hadriel_logs | Event Log: Is It a Wonderful Life?

Entry tags:

Event Log: Is It a Wonderful Life?

Who: All characters participating in the event
What: The event log for Is It A Wonderful Life? event
Where: All over the city
When: Jan 4th-8th
Warnings: None

Throughout the next few days, you may find yourself plagued by visions and dreams of back home. The dreams will be lifelike and difficult to tell apart from reality, as the world will be constructed from what you remember of your world. However, unlike usual dreams, you won't be present, and will find yourself unable to be seen or heard by those around you.

The dreams are vivid reminders of what might happen in a world without you: a world in which you disappeared when coming to Hadriel, a world which desperately needs you back for some reason or another. You may see your parents putting up missing posters, your significant other moving onto their next relationship, or even your hated villain finally taking over the world without you there to stop them.

When the vision leaves, you're back here and nothing about the city has changed. Though maybe you have a different outlook on it now...

► This log covers January 4th-Januray 8th.
► Please tag headers of threads with content warnings where they apply
► Please put your character's name and open/closed in the subject line of your starters!
► If you try a weird solution to make it back home, please let us know here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I guess so? One foot in front of the other.

[being a better person isn't easy and it's taken her a year and. . . nine months to get this far?]

You're an artist? That's cool. What do you usually do, portraits or landscapes or a little bit of both?

Uh huh.

[ Ephemera takes another drag, tapping ashes onto the ground. ]

Little bit of everything. Started out doodling and then I learned how to paint my armor. Kinda spiraled from there.

[she continues to hold onto her cigarette. maybe she thinks it makes her look mature?]

So you taught yourself? That's cool. Way cooler than the whole "been to art school, parents are supporting me with a trust fund" bullshit I used to run into.

Never met anybody who had a trust fund, [ Ephemera says thoughtfully. ] Used to talk about going to school after the war ended, but that didn't work out. My captain, he was all for it. He had plans, too. Wanted to be a high school teacher. Spent the whole war doing zero g combat jumps and he wanted to teach English to a bunch of kids. But that was the captain.

[ He nods, expression a little distant. ]

You would've liked him. Everybody did.

[the bit about his captain wanting to be a teacher hits her hard, reminds her of her father] I can. Think of worse jobs. I mean, wanting to teach people, teaching takes a lot of effort. It takes a special kind of person to do a job like that.

[but she notices the use of past tense.

hesitantly] Is he. . . okay?

Yeah. That was Hunter. Kids loved him. Hell, everybody loved him. He was good at that sort of thing, talking to people. Making 'em see the other side of things.

[ Ephemera had loved him. Loved the entire squad. They'd been family. Only one he'd ever known.

He shakes his head. Exhales another cloud of smoke. ]

No. He died.

Sounds like he would've been a great teacher.

[and. she is both sad and not surprised to hear what he says next. because people here don't get to have nice things. even the people they care about don't get to. it sucks a lot, but it also seems to be the way things work out]

...I'm sorry.

[ Ephemera nods slowly. It would've been a good life for Hunter. ]

Yeah. Me, too. I miss him a lot. But it doesn't hurt as much as it used to. Guess that's something.

Yeah. It's something? Mourning is supposed to be this whole big process and fuck if I can figure it out, but it not hurting as much? Is probably a big step in the process.

[and she remembers her cigarette, brings it to her lips, takes a drag, and tries to blow a smoke ring. it's pretty pathetic]

[ He smiles just a little at that. ]

Don't inhale so deep. Shallow exhale. Like this.

[ He demonstrates. Hey, smoke ring. ]

[she slides a wry grin in his direction when he blows the smoke ring]

Show-off.

Okay, let's try this again.

[and she does as she's instructed and the second try is. . . not terrible? a little wobbly, but recognizable]

I'll have you know this worked wonders for me in bars, [ Ephemera informs her solemnly, though his one eye is bright with humor. ] See, you're getting it.

[she chuckles] I'll bet it did. It's all sexy and mysterious and I-don't-give-a-fuck. I bet you were reeling 'em in. [and she tries again with a small amount of improvement] Thanks. I've always been a fast learner.

Everybody likes sexy and mysterious. Universal turn on. [ He used to have fun at bars, back in the day. Flirting with people was harmless fun. Used to be he'd flirt with anyone given half the opportunity, just for something to do. Not so much these days. Maybe he's getting old. ] I did okay. Believe it or not, I used to be pretty fucking charming.

[ Less so now, with his face. But times change. He shrugs, taking another drag. ]

'course I was pretty back then. That helped. But bars were fun. Low stakes, you know?

Yeah. Maybe that's my problem. Best I can manage is awkward and vaguely bitchy. [and George has had zero fun at all. she was far too insular and weird to have any sort of social life in school and since coming here has fallen for a girl who 1) had a boyfriend who is now gone and 2) seems to have friendzoned her hard] Ehh, I can believe it.

[George isn't sure what's wrong with her face, but she's sure there must be something. she also takes another drag as something to do other than brooding over her own physical inadequacies]

Yeah, I wouldn't know. Sure, there's the Speakeasy, but that's not the same as a bar back home.

Eh, you just need to practice.

[ Preferably while sober, but everybody's got their thing. Ephemera tips his head back and exhales. The nicotine feels good in his lungs. ]

Yeah. Everybody knows everybody. 's not quite the same.

Okay. So, say I practice on you. Are you with someone? 'Cause if so, I will totally be respectful of boundaries and shit.

[Reapers can't get drunk. they can, however, get stoned or high, which always seemed weird to her, but whatever, she doesn't make the rules.

she snorts] No shit. It's like the small town from hell.

[ Ephemera gives her a look for a moment, then shrugs. ]

Yeah. I am. But sure, what the fuck. Hit me.

[ He used to be good at this sort of thing, back in the day. Maybe he can remember how it goes. ]

[she looks back, trying to seem Serious and Mature. not like some eighteen year old kid who has no idea what the fuck she's doing]

Okay! Um. Cool. So. [she takes a deep breath and seems to be psyching herself up] Come here often? [argh. lame. laaaaaaaame]

[ Ephemera just raises an eyebrow, taking a drag on his cigarette. ]

....really?

[at his reaction, she makes an incoherent noise and buries her face in her hands, mumbling between her fingers and still clutching at her cigarette]

I don't fucking know, I don't do this kind of thing. What would you do?

Okay, okay. I'm not laughing.

[ He's not, though his smile is warm. ]

Eyes up, yeah? Use what you've got.

[ He inclines his head toward her, pressing the cigarette between his teeth. Smiles around it, good eye bright and watchful. ]

Hey. Buy me a drink and I'll show you how to do a real smoke ring.

Good. [she mumbles from behind her hands.

but she sneaks a peek at him and he's not laughing at her.

she pulls her hands from her face and stares up at him, big brown eyes wide]

Okay. Okay. So you're saying my eyes are an asset?

[she was expecting that. . . but she wasn't expecting that]

Oh, you're good. The confidence, the delivery, how d'you do that?

[ Ephemera grins, nodding. ]

Uh huh. Me, I practiced a lot. It's fun! Even if the person you're trying it on doesn't like you, it's not hard to get 'em to laugh. Everybody likes something to lighten the mood.

[she purses her lips briefly]

That. . .might be a problem. I've never been any good at lightening the mood.

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

(cw: drug mention)

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject