ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏᴅᴛᴇᴀᴍ ᴏғ ʜᴀᴅʀɪᴇʟ (
hadrielmods) wrote in
hadriel_logs2019-04-10 10:17 am
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Entry tags:
Intro Log: It's All Fun and Games
Who: New arrivals and everyone else!
What: The intro log for April
Where: The colosseum and all around the city.
When: April 10th-12th
Warnings: None
What: The intro log for April
Where: The colosseum and all around the city.
When: April 10th-12th
Warnings: None
Welcome to Hadriel. You're a new arrival... or maybe you're not. Maybe this is all very familiar, and you're already rolling your eyes at ending up here again. In that case, welcome back! And if you're new, welcome! Your welcoming committee today is a bunch of creepy floating Shugguraths. Some of them spit acid, some of them can shock you with electricity, and some can freeze you. What we definitely know for sure is that none of them like you, so you better start running - or maybe try to shoot one down. Let's hope you've got help, because that's not going to be easy to do alone!
Or you can grab one of the weapons off the floor of the colosseum and just go for it. That'll work great for about five seconds, before you realize that all the weapons are in fact fun toys for kids to play with, and not entirely suitable for killing big floating monsters. But hey, at least you tried!
Once you've finished indulging your 90's nostalgia, 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 April 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!
no subject
One step at a time.
"Hey buddy, you're okay. Let's get you out of here, though, yeah? I can explain outside."
no subject
Lifting a hand, he scrubs it across his face, scrubbing at it until he can see clearly and feels at least moderately less grimy in the face of a stranger. A handsome stranger missing a sleeve and covered in goop who'd obviously slain the monster and is talking to him in a gentle voice. It reminds him of Dave, and his throat chokes up, but he forces a laugh.
"Yeah, yeah yeah yeah, I'm totally okay. Right, yeah. Um, yes, out of here would be great."
Shifting, he gets his knees under himself and stands shakily, legs still feeling like they're made out of rubber, reaching out to push a hand against the guy's bare shoulder - damn, solid - and catch his balance.
"Go on then, sir, lead the way."
He's still shaking, still feels weak and his breaths are coming in and out like tearing paper and he feels like he might pass out, but he's at least moving.
no subject
He starts hustling Klaus towards the exit, but the thinner man is still shaking and hyperventilating against him despite his reassurances. It's understandable, especially considering whatever kind of PTSD the guy has, but Drake would rather not have to carry him out because he's unconscious. He will, it's doable, but not ideal.
"Breathe with me, you're gonna pass out. What's your name?"
no subject
So when the guy starts hustling him toward the doors, Klaus moves, almost tripping over his feet, reaching out occasionally to grab at the guy's arm or press a hand against his chest for balance, but still moving. He's never been graceful, but he's more clumsy than usual, ends up tripping and biting his lip and slapping a hand against the ground before getting upright again. The hand comes away from the dirt a bit slimy and a lot muddy and he gasps out a curse, trying to shake it off as he keeps moving.
"I'm breathing, I'm breathing, I'm okay, okay okay...yeah. And, uh. I'm Klaus. You?"
no subject
"I'm Drake. Almost there, come on."
He hauls Klaus the rest of the way out of the colosseum and into the jungle beyond before easing his grip, turning the other man's back against a tree so he can lean as Drake tries to look him in the eyes. That always helped people in his experiences, grounding them against something solid. He's dealt with this kind of thing a lot and now that they're out of danger he can give his full attention to it. His hands are strong as he holds Klaus up by the shoulders.
"This place doesn't do gentle wake ups, sorry about that Klaus. But you're safe for now. I'll give you the run down and get you settled somewhere when you're steady. Just try to calm down." A hesitation, then... "Where'd you go, in there?"
no subject
As always, after the peak of the panic passes, Klaus starts babbling about whatever stream-of-consciousness stuff crosses his mind, and it's usually stupid. Drake just keeps hauling him along, dragging him out of the battleground and away from the floating loogies and then shoves him up against a tree much more gently than Klaus is used to being shoved up against things. It still knocks the breath out of him - maybe not the collision with the tree, but the whole situation.
Swallowing hard, he looks up, meets Drake's eyes. Drake is good-looking, tall, chiseled jaw, kind face. Klaus' eyes look greener than usual with red around the edges from crying and his smudged days-old eyeliner, and they're a little wide, still a little wild.
"Yeah...it's okay, it's fine."
Lifting both his hands, he pats them against Drake's chest, his own rising and falling way too fast, his heart fluttering too fast in his chest. He can still feel it, the panic clawing around the edges of his consciousness. Then Drake asks where he went in there, and Klaus exhales a rough laugh.
"Man..."
