Intro Log: DIY Survival

[hadrielmods]

What: The intro log for July
Where: The colosseum and all around the city.
When: July 10th-14th
Warnings: Who's that Pokémon?

You wake up on an alien planet. All around you are things that might be familiar- rocky ground, stone columns of a colosseum, overcast and dreary clouds above- but there's a lingering doubt in the back of your mind that you're not where you should be. Nearby, there are a dozen or so other people going through the same thing, so maybe you can stop and say hello... or, if you're more of an antisocial type, you might sneak away before anyone takes special notices of you.

Be careful of sneaking too far though, because you may run across an unfriendly Kabutops! From the Pokémon franchise, Kabutops is a prehistoric creature with scythes for hands that can cut through the water (and human flesh) like it's nothing. Its skin is rough and difficult to penetrate with basic weapons, and contrary to what anyone canon-savvy may expect, they are impossible to tame- so you might try to run while you can.

If you manage to escape from the pointy dinosaurs, you may find some hip new ways to accessorize! Strewn about the ground with the new arrivals are an assortment of bedazzlers in various states of functioning! They may only have two stars on Amazon, but Bedazzlers are a cultural landmark, easily used to bling up your lifestyle! Alongside the various equipment are, of course, various studs, gems, sequins, rhinestones, and anything else that you could possibly attach to some clothing or hand towels or curtains or underwear with a Bedazzler kit. Happy crafting!

If you've finished collecting all you need for your new home decoration, 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 July 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

Speakeasy mingle. | OTA

[circumitus]

It's healthy to celebrate milestones, right?

Of course it is!

That is why, just a couple days after the Door invites the newest victims gracious guests to the city, there will be signs posted around the north, east, and west islands: "The Speakeasy Partyversary!" with a few "???" underneath.

No RSVP required, just haul your butt in one of those cute boats to the southmost island to a bar that now reflects somewhat ironically on the proprietor herself: Walls are covered in red curtains with bizarre artsy pieces resembling shapes reminiscent to a spiral flame, or close enough to it. The dance floor just before the stage bears the same hot theme with red, orange, and yellow lights from above giving the floor below a little more life. More fiery shapes light up the walls in reds and yellows as well.

Some tables are adorned at the center with mini cauldrons, as well as a new indoor firepit installed, for those wanting to seek shelter from the chilly island weather -- and yes, it's real and it's hot, so don't touch unless you're immune to fire. Or that's your thing. We won't judge.

In addition, there is a drink special this time: Some sort of flaming cocktail. What is it? Who knows. Rey made the concoction herself using some ingredients she had improvised with, and somehow managed to maintain some sort of drinkable fire. It has a dry scent and a taste of myriad spices mixed with brandy. Just be careful not to drink too fast -- the cocktail has a mysterious psychedelic effect that will cause mild hallucinations. Nothing life-threatening, for sure.

As usual, the lounge is supplied with much more food and refreshments -- some alcoholic, some not. Just don't go asking for burgers and nachos, or you might be punched.

Otherwise, dance, belt out some pop song that half the city population has probably never heard of and wants you to stop. Have a drink, where the bar has an array of self-serve liquors and other refreshments, as well as a bartender to make you some special cocktail with a stronger kick. There's also beer, wine, absinthe, and even mead if you fancy.

For an oddly more quiet evening, the Game Room holds a wide variety of recreational activities to maybe keep you engaged enough. Between the casino style activities, you can find board games such as checkers, chess, and Battleship, and even an arcade machine with many two player options and several games.

What a nice time to be burning daylight.

[ooc: This is the monthly Welcome Dance Night! Consider this an open mingle thread for both old and new folks alike. Tag in, tag out, hit up your friends or rivals or meet new people. Assume that this is set around the 12th.]

rey. | OTA

[circumitus]

Who wants some of that bizarre flaming brandy? Rey's probably the one most comfortable with making it, adding some caveats that it might pack a punch and even trip someone out if they're not careful. If anyone asks, she'll just say something along the lines of, "Just a classic with a personal touch."

Any attempts to get more information, any secret ingredient or method, will be quickly dismissed. Can't risk the chance someone would steal her trade secrets, right?

Whatever she did, it might explain some of the mild hallucinations after finishing a drink of the spicy flaming brandy. You won't be wanting to jump off buildings thinking you can fly, but you might see colors a different way than before, or be visited by a tophat-wearing polka dotted giant alcohol cat sharing Sanskrit proverbs.

For most of the night, this is where Rey will be -- down in the Speakeasy with the music, the 'fire' and the lights, even when she takes breaks to settle into a booth with a drink of her own. There's something oddly comforting about the atmosphere overall. Like this is where she should be.

Poison | OTA

[writtendestiny]

[Poison doesn't do much while she's here, but she does watch. The small, bird-boned girl sits by the fire pit, cradling a drink in her hands, observing everyone who passes by her with a sullen intensity in dark violet eyes framed with straight black hair. The fire casts wobbly, sharp-soft shadows over her face, making her look one moment a worn adult, and the next far too young to be here with any kind of beverage.

She's holding a glass of beer, if you get close enough to make it out, but her real interests here are the warmth and the people (and maybe, later, the drinks that are being set on fire at the bar). Most of the time, she doesn't smile at the people who catch her eye, though it doesn't look deliberate so much as she simply doesn't think to do it.

If you're not put off by the overall vibe she gives off, moving closer to her provokes a surprised blink and a small, reserved almost-smile. Did she even realise she was staring so hard at you in the first place, you might wonder. Perhaps not.

Should you venture to sit with her, she'll glance your way and lift her drink in a small toast.]

To your health.

