INTRO LOG: FACE OFF

[hadrielmods]

Who: New arrivals and everyone else!
What: The intro log for November. Don't get your face eaten!
Where: The colosseum and all around the city.
When: November 10th-17th
Warnings: Monster-related violence, people lamps, general unpleasantness, mass confusion.

You wake up on the hard earth of the colosseum. By the state of things and the various aches and pains in your body, you've probably been passed out there for awhile. A few things should immediately become clear to you upon an initial assessment.

1. You're not alone
2. You're near other people who look to be in a similar state.
3. You're also near an assortment of human shaped lamps.
4. You're also near something that skitters off into the shadows of the colosseum.

Of all of these alarming things, the skittery object might be your largest concern. Be wary when turning corners or shutting out the lights: the Hunters work best when your vision is obscured, so their gelatinous form is even harder to spot. Their main goal will be to kill people of course, though they prefer to hide in corners and smaller rooms. Watch out when trying to work through the halls of the colosseum to find the outdoors- they're surprisingly quick, and they prefer to kill their prey by opening their face-flaps and wrapping their mouths around your head. Fun!

More information on Hunters can be found here!

Second largest concern? Maybe it's the people lamps. Maybe it's the actual people around you. Whatever it is, be sure to familiarize yourself with it quickly. The devil you know is better than the devil you don't, after all.

All done with the horrible monsters and awkward greetings? Try your hand at exploring the rest of the city! Find a house, find a new monster, or simply scavenge for supplies until your little heart is content. Good luck, and enjoy your stay in Hadriel!

► This log covers November 10th-17th.
► Feel free to make your own logs, as well!
► All characters now arrive with phones that have network communication.
► Please put your character's name and open/closed in the subject line of your starters!

Comments

[divulsion]

[Her gaze slips down to her leg at the mention of her injury, then back up to the man.] When I arrived, at the arena. I pushed a man out of the way so he wouldn't get hurt by one of those things. It caught me instead for a moment before I killed it.

[It had been the first living creature she'd ever killed. Not counting ants and spiders and that sort of thing. The robots had been inorganic. This had been...something else. It's body fluids had spattered all over her uniform, even her face a little as she'd torn its head apart.]

Were you hurt?

[onlytheremains]

No.

[He had no issues with the disposal of the creatures. They were a threat that needed to be eliminated and that was all that mattered. There's little he squirms away from at this point though, not in regards to harming others.

A moment later, she'll find bandages being tossed her way. It's not from his stash of useful items but rather, from the isle of supplies itself.] There's more here, you may want to take a look.

[divulsion]

Thank you, I will.

[Wanda catches the bandages as he throws them, following over to the aisle. Her attention splits between watching him and examining the contents. With the shops abandoned, are they ever restocked? Is that the reason why they haven't been cleared out already?]

Who are you?

[She ought to offer her own first, perhaps, but she'd rather get his first. Have the advantage however briefly, and test to see if he'll give it to her or stubbornly turn her query back on her.]

Let's try this with less fail, shall we?

[onlytheremains]

[He shrugs at the question, not sure how to answer. It is, after all, a rather complicated question right now.

In the end though, he just finds himself laughing, a sort of laugh that is more bitter and sad than joy, and look at her.] I'll let you know later.

Who're you?

<33 no worries

[divulsion]

[A laugh like that is one she recognizes all too well. One without mirth. One that's pained, that slips out because what else can a person do? She tenses to hear it now, but takes his answer as it stands. Not prying.]

Wanda Maximoff, of Sokovia.

[She hesitates a moment, and the next words that slip out are clearly foreign to her.]

And an Avenger.

[Will he know what they are? Is it a risk to tell him or will he know what she is and find it a comfort for someone of the team to be present, even injured as she is?]

[onlytheremains]

>[And now things are falling into place, he knows of her from a few days ago and had heard some of the chaos that took place with Ultron mess. He'd not been in the country at the time but well, news spreads.]

Where are you staying? Have you found anyone you know here? [He should probably mention that he knows Romanov and Rogers, for some value of the word knowing, but he's keeping quiet about that now. He'll mention it when it becomes pertinent information.]

[divulsion]

[Wanda isn't about to share with a stranger where she's staying, even if he's been helpful. She's not getting anything off of him that gives her the impression he has nefarious goals in mind but she's not about to test that.]

I've found teammates. Two of them. And you? Have you found anyone that you know?

[Tit for tat, or this conversation is going to be over quickly. Over or shifting to useless small talk.]

[onlytheremains]

There are people I know of here, though I can't say I'm friendly with anyone exactly.

