Event Log: In the Eye of the Storm

[hadrielmods]

Who: All characters participating in the event
What: The event log for the In the Eye of the Storm event
Where: All over the world
When: September 7th-15th
Warnings: Seasickness, probably

It's cloudy most of the time on this planet, but halfway through the day, the clouds grow darker. The wind picks up, the waves start to grow, and for the first time the city starts to get more than a little sprinkling of rain. This is a storm, a real one, one that's going to last for more than just a day or two. You better tie down anything that might blow away, board up your windows, and stay away from the ocean.

There's a lot to worry about during this storm. The wind outside blows in gusts strong enough to knock you over if you're not careful, the rain will soak anyone in a matter of minutes, and there's a constant threat of lightning. Thunder rumbles regularly, making sleep difficult, and anyone too near the shore might get pulled in by the very large waves. Let's hope you didn't build a beachfront shack.

As for those on the sea - it's no easier for them, and maybe even harder. Hadriel's brave explorers will find themselves battered by wind and rain and waves, with no safe harbor to be found. Masts might break, hulls might crack, and your supplies - or your crew - might end up overboard. Good luck, hope those swimming lessons went well!

► This log covers September 7th-15th.
► 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 washed out to sea, please let us know here.

Comments

ABSOLUTE HELL, closed to his housemates! cw for the world's worst puberty talk

[hellosirs]

[ The last few weeks have been pretty rough for Angus. Being home alone had been fine, being stranded in an empty city with two other people for company - one of which killed the other - had been... less than fine, and on top of that, as of this month, he's been stuck in Hadriel for a year. It's one hell of an anniversary, and one that has been weighing on his mind quite a bit. He's twelve now, no matter how much he tries to brush off the time spent in this weird pocket dimension as 'not counting', and getting out of here seems more difficult than ever.

He hasn't mentioned this to the others, but they've probably seen him moping around the house. At some point, after they'd returned from their boat trip, the twins had noticed that Angus was even beginning to outgrow his clothes, and had shared a Significant Look between themselves. Normally, a Look like that would have made Angus instantly suspicious and put him on high alert for potential shenanigans, but he's had a lot on his mind lately. Right now, he's curled up in a chair by the living room window, watching the torrential downpour outside.

By the end of the conversation that's about to happen, he's going to wish that the rest of his family was still out at sea, stormy weather be damned. ]

[restinglichface]

[The time has come.

Angus - poor, sweet Angus - is curled up by the living room window when Lup comes to sit next to him unexpectedly, two mugs of hot cocoa in hand. She's really gone all out on this cocoa - heaping whipped cream, chocolate shavings, even some colorful sprinkles along the mug's rim.

But having lived with the twins for a full year now, this sweet act probably just leaves Angus wondering why. Not that they don't do nice things for the kid every now and then, Lup especially, but this coming so out of the blue probably just makes the elf seem extra suspicious.]

You watching the storm, kiddo?

[hellosirs]

[ Later on, Angus will think back on this and realize that he should've taken off running the moment he noticed the extra sprinkles. The cocoa does raise his suspicions, but not in the sense that he assumes something dreadful is about to happen... instead, he just figures that Lup must have already done something, like spilled a drink on his Caleb Cleveland book, or dropped his magnifying glass and cracked the lens, and is trying to pre-emptively make it up to him before she drops the bad news.

He sits up, curious gaze searching her expression, and takes the drink anyway because... hell, it's wet and miserable outside, and a good day for cocoa, crimes nonwithstanding. ]

Y-yeah, it's a doozy out there. Thank you for the drink! [ Being suspicious is no reason to stop being polite... unless the damage to Caleb Cleveland is unfixable. ] What's the occasion?

[restinglichface]

[That was one time, Angus. Forgive her already!]

Sure thing, sweetheart. I thought you could use it. [Considering the awkward conversation Lup expects to follow, the elf looks absolutely relaxed as she perches on the oversized chair's arm, one lanky limb thrown over the back cushions where Angus is curled up beside her. It seems like a surprisingly sweet gesture, something to show how close they've gotten, how much Lup's come to care for the boy. How significant a part he plays in this little family of theirs.

But real soon it's going to look like she's boxing him in instead.]

So. [The elf balances her own mug on her thigh, smile not breaking in the slightest as she stares the preteen down.] 'Bout time we talked about your junk changin', huh?

[hellosirs]

[ He will forgive, but he will never forget!

Angus has chosen the exact worst moment to take a sip of that hot chocolate; he manages to choke on the drink, burn the hell out of his entire mouth, and almost shoot cocoa out his nose all at the same time.

Eventually, after about thirty seconds of agonized, doubled-over coughing, he manages to sit up again and stare at Lup in absolute horror. ]

What?!

[restinglichface]

[Angus chokes on his cocoa, looking absolutely shocked and horrified by what he's just been asked, but Lup only smiles in that way that says she thinks she's all knowing, like it's exactly what she expected of him.

And no manner of reaction is going to put her off from finishing this conversation.

But at least she has the sense to pluck the mug from Angus' hands while he's a spilling hazard, holding it out so he can catch his breath. Too bad she doesn't have the sense to stop talking and just let him live.]

Y'know. Puberty. All that stuff downstairs must be starting to change, yeah?

[hellosirs]

Lup!

[ It comes out as an indignant, horrified screech, and ironically, his voice cracks in the middle of it. Angus goes bright red and snatches his drink back from her, focusing on it so he can avoid eye contact. ]

Th-that's... that's not... That's none of your--!

[ AND THEN, THE HORRIBLE REALIZATION SLOWLY DAWNS... ]

Ohmygod are you trying to give me "The Talk?" Is... is that what's happening?!

[restinglichface]

[There's no hiding the quirk of her eyebrows when Angus' voice cracks, her smile curling just slightly in a very 'I told you so' kinda look.

But then she's just slipping an arm around the boy's shoulders, keeping him here with her, casually blocking off those exit routes she has a feeling he'll make a beeline for. Though it's probably his own defense reaction, it reminds Lup so much of Taako i's almost amusing. He'd absolutely be doing the same exact thing.]

I'd get comfy if I were you, pumpkin. We've got us a big, ol', embarrassing talk to have.

[hellosirs]

[ Is he in hell? The weather outside would suggest otherwise, but, no, Angus is pretty sure that this is hell.

He takes a deep sip of the cocoa, and uses the mug to hide most of his face as his eyes dart around the room, looking for escape routes. The windows? No, those have been boarded up, and in any case, it's storming outside. The living room door? Possible, but Lup is faster than him, and has longer reach. He needs to do something to stop this from happening, and Lup has backed him into a corner. A few plans come to mind, but he'll try the simplest approach first. ]

Wh-what makes you think I haven't already had it? I already know this stuff, this is unnecessary.

[ Gods, if he weren't so embarrassed, he'd be able to pull off a better lie. He hasn't had The Talk; between an ailing, possibly senile grandfather, uninterested actual father, and a number of police chiefs who would rather have leapt out a window than get involved, it had never come up. Angus had just planned to do some reading at the library if it ever became a problem. ]

[restinglichface]

[With Lup, the simplest approach is always best, though there are always limits. If she's really set her mind to something, if she's feeling particularly stubborn, sometimes it's best to just wait her enthusiasm out and play dead. Which may be Angus' only option at this point.]

That so? [The look she shoots him, mouth bunching up to the right in amusement, seems to suggest she doesn't take his bluff.] Guess I'm a little late, huh. Didn't realize I was speaking with a puberty expert.

[Oh, this is already going beautifully. She really is the best aunt ever.]

If you're such a pro though, maybe I should ask you the questions.

[barold]

[Since returning from their trip at sea and boarding up the place against the storm that rolled in alongside them, the adults of the house all decided in hushed voices that they should probably have a talk with Angus. Not just any talk, The talk. The big one. Between his moping and his growth spurt, it seems pretty obvious what’s going on with him.

Fortunately, he’s surrounded by adults both capable and knowledgeable, equipped to tell him what’s happening to his body and answer any questions he might have.

Unfortunately, they happen to be the adults. Possibly the worst people in the multiverse to give this talk to a growing young man.

