hadriel_logs | Open Log for June

Entry tags:

Open Log for June

Who: Damen and Open
What: Damen does various things with various people around Hadriel in June.
Where: Various places around the city
When: Any day between 6 - 14 June
Warnings: Probably violence, fighting monsters. Also please note my warning for potentially triggering material which may arise when threading with Damen - it's unlikely to come up, but just in case!

A: Training Regime

[ Damen has been imprisoned before. His attitude to that had been the same as it is to this place; to endure, knowing that if escape is not possible now, it will be later, and to survive until that point. Logically speaking, that's a wonderful idea.

In practice, it's harder. The influence of the gods makes it harder, because that kind of magic is something he's never had to endure. He wouldn't even have believed it possible. The influence of Rage had turned people against each other, and had forced Damen to face in battle a creature with powers that should have left him dead. Weeks later, he still doesn't know why it didn't. Then the dreams had come, and teased him with offerings of a world that might have been, and a future that may still be, if he can't prevent it.

These are thoughts he doesn't want to have. Thoughts that he blanks out every morning, when he rises early, and goes to the park, to the spot between the trees where he likes to train. He strips down only to his chiton, and puts his body through drill after drill intended to hone, keep him sharp, and keep his muscles ready. It's discipline as much as anything else. When he's done with the sword, he'll work with his spear, and then his shield, and combinations of the three. Ordinarily, he trains alone; but sparring partners will be welcome, particularly those with skill - or if you want to train along with him, he'll welcome that too. ]

B: Cave Exploration

[ Since Maketh and Hotspur drew up their rota, Damen has taken his turn to patrol the city. He considers this the most useful thing he ever does - one of the only ways to be useful here. When he finishes his shift today, though, another awaits. He doesn't go into the caves every day. They are frankly too dangerous for that. But the monsters there are strong, and allowing their numbers to grow is against his sensibilities. There are days when he goes out determined to thin that herd.

Or maybe it's just that there are days when he needs a real fight, when training won't quite sate the urge.

He goes there directly, his sword sheathed at his side. In his hand is a torch - an electric one salvaged from one of the stores. Damen is, as a rule, not fond of modern technology, but he's fond enough of this. Perhaps you're here for the same reason as he is, or perhaps you have an innocent interest in the caves that he's about to spoil. Either way, when he sees you, he calls for your attention. ]

Did you bring something with which to fight? You'll need it, if we're going in there.

C: Delight's Bar

[ He's in an entirely different world, farther from home than he could have imagined, and yet Damen has still managed to find a place offering good Akielon wine. This is the closest taste to home he can imagine, and honestly, it's better than good. Damen has no love for any of the gods here, but at least Delight has her priorities straight. He looks relaxed, which is a strange enough occurrence for him in this place, but the bottle in his hand is halfway to empty, and his eyes are heavier for it.

It really is good wine.

This, of course, makes him friendlier than usual. Even if he doesn't know you, you might find him talking to you as you approach the bar. ]

You know, I searched every one of those empty restaurants for something this good, and the best bottle I found would have felled a giant with one sip. Delight knows what she's doing. What's your drink? Sit with me a while.

D: Spire Four

[ The problem with living in a Spire, Damen had found, was the unceasing need to go up all the stairs. He and Laurent had are on the third floor, and Damen honestly can't fathom how anyone would have the patience to clamber higher. About the only good thing he could say about that is that it offers good exercise.

So does climbing three flights with a day's scavenging in tow, though. For once, he's not dressed in Akielon clothing. No, for the sake of hygiene alone, he can't do that all the time. That means he's forced into wearing what he finds here - which, for the record, makes him feel ridiculous, since almost everything is too tight, and many of the pants are too short. It's rare that he finds anything that fits perfectly, and today's ensemble includes a shirt that's missing its sleeves (because he tore them off), and is open at the collar (because the top three buttons won't close). His pants are made of stiff blue cotton, but rolled up above his sandals because they wouldn't reach his ankles if he begged it of them.

In short, he looks like a fool.

His haul includes several cans of indeterminate quality, some rolls of sweet-smelling bread, and something that genuinely looks like sweetmeats. He'd grabbed those as soon as he saw them. Now he's hauling them, along with another bag filled with weapons from the armoury, up three flights of stairs. He doesn't totally take in the person he comes across there, too absorbed in making sure nothing falls back down. ]

Do you live on this floor? If you could help me I'd be grateful. I've clearly brought too much.

E: Create your own!

Prompt Damen! I can be contacted on Plurk at halfbloodly for plotting if you would like.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Damen looks up. The sight of Miriam puts an instant light in his eyes, and he lifts his cup to salute her. ]

Miriam. It has been too long.

[ In fact the last time he saw her was inside his own head, when his dreams had shown her a version of his world better than anything that exists in reality. He's reminded of that all the more keenly when she mentions Laurent, calling him the name that never fails to make Damen cringe. ]

My lover, Laurent. He has no love for places like this. He rarely drinks.

[ Sometimes he does, of course. But it had only happened twice in Damen's memory. Laurent has not the taste for wine.

Miriam, on the other hand, seems to be getting into the spirit of things. ]

Will you join me? Tell me all you have been doing. I didn't expect to see you here.

[Miriam wrinkles her nose. Lover sounds archaic and strange, the sort of thing you'd hear in a movie or maybe one of those stage plays that Gilly's friends would put on when they got drunk enough. Not something you would say and mean it. But here they are. She bounds over obediently, waving for Barnaby to follow.] Are you kidding? I love it here! You get to see everybody!

[ Damen grins at the look on her face. He's entirely unrepentant; 'boyfriend' sounds ridiculous to him, a word inappropriate for intimacy between two men. He's confident Laurent would agree, and thus, he accepts the disapproval. ]

Everybody who comes. It's unlike the taverns I know from home. This...club. It's far more elaborate. But she serves good wine, and that's enough for me.

What do you drink?

[ His voice isn't exactly judgmental, but he's looking at her closely. ]

[Miriam takes her seat, peering up at Damen. He's so tall. She wants to be that tall one day.] We got lotsa places like this back home. I mean, they look a little different, but they serve the same stuff.

[She points at one of the orange bottles. Miriam doesn't like alcohol. It makes her feel sick and strange, not in control of her body. Somebody else working the controls. Sometimes she has nightmares about that.] That stuff. It's bubbly. Barnaby gets whipped cream, but only when he's good.

[The dog whines hopefully.]

[ Damen aims a skeptical expression at Barnaby. ]

Can dogs drink cream? That will make him fat.

[ He says that like he's talking to Barnaby, which of course is ridiculous. To distract himself from the prospect, he reaches across the counter to snag one of the orange bottles, sniffing it to catch a strange, sweet scent. He passes that straight to Miriam. ]

It is bubbly. Like champagne, but sweeter. I wonder where it comes from.

[ Not his world, clearly. ]

It doesn't smell like alcohol. You prefer that?

A little bit's okay, ain't it, buddy?

[Barnaby whines at Damen, ears pricked. Barnaby has a tendency to beg shamelessly when there's food involved.]

And he doesn't drink it, really. If you whip it, then it's kinda like...[How does one described whipped cream? Miriam huffs.] Okay, there's some in that can by your head? Grab it and I'll show you. It's pretty cool.

[Also there's soda. Yay! Miriam flashes Damen her best grin. He's so nice.] Uh huh! I don't like booze. Makes me feel weird. This stuff's just fun.

[ Damen has a tendency to indulge animals that murmur at him like that. He leans down, ruffling Barnaby's ears. ]

I know what whipped cream is. My people are not so backward that we avoid desserts.

[ That's said with a smile, and in fairness, a can of whipped cream is rather a new prospect. He plucks it from the shelf at her bidding, and turns it over in his hand. Then he points the nozzle at Miriam. ]

We serve it in bowls. What is this supposed to do?

[Barnaby makes his happy-grumbling noise when his ears are scratched, tail thumping against the floor.]

I didn't mean it like that. [Miriam reaches for the can eagerly, shaking it.] I don't know when they made that stuff in my world, or yours. But it's cool. Watch!

[And she promptly sprays some on his nose.]

[ Well, that is not what he expected. Damen starts back, though not before the cream actually lands. He takes it quickly from his nose and then, with an uncertain look at her, licks a fraction off it from his finger. His eyebrows lift. ]

It's lighter than what we had at home. Same taste, though.

[ He offers his hand to Barnaby. Dogs deserve treats, too. ]

I didn't know Delight had something like this. And you're messy. [ Though he says it with a smile. ] Is this always how you play with your food?

Hey, that's something constant. Good to know everybody's got whipped cream, right? [Miriam giggles as Barnaby licks the Damen's hand clean, tail wagging furiously.] Not always! Usually I'm a lady. But we gotta have fun sometimes or there's not really a point, you know?

This is Delight's bar. [ Says Damen, because in fairness, if they can't have fun here, then they can't have fun anywhere.

He looks thoughtfully at Miriam. ]

All right. What kinds of drinks involve cream from a can? If it's good enough for Barnaby, it's good enough for us.

True! And she's nice, so it's okay. [Miriam considers this, humming to herself.] Well, there's always hot cocoa. You ever had that?

I have not. Though, I think I heard it spoken of in Vere.

[ Their cuisine is different to Damen's. He looks interested. ]

Show me.

[Miriam brightens. This is kinda like showing Firo how to make s'mores. She likes showing people things.] Yeah? All right. I gotta see if they have the right stuff first.

