Intro Log: A Day at the Beach

[hadrielmods]

Who: New arrivals and everyone else!
What: The intro log for December
Where: The colosseum and all around the city.
When: December 10th-13th
Warnings: None

It's icy cold when you wake up, so let's hope you arrived here wearing warm clothes. They're not too easy to find right now, either - Hadriel is a pretty unwelcoming place. You're on the floor of the colosseum, which is sandy and (right now) a bit frosty. It's you, the other newcomers - and of course, a battalion of newly-arrived giant scorpions, just as confused as you and ready to fight. They're big and fast, they've got armor covering their creepy bodies, and that stinger will seriously mess you up if you're not careful. So... welcome to Hadriel!

You might be cold, but the Door doesn't seem to be. Scattered across the ground of the colosseum can be found some beach towels with creative designs. And if that's not enough, you'll be all prepared for a day at the beach with these cute sandals (jandals?). Too bad there's no beach and it's really cold and everything sucks, right?

Once you've finished dreaming about a warm beach vacation, feel free to look around. 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 December 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

CW: Descriptions of monster animal death

[often_impaled]

[If Dante is bothered by any of what's going on in Hadriel today, it's not visible in his expression or actions. If he's angry about being dumped into a frigid Colosseum full of monstrous scorpions, it doesn't show. No, to the contrary it seems that he's having a blast. He's darting between scorpions with intense speed, stabbing one through the head with a grotesque crunch. Then he's off, stepping on the tail of another to hold it still while he embeds the same sword in it and slices forward from the back through it's head. It falls cleanly in half. Then he's off to battle another, dodging a stinger that strikes next to him just a little too close for comfort by simply leaning back.]

Showtime! [As if the show hasn't already started, he calls out to the scorpions as if he actually wants their attention. And when he gets it, he's suddenly surrounded.] That's more like it. [Dante grabs the closest one by the tail, and swings it in a circle hard. It knocks the scorpions nearest back and flying, but unfortunately the tail is made for injecting poison, not for being used as a swinging tool. And it detaches, sending the poor monster flying into yet another poor scorpion knocking them both against the wall.

It's just not a good day to be an arthropod monster.] C'mon, who's next?

[theladyofhighever]

[Mariane watches from the side. as her duty as a member of the Guard, she should be protecting the newcomrers, but this one seems to have things well in hand. literally. she's not seen anyone throw the monsters in her entire month here, but it seems to be an effective technique. she approaches him, giving him plenty of time to notice her presence before responding to his comment and pointing at the next creature]

That one. That seems to be next, unless you'd rather I dispatch the creature?

[often_impaled]

[Well hello, someone is a stone cold stunner. Maybe cold in general, he hasn't known her but a minute so he can't quite make judgments, but she seems stiff and formal. Oh well, too bad. He's into people who are a little more relaxed, but that's not important right now.]

I'm all for a collaboration. Let's rock! [He doesn't usually let random people get involved with fights, humans in general are too weak to keep up with him and might get hurt with what he usually battles. But these are small fry in the pond, and Dante has already seen how people here can throw down. For now, he'll fight as her ally. If she can't handle things, he can rush in to save the day. If she can, the area is going to be clear pretty quickly.

Dante rushes towards a different beast, keeping close enough to swoop on over if she ends up in trouble. Really though, he hopes she's as good as she claims to be. He always likes seeing how others kick ass.]

[theladyofhighever]

[she's formal, but never stiff. as she's more than willing to prove during a fight. she draws her sword and dagger, each surrounded with a visible aura of frost and chill. this place may be cold, but her blades can freeze a man's fingers off]

All right, a collaboration! [she can more than handle herself, reaching one of the scorpions gracefully, like a dance as much as a fight. she goads it in closer with her dagger, making it think that's all she has on offer, but then swiftly brings her sword in, lopping off its head, her dagger stabbing deep into its belly in case beheadding it's not enough to stop it.

she swiftly withdraws her blades and turns to another scorpion, this one stabbing through what passes as its skull with her sword, pinning it to the ground as it twitches in its death throes.

she tosses a glance in his direction before swiping both blades across the throat of yet another scorpion, nearly severing its head off] How goes your battle?

[often_impaled]

That's what I'm talkin' about!

[She's proving herself less stiff than expected from the moment she agrees to that collaboration. And he's honestly thrilled that he doesn't have to babysit her. It's always fun having someone to play around with this way. Dante's best fun is killing what threatens humanity, no matter what monstrous form it comes in. But usually he fights the battles against the hoards of the annoying monsters alone. So this is a rare sort of treat.

Dante is enjoying watching her fight far more than he's enjoying actually battling the beasts. They're small fry in the end, nothing to write home about. And he likes a little more of a challenge. Oh well, at least there are plenty of the things to go around.]

Too easy. I was hoping for something a little more exciting.

[theladyofhighever]

I'm pleased to hear that!

[and she is. it's been too long since she lost herself in the efforts of a good fight. Ferelden ladies were no Orlesian wallflowers, give them a sword and a dagger and she'll know how to use it. as she proves by cutting a swath through the scorpions with ease.

and she does make it look easy and effortless. she'd been fighting for her life against far worse opponents on a daily basis back in Ferelden, so these scorpions are an amusing diversion. she's pleased to see that he's doing quite well for himself, too. she can't truly respect a man who can't defend himself ably]

It is. The creatures last month when I arrived were no challenge, either, but I've been told tales of ogres from my world being here for a while. Now, those are worthy opponents.

[often_impaled]

[He likes a girl that can fight. Especially a girl that can fight, and is eye candy of the highest order, and doesn't try to shoot him in the head. That's about as good as it gets, all things considered. He'd be happier if he didn't have to deal with this whole Hadriel and gods and doors mess, but he'll take what he can get. And what he's getting is a fun, although far too easy battle in a winter wonderland of a Colosseum. Beach style, but he's not too concerned about that.] Too bad we don't have those around. They might even be as fun to kill as demons. Guess I won't get to find out.

[roseofthetyrells]

[Margaery is hardly a member of the Guard, nor does she want to be. no, she plans to be a vigilante, should she make her way out of here. but she can't deny that this man's methods of dispatching the creatures seems to be effective enough, if a bit on the rough and tumble side.

she smiles at him, in a gown and sword drawn]

I suppose that is up to you, isn't it?

[often_impaled]

[Hey, Dante won't judge. The vigilante game is the best way to go in Dante's opinion. No one to hold you down, no laws to tell you no, only your own morality to guide you down those dark paths. Not that he knows about what she's thinking. He only knows that she's damn pretty, are all the women in Hadriel hot? He's starting to think he's won the visual lottery here.

Best of all, none of them seem to want to kill him. Score!] Oh yeah, but I'm spoiled. Look at all I've got to choose from. It's like Christmas here in the Colosseum! [Dante backflips on top of another of the beasts, crushing it's tail entirely. And from there it's just a simple stab and the poor creature is out of it's misery.] You know how to handle yourself? You look too regal for gladiator games. [There's nothing disrespectful about his tone, oddly enough. He's honestly curious. The last lady he battled with here looked like a fragile thing, but kicked all sorts of scorpion ass.

Do scorpions even have asses? That's a question that he never thought he'd think up.]

[roseofthetyrells]

[Margaery's morality is a bit. . . skewed due to being the protegee of the infamous Queen of Thorns, but her heart is basically in the right place. and, yes, he won the visual lottery. Margaery tosses him a bright smile before lopping off the head of a nearby scorpion.

no, she'd rather not, thank you] There are a great many scorpions to choose from. But, what's Christmas? [she takes a moment to admire the backflip before baiting her own scorpion, drawing back a little and pretending to be afraid before slaughtering it ruthlessly] In another life, I was Margaery Tyrell, Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. [she's well acquainted with gladiator games in the Colosseum and her voice is warm and friendly.

they have stingers? do those count?]

[often_impaled]

[Morality is usually more gray than white or black for most, Dante is like Margaery in the whole good heart bad choices line of thinking. He's in it for the right reasons, but he really doesn't have the best attitude or decision making process. Oh well, for what it's worth Dante is the genetic lottery, so he can give as much eye candy as he gets.

Oh hell yes, that's a delicious smile. She gets a wild looking grin in return as he pauses to watch her technique.] That's one hell of a kill, majesty. [Majesty in the sense of royalty, and her looks. She's definitely the regal sort.

Maybe. Who knows?]

[roseofthetyrells]

[in Westeros, morality was often pitch black, which is what led it to a good portion of its current woes. and she does have a good heart now that she's learned that ambition isn't the end-all, be-all of one's existence. there are things she allowed back home that she wouldn't countenance here, but she's happier here than she was at home so there are always trades to be made. and yes, he is quite attractive, but right now she has her heart set on a man from earth and an Elf from here

she gives a catlike smile in returns and effortlessly skewers the head of another scorpion] Why, thank you! I've worked very hard to learn the sword, glad I am to hear that the efforts have not been in vain. [she still is, even in the midst of battle. she was born and bred a lady and she was schooled and trained to become queen] You're quite good yourself.

