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.

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[ You know what's not a reassuring sight to see moments after waking up from a terrible nightmare about the apocalypse? The shadowy spectre of death itself bursting into your room! Angus squeaks and presses back against the headboard like he's trying to disappear into it, one hand scrabbling against the nightstand 'til he finds his glasses, and the blurry shape in front of him is finally recognizable as Lup. He breathes out again, shaky and unsteady, trying to compose himself. ]

Nuh... n-no. Nobody broke in.

[ That's all she gets out of him for a little while. Angus's first instinct is never to tell adults about his problems, but Lup is different, and not just because she was part of what he'd just seen. He takes another deep breath. ]

Lup, they...

[ His breath hitches on a sob, and Angus is too tired and too scared and too young to hold anything back. ]

They lied, time keeps passing back home while we're stuck here, we just disappeared and we're gone and nobody knows where we went, the Hunger came, and now we can't...!

[Funny how after so long of her asking him to do it, Angus actually squeaking out her name like that makes the elf's stomach drop.

Both her scythe and her fierce expression disappear just as quickly as they'd been summoned, Lup's whole face softening as she crosses the boy's room in an instant, dropping down to perch at the edge of his bed. Being motherly isn't exactly a trait Lup would ever use to describe herself as having, but she knows how to be a big sister, how to kiss bruised knees and soothe bruised egos, to play soft when she needs to and to dole out tough love too.

Her hand drops gently on top of his head, smoothing his hair back, voice kind, but more importantly, present. She's there with him, listening to whatever he has to say. Not brushing his concerns aside or treating him like a child.]

Hey, Ango. It's chill, honey. It was just a bad dream. We're all good.

[ That's the best possible approach, honestly. If Lup tried to Adult him, he'd get too embarrassed at being seen like this and would withdraw into himself, burying the whole dream away so he could deal with it on his own like he did in his militia days. Lup doesn't count as an Adult - at least, not the same way that The Director, his old bosses, and his Grandpa do - so it's a little safer to open up to her.

He leans forward, unconsciously pressing into Lup's hand, eyes wide with urgency. She has to understand!]

We're not, though! I saw it, I was right there, we can't go back because there's nothing left to go back to! It was...

[ Now that he's fully awake and the residual terror is starting to drain away, that's actually making way less sense, and the fact that he literally woke up in bed is a pretty damning. He frowns, and bites his lip. ]

It... it didn't feel like a dream.

[Maybe some folks would take offense at not being seen as an Adult, but most definitely not the twins. If anything, that's a big compliment.]

Well, sometimes dreams try to trick you into thinking they're real.

[Angus will understand that when he starts dating and his partner gets super irritated at him for a stupid dream they had, like real Angus had any control over Dream!Angus. It happens.

Lup moves to perch near the boy on his bed, one hand falling to his shoulder, just to keep that physical connection there, hoping a warm touch will help Angus feel grounded. He's already beginning to look like he's coming down from that panic, but she wants to help.]

Wanna talk about what you saw, sweetie? I can whip up some cooca and we can chat about it. Hard to sleep after crap like that.

No, I get that, I've had nightmares before, this was...

[ He isn't sure what it was, but he's beginning to have some suspicions. Angus slumps forwards and nods, too tired and worn out from the adrenaline rush to even consider refusing the offer. ]

... Yes please. I, um, I really don't want to go back to sleep anytime soon.

[Lup gets it, now more than ever. She used to scoff at nightmares, but sometimes she dreams of dark, enclosed spaces, of not being able to catch her breath in the total quiet, and that's enough to keep her up for days.]

C'mon, grab your blanket an' let's go make a cuddle pile on the couch. Getting away from the scene of the crime will help, give you some room to breathe.

[She raises back to her feet and waits for Angus to finish. If he hadn't had such a growth spurt, she'd probably just scoop him up. But now that he's all lanky limbs, she offers him her back instead, pulling her messy braid to the side, shooting the boy a grin over her shoulder.]

Hop on! Personal piggyback service, just for you.

[ The scene of the crime is a very apt way to phrase it. Lup sounds like a commanding officer leading a shellshocked witness away from a murder, and while Angus has been around a few murder scenes, he's never been offered blankets or piggyback rides at them. He owlishly blinks up at her, and starts pulling his fuzziest blanket around his shoulders. ]

Are... are you sure? I think I might be too big for this, I dunno if it'll work!

[ He's gotten piggyback rides from Magnus before, because it's impossible to be around Magnus for more than ten minutes without getting a piggyback ride, and N0-3113 had given him one once, but they're both much bigger than Lup! ]

Psshaw.

[She waves a hand as if waving away his concern, back still presented to him. It's true that Lup's size doesn't quite match up to Magnus', but there's surprising strength in these undead limbs.

And like, it helps that Angus is a skinny little string bean too.]

Less talkin', more climbin'! Hop up, son! I've so got this. If I can carry around Koko's fat ass, I can handle you just fine.

[ He is basically just made of spaghetti noodles and doesn't weigh much, this won't be hard! Angus hesitates for a second before just clambering on up there, carefully putting his arms around Lup's neck, with the blanket hanging from his own shoulders like a fuzzy cape. ]

You've carried Taako around?

[What an imposing silhouette they must cut.

Unsurprisingly, Lup lifts Angus as easily as if he was made of cotton candy, tucking his feet in at her side while the boy holds on tight.]

Oh boy, you bet I did. Still do sometimes, when he's feeling extra clingy, but not nearly as often as when we were kids. [With Angus safe on her back, Lup takes off with her usual long strides, steering Angus out of his room and towards the stairs. Watch your head!]

He used to be crazy afraid of the dark. Our auntie had one hallway that always felt really long and dark, like somethin' was just waiting to pop out. Koko straight up refused to ever go down it unless I was carrying him.