Caedra | OTA

[abyssalarcana]

1. Colosseum
From up above, about halfway up one of the broken walls of the Colosseum, Caedra watches people and monsters mill around and battle below. Normally she takes the entry of newcomers as an opportunity to see what they are capable of - or to watch the city's existing members reveal their abilities in attempts to save these unfortunate new captives. Today, she's just not interested.

Rather, she's angry. Which, admittedly, is a very normal emotion for her to feel, but it's fueled this time by events of the previous weeks. She saw home. She had been reminded just how much these thieves, the false gods, had stolen from her when they kidnapped her for their pathetic schemes. Her garden. Her son, and grandson. Her beloved sureh Amamot, so far away and impossible to contact. She still writes to him daily, even though he may never read any of it. He won't need to. Once she's back in his arms, she'll tell him everything.

Somewhere down there, below the ground she stares at, is part of the key to her return. What they know as the Door, the reason people come from this point in the city, inhabits some sealed chamber like an old titan, buried away to keep it from harm, or perhaps to keep it imprisoned. But she isn't here for it today. She's here to let out some of that anger that always threatens to overflow. This is what she is, and she wants these people, and these false gods too, to remember that, for all that they've done to her or all that they might do.

There's a pack of those odd creatures with their bladed arms milling around down there, trying to corner the newcomers and rip them apart. Caedra aims her hand at one in the center, and lets fly a bolt of chaotic darkness. It hits the hard shell and erupts on impact into a massive blazing fireball 40 feet in diameter. The monsters might resist the fire easily, but the people? Not so likely. It's fine. She doesn't seem to care who she hurts today.

2. Orchard
A trail of blackened and wilted vegetation leads through the little agricultural area to where Caedra is stooped over, searching through leaves and vines. She has a bag slung over her shoulder, and a cloth wrapped around her hand, as she selects and plucks herbs and flowers and adds them to her collection. The cloth helps spare them from the damage she would otherwise wreak on the fragile little things that can't seem to withstand her presence.

Will these work? It's hard to say. Hollyhock, belladonna, tamarind and myrtle may not be found here, but the strong scents and oils in some of these foreign herbs may suit her purposes all the same. It's worth a try. Salt, she can find. At least there is always salt.

She is focused on her task and not particularly careful about disturbing crops grown by others. In fact, sometimes it looks like she purposely crosses over a garden patch when she could have just gone around, and as she steps through, vines continue to wither and reduce themselves to dark ash.

"Oh - were those yours?" she asks, with a hint of a smirk. Someone does not sound very apologetic.

3. Around/wildcard
Caedra is a creature of few habits and can be found most anywhere. Lounging at the beach with a notebook full of alien-looking script, digging through shops for what might be coffee or acceptable clothing, or applying temporary obscene markings to temple walls with her prestidigitation cantrip. Dicks, the gods are! Dicks for everyone!

She has no trouble getting between islands and can be seen either flying between them or sometimes teleporting at the closer points. Feel free to ask for a ride - but note that they come with a price.

Let's go with a Wildcard

[futurebullets]

"Hey...! Is anybody in here?"

No cashiers in sight, and weird things laying around... What kind of store is this, anyway?

That had been his thought as he wandered through the empty shop - or, maybe not quite as empty as he'd thought. It's the sound of rustling cloth that draws him towards the back of the store, eyebrows furrowed as he tries to make out the figure. The lighting isn't the best, but once he's finally close enough to the woman here, he can make out some of her features. "Oh- Are you... Is this store yours?"

Although it... looks like she's searching for things, so perhaps not.

orchard--

[fernbeleafer]

Aw, come on! Didn't I just enrich you yesterday? Why does this keep happening? That took the whole day!

These are the whiny ramblings of a druid who's been trying to patch up the orchard when she finds it wilted and dying. Her lamentations come at varying volumes and levels of frustration and finally culminate in her finding the end of this path, where Caedra stands.

It's only a moment for Keyleth to let her eyes follow the line of death up to Caedra's eyes, and another to process the smug question. She lets out one last puff of frustrated breath in a sigh and her shoulders slump with seeming defeat.

"No, but like. Would it kill you to go around them? I just spruced this place up yesterday!"

orchard

[possidetur]

The blackened vegetation seemed out of place in the orchard, Vanessa used to seeing the colours and life in the place. She followed the trail of it, eventually leading her to the woman.

At first, she would have believed that this woman was just picking some of the herbs but then she saw her walk, watching the vines wither as she went.

Oh dear. She had not expected this, nor come prepared. If she even knew how to prepare for this. But before Vanessa can do anything the woman speaks.

"No." Vanessa frowns, not quite certain what to say. She doesn't plan to mention the withering vines, just in case it provokes-- something. "Though I believe that the plants are for anyone to use."

Deputy Pratt || OTA

[theweakhavepurpose]

1. Time to Accessorize
Deputy Pratt should be a lot more alarmed that he's in a strange place and not the dark, dank room in Jacob's bunker where he'd been left to die. The last thing he remembers is Jacob telling him he was treasonous and that he'd been left in that room to rot. He's been sitting there, strapped to the chair for a few days now, listening to that speech on a loop and his subsequent screaming to not be left there that Jacob so helpfully recorded and now his mind is in shambles.

He woke up not in the chair, but on the ground, which is a relief for his joints which were starting to cramp up and shake. First order of business is to make sure he hasn't pissed himself in the past few days, or worse. But fortunately he also hasn't eaten in about a week, so no damage there. He laughs softly to himself as he gets up onto his hands and knees, never thought he'd be thankful for starvation.