[He starts moving to the next isle, prodding here and there and collecting a thing or two.] We have some acquaintances in common though.

[divulsion]

[That gets Wanda's attention. All movements stopping, she stares at him, trying to determine now if she ought to know his face. Are the acquaintances friends of his, or enemies?]

Who?

[onlytheremains]

Rogers and Romanova. I...Ran into them. You might say they did me a favor. [He looks at her, very aware that she must be wondering if he's some kind of threat.]

Not on the hunt for them or anything. Just know of them.

[divulsion]

[Curiouser and curiouser. Wanda doesn't relax, but some of the tension bleeds away. A little, anyway.]

And if I asked them, how would they say that they know you?

[onlytheremains]

An old friend to one, an ally to the other.

[He'd personally disagree with the first part but he knows that's how Rogers would see it and she wasn't asking him how he felt he related to them, so he doesn't say anything like what goes through his head.]

[divulsion]

I see.

[As a friend she supposes this means that she shouldn't poke into his head for answers. Which brings her back to the first part, the one that he skipped over that seems all the more important in light of this information.]

And what name would they call you by?

[onlytheremains]

[He hesitates for a moment, like this is something hard to say. Then he speaks and the words are careful and a little wary, though it has nothing to do with her.]

Try James, if not that then try...Try Bucky. [The way he says the last word seems like it almost hurt him, or left him uneasy. Which is not untrue. Laying claim to that name still doesn't feel right, feels like he's sealing the identity of a dead man.]

[divulsion]

[Ah.

It all makes sense now.

She knows a little of the story, a little of his identity, though perhaps not the whole story.

More important at this moment, however, is the expression on his face when he gives his name. He's not comfortable giving it, reluctant, and Wanda can be sensitive to that fact at least.]

I see. Do you prefer one? Or would you rather I call you by no name at all?

[onlytheremains]

[If he were the kind of person who did such things, he would be voicing his appreciation right now.]

Not really sure, to be honest. Whatever you want to call me, I guess.

[divulsion]

[Wanda smiles a little, unable to help herself.]

"Hey, you," perhaps?

[onlytheremains]

I can work with that.

[She means it as a joke but he's happy to just do that rather than committing to a thing that could be close to a name. The idea of doing that, of pinning something on him that makes him him out to be more than what he is - and it would make him more than what he is - makes him feel queasy. Better to just avoid the thing entirely.]

[divulsion]

[Another nod, and Wanda tucks that information away. He doesn't smile in response, and she begins to think that perhaps he may truly appreciate the lack of name. She can work with that as well.]

Tell me when you decide otherwise.

[She can keep it vague until then.]

Do they know you're here?

[onlytheremains]

Ran into them when I arrived. At one point Romanova and I were looking for you but didn't have luck tracking you down and we wound up parting ways.

[He closes his eyes, thinking back for a moment on the initial meetings with both of them. It wasn't smooth exactly but it could have been worse.]

[divulsion]

I made it outside the arena, immediately ran into Rogers. [The Captain. Steve. Wanda doesn't know what to call him half the time. Some feel too familiar. Others too distant, especially when talking to others who know him.]

He insisted on getting me somewhere safe because of my leg. Said Romanoff could take care of herself in the meantime...

[Which was true, something no doubt James/Bucky/Hey You knew if he knew them both.]

[onlytheremains]

]He makes a small noise of amusement, nodding his head.] She can, I've got no doubt about that.

[He's running low on space in the bag at this point and he knows he has enough to get by for a while yet. It's almost comforting, having to scavenge like this. It's much easier for him to comprehend surviving this way than it is in other situations.]

Do you need help getting back there when you're through?

[divulsion]

[In her own way, Wanda can't help but feel similarly. She and Pietro always scraped by with what they could find, buy, or get away with stealing...

There's no one here to take money, however, so is it really stealing?]

I would not object to company. You can see where I'm staying, and the Captain as well if you haven't yet seen the house.

[onlytheremains]

Not yet. [Which has been on purpose. He didn't know how to go to the house, how to just show up and act like everything isn't chaos in his head. He'd love to be able to pretend but no one ever taught him to lie.]

Probably not staying too long but I'll get you there.

[divulsion]

[She nods, not about to push. It's obvious enough that he's hesitant about giving information about himself, and whatever is between him and the others...it's not her place to orchestrate things. Not yet.]

An escort is acceptable. I can refrain from telling them that I saw you until you've left, if you prefer.

[Trust, this is how they can build it, right? Small steps.]