Take Barry, for instance. He’s dropping down heavily into the chair next to Angus, eyes deliberately not meeting the young man’s, instead flipping through several loose leaf pages he’s carrying with him, looking like he's searching for something. It goes on for a while before he clears his throat.] So, uh. I’ve scoured th’lab and gathered some resources I think might be pertinent t’you right now. If you’re. Interested.

[hellosirs]

[ Barry is usually pretty easy to read. He isn't performative and cagey like Taako and Lup are (well, Lup less so), and he gets flustered easily, which means that there are always lots of subtle signals and nervous tics for Angus to pick up on. He doesn't have to be a detective to see that everything about Barry right now is screaming 'nervous reluctance', but for the life of him, Angus can't figure out why.

When Barry speaks up, that only adds to the confusion. Angus officially has no idea what's going on here. The lab? When was the last time he visited the lab? Why would anything in the lab be relevant to him in particular, right this moment? ]

Um... pertinent in what context, exactly?

[ Since Barry isn't looking at him, Angus leans over and tries to sneak a peek at the notes. ]

[barold]

[Still not meeting Angus’ gaze, Barry just frowns and adjusts his glasses, suddenly extremely interested in a passage written on one of the pages.]

Well...

[He clears his throat again. Then a third time. It really is unfortunate that his throat chose this moment in particular to be full of sand.] In light of recent… changes. I thought. You might like some… reading material. Just. Just as a precaution.

[He hands a small stack of papers to Angus then, about a third of all the notes he brought. It’s all written in fairly dry, convoluted Science Speak, with lots of chemical and anatomical terms that would make most boys’ eyes glaze over. Although Angus will probably know exactly what’s up when he sees the terms “puberty”, “pubic hair”, and “enlargement of testicles and scrotum”. H-Have fun.]

[hellosirs]

[ Angus's suspicion increases tenfold, because three throat-clearings in one go is never a good sign, but hey, at least he's actually getting to look at some of the notes! It's always better when people give up information voluntarily, and he doesn't have to snoop. It makes his job easier.

His eyes skim the papers, eyebrows furrowed behind the huge round glasses. He's... pretty good at understanding technical jargon, but this is a little out of his wheelhouse, and it still doesn't explain why Barry's being so--

... Oh. Oh.

Oh dear god.

He doesn't say anything, but Barry can probably tell the exact moment Angus comes across those words, because he goes absolutely scarlet and makes a strangled little "eep!" noise. It takes a while, but when he finally speaks up again, it's in the carefully polite, neutral tones of someone who is screaming internally. ]

... Am I right in thinking that neither of us want to have this conversation, sir? I can... I can just take the paperwork and go, and we'll never have to speak about it again. How about I do that? That sounds like a good idea.

[ HE'S ALREADY GETTING UP, TIME FOR ESCAPE MANEUVER ALPHA ]

[barold]

[Barry is. not. of strong enough spirit to stop Angus should he really truly honestly want to leave. He gets it. Gods, does he get it.

But he also knows this is important - on way more levels than his own personal comfort. So as soon as Angus starts shuffling to leave his seat, Barry puts his arm out, clears his throat a final time, trying to summon all the courage and authority he can muster and bar the boy from running away.]

… I know y’don’t wanna do this. Alright? I’d rather not do it either. But… as much as y’can try readin’ your way through this, piecing things together on yer own, I think it’s way more important y’hear it from someone else.

[Barry may be as red in the face as Angus is right now, but when their eyes meet through their glasses and shared embarrassment, his expression is serious. Like a teacher. Like an adult, more than a friend.]

Please, Angus. Sit back down.

[hellosirs]

[ The thing is, people don't usually try to be the Responsible Adult with Angus. He's more responsible and mature than half the adults he knows, and while those adults do generally treat him like a kid, it's in more of a teasing-older-sibling way than anything really authoritative. Gods, the last person who tried to Adult him had probably been The Director, or maybe his Grandpa...

... In fact, it's been so long since Angus has been Adulted that Barry's unexpected approach throws him off completely, and he reluctantly sinks back down in the chair with the expression of a kid who knows he won't be able to sneak out of detention now that the teacher is watching. ]

I'm really good at piecing things together, though. That's my whole thing, it's in the job description.

[pocketspa]

[It's kinda been a lot.

