hadriel_logs | Does anybody know a way that a body could get away?

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Does anybody know a way that a body could get away?

Who: Glacius and you! Open and closed starters for all your needs, so come on in!
What: June catch-all log for Glacius for the purpose of pursuing existing CR or establishing new relations.
Where: Various locations in the city, specified in the starters.
When: The beginning of June.
Warnings: N/A, will update as the need arises.

Shopping District - OPEN

Glacius is on a mission today, one that happens to be bringing him towards the center of the city--a more frequently populated area where he rarely travels due to his reclusive nature. He doesn't like drawing attention to himself--even for a non-human, he's particularly exotic-- but he knows he can't remain on the fringes of society forever, despite his fear that people might jump to assumptions around him. Still, if the sight of a massive ice alien walking down the streets isn't enough to turn the heads of Hadriel's more "normal" inhabitants, the fact that he's dragging the heavy carcass of some unfortunate cave-dwelling monster in the street behind him as he moves towards the shopping district probably isn't helping.

He doesn't yet understand how the shops work. No one had been around when he'd visited them to try and find supplies to care for the fireflies when they filled the cavern, so he had taken supplies from them since there had been no other option... but that felt odd to the alien. He didn't want to be a thief and he didn't want to steal, and he'd heard that people in the city often traded for the meat and pelts of monsters in the cave, so he planned to return later with something that he could use to trade for what he took. That explains the massive body he's dragging with him now; it's much larger than him, burly and powerfully built and covered in thick shaggy fur, and yet there doesn't appear to be a spot of damage on Glacius for his efforts.

He's aware that the sight of one massive creature dragging the dead body of another might draw attention at best or be cause for alarm or fearful self-defense at worst, so he's trying to get his done as quickly as possible. Hopefully if someone does come up to him, it will be either to trade, to point him in the right direction, or maybe just to explain why this attempt might be slightly misguided.

Park - CLOSED to Cecily

Sometimes when Glacius has time to himself he comes to the park. It's big enough that he can usually find space to himself, the sound of running water is peaceful--if not slightly strange to a being that hails from a world where most of the water is frozen--and the shade of the large trees is nice and cool. Usually it's the perfect place for him to go when he wants to get away from the city, but doesn't want to be quite as far out or at as much risk as he might be if he was sticking to the system of caves.

... Usually. Lately this place has come to host some dark, troubling memories: it's the place where his will was subverted by Rage and he was turned against an innocent woman. Even now, he still remembers the pain on her face as he attacked her clear as day, and the upwelling of guilt and remorse is still strong enough that the peaceful alien feels as though he might choke on it. He shouldn't be here... but he so desperately makes things right, and so there's a part of him that hopes he might find Cecily back here one day. So he visits the park regularly and simply sits on that bench, forcing himself to endure the memories as he waits.

He hasn't seen her since, but he doesn't know what else to do. In fact, he's not even sure what he will do if she comes across him. She hadn't seemed particularly angry at him right after the attack, but he'd be surprised if she hadn't grown to scorn him in the time that had passed. Makers knew he was certainly horrified and upset enough with himself, and the spikes that protrude from his hip are still showing signs of the damage that he enraged husband had dealt to him when it was his turn to be targeted. Whatever she deems necessary, the alien has already decided--even if it comes down to punishment, to recompense. That is the cost for inciting harm upon an innocent.

Spires- CLOSED to Nick

After receiving a message from Nick Valentine in his inbox--which was Glacius' first time learning of that function of the device, in fact--the two had conversed, and the synth had managed to do something that no one else in the city of Hadriel had: he'd gotten the location of the ice alien's current living space. For all this time, Glacius has still been keeping close to the caves due to his wariness of the human inhabitants of Hadriel, and his need for space and privacy. Rage's games in which the city's inhabitants had been reduced to assassins and targets had only exacerbated this, and the guilt he was suffering since has also made showing his face around the city feel less and less appealing.

Nick was at least understanding, and had managed to coax the alien into trying to find a more suitable living space. Glacius knew that his stay in the caves could last, it probably shouldn't; it was just a temporary location he'd picked out when he didn't realize just how long he'd be trapped in Hadriel. It was a patch job over something that needed more thorough work; it was uncivilized, unbecoming. It was also unsafe--even with his considerable combat prowess, the sheer amount of monsters in the winding tunnels was no small threat, and knowing he could get attacked at any time forced him to keep one eye open, making it hard to get decent rest.

So the synth had agreed to help him find a new place to reside, somewhere that struck a good balance for the alien--somewhere a little more comfortable and easily accessible without being too close to the more populated areas of the city, allowing his sense of privacy to stay intact. If Glacius could get more explanation on how things worked in the city in the process, that would be a bonus. He's waiting by the bridge over the southeast region of the river that leads to one of the beaten roads, green eyes scanning his surroundings for Nick.

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"I don't believe I was here for that," Glacius responds--though it could be possible that he simply overlooked it while hunting for himself, he doesn't recall hearing about any widespread poisoning. It does reinforce his desire to keep providing for himself, however. "Anyways, I must admit that I... do not entirely understand how all of this works, then. If there are no shopkeepers and people are free to take whatever they want, what keeps the more greedy individuals from simply clearing these establishments out?"

"Consider yourself lucky that you weren't."

Rey didn't have much trouble, considering she had more than enough food stocked up to last her some time, in addition to a few others. There is something validating about the thought that she had been right not to trust the gods not to meddle with their food supply.

Glacius does have a point about people's greed, though. She shrugs. "Think the supplies replenish themselves, or however the hell Hope makes it all. Don't really understand it, either, and have tried not to put too much thought into it."

It just makes her head hurt otherwise.

"So nothing keeps people from taking more than what they need. Hope simply manages the supplies, refilling everything when they begin to run low. That is..." he was about to say remarkably convenient, but then there is the issue of whether or not supplies from the gods can be trusted. "...Well, I suppose it's about one of the only ways it's going to work if there's no regulation. I suppose I'll have to do something else with this creature, then."

"You could always eat it yourself," Rey suggests, assuming that it would be something that Glacius can eat. "Or trade the meat with someone else. There are a few of us around here who don't trust the food that the gods provide."

It should come as no surprise that she happens to be one of them, except for the fact that she'd recently made a deal with a god that she's had no liking for.

Finally she has found something that is worth taking, picking a shirt out of the selection and holding it in her bloodied arms. There is something comical about having a casual conversation about trading and food while one of them is caked in blood.

Oh well. No use in changing if she's just going to get herself dirty all over again.

"Either would work," Glacius acknowledges--it would be no problem for him to absorb what he needs from the corpse, or use his innate abilities to freeze it so he could eat it later--perhaps if the gods decide to tamper with their food supply again. Trading is also an option, though he's not really sure what he would trade for; he was very resourceful, self-reliant being capable of meeting most of his needs on his own. What it would do would be to help his standing in the community, help prove that he was a reliable and thoughtful being, not just another monster...

Well, he'll have to decide later. Right now Rey has a job to do, and it doesn't seem wise to delay. "Shall we get to work? I can deposit this creature by the caves and seal it in a block of ice, then deal with it later. Getting your friend the parts he needs should probably be our priority."

As thrilled as Rey is to be having this conversation about food and trade, the subject matter Glacius just brings up is more pertinent. And while she shouldn't find herself surprised with how willing he is to get to the task, she actually is.

"So you'll help?" She blinks. Rey is a capable enough fighter on her own, but when hunting in those caves by herself, searching for a specific creature...

Well, even she has her limits.

"I will," the alien nods, hefting the limb of the carcass so that he can drag it with him until they get to the caves and he can deal with it as described; he figures no one would appreciate him leaving a massive bloody carcass in the street to rot and stink up the place. "So, is there anything else I need to know about this endeavor? What are these creatures that we are fighting like? We should probably get all of the details out of the way now so that no nasty surprises spring up in the middle of a struggle."

Once she's finished perusing and has what she needs, Rey starts to head out of the shop as well. She casts Glacius a sidelong look, grateful now to have such help in this case.

"What we're looking for specifically are the ahools, the giant bat-like creatures..." She pauses to consider the fact that Glacius maybe not have ever even seen a bat in his world before. Rey bites her lower lip as she walks. "They're winged animals. Usually hang out on the ceiling of caves and such. The ones back home are much smaller, but here they're bigger than a person. First day here, was almost picked up and carried off by one. Or, well... it tried."

Suppose the ahool wasn't expecting its 'prey' to weigh a solid three hundred pounds, though.

The brief explanation is certainly helpful; though Glacius has in fact seen bats before--his hunt for the assassin that stole his technology had him skulking his way through an elaborate cave system--he did not know what they were called. Now that he has an idea of what they're going to be facing, he can begin to plan how to deal with it. The fact that these "ahools" are big enough to try and cart off a person is a bit alarming, but the ice alien is not particularly worried; he doubts they're strong enough to lift him, and even if they do try to sink their talons into him he can always liquidize out of their grip.

"Well, given your close scrape with one of them I am glad you are alright. So these beasts--they prefer to attack from the air, by the sounds of things? I can keep them from doing that by intercepting their trajectories with hail. While I pin their movement down, you should be able to deal with them as you see fit, yes?"

Glacius' tactic is sound enough. Rey nods in agreement.

"That... could work. Part of the problem was luring them down from the ceiling in the first place." In fact, she's most certain that this will work now. "Am more and more glad that you agreed to this. Thank you."

It isn't much of a smile, but the corner of her lip twitches into something that's sort of like one.

"Oh--ah, it is no problem," Glacius responds, surprised by the thanks and the slightest smile he can see tugging gently at her lip. An equally tentative smile teases at his features, pulling his pronounced cheekbones up the tiniest bit. "To be honest, I wasn't originally sure how I felt about being invited to wipe out the last of a species... but if they pose a threat to the inhabitants of this city, and if it will help Nick recover, then I am willing to assist. It will be a good way to keep my skills sharp, too."

That being said, he gestures for Rey to start walking, and once she's on her way he falls into stride besides her. The shops are at a fairly central point in Hadriel, so they have a bit of a ways to go; the ice alien casts another glance to her, unsure if making the walk in silence would be awkward, of if the woman is one of those people who prefers it.

"If it makes you feel any better, they're not technically the 'last' of their kind. They come from other worlds, the same as us."

Which sort of justifies what they're doing a little more. Though, by that logic, suppose one could just as well argue that they deserve the same treatment. What right do the creatures have to perish while they still live?

For one thing, it isn't like they have much of a say in the matter, with Hope bringing them back after they die.

Moral quandaries aside, Rey shrugs. She slips her hands into her pockets as she continues towards the way into the tunnels. "Also, if you could... Would rather you not say anything to Nick about this."

"He does not know you are doing this for him?" Glacius asks, surprised and a little confused by the need for secrecy here. "Is it because he does not want you risking himself on his behalf, or because he does not want you serving the gods...?" A moment later, after posing the question, the alien holds up a hand. "--Ah, my apologies. You do not owe me an explanation if you do not want. I suppose I am just surprised by the request; will he not wonder how you came by such rare parts?"

With a dismissive wave, she shakes her head. "No, you've every right to an explanation. You're helping me without asking for anything in return."

At least, that was the impression Rey has gotten. Glacius helped her before, in the Colosseum after her return 'trip' from home. He didn't have to help her then, and he doesn't have to now. The least she can do is offer him answers.

"No doubt he will figure it out, but it'll be better not coming from you." She wouldn't want to put Glacius in the middle any more than she already has, in any case. "He probably won't be happy knowing where they come from on account of both of those things. He'll just have to deal with it. Am not going to risk letting him fall apart because of stubbornness."

Nick doesn't strike her as someone who thinks about himself very much. The knowledge that she had worked out a deal with one of the gods would only add more salt to the fire she's building for herself.

"I understand. That you would not want to hoist the subject off on someone else or leave the potentially uncomfortable prospect of explaining your dealings with the gods shows a great deal of responsibility. My people are similar," the alien notes. "Though secrecy is sometimes a necessity, and some things are best done in the background, if questioned on our actions we almost always are up front--even if the deeds in question are... unsavory. Even criminals of my people, who will still attempt to conceal or get away with their wrong doings, often confess when caught or questioned." Even though it obviously isn't possible for any race to be completely upright one-hundred percent of the time, honor and responsibility were very culturally ingrained with Glacius' people.

