hadriel_logs | Event Log: A Hope for the Future

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Event Log: A Hope for the Future

Who: All characters participating in the event
What: The event log for the A Hope for the Future event
Where: All over the city!
When: April 15th-April 19th
Warnings: Stealth Rock

It's finally time to reap the rewards you've earned from all that hard work collecting and returning the Hope orbs! Be careful walking the streets during the small earthquakes, but feel free to admire the scenery as your beautiful city reassembles its way back into its former glory.

There are new houses where the destroyed buildings once were, and they're perfect for a single person or pair of lovebirds. In addition, you'll find that the electricity to these new houses, and all other homes and shops in the city is restored. The food is better, the monsters are gone- hey, this city might be livable again!

To cap it all off, we've got a feast waiting for you on the 19th! Come one, come all, and enjoy all of your favorite foods, drinks, and party games. It's been awhile since we've all gotten together to celebrate something good, so get your party on and toss all your troubles away!

► This log covers April 14th-April 19th.
► Feel free to make your own logs as well!
► Please tag headers of threads with content warnings where they apply
► Please put your character's name and open/closed in the subject line of your starters!
► If you get hit by levitating rubble or eat a food that wasn't meant for you, please let us know here.

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Not a fan of officers? [She's never meet anyone who was, but this place has proven that there's a first time for anything.]

Beta bug. You know, it's a person you're close to. In to. It's-it don't matter. [She's already found how hard it can be to explain her world's unique slang and this conversation is more interesting than a linguistics lesson.] Aggression's all a lotta folks know. Doesn't mean anyone's doin' it to be mean. It's just how it gets when people are gettin' their one-nights on after a life-and-death firefight.

It depends. In a perfect world I don't see anything wrong with them. [But such things don't exist, do they.]

I've never heard of it. But I do get what you mean. [He keeps on grinning.] And I do get that, too. In the end humans are animals, right?

Do you have beta-bug?

And have you ever seen a perfect world? [They last time she'd heard someone claim that existed, they'd been talking about a world that ran on ideological genocide.]

I guess, if we're gettin' all properly scientific 'bout it. But I think we got a lil' more goin' for us that most animals.

[She laughs, shakes her head. Romance, flings...there had been no room for that in the life she led.] No. Always had a lot to do, no time for that. 'sides, not a whole lotta folks our size 'round here. Guess you got lucky findin' one 'lready.

Everything but that. [Now he laughs again.] As long there's humans in charge I don't think we'll ever manage to gain perfection.

[Well, he can't say that hearing any of that surprises him. She didn't exactly seem like person who'd be interested in romance or affairs. He could relate to that. But he also knew from experience that didn't count out the need for connection with another being. Having just that one person to understand and support is more than any physical relationship.]

I suppose I am. <[He turns his head back to the roses for a bit and smiles.] Though I'm not entirely sure we're talking about the same thing. Besides, weren't you already an adult despite your size?

I don't know if the world needs perfection. To get better, sure. Everywhere can use that. But I don't know 'bout perfect.

[It reminds her of what she heard Party say once. Would you destroy Something perfect in order to make it beautiful? She sees rigidity in the idea of perfection. She sees a loss of the human error that made life worth living.

She smiles slightly when he turns his gaze away, amused by the look he gives the flowers. Girl has little experience with love, but some parts of seeing it still rings nice.]

I'm totally an adult. [She waves off the question.] But 'm not gonna go hit on some old person and that's a lot of the folks here. If I want someone, they ought to be a lil' more my age. And that's just sayin' I even wa- wait. What do you mean we're not talkin' 'bout the same thing?

I didn't say we needed one, either. Without flaws the world would be very boring place to be, don't you think? [Besides, he's come to realize that 'perfection' is subjective experience.]

As long you're an adult I'd say that age and size both are irrelevant. [Ohhh boy. How to explain 'eternal life partners' without outing himself.]

There is no romance between me and my 'bug.' We're together, yes, but we're not a couple in same way most people would see it. Love comes in many forms.

Yeah, borin' is one word for it. Sufficatin' might be what I call it. What would happen to the people who weren't, in a perfect world? Can't imagine it'd be anything good.