Nearby is the sledgehammer that should have been used to break his legs, but Jacob hadn't done that. There'd been some hesitation on Jacob's part about leaving him there in the first place and Pratt half expected him to come back at some point. But that's in the past now, Jacob clearly isn't here. Unless this is some trial but there's not enough shooting or yelling and the song isn't playing. Shaking his head his hands close on the sledgehammer like it's a liferaft as he drowns. Next to it is the M60 that had been in the room with him, case missing, but carry handle, ammo bin, and support strap right next to it. He could do a lot of damage with that thing, but checking it, he doesn't have that much ammo, only two belts. Better to wait and see what around here might need shooting since he's finally coming to the realization that he has no idea where he is.

Maybe he's dead.

Is this purgatory?

He's frazzled enough to not actually think too far beyond that, sitting on the ground with a sledgehammer at his side and a machine gun at the other, picking up the various little sparkly bedazzler bits. He was a kid in the 90's he knows what these things are for, and if he's dead he'll do whatever the hell he wants with his time in purgatory.

Which is why he's got them all sorted between his legs, holding the canvas ammo bag from his machine gun and clamping away. There's no order to it, he's not making a pattern, but it is going to be the shiniest ammo bin ever. Humming to himself he methodically keeps picking up rhinestones and attaching them to the bag, again and again. The picture of sanity.

2. The Mighty Hunter
He's wandered away post Bedazzler session. Finally snapping out of the haze of confusion and now back to being a nervous wreck. Immediately set upon by kubutops his first instinct was to smash them to bits with his sledgehammer, which he's been doing valiently. Unfortunately their tough carapaces coupled with him having the arm strength of freshly cooked pasta, is not leading to a very effective hunting session.

Jacob is going to be so disappointed.

He has one trapped under the sledgehammer right now, it can't move, but Pratt also can't get his hammer back without it attacking him.

A little help would be appreciated.

[synthedick]

"Need a hand?"

Nick, having spotted this poor guy's dilemma from across the arena, heads over to help. While he doesn't have a hammer to crack the monsters' shells, his sword does a fine job of sliding between the plates, hitting them in the tender flesh beneath. He approaches the trapped creature from behind, shoving the blade into its neck.

"I tell ya, these things are a lot easier to deal with than mirelurks." And given the mirelurks back in the Commonwealth were bigger and sometimes radioactive, he's grateful for that.

2! and i'm sorry for him lmao

[aroundthecoroner]

Michael's out monster-hunting too, but for a vastly different reason. He's carrying an axe and what looks like a battered briefcase, safely bundled up in his jacket to keep off the usual chill and the occasional drizzle. So far he hasn't had much luck in his search. That is, until he spots Pratt and his unfortunate situation.

This is probably the point at which he should put that axe to work, but his first thought is nowhere near helpful, sorry Pratt.

"Oh thank god, a live one."

He shuffles quickly over to where the struggle is unfolding and drops his briefcase into the dust. Now that he's closer, it's possible to see the few silver studs he's bedazzled onto one side of the hem of his t-shirt, in no particular pattern. And apparently, for no particular reason.

"Can you, uh, can you hold it down for a few more seconds?" Michael pulls his phone out of his back pocket and is attempting to record video of the kabutops in action, crouching down to be more level with it.

Razzle dazzle yo

[abyssalarcana]

Caedra drifts through the creatures in the colosseum aimlessly, heart full of ire. She blasts a Kabutops through the head as it tries to close with her, perhaps not realizing that she is paying attention to her surroundings until it is too late. The bolt of darkness smashes through the soft underside of its jaw and disperses as it hits the shell with a wet crack, shattering flesh and cartilage within, but the beast's primitive neural system leaves it spasming and swiping at her still until she spins and puts her rapier straight through its torso. The necrosis rapidly spreads through its insides, and the thing slumps and falls - nearly right on top of one of the new folks.

Who, Caedra notes as she looks down at him, is sitting on the ground decorating his things, rather than trying to watch his surroundings. Did she... did she just save someone? Oops. Well, it was an accident, after all.

"What are you doing?" she asks, as if it's an accusation rather than a question.

1

[faithliss]

She's seen few things to harken her thoughts back to home. The world was different, upside down, and all wrong. There were no fields of perfect flowers, no angels to call on, no one with a face that brought her any relief. She was effectively alone, far from the family. It terrified her, it ate at her.

There are so many things to consider and all of them bring her a great deal of dread. Any possible answer to the questions she's facing now, no answer will give her peace. Joseph will think she's abandoned him if she's gone or, perhaps, she's somehow failed her duty and that... What one is worse? What one instills within her the most fear?

Either way, she's a disappointment.

It's when she spots Pratt, the deputy Jacob had taken, that some sense of dark, twisted relief settles in her. Each of the siblings held someone important, though John had failed and lost his life in the process. She knew just how much the Father had grieved.

"You seem out of it, deputy," Faith starts as she approaches. Was he dead? Were they dead? Is it possible Jacob had failed? She dreads the idea,"Are you all right?"

She's searching for something, answers. He's the only recognizable face in a crowd of strangers and he's the only one she can turn to for a hint of their situation with any trust, even if they don't trust one another at all.

Connor | OTA

[missiondeterminant]

[Colosseum]

[At first, he wonders if this is a twisted version of the Garden.

It would explain how he got here; if this is all in his head, then it doesn't matter that the last thing he remembers is listening to Markus announce his plans at the church. He could be there one moment, and here another, and it would make sense that the once beautiful and peaceful Garden would now be... This. After all, Amanda surely wouldn't be too happy with him.

But there's no Amanda here, and instead there are several people he's never seen before. And not just people but... Things that even Connor is somewhat surprised by, because seriously, what the hell?

He pushes himself up off the ground in time to dodge a swipe from one of the approaching creatures--monsters?--and put a bullet in it, which doesn't kill it but does make it reel back and think twice about attacking. That gives Connor enough time for a quick scan of the area, revealing that there are passages in the walls and that's where he needs to get to.

