hadriel_logs | Intro Log: Better Off Dead

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Intro Log: Better Off Dead

Who: New arrivals and everyone else!
What: The intro log for November
Where: The colosseum and all around the city.
When: November 10th-12th
Warnings: Content warning for body horror in both items and animals this month!

Good morning and welcome to Hadriel! The forecast is cloudy with a chance of cold rain, and the weather is a bit too chilly for your tastes. That's alright though- you've got bigger things to worry about. Like the fact that you're waking up alone on the ground of what looks like a colosseum, and that you're surrounded by scattered jewelry. These various pendants, brooches, and chokers all feel- fleshy and slightly warm to the touch, though they'll cool off and firm up the longer you might be holding them.

But what kind of sick and twisted person would do something like this?

Well, the same kind of person who would apparently throw you in here with not only messed-up body jewelry, but also messed-up body monsters. You may hear them approach, thumping on the ground and growling as they come closer to you... but there's not much to be afraid of, really.

The monsters that surround you this month are grossly deformed, appearing as if someone tried to inexpertly combine multiple monsters together to make them more fearsome- the head of a hellhound is too big and it can't lift it, so it drags along the ground, the bear has too many legs to walk properly and falls on itself, improperly-spliced chimeras have dead heads that loll lifelessly about their necks- so on and so forth. It may be a better idea to put these creatures out of your misery before you go- if you're able to, that is.

But at least you can find your freedom relatively easily- if you could 'living in Hadriel' as freedom, I suppose. Once you escape from the colosseum, 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 November 10th-12th.
► 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!

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The events of the past month may or may not have cause a brief snag in Hadriel's regularly scheduled monthly dance night. Once more, however, things are back as they should be: You might have seen the invitations posted around the north, east, and west islands; or maybe it was mentioned somewhere on the network. For those looking to relax or just see what the hubub is about, the Speakeasy on the southern island is the place to go.

The lounge is stocked with a variety of self-served food and refreshments -- some alcoholic, some not. If you're at a loss, just ask a bartender to make you some special cocktail with a stronger kick. There's also beer, wine, mead, and even absinthe if you fancy.

In addition to the jukebox, thousands of tunes play from the sound system at the stage, as brilliant neon lights flash over a glowing dancefloor of myriad hues. Energy pulsates in the air, but one could also find relaxation in a cozy booth. While you shouldn't expect a bar menu of poutine and prime ribs (so sohrey), it should be enough to get your snack on while you booze up.

You can dance, sing, or balk at the Speakeasy's proprietor dolled up in a particularly flashy short, green sequin cocktail dress while belting out an equally colorful songs about how shitty the gods are.

For a more quiet evening, the Game Room holds a variety of recreational activities. There are casino games, a variety of board games such as checkers, chess, and Battleship, as well as an arcade machine with many two player options and several selections to choose from. You should have your evening cut out for you.

[ooc: This is the (mostly) 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.]

Someone lost a bet.

Although it probably isn't obvious at first. After all, it isn't the first time Rey has been seen in something fancy. But the green dress is... something else. The shimmering fabric snug against her muscular frame, highlighting the strength of her shoulders, arms, and legs. For someone who's built with the strength of the most resilient diamond, her present colors shine like a brilliant gem.

As agreed upon losing her end of a failed bet with Atem some time ago, Rey starts up a lively beat on the stage. The neon lights flash, blinding her from anyone who might be looking. The music blares, deafening any comments and jeers. Despite being way out of her element, the lively song is somehow appropriate and Rey-like. When she begins, it's not too difficult to fathom why.

"Hey! This one is dedicated to all of you motherfuckers out there who's sick of bitches riding them.
"So next time the gods are whining,
"Stand up on your tippy-toes and say,
"'Hope, Love, could you both FUCK OFF!'"

Yup. This is happening. And she event gets a little into it, too, her singing voice surprisingly not all unpleasant to listen to.

