Intro Log: Faceplanted

[hadrielmods]

Who: New arrivals and everyone else!
What: The intro log for October
Where: The colosseum and all around the city.
When: October 10th-14th
Warnings: Newbies, spookies, and evil trees!

If it's your first time here, congratulations! You get the lovely, unique sensation of eating dirt as the Door knocks you facefirst into the ground. You'll probably be a little woozy at first, so take your time getting up- meet some folks, introduce yourself, don't be weird about it. Welcome to Hadriel! You're not the only person who just got to taste alien dirt firsthand, though- there are several people in the same predicament as you, so feel free to say hi! Probably shouldn't spend too much time talking though, because the lovely trees that you thought were just scenery are starting to creep ever closer the more you let your guard down.

All around you is a forest of spooky evil trees- it seems to be just a normal sort of forest at first, but the more you take your eyes off of them, the more they shift around you and close in. Or is that just your imagination? If you move too close to one, look out! They're rather determined to pick you up and stick you into the ground so you might take root- and if you resist, well, a severed bud can still serve as a seed, right?

If the trees tear your clothes though, don't worry, there's plenty of extras to be found lying around the arena if you don't mind them being a bit dirty. Lying on the ground and sometimes hanging off of these tree branches are some free shirts, yours for the taking! You know, if you'd be caught dead with one...

But hey, after you've met new friends and found a new aesthetic, feel free to go explore the rest of the city! Find a house, a new monster, a project to help with, or simply scavenge for supplies. Good luck, and enjoy your stay in Hadriel!

► This log covers October 10th-14th.
► Feel free to make your own logs as well!
► All characters arrive with phones that have network communication and the newbie guide installed.
► Please put your character's name and open/closed in the subject line of your starters!

Comments

[braveoff]

"It's not about the world, it's about the person, and how much they're willing to put into it." Drake shrugs a little. "At the end of the day, it's just talking to someone. Having them guide you through what you're feeling."

[requiemshark]

"We had psychiatrists in the UNSC," he explains. It hadn't gone well. CT had bribed a corpsman into stealing one of the handbooks and coached them mercilessly on what to say if they were questioned. And how they were never, under any circumstance, to let anyone else near the twins. "They didn't help anyone."

But it's different now, in Hadriel. How much so remains to be seen.

Ephemera takes another drag, considering.

"I know Sweets. He's -- hnn. He's trying to help."

[braveoff]

"Yeah I don't trust the shrinks on the force any farther than I could throw them. And that's part of it, you have to be comfortable with the person."

It's hard to open up to someone who could have your badge. Especially considering Drake's background.

"...he's helped me, I think."

Even if he hasn't actually told Ephemera the truth yet. And doesn't know if he can now, when this new secret follows so closely after. But he did promise... He watches the smoke curl off Ephemera's cigarette and wonders if there'll ever be a right time.

[requiemshark]

Helping--oh.

Ephemera blinks.

"You trust him?"

[braveoff]

Drake thinks about that. It's complicated, because... the way he trusts Sweets feels so different from how he trusts Ephemera, for example. They're not friends, at least not yet. And he wouldn't put his life in the guy's hands. But.

"I trust his judgment, and I trust him to keep what I tell him private. That's basically best case scenario for a therapist."

[requiemshark]

It's a fair answer. Ephemera leans back against the counter, tapping ash into the sink. "I just--talk to him?"

If you want things to change, you have to do shit to make them change.

[braveoff]

"Yeah, you just talk to him. If you get stuck he'll guide you with questions, like I've been trying to do." Sweets is gonna be better at it, obviously. Maybe he can actually help -- Drake's not sure how much good he's doing.

[requiemshark]

If it's just talking--

Ephemera lifts his head up.

"You're a good friend. You don't need to get tangled up in my shit."

[braveoff]

Drake blinks, tilts his head to the side in confusion. He's sort of already all tangled up.

"I think the past couple of days says I already am..."

[requiemshark]

....point.

