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

[circumitus]

Same. [The reasons are definitely obvious enough to Rey that she doesn't have to dwell on it much. She hadn't been at all active in the maintenance of the orchards when she was too busy cooping herself up in her room for weeks.

[At least that's over for now.]

Mm. Will get you some water, then.

[Rose is free to do whatever she wishes with the tea. Not like Rey will take offense if she decides to dump it down the drain.

[While Rey goes to get a glass, she adds:] Why is it that your kind eat human meat?

[She isn't exactly well-read on Asian folklore, so that stuff is totally lost on her.]

[hasitsthorns]

[ That's, uh. That's actually exactly what she's going to do. At least, in this case, there's no worry about offense taken; she's had to awkwardly turn down her fair share of meals since she got here. ]

Ah, it's- Complicated. Uhm. [ Rose knows, but it can always be a little tricky explaining to other people just what yokai are. What that means. ]

In my world, ki is life energy. Everyone has it. Us yokai are made of it, actually, but ours is tainted by negative human emotions. That's what makes us demons. My people are born of fear. Specifically, the fear of walking alone in mountain passes at night. If someone trips, we eat them. It's just... what we were born to do. [ Not the most fun of existences. ] In some weird roundabout way, it's almost like keeping people safe? Enough of them get eaten, they invest in better shoes or walk in groups.

We don't have to eat them to survive though. We used to hunt sheep, I was told, but then... people hunted us almost to extinction because of us eating their livestock. So we went into hiding but then continued to eat people as a kind of 'fuck you' to them, I guess. My parents hated humans. I never really got it though.

[circumitus]

[Poor Rosie. There is nothing worse to Rey than having to turn away meals.

[She's more thoughtful as Rose explains, only making the comment of:] That's a... very specific fear.

[But cultures are weird, and Rey's never lived in the mountains before to know what sort of superstitions might come from there. Her mouth tightens into a thin line, processing it.]

You know, a couple years ago that all would've sounded like complete horseshit to me. Maybe it's a sign that you've been here too long when that stuff almost makes perfect sense. [She sighs. That's not necessarily a bad thing, really.] So, you're demons that could also live off animals. Guess it's not an option to hunt some of the more palpable creatures that come from the Door, is it? It has to be human?

[Otherwise she figures Rose would have done so by now.]

[hasitsthorns]

Could be worse. Could be an akaname. Those are yokai that lick the gunk that collects in bathtubs and bathrooms.

[ Japanese mythology is a trip, Rey. ]

I... tried, in Haven, to eat the monsters in the tunnels there.

[ It worked for a boy there who was something called a Ghoul. He said it didn't taste quite the same - a bit disgusting, but digestible. Rose had hoped, but- Guess it wouldn't be that easy, would it? ]

It didn't work. I think it's because I'm born specifically of human fear that it has to be human.

[circumitus]

[Rey makes a face.] Sounds like people are afraid of some weird shit.

[She doesn't get it, but it's... Welp, it's something.]

You were born from the fear, but you're still able to have a family?

[Grimacing, Rey finally retrieves a glass of water from the sink for Rose. She's still trying to wrap her head around it, but it's easier to do so now than it would have been a long time ago. She pauses.] Um. You can at least stay hydrated from water, right? You don't need the blood of your enemies or anything?

[Sorry, Rose.]

[hasitsthorns]

You're telling me.

[ They're creepy little weird-os but don't really mean folks a lot of harm. Just... odd. ]

Well, the first of us were born from that fear. It's the fear that sustains us but- We're wolves, too. In a sense. So, yeah, we have families and stuff. Pack.

[ That actually gets the woman to crack a smile, so. Good going, Rey. ]

Nah. I only drink the blood of my enemies from a chalice made of their skull when I'm feeling especially extra.

[circumitus]

Huh. [Interesting. It would explain the sheep-eating -- big bad wolves.] So you're not like werewolves or anything. Demon wolves?

[Because that sounds normal.

[And EYYY, success!]

Sounds very "grim fairytales". [You know, when that shit was actually grim.] Actually, all this sort of reminds me of one.

[hasitsthorns]

[ Only to farmers, she supposes. Wolves were just trying to survive. Not like anyone ragged on humans for eating the same sheep. In her (and many other's) opinion, the animals were there first.

The difference is Rose doesn't hate them for it. She just wants to find a way to coexist. ]

Yeah, I guess they're kind of similar... Japanese mythology is pretty fucked up sometimes, can't even lie.

[circumitus]

[Well, she's made it thus far at least.]

Guess every culture has their dark sides. Did you know that the original Red Riding Hood was a cannibal? Not on purpose, but...

[MIGHT NOT BE THE BEST WAY TO MAKE ROSE FEEL BETTER ABOUT HER PEOPLE EATING but you know.]

[hasitsthorns]

Wait, really? I mean, I knew a lot of those fairy tales were way darker than the modern ones...

[ But she hadn't looked too deeply into them. Thankfully,
Rose is pretty desensitized and able to take things in stride. ]

[circumitus]

[Rey can at least count herself fortunate that Rose is familiar with such a tale. At least she gets the gist of how it goes.]

Yes. In the very first version of the story, she was tricked by the Wolf into eating her grandmother's flesh and drinking her blood, thinking it meat and wine. In the end, she was gobbled up herself. No woodsman to save her.

[A much more somber ending compared to the one many children grew up knowing. How Rey even remembers any of this... She can thank her old lives for that.]

[hasitsthorns]

[ For as stupidly reckless and impulsive as Rose is, she's had quite a bit of time to be a little learned. Besides music, she enjoyed especially knowing more about other mythologies. Philosophy was a fun topic, too. ]

That sounds truer to life. Even as fucked up as it is. But I can see why that isn't the one you'd want to tell children these days.

[circumitus]

[Funny enough, Rey finds herself rather inquisitive on such things as well. She couldn't be out killing people all the time, after all.]

Guess it was meant to be scary and gruesome, since those stories were intended to be cautionary tales.

[Nothing scarier than trusting a guy who tricks you into eating your grandmother, right?]

[hasitsthorns]

[ Not all the time. That'd just be silly. ]

Hm, that makes sense... Back then, it was probably easier to scared children anyway. Kids these days are too desensitized, maybe.

[ Growing up into jaded adults, like Rose. ]

[circumitus]

[Le shrug.]

Depends on where you go and when. It's a matter of perspective, anyway. If kids are so desensitized, why bother omitting the gritty details of old fables?

[To some people, the problem might be that some kids are too soft and need to be sheltered. But damn, is that where this conversation is going?]

[hasitsthorns]

[ Hhm. Hm, nah, Rose doesn't want to talk about children of all things right now. ]

I guess so. All up to interpretation. Like this tea, apparently. I really tried, but- Guess it's just calorie-free water for me.

[ And air, she almost adds but it seems tasteless to joke about her prediciment right now. Haha. Get it. Tasteless. ]

[circumitus]

For now.

[She's determined that to be the case.]

Will figure out something. Sooner or later. [Don't question it, Rose. Rey needs something to focus on that isn't her own misery. If she can do something -- make someone remotely happy -- that's enough for her.]