hadriel_logs | Intro Log: A Day at the Beach

Entry tags:

Intro Log: A Day at the Beach

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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.]

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.]

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.]

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?]

Just my luck. The pretty lady already has a tutor. Guess I really am too late.

[His tone is still casual and teasing. He doesn't believe that she needs help at all, or tutoring for that matter. The offer wasn't serious in the least.]

Yeah? Guns are fun. You have a taste for Devil Arms? [He wonders if she'll even know the words and the meaning behind them. He's certain she's a demon, but he's also almost certain that she's nothing like the demons he knows. And that leaves him feeling really uncomfortable. He's not above giving demons a chance, hell he's half. He'd be a hypocrite if he went after every one that he encountered without giving them a half-chance.

But she's giving him the creeps. Which, combined with her looks, is kind of hot.]

[He's quick on the draw, and she can tolerate the teasing, especially when it's mixed with lame attempts at flattery. How old is he, anyway? Humans are so hard to judge the ages of but he's probably younger than her grandson. Very funny.

Devil Arms, though, now that's a new one. What an odd quirk of the worlds, to give such lovely weapons such an atrocious name, and it takes effort to keep from showing her disgust.]

Devil Arms? I've never heard them called that. I hope they have nothing to do with actual devils, though!

[He's practically a baby. Way too young to be flirting with geriatric demons. Especially murderous ones. Thankfully the attractiveness is overridden by the fact that he has such a bad feeling about her that it makes him almost disgusted.

But she's still pretty. He's not going to deny that. Especially those eyes.] Oh, didn't you know? [Dante's expression is deadly serious for a moment, as he stares her down as the scorpion he's on top of turns towards her once again. And he ends it by pressing the guns directly at it's eyes and shooting into them.] When a powerful demon or devil is killed, their souls can be used as weapons. Pretty sweet deal, right? All I gotta do is kill what threatens humans, and I get a great blade or gun in return. [The grin is cocky again, and he jumps off of the dying monster.]

Aha.

[Sounds legit, honestly, and quite exciting. The sword she uses is one she loves dearly, and has wielded across both lives - but a side weapon crafted with the soul of one of her mortal enemies? That could be quite a lot of fun to carry.]

Then you're talented indeed. Do the weapons not have obedience problems, though? I would fear that a gun with the soul of a devil imbued in it would be very particular about what it kills.

[Demons would make far more useful tools. She knows the thirst for slaughter that her people have, naturally. She'll have to look into this when she returns home. Perhaps Amamot already knows how it's done - he has such a wealth of knowledge in that ancient mind of his.]

Talented? Maybe. But the guns and blades listen. They're dead, y'know. Souls don't have a lot to say once they're locked in metal. [Oh, baby doesn't know how bad it's going to be until he meets Alister later. That's gonna change his mind about things. Especially concerning what sentient demonic weapons are capable of.]

[They don't, is that so? Well, she's not going to correct him. He is incredibly wrong, based on her own experience, but if he wants to go off thinking he has complete and utter control over weaponry that houses the souls of infernals then the day he discovers he's wrong will be completely hilarious. Ooh, and she can even step in, then, and save the day! Hero Caedra, here to purge the baatezu from the world! That's what Hadriel needs.

But for him, she shows a subtle little smile, and grants him a shrug.]

Impressive, then, that you have such control. I have heard tales of weapons with souls bound to them that came to forge such close bonds with their wielders that they were less man and blade, and more like a team. It's something to aspire to, isn't it?

[He's not entirely wrong. As a rule all of his Devil Arms are obedient servants, hardly holding a scrap of their former will. But when they do keep their minds about them, Dante gets wrecked.

Hero Caedra, breaking all the minds in Hadriel.] Yeah, it sounds nice. Like a story you tell little kids. This is reality though, and they don't talk back. [A pause comes.] Okay, save for the bros, but they never shut up.

I wouldn't expect them to talk. That doesn't mean they don't have a life within them. What are these "bros", though?

[Slang for brothers, yes, she's been here long enough to recognize that much. It's the weapons themselves she's interested in, but she leans in a little, playing up her interest in him in the hopes of encouraging a more detailed reply.]

The brothers? Agni and Rudra. Couple of loud swords that can't keep it down. [Dante grins, faking happiness at seeing her lean in just so. It's easier when he can be civil, he's not sure about her anyway. But she gives him so many bad feelings that he doesn't even know how to process them.

This is a killer, and he's sure of it. She's some sort of demon, obviously trouble, and everything about her freaks him out.

