hadriel_logs | Intro Log: Puddle Jumpers

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Intro Log: Puddle Jumpers

Who: New arrivals and everyone else!
What: The intro log for September
Where: The colosseum and all around the city.
When: September 10th-13th
Warnings: Fresh meat, lots of rain and angry ogres

If the rain on your face isn't enough to wake you up in the colosseum, maybe the thundering footsteps and- well, thunder- is. The first thing that you may notice is that it's incredibly wet around here, with winds that could knock you over if you aren't careful and thunder that brings with it a torrent of constant rainfall.

That's all fine though, because the gods saw fit to help you out on your way in and now everyone will be waking up wearing a rain coat! These coats are a little odd, and some of them are downright silly, but we trust that you'll make do. Of course, a few of the raincoats have additional sleeves, neck holes, and entirely too many buttons as well- but hey, it's the best we could do.

Wait, what was that about thundering footsteps? Oh right, as you're navigating your new fashion choices, there are some monsters afoot who will want nothing more than to grind you into a pulp and eat you- well, if you're organic, that is. If you're not organic, then they still want to grind you to a pulp, but maybe not so much the eating part.

Ogres are from many fantasy stories, but these in particular are from the Dragon Age series. With incredible strength and stamina and massive horns, fangs, and a bloodlust for violence, these monsters won't stop until everyone around them is a blood smear on the ground. They're also not too happy about this rainfall either, so be careful not to slip in the puddles as you run away from them!

Once you've splashed around a bit, feel free to run off into the stormy abyss of our islands. 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 September 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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Drake takes his hand again, even though it's armored, just to reassure himself that this is real. He jerks his chin at the helmet, though -- it's alright, it's not a long walk and the armor will come right back off once they get inside. ]

I'll catch you up, promise. You might wanna put your helmet on to get through the storm, it's even worse than it was this morning.

[ He manages a tiny smile, then, squeezing enough to be felt through the armored glove. ]

Kind of a good excuse not to leave home for awhile, actually.

[ Ephemera nods. The storm is pretty bad and his HUD has all sorts of tricks to help him see. GPS, motion tracking, the works. It's unlikely anything will attack them this close to the city - or at least part of the city - but he wants to be sure. ]

Has it been like this for a while?

[ He pulls his helmet on, letting his HUD scan the area. No movement so far. ]

A few days.

[ With his free hand he points through the rain at a spire in the distance, shouting to be heard over the wind. ]

That's ours. Everything's moved around, but you'll catch on.

[ Drake doesn't seem worried about being attacked on the way home, knowing most of this month's monsters have already being dispatched. Because he helped with that. If any escaped before he arrived, they're nowhere to be seen right now and they make it to the spire uneventfully. The only challenge to face is the stairs, all eight flights, but when they get up to the apartment they used to share Ephemera will see it's largely unchanged.

It's much tidier -- the painting supplies and dropcloths long since tucked away -- but all the murals are just as they were. Ephemera's sketchbooks are in a neat stack now, on one of the end tables in the living room as if they're frequently flipped through. Drake's reaper window boxes are on the floor by the windows to protect them from the storm.

He closes the door and leans down to get out of his boots before going to dry off. ]

I didn't want to move... held on to your clothes, too.

[ The trip up the stairs is largely silent. The weather rages on outside, making Ephemera wonder exactly how long the storm has been battering Hadriel and how, exactly, the city has managed to be split into islands when previously it was a single whole. It should be impossible but isn't, in this place.

The questions slip away when they get inside. Ephemera removes his helmet slowly, turning in a circle to scan the apartment. It's the window boxes that catch his attention first and he knees down for a better look, pulling off a gauntlet so he can touch one.

He swallows hard. Looks back to Drake. ]

How long have I been gone?

[ The plants are grown and fruiting, tiny bright red peppers sprouting off the vine. Drake gets his second boot off and grimaces at the puddle under him, wanting to go for a towel at least but... then Ephemera asks how long it's been and he just shifts his weight instead, jaw working. ]

A hundred and thirty eight days.

[ He seems certain, just knows off the top of his head. ]

[ Ephemera touches the peppers with his finger, gently as he can. They talked about growing peppers, once. And now it's happening. Drake did that. Got the plants together and took care of them enough that they're starting to grow for real. Ephemera wants to get his sketchbook and draw it out, maybe grab some paints and try to get the colors down. But like before, that thought fades, replaced by something far closer to the surface.

He asks a question. Drake answers.

Ephemera bows his head, rubbing his hand over his good eye. ]

I don't remember.

[ It's said quietly. He ought to remember being gone. ]

I'm. I'm sorry.