[ Oh gods, now that's a mental image. Thanks to this place, Angus has met the twins as little kids, but it's still hard to imagine them being that young and vulnerable, let alone that scared of anything. Or... it's hard to mesh the mental images of the adult twins and their younger selves together.

He holds on tight, ducking his head down until his curls brush the back of Lup's neck. ]

I guessed right. You're definitely the older twin.

[ Lup has powerful Older Sister Energy! ]

Ding! Finally! Somebody gets it!

[How dare anyone assume otherwise, really.]

Taako tries to fight it, but you an' I? [Lup tips her head back, just enough to playfully bump against Angus', careful and slow, no bruises.] We know the truth. And like, if you ever wanna know other embarrassing Taako stories, you know to hit me up.

[Peanut's snoring is the background track of their trek to the kitchen, Lup skipping over the couch entirely in favor of planting Angus right on the kitchen counter, where he can hang his legs off of the ledge and watch Lup work, without being too far away from her company.]

So, what sounds good? We can go full cocoa or are you thinkin' a different kinda treat?

I am always down for embarrassing Taako stories.

[ He says this with more solemn gravitas than should be possible for a small boy getting a piggyback ride. Once he's deposited on the counter, he leans back and tugs the blanket closer around him, looking over their supplies. It's about 2am, and while cocoa sounds pretty appealing - he's a sucker for anything chocolate - he really doesn't want to back to sleep anytime soon. This might be pushing it, but it's worth a shot. ]

... Is coffee out of the question?

[It's only pushing it if he wanted some booze to go with his coffee, and let's be honest, Lup probably would have given him that without batting an eye either. So the request for something to keep him awake just gets a grin out of the woman who is already moving to make it happen, the motions practiced after nearly two years in this place.]

How do you take your coffee anyway, kiddo? Touch a cream and some sugar? Or are you the type who just wants it black?

[ See, this is why Lup is the best aunt. Not only is she totally down with 2am coffee, there are no lectures about sleep deprivation, stunted growth, or caffeine addiction to be had. It's a win-win situation!

(Angus will basically just vibrate through the rest of the day, until he finally passes out on the couch around 4pm. It's cool, he's got this!) ]

One milk and one sugar, please. Black coffee's gross. Oh! Actually, can we mix some of the cocoa powder in with the coffee?

[Hey, it all works out for her. Angus can stay up as long as he likes as far as she's concerned. He'll tucker out in some corner or other when he's tired enough, either curling up with Peanut on the couch or managing to make his way back to his room. Either way, Taako and her will be there to tuck a blanket around him when he finally does, then slipping away before they get caught doing something nice.]

Can do, little man! How 'bout some whip cream on that sucker? May as well go full out, right?

[ There is a long, long silence before Angus speaks up again. When he finally does, it's in the low, conspiratorial tone of someone who knows he's getting away with (figurative!) murder, and is probably going to regret this in the morning.

Well. Later in the morning. Possibly the afternoon. That 4pm crash is gonna hit hard ]

... I know where Taako keeps the cupcake sprinkles.

[ And with that, he's reaching for one of the higher cupboards with a Mage Hand. ]

I can make you some tea, Lup, if you'd like some!

Look at you, Mr. Pre-Teen Detective. Already uncovering all of this household's greatest mysteries. Hit me with 'em. We're going all out tonight.

[Shhh, it'll be fine. Not like there's anything else to do in this place. It's too damn cold for most folks to wander around through the snow all day. May as well make it a cozy, afternoon nap.]

Sure, why not. [Tea's not much her thing, but giving Angus to do something to focus on will help the memories of his nightmares die off. So she'll drink a cup to that.] We can put a fire on and curl up in the living room.

That... that sounds really good, actually.

[ Angus digs out the kettle and some teabags, then shifts himself off the countertop and gets to work. Having something to do does help quite a bit, it's easier to focus on manual tasks that keep his hands busy rather than what's going on in his head.

After a moment or two he speaks up again, still focusing on the tea as the water boils. ]

Thanks for, um... all of this. And. And, uh, 'm'sorry if I woke you up. I'm pretty sure this was just stupid Turbo-Lich stuff.

Elves don't sleep, goobus.

[Not exactly true, but shhh, just trust her on this.]

And for sure, when isn't it turbo-lich stuff? You're gonna be fine, kiddo. We all are. They're just trying to fuck with us, but we're one step ahead of 'em this time. Just try and catch us, idiots.

[Her hand plops affectionately on the top of his head, ruffing the boy's hair.]

They don't stand a chance.

I've seen you guys napping.

[ He sticks out his tongue, and it's clear from his tone that he's just being a smartass to lighten the mood, and he leans into that hair-ruffle like it's the best thing on earth. ]

Yeah, you're right. They're just a... a bunch of dickheads.

[ IF HE CAN GET AWAY WITH 2AM COFFEE, HE CAN GET AWAY WITH SWEARING ]

Y'know, kid - [Lup drops her hand to give Angus' chin a little punch, no real power behind it, just all affection.]

You cursing has gotta add at least twenty years to my lifespan.

[There's just something about his sweet little voice cursing that is incredible.]

C'mon, get your tush to the couch. We're gonna get caffeinated an' trade our favorite embarrassing Taako stories.

I'll be sure to do it more fucking often, then.

[ He's definitely feeling better now, he wouldn't be able to say that with a total pokerface otherwise! Angus throws his arms around Lup's waist in a tight hug, then gathers up the mugs and starts making his way to the living room.

They'll be ok. They have each other, and enough caffeine between them to stay awake for several more hours than is strictly healthy. That's all you need, sometimes. ]

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Event Log: Is It a Wonderful Life?

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