[often_impaled]

[Dante bows dramatically, it might seem like a mocking action from someone else but with his level of over the top it just fits. He's in the presence of hot as hell royalty and kicking ass with her. This day just keeps getting better and better.

Dante jumps back, and stomps the head of a scorpion that he had intended to kill with a blade. He lands a bit too hard though, and a sickening slick crunch comes from beneath his boot.] Oh man, I just got all of the Leviathan guts off of it. Guess I'm gonna have to wash them up again. Despite the flirtation, youthful play, and violence Dante isn't entirely stupid. He can see when a human is impressive, when they've managed to go above to be strong in one way or another. And Margaery definitely fits the bill.] If this is the best they've got, we're gonna be done in no time.

[unphase]

[Tinya is here, in her authority as a junior Guardsman. she's determined to keep the local monsters from harming anyone who comes through, but this guy seems to have it all together. fine. makes teamwork easy, right? so she smiles at him and flies in to hover at his side]

You take the one on the right, I'll take the one on your left. Sounds good?

[often_impaled]

[Oh shit. The other ladies were pretty enough, but Tinya is stunning. Dante really is spoiled here, and if she can hold her own that's even cooler. Oh yeah, maybe Hadriel won't be as miserable as expected. He still wants to go home, he needs to find a way. But if the time he spends here is filled with beautiful people and monster battles he'll find a way to make the best of it.] I'm down for it! Let's go!

[Dante tries to keep an eye out for Tinya, but he's not quite as worried as he was two powerful young women ago. Back home, finding someone who could fight was a rarity. Here, it's going to be a lot easier on him to keep the people safe.] Never thought I'd end up on extermination duty. Too bad I'm outta bug spray.

[unphase]

[she'd blush bright pink to be described as stunning. no one else has done that, not even Jo. and she can hold her own. at least she can now. she has a katana and she's had lessons on how to use it. so now she can go on the offense, not just play defense and phase] All right! This is gonna be fun.

[she's phased the lower half of her body so that the scorpions' stingers hit nothing. her upper body (especially her arms) are very solid, though, and they're administering a thorough beat-down to any scorpions that get within her reach, flying so quickly the scorpions can barely react. and she giggles] Welcome to Hadriel. Where once a month, everything wants to kill you and the rest of the time? Boredom. Total boredom.

[often_impaled]

[She's so his type. He'll be a little sad when he finds out she's unavailable. But on the menu or not, she's fun. She's a hot girl who can fight and play and just be amazing. So although he's not too happy about Hadriel in general, he keeps finding more reasons to make the best of things while he's here.]

Wait, so the city gets the monster monthlies, but that's about it? C'mon, there's got to be bars, parties, stuff like that right? Please say I didn't just get stuck in the lamest city in the universe.

[unphase]

[yeahhhh. about that availability thing. thanks to the memory thing, it's a bit more. . . wavery than it used to be. but that's best saved for conversation and right now, fighting is what's going on. and right now, she's baiting one of the scorpions, its stinger flailing its way through her intangible lower half, while she flies in behind it and beheads it.

she giggles] Yeah, that's about it! We do have the Speakeasy, that's a bar, but it's running low on alcohol because the stupid aliens stranded us in the middle of nowhere and didn't bother to show up. [teasing] And you may have gotten stuck in the lamest city in the universe.

[abyssalarcana]

Goodness, certainly not me!

[Which probably seems like an obvious enough joke, coming from someone who looks so small and harmless, right? Never mind the void-black eyes and the fine rapier in her hand. She doesn't seem to be doing any fighting herself, so clearly the weapon is only for self-defense.

Caedra always does enjoy coming to spectate the new fighters. It's one of the few sources of entertainment she has here that people don't get up in arms about. And this one, remarkably, looks like he knows what he's doing, although he's being ridiculously showy about it. But she can tell that despite the over-acting and apparent over-confidence, he does seem to have some skill. There's no real wasted movement. He's quite precise at what he does, and effective. He just somehow manages to look utterly ridiculous at the same time. Probably fairly young. Why are they all so young?]

[often_impaled]

Ha! Yeah, I'm not gonna attack. But I bet you could hold your own if I did.