[She hops up and disappears behind the bar. Delight gave everybody the stuff to make good coffee - which Miriam uses on occasion as bribery but doesn't drink herself - so there should be some cocoa and what not. There's plenty of milk and...yep! There's a can of cocoa. Or something that smells a lot like cocoa. Miriam waves the can triumphantly.] They do! It's pretty simple. You want the kind with booze in it or no?

[Miriam pretty much grew up in a bar. She knows all sorts of drinks.]

[ Damen considers it, while eyeing the little tub in her hand. ]

Without, to begin with. I don’t need alcohol in everything.

[ It helps. But that’s not the point. ]

Show me how you drink it. I wasn’t expecting powder.

[ Coffee is not a thing Damen knows. He’s well enough used to tea, though, so if anything, he would have expected leaves. This looks somewhat more interesting. ]

[Miriam fusses with the machinery, until she can figure out how to get the milk hot enough to work. Cocoa is pretty simple, as these things go, but the appliances here are strange-shaped and don't always work as expected.] You gotta mix it first, see?

[Once the milk is hot, she stirs in the cocoa. It mixes well, sweet and thick. And once that's done, on goes the whipped cream. Miriam presents it with a grin.] Tada! Hot cocoa.

Warm milk?

[ Says Damen, dubiously, because where he comes from that’s a drink to help children sleep. Still, the smell of it improves as she mixes, and then even he has to admit that the end product looks appetising. Tasting it only confirms that opinion, and he looks impressed.

Also, he has a whipped-cream moustache. It happens. ]

I see your point! [ Leaning closer to her. ] Although, I think a well-flavoured spirit would improve it. The brown one, perhaps.

[ Whiskey, he means whiskey. ]

You have a mustache. [Miriam announces this with no small amount of glee. Barnaby stands up on his hind legs for a better look and barks in assent.

This is fun, Miriam decides. This is awesome.] Oh, whiskey? Sure!

[She grabs the bottle, turning it over in her hands curiously before handing it over. It's oddly shaped, and has patterned leaves over the glass.]

You can add a buncha stuff to it. Whiskey's good, though.

[She hands it over with a grin.]</small?

[ Damen looks between Miriam and Barnaby, his hands spread. ]

Am I drinking it wrong?

[ But he wipes the cream off, all the same, and he's quick to add a measure of whiskey to it. As expected, this improves things (though he still regains the moustache every time he drinks). ]

I like this. Your world gets some things right.

One day, perhaps I'll find out sweetmeats here. I think you'd like them. They're treats like this, but small and delicate. We serve them at feasts.

Nah. Looks good on you.

[Miriam likes this. The lightness of it, gentle teasing. Being among friends. She wonders if it's like this with Damen and Laurent - if they have lightness or something else. Miriam never did figure out what it felt like to love somebody. Not like that, anyway. Maybe it'll happen eventually.]

Yeah? Yeah! We do all right sometimes.

[She brightens at the mention of food.]

What's in them? Do they really have meat or is that just a thing people say?

[ Damen smiles, remembering those feast days - though in truth, he's remembering the Veretian table at Ravenel, and not any part of his own nation. ]

No, they are made of fruit, and sugar, and...

Many things, many, there are many different kinds. We ate them with our fingers.

[ Or from someone else's fingers, he thinks, with Laurent in his mind. ]

I've not seen food like that here, but if I ever do, I will bring some for you.

[That does sound good. Probably sticky too, but Miriam doesn't mind that so much. She nods, grinning.] Yeah? Awesome. We got stuff like that too, but it wasn't that fancy. Elephant ears were my favorite, though. Fry up a bunch of dough and toss it in sugar. Yum. You ever seen an elephant? A real one, I mean.

[ Damen shakes his head. ]

They're not native to Akielos - though I have heard stories, from other nations across the sea. Such stories are often exchanged between princes at court. But I have never heard of someone eating them.

[ He lifts his eyebrows. He's heard of elephants being hunted for their ivory, and being ridden by dignataries in far off places. Again, it's not something he's done or seen for himself. ]

I'm...presuming the dough only looks like them.

What? Oh, no. I think it just looks like their ears? 'cause they're all wrinkly and stuff. [But maybe elephants would taste good? Who knows. Miriam leans in closer.] Your world has a lot of princes and stuff? How's that work?

[ That question gives Damen pause. He's never given consideration to things operating any other way; if democracy ever makes its way to his world, it's likely to be long after his time. He lifts his shoulders. ]

Every country has its rulers. Most have a King or Queen. Vask has an Empress. Where you find Kings and Queens, you'll find princes and princesses, and nobility beneath them.

My father...before his death, was King of Akielos, and I was the Crown Prince. How it should have worked is that I would have become King, when my father died. My brother changed all that, and now I must fight to reclaim the throne he stole. It's not the right way to do it, but it's what must be done now.

Open Log for June

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