing like that happens. They're...very quiet and their eyes were still open. If Sans had not been fast enough to catch them or just simply let them drop, they would have seen it coming.

Just like last time. Just like how Chara intended it to go.

They stare at him blankly for a moment before - whether it's because of his quip about them being the death of him, the rush of not dying again finally catching up to him or just how hopeless they feel - Chara starts laughing.

It bubbles up and out despite their attempts to keep it down and the expression on their face is probably something that shouldn't be described.]

Oh sure! One of these...hahahaha, one of these days I'll actually manage to kill you! One day. I'm sure it will be a grand occasion when it happens. I bet you're just dying to see it Sans!

[They don't mean it, try to taper down the mean-spirited words they're tossing at Sans but....Chara can't quite stop.]

[Shit.

Great thing that it came to this, ain't it? Great thing, 'cause they reacted so well the last time he exerted a gravitational force on their SOUL. At least here - here, he didn't have much of a choice.

They start to laugh, and he moves forward - terse and automatic, palms out.]

Easy. It's okay. It's gonna be okay.

[Don't make promises you can't keep.

His voice pitches low; hopefully soothing.]

We're gonna get 'em back, Chara. We will.

I know. I know because I'll have to slaughter everyone here if they don't. And..ahahha!

[They have to shove this down. Somewhere in a tiny box where it can't bother anyone or anything. It's not Sans's fault. He didn't make this wall, only wanted to see them safe because Chara got the stupid idea to scale it and then tried to force his hand by falling.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

But they can't stop laughing.]

* And you intend to keep that promise.

[It will be okay. Just give them a minute or so. That's all they need to stabilize the LOVE in their head.]

[Yeah, go ahead and bleed out that hot vocal rush of crimson. He hadn't nailed the pattern before, how they managed to slip that out, twist the words. He'd always figured it was a conscious choice on their part, an intimidation tactic.

He was wrong.

It's when they're compromised that it slips out like that. Turns out that, in the end - the word bleed was never more applicable.

He advances another step. Slow, easy. Hands still open, and out.]

They're tough. You know that. They'll be okay until we can get to 'em.

We'll help 'em fix it.

[It's just like how they are laughing right now despite wanting nothing more than to crawl in a hole so nobody had to see this. Chara knows about the red, knows how their words are sometimes twisted into something that tore through the world. It was useful as an intimidation tactic, yes.

But it's the same as many things in Chara's life were. They are not the one in control. They never were.

Chara takes a few deep breaths and tries to forget what they just did. Failed. Could erase those memories but it's a petty thing to use it on. So they won't. They just breathe.]

....I know. Logically, I know. But it can't happen again. Not to them.

[Chara didn't care if they died again, but not Frisk or Asriel. Enough was enough.]

Breathe.

[Easy. He moves slow, gives 'em plenty of time to back off if they aren't raring for contact at the moment. But if they let him, he'll - lay a hand gently on their arm. Careful, easy.]

It won't.

[It ain't exactly a promise, but it's damn near close enough to it. His tone's firm.]

We're gonna make sure. They've got people lookin' out for 'em. I made sure.

[They want to say they already are but don't. And he doesn't make a promise, which is good because if it failed Chara would have to kill him - again - and they don't

But when has it mattered what they wanted? So they'll just shut this away. It's fine. Just give Chara a second.

But they don't move away.]

Okay....okay. Um, snail-like animals that do not have a shell are usually called slugs. And depending on the species snails can live five to twenty-five years. It's very interesting stuff.

[They go on like this for a bit. It's calming, brought back good and bad memories of Toriel. She had only tried to hug Chara when they were like this once and that had not gone...well. So snail facts. Something to fill up the silence. Something to focus on that wasn't their panic and self-hatred.

Grounding. But it has to stop eventually and they have to focus.]

...I will go get those parts that I spoke of before. Hopefully they can help.

[He can't rightly tell what the correlation is between all this and snails, but don't interrupt. It's calming them down, whatever it is, even if he can't exactly say why snails would hold a particular weight or relevance here.

He keeps his hand steady, let them run it out.]

I'm thinkin' they can.

[If they feel like they're doing something - they'll be far less likely, he's thinkin', to do something rash in the absence of their brother or their partner.]

I asked Shadow to keep an eye out for both of 'em. You know Shadow?

[It's weird, they know, but it's better than nothing. Better than sitting in a mire of self-hate and doing nothing. And Chara's "promise" to Fear involved both of them getting out of their respective pity parties and did something.

So move.]

I don't believe so.

[Chara has actually met Shadow a number of times but never got his name before.]

But if he is willing to look after Asriel and Frisk then that is fine.

[Someone is. And that's all Chara can ask for right now.]

You've probably seen him. Little black hedgehog. Red eyes. Scowly attitude.

[Nothin' like a little levity to ease things some, yeah? Best not to add that he's the guy who helped desecrate the notes and files the kids were keepin'. And whoe also pilfered their chocolate after. Cold, right?]

He's all right. He'll watch out for 'em.

[Probably a good idea not to, least they wind up with one very dead hedgehog.]

I do know him then. Somehow I never managed to get his name.

[They also split their guts to him over the anon post awhile back but nobody needs to know about that.]

...if you think they are in good hands then I will try not to craft more stupid plans. [Unlikely, but better then nothing.] For now will you follow me to find those parts? They are not far from here.

[He's pretty distinctive. Funny how he's the avenue through which he learned Chara's name in the first place, and yet they never learned his.

Some kinda weird cosmic irony, that.

He nods. The temptation to tell them to breathe, real slow, is still there, but the way things're going, it might just come across as something condescending. Knowing Chara, they wouldn't likely take real well to that.]

Yeah. All right.

[A couple steps back, and the steadying hand drops.]

What other facts about snails you got?

[It is ironic. Shadow knows quite a few things about Chara that people aside from Frisk don't know and neither of them know. He had the answer to why they wanted to Erase themselves.

Best not to get into it.

And it's also best not to tell them to breathe. As good of a place it was coming from, they would not take it well. Focus less on Chara and more on what needed to be done.]

This way.

[Chara starts to walk away, but they haven't forgotten what he asked.]

...depending on the habitat of the snail they can have lungs or gills. They also have very small teeth on their tongue.

[He moves alongside 'em, easily, hands in his pockets. Like he didn't just watch them try to - like they didn't just hurl themself off the edge of a wall and wait for the impact to take 'em.

Like he wasn't expecting it to happen.]

Snails have teeth? No kidding.

[His interest in snails is, uh, surface-level at best. But its sounds like it might be helping. Might be keeping 'em in the moment. If it helps, then it helps.]

[It's very easy for them, isn't it? To grind away their own life. Chara's attempt to Erase themselves probably cemented it but also if doing something could possibly cost them their life, Chara didn't care.

They're already dead back home. Might as well add another one here.]

Yes. Microscopic. It acts as a shredder.

[There's also the fact that humans eat them - something Chara actually wasn't aware of when they were on the Surface - but thinking about that made them think about snail pie and Toriel. Helped and didn't help.

So they keep walking.]

...any interesting facts about skeletons?

[It seems to be doing 'em good. Talking about something innocuous. Keepin' their thoughts focused on something else. Something other than the two most important people in their life.]

About skeletons? C'mon, we're not near as interesting.

[A laugh, but it sounds a mite forced. Rote at best, like all his other shit. Dredging up the same material in a different key. Does his best to drag up something to keep the conversation rolling.]

Uh, we don't technically need to eat. Not for months. Pretty cool, right?

28th

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cw for suicidal ideation

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cw continues ahhaa....

NICE

this is going Well

as always

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