"We don't want your life,
"We don't owe you shit,
"And we hate your gripes--
"Fuck off! You can suck my dick!
"Motherfucking shithead bitch!"

What, were you expecting something wholesome and family friendly?

You've come to the wrong Speakeasy, you sorry sods.

"And that might be loud,
"But I don't need feels from a dumb pink cloud--
"FUCK OFF.
"And Hope is a prick,
"And I hope he chokes on Sorrow's dick!
"You can fuck--
"Oh-oh, oh-oh!
"I'm gonna live forever, oh-oh, oh-oh!
"I hope you get fucked up by robots!

"'Cause the night is young,
"And I'll dig your grave 'til the job is done!
"FUCK. OFF."

When the song eventually ends, she does a shameless bow and slides off the flickering stage over the glowing dance floor.

i. the coliseum

[The moment Mogget drops through the portal, everything smells wrong. His fur stands on end and his tail is held stiff and vertical, puffed out like a slim brush. A small pink tongue darts out, tasting... not death, but that wrongness once again.

Mogget does not waste time. The small white cat is not built for fighting and he darts away from the first creature that lumbers towards him, a streak of white yowling in a way that sounds almost pointedly deliberate. He doesn't find an exit immediately, but jumps up to a spot on the wall using footholds so small and shallow it's a wonder he finds them at all. From there, he watches the carnage across the open ground, his green eyes narrowed and calculating.

Interesting. Very interesting.

On his chosen spot, he is relatively safe, if fairly obvious against the stone. He scratches his collar with one rear leg, the tiny silver bell at his throat ringing out a gentle, sleepy peal that has the nearest creature to him stumbling in confusion.

Mogget yawns, and he waits.]

ii. indoors

[After he leaves the coliseum, the cat wastes little time in making himself acquainted with this new and peculiar place he's found himself in. In the doing so, he appears almost everywhere.

In the clinic, he slinks between the cots and through barely-open doors, watching people talking and going about their business. In the lab, he crouches beneath tables and under trolleys, perches high on cabinets and watches, curiously, the comings and goings of those working there. In the Guard HQ, he observes from under a desk as individuals walk in and out of the main office space. In the speakeasy he quickly finds the firepit and an open seat, curling up with his back to the warmth and his tail coiled around his body, one foreleg stretched out and a pink paddy-paw barely visible.

He may, should the mood take him, end up in people's homes. Sorry if you're allergic.]

iii. outdoors

[There's no Charter here. At least, not one that Mogget can fully sense in the way he's used to. Something had felt off-colour since his arrival and while he sits by the shore on the North Island he blames his encroaching senility from thousands of years of almost unbroken servitude to the Abhorsen line that he didn't notice it sooner. The very tip of his tail flicks slowly against the rocks - dry, he'd made sure to be out of reach of the spray - as he considers his current position.

There is no Abhorsen here. Mogget is unsure, and surprises himself with his uncertainty over just how he feels about that. He has sensed a familiar magic, though he has been unable to precisely locate or identify it thus far.]

Hm. [Murmurs Mogget, dipping his head and lifting a paw to lave his tongue over the pads a few times.] This could be interesting.

Edited 2018-11-10 19:19 (UTC)

[Pratt, dressed in an obnoxiously colored Hawaiian shirt and jeans, is ready for another day of digging holes to replant the orchard. He has his shovel over his shoulder and looks marginally less like an emaciated, beaten-up prisoner.

He opens his door to head out only to stop on the threshold because there's a cat on his porch. Big, white, fluffy. Well that's unusual.]

Hello.

[yeah sure, talk to the cat. That's normal.]

You belong to someone?

[He sets the shovel to the side, squatting down. You're gonna get petted if you're not fast Mogget.]

[The little white cat allows the petting, though only for a few moments before he slinks out from beneath the man's hand. With the tip of his tail twitching, he puts himself just far enough away as to be out of reach without Pratt having to stand up again to move, and sits down.]