He lifts a hand, pushing his fingers back through his hair, tilting his head back and swallowing hard, "So, so many places."
no subject
So many places, Klaus says, and Drake's eyes drift to the other man's neck. Sure enough there's a chain there, whatever's on it hidden beneath his shirt but Drake's pretty sure they're dog tags. He gives Klaus' shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
"You're a vet?" It had been pretty loud with the sound of fighting, and somebody had thrown a grenade and made a real mess... definitely enough to trigger flashbacks. Drake's expression softens, and he eases up the pressure holding Klaus against the tree. The other man still seems on the edge, but calm enough he won't collapse again. That's something. That's progress. He glances around to see which exit they came out, what's closest. They'll need to get Klaus some fresh clothes, some food for wherever he decides to hole up... Drake almost wishes he could take the guy home and set him up on the couch to keep an eye on him, but that probably wouldn't go over well. They can find him somewhere nearby.
"We don't have to talk about it. Plenty of other stuff to deal with... welcome to Hadriel. You want a tour or just to go get cleaned up and chill out? Someplace quiet."
no subject
Swallowing hard, he starts just a little.
"Yeah. I am. I uh...I fought in the Vietnam War..."
Drake's face softens a little, then, and he lets up a little bit on the pressure. It's a good thing and a bad thing all at once, because Klaus is still breathing too fast and heavy, his heart is still hammering at a crazy pace, and the pressure felt nice. But he also feels less trapped, which is great. Really great. Tilting his head back, he swallows hard again, Adam's apple bouncing in his throat and he exhales.
"It's fine. Thanks. Thanks, seriously, Drake. I..." His voice cuts off for a moment, and he's grateful, he really is, that Drake says he doesn't have to talk about it. Klaus licks his lips, his green eyes flick to either side, and he exhales. The trembling is chilling out now, and that's good. This still feels surreal and more than a little fake, but at least he's just on the edge of a panic attack instead of in the middle of one.
"Cleaned up and chilled out sounds great. God. What I really need is a bath and a joint but..."
Shaking his head, he squeezes his eyes shut one last time then opens them.
"Will you, uh...hang out with me for a bit?"
There's something about Drake's presence that's soothing, for the first time in a while, Klaus feels safe in the presence of someone who's not a sibling or Dave, and that's nice.
no subject
He gently tugs Klaus away from the tree, motioning with his head the direction he wants to go: back towards the spires, which won't feel any less surreal but they have facilities. They should probably swing by the shops first, but Klaus doesn't seem up for that and Drake can always toss what he's wearing now in the wash... yeah, that seems best, especially if the guy wants company.
"Of course. And if you're serious about the bath and joint I can arrange that, actually. It won't make things worse?"
no subject
Creepy. Like being on an alien planet in one of the old sci-fi flicks Ben used to like.
When Drake says he can arrange for a bath and a joint, Klaus flattens his hand against his chest, lifts the other to his forehead (clearly displaying the "Good Bye" tattoo on the palm) and pretends like he's swooning.
"My hero."
Probably, he should say no to the joint. He's been clean for two days, the worst of the dope sickness is past, he's not suffering physically besides some lingering hangover, and he's still feeling a little numb from the sheer effort of dealing with the cravings while trying to avert the apocalypse. This would be prime backsliding territory, and it always starts with just a joint.
He should say no.
"I would totally owe you, like, big time if you could arrange that."
no subject
"How about we play it by ear? See how you're feeling after the bath part, maybe a meal... you might want to be sharp here at least at first." It's a friendly suggestion, that's all.
He leads the way to the spire, which is thankfully an uneventful journey, and up to his apartment. The whole design of the place is alien, rounded edges everywhere and unfamiliar appliances, but Drake's apartment is very thoroughly decorated. There are murals and portraits painted on all of the walls, and the start of more art on the kitchen ceiling -- a ladder and some dropcloths are tucked out of the way but still visible, like someone's still working on it. It feels lived in, cozy, even though no one else is here right now.
"I'll get you a change of clothes and toss what you're wearing in the wash? We can worry about getting you to the shops later. And I've got a friend who used to live right below us, if you like the apartments. I can double check if it's still free."
no subject
"Fine fine, you have a point. I don't know if anything could make things worse right now, but..."
He waves a hand dismissively as they head into the spire and into Drake's apartment. It's bright and colourful and there's paint all over the walls. Pausing, Klaus looks around at the walls, turning slowly to take it all in.
"Wow. This is really nifty. Did you paint these? It reminds me of this place I stayed in with my ex-boyfriend for a bit. People used to graffiti all over the walls and stuff, but this is actual art."
A pause, and he glances up at Drake again, "Oh...uh yeah, sure. Clothes." Scrubbing a hand over his face to distract himself, he exhales heavily, squeezes his eyes tightly shut for a moment before opening them, trying to get himself oriented properly.