He won't ignore anyone who needs help as he makes his way to the outer walls of the arena, but he's not necessarily going out of his way to intervene either.]


[West Island - Cliffside | 10th]

[Connor had never seen the ocean before.

He'd seen videos, of course, and had a bunch of information about the ocean stored in his databanks, but he'd never actually seen it; he'd spent his entire three-month existence in Detroit, and most of that had been inside of a single building.

So even though this probably isn't one of Earth's oceans--because this probably isn't Earth--it's still a larger body of water than he's ever seen and it's mesmerizing. He watches it for awhile before deciding he wants to get closer, and realizes that this cliff doesn't drop straight into the water; there's a small strip of rocky beach at the base, about forty feet down, and that's his next intended destination.

Climbing down isn't too hard, although it does take some care not to slip or grab a loose rock. He makes it down to the beach easily enough, but it would be a bit of surprise to find someone else had also dared to climb down here too.]


[North Island - Guard HQ | 11th or so]

[After hearing about the Guard, Connor decided it was worth looking into. Actually getting to the island the headquarters was on was a bit of a challenge, though, and he'd considered just swimming until he'd found what looked like a very questionable kayak. He could deal with a kayak, and not having to worry about drowning made the experience of getting to the north island all together not too bad.

He's a little drenched but that's to be expected and doesn't bother him, and so he wanders into the Guard post to look around. Whoever is there gets a polite nod of a greeting and a question--]

Is this the Guard headquarters?


[West Island - Shops | 11th]

[After a trip back to the west island and the arena to look around, Connor has ended up with a bedazzler. He vaguely knows what they are, as a part of the cultural information programmed into him, but he's certainly never used one.

Until now.

If someone wanders into the wrong shop, they'll find him sitting in a corner and experimenting with the bedazzler on the sleeves of a jacket he'd found. One sleeve is covered in an elaborate geometric pattern, and the other--which he's working on now--may be getting a stylized dog face. Maybe.

This is also might be his first ever hobby.]


[[ooc: Please check out his permissions post here!]]

cliffside

[queenkiller]

[Having gone through with her plan to check out the colosseum regardless of the fact she couldn't get any paying work out of it like she attempted days ago, Hella is feeling somewhat somber after the strong reminder that she's been here a month. A month, alone and trapped, with no one from home but the Goddess of Death in her head to keep her company -- no patronizing paladins or meddling cartographers or bright-eyed rangers or... anyone else she knew, really.

She's been alone for stretches of time before. It's not that she's desperately lonely. She just feels... cornered. Shut off from everyone in ways more than she usually is.

So, she's climbed down to a secluded area of rocky beach and taken a seat on a boulder and is now just... watching the waves, the tide, listening to the rush of water on the beach. Thinking. It's nostalgic, though the rocky terrain is a little different than what she's used to. That just helps keep others away, though.

Until someone climbs down behind her. She watches him reach the bottom of the cliff face with some care and notes his foreign dress. Foreign to her, anyway. A lot of people dress strangely here, in her experience. She's still in her scale armor, since the monsters are likely to wander out of the colosseum now that the place is split up among these islands -- or so she's gathered, having only ever known Hadriel as an island city.]

Hey. If you were looking for a secluded beach, this one's taken.

[She's not about to kick him out, though. She doesn't really care if he stays or leaves.]

[Guard HQ because of course he's there]

[synthedick]

[With the move to the archipelago, Nick doesn't make it to the HQ everyday like he used to -- he's always a little leery about using the boats himself, since chances are high he'd sink like a stone if one capsized against the choppy waves. Some synths come standard with flotation devices, packets and bladders that fill with air in an attempt to keep most of the mechanical parts above the surface, but given how he's mostly rusted metal and exposed wiring under his synthetic skin, it's just better he doesn't test how water-tight he is these days.

Connor, thankfully, is lucky to wander into the Guard HQ on a day when he's in: Nick sits at his desk, the bulletin board with the patrol shifts still posted on the wall nearby, maps of the former streets having been covered by hand-drawn ones of the islands instead. As for Nick himself, he's busy working on another, something for those involved with Law's expedition to chart out what's beyond the city's reach -- the paper stretches across the surface of his desk, a jar with pens holding down one side while a coffee mug with a small succulent growing in it holds the other.]

You've come to the right place.

[He answers without looking up from his work. He's busy marking where the coast around the western island gets rocky, and would be too dangerous for boats to pull in -- a detail he doesn't expect Law needs, but one he figures ought to be on there regardless. Despite the fact his right hand has no synthetic skin left on it, the pencil held with only the bare metal, his lines are fairly precise.]

Can I help you with something?

cliffside

[abbatis]

[The high and sharp cliffs looming over the isolated beach area were dangerous. The surface was wet and slippery from the rain and the drops of the occasional surges of water brought by the wind. On top of that, the shape of the rocks weren't the most climb-friendly. Nothing impossible, of course, but still enough to turn most of people away as it clearly wasn't worth of the risk or trouble.

And that is why Edgar was there, nearly hanging off a cliff. His entire body leans outward, away from the cliff, and his gaze is focused on the sea, making him look like a sailor that is desperately searching for a land on top of mast. The main difference however is that instead of secure rope or web his whole weight is placed on one feet as he stand on top of a narrow rock while his hand is gripping on another. It's a dangerous position for anyone -- especially for a small child who's light body looks like it could be blown away by the wind any moment. But yet, there's no fear or worry on his face. He's perfectly calm and the expression he wears is distant, almost absent minded.

But his daydreaming is interrupted by the sounds coming from above him. Edgar turns his head away from the sea and looks up, hoping that there wont' be any rocks falling on him because that could actually be quite troublesome. However, to his surprise he sees another person climbing down the cliff.

