Intro Log: Death Comes

[hadrielmods]

Who: New arrivals and everyone else!
What: The intro log for July.
Where: The colosseum and all around the city.
When: July 10th-15th
Warnings: Deathclaws. That's all you really need to know.

As usual, the new arrivals in Hadriel will be waking up on the dirt ground of the colosseum, and as usual, they won't be waking up alone. This month brings coat hangers of all shapes and, uh, sizes strewn about the colloseum floor around all of the new arrivals.

Get up, get out, meet and greet, find some new exciting interior decorating options, but don't forget about the more prominent threat: the (newly) local deathclaws roaming about in the inner halls of the arena. These deathclaws are vicious bipedal creatures with long arms ending in curved talons, horns ripe for goring and, of course, teeth as long as fingers. These animals have been engineered to be as deadly as they can possibly be, so you might want to buddy up before taking one on.

Have you escaped from the deathclaws? Made a few friends? Not died horribly? Great! Feel free to go explore the rest of the city! Find a house, find a new monster, or simply scavenge for supplies. Good luck, and enjoy your stay in Hadriel!

► This log covers July 10th-15th.
► Feel free to make your own logs as well!
► All characters arrive with phones that have network communication.
► Please put your character's name and open/closed in the subject line of your starters!

Comments

[kickingand]

[ Once they finally reach it, Dean lets Jo takes the stairs first- ] Fifth floor, we're in five-oh-one.

[ And then he follows on after her, thoughts already churning as to what he intends to do when they get there. It's not as if he's looking forward to it, the demon blade slid into one of the pockets of his jacket, the holy water they made just in case stashed away. Dean's already cringing with it, his mind rolling unhappily. But there's no other choice in this- at least none that Dean can see. ]

[knifecollecting]

[She doesn't want to go first.

But she knows better. She can't attack him as easily if she's ahead of him. He's being careful. She hates it but she can't blame him either.

She heads up the stairs, focusing on each step and the apartment numbers they pass.]

When you're sure about me I need to be sure about you.

[kickingand]

Wouldn't expect anything less.

[ It's only fair really, and he takes it in stride - there's no reason to believe in any of this, and considering what they've been through? All of them? Being safe is all they've got in this, and if she took him at face value he'd almost have to worry.

Doesn't make it any easier to stand.

Ignoring all the other apartments until they finally reach theirs, opening it up, Dean lets Jo head on inside the odd little place. Dean's halfway hoping that Cas will spring up from the couch but he isn't here, which isn't altogether surprising really. Still, it would've made things easier. Just marginally. ]

Home sweet home.

[knifecollecting]

[Jo moves to the center of what seems to be a living room, shedding her jacket and folding it neatly before setting it on the couch.]

Never thought I'd hear those words out of your mouth. [She smiles just for a second before her face falls again.

She takes a deep breath and nods.]

Just start.

[kickingand]

Yeah, well-

[ The door is closed behind him and within the span of seconds, Dean both can't keep his eyes off Jo and seems to be interested in looking anywhere else. Which leaves him with skirting, frustrated glances and nowhere to actually rest his gaze on but every single one of Jo's movements. He's worried, nervous, waiting for this to fall apart in the way everything always does and yet he wants it to be real. Wants another chance to make it all alright.

Finally, with Jo's direction, he slides the blade out of his jacket and holds it carefully enough, not angled towards her but held in preparation while he gives he thrusts his other hand out, palm up. Waiting for her to offer her own. ]

[knifecollecting]

[Dean's nerves are starting to wear on her. She can't decide if he's just worried about her or if this is a trap. She hopes for the first but plans to run for the door if it's the second.

She stares at the blade for a second before stepping closer with her own hand outstretched.

So be it.]

[kickingand]

[ Dean is trying, in his own stunted way, to keep his paranoia from welling to the surface, a frothing over of all his cumulative nerves. He doesn't know how to cope with this, not in a way he normally would, and he can hardly see straight within his own mind to know what it is he should be doing. Maybe Sam would be dealing with this better, easier, would have less guilt to spare. But he doesn't and he's bubbling over with it, stubbornly set against his own insecurities.

But he takes her hand in what he tells himself is an easy gesture, small against his own larger palm, fingers curled and settled close. He takes a hefty breath, low and heavy, before lifting the blade and finally pulling the tip of it slow across the length of her palm. He makes sure to keep the cut from going deep, just a surface level cut, but more than enough to register were she truly a demon. ]

[knifecollecting]

[Jo inhales sharply as the knife drags across her skin. She can tell Dean is trying to be gentle, she thinks, but it's been literally years since she felt pain. It's almost like relearning the sensation.

