hadriel_logs | semi-open;

Entry tags:

jo harvelle

semi-open;

Who: Drake + anyone who needs to feel hopeful
What: Hadriel's resident zombie needs to bring hope to six people, but since that's tricky he's just attempting it at every opportunity he sees.
Where: anywhere!!!
When: 4/6 onwards, please give a date so I know which event is going on at the time!
Warnings: none yet and none planned, I'll edit if things arise

Well, it sure had taken Drake long enough to make this decision. Eight months from the point he first decided he wanted it, four since he had really gotten fed up and decided he couldn't live this way no matter what the advantages were. And so this might be the worst timing, when they're worried about another Null attack, but also... that makes it feel more urgent. Drake has no interest in being the last one standing, or left to starve yet again if something happens to Hope, to hurt someone he cares about or start an outbreak, and if he's going to die he'd rather go out human. Best case scenario, when it's all over he gets to go somewhere else and actually get a second chance. However things go, now just seems like the time for this deal.

It's too bad, he thinks, that he couldn't make it with Love. No, it has to be Hope, and Drake's not all that confident in his ability to inspire that, but he has to try. He was told six people but he's not really counting, because he feels like if he goes into this asking people what they're feeling it'll be disingenuous... so he won't ever really know who added to his number and who didn't, but it can't be a bad thing to help as many people as possible, right? Right.

He does seek some people out, people he's got ideas for or needs help from, but for the most part he just keeps an eye out. When he's moving through the jungle on patrol, when he wanders by the Speakeasy, whenever. Anyone who looks like they might need help, or someone to talk to, or just company. He'll do what he can and cross his fingers that it's enough.

(( ooc: Some starters in comments! Technically this is open to anyone interested in tagging in but please hit me up at

cuddlebug or Ana#1461 so we can plan a little. ♥ ))

Threaded | Flat

As far as Drake knows, Carolina left the city awhile back. He's only aware of this because he kept coming by the house to hang out with Tucker until he left as well -- the last time he went to message his friend he realized that everyone had left from that world except Wash, Maine, and of course Ephemera. It seems to him like a lot of people are vanishing lately, and there's that feeling of having to hold on tight to his people that are left.

Little does he know she returned, and just got out of the colosseum before he'd arrived -- it's not like he could ever miss that armor, after all.

He's on patrol when he spots her now, does a double take at that head of red hair and familiar build heading into one of the shops. Is it her..? Certainly no one will get eaten by a jungle creature in the time it takes him to duck in after the person to check. Drake heads after her and slips into the shop, glancing around. Sure enough there's Carolina, scanning the grocery shelves with a vaguely unhappy expression on her face. Maybe it won't be welcome, but he heads over with a wary smile -- he isn't sure whether she'd rather be home or not, he's just still happy to see her.

"Hey. Did you just get back?"

Wait. Does she even remember him? He'll find out in a second, whoops.

[Jo is in and out of the Speakeasy these days. It's a popular place for people and it helps her keep a finger on Hadriel's pulse.

She's also used to keeping an eye out for people who might need help or have something on their minds.

Drake looks like the second when he drops in.]

Hey. You need something to cool off?

[Charles has been doing a lot of pacing lately, both in and outside his little miniature house, so it just kind of makes sense to go on a walk around the city. As in, actually around the city, not just through it.

Having no idea that he's somewhere along a certain zombie's patrol route, he eventually stops to stare off into the trees and smoke one of his last remaining cigarettes. He's been rationing them pretty well, except for the past few days.

A lot's bugging him about this Null situation. He's seen them in person, but he still feels like he has no idea what they're up against. The damn things killed a god, what else are they capable of? Is it actually possible for a city full of chaotic assholes to beat these things? Sure some of them have magic and shit, but how effective is that really?

It'd be nice to be able to form a plan, even though he's never been the best at it. It'd be nice to draw up battle lines, figure out the best strategy to survive. But with so much missing information, every plan he comes up with is full of holes.

Charles is so focused on his frustration that his normal vigilance has dulled. He doesn't even notice anyone coming through the trees. If he looks distinctly distracted, it's because he is.]

