Intro Log: Please Remove Metal From Luggage

[hadrielmods]

Who: New arrivals and everyone else!
What: The intro log for August
Where: The colosseum and all around the city.
When: August 10th-13th
Warnings: New folks, metal falling apart, fun stuff

As you wake up on the sand of the colosseum, gazing up at cloudy gray skies, you might wonder what you're doing here. Where are you? How did you get here? You'll figure it all out soon enough, so try to clamp down on that rising panic, or you just might end up in a dangerous situation.

Because, of course, you're not the only thing that arrived. The Door has also chosen to pull in some rust monsters. These monsters may look a bit like insects, but they're much larger, with a rather vicious bite. You can fight them, but be careful - anything metal that touches them instantly begins to corrode. Your sword, a bullet from your gun, even your robot friend. Might want to keep a little distance.

And that's not all. Scattered across the ground of the colosseum can be found a variety of unique and delightful musical instruments. If you're the musical sort, maybe you can figure out how to play one - or maybe you already know. Hopefully no rust monster has wandered too close to the one you want to try, or you might find that it's missing important metal bits.

Once you've found a way to express the song in your heart, feel free to leave whatever bit of safety you've found. 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 August 10th-13th.
► 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

[onlyanautomaton]

Oscar can't help feeling surprised by the suggestion that they use the blade for its intended purpose. They have the creature right where they need it, ready for capture.

"It can only escape through the other side, Nick Valentine," he answers quietly.

One of the animal's limbs reaches through the crack in the wall, evidently hoping to find him on the other side. Oscar reflexively backs away another step, oblivious to the rapid spread of rust that is well on its way to forming beneath his chest plate.

[synthedick]

Capture it is. Nick's not usually one to advocate violence, but when they're talking about something that came through the Door with the newcomers, a peaceful resolution is probably off the table. However, after the deathclaw disarmed him -- literally -- he's not about to take chances with letting monsters roam.

"All right." He puts his faith in Oscar for now, hoping that capturing this thing rather than putting it down is the right call. He's not so sure about that when the segmented limb comes darting through the crack in the wall, trying to reach both of them. Oscar backs away quicker than Nick -- it manages to barely graze his hand, but hasn't made it through the crevice proper.

Yet. Better not waste any more time. Nick looks to the roof -- not in the best of shape, particularly near the entrance. If they can get up there and shove a piece of the parapet down, maybe they can block the door enough that whatever is on the other side of that wall can't get out. The problem is getting up there, as neither of them is exactly light, or in the best of shape for climbing.

He'd look for something else, but the critter tries again at the crack, and harder this time; Nick hears stones shifting as he desperately claws at the wall, trying to get to them. They don't have a lot of time to deliberate. The building isn't that tall, and he's the one with the weapon -- better Oscar up there than him.

"You think you can get to the roof if I give you a boost? Maybe knock a chunk of the edge off and in front of the way in?"

[onlyanautomaton]

"It should not be difficult, Mr. Valentine."

He has no objection to the plan other than his designated role in it; he would prefer to be the one to remain behind in his mechanical friend's place in case the creature turns to leave through the entrance before it has been blocked. Oscar notes that its current actions indicate that a sudden escape which cannot be prevented is unlikely for the time being. But every moment of indecision sees their probability of success decrease; they both know there is no time to debate the matter further.

"There." He points at a rounded corner of the building that is relatively close to where they are standing and moves over to it at once, studying its structure intently. The jagged stonework protruding at odd angles from the upper section of the wall should make for a favorable set of footholds; they ought to bear the weight of his steel body just long enough for him to assert a stable grip on the roof's ledge.

He turns to face Mr. Valentine again.

"If the creature breaks free, I will do what I can to draw its attention."

[synthedick]

Oscar privately objects to being the one placed in relative safety, and Nick would do the same if it were him getting on the roof. They really are a self-sacrificing pair, unfortunately.

"If all else fails, we'll scrap the capture and go with plan B," he remarks, putting his hands together to prepare to give Oscar a boost. It's as he clasps them that he catches sight of a ruddy patch along the metal of his fingers, trailing downward toward his wrist. Nick brings his hand before him, nearly straightening up again in alarm. He tightened the screws on those digits just yesterday, and there wasn't a spot of rust on them; now, they look like they've been out in the rain for months, the coloration spreading millimeter by millimeter as he watches.

"The hell...?"

[onlyanautomaton]

He silently affirms that there will be no need for 'Plan B'.

Oscar looks on in mild confusion as Mr. Valentine proceeds to falter in his movements before raising his hand closer to his face. He stops short of telling him to hurry once he becomes aware that his friend appears to be inspecting the exposed metal frame itself. He notices then that a part of the hand is severely corroded.

"What happened to your hand?" He keeps his voice low, not wishing to agitate the creature, but his concern is apparent. Continuous observation over a small number of seconds makes him realize that the rust is spreading at an impossible rate. He stares at it in growing alarm.

[synthedick]

"Hell if I know," Nick cuts back through his teeth, his brow knitting, apprehension spreading across him as readily as the rust. The color is both vibrant and terrible to an mechanical being like himself, just about matching the corrosion he'd spotted earlier on Osc—

His eyes flick to his constructed companion, back to that corroded patch obscured by his jacket. Not a minute ago, the creature had barely grazed his hand -- and Oscar might have been running from it for a while. It's the most obvious common denominator. "Did that thing in there get a hold of you at any point?" he asks, his voice low, but tone urgent.