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

[puzzlingly]

「Gosh why him? Fine, whatever, he's not going to be that guy, So he starts... hmm, moving, a little awkwardly, trying to follow the rhythm, he hasn't done this in ... hmm, millenniums.」

Like confusing you with your brother again?

「Lup, is it you?」

[restinglichface]

[Lup, a lady in all things, sticks her tongue out at Atem. It's true that Taako and her were born identical twins, that they can be near impossible to tell apart to those who don't know her very well, but she has no reason to play around as her brother today.]

Don't be an ass. You know I'm Lup. Taako never looks this hot.

[puzzlingly]

「He laughs, of course he does.」

I dunno, he is just as pretty.

「Oh wow. Stop making him say stuff like that!」

[restinglichface]

[But it's so cute when he does.]

Well, duh. Of course he is. We have the same face, nerd. We've got it goin' on. Nothing shameful in noticing.

[She gives his hands a playful squeeze and makes to give him a little spin, since he's so much shorter than her.]

[puzzlingly]

My partner and I--

「Look the same too... Hahahaha, retreat, retreat, this is not a drill! He let's that slide, taking the spin as an opportunity to change the topic. Since he's kind of short for this, he honestly offers no opposition to her leading and spinning him, it's kinda fun!」

Did Barry teach you to dance?

[restinglichface]

[Atem would catch a glimpse of Lup shooting him a curious look as he was spun.]

What’s that?

[Lucky for him, he picked a perfect redirection for the conversation, Lup snorting out a laugh at the question.] Excuse you? I’m older than him by over a century. I learned to dance before his grandparents were even born.

[puzzlingly]

「He's pretty awesome at activating traps that reflect damage and all that nerdy card games metaphors!」

... you're older? Hahaha, I did not see that coming! Who taught you then? Because you're pretty good at it.

「Said with one of those charming smirks of his. Look at him, leading the conversation way away from that little Freudian slip of his with his BS! Oh, but that also reminds him:」

There was this guy who offered dancing classes on the network, never heard of him again.

[restinglichface]

[Lup releases one of Atem's hands, just so she can give her long hair an expert flick over her shoulder, before she's taking his hand back and grinning across the short distance between them. It's true that physically, Lup looks a couple decades younger than her dear hubby, but that's just how elves age. When you live to be seven hundred, aging comes so much slower. They aren't officially adults until after they've reached a hundred.]

All self taught, my guy. I didn't have Barold's upbringing with all of the piano and dance lessons he got. I had to pick it up where I could. But I am pretty bomb at it, thanks.

[That mention of Merle, though? That definitely leaves the woman laughing.] Yeah, sounds like Merle. He'd forget his own head if it wasn't attached. And I mean that pretty literally, cause his arm detaches and he forgets that shit all of the time.

[puzzlingly]

「Lup and her humility has him grinning.」

... I can see Barry being that type of guy...

「The nerd kind, it's cute.」

Oh? You know Merle?

「He was a little funny to talk to.」

Wait, what about his arm?

[restinglichface]

[Humility, Thy Name is Lup.]

Guess that's what havin' a mom nets you. Denim out the ears and an early appreciation of the fine arts. [Lup teases, but where's the lie? She can't imagine what it would feel like to grow up with a parent's love. The concept is so foreign to her.]

Have for the last century. [And a hand full of years extra.] He lives with us. Merle's family. And, uh, he ran into trouble a year or so ago and got himself a nice, new wooden arm from Pan. Ask him about it sometime. He probs tells it better.

[She couldn't exactly see what was going on at the time. She just heard the screaming.]

[puzzlingly]

「Oh? Is that what moms do? He has no idea, it makes him smile anyway. He can't say he had a great dad and will not act sad about an idea that is not familiar to him, if anything what makes him smile is imagining Barry's childhood.」

Ahh... his, god? 「His not sure what Pan is, if a deity or a magic spirit or what... His knowledge in other gods that are not his is not the best.」 I will ask him... He seemed like an okay guy.

「And how he attempts to give her a little spin. This is so silly... so silly it's fun.」

[restinglichface]

[Atem isn't alone on that. Lup loves hearing stories of Barry's childhood, his mother, the loving home he'd come from. Despite her own upbringing, it's never once made her feel jealous. If anyone deserves happy memories like that, it's her husband.]

Yep! Pan's his guy. Er, or I guess Merle's Pan's guy. I dunno. Somethin' like that. As for Merle, he's great. Little spacey, but the best dwarf I know, hand's down. He's saved my ass a hundred times.

[Atem giving Lup a spin takes the woman by surprise--she's the one who usually drags others into spins!--but Lup throws back her head and laughs, really going all into it, twirling enough that her long braid arcs out behind her.]

See! And you were all scared to dance with me.

[puzzlingly]

I'll have to thank him, then.

「Wink.」

Oh, c'mon. You wouldn't be able to scare a chicken even if you tried to.

「She's too cute! But he won't say that!」

[restinglichface]

[Even dancing, Lup still finds the time to stick her tongue out at her friend.]

Sounds fake, babe. Real fake. I'll haunt your ass if you tell anyone otherwise.

[puzzlingly]

「That, of course, makes him laugh.」

If you keep doing that, your face is going to stay that way!

「Move that booty, yo!」

But it's so tempting!

[restinglichface]

[Like that's going to make her stop.]

Good thing I've got a super hot tongue. [blep] Real sexy, right?

[puzzlingly]

I don't know about that--

「What is sexy? Sexy is a very awesome foiled card, that's what's sexy.

The song ends and it changes into something a little more calm.」

Don't you want to drink something? Unless you wanna get all romantic on me and then Barry kills me.

[restinglichface]

[Lup pulls away enough from Atem to playfully nudge a pointed elbow in his side, already laughing before she drags him towards the bar.]

Kill you? C'mon, you know Barold better than that. He'll just kinda glare nervously at you and give up when he thinks he's bein' too rude.

[puzzlingly]

「Ow, pointy elbow! He chuckles and lets her drag him, it's not like he can do anything to avoid it, nor want to.」

Ahh. He's too kind for his own good. Gotta teach him a thing or two.

「He might or not be kidding!」

[restinglichface]

Hun, if you manage to help Barold get a backbone, I'll eat Taako's hat. I've been trying for over fifty years.

[Thank goodness the bar is open, Lup's already plopping down in the nearest stool, signaling for drink.]

[puzzlingly]

I can try. I have some experience with that.

「He does just the same, but just as he gets his drink, he downs about half of it. It's hot in here, plus dancing!」

Hey, Lup, how is it to know someone for so long?

[restinglichface]

[That's a surprisingly deep question, one that takes Lup a moment to answer while she holds her glass in between her palms, focusing on how cool it felt beneath her heated skin.]

Good. [a beat, before she adds,] Sorry, that's a lame answer, but it feels right. Scary sometimes, but I dunno. It's been sixty-some years and he's never let me down yet. Hard to think he ever could.

[puzzlingly]

「This dork's smile widens as she speaks, at least he keeps his eyes on his drink, trying not to make her uncomfortable and at the same time trying to compare the feeling with any he's already got, or felt. Yeah, he's felt something similar.」

It's not a lame answer.

I think I envy you a little...

「Just a little.」

[restinglichface]

[Ugh, she sees that smile, it makes the elf blush just ever so slightly. She can talk about Barry's dick straight-faced, but feelings???? Way more difficult.]

Yeah? Someone waiting for you back home?

[puzzlingly]

「Aw man, why the hardest questions? It's met with a bit of a shrug.」

I hope so.