I belong to no one. [He says, his voice an odd medley of hissing, yowling mewls that somehow flow and link together to form intelligible words.]

But perhaps you can tell me something.

arrival

[The last thing Scott remembered was deciding to take a much needed nap in his private quarters. He earned it, damn it. While he was plagued by uncertainty and fear at his new and ridiculously huge responsibilities he felt he that establishing an outpost on Eos was well deserving of some shut eye.

The problem is he never even reached his bed.

It all happened so fast. He was walking up the ramp into the Tempest, right alongside Liam and Cora talking about...something. Something about being secure? It sounded like she was low-key lecturing him, really, and Scott found it funny. And then the next thing he knew he was on his back, still decked out in full armor (white with light blue accents, don't make fun he likes it), and his helmet still clutched in his hand from when he had taken it off.

He sat up quickly, thinking his dumb ass somehow fell and rolled down the ramp. But when he takes in his surroundings...]

That's...disturbing.

[He actually reaches for one of the fucked up jewelry pieces out of curiosity, turning over the weird finger before glancing around.]

SAM...a little update here?

...

SAM?

[He finally gets to his feet, just now noticing others in this place with him. And...what the hell are those things? He drops the jewelry piece to the ground and lifts his forearm, hovering his fingers over it as if expecting something to happen. A moment passes before he drops his hands to his sides and throws his head back with a frustrated groan.]

Why does everything go wrong as soon as one thing goes right?

mercy

[So, he can't ask SAM where he is, how he got here, and he can't scan anything because his omni-tool is somehow gone. What he does still have are his weapons helpfully attached to his armor, though. But as he approaches a particularly sad looking creature with a head so big it can only drag it along a few inches and too many legs to even move...

...he probably doesn't need to worry about a fight breaking out.]

Who could even do something like this?

[He's wondering out loud, mostly. But regardless of the answer to that question Scott reaches behind him and removes his pistol, a click sound indicating its detachment from his armor. He points it right at the creature's head, who doesn't seem to be...resisting in any sense of the word. It only continues to make odd sounds and look as if it's struggling to just exist.

Scott frowns, looking a bit conflicted for a moment before he fires a couple of times — it's a powerful (and futuristic looking) pistol so the creature goes down fairly easy.]

scouting around

[It doesn't matter where you are, exactly. Maybe you're still in the Colosseum, or just wandering about. Either way, you're going to see Scott suddenly lift himself in the air with some weird blue energy encasing his body as he's propelled with his biotics and landing someplace high up. Maybe right next to you even — oops, didn't see you there!

Wherever it is it's going to be high enough that he can look around and get some kind of idea of what he's dealing with here. He did find that horribly outdated device with all of that helpful information, but he wants to see the lay of the land for himself!]

Huh, nice view.

Oh.

[Of course the cat talks. Why wouldn't it talk? Pratt is already hearing voices and talking to dogs and giant green creatures why wouldn't he be insane enough to talk to a cat. This is fine.]

Tell you what?

[Returning to the scene of a crime isn't usually Yusuke's style, and his injury has meant he's avoided overexerting himself the past few weeks while he recovers. Still, his visits back to the clinic are regular enough that he feels he can justify a longer walk around the north island today, with perhaps some fresh sketches to take back with him. Their time on the islands is, after all, limited now before they move.

That's how Yusuke happens across the small white cat on one of the rocky beaches, sitting and staring out to sea as if in deep contemplation. Yusuke moves to sit on a nearby rock as quietly as he can so as not to disturb it, hoping to get a quick drawing of the scene before the creature gets bored and moves on.

Then it talks. Yusuke looks up from his work, canting his head slightly.]

Interesting? In what way?

Man, everyone has cooler powers than I do. It's so unfair.

