Intro Log: Rock This City

[hadrielmods]

Who: New arrivals and everyone else!
What: The intro log for January
Where: The colosseum and all around the city.
When: January 10th-14th
Warnings: New folks, rockin' dudes made of rock, and collectible friends!

This time, it's different.

There's no cave, no stone walls looming up around you and overhead, no stifling air or artificial light- not that you'd appreciate it, seeing as to how you've probably never been here before. And still, when you land facefirst on the dirt ground of the colosseum, you may not quite appreciate all the improvements and steps we've had to take to get here- after all, you're still surrounded by strangers in a crumbling city on an alien planet in the middle of nowhere.

Oh, and you're being attacked by Earth Elementals. These creatures are tall, between seven to ten feet, and made of solid rock, capable of punching through all the squishy bits of you- and for whatever reason, they definitely want to start punching. They're incredibly strong and, seeing as to how they're enchanted alive and have no internal organs, they're very difficult to kill.

But don't let that scare you off. For all the collectors in you, you can also find a very special array of beanie babies all scattered at the ground at your feet. Do you know that some of these things will be worth a lot of money someday? Better find the rarest one and stockpile it while you can! You might run into the rainbow crab, the platypus, or the sought-after bald eagle, or many more! Be sure to never take the tag off and never ever let anyone play with them so they don't lose value.

Once you've got your kids' college fund squared away, it's time to start exploring! You can 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 January 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

[hardwearing]

[ His face is kind of a distaster atm... ]

Aren't you angry about that?

[evocation]

[She thought she would have been pissed, but it's... complicated. This place sucks, sure, but there are a lot of people she cares about here.]

Well... yeah, but... I don't know. I'm glad I get to see you again, too.

[She frowns a little.]

Does that sound stupid?

[hardwearing]

...no.

[ Did she miss him, he wonders? Surely friends here wouldn't be worth the bullshit of coming back, but maybe it softens the blow. He squeezes her hand a little. ]

Let's get out of here.

[evocation]

[Kyna nods, keeping her fingers laced with his as she starts to head towards an exit. This is just a little awkward. He seems strangely closed off.]

Um... How's Olympia doing?

[hardwearing]

She's good. I mean.... it's only been three days, everything's probably just like you remember.

[ Except him. ]

[evocation]

[She nods silently in response, not quite sure how to reply. After a second or so, Kyna pulls him to a stop again and frees her hand to wrap her arms around him. Screw it.]

[hardwearing]

[ Wash blinks, just standing there awkwardly for a moment before he settles his arms around her, too. He should at least take his helmet off, but then she'd see... ]

Kyna, this can't be comfortable.

[evocation]

Um... It's not.

[She's essentially hugging a Wash shaped chunk of metal.]

You're making me worried.

[hardwearing]

Sorry.

[ He doesn't really want to have this conversation here. Or possibly at all. ]

I really missed you. It's just... complicated.

[evocation]

[This certainly isn't the best place for it, but Kyna's sense of timing has never been great. She pulls back, frowning up at him.]

Complicated how?

[hardwearing]

Like can I be happy you're back, even though you wanted to go home? That just makes me a selfish jerk. And should we even... I don't know, Kyna, I really didn't handle you leaving well.

[ He hates to admit that, but he's got to take his armor off sometime and then she'll see. ]

A lot can change for someone in a year, anyway.

[evocation]

[It might be a little selfish, sure, but Kyna was still ecstatic when Tucker showed up a few months ago. She can't blame Wash for being happy. In fact, she'd be a little insulted if he wasn't. She's not sure if she likes where his train of thought is heading.]

It doesn't really feel like a year, but... What are you trying to say?

[hardwearing]

[ Wash sighs with frustration, the sound muffled inside his helmet. This is a lot harder now that she's standing right in front of him. All he knows is that he'd been happy and then she was gone, and it could happen again at any time. Sure, nothing in life (especially one like his) is certain and everything ends one way or another eventually, but... does he want to set himself up for it? On the other hand, is he even capable of being around her and not wanting to be with her? That seems like torture, and pushing her away didn't work back when he first tried it. ]

...forget it. Do you think we can just pick up where we left off?

[evocation]

[In her mind, that was a foregone conclusion. Of course they'd pick up where they left off, but with the way he's acting... Maybe that was a stupid assumption. Kyna crosses her arms over her chest protectively.]

You don't want to?

[hardwearing]

That's... never been the question. Of course I do.

[ They'd been working, right? But here he was fucking up again already. ]

[evocation]

Oh.

[On the fuck up scale, this is minor. He's having trouble articulating what he's feeling, she thinks, and that's something she's more than personally familiar with. She's just afraid of where this is going.]

So what's wrong, then?

[hardwearing]

You left. And it could happen again anytime. Or I could disappear on you.

[ Which isn't either of their faults at all, obviously. It's just scary. He's scared. And he went into this relationship with worries in the first place, including the eventual expiration date. ]

I think I still feel like it's worth it, but now that it's actually happened...

[evocation]

[The expiration date is something she's stubbornly been refusing to think about, and now that he's bringing it up, it's making her incredibly uncomfortable. She doesn't know how to talk about this. It's even worse when he has his helmet on and she can't guess at what he's feeling.]

What? You think we should just... not be together or something?

[hardwearing]

[ Okay, here comes the honesty. ]

While you were gone, I thought maybe it was a mistake getting so attached. But that's just because it hurt. I don't actually regret anything. My first response to losing people has always been to shut down the part of myself that misses them. Except now you're here again and this is a roller coaster.

[evocation]

[She goes quiet for a moment, just absorbing that. It's easy to imagine how upset she'd be if their positions were reversed, and she doubts he actually opened up to anyone about it while she wasn't here.]

I'm sorry.

[It wasn't her fault, of course, but she's sorry he went through it anyway.]

Can you just... take your helmet off for a second?

[It's too weird talking to him about something this sensitive when she can't actually see him.]

[hardwearing]

[ She's right on that count -- he didn't open up. He didn't withdraw specifically because he knew she wouldn't want him to, but he didn't talk to anyone about the actual problem, either.

And then Kyna asks him to take his helmet off. ]

...don't freak out.

[ He lifts his hands to his head, pulling the helmet off with only a brief hesitation. It's clear he hasn't slept, which isn't a surprise. What might be is that he's obviously been fighting, he's got a split lip and bruises across one cheek and the opposite side of his jaw. Nothing too bad since it was just from sparring, but accidents happen. ]

[evocation]

[Whether or not she manages that depends on his definition of "freaking out". She doesn't gasp, at least, but her eyes go wide.]

Jesus. What the hell happened?

[hardwearing]

[ You left, Kyna. He's covered this. Wash lets his helmet dangle from his fingertips and shrugs uncomfortably. ]

I made some new friends.

[evocation]

[Kyna frowns, reaching up to touch his chin so that she can turn his head gently and inspect the damage.]

Friends, huh? Like who?

[hardwearing]

[ He's fine!!! Seriously, this is nothing, but he lets Kyna examine him anyway. ]

I asked for sparring partners who wouldn't hold back.