Ahh, that sure is unexpected. Edgar shifts on his spot a little and follows the man with his eyes as he moves closer to him.]

Hello! [He shouts a greeting once they're close enough to each other.] Can't say I really expected to see anyone else up here. It's dangerous you know.

Hajime Hinata | Open

[futurebullets]

a) Colosseum

[Hinata wakes with a sense of wrongness that he can't quite place. He knows he's not in his cottage but on the cold hard ground outside, and the sky above is overcast when nearly every day at Jabberwock Island has been nothing but blaring sun - and yet, there's still something deeper than that. But he shakes it off as best he can and sits up with a groan. Distress swirling in his chest or no, laying around isn't going to help anything.

Perhaps he'll run into someone just as he's waking up and getting his bearings. Regardless, either with someone or on his own, he'll start to venture away from where he woke up... and freeze when he hears a strange noise. Hinata tilts his head, and- it takes several seconds for his brain to catch up with what he's seeing.]

Ha... Haha... [It can't quite be called a laugh; not with how broken it is, and the amount of hysteria lacing it.] What is this? This is some kind of dream, isn't it? There's no way this can be real.

[That thing... It looks like it came out of a video game or an anime. There's no way it could possibly-

It hisses. Moves towards him, and Hinata is suddenly very aware that its arms seem to be entirely comprised of blades. He has to go, go now. Don't think about it, just run!

He whirls to do just that with a gasp, and hears the sound of its footsteps behind him. Faster than he dared to hope. There's no more time for thinking.]

b) Outside

[Once that little encounter is said and done with, no matter how it turns out (or how alive he is afterwards), eventually Hinata will find himself out of the Colosseum. It might be hours or days later, but eventually he finds a bit of stone to sit on as he looks over the message detailed in the phone. Then once more, to make sure his eyes aren't deceiving him.]

...Do they really expect us to believe something as crazy as this? It's insane.

[Gods that can move around an entire city at will, and synthetic beings out to eliminate them because they consider emotions a "disease"? He's been witness to some bizarre things on the Island, but this is magical nonsense on the same level as Usami transforming a chicken into a cow. It can't be real. They must be screwing around with us. They have to be.

...Or are they, really? Hinata can't ignore the holes in his clothes, or the pain he'd felt from the wounds when he received them (and that he may be feeling still). There's no creature he knows that looks like the one that attacked him, that has blades for hands to slice up its prey.

He breathes out a harsh sigh as he pushes a hand through his hair.] ...Damn it. [He thought his world couldn't get any crazier, but then it did.] I don't know what to believe, but... I can't ignore this.

c) Bedazzlers

Is this thing for real?

[He gives the machine a flat stare as he looks at the scrap of cloth he'd used as a test, now adorned with a sparkly pink adornment.

It's sparkly. And pink. This is not as exciting of a development as it might've been for somebody else.]

This is so out of place... We've got a lot of bigger problems to be worried about, here. [It can't even fix the holes in his shirt, can it? Useless.] Why would someone just leave something like this lying around here?

d) Wildcard

((Have something else in mind? Feel free to throw it at me or hit me up at Yamadori if you want to plot something out first!))

B

[wantsnudes]

[It had become a familiar routine for Yusuke: new arrivals would come, and he would head for the colosseum and its general vicinity to fight off monsters, look for any familiar faces, and ensure people arrive safely. After the colosseum is secured and Yusuke heads back out into the city, however, he can't help but notice a boy around his age talking to himself. A new arrival, it would seem, judging by those lingering injuries.

He wanders over, speaking up once he's in his general vicinity.]

...Excuse me. Things may seem unbelievable right now, but it will go easier for you if you can try to accept matters as they stand.

[Which... is easier said than done, so he adds--] Do you have any questions? Perhaps I can help.

clinic mingle / ota

[dedikated]

The Clinic is a long standing institution in Hadriel, and not too far from the Colosseum, on the western island. Quickly constructed and somewhat bland signs point the way to the building, marking it as the place to come and be treated for whatever injuries you sustained from this month's chaos.

Though currently well-staffed, the nature of the city - now more than ever with the city divided among four islands - means that the organisation will never turn away a pair of helping hands, whether you're well acquainted with medicine or just want to learn. Or even if you just feel like finding them equipment from the shops. There's enough disasters in the city in any given month to warrant the extra supplies - even more so looking at this month's monstrous offerings. Hope you didn't get too cut up, but if you did, that's what this place is here for!

Whatever the case may be here, you're welcome to come talk to people. Just don't touch anything without washing your hands first.

Oh! Did you sail / teleport / swim to another island first? Don't worry, the clinic has you covered there too. Though there are no fixed bases on the other islands, staff are available to help if need be. Just specify where you are.

( open mingle for all clinic shenanigans. You know how it works, just post a top level below! Ask for help, ask to help, chat to the staff... please just note which island! )

Trafalgar Law - OPEN

[hot_mes]

[thanks to his ability, Law can travel to the clinic from his home just as easily as ever, so he actually spends a fair amount of time there. Which is why he keeps directing people who want to talk to him in person to find him there.

Much of what he does while visibly on the premises is mix medication - taking what little can ever be found in shops or wasn't destroyed in Null attacks and doing his best to analyze and manufacture more, make it more potent, or determine whether they have any of the natural resources to chemically produce more. It looks like backward alchemy, with his mortar and pestle, but it's all science.

But there's other things he's doing, and more frequently than not if he's writing in his notebook or has it open while he's working, he will deftly close it and tuck it away before anyone else can catch a glimpse. Shh it's a secret.]

