hadriel_logs | Event Log: Home Sweet Home

Entry tags:

Event Log: Home Sweet Home

Who: All characters participating in the event
What: The event log for the Home Sweet Home event
Where: All over the city
When: June 20th-July 2nd
Warnings: Nothing bad could ever happen now that you're home

It could happen at any moment- any action you do could be cut short by a sudden trancelike state, and so hopefully it happens when you're safe in your surroundings. And of course you're safe... after all, what could happen to you now that you're finally home?

Whether you don't remember Hadriel at all, or you just believe that this entire ordeal is over, you're home for good now, which is something worth celebrating. What happens in your home? Are you treated like royalty or just cast aside and forgotten? How are your friends doing? Your family? Everything is just as it should be and it's easy to get lost in it, even for an unlucky onlooker who may find themselves drawn into your trance and able to interact with you as you mill about your world and your reality.

Snapping out of it is the only way to end this trance, and you've got to eat and sleep at some point, but how can you go back now that you've been teased with what you desire (or maybe even fear) the most?

► This log covers June 20th-July 2nd.
► 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 die of homesickness let us know here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That's weird. You'd think that even in other worlds, clusters of town and cities wouldn't be a mind blowing surprise. That is, unless you hail from bumfuck nowhere or a world like Nick's, ravaged by nuclear devastation.

Then again, Rey knows next to nothing about where Caedra came from. She knows some things, here and there, from their conversations, but...

"Just about. With the occasional stray cat or dog straggling around, or birds or some other critters." She shrugs. It's no big deal. Rey's been around for a long time, so all of this is old hats to her.

'Bumfuck nowhere' is probably in some ways appropriate if only because what Caedra is used to is, of course, more similar to the 1700s than Rey's time period - although magic has streamlined some things in the way technology might have done, it isn't quite commonplace enough among the average person to do much for the transportation of goods in vast quantities, which of course is a major limiting factor in population growth and density.

"How many people live here? And do you all travel in those - oh, what are they called again? Those little wagons that move so fast." She has a million more questions, but she'll have to pace herself. Everything here is unknown to her.

"Wago..." Rey's face screws in perplexity, until she puts together what Caedra is referring to.

Ooohhh.

She snorts, shaking her head.

"Cars. They're called cars. And no, not everyone uses them, but you're more likely to find them than draught animals." Rey can't recall the last time she's ever even seen a horse, but that doesn't matter. "We have types of arial transportation as well. Millions of people use them."

For now, she'll humor this woman, so long as she doesn't go making this otherwise nice dream onto a bloodbath. She picks up another pizza slice and chomps on the crust first.

Heathen.

"Cars! Right. I had forgotten what they were called. And they're made by humans? Like you were?"

Malthus told her once about a craft he had seen in the little gnomish village of Highmark. A mechanist there had invented a horseless carriage, the first of its kind that she had heard of, that could be pedaled around. Not very fast, but at least it didn't have to be fed and stabled.

The first airship had also recently been constructed - or at least, the first one deemed safe enough for public use. Not an efficient mode of transportation for someone like her, when she can already fly or teleport, but the mortals must find those vehicles so useful, if risky. An airship full of passengers would be an ideal target for a malevolent young dragon, after all. But again, it was a gnomish craft, with assistance from a few cloud giants. It's difficult picturing humans smart enough to create such things.

For a moment she just chews in thought.

"For the most part, sure. They were invented by humans, but nowadays you can probably expect most to be made by machines. Automatons."

Unlike synthetics, automatons do what they were intended without question. They don't hesitate over ethics and self, neither do they stop what they were intended to do with time. Rey has seen the ruins of a battlefield still being tended by robotics decades later; no one's ever just come to pick them up. Not worth the effort, or the potential radiation.

Caedra frowns for a moment as she considers this. "Smart machines like you, or dumb machines like phones?"

There's definitely a difference, even if she's still working out what that difference is for these people who have no magic. If only she could show all of this to Amamot, he would understand it so much better - but for some troubling reason, she seems unable to contact him here, and she's not sure whether she should have expected she could or not.

"The latter," Rey retorts flatly. "Which is for the better. There are enough problems with the smart ones as it is."

For a long time it was difficult for Rey to trust self-aware machines. She didn't treat Nick with the utmost respect when they met, and if not for the fact that the old 'bot was so used to it, it's a wonder if they would have ever become like-family now.

Needless to say, she's trying to work on her bias.

"Like what?" she asks immediately, settling her eyes on Rey finally once again. "I know you've told me all about some of your problems but surely not all of you are that damaged."