The ice alien pauses, considering what he'd just shared, then adds on: "Of course, I am not saying what you are doing is wrong. I was simply attempting to relay how seriously we take the concept of responsibility... and thus, how much I appreciate you not trying to tangle me up in the middle of a discussion better left for the two of you."

As Glacius resumes musing aloud, Rey just nods every now and then, trudging across the bridge over the river.

Once he finishes, she glances to him out the corner of her eye. "You more or less got the gist of it, at least."

While she has, in her mind, taken responsibility for keeping Nick in one piece, she knows that the synth wouldn't see things quite the same way she does. They're both stubborn like that. It's bad enough that Rey is putting herself at risk for the sake of her friend -- he would probably be doubly more upset knowing that someone else was roped in as well.

"Doubt there would be any reason for it to come up between the two of you, anyway. But just to be safe... think it's a conversation with him that both of us would rather avoid." She shrugs. "Like you said, he'll most likely figure out something's up eventually, anyway. Am ready for that."

She just doesn't see the harm in delaying the inevitable.

"Well, if he discovers that you enlisted my aid, he could ask me," Glacius supposes. "In that case I would not lie to him. But now we are just speaking in conjecture about the future--let us focus on the task at hand."

As they come up on the entrance of the caves, the ice alien deposits his kill by its dark, yawning mouth. Kneeling down, he takes a moment to encase the carcass in a solid block of ice to preserve it--hopefully they will manage to emerge nearby so that he can reclaim it, though there's no guarantees given the maze-like tunnels before them. Then he rises back to his feet and turns to Rey.

"I am able to see perfectly well in the dark, which makes scouting these tunnels a somewhat less risky proposition for me. Would you like me to take point, or did you have a plan of attack?"

The task, yes. That's something Rey would much rather focus on than the hypotheticals of Nick's reaction if/when he catches on to what is going on.

She watches as Glacius does his thing with the carcass, preserving the meat in an efficient enough way. Rey actually finds herself impressed on the resourcefulness of utilizing his power in such a practical way outside of combative purposes.

"Beyond freezing them out of the air and killing whatever remains?" Rey shrugs. "It sounds like a solid enough strategy. Shouldn't have any problem seeing in the dark, either, but if it gets too difficult..."

Rey flicks a hand, springing to life a spark of flame from the tips of her fingers.

"Got a light."

Adaptivity and cunning are two traits that Glacius has honed over the years, and he's had a long time to find creative applications of his powers. All of this is what's allowed him to stay alive in such a dangerous line of work, even when he's been completely cut off from his usual support networks. It isn't all about hacking, slashing, or bludgeoning... though that will certainly play its part in the job at hand, he's sure. The ice alien nods, about to press forward into the yawning mouth of the cave, but then he detects a hot spark out of his peripheral vision and, turning his head, sees a small flame dancing from the tips of Rey's fingers.

The ice alien immediately swears and takes a few large steps back, raising his hands. He knows Rey told him she wasn't completely human, but he wasn't expecting this... there's only one other being he knows who had similar capabilities, and their meeting had been an angry, pain-filled ordeal. She doesn't seem as far gone as Cinder had, but the thought that she might be undergoing a similar mutation as alarms going off in his head.

"You--you did not tell me that this is what separates you from humanity!" Glacius' hands tighten now, but he's not moving to shun her or worse, attack just yet. Rey has been nothing but civil and helpful to him thus far and he really does not want to start a fight where there is no reason to, but this does not bode well. "Tell me, was it genetic tampering that lead to this condition?"

He didn't think she was even from his world, but he's only seen his DNA cause something that was at all like this... and if that's what's going on here, well... things are about to get a lot more complicated. But Glacius is not a rash being--he at least seems to be willing to wait for an explanation, even if he currently looks to be on pins and needles.

While not unfounded (Glacius is, after all, made of ice), his response does surprise her. Mostly because Rey was pretty certain that she had never given Glacius any reason to be wary of her, or that she would use her fire against him. He did agree to help her help Nick.