[Dante's tone is teasing, flippant, perhaps even a bit flirtatious. He grins cheekily as he slides past at an angle, a motion that really shouldn't even be possible, but gravity and Dante don't seem to be well acquainted. And he decides to abandon the blade, switching to his guns without breaking the motion. And the fast slide ends with him back-flipping on top of the tailless scorpion that has come forward once more, using it's erratic spinning around to try to knock him off as a way to dispatch several enemies without much effort. It spins. He shoots. And the bullets just keep coming.

It's easy fun. And less effort on them make it easier to keep an eye on her.

Even without those eyes to suggest that something was amiss, he'd smell her. She's certainly not human, but she doesn't smell like the demons he knows. She doesn't connect to the same Infernal hells, there's something about her that he can't put his finger on.

He just knows that she screams out bad news.

He might be wrong. Demonic heritage doesn't mean that someone is automatically a bad person. But a lot of the time, it does.]

[abyssalarcana]

Mm, you must have an eye for hidden talent. I know some basic swordsmanship, enough to get by, but I haven't practiced it in quite some time.

[Caedra knows when she's being watched, she's used to it, but she can't quite tell with this one if it's because he's suspicious that she's more than she's letting on, or if it's simply that her eyes unnerve him. With most, it's the latter. But the acrobatics and combat skill this one shows suggest he's actually quite accomplished. She's met this sort of person before - those who consider themselves adventurers, or warriors, out to defeat the evils of the world. It's possible he's met a tanar'ri before, or it's possible he just fancies himself a butcher of monsters. Either way, she prefers that he underestimate her, for now.]

You, on the other hand! Those are guns, right? They don't show up often out here!

[As if she doesn't know what they are. She had only ever seen one before Hadriel though, and they truly aren't common. Hopefully he will continue to waste his bullets like that, though. Those are harder to come by than the weapons themselves.]

[often_impaled]

Hey, it's never too late to learn more. Need a tutor? I'd be totally willing to give you lessons.

[He doesn't trust that she's as unskilled or rusty as she says. With demons a person can't be too careful. The careless ones that attack quickly are the easiest to take out. But the ones that hide what they are? They're dangerous.

He wonders though if she can tell that he's part demon. His heritage is tricky, some only see him as a human. Some smell out his father's demonic heritage and hate him for it. If she can tell though, she's subtle and calculating about it or she just doesn't care. And he doesn't know what to think about that.

Usually demons he meets are way more over the top. She's something else entirely.] Ebony and Ivory, at your service. [He keeps shooting, grinning over his shoulder at her as he manages to hit his enemies without actually looking. His aim is good though, he's not missing a single one and he doesn't seem to be running out of bullets.]

[abyssalarcana]

I appreciate the offer, but I'll have to pass as I've already found someone else who offered to help me train. You're a little late to the table.

[Blatantly false, but she shrugs and smiles as if apologetic. If she ever needs to pretend, she's sure Law would be willing to oblige, but the chances are good this young warrior won't ever think about this offer of his again and that's fine with her.

Besides, she has her eyes on something else.]

They're beautiful. Those, I would love to learn more about.

[Percy had failed to make good on his promise to give her one of his handcrafted pistols. Seth had failed to take her target shooting. The others have all shied away when she asked. And for what reason? Do they really think she would be more dangerous with a gun than she already is? She just wants to learn to handle a new weapon, what's so terrible about that?]

[evocation]

[Every month, Kyna heads to the colosseum to help the new kids out. More and more often, she's been discovering that most of them don't need help, which means a free show for her.

Dante is a total show off, and Kyna recognizes that instantly because she is, too, even if she hates to admit it. She's perched herself on a nearby rock, smiling as she watches, and when he calls out, her eyebrows go up.]

That one, maybe? Don't get all sloppy.

[often_impaled]

[All she needs is snacks, and she's set. There's plenty of entertainment to be had when Dante is around especially, he's flashy and over the top. Set on doing the most damage possible while having the most fun he can manage. And when she calls him out, he shakes his head and gestures at himself maybe a bit too dramatically.] Me? Sloppy? You must have me confused with somebody else.

[The scorpion she referred to is close, but there's one behind him that's starting to get annoying. Especially when he's got a lovely lady to pay attention to. So without much of a look back, he impales it with the sword he's been using to fight, and then leans against the blade as a backrest of sorts.] So? Where'd you get this sloppy idea? Do I need to step it up a little? [He pulls out his guns, and shoots at the beast coming closer.]