...But she's so damn pretty. And attractive people are Dante's downfall.] I can arrange an introduction, if you're interested.

[She recognizes the names. Celestial in origin. The sound uttered aloud is repulsive, like the rest of that language, but she contains the reaction and refuses to let the disgust show openly despite feeling it.

To meet them though, hm. Well, they're just names. Despite what he's said so far, she's hardly about to come into contact with angelic beings, is she? Artifacts, that's all, and she has a few herself. Not here, not on her, but back at home, where one of her favorite pens was plucked from the wing of an angel during its torture. The ink flows so beautifully from the quill.]

Certainly, I would love to. Even if they're loud - especially, even! I'm quite curious to see them.

[Dante isn't one to hold back, or even pretend to be subtle about things. So when he draws out the brothers he does it with style. Spinning them around, the wind and fire swirling hotter and making a couple of the closer scorpions back away.

But he's not sure if he's happy that they're quiet, or concerned. Hadriel shifts things around in a bad way.] So? What do you think?

[Excessive, the way he flaunts them like that. Covering personal insecurity with elaborate manual dexterity. The swords are beautiful and that says nothing about him directly. It just means he found some nice toys and thinks showing them off will make him somehow more appealing.

So of course she eyes the whole display with enthusiasm, acting appropriately impressed, especially as the scorpions cower.]

They're beautiful. I've seen a sword that lit up with fire like that before. One of the highest advisors at home has one. But ice? Is that what that other one is? Too few people appreciate the power of that element.

[She's wrong about that. Dante has very few insecurities, he's just over the top awesome. He doesn't care if she thinks he's appealing or not. The smell of her is almost enough to make him gag, she reeks of darkness and demonic hellishness. But he smiles, as if he's so pleased that she's paying attention to him. As if he likes her. As if she doesn't make him want to kill.

Damn, demonic interactions are a pain.] Nah, it's wind. Ice is great too, I've got an ice weapon on me. But wind and fire make for one hell of a blast. [He's torn a little. On one hand, gross demon. On the other hand, she's also a beautiful demon. And although he leans heavily towards his human side, being with demons that aren't outright antagonistic remind him a little more of what he really is.]

Ah, wind, I should have guessed. Fun! I can see it, you can use one to stir up the other.

[Hm, she wants them. At least one of them. While she favors her rapier, it wouldn't hurt to have another tool in the arsenal.]

I want to see them in action. Those scorpions, they're a poor audience, aren't they? Get rid of them.

They go well together. [He doesn't know what she's playing at. Usually demons that act and look human enough are schemers. Really troublesome. But here in Hadriel things are different, and he's not sure what her motivations could be.] So demanding. Didn't anyone teach you how to ask nicely? [He laughs.] That's okay. I like a woman that knows what she wants. [He was playing around before, and in a way he still is. These enemies are way too weak for him to actually take seriously. But they don't stand a chance against the searing wind of the sword brothers. And Caedra might be able to hear something mumbled, a bit of laughter, coming from them as they seal the fate of the beasts.]

[Ah, there, something entertaining to watch. Nothing like slaughtering spectators to liven up a match, right? They had kept themselves at bay for long enough, picking off those weaker than they are, avoiding the real conflict. Now their innards coat the coliseum floor as their exoskeletal remains lie in pieces. And the blades do enjoy it, too, don't they?]

Effective! I like them. Effective against giant bugs, anyway, but that's something. It's a shame there's nothing more interesting to turn them against, here.

[Like the rest of the city. Is he the sort to be interested in that implied suggestion? It would be easy enough to laugh off as a joke if he were to question it. Their captors, too, would make a fine target. She has yet to see someone strike one of them directly. Perhaps he's just cocky enough to try.]

[It's an entirely impressive show, as far as easy prey goes. And he might have been making it extra flashy for her. He doesn't trust her, he doesn't like her, but she's a pretty lady and he's still weak against those.]

Not a challenge, but hey. It wasted a little time. [He might just be cocky enough to go up against the gods. But he's also the type to be able to have sense talked into him, and the right words could sway him against striking out. It's tricky.] So there's no better prey here?

Depends on what you would take as prey. I'm sure there are things out in the ice that are larger, but if it's intelligent quarry that you seek, then...

[She shrugs, but with one hand seems to gesture around them. There are others here fighting the scorpions too, to varying degrees of success. There's just enough coyness to the gesture to make it look like it might be a misinterpretation to say that she means he could attack them. For who would hunt humans and their kin? Surely she means there is nothing like what he's asking about.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Intro Log: A Day at the Beach

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject