hadriel_logs | (no subject)

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(no subject)

Who: Glacius and you!
What: As per usual, various prompts for various characters, open and closed options.
Where: Various locations in the city.
When: Mid-July.
Warnings: N/A, will update if the need arises.

Delight's Bar - OPEN

Ever since Delight's bar had been constructed and the goddess had taken it upon herself to throw a giant party that had caused Glacius much aggravation, he'd given the establishment a fairly wide berth. He'd never had much reason to go in, anyways; he wasn't familiar with any of the fancy human drinks served within (and was perfectly fine with subsisting off of water), and it was usually packed with people and fairly noisy, both of which were usually reason enough to push the alien away. He wasn't a particularly sociable creature, and he preferred his peace and quiet... but today he'd been summoned, and given that he was meeting someone here on business, he was going to have to do his best to make a good impression.

So the alien stands on the street corner across from the bar, trying to prepare himself for this endeavor. He takes a deep breath and squares his shoulders and then crosses over, pushing the door open and walking into the establishment. There are a good number of humans here, enough to make his shoulders hitch up slightly... but it's still very early, which means that it's not as crowded as he's expecting, and most people are already hunched over their own drinks or engaged in their own conversations. Nobody moves to bolt immediately at the sight of the massive alien creature that looks more like an icy monolith, and only a few of them give him long, hard or wary stares... Glacius does his best to ignore them as he moves into the bar, looking for the person he's supposed to meet. If anyone else in Delight's bar takes notice of the otherworldly being and would like to strike up a conversation, they're welcome to get his attention before he leaves.

Emily's Lakeside Shop- CLOSED to Emily

It had been a rough couple of weeks for the ice alien, whose mood had not been helped in the least by the waning health of his fireflies. He'd been noticeably saddened by this when he posted to the network, hoping against hope that there was something that could be done for them... and though that was still up in the air, at least there were people that cared about him watching the network today. He'd received a few invitations to help and a few other offers to visit with people, which he'd accepted, thankful for the distractions from everything.

First up, he is on his way to visit Emily in her shop, which as it turned out was not all that far from the place where he'd been living as of late. Casting a few looks at the map he'd sent him just to be sure he hadn't made a wrong turn anywhere, the alien made his way over. The location was nice; the ornate glass windows of the shop caught the sun well, and the river that cut its way through the city was visible through the grounds. After taking a little bit of time to look around, the alien approached the storefont and knocked on the door... and thankfully there are no bleeding monster carcasses in hand. He has, however, brought something else that might seem odd to a random passerby, operating under a misconception in hopes to pay Emily back for all the kindness she's shown him thus far.

Glacius' Apartment- CLOSED to Kate

After his visit with Emily, Glacius heads north again, making a much longer walk up to the Colosseum to meet with Kate. He doesn't like visiting this place; it was where he woke up in Hadriel, the arena inside the first thing he saw when he was brought to this cursed place.

Just considering the way his life and his mission on earth had been completely upset is enough to make some of his bad mood come back... but at least that's about the worst of what he's suffering. At least this time they weren't meeting with any heavy topics burdening their souls. They were just meeting one another to converse, to chat casually like... friends might do. The thought was still an odd one to Glacius, but given how heavy things were lately, he was glad for the respite. His relief meant that he wasn't quite fretting as much over what to do or how to act with a human than he usually might; after the two meet up and make the walk back to the Spires together, he leads Kate into his apartment and gestures for her to make herself comfortable, then emulates how she had welcomed him in when he had visited her residence not all that long ago.

"Here we are. Would you like anything to drink? Something to help hyrdate you after the walk over?"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Because human slang is stupid, Glayglay. She sits a bit more upright hearing Maketh's name - the term know her feels somewhat incorrect, but for the sake of not having to explain the entire situation of the end days of the fog, her interrogation and their drunken conversation, Kate settles for an affirmative nod. Yeah, know her will do.

The news of him joining the city guard causes her to blink - as much in surprise as in slight apprehension. Thanks to more pressing issues in their relationship (such as the guilt she had long been feeling about not explaining how her past related to his, so to speak), Kate never felt the compulsion to explain her involvement in Sharon's quest to him. But this turn of events means that he's almost certain to find out - she doubts the Guard are in the habit of keeping such news secret.

She bites her tongue, but keeps her expression neutral. This wasn't the time for that discussion, and - if she tries to think more optimistically - maybe Glacius' opinion of her will carry some weight whenever they get around to deciding on a sentence for that fuck up.

So, instead of going down that little path, Kate lets her lips curl into a small smile. "Suits you." Because it does. Because he's incredibly good at protecting people.

Glacius watches Kate sit up slightly, but given that he's not privy to the troubled thoughts that are rolling around in her mind right now, he misinterprets her surprise as simply being over the fact that such a reclusive being with his history with humanity has agreed to join such an explanation in the first place. He returns her small smile with his own, which is slightly tentative. "You think..? I wasn't so sure, at first. Most of my work as a galactic marshal was conducted alone, and I've never worked so closesly with humans... or... at all, actually. I'm not sure what they're going to think of me, or if our ideals will line up. But... you're human, and we make a good team. So I guess you've given me hope... in a couple of different ways, actually. So thank you for that."

"They want to keep the people safe. Think you'll fit right in," she comments, her tone moving from deadpan to something lighter and more affectionate towards the end. She has faith in Glacius, at least. Protecting her is all he's tried to do since they first got here and it makes sense for him to extend that to the rest of the city, right?

But, more importantly: "Don't think I've ever heard you talk about your job before. What was it like?"

"My job? You mean as a marshal? That's a broad subject," Glacius chuckles. "But then, external affairs usually are. Most of my people prefer to remain on the homeworld; very few of them are as open-minded about traveling the universe and visiting foreign, potentially dangerous planets as I am, and so the council liked to make use of me wherever they could. I and a select few others of my kind were members of an interspecies organization called the Alliance of Worlds, so we received orders and intel from many different groups, but our leaders always had the final say in the direction of members when it came to their own people. So I was nearly always busy, and I worked very hard, often on dangerous operations... but it gave me a chance to see the world and develop my fighting skills while protecting my people and my homeworld by making the galaxy a safer place for them. I'd... like to think I was a good fit for the job."

She listens, resting her chin in her hand as he talks. It sounds fascinating, honestly. Part of her reason for always moving is that she just enjoyed the travelling, the way a person can see so much in so little time. The realisation of how small one was in the world was both freeing and terrifying, and all in all, extremely addictive.

And she knows, deep in her bones in the way he always exists, Marc would have been over the moon to learn about this kind of stuff as ever-curious and sharp-minded as he was.

"Wonder if all our planets are the same," she muses, the thought coming to her suddenly. There was certainly an Earth in his world, so- would there maybe be one of his planet somewhere in hers?

Glacius tilts his head slightly and furrows his brows, at first confused by the question. All planets, the same..? No, her homeworld contains widely different climates and is much smaller, while his homeworld is one of extreme, vast and frozen. Even the planets in earth's solar system are all so different from each other, from the cold barren rocky ones to the vast gas giants... so that can't be what she's asking about.

"Are you asking if all of the same planets exist in all the different universes that the beings here have been pulled from..?" the ice alien ventures after a moment. "That's going to be a very difficult question, given how most species do not possess the capability to tear through the fabric of reality itself. My people do, but we usually use it to travel great distances in the blink of an eye, not to hop to the next universe over... so this is not something that we have verified. I suppose you could try to poll all the different people in this place, but even then, there are so many different planets and star systems that I feel it would be impossible to discern with such a comparatively small sample size..."

Proof that they've been getting closer, right there. That Glacius can listen to her half-faded musing, with its indistinct terms, and come to the correct conclusion. She nods in confirmation and considers the reply as it comes. Marc would certainly have enjoyed this, would have certainly found it a discussion to have with excited theories and impassioned speeches.

(She can hear his voice in the back of her mind, talking about what he would do to try and figure it out, what stumbling blocks there would be. It doesn't hurt, it's just- there. Ever present, internalised.)

"S'pose... Even if we asked, there's no way to know if people are just unfamiliar with those planets," she muses, slow and careful. It's a lot like asking about powers - some of the people without power here, maybe that's the way their world works... or maybe they're just not aware of what is there. Back home, superhumans weren't exactly unknown, but they were considered foreign and strange. Kind of like knowing a millionaire, for most - something they'd never expect to happen.

"Yes. The question is an interesting one, but hard to properly assess I think... especially in these circumstances. The universe is a very wide place... but perhaps there are... other inquiries about it that my travels would make me better suited to answer for you?" Glacius offers now, leaning back in his seat.

This was safer territory, at least. Questions about his people he might still have to sidestep every now and then, but questions about the rest of the universe were ones he felt a little more free in answering. He wasn't an expert in everything, of course, but he at least had a more expanded perspective than someone who had spent their whole life on one planet might.