Sharon da Silva | OTA

[fogsong]

I. OUTSIDE THE COLOSSEUM

[ Sharon escaped the Colosseum with relative ease, barely blinking at the strangers around her. Their panic and fear don't ignite a shred of empathy within her; the only thing that matters is that she gets out, that she's fine, everyone else is just.... They may as well be no different than the cultists within her former home, faceless nobodies who don't matter in the end.

The thought almost makes her sick but then something whispers: but it's true. And that trickle of guilt is snuffed out.

When she's far enough away, she stops, feet frozen as she comes to the realization that she hasn't a clue what to do next, where to go. Who to call. After a beat or two, she digs into the pockets of her bloodied vest to retrieve a cellphone not entirely dissimilar to Hadriel's own. She fumbles with it and holds it up to her ear, holding her breath.

She's met with silence. No dial tone, no ring, no familiar Leave a message in her father's cool, controlled tone. Her face twists in a matter of seconds and, in a momentary fit of rage, she throws it against a nearby building, watching it shatter. It's something she instantly regrets and can only let out a strangled, angry: ] Fuck!

II. OUTSIDE SOMEWHERE ANYWHERE

[ She knows where she is. How could she not? Everything may be different but it was all the same, really. It all tickled something in her brain, like walking the streets of Silent Hill. All familiar and all wrong and different. An experience she's had that she's never had, like she'd just read a book on it years ago.

Sharon walks slow, feet moving with no real purpose or destination in her mind. When she comes across someone, she'll look them in the face and study them unabashadly.

And she won't say a damn thing as she squints at them, either.

Sorry, she can be a little rude. ]

outside

[toiletseat_girl]

[George looks like a deer in headlights under Sharon's gaze. give her a minute, she's processing seeing her friend and crush again.

so she just blinks. blinks. and blinks some more.

another minute please. for more blinking.

that's enough blinking, she thinks.

and breaks out into a wide, disbelieving smile]

--holy shit, Sharon?!

Geralt of Rivia | OTA

[thanks_bunches]

C o l o s s e u m

If there was one thing Geralt absolutely hated, even more than the smell of Necrophage guts in his hair, it was portals.

The groggy feeling of having been transported somewhere against his will, swilled around inside his head like the aftermath of a heavy mead fuelled night. Everything about this just felt wrong. Almost immediately, Geralt squinted his cat-like, golden amber eyes, envoking his Witcher sense that allowed him to not only see things which would have otherwise been hidden but hear the faintest of sounds directly and obviously too. As bits and bobs began to pop out at him, Geralt started to talk to himself out loud.

His voice was low, a soothing octave if not a little gruff, much like his appearance as well, somewhat rough around the edges but easy on the eyes.

"Hmm, unfamiliar sounds, smells and tastes in the air. Dusty and dry, like a fostil or a room that's been boarded up for years. There was a commotion, scuffling, prints leading off in all directions."

Geralt turned to take a look around, making note of every small detail his eyes glanced over. The last thing he could recall was fighting off the Wild Hunt, protecting Ciri as she was about to be captured and taken through one of their portals. Ugh, that's right, there was a portal there during the battle, Geralt must have somehow been forced through it? No wonder he didn't recognize the terrain.

"Roach? Hmm, must have been left behind? Heh, always had been pusillanimous though could just of easily ran off instead."

Rambling to himself about his lackluster horse as he reached back behind his shoulders with one arm. His first and second fingers made a quick triangle shaped figure of eight and in an instant, a purple hued circle formed behind him, exactly where he wanted it to. The sign of Yrden had been made, a kind of magical trap that would dramatically reduce any and all movement made while within its circumference.

"Nobody ever told you it's unwise to try and creep up behind a Witcher?"

Turning, finally, to see who or what was behind him, Geralt seemed unphased yet he was ready to attack in the blink of an eye. One hand was already feeling back to pull forth one of his swords. Depending on who or what he had trapped, Geralt would need to use the right one of his two swords. Steel, for humans and Elves. Silver, for monsters.

[ ooc: feel free to have your character caught in Geralt's trap or stumble upon him capturing one of the Kabutops! ]

A r o u n d. C i t y

After some searching, tracking and a lot of walking, Geralt had managed to reunite with his missing and cowardly horse, Roach. Currently straddled over its strong back, the saddle bags that hung over each side seemed heavy-laden with items, supplies, sundries really. However, there was one strange thing dangling from a hook attached to a leather hoop which was tightly clipped to the saddle. A decapitated Griffin head of all things.

Witcher's had a tendency to keep such things not only as proof of a fulfilled contract, no, but as a sort of trophy too. The grim article bounced and swayed slightly as Roach lightly trotted along the path.

"Woah there, easy Roach."

He called, patting the side of the horses neck while giving a gentle tug with his other hand to the reins. Once steady, Geralt swung a leg over and slipped off the saddle to the ground. He wasn't overly keen on pushing himself and his horse too hard just yet, it was definitely time for a rest.

So there he was, just off to the side of the main path. Horse tied from a lengthy rope, anchored to a tree and the Witcher sat just a few feet away on bended knees, palms up with the back of his hands to his thighs, meditating to replenish his strength.

[ ooc: Feel free to meet him either while on horseback or later when meditating! ]

W i l d C a r d

[ Your pick! Got another starter? Or want Geralt to meet you in battle with monsters or something? Just let me know! ]

Around City

[outofthefire]

[there Laura is, minding her own business, when she turns a corner and sees a man. on a horse. with some kind of monster head on the saddle.

why her? really now, gods, why her? she hadn't been that bad in life. okay, yes she had been. why is it her eternal destiny to run into the weird ones? and isn't it close to new arrivals day? probably.

so she sighs, goes on up to the newcomer and says]

Nice horse. Though, you're gonna wish you could trade it in for a boat.