[ Okay, fuck the puddle, Drake crosses the living room still dripping -- he'll mop later, this is more important. ]

No. Don't, please. Nobody can control leaving and nobody remembers, it's not your fault.

[ But it seems like exactly what he was afraid of is what happened. Ephemera didn't remember. Not this place, not him, not making nice with Wash. He went back and was just Sharkface again, didn't stop the fight like they'd planned, and... fuck. His voice shakes a little when he speaks again, sounding less steady than Ephemera's ever heard him. But he's gone 138 days without ever completely letting his guard down, and it's worn him thin and raw. ]

You remember now. Right?

[ Ephemera rises uneasily, rubbing at his eye, and reaching for Drake all at once. It's uncoordinated, clumsy, but he just wants to fucking touch him. Hold him. Ephemera puts his hand on Drake's arm, gentle as he can. Have to be careful of the armor, Ephemera thinks. Have to be careful. Drake's stronger than most but he's not invulnerable. He can still hurt. Is hurting, currently. ]

I remember.

[ It's said firmly. There's no question about that. There never was. ]

What'd you need?

[ Ephemera desperately wants to make this better, somehow. Make it right. He's not certain that's possible, but he wants badly to try. ]

[ What did he need? His best friend, he thinks. His partner. But this place had taken him, and then it kept taking, and he didn't think he'd get it back and now he's just feeling wrung out. Overwhelmed by being hopeful and scared and relieved and happy all at once. It'll be okay, he just has to take it one question at a time. ]

Someone I could trust, I guess? Lup always stuck with me. Nick came through every time. I think I dumped on Lance, at first, before trying to dial that back. Tucker got it. I didn't... I wasn't alone, and that was usually enough.

[ Ephemera was alone, though. That wasn't the plan. But they're not talking about that because neither of them are going to go back to that. They'll find another way, the door pieces are getting collected and they'll figure it out. This won't happen again, it can't.

What does he need now? This, basically. Ephemera's grip on his arm and voice in his ears instead of his head. He breathes out, tries to smile but that's shaky, too. ]

Get all this off, man, I'll dry off and grab you some clothes. Then we can just... sit for a minute, before I tell anybody. I want you to myself for a minute.

[ Ephemera closes his good eye, trying to control his breathing. Just be calm, be steady. It feels awful and wrong that this happened to Drake and Ephemera didn't even know. But there's no point in getting stuck on that. It's over, done with, and this is now. Focus on the now, Ephemera reminds himself. And breathe. Just breathe. Count on the exhale. There you go.

Breathe. ]

Okay. I can do that.

[ One thing at a time. But first...

Ephemera swallows, then reaches out to cup Drake's face in his hands. ]

Can I kiss you? Please?

[ He didn't want Ephemera to feel bad about any of this, because it really wasn't his fault, but the fact is... yeah, he's been struggling. And it's horrible to know what Ephemera went back to, that everything they were trying to prevent happened anyway. Does this count as a third chance? Maybe.

He's turning to go get them towels and dry clothes when Ephemera reaches for him, and the armored gloves are cold on his face. He goes still, remembering. Nods slightly, and realizes after a moment that he's holding his breath. ]

Yeah. You always can.

[ He should have done that already, honestly, he's just.... very overwhelmed, and still trying to hold his shit together. At least for the moment. ]

[ Ephemera feels his shoulders drop. It's okay. He can do this, at least. ]

Thank you.

[ He tips his head and kisses Drake softly, and with great care. ]

[ That'll never not strike him as weird, when Ephemera thanks him for things that he wanted anyway. Like it's some favor, when it isn't, but he doesn't have the time or even really desire to call it out. Or to lighten the mood with a wry 'you're welcome?' Because then he's being kissed, and it's not like he even really had a dry spell the past few months, but it's different. It's more.

It drags on, gentle and warm and real, and when it breaks he takes another shuddering breath, feeling himself uncoil just a little. ]

...I missed you so much.

[ I can tell, Ephemera thinks. He doesn't say it, touching Drake's face carefully. ]

I'm here now. I've got your back.

[ Apparently, that was pretty close to the perfect thing to say. The tension in Drake's shoulders eases a little more and he smiles. It's not quite as broad and easy as it used to be, but they'll get there. ]

Never doubted that. You always have. But I'm freezing, come on.

[ He can't actually duct tape the other man to his side for reassurance, they've gotta function, but he'll indulge himself a little longer and snag Ephemera's hand as he pulls away to drag him to change. Dry clothes, he wants them, let's go. ]

I'm coming, I'm coming.