That... might work, actually. She hums in thought and drums her fingertips against her cheek for a moment, cupping her chin in her hand.

"Tell me about a planet you visited," she eventually says, thinking that could be as good a place to start as any. Gives her a general idea of what to ask about, anyway.

"You mean besides earth?" Glacius gives a small grin, wry despite himself. Even though Kate might find the differences between the earth of his universe and hers fascinating, by this point he feels that she's already heard enough about his time there... and they've both spent enough time in those memories. The alien forges ahead.

"Well...the ceremony in which I was inducted into the galactic marshal's forces was held on a planet named Ivriem. It was capable of supporting life, though no higher-thinking species had yet developed on it... so it was colonized as neutral grounds and shared amongst the species under the Alliance of Worlds. Thankfully the climate was fairly temperate, so though it was still too warm for my species to survive in without the assistance of our microweaves, it was not torturous weather either. It was a lush world with broad coastal regions--my first time seeing so much unfrozen water in one place. Many of the other species seemed to find it quite scenic."

Yes, she does. And yes, she's definitely heard more than enough about earth for a while - they're here, for once, to avoid talking about all the painful parts of their pasts. But the planet he describes... well, it sounds fantastic. She didn't grow up on the coast, but there's rarely a place in the UK where the beach isn't accessible and even in the US, she hadn't strayed far from the water.

She can't really swim, but there's something about the coast that's familiar and comforting.

But, there's one thing that stands out a little more than all of that. "Micro-" wait, what? "Micro...weaves?" She's curious, sorry, Glayglay.

"Ah, yes. That's right. I never told you about that," Glacius realizes. Of course he hadn't; he been safeguarding nearly everything to do with his people and his technology ever since he was brought to this strange city. The fact that he dropped the term so casually is a testament to how comfortable he's becoming around Kate, and he supposes it's only fair to respect that now by now backpedaling or dodging the question.

"The microweave is essentially personal thermoregulation technology. It is comprised of countless fine, tiny fibers that are all woven together into our icy skin, which holds them together and protects them. You have probably seen it without even realizing it. Do you see these glyphs that adorn my body?" Now the ice alien extends an arm towards Kate and holds perfectly still so that she can see what he's talking about without having to lean over and stare at him, which would likely be awkward for the both of them. Upon inspection, she should be able to see a pattern of what looks a lot like intricate alien circuity that has been wedded to his skin. The microweave lights up intermittently, giving the glyphs the appearance that they are flowing over his body.

She shifts a bit to better inspect them, her eyes following the glyphs as they light up and curiosity visible in her face. She doesn't even bother to rearrange her expression into something more neutral as she watches, because - while this isn't the same as powers - it is a boon that sparks the same sort of interest that any power would. It's... way beyond anything her Earth has even heard of.

"They... manage that?" It isn't that she doesn't believe him, it's just... difficult to wrap her head around. Technology back home was getting a lot more compact and advanced all at the same time, but this was another level entirely. Something she hadn't even considered possible, never mind something she'd actually see.

"They do," Glacius responded, giving a quiet little chuckle at the quiet sense of wonder behind that gentle inquiry. "How else do you think my skin has maintained its form in such warm weather? Were it not for this, I would not just be uncomfortable... it would be impossible for me to survive in above-freezing temperatures. Therefore, the microweave is crucial to any of my species that plans on venturing offworld."

And back home she was impressed by a touchscreen desktop. That seems awfully blasé now. "Usually just assume a power of some sort," she admits, running a finger across the side of her sunglasses idly. It's pretty much the cornerstone of everything that's seemingly impossible in her world, so she expects the same in others'.

"Ah--yes, that is a fair assumption. I suppose I could use my powers to keep cool by altering the terrain to create ice, but to keep it solid for long enough to regulate my own body temperatures... that would be an enormous expenditure of energy. I'm not sure I could keep it up. Even trying to make the bedroom of this housing comfortably cold is taking me some time."

The ice alien nods his head towards the door to said bedroom now, which he has been sure to shut tightly every time he leaves. "It's a far cry from home, that is for certain." But that's all he's going to say on the matter. He tries to keep a lid on just how badly he still misses his own planet, because he knows focusing on that and whining about it won't change or fix anything... but it's safe to say that his grievances about the temperature differences are a facet of a bigger problem.

She follows the nod to the bedroom door - the layouts really were pretty much identical around here - and regards the closed door for a minute. It's difficult for her here, with all the memories this place brings up, but at least it's fundamentally livable. The climate is correct and everywhere is the correct size.