[And that voice would be coming from the little costumed spider dude perched in a crouch on the edge of the building Scott just landed on. Welcome to Hadriel, this is perfectly normal.]

So, welcome to my roof. You can hang out up here as long as you don't touch my secret stash of Little Debbie's- Gah, crap, secret's out. Ah well.

[Excuse the brief but obvious moment of staring he does. That's...that's a thing someone is wearing.

He doesn't know what to comment on first, so he just resorts to his default mode of 'making a joke out of everything'.]

I hope you don't have a group of little people named Debbie stashed up here against their wills.

[Sorry Peter, he's too damn far in the future to know what the hell that is.]

[That's okay, Peter can make a joke out of everything too. Scott is in good company. Or, weird company. Same thing.]

Oh, no. They volunteered. Soon my army of very small Debbie's will be unstoppable, and we'll take over this entire dump of a city. Y'know, for funsies.

[He crosses his arms all serious business like and stares back for a few seconds before motioning to a back pack that's somewhere behind Scott.]

I'm kidding, they're just little snack cakes. They're in there if you want one.

[Scott glances behind him to where Peter gestures, this time laughing a little as he returns his gaze to the oddly dressed stranger, lightly tapping his armored stomach.]

I would, but I'm on a stupidly strict diet. [It's actually fairly reasonable but he hates it anyway.] But thanks.

[He moves to the edge of the building himself to take a seat, casually letting his legs dangle over the edge and keeping his distance, more for Peter's benefit than his own. The kid seems perfectly fine and not overly cautious but you never know.]

So, you said something about powers, huh?

[It was an interesting comment that piqued his interest.]

Fair enough. More cosmic brownies for me, then.

[He'd come up here to get a better view of whatever the shit those things in the colosseum are this month, so he turns his gaze back in that direction while his chats with his new roof buddy.]

Sure did. I know a lady that can fly and make herself intangible, I know a kid that can shoot fireballs. It's kind of a normal thing around here.

[Ah yes, those horrible things that Scott would rather distract himself from, despite looking in that general direction himself. He's not really paying close attention to that, though. He's way more interested in keeping his attention on this conversation.]

Flying. [He shakes his head and gives a faux-wistful sigh.] I wish my biotics could do that. Instead of, you know, flinging myself around.

[But he's not an asari. No floating gracefully for him.]

What about you?

[Peter could actually take this seriously and tell this guy about his neato powers and junk, but hes not going to. At least not yet. He makes a mental note to ask this guy what the hell "biotics" are in a minute, but for now he's just going to turn to him and wiggle his fingers all creepy-like]

Spiders.

[That's it, that's his powers.]

[Scott turns his attention away from the view and watches Peter for a moment. It's then when he really takes in his...outfit, and notices the theme. It's all clicking into place now. Look, he's in a crazy new place in a crazy new situation so he's just inclined to believe it, no matter how vague.

He quirks a brow.]

Spiders. [he repeats, before snapping his fingers.] Let me guess; you command an army of spiders, right? That's why you made the little Debbie joke!

Arrival

[Mariane awoke from where she was lying when her Mabari, Chance, gently nudged her head. the moment she opened her eyes and saw where she was lying, she shot up to her feet. she'd been here before, but the last time the atmosphere was far more hospitable. now, she was confronted with nightmarish creatures that looked unlike anything she'd seen before, even the unfortunate Blighted animals she'd encountered during the past year.

a large creature which looked like a cross between a giant spider and a bear was ambling slowly towards another person, this one still unconscious. Chance, at her side, growled at the approaching creature, but she laid her hand on the top of his head, soothing him. she unsheathed her sword and dagger, both visibly surrounded with an aura of absolute cold and approached the monster, poised to strike]