[ Honestly, dry clothes sound amazing right about now. Ephemera wants out of his armor, out of the survival suit. They change quickly. No need to linger.

Ephemera hesitates before pulling the borrowed shirt on. His chest is a mess of bruises and magically healed wounds. ]

I'm okay. Really. It's sore, but I'm okay.

[ If his priority wasn't Ephemera right now, Drake would be showering both to warm up and fully wash off the ogre blood and dirt. The rain did rinse most of it off, at least -- he feels a little grimy but it can wait. And then it's hard to not focus on the injuries before Ephemera covers them back up. Shit.

He does smile a little at the fact that Ephemera reassures him before he can even ask, but it's fleeting. Drake sits on the edge of the bed, haphazardly toweling his wet hair and patting the spot beside him. ]

Are you, though? I don't mean physically. Yeah, you'll heal, but I know how that... do you remember it?

[ And is it going to set him back? He seems okay, but it could just be shock and remembering that trauma might be a problem considering Washington and Carolina are still around. ]

[ Ephemera hesitates a moment before deciding just to go with the truth. Even if it's harder. ]

I remember, yeah.

[ He sits down next to Drake, shifting to lean against him. ]

It got bad, at the end.

[ He owes Drake the truth. Ephemera closes his good eye, bumping their heads together. ]

I don't know. Maybe it'll hit me later. Mostly I'm just--tired, right now.

[ That's... valid, but not any less worrying. Drake takes a slow breath, in and out, settling his hand on Ephemera's back and rubbing there soothingly. ]

You should rest a little before we call anyone, maybe. Lup will have my balls if she doesn't know today but it doesn't have to be right this second. I just need to know one thing.

[ He's heard the other side from multiple people, but Ephemera himself could never confirm it. Not until now. And it makes all the difference, he thinks. Not just in how he thinks about it, but in predicting how Ephemera might handle it long term. If it's going to be trauma and grief he needs to support the other man through, or something more destructive. ]

Did he really not have a choice?

She would, [ Ephemera says, fondly. He's always gotten along with Lup. Her intensity is comforting, a challenge for him to meet whenever they run into each other. But then Drake asks the question, and Ephemera's smile fades. He opens his good eye and just breathes. In and out, until he's sure that he'll keep his center. He owes Drake the truth with this, too. He'd rather just lie down and sleep, hold hands and listen to the rain, but some part of him knows the question would be hanging over them the whole time. Festering. And that isn't fair at all.

So he breathes. Presses against Drake and holds very still. Don't lie. Don't stall. Just answer the question. ]

No.

[ He exhales. It comes out harsh. ]

I knew it was over the moment she sent me flying. She won. They'd always win. And I just wanted it to be over.

[ It's not easy to hear, but it's also not a new concept so Drake takes it about as well as he can. They probably won't have to worry about conflict with the Blues, at least, that's a relief. He lets out a breath of his own, still rubbing Ephemera's back. ]

Okay. I-- I knew that. And I believed him, I just needed to hear it from you.

[ This part's a little trickier, so Drake picks his words carefully, hoping they settle right. ]

You remember being here and getting past that now, but... you were back there. Just now. Promise me that if you start thinking that way again when it does sink in, you'll tell me? Please.

[ Ephemera reaches out and takes Drake's hand. It feels better that way. Something good to focus on. ]

I will.

[ He opens his good eye. Blinks a little until the room settles. ]

Promise.

[ Drake grips Ephemera's hand, smooths his thumb over the tattoos there and lets himself just enjoy the fact that the other man is back for a moment. He's back and he's promised, so whatever winds up happening they'll ride it out. ]

Thank you.

[ That's probably enough focusing on awful shit for the time being, though. He can catch Ephemera up on the past four and a half months later. ]

Do you want to lie down for a little while before I call our favorite magical whirlwind? Or I could dig up something to eat. You're a little pale.

Can we just...?

[ Ephemera sighs, bumping their heads together again. Drake's grip on his hand is steady and careful. That helps. ]

I could use some time just to breathe. Think I missed this bed.

[ And Drake in it. ]

...yeah.

[ He breaks the contact just to tilt his chin up and kiss Ephemera's temple, then grins. Despite how heavy everything was a moment ago, he knows this is gonna go over well. ]

Hold on a second.

[ Gently, Drake pulls away and crosses to the closet, proceeding to pull another half dozen pillows out of it. He didn't keep all of them on the bed because it was an unnecessary reminder, but he kept them. They get set down on Ephemera's side of the bed for him to arrange how he wants. ]

There. Now you can lie down.

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cw for mention of suicide

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