It is, in comparison, incredibly easy for her to live here.

"You're telling me," she agrees, settling for something neutral, something that doesn't speak to the ticking thoughts in her brain about whether the gods should do something about that, what with Fear having dragged them all here to use as food. "Never going to get used to how... circular everything is."

"Ha-- I actually like that," Glacius responds, chuckling despite himself. "Our architecture uses sweeping lines and smooth curves much more often than hard corners or edges, so that at least is something I'm a little more used to. I've never actually been inside a human's home, though... are the structures here really that different?"

She hums in thought. "Everything looks... just off." She leans forward and gestures to the television in the apartment. "It'd be rectangular, for one. The buttons work different." And some functions seemed to make no sense. "Kinda the same everywhere." She leans back again and drums her fingers against her knee.

"Straight lines are more practical, or summat." Back home. She isn't entirely sure why, having never paid that much attention to the architecture of anything. "Guess some newer buildings get a bit closer to this." More curved, more fluid. They weren't all that common, though. A lot of older buildings still stood tall and proud.

"I see..." the ice alien muses, trailing off as he tries to look at the room again with new eyes, transposing what Kate has told him over the architecture as it is. With the limited information that he has, however, he can only get so far. Before too long he turns back to his friend, his mind going back to a previous subject.

"--Ah, about what I said earlier. Do not tell anyone else about the microweave, please. My icy skin protects it, but I doubt everyone in this cave is happy to share it with an alien... and drawing attention to the technology could lead to attempts to disable it. If that happened..." Now Glacius trails off again, shaking his head. "Well. Circumstances would suddenly become rather dire. What I'm trying to say that I trust you with the information, but not many others."

She doesn't need telling twice, Glacius. "Wouldn't have, anyway." She's not sure who would ask her such questions. If they did start asking her about his abilities, that... well, that would raise more than a few flags. But the vote of trust is incredibly complimentary, thank you, Glacius. "Your business who you want to tell." She tries to live by that. Has sat in interrogations and refused to say things purely because they aren't her business to disclose. It might not always work, but a direct request - even if she didn't plan on saying anything - is more than enough to make her think a little more seriously about it, to file that knowledge away and keep it locked down.

"I'm happy you see it that way too," Glacius responded, his voice rather solemn. "Humans seem to like to talk, and I know how valuable a tool information can be. If I did not think you could be trusted, however, I would not have told you... so I am glad you continue to prove my assessments to be correct." And now the ice alien finally cracks another small smile. "I do appreciate you safeguarding the information that I have imparted to you. I will do the same with what you have told me; your secrets are safe with me."

At least she's proving someone's thoughts on her correct. Especially positive thoughts. That does make things feel a bit brighter in this place. "Thanks," she offers. It's not a word she says all that often, but Glacius, with everything he's done for her, deserves it.

It takes a moment before she says anything else, but eventually Kate adds; "We- back in the day, we'd stick to our own stories." She remembers far too many interrogation sessions over failed missions where she explained nothing but what she did. "Didn't want to sell anyone out." Never really broke the habit, either. If they wanted to take blame, they could. But you don't make someone deal with The Agency's idea of punishment.

"So tell me one," Glacius speaks up as the idea suddenly comes to him. He knows this isn't exactly what Kate meant... but they've been talking about such heavy things recently. Maybe this will help them start picking their way out of that dark and restrictive mire that they've been sinking into lately. "Tell me a story, something that's not about the Agency, or about all the suffering you've had to witness. Tell me about a brighter time, something you can still look back on in fondness... or even something mundane, something that makes you feel... human."

A thoughtful silence falls over Kate, her mind cycling through various moments in her life. The lighter things, the things that don't hurt as much. It takes a moment for her to settle on one particular thing - a story that does take place back during her days fighting, but isn't nearly as dreary or tragic.

"Years ago," she begins, resting her elbows on her thighs and threading her fingers together loosely, sitting forward as she recalls the events of that day. "Carl and me would have to work undercover." That's about as depressing as the story gets. "Were assigned to work at a fancy event-" she inhales for a moment, remembering the weeks of preparations that went into making her teenage self into the kind of person who would actually be caught dead at a ball. "Had to learn to dance for it." And, obviously, not the kind of dancing that would take place in human clubs. "He was crap at it. Kept letting go when we had to spin." Kept sending her flying to the floor. "Drove me insane." But there's a whole lot of affection in the way she describes all of it.