Intro Log: Puddle Jumpers

[hadrielmods]

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!

Comments

[requiemshark]

[ 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.

[braveoff]

[ 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.

[requiemshark]

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. ]

[braveoff]

...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.

[requiemshark]

[ Ephemera leans back curiously. Is that...? ]

You kept all of them.

[ It's said with quiet surprise, and a faint smile. Ephemera loves those goddamn pillows. Drake always looks at him funny, but never once complained about the horde or how it grew.

Yeah. All right. He's home now. ]

Fuck, I love you.

[braveoff]

I kept everything. I don't know if all your paints are still good, but they're in the cabinets. You can check later... Finally do something with the other half of the hallway. It uh. Didn't feel right to get rid of anything, or to leave. Everybody said I'd need to accept it eventually, but now I'm glad I never got there.

[ His grin softens a little, less pleased with himself and more just fond. ]

Yeah, well, I love you back. Lie down, okay? I'm staying.

[requiemshark]

[ Somehow it never occurred to Ephemera that someday he'd have people who would keep his things for him. Not just care for him, but take the time and space to actually set room aside for the various things he's collected. It leaves him with a surprisingly warm feeling. Drake kept his paints and all the goddamn pillows. ]

You better.

[ Ephemera gives him a faint smile and promptly flops into the pillows. Everything is so soft. Urg. Yes. This is everything he wants. ]

Uggggggh. You know, there is one good thing about this rain.

[ He lifts up his head a little. ]

It's great sleeping weather.

[braveoff]

[ It's okay, he meant it. He flops down too, on his sole pillow, and scoots in to drape an arm over Ephemera, carefully avoiding the injuries as much as he can. ]

At least the spire hasn't sprung a leak yet. And we're high enough I don't think anything will blow up here to break a window.

[ He can just see the bedroom window over Ephemera, glass pounded by waves of rain. ]

I hope it winds down soon, but it kinda reminds me of where I'm from, actually.

[ Drake doesn't think of Seattle as "home" anymore, and storms aren't usually ever this bad, but still. Watching the rain from inside is soothing in a weird way. ]

[requiemshark]

I don't know much about storms, [ Ephemera admits, shifting to press closer against Drake. His squad got caught in a few during the war, but there hadn't been many concerns there except hunkering down and waiting the worst of it out. Their armor had been durable enough to take the damage. ] It rains this much in Seattle?

[braveoff]

Nah. Not all at once, anyway? That, out there? [ He nods towards the window, the constant howl of wind and impact of water. ] That's more like... east coast storms. Or east Asia. Hurricanes, typhoons, stuff like that. Northwestern coastal places like Seattle and London get a lot of rain but in a chill way, all spread out over the year.

[requiemshark]

Does it get cold?

[ It seems like it would get cold, out of climate-controlled armor. ]

[braveoff]

Yeah, it does. It's far north enough there are actual seasons, and cold is worse when it's damp out. Kinda seeps into your bones.

[ Then he realizes Ephemera may have disappeared before the moving poll went up. But they might still wind up in one of those locations... ]

There was an ice planet as an option for the last move, you know. And it seems like Fear's still got it on the table.

[requiemshark]

....that sounds like a terrible idea.

[ Ephemera isn't really worried about the cold, but he knows how hard it is to navigate around ice. He doesn't like the prospect of trying it without armor. ]

People actually voted for that?

[braveoff]

It got the least votes, but there were good reasons people did vote for it -- it was where they made first contact, and the first world attacked. Apparently cold fucks up the Null's scanners or something, too, so they probably wouldn't find us unless they went all the way out to check and there might still be valuable information there. Then there was a jungle planet with enough life to hide us, but that life would've been dangerous. I voted for the water, mostly because Sorrow said the Door was here. And it is -- we've found some pieces of it already. I've got no idea if everybody that went out can be trusted to hand them over, but they're being found.

[ Whoops. He didn't actually mean to start the infodump now, Ephemera needs to rest. But he didn't say anything upsetting, at least? ]

A lot's happened.

[requiemshark]

[ Okay, that makes more tactical sense. Ephemera nods slowly, considering. ]

I would've made that call, too. Don't suppose anyone actually knows how to use the Door, if they manage to find all the pieces?

[braveoff]

No... but having it is definitely a step up, right? It must be. Lance said the piece his group brought back was engraved, kinda? The carvings might have been decoration but Sorrow will probably know.

[requiemshark]

That's if he knows and if he decides not to lie about it, [ Ephemera points out. He sighs a little. ] Sorry. I'm an asshole pessimist sometimes. You can ignore me.

[braveoff]

It's fine. I'm not the gods' biggest fan right now, either. It just seems pretty stupid for us to hold on to the pieces thinking we can make them do what we want safely... and I'm sure someone's gonna try.

[ His mouth quirks despite the topic, though, because Ephemera being back means he's not giving up. ]

When have I ever ignored you?

[requiemshark]

Be nice if somebody knew what they were doing, for once. [ It's said a little wistfully. Ephemera doesn't like constantly being on the edge of understanding something, only for it to blow up in his face later. Magic barely makes sense to him. He huffs a little. ] Never. I'm just. Trying not to see the bad side of everything first.

[ Thus far, results has been mixed. ]

[braveoff]

Heh... yeah. I'd say when pigs fly but that wouldn't even be weird, here.

[ Drake ducks his head a little and kisses Ephemera's shoulder, feeling selfish for keeping him up but also... it's been a long time now of wishing he was around to talk to and now he is so. ]

Sorry. I told you to rest and then I kept talking. I'm just glad you're here. And somebody needed to use all these pillows.

[requiemshark]

Nothing surprises me about this place.

[ In good and bad ways. Ephemera shifts again, settling against Drake. ]

Talk as long as you want. I'll listen. And hog all the awesome pillows, thank you.

[braveoff]

I kept thinking "when he comes back..." and that did turn into "if" but I never hit the point I was willing to let go of stuff. Even though it's just stuff. You could've gotten more paint and pillows and whatever.

[ He shrugs; it's sentimental and he knows it's better not to surround yourself with reminders of a loss, but had just tucked things away to help with that. As if the whole apartment wasn't a reminder. That, he hadn't been willing to give up. Not the art. ]

Figured if you never came back but we got the Door working, I'd bring you some things from here. Try to help you remember, or at least more likely to listen. It was a shitty plan, but...

[ He was willing to start over, if that's what it took. ]

[requiemshark]

...you would've gone after me. Into Chorus?

[ Into that shithole and the bastard he'd been in those days. God, he'd been an asshole. There's no way around it. Ephemera shivers just once, then takes Drake's hand. Just to hold. He shouldn't be surprised, really. Given the option, he would have done the same for Drake. He would've gone without his armor if that was what it took. ]

Thank you.

[ It's the only thing he can think to say. ]

[braveoff]

Yeah. I know we'd... you were thinking about trying my world, but like. I was already willing to try Chorus? I don't need shit to be easy and Wash made it sound like there was a window. Between when you would've gone back and it being too late.

[ It was probably a stupid idea, thinking he could show up and change anything. He'd probably have been killed immediately too, with everyone bewildered as to where he came from and why he wasn't wearing armor, but. Drake takes a slow breath, suddenly feeling like all of this is hitting him at once. He has to squeeze his eyes shut against an odd sudden pressure, thinking of how it might have gone. What he might have had to see. ]

I had to try, that's all. Even if I couldn't stop it, even if you didn't know me, at least you wouldn't have been alone.

[requiemshark]

[ The worst part is, Ephemera gets it. He understands and, given the option, would have done exactly the same thing. He's planned it out a few times in his head, trying to work out what he knows of Drake's world with his own sense of tactics. How he'd find the building, how he'd take it. How he'd probably get himself killed trying to get down to the sub levels, but he'd have to try. There's no other way it ends.

Ephemera breathes. Exhales slowly. ]

Maybe there was. I don't know. There was a lot of stuff I didn't want to see. But I get it. I, uh. Sometimes, I'd come up with assault plans for that lab you were trapped in. Just in case. Maybe half had a shot in hell, but I would've tried.