When the cut is done she resists pulling back, waiting for Dean to be content with the results. She's not a demon. Hell, she's not even a ghost any more.

She's just a resurrected woman, in a world she doesn't know.]

[kickingand]

[ Dean is satisfied within seconds - though his expression doesn't give much by way of intense worry, something he can't quite define. He still looks moments away from crumpling, as if this is just on the edge of too much, like he's waiting for the other shoe to drop, fall from the sky and shatter the moment into pieces. It was hard enough to stand watching her come back in front of Osiris, but this breaks his heart. She should be in Heaven, she should have that peace.

Not this.

But she's not a demon.

He's just not sure he can truly comprehend what she is, a thing that scares him the most. Though the easy answer is one that sits on the tip of his tongue, and he still wants to go to the holy water, as if it'll provide answers he can't come up with on his own. ]

Puts you in the clear.

[knifecollecting]

[She pulls her hand back as he says she's in the clear, letting out the breath she didn't realize she was holding.]

Told you. [She cradles her hand against her stomach, hoping the bleeding stops soon. The last thing she wants to do is end up with blood on her clothes, here, where she isn't sure there's even soap or bleach to try to get it out with.]

You don't look very satisfied though.

[kickingand]

[ The question is, if Dean ever looks satisfied anymore. If the world ever really offers him things he can take with easy strides, but no- that's not the point. That's not something he wants to level anyone with right now, let alone Jo who's just shown up and doesn't deserve this in any way. Who shouldn't be here, walking this place in whatever form she's come in, and yet here she is, standing in front of him, bleeding and no demon to speak of. ]

Hold on, let me get you a towel or- i'll find something.

[ He gives his head a shake, as if it might come close to clearing it, and he moves not only to navigate around her question but to do as he just said. It's in the kitchen that he grabs a towel and brings it back, offering it to her to wrap around her hand to keep blood from spilling anywhere important. It's not like they've all got clothes to go around here, and getting dirty means staying that way. Except- doesn't it always? ]

[knifecollecting]

Thanks. [She wraps her hand with a little bit of fumbling, using her teeth to tie it off. It's sloppy but it will work.

Jo looks up at Dean, watching him for a moment before sighing quietly.]

So what's the deal?

[kickingand]

[ Dean stills at the question apart from brushing his hands off, before his eyebrows raise, as if he's just been asked the strangest question in the universe. He's not sure how to approach what hasn't been fully defined because 'what's the deal' could mean so many things that he doesn't know where to begin.

So he tries for the first thing that comes to mind. ]

With here, you mean?

[knifecollecting]

I figured we'd catch up on everything else later. [She smiles for just a second before going serious again. She can tell, Dean is older. There's things she's missed.

She looks over her shoulder and sits down on the couch, watching him expectantly.]

Yeah, here.

[kickingand]

What do you wanna know?

[ Because there's a whole hell of a lot he can answer about that, and a good portion of it he doesn't really have answers to. They're here - he doesn't know why, he doesn't get it, can't give the answers he wishes he knew. But he can try his best, and... feel guilty that he doesn't have more. ]

[knifecollecting]

How do we get out of here? Who's in charge? How do they decide who comes? [She pauses for a moment to take a breath and then shrugs.]

I guess that's enough for now.

[kickingand]

[ For a moment, Dean sort of scrubs at his face, expression pinched while he tries to figure out what the hell he even has to offer. Suddenly all he can remember is wanting to tell Sam off for not knowing more and now he's in the same position, is sitting in the exact same spot. And not because he wants to be, or even wants to be here, but because there hasn't been time to gather the answers they need in the way Dean wants. ]

I know one thing- the Gods sure as hell aren't bringing us here.

[knifecollecting]

The Gods? [Great, more gods. She's on edge again.]

Who is if they aren't?

[kickingand]

Hell if I know. And if they do, they aren't letting on.

[knifecollecting]

Oh. [That doesn't help.

She sighs quietly and shakes her head. This is all ridiculous.]

What else do I need to know?

[kickingand]

That there's no getting out? There's no going, there's no driving, no-- [ He waves a hand and then drags it down across his face, frustrated. ]

We're stuck. And this place turns to Hell in a handbasket sometimes.

[knifecollecting]

[Oh. No way out at all. She's trapped again, and this isn't Heaven.]

What happens?

[kickingand]

Oh, you know. The regular bullshit. Not as bad as home, but you already met the monsters.

[knifecollecting]

There are more of 'em?

[kickingand]

More than a few. And i'm not talking Casper's gotten a little pissed off kind of monsters, more like old school 'flicks on steroids. Wouldn't be surprised if The Thing showed up.