"You just take apartments here? I haven't really had a place to live in like..." He exhales with a long pfffft sound, and waves a hand again, "Long time." A pause, and then, hastily because he realizes how bad that sounds, "A permanent place, I mean. My own apartment."
no subject
"Not me, my partner's the artist. He's good, right?" Drake returns with clothes and a spare towel in hand, to consider the question. To his credit, he barely blinks at the revelation Klaus didn't have his own place, understanding in his eyes rather than pity.
"It'd be yours, and yeah we just claim places. There's the apartment spires, a bunch of houses, some standalone bungalows... you've got your pick and there's no rent but it isn't exactly free. We're here for a reason, basically." He hesitates, because explaining things is probably going to freak Klaus out all over again when he's just calmed down... maybe it'd be better to get him in the tub first. Drake holds out the clothes and towel, also offering a friendly grin, "Do you want to the run down now, or with bubbles? Bathroom's the door on the right."
no subject
It's a little distracted, quiet, as Klaus keeps looking at the paintings. At the mention of a partner who's a guy, he lifts his hand again to wrap around the dog tags he has hanging around his neck. Feels an intense, aching pang of pain all around the hole in his life and his heart where Dave used to be. For a moment, the grief shows on his face, he closes his eyes, inhales through his nose, and then opens them and gives Drake a watery smile.
Then he takes the clothes from Drake, and glances toward the bathroom door. Heading toward it, he nods.
"With bubbles. I don't mind if you come in." A pause, and then he laughs, without a lot of humour, "Sorry, for once I didn't mean that in the dirty way. I just mean like, in the room. If that wouldn't bother your partner and there's a shitton of bubbles. If I'm gonna hear bad news, I'd rather hear it in the bath."
no subject
For now he just smiles gently, waving the other man off.
"It's fine, trust me. I'm going to change too, I'll be in when I hear the water stop... you can use whatever you find in there."
And with that he heads back into the bedroom, changing and discarding his wrecked shirt. The water keeps running for awhile after, and Drake waits. When he hears it stop he knocks on the door, even though it's half open, just to be polite.
"Klaus?"
no subject
When Drake waves off the concern and goes to change, Klaus gives him a tired salute and heads into the bathroom, turns on the water as hot as it'll go without actually cooking him, and dumps in big splash of something that he hopes will produce bubbles without looking at the label. Leaving the door open a crack, he strips without any self-consciousness, folds up the sleeveless vest carefully, drops the tank top on the floor without much care, slides out of the leather pants (there's nothing underneath) and leaves the dog tags around his neck.
Stepping into the tub, he hisses at the heat and then settles down into the water with a soft sigh, tilts his head back and closes his eyes, lips slightly parted, trying to lose himself in the heat.
When Drake knocks at the door, he groans softly, and speaks in a distracted sort of voice, "Eingeben, come in, come in."
no subject
"What language was that? German?"
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He sighs deeply and sits up a little, scooping up some of the hot water and scooping it over his head, shoulders hunched to show off the army tattoo on his upper arm, the thick scar across his shoulder. Scrubbing a hand over his face, he glances over at Drake.
"Yeah. Picked up a few words of it in school."
no subject
"I took Spanish... it didn't really stick, though."
The other man looks calmer already, he thinks, though he can't be sure. Hopefully it's true, and he'll handle what Drake's about to tell him without another freakout. Or disbelief -- Drake thinks that might be worse, and it's certainly some people's reaction. The truth of it all does sound crazy. His eyes settle on the tattoo, his own exposed as well. A celtic knot in a bear's pawprint, the claws stretching up to his shoulder, and numbers on either collarbone. Memorials. He's planning another, but hasn't gotten it yet. But his curiosity about Klaus' can wait.
"So. Hadriel. You ready? You're going to think I'm nuts but you seem to trust me enough already so I'm just going to go for it."
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His voice drifts off for a moment, and he reaches blindly for a bottle, doesn't look at the label before he squeezes some into his hand and proceeds to lather it into his hair. There's grit on his scalp, he scrapes at it with his fingernails, looking down at his own knees while he does.
"Ready as I'll ever be, big guy."
It's cheerful enough, but the kind of put-on cheerful that sounds so fake it's obviously not meant to be believable.
"Lay it on me."
no subject
Drake's practiced at this, though, he's been there to help the newcomers every month for nearly two years. It's a long explanation he's managed to trim down to the vital bits -- the Door, the Gods, how they have a symbiotic relationship with the inhabitants of the city. The Null, how they think of the Gods as parasites, how they want to destroy them all and the conflict happening within the city. It doesn't actually take him very long anymore to get through the basics, sitting there watching Klaus wash up.
"Do you have any questions for me? Besides if I'm off my meds, but I'm hoping your world had at least a taste of crazy so this isn't... too much. I know it's overwhelming."