Though, suppose a more suspicious mind could reason the assumption whether she's doing so as a ruse, and there are aspects of Rey who would be just as cunning. Not the Rey of now, however, who genuinely appreciates the assistance.

She blinks. "You never asked." Now she's confused. Was she supposed to tell him? Rey isn't the most furtive person there is, but she doesn't tend to supply personal information unless otherwise requested.

Speaking of requests...

"Not exactly genetic tampering so much as it was a freak fluke," she explains, the fire extinguishing itself from her fingers. "Was artificially created in an underground facility, back home."

"Well, I normally don't like to pry, but--" Glacius head cocks up slightly as the flame goes out, and he exhales ever so slightly in relief, "--But I was never expecting this--it is a very particular power, and the last person I encountered who could so something similar was a dangerous being, formed from having his DNA aletred..."

.. And he's doing it again, isn't he? He's letting past experiences color his perceptions--this time not just of someone he's meeting for the first time, but of someone has proved herself to be perfectly reasonable and even helpful on occasion. Now that the immediate threat that he feels from the fire is gone, Glacius has a chance to take in Rey's confusion and her completely nonthreatening posture.. though her explanation is not heartening--though Cinder was born a human, the fiery being he became was technically created artificially, wasn't he?--he is beginning to feel bad for the assumptions his mind leapt to.

The alien straightens up immediately, trying to force himself to relax. "I'm sorry. You are just the first humanoid that I have seen with that ability since I was imprisoned and forced to fight for my life. It sparked a bad memory... but I should not have let take hold."

Rey just gaps at him for a moment, before scratching her forehead. Even without the explanation, it should've been obvious that someone with an affinity for ice would have an aversion to fire, and she should've known better than to whip it out like a zippo. There are other nagging things as well, such as being a bad reminder of a horrible time, whatever that may be for Glacius.

Eventually, she lifts her head back up to meet Glacius in the eye. "It's okay. Am not going to use it against you. Promise. Have no intention of hurting you."

Assuming that that was the problem, judging by the alien's former stance.

"Good. I mean--yes, thank you," Glacius stumbles, kicking himself for the clumsy wording. He shakes his head, as if trying to forcibly scatter all those nasty little memories out of his mind. "I mean-- I know that, truly. If you were going to hurt me you would've done it by now, particularly that time I was weakened, but you've only ever been helpful to me. I am sorry that my reaction did you a disservice, made me seem like I thought you might be something... less than what you are."

Because he's really all too familiar with that sort of thing--people reacting to fear out of something they don't understand. The very thought that he just did something similar to Rey has a wave of distaste rolling through him. "You are a strong and capable ally, and I am happy to be able to assist you."

She opens her mouth to speak, only to snap it back shut when Glacius had to go and compliment her. She stares at him again, at a loss for words. Her mouth tightens into a thin line as her eyes shift away, then dart to the alien.

"It... It's fine, really. You did no such thing." Rey is used to people responding in shock and fear for the first time. She should've expected that this time would be no different. "Thank you, though. You don't need to worry. Let's just... get this over with."

Rey has a feeling that there is a story to be told somewhere, considering the bad memory that her fire had sparked. But right now seems to be a bad time to explore it. They need to keep their heads grounded to the present.

If he had known she was thinking along those lines, that she felt as though she cold expect nothing better from him than the blind fear and hasty judgments he'd gotten used to from humanity, then he would have been doubly ashamed. As it is he simply gives her a glance that still remains somewhat tentatively apologetic... but he moves to follow her none the less. If she's okay with overlooking his lapse in composure then he's happy to move on from it. He'll just have to do his best to be better in the future.

Glacius gives a nod of understanding, and to his credit his tentative expression hardens into something more resolved after just a moment or two more; he has at least become accustomed to pushing distractions from his mind so that he can focus on the task at hand. Now he stalks into the dark of the cave alongside Rey, his steps slow and careful; his glowing eyes stand out little green lights in the deep shadows, and his head swivels this way and that as he looks around for their targets.

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Does anybody know a way that a body could get away?

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