There's lots of times where Hadriel is slow; where they sit around, the twins whip up a meal, someone's screaming on the network about something. It's boring. As mundane as a house full of all of them can get. But sometimes its just heavy. Taako hadn't pressed Angus for details about what happened while they were gone- he can handle being alone. But he knows anniversaries. Knows that Angus has been with them for some time now. More than the elves, his changes are incredibly apparent, and Taako already knows he's going to be burning slots left and right in the next week to make sure all his clothes are wearable. If they were home, he'd take the opportunity to dress him a little better, but times are tough and he'll just have to allow Angus to be a nerd for a little longer.

That said, they've all had a Discussion. About what this means, and what needs to be Said. Taako thinks most of what they've picked to discuss is bullshit, and he absolutely knows how to do it best, so get out of his way, suckers.

He slides up behind Angus' chair, putting his hands on the back of it and peering over the top down to the boy below.]

So, starting your teen brooding sesh early? I know you're an overachiever, kid, but damn.

[hellosirs]

[ Angus blinks and tilts his head back to stare up at Taako, grimacing slightly as some of the elf's hair gets in his face. The look he gives him is deadpan and dry as the sahara desert, because he is absolutely not brooding, thankyouverymuch. ]

I'm not a teenager yet, sir. I'm twelve, that's preteen at best. And I'm not even brooding, I'm just watching the rain.

[ RUDE. ]

[pocketspa]

[Aww, he's still mad. It's kind of adorable.]

Buddy, I'm the master of moody window looks, I know what's up.

[He'll slide around it so he can settle on the arm Angus isn't leaning on, still looking like a weirdly large cat.]

Yoooooou look like you have something on your mind. And because I'm Taako, master of knowing shit, I bet I know exactly what it is. And double lucky, I am here and prepared for all of your weird questions.

[... Taako, somehow, that'll probably make him lose confidence that you actually know what you're talking about.]

[hellosirs]

[ He settles back into the chair, staring at Taako as if he's started growing broccoli from his ears. ]

That's... um, that's strangely nice of you, except I don't have any questions, weird or otherwise? I, I mean, it is what it is, right?

[ As nice as the offer is, Angus can't see how Taako would have any sudden, new insight on being trapped in a pocket dimension by turbo-liches for a year, or on dealing with the fallout of discovering that one of your camping buddies had killed the other camping buddy and eaten her soul. ]

[pocketspa]

[Aww, yes, the sweet Angus look that just proves he has no fucking idea what's about to happen here.]

Yeah, I mean, growing up is never super easy. Buuuut, you're lucky in that you have a super experienced mentor in all things dating and dealing with changes in your body. Trust me, Ango, I'm a master at all this.

[With a little wink. See, look! He's here to help! This could never go wrong in any way.]

[hellosirs]

Ohhhh my god.

[ Angus slumps down in the chair with a pained groan and buries his face in his hands. Why! Why this! Why is this his life!!

... Weirdly enough, Taako has had the best approach so far, but also why!! ]

Sir, can. Can we not do this. Is there any chance that we could just not have this conversation?

[pocketspa]

[That's because he has confidence, unfortunately. This isn't weird at all, just normal, stop freaking out.]

Nnnnnnnnope! Ango, what kind of wizard mentor would I be if I didn't go over wizard puberty? It's like, super important. Introducing magic to the growin' up mix is super specific.

[... It may also be 90% a gag. Damnit, Taako.]

[hellosirs]

[ It takes a second, but eventually Angus peeks out at Taako from between his fingers. He has the wary look of someone who strongly suspects that they're being goofed on, but isn't knowledgeable enough about the subject at hand to know for sure. ]

That doesn't even make sense. Magic is something you learn, that's like saying that studying math affects your growth.

[pocketspa]

[Taako is still just smiling sweetly, blinking his eyelashes a bit. Come on, Angus. He's your smart magic uncle. Come ooooon.]

Uh, Ango, I'm a transmutation wizard? That affects the body. And studying math does affect your growth. Your brain growth. So take that little dude.

[He's not stopping on this, so good luck buddy.]

Magic involves the channeling of great power through your body. Of course if you start learnin' young you get wizard puberty. It happens, but like I said, I am the most helpful man in the world, so I'm here to help.