Okay, a little blunt there, but Caedra figures she's long past earning any sort of friendship with the construct. They're not enemies, but there's not a lot of mutual respect or acceptance or anything like that either, and at this point Caedra doesn't feel any need to pretend she's someone she isn't.

That jab doesn't fly over Rey's head, but she doesn't take it to heart, either. At any rate, she'd rather Caedra at least be honest about her intentions rather than trying to coax Rey with flattery and deception.

"No. They're even more damaged."

Her eyes narrow as she takes another bite of pizza, chewing angrily.

"That's an impressive feat. How so?" she asks casually. All while trying not to actually watch Rey devour the pizza because boy does she know how to make a mess of it.

Probably a good idea for Caedra to look away. Rey is a beast and she's devouring that pizza like a freshly caught prey.

"They think that they want souls. Become more than human, or whatever."

IV seemed aiming to rip Rey apart to get at the heart of it. Literally.

"Ah - right, and I imagine necromancy isn't exactly something easily done with the tools your people have."

It's funny, she realizes. As advanced as these people are in certain ways, they lag so far behind the knowledge she's accustomed to. How would storing a soul in an object even be done, in a place like this? The things aren't easy to interact with until a creature is dead, and even then, her kind are specialists in their ability to capture and use them, or consume them. Mortals trying to handle souls? It's a funny concept and the few who have tried probably either were unsuccessful or became monstrous in the process.

Brows scrunched, Rey shoots Caedra a wary glance before chomping on another bite of pizza. Sigh.

"No, not necromancy per se, but cloning tech... being able to upload an entire consciousness to ones and zeroes... It's its own thing. Guess some think there's a difference between a mind and a soul, though."

Rey knows enough about what Caedra is referring to from Carlisle, which helps.

The look on Caedra's face clearly demonstrates that Rey has now completely lost her. She's silent for a moment as she tries to make sense of all of that, but - no. Nope. Upload? Numbers? Excuse you?

"Your culture, your civilization, is unlike anything I've ever heard of," she says finally. "And I don't expect I'll be able to make sense of it all immediately. But maybe if I see more of it, I'll start to understand. You should show me around. I want to see more."

There's a quiet moment where Rey finishes what's left of her pizza. An idea forms, and she actually smiles.

"Want to see a real speakeasy? Obviously they're not in the same use they were during the Prohibition Era, but there are a few that were left preserved even now."

Caedra might not be into history, but it's always fascinated Rey just how people have managed to maintain such historic sights over a century later. Chicago being one of those few major cities left that actually has said sights to see.

"A bar?" She won't object, but it wasn't exactly what she'd had in mind. Perhaps, though, something along the way will catch her eye.

"I suppose," she agrees. "It could be interesting. But you're paying."

Ah yes, there's Caedra's smile, teasing as it is. How sweet of you, Rey, to ask her out on a date.

"Bar and a show." She smirks, not worried about payment. That's what stealing her father's money is for.

The Speakeasy Rey runs in Hadriel might have a stage, but it's far from the manner of entertainment one can find in Chicago.

If anything, it'll keep Caedra distracted. Rey settles on this as she leads the way. The place she has in mind is a bit of a walk, and since Caedra is so interested in the novelty that is the transportation, Rey boards an auto-train at a transit platform.

The train itself, rather than running on normal tracks, operates on magnetic technology, allowing the lower end to float a couple feet off the ground before lowering to a stop. Rey and the people around enter the train without fanfare, clearly more used to this mode of travel than someone like Caedra.

Edited 2018-07-05 21:59 (UTC)

The walk to the train alone is full of more unusual sights, and Caedra finds herself pausing here and there just to gawk at the people, the buildings, the clothing, the things she sees through windows. But she doesn't lag too far behind. She wouldn't really mind getting lost too badly, she supposes - there are plenty of things she could do on her own here. But for now, she'll stick close to Rey.

The train approaches with tremendous speed before settling down, and even though everyone else seems nonchalant, Caedra can't help but be a little cautious, and certainly a little thrilled as well. She readily steps on board with everyone else, trying her best not to gape in awe at the whole thing. She's used to trying to blend in. She's usually very good at it, too, but never has she been somewhere quite like this. She finds herself a seat with an easy view out a window, eager to watch the city fly by for however long they'll be on this unusual vehicle.

"Rey. What is this called? This - thing," she says, laughing at herself just a little as she gestures to their surroundings. 'Long car' better not be the answer because that just sounds terrible even though it's what her mind leaps to first. Maybe something more elegant. 'City racer' sounds nice, or 'silver wind'.