Maybe to you. [Her nose wrinkles.] I'm not 'bout to go after some gray hair, even if I am an adult.

I know it does. [The other members of her crew had love, but she wouldn't call any of them 'together'.] But bringin' someone flowers is a lil' romantic, don't you think? You might not think there's any of that between you, but you show up with those and your pal could get the wrong idea.

Edited 2018-05-21 03:09 (UTC)

Don't you think that in perfect world people would accept those who're less perfect? I'm sure you've heard story or two about world like that. [She might not have be familiar with Peter Pan but stories about utopias and worlds filled with peace, love and acceptance were transcend through different cultures.]

That's pretty short-sighted of you. [He teases.] It's just like you said, there's not many people who're small like us which means you don't have many options left.

Not if flowers means different than what they do most of people. [It's a sign of love, yes. Sign of care and companionship. Giving flowers he keeps Allan alive.]

But the bug isn't here. I'm holding these just in case the situation changes.

Stories are just that. Those kinda fairy tales ain't real. [She'd grown up in a world fueled by outrage and violence. Her bedtime stories hadn't been filled with peace, but vengeance.]

Who even said I needed options? [She grins, puffing up and brushing imaginary lint off a shoulder.] I've got good enough company in myself. I don't really need some pretty sweetheart.

Yeah? Then what do those flowers mean to you? [Perhaps its another cultural difference. For wherever Edgar and his 'bug' were from, maybe roses are a sign of something she isn't used to.]

I get the sentiment- [She grimaces, lowering her voice.] But flowers don't last long. If you're close, they'll probably just be glad to see a familiar face.

That is true enough. But don't you think those stories could ever become reality? They do say that life imitates the art. [He can say that the latter part is also true. But whether that applies to fairy tales and happy endings are whole different thing. One's happiness is always someone else's misfortune, after all.

His smile softens a little at that statement. He gazes at the roses again but this time there's something almost sad and longing in his eyes.]

You're strong one then. I wouldn't be able to be all by myself for long.

['It is too lonely just for one person!' That's what he had told Allan when he had asked, no, pleaded him to join him in the eternal life. His world is too different compared to this girl's. Adult by sixteen and dead by twenty. Such time is barely a second compared to his. No wonder she doesn't seem to know the importance of another person's company. To have support and connection.]

There's a tradition in my family, I might tell you it at some point. But trust me, they're as important as a familiar face.

Not in my lifetime. [Maybe the world can get better now that they took back the City. Maybe there's a chance for things to change. But she doesn't think she'll live to see the fruits of that labor.]

No one ever thinks they can 'til they have to.

[Being alone hadn't been her choice, not at first. But there's something alluring about loneliness after so long being buried in it. It when from a fear to something she felt strong enough to handle. The world hadn't been the only thing to start on a road to change the day they took the City.]

I'll take your word for it. Whatever gets you through the night.

How come? I hope you don't planning on dying young. [They had this conversation before. She can argue all she wants about being an adult or such. But she is still young, with possible decades ahead of her. Biology speaking, of course.]

Not everyone. [He says, voice more firm than before. Being alone for too long will drive one crazy sooner or later.] Like I said, you're a strong one.

No one ever plans for death. But I figure I won't live as long as people 'round here do. Not if I'm back home. No one lives that long. [Maybe with BLI gone, she'll get to live as long as Dr. Death. It's still young, according to the people she's met here.]

Or maybe 'm just really lucky. [She deflects the praise with an embarrassed shake of her head. Times like this she almost regrets cutting her hair so short. She can't hide behind it anymore.] I had a lotta trainin' before I was alone. People where I'm from don't get a choice but to be alone sometimes. We learn how to deal with it.

Some do. And you do talk like you already have one feet in grave.

[Although that does raise some questions. Just what kind of 'training' does one get in order to be handle the solitude.]

Who knows, that could also be reason why people die so soon in your world. Being alone for too long is known to drive one mad eventually.

Or maybe I've just crawled outta one before. [It really wasn't that long ago she was dead, technically.] I just know how things are where I'm from.

I know it will. But that has nothin' to do with how quick people die. No mind tricks are causin' all that death. People get killed, plain and simple. Easy to die young when you're gettin' shot at all the time.