Ephemera huffs a little, finishing his cigarette. "Yeah. I just -- I didn't mean to do that. Put that on you. But I, uh. It matters. You being here."

It matters more than he has words to explain.

[braveoff]

"You didn't do anything, I made my own choices. Actually, I'm sorry. I sort of pushed my way in when I decided to meet him and now." Now he's definitely in it, that's for sure. "It went from being there for you to being a part of it but I just wanted to help. But if you want me to get the fuck out of your business I can... try. Reel my nose back in, at least."

[requiemshark]

"Wish you hadn't done that," he admits. "It--scared me."

What might have happened. It turned out all right but there was no guarantee of that.

He's quiet for a moment, just watching Drake.

"But it might've been the right thing," he says after a while. Even if it hurts to admit that. "Like I said. You see things how they are. I get it twisted sometimes. And I don't wanna put that on you. Not all the time."

He rubs his face.

"Think I'll talk to Sweets. See how it goes."

[braveoff]

Drake shifts his weight, quiet. He hadn't meant to scare Ephemera, either -- he'd known the other man would be pissed, but scared hadn't occurred to him. It might've been the right thing, Ephemera says now, but it probably took him awhile to come to that.

"Let me know how it goes? I might give a shit."

[requiemshark]

"I know," Ephemera says, softly. He almost makes a joke to cut the tension, try to make Drake smile, but doesn't. It wouldn't be right. This is real and he has to honor that. "And I will. Promise."

[braveoff]

That earns Ephemera a lopsided smile, one corner of Drake's mouth curving up into something gentle and warm. The truth is he gives many shits and maybe... maybe that's okay.

"Thanks."

He's had enough of standing in the kitchen, though, and pushes off the counter to head into the living room.

"C'mon, I wanna see what you've been drawing lately."

[requiemshark]

It's a shift to something easier, less fraught, and Ephemera nods, following Drake into the living room. He hasn't done much on the walls lately, though the large splash of black will have to be addressed soon. It's too much to be ignored and he doesn't like the memory connected to it.

The sketchbook is easier. He sits on the couch and hands it over, touching his knuckles to his mouth.

"You can keep that one, if you want."

The first sketch is one of Drake and Liv, from one of the nights at the Speakeasy. Standing next to each other, Drake's arm over her shoulder. An easy sort of affection.

[braveoff]

"...this is great."

Somehow, in the drawing, there's actual emotion in his eyes. In her smile. Drake touches the corner of the page, careful not to smudge the lead.

"You don't want it?"

[requiemshark]

"I thought you might like it."

Something physical to hold onto. Ephemera shifts a little.

"Since we don't have pictures."

[braveoff]

"I love it, but it's yours." His mouth quirks. "You could just take a picture of us, you know."

[requiemshark]

Ephemera huffs a little, grinning. "I like it better. Drawing. It's--I dunno. A way to remember people."

Keep a little piece of them alive, even when they were gone.

[braveoff]

"...yeah, I like it better, too," Drake decides, studying the sketch a little longer. "Keep it for me?"

[requiemshark]

Ephemera hesitates. He hadn't expected that. "Yeah. All right."

Maybe later he can pin it up on the wall. He's been thinking about doing that with some of the others, the ones of his squad. Not the ones where they're dying, but the ones where they're bright and laughing, remembering better moments.

"I got her right, though. Didn't I?"

He and Liv haven't talked as much. He likes her well enough, but she's not around as often as Drake is. Perhaps that's for the best. Ephemera doesn't know how she'd react, knowing someone else was thinking the way he did about Drake.

[braveoff]

Just how right he got her makes Drake think that the sketches of his family must be perfect. That Drake would recognize them instantly if they ever showed up here.

"Yeah, you did." He smiles at Ephemera and turns the page.

[requiemshark]

High praise. Ephemera ducks his head a little. "Good."

The next one a floor sketch, the room where they spar.

"Haven't done a lot of the people here. I'm getting to them."

[braveoff]

"Who's gonna be in it?" Drake can tell where the people are gonna go, the story this sketch is going to tell. And he's curious who's gonna be a part of it.