Faith Seed | OTA

[faithliss]

I. COLOSSEUM

[ Faith Seed sucks in a sudden breath as she comes to, confusion dominating her mind followed quickly with panic as the world around her settles into place. There was too much to take in: creatures, people, all in some strange vaguely greek colosseum. Her brain denies all this.

This isn't real. How... How could it be? It couldn't, that's what.

The blonde woman scrambles to her feet gracelessly as one of the creatures—no, monsters—approaches. She grips a bundle of flowers closely to her chest as if it were a shield and then simply closes her eyes, mouth moving in some silent prayer.

Or maybe she's just trying to desperately wish the situation away. It's not real, it's not real, it's not real. ]

II. STREETS

[ Faith cannot be certain whether or not any of this is real. She can think back on many times when she'd seen monsters, things that couldn't exist and didn't; at her lowest, she'd seen the worst things. The Father saved her from that, from seeing things that weren't real or there. Had she accidentally...?

No, no, she'd been sober since. No alcohol, no drugs. She cradles her crinkled flowers close to her chest, their scent calming. As she walks between buildings, feet bare, anyone she encounters will be greeted with some warmth, albeit somewhat hesitant. A dream or not. Dead or not. She's still Faith Seed. ]

Hello, excuse me. I'm looking for my family, can you help?

ii. streets

[circumitus]

[Shit, this was not how Rey wanted to spend her day. She knows people come through the Door from various points in their lives, some are more messed up than others. But this woman looks straight up out of it, she's not even wearing shoes.

[Despite being on her way home, she stops when the woman emerges from the alley. It would almost be ominous if not for the fact that she looks more like the one who needs help.

[Flowers, though... They don't look like anything from these islands.]

Your family? [She blinks.] Who are they?

[If this is a new fish, god help Rey for having to be the one to break the news.]

Peter Parker | OTA

[itsnotaonesie]

[Colosseum]

[It takes about five seconds after waking up for Spider-man over here to realize that he is absolutely 100% nowhere near where he should be right now, and just a couple more seconds after that to realize that he has something a little more pressing to worry about. Namely, the creepy looking...scythe-bugs? Whatever they are, they don't look too friendly. Things with arms made specifically for stabbing rarely are. Probably.

Far too frazzled and not even remotely in the mood to deal with This Shit right now, he aims both web shooters at the creatures and just sticks their asses to the ground without hesitation. So far it seems to be holding, despite their best efforts to cut themselves free with their freaky scythe arms. Get dunked on, scythe-bugs.]

Oookay, I guess this is a thing now..? Nice, that's... that's real nice.

[It's not nice.

It's kind of a step back from the whole fighting to save the universe thing, but that doesn't make it any less weird. It's pretty good for a distraction, though, and right now he's more than happy to have one. He quickly realizes that there are other people around dealing with even more of these creepy things, so rather than split for the exit or just climb one of the walls to safety he decides to hang around to help people out. Because that's what a good friendly neighborhood Spider-man does, he looks out for the little guy. Even if he's half using it as an excuse to ignore his own issues, still counts.]

[Shops]

[As comfortable as this fancyass top of the line Spider-man suit is, Peter can't really spend every waking moment wearing nothing but that. I mean, I guess he could, but he's not going to. That means it's time to track down the shops and grab himself some new threads. He has no idea what to expect from this place, so at least for the time being, he's making an effort to keep Peter Parker and Spider-man separate from each other. Thus, popping into a shop for something else to wear involves a lot of sneaking about and probably crawling around on ceilings, but some-fucking-how he manages to go unseen on his way in despite his brightass red and blue suit. That's spider magic. Or not, but hey.

He's quick to find something else to wear, along with a bag to cram his Spidey suit into, and he ducks between a couple racks of clothing to do just that. Yep, just. Stripping down to his boxers in the middle of a store. It's not exactly the most private place to change, but it beats changing in an alley, at least. Don't even ask how many times he's done that (too many).

See, normally he's a lot more aware of his surroundings, but trying to process recent events is taking up pretty much all of his brain power at the moment. If anyone comes into the shop after him, he's probably not going to notice. He's just hangin' out and changing clothes in the middle of a public place like a perfectly normal person. This is how Peter Parker makes a good first impression.]

Wildcard

[There's not a place that he wouldn't explore, this is YOLO country.]

Shops (i'm sorry, peter)

[knifecollecting]

[Jo tries to check in the shops pretty often. There's no promise of what stuff might show up and no guarantee that they won't need it later.

She scans the front of the shop before heading in. She can hear someone but she doesn't try to seek them out.

The last thing she expects is to turn a corner and find some guy in the middle of- well, she hopes he's getting dressed.

She clears her throat.]

...What are you doing?

Jill Valentine | OTA

[survivethis]

Arrival/Colosseum

Jill really doesn't like it when she wakes up in an unfamiliar place. Unfortunately, it wouldn't even be the first time this has happened to her. At least this time she wasn't waking up in a random cabin aboard a ship in the middle of the ocean. The last thing she remembers is going out a window and over the side of a cliff, so at least she wasn't dead, right? But where is this place? And how did she get here?

As she looks around, she can see that others appear as disoriented as herself. Jill picks herself up and dusts her hands off on her thighs, then checks to ensure she's still armed. Her pistol is there, so she takes it out of its holster and checks the clip. As expected, it's empty. She used those bullets on Wesker. The pistol is tucked away, but she still has her combat knife if she needs it, so that was a small comfort.

"Hey." Jill turns to the nearest person. "Where are we?" Someone has to know, right?

The City

Once out of the Colosseum, Jill took a look at the map she received and began to work her way around. Mostly, she went looking for major sites where she might find some help or some answers. As she wanders, she might be spotted in different areas, gravitating toward the biggest landmarks but sometimes exploring smaller areas of the town.

