hadriel_logs | Intro Log: Mimicry

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Intro Log: Mimicry

Who: New arrivals and everyone else!
What: The intro log for March
Where: The colosseum and all around the city.
When: March 10th-16th
Warnings: Fresh meat and fatal sweets.

Rise and shine, it's time to meet your new home! While the two suns overhead might make it a bit of a scorcher, there's plenty of shade to be found around you, so get out of the sun before you burn! While you're at it, you might want to introduce yourself to the others who woke up in the same predicament as you- or just run off on your own, that's cool too.

Be careful though, because you're arriving with a bunch of, uh- inanimate objects? Wait, that's no chair! These are mimics, small gelatinous spider-like creatures that can transform into inanimate objects and then pop out to scare you. If you can keep calm, mimics are no big deal, but if you give them the opportunity they will jump onto your head and suffocate you, before using your corpse to reproduce. Nice!

That's alright though, because if you can survive the mimics then you have delicious food waiting for you as a reward! In a shocking twist of events, the items supplied by the Door have no significant twist, save for the desire to eat every single one you can get your hands on. They're Girl Scout Cookies! Long the envy of boy scouts everywhere, these delicious treats will have you munching away your daily caloric intake in no time!

Just, uh- be careful, as the mimics seemed to have caught onto everyone's desire for these colorful boxes. Approach your cookies carefully!

Once you've escaped the mimics and grabbed some snacks, you're ready for the wider world of Hadriel. 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 March 10th-16th.
► 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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Laura doesn't know much about healthy relationships. her parents seemed happy enough, but how much of that was a lie given that her father was the vessel for BOB? she had her moments of closeness with Bobby and James claimed to love her. maybe she even loved them back. the only person she knows she loved was Donna.

part of her has to believe that Lup and Barry will be able to work things out. that someone somewhere has to be able to make a relationship work. she knows it will never be her, but that's okay]

I know it's easy to give up. I know that trying to talk to Lup about it will be hard. But if you don't know what she's thinking, how she's feeling, you're just gonna torture yourself with the not knowing. [she tries for an encouraging smile] It's okay. I don't mind. Honest.

[She's right. Of course she's right.

Talking to Lup is going to be immensely hard. It means facing his mistakes. Owning up to them. Admitting all his sins to Lup's face and praying for her forgiveness. It's going to be the hardest thing he'll ever have to do, including facing the apocalypse and braving a foreign world all alone, not knowing if Lup was alive or dead.

But Laura makes perfect sense. He has to do it, he has to endure that pain. For whatever momentary peace of mind that will lend.]

Y-Yeah... th'not knowin' is hard. Killin' me, t'be frank.

[Barry drains his glass, letting the burn of liquor take away the tightness in his throat. He's definitely a crier, but he's not gonna break down in public. Done more than enough of that lately.] Thanks, Laura... for listening to me. And your advice. [He tries for a smile. It looks weak.] Y'really didn't have to. I want you t'know I appreciate this.

[Laura may be terrible at solving her own life problems, but it turns out she's not half-bad at helping others work through theirs.

part of her wants to laugh at the irony of helping others work through their relationships. her relationship with Bobby fell apart ages ago. at the point of her death, the only things holding them together were the drugs and . . .habit.

her relationship with James? James was different, at least on the surface. James claimed to love her, but she wonders if he even knew what love was.

and here? here she has no one and no one seems to be interested. she'll live. she doesn't need a man to complete her. if anything, they seem to get in the way]

I get that. It's like everything is like that science experiment. Schrodiger's Cat? They have that in your world?

[she takes a sip of her brandy. it's good, but not as good as her parents used to have] It's no problem. Really. [she smiles back] No, but I wanted to. [and she surprises herself with that truth] Thank you.

Schrödinger? Th'wizard? Yeah, uh... w-we got some o'those.

[Talk about a culture clash. What undead cats have to do with his state of unknowing, Barry doesn't quite get. But it doesn't matter - it's the sentiment that counts.]

That... really means a lot t'me. Thank you.

[He sounds sincere. Honestly, he really didn't expect Laura to be so sweet and patient with him. Or for anyone to be, for that matter. Someone wanting to show him kindness after what he's done feels so jarring, completely unforeseen, gentle reassurance rather than the universal condemnation that he'd expected.