Around

[you can find Mariane and Chance at the Shops, sorting through the clothing with a look of mild consternation on her face or inspecting a box containing something called "Pocky." Or at the Cliffs, staring out to sea and momentarily lost in rememberance. If you approach her, she'll notice. Perhaps you'll find her at the Speakeasy, asking if they have hot mulled cider on offer. It doesn't have to be alcoholic cider, though in her current state of nervousness at finding herself again in a place she thought she'd left behind. No matter where it is you find her, she'll have her endlessly loyal Mabari by her side]

[Mariane has been here before, knows the bare bones of the situation they've found themselves in. she hasn't found her device to fill in the rest of the blanks yet, but she'll find it eventually.

in the meantime, she's found a stranger in a completely foreign sort of suit of armor aiming an unknown device at one of the misshapen creatures in the arena. her eyes widen as it spits something out at the creature, seeming to kill it easily.

she summons her courage (and sheathes her sword and dagger) and approaches the stranger, Chance at her side. she reaches a hand down to pet his head as much to soothe herself as it is to soothe him. she knows how to keep her movements as silent as the grave, but she feels that caution would be appropriate when dealing with a person carrying something that lets him kill opponents at such a distance, so she makes sure that her approach isn't a silent one]

What is that you have there?

Yes, all of my spiders are named Debbie. I have a legion of Spider-Debbie's that obey my every command. I should really work on my naming convention though? I mean, spiders are already kind of hard to tell apart, and they're all named Debbie. It's like George Foreman naming all of his kids George Foreman. Who does that?

[He's just gonna let that hang for a moment.]

I am one hundred percent messing with you. No, I can't summon spiders or anything, I just have... I guess spidery abilities.

[Okay, his guess was half serious and half joking but after that long spiel when all of that just hangs in the air he knows he's being had! Which only makes him more curious. He would ask for an elaboration on "spidery abilities" but he's starting to get the impression this kid is dodging the question, so he won't press.

He laughs though. Good to meet someone with a sense of humor in this totally screwed up situation.]

Figured. So what's your name, anyway? Or is that some kind of secret? [Because of the whole...mask thing. It certainly doesn't look like it's for armor purposes, so.] ...It's not Debbie, is it?

[Scott is probably not as on guard as he should be, so he doesn't look startled or anything. He looks more mildly confused when he turns towards the voice and sees someone wearing armor that looks...not at all like what he's used to seeing. But the confused look only lasts for a moment.]

A dead thing.

[He's not entirely sure what she's talking about — quick to assume it was the fucked up creature with an impossibly nonfunctional body than the thing he sees and uses every day. There's a touch of a somber tone when he answers...it's kind of sad, to see something like that.]

[it's not only unlike any armor he's likely ever seen before, it's purple. it served her well in the year of the Blight, though.

in a tone of mild confusion] I noticed the dead thing. What is that you killed it with?

[she points to the device this time, hoping that the gesture makes things clearer. she's seen bows and crossbows of all kinds, but the way the device worked made it seem more like a mage's staff than either of the other two things]

[He can't really judge on the color. His armor has baby blue on it.

Once it all clicks, he lifts the gun a bit. Not to aim, just as one would to show something to another person.]

Oh, this? It's...a gun. A pistol, if you want to be specific.

[it does. it also looks even more complicated than plate armor and she thought that was a mess of straps.

she looks at the gun carefully. it is absolutely unlike anything she's ever seen before, but it seems terribly efficient at killing]

What's a pistol? I've never heard of such a thing before.

Ho boy.

[How do you even explain a pistol without causing more confusion? He'll opt for the easy route and hope she gets it.]

It's a weapon — which you might've guessed by now, ranged. You load it with ammunition cartridges like...like you would load a crossbow with arrows? [She looks like she has to at least know what that is, right? Safe guess.] Then you aim, pull the trigger, and shoot. About a hundred times more effective than a crossbow, though.

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Intro Log: Better Off Dead

Speakeasy mingle. | OTA

Rey. | OTA

Mogget | OTA

Indoors - Pratt's porch

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Scott Ryder | OTA

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iii

scouting

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mercy

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