Luckily, it's not 'long car', though the actual answer might not be much better compared to Caedra's other suggestions.

"It's a train," Rey tells her, grabbing one of the upper handles rather than opting to find a seat. This won't be a long trip, after all. "You should probably hold onto something or sit down--"

Rey starts to warn Caedra shortly after the doors close, and the train jerks to life as it continues its route.

"Train? What kind of-"

She's in the middle of attempting to sit when the vehicle lurches far more sharply than she could have anticipated. She may have excellent balance, but it helps to be aware that such a thing is needed. Instead, she staggers forward with the abrupt motion and collides face-first against Rey.

Rey's chest, to be precise.

Well, there are worse predicaments to be in. Caedra grabs onto the construct to keep herself upright, but between the novelty of their surroundings and the extremely close contact, she's grinning ear to ear as she steadies herself.

"What--"

That's not what she meant by 'hold onto something'. Rey feels her mouth tightens and her body go rigid, and at this point she might as well be a steady railing.

Just not like this. The fact that Rey has never been close enough to someone to let them even touch her this way doesn't help, but that's it. This is happening. Fuck you, gravity.

"What."

The next ten minutes are going to be the longest ten minutes of Rey's life.

Rey will be glad to find that Caedra does know how to exercise restraint, even though she doesn't always actually do it. It's a constant battle, really, between doing the smart thing and giving into her impulses, and probably because of how bright she can be at times, so many of these poor mortals still seem all shocked when she just acts without worrying about the consequences.

That battle plays itself out right in front of Rey, as Caedra grins up at her with her arms holding tightly around the taller woman's waist. Rey has too much restraint, and Caedra would just love to get her to loosen up some day-

But for now, she braces her feet against the train's movement, then lets go of Rey to plop back down safely into the seat behind her. She crosses one knee over the other, folds her hands into her lap, and looks far too smug for a moment before she redirects her gaze out the window.

"Does this 'train' always have such a rough start to its movements? They make it go so fast, but they can't make it start and stop smoothly?" she asks, as she watches buildings blur themselves together outside.

Tragically, everything that Rey doesn't have much restraint in are things that she probably should. She can be moody, violent, quick to lash out. But in matters of closer quarters with other people, it becomes another matter entirely. She really is a hopeless case.

Even after Caedra breaks away to seat herself down, the muscles in Rey's entire body don't seem to ease up at all. Her jaw is locked tight and her gaze focuses straight ahead for a moment, not meeting Caedra in the eye when she speaks again.

"It's not always that rough," Rey admits. Her mouth is dry. There's a euphemism in there somewhere and she refused to acknowledge its existence.

Her answer is only confirmed when the train slows to the next platform, allowing people to exit and more to board. Many are the similar to the ones Caedra took notice of before, sporting various body modifications and hairstyles in impossible shapes and colors. People have no problems expressing themselves in this future.

"Is it not? Shame. I like rough."

Caedra is still looking out the window, but the smirk on her face and her half-lowered eyelids suggests she's taken it well beyond euphemism. Is she watching Rey out of the corner of her eyes, or is she focused on the world outside the train window? Without obvious pupils there's no way to know.

Now and then, some of the wilder mods catch Caedra's eye, though, and she tracks them as they find places to sit or stand on the train. But there are just so many that already these extremely unique humans blend into a sea of sameness. Most of it is just purely cosmetic as far as she can determine anyway, and coming from a place where people take so many more shapes and sizes, there's only so much that goofy hairstyles and bionic appendages can do for her imagination. Seeing the city during this pause to pick up more passengers fascinates her more. The whole landscape is alien and yet it has a sort of beauty to it, with all its lights and monolithic shapes.

"Of course you do," Rey jabs, but leaves it at that for now. The train jerks back into motion by the time everyone has taken their seats or found a spot to stand. Caedra will get a few more demonstrations on how stable and unstable the trip can be as more people come and go. Some appear normal, whereas others are just as (if not more) outlandish and absurd as the last.

Rey all the while does her best to ignore Caedra's stares and regards the Chicago population with all the enthusiasm of being presented bland pasta. She has spent years in this city, more so than Rey has ever been in one place before. The innovation of what people do to their bodies has worn off where the sights are still fresh for her dream-visitor.

Before long, the slows to a halt at a 'N New Orleans St', announced over the intercom and Rey lowers her hand from the rail.

"Our stop," she announces. A flood of people are leaving as well.

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