Drake is well aware that he really should have talked to Nick about all this sooner, but he wasn't even certain whether or not he'd be going through with it until... well. The night he proposed, honestly. Some part of him was expecting things to just continue as they were anyway, with him heading into the oncoming battle ready to sacrifice himself, fighting at full zombie power and just saving one bullet for himself in case things went south. It still felt a little selfish to do this, something almost entirely for his own benefit, but the process of the deal itself had convinced him that it was okay to be just a little selfish about some things. He'd been reminded that he wasn't alone in any of this, and he's accepted that as just one person he won't be a tipping point. He's not a big hero type, he won't be the one to save the city, just die defending it if that's what it comes to. All he can do is his best. So he's going to go back to Hope and pull an entirely different kind of trigger, but Nick needs to know.

As he walks into the HQ, though, he realizes he's worried about how Nick's going to take it. Maybe that's part of why he put this off for last, until he was certain he was doing it and had support from everyone else so that one dissenting voice couldn't talk him down off this ledge. Selfish. Or... maybe he just doesn't want Nick disappointed in him. Shaking it off Drake takes a deep breath and squares his shoulders as he enters the office area, and sees Nick at his desk fiddling with something clearly electronic. Circuitboards and wires are visible though a gap in the casing, and his curiosity at what it could be actually distracts him pretty thoroughly from the nerves.

"Hey, Nick... what've you got there?"

It's hard for Drake to shake the guilt he still feels at having made this request of Lup, considering what she's going through right now. Even as he steps up to her house and knocks on the door -- a courtesy to everyone else living there, really, as he knows she's expecting him because she texted him to come pick things up -- he feels a little awkward. What kind of jerk asks for help with a proposal from someone whose partner has just disappeared? But she'd wanted to help, so... maybe it makes her feel a little better too, in some way? Drake's not sure how much she's bluffing for his sake when he knows it must be hurting her, but he also trusts Lup to tell him to fuck off if he ever crosses her. So here he is.

He shifts the bag on his shoulder as he waits for someone to answer the door, hoping there's something in it she deems acceptable. Clothes shopping in Hadriel is a crapshoot at the best of times, which this isn't, and he's had too much on his plate to go to Margaery. Worst case, Lup tells him it's all horrible and he dresses like it's any other day. That doesn't sound so bad, he doesn't really want to make a huge production out of this anyway. Neither of them are the type.

Fear is something that Drake has a complicated relationship with. He still feels it, still listens to it, still understands that it's a healthy part of self-preservation and that even irrational fears are important to understand and listen to, work through. He's spent a long time doing that -- learning what's important to him, when it's time to push through for something bigger than himself, when it's time to hang back and be more cautious. It's been a long road to balance the fear and the bravery to figure out exactly who he is and what risks he wants to take, to treat fear like a friend who's always there with his best interests at heart... but shouldn't always be listened to.

Drake was absolutely ready to be terrified of this, to have to sit himself down at some point when the reality of it hit and talk himself back into it. He sure has with the humanity deal, several times. But this... is different. From the moment he first put the idea into words he knew he was going to go through with it, and fear was conspicuously absent. Still is. He was more worried about whether or not he was stressing Lup out than the actual outcome of tonight. Not once over the past several weeks has he wondered if this was a mistake, and he's not sure if that's because he's actually certain what the answer will be or just secure enough in their relationship that if it's a no, they'll figure it out anyway. Either way, he's genuinely as calm on the inside as he appears on the outside tonight, dressed in better fitting and slightly nicer clothes with two rings in his pocket. Cooking a much nicer meal than usual... that'll probably be the giveaway that something's up, and Drake smiles to himself as he lowers the heat on the stove. It's going to be a complete surprise, he thinks, and he's weirdly excited to see the reaction. Hopefully it's a good one. Hopefully Ephemera won't freak. But again, if things don't go well, they'll deal with it. Just like they've dealt with everything else over the past two years. He's not afraid, and it only makes him more determined to go through with this. To try for something he wants even if historically that's never gone all that well.

Some things are just worth it, right?

It turns out he's timed things just about right -- he hears the apartment door open and carefully schools his expression into something more neutral even though it's probably going to be obvious that something's up pretty quickly. He even sounds a bit eager as he calls out from the kitchen.

"Hey. How was patrol?"

Threaded | Flat

Carolina; 4/17

no subject

I'll backdate to the 11th to avoid all the events

Nick; mid May

Lup; mid May

Ephemera; mid may