[He decides not to argue with that even though he's sure he still could make his point. Two people can be much harder to kill than one, after all. It's always safer to have someone around who'll watch over you as you do the same. When being alone for too long one's focus and priorities can slip.]

Have you then? Crawled out of coffin so to speak.

Something like that. [She thinks about leaving it be, but then bites her lip and continues. A few people already know. What's the harm in talking to another?] Where you're from, does anyone watch over you dead? Like a reaper or god or something?

I don't know. [He says, turning more serious.] There are lot of different kind of beliefs about deities, gods and spirits and such all around the world. Some of them have been forgotten through time. But there's no definite proof that any of it is real. I think science is proving everything that we thought about world before wrong.

It ain’t ‘bout belief, I’m talkin’ facts. Tangible shit, the kind of creatures you know are there ‘cause someone’s seen it happen. [Her forehead wrinkles as she frowns.] There’s nothin’ like that in your world? Nothin’ bigger and longer lived and more than human?

[This strikes her as fascinating. George is the only person she’s really gotten into the nitty gritty of death and mysticism with. And George has so many similar experiences she’d not thought much about worlds that didn’t.]

Again, I don't know. Some people say they have seen something like that thorough the history but others says they're either lying or couldn't understand what they were seeing. It's always about belief. [What makes the concept of faith truly frightening. While it holds little materialistic power it can still shape the world and the way it's perceived. It's why his kind has always been more or less afraid of different religious symbols and rituals.

Unfortunately that is not something he plans on revealing to this human girl. He might like her company but she still poses a threat to him if she finds out. Yet, her persistence is intriguing]

Why, is there something like it in your world?

No proof? [She's surprised. And part of her is surprised that she's surprised. Different worlds, different beliefs, different creatures. It wasn't like her wn faith hadn't been shaken. It took the Witch literally reaching out to her for Girl to stop being so stubborn about the higher powers she didn't want to see.

But always, always there were the boxes. There were the masks left in prayer and missing the next day. The words of people too beaten down by the world to be anything but honest.]

It's li- yes. The Phoenix Witch. Everyone knew 'bout her. People have met her. [She pauses, gnawing her lip.] I met her.

[A witch? Interesting. There's been rumors and stories about such creatures that are much older than Edgar himself. So, they're nothing unheard of although he hasn't heard anyone to speak about them in such regard as the girl does.]

I read a book once about this family that couldn't die. It was written centuries ago in form of a diary. But even after that there's been sightings of the said family through the history. They're rumored to have some kind of power to keep them young forever. That much I know. And I'm not sure if that counts as proof.

[What he doesn't say is that the family in question is his. And that he's the one that the books are about. Or that those books are the exact reason why he doesn't want to show his face on the network.]

What is the witch like?

I've never heard of whole families that couldn't die. But I've heard of people bein' brought back. [Heard, experienced first hand. She wonders if it's still a lie if she's simply omitting parts of the truth.] So you never saw that family yourself? I guess what matters here is if you believe it. It's not like I'll ever see the the proof, but I can get your word.

[Girl tilts her head back and sighs. The Witch was so deeply ingrained in her culture that it's hard to know where to start.] She takes care of us. Everyone dies someday, no matter how hard you try to out run it. So she's there when the road stops, ready to carry you away from all the fighting. She's kinder than what we deserve, sometimes. Givin' people second chances and settin' them straight when they're seein' the lines crooked.

I'm not the best person to ask. I'm not as good as others at tellin' her story.

[Ah. Edgar can understand what she's describing here. So something like a grim reaper. Or a gentler version of the death -- angel, perhaps? Well, the words and titles don't matter.

He gives her a small nod to show that he's following her. ]

Still there must be a some reason why you'd mention her. Have you met her before coming here?

[An angel would probably be less sarcastic, but it isn't a terrible description. Her followers often treated her like one, calling for her kindness and mercy.

Mercy Girl had the chance to see first hand. Ghoul and George were the only two she's told about it. The repetition makes it a little easier to nod her head.]

I did. That's how I know she's real. I spoke to her, saw her with my own eyes.

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