One location she goes for right away is the spot labeled City Guard. It's the closest thing this place probably has to a police force, and there, perhaps she'll find some way of contacting her own people back home. At least, that seemed like a good idea, until she reached the designated site and found that there was no City Guard HQ. Not anymore.

"What happened to this place?" The building was in ruins. The more Jill got around, the more she began to realize it's not just one building that's experienced an unfortunate fate.

Wildcard!

[Set how you'd like; pick your location]

City

[soldier_blade]

She wasn't actually on shift, not for another hour anyway. With the Door being open this time, shifts were focusing more on getting people to safety, so shifts were on double time. In the hour's worth of downtime, she was going through some of the shops, trying to scavenge anything of use-or some records to play at home.

That some of the buildings were still rambles was a shock to her, after the mass clean up some months ago. Perhaps it was only buildings of use though; the HQ for the guard was relocated after all. "Something called the Null. I wasn't here at the time, but they tried to 'help' this place, and saw the Guards as an obstacle."

Makoto | OTA

[nuclearpriestess]

[It had been simple enough to escape the arena. Despite the fact that her surroundings were not the metaverse, she had been able to change and call her Persona. On Johanna, it was easy to ride away from the creatures with scythe's for hands and whatever else was in the Coliseum. In being a Phantom Thief, the one thing she had learned was to always secure a speedy exit route before facing whatever threat there was.

The monsters didn't follow her though, and while she wasn't looking for a fight, that was deeply disappointing. She changed back into her normal clothes instead and started to walk through the city. She didn't wander far from the buildings, preferring to get her bearings before actually wandering into dangerous territory (forever the good girl type).

It was at the shops that she finally stopped to rest. There were enough people around for her to guess that they weren't all natives (and given the number of people in the arena with her, it was obvious how they got here.) Claiming a bench, she called out to the nearest person to her.]

Where exactly is this place? It's not Earth or Japan, but it's not the metaverse. Where are we?

[itsnotaonesie]

[This here bench also happens to be where ya boi Peter's decided to stop and take a break. It's a popular bench. He's too distracted by whatever he's fiddling with in his backpack to realize that someone else was totally here first, but he looks up when he hears someone speaking to him.]

Wuh?

[Well hang on a second. He glances around a little to see if she's maybe talking to someone else, but nope, he's the only one within chatting distance.]

Oh, um. Sorry, I just got here too, I'm still trying to figure all this out myself.

...Sorry, what's a metaverse?

Maeve Millay | OTA

[madambutterfly]

colosseum

[The amount of water is shocking. The air is shocking, a dampness to it that sticks in her lungs and to her skin, so vastly different from the arid deserts that Westworld created and deposited them in. Her blouse was not made for climes like these, though given the terrain her boots are a blessing. This world is cold, and dark, and comparatively formidable: at least in the park, she knew what to expect, how to control the hosts that might harm her, what to anticipate from the humans since everything fell apart.

Arm hooked through the strap of her firearm and wishing intently that her company was still present - Hector was preferred, but even Mr. Sizemore would be welcome - Maeve starts as another one of those horrifying creatures skitters out from under a ledge and without thinking she squeezes the trigger.

A speedy rapport and a smatter of automatic firing and it crumples: as if responding to the demise of a friend she can hear the others chittering in the shadows, and Maeve turns quickly, swearing, to put some distance between her and those things.]

Fuck-

shops, north island

[The adjustment period is swift by necessity, and Maeve is nothing if not adaptable to unfamiliar situations. She arranges housing, finds somewhere to hide her weapon - assuming that many residents of the scattered city would not take kindly to the suggested violence - gathers a new coat from a building that has seen better days.

Exploration is perfunctory, an assessment, a determination of resources. The architecture is unfamiliar to her but the place is lived in, churches scattered hither and yon to deities that are somehow present, and yet not. She likes that part the least.

More importantly, perhaps, is the similarity this one street holds to Sweetwater. Small shops with signs declaring their business line a paved road, everything tidy, interesting.

Intensely curious about those running the places - are they residents, or visitors? How long have they been there? Why? - Maeve ducks into numerous doorways with a friendly smile and a greeting.]

Hello, I’ve recently arrived.

shoreline, south island

[Thick rivers that cut through the sand, she has seen. Hypothetically - technically - she has seen larger bodies of water, a story that Mr. Sizemore wrote about a woman who crossed the ocean from abroad, left England for an unknown frontier before moving west. Here the water is dark, deep, and forbidding, not unlike the depths of the laboratories she has seen in lucid dreams, in consciousness.]

The shining sea.

[She says without thinking, and perhaps that is the greater issue, to speak without contemplation. Or is it better to react, knowing her mind is free? Knowing that they cannot control her here and that she is severed from their Core?

It doesn’t fucking matter, anyway.

A dark cloud curls overhead and she frowns, knowing the signs of incoming rain and idly commenting:]

...I suppose it was too much to ask to stay dry.

colosseum

[smoketendrils]

[Percy hears the rifle shot and it doubles his speed in a quiet, fuming rage, because he thinks for a second that it might be Ripley or one of her ilk that she gave and sold guns to. After only a month here, he hasn't seen enough guns to really face the true horror of firearms in various worlds, and that there was really nothing he could do to fix that. It would always happen.

But, for now, he's focused- so focused that he beats the skittering, chittering blade-armed beasts to her by mere moments, skidding out of the shadows to fire off a round from Bad News right into the beat's chest and drops it, but the woman he catches out of the corner of his eye (not Ripley, thank the gods) may well be on her way to fleeing, so he calls out before he can take another shot at the enraged beasts.] Wait!