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

[evocation]

God, I'm not gonna shoot you or set you on fire. I just don't want to hang out with a dude when I can't see his expression, and I don't think you can have fun by yourself.

[hardwearing]

[ Wash considers her for a long moment, whether or not she's genuine. It's been so long since he's been around people out of armor that he can't read her expression, but her voice is convincing... and she's not armed... ]

I'm going to be very angry if you shoot me.

[evocation]

Look, I'm gonna be straight with you. I fucking suck at using guns.

[She is being the bigger person by admitting this, obviously.]

[hardwearing]

Don't visit my world, then.

[ Wash hesitates a moment longer before making the decision. He'll take his helmet off, but not out in the open like this, and he's not strolling into a crowd either. He gestures for the woman to follow him around the corner of the speakeasy, into a more defensible position... and reaches up to pull his helmet off.

He's handsome underneath, with dirty blond hair and a spattering of freckles across his cheeks. As he assured her he isn't gross or sweaty but he does look exhausted, dark circles under hunted eyes. ]

[evocation]

[Kyna follows him, letting out a long-suffering and overdramatic sigh as she does. He is handsome under that helmet, though, which unfortunately means Kyna has to be a little embarrassing about it, mouth curving upward into a teasing smile.]

Hey, see? What's the point of being that cute if you're gonna hide it all the time?

[She does not shoot him.]

[hardwearing]

[ ... wait what.

Wash is ill-equipped to handle that sort of compliment. He blinks, blushes a little, ducking his head and lifting an armored hand to pat his hair into some semblance of order.

She doesn't shoot him. That's nice. ]

[evocation]

[Kyna laughs, sounding delighted, because that's the most adorable reaction possible. She stands on her tiptoes, reaching up.]

Here, lean down so I can fix your hair.

[She's very, very short, and there's no way she's going to be able to reach it on her own.]

[hardwearing]

[ There's another long hesitation at that, before Wash seems to decide to trust her just that little bit more and slowly drops to one knee.

Up close she'll notice his jaw is clenched with tension over this... it's been a very, very, very long time since anyone touched him for anything besides violence or medical treatment. ]

[evocation]

[She definitely notices that, and it throws her off a little. Kyna has always been a very physical person, and it goes against her nature for her to keep from touching people casually. Still, considering Harlan is her best friend, she's got an idea of how to deal with this sort of reaction, so she combs her fingers through his hair, the contact slow and gentle.]

There. Now you look even more awesome.

[She hesitates, and then adds, voice quieter:]

Hey, seriously, I'm not gonna hurt you, okay?

[hardwearing]

[ It's not just the armor being normal in Wash's world -- it's his life in particular. How hard it is for him to trust anyone as a result, let alone a stranger in a place he's trapped with a psychotic enemy who has friends that have attacked him several times. It may seem like an innocent thing for Kyna to comb his hair into place, but for Wash it's fighting against all his instincts.

He manages, though. And it feels really nice to be touched so simply, but that's something he's going to try not to think about too much. ]

...what's your name?

[evocation]

Kyna.

[She pulls her hands back and lets them fall to her sides, not wanting to push the contact too long.]

Are you new? I don't think I've seen you around before.

[The armor would stick out, surely.]

[hardwearing]

[ When she drops her hands he rises back to his feet, taking a step away like he isn't sure how to manage the proximity. The question helps him pull himself together a little, and he nods. ]

Just got here. It hasn't been a very welcoming place so far.

[evocation]

Yeah, I know. Sorry.

[Getting dumped on your face in the dirt and then having to fight for your life isn't what anyone would call a warm welcome.]

But not everyone here sucks. There are some really cool people.

[hardwearing]

[ Wash huffs, but his mouth curves into something vaguely like a smile. ]

...make me a list?

[evocation]

[Hey, he can smile! Kyna grins back.]

Uh, my friends Tucker and Harlan are pretty cool. Not as cool as me, though.

[hardwearing]

[ Aaaaaand that was it, smile vanishes. ]

I've got a friend Tucker, too. Back home.

[ Who might be dead right now, because Wash isn't there. ]

[evocation]

Really?

[Kyna's not great at comforting people, usually, but she gives it a shot anyway.]

Hey, it's better for him to be home than in this shithole, right?

[hardwearing]

No.

We were in the middle of a battle -- I thought at first, waking up here, that I'd died in it. There's no way to know, though, is there?

[evocation]

Um... I don't know.

[She frowns, reaching up to toy with her necklace absently, the pendant click clicking along the chain as she drags it back and forth.]

But people say that time like, freezes or something while you're here. If you go back it's like you weren't gone at all.

[hardwearing]

I hope that's true.

[ And then he realized he never introduced himself. A little awkwardly, he does so not. ]

I'm Wash, by the way.

[evocation]

Nice to meet you. I mean, it sucks that it's here but, you know...

[It is what it is, right?]

You still wanna go inside?

[hardwearing]

I never wanted to go inside -- I just wanted a drink.

[evocation]

[She lets out a quiet, amused noise.]

God, okay. You wanna get a drink and go somewhere else, then?

[hardwearing]

[ Wash takes a moment to deliberate. ]

It's probably not safe.

For you, I mean. To be seen around me.

[evocation]

[That's absolutely the last response she expected.]

What? Why not?