It's clearly sorely needed. He does a good enough job beating himself up on his own.] I, uh... I'm gonna have t'stop by th'bakery sometime, catch up with ya. Y'know, when things've calmed down a little...

[she laughs playfully] I think we're talking about different Shrodingers. The one in my world was a scientist. The experiment with the cat was long and involved but to sum it up, either the cat was alive or it was dead. You didn't know until you opened the box. It's like the situation with Lup. Either it can be fixed or it can't, but you don't know for sure until you open the box.

[the multiverse is weird and gives her headaches if she thinks too much about it]

It's the least I could do. Really.

[and much to her own surprise, she's being sincere, too. she honestly likes Barry and thinks he's a good guy. she really likes Lup, too. and she hopes that they can work it out. she thinks they can, if they just talk about it and try.

well, he should stop. he's probably the most genuinely decent man she's ever met] You do that. What's your favorite treat? I'll be sure to save one for you.

Oh. Oh, o-okay. Gotcha. [This Schrödinger fella of Laura's sounds... really interesting. He'll have to grill her for more facts about this man and his experiments someday, when the mood isn't so somber. So the cat is in a superposition, sounds like, and given your interpretation of quantum mechanics, either one reality collapses into another as soon as the box is opened, or a separate branching reality is created by the opening of the box, or was it created upon the death of the cat--

That's not important. This is important. The now. The being with Laura. Barry forces his attention back before his brain runs away with him.

That's been happening less and less these past few weeks. Funny how much heartache stifles creativity and wonder.]

Thank you, Laura. [Most days, Barry prides himself in being a gentleman. A carer. Someone who puts other people's needs before his own. It's important to make others feel good and safe... That includes Laura. She's a lovely young woman. She deserves care and love, as far as Barry is concerned.] I, uh... I like lemon bars. And meringues. B-But honestly, I'll eat anything.

[she probably won't be much help. she mostly remembers this experiment because it seemed cruel to the cat. she always got straight As because that what was expected of her, but school was never one of her priorities. everyone else was busy making plans for college or jobs after school, she was busy doing coke and johns. but those aren't options here, are they?

she gives Barry a smile that's meant to be encouraging. she really is new at this whole caring for people that aren't Donna thing and she doesn't want to mess it up.

she would know something about what heartache can do to a person. she's been living it for years. for so long she's not sure she'll ever really be whole, but at least now she knows there's a problem]

It's no problem, Barry. [what Barry thinks Laura deserves and what Laura thinks Laura deserves are two entirely different things. that's the reason she's been so hesitant to make connections with people here, she's afraid of how they'll react to her past] I think I can make sure to set some of that aside for you. Stop by any time, okay?

I will. Y'can count on it.

[It's still going to take a while before things get back to anything resembling normal. Barry will need a lot more pushing and time to reflect before daring to make a move, to push past the blame and make an attempt at fixing anything. Laura was right when she said it was going to be hard. He's not looking forward to it.

But at least he knows he's got a friend in her. Someone who believes him. That helps ease the painful knots in his chest. Laura really is a sweet girl.]

Uh... well, until then, can I get ya anything? [Barry tries for a casual tone, a smile just a little shy of cheery, gesturing to her drink.] Another one o'those? Or uh, m-maybe a dance? Do young people dance still?

I'm looking forward to it.

[that wouldn't surprise her if she knew. however, if he ever needs an ear to listen and the best advice she knows how to give, she'll be there. healthy relationships, she doesn't have any real experience with, but she knows what a healthy relationship should look like.

she's definitely his friend. it's odd, having friends who aren't Donna, but a nice kind of odd. like a happy surprise]

Sure, if you don't mind? I'm having straight bourbon. No ice. I like it room temperature. [she gives him her best smile back] We do. Maybe we can do that later?

Straight bourbon, no ice, room temp. Got it.

[Barry gets up on his feet, drains his scotch, returning her bright smile the best he can. She has a beautiful smile. She should do it more often.] Sounds delicious. I might give it a shot myself.

[A cheeky chuckle, an attempt at a lighter tone.] And, uh... if we do dance, y'might have t'show me the ropes a little. I don't really get waltz-vibes from this music, y'know?

Thank you, Barry.

[she rarely has reasons to smile. she'd like to smile more--or at least smile more and mean it--but now's a good reason to smile] You should. It's actually pretty good here.

[she chuckles as well] I can do that. This music's not too different from the stuff back home.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Intro Log: Mimicry

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