Intro Log: Don't Wake Tonberry

[hadrielmods]

Who: New arrivals and everyone else!
What: The intro log for September
Where: The colosseum and all around the city.
When: September 10th-13th
Warnings: Cute monsters, a way to pass the time, and plenty of newbies!

Waking up in Hadriel certainly has its down sides, but if this weird murdercave city is good at one thing, it's keeping people entertained. As you awaken on the hard ground of the colosseum, you might see a rectangular cardboard box lying near you. Ignore it for now, as you get your bearings, but if you get bored? Well, you'll find these exciting and unique board games will keep you entertained!

But how could you possibly get bored, when there are plenty of cute monsters around to keep you company? Sharing the colosseum with all the new arrivals are Tonberries. In addition to their natural cuteness defense, they also carry very large knives. They're slow-moving and look innocent and even friendly, but be careful - one strike from that knife and you'll be a bloody mess. They won't attack unless you get too close, but who doesn't want to hug a Tonberry? And of course, if you attack, they'll counter with extreme prejudice.

Managed to resist the urge to hug a Tonberry? Safely escaped from the clutches of the colosseum, new board game in tow? Awesome! 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 September 10th-13th.
► 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

[wildcard! colosseum]

[infinite1up]

[Noticing a few other residents heading for the colosseum, Sato decided to join in the fun, and he's been wandering back and forth through the halls and rooms long enough to kill a couple Tonberries... and get hard countered more than once, as evidenced by a couple bloodstained holes in his clothes. Karma is, indeed, a bitch.

But with all these little green critters... well Warrick might not have a knife and lantern, but he's green, and that's probably close enough for fun. So while navigating the colosseum there's one more threat for Warrick to be wary of: an old man with an axe and a smile, heading quite deliberately down the corridor towards him. Could be a friend at first glance, but the way he raises the axe as he gets closer suggests he might have something else in mind.]

[purpleknee]

[Old men with axes are usually a comforting sight for Warrick, but this one doesn't seem to be made of tin like his grandfather and he's certainly not...slowing down...

ozma protect him he did nothing wrong (lately)]

Wait --

[He holds up a hand and a green swatch of energy shoots out to bubble around him. Thank the fairies for shields.]

I'm -- [well, not human. not anymore.] I can help you! You're -- you're bleeding, right?

[Not that he really looks it and the blood could very well be from other sources, why is this happening...]

Please stop!

[infinite1up]

[Although he's seen a little bit of magic here and there, it's still a very unfamiliar concept to Sato, and from the way the axe glances off the energy bubble, it's clear that isn't going to work.

It's also abundantly clear with those words that this is probably another new arrival like himself. The tonberries are much less inclined to talk, all other factors aside. He's not actually bleeding any longer -- a death and reset takes care of all injuries -- but that doesn't mean he can't play around a little to keep the game going. He should probably do his best to look angry instead of delighted.]

I was, no thanks to you monsters. You'll have to come out of there sooner or later.

[He snaps, pulling his pistol instead and squinting down the barrel. A magic shield probably protects from bullets too, but it's worth a shot.

He might have infinite lives, but that's not much help when you can't upgrade your weapons from your starting gear -- that's what it feels like some days. Clearly he's going to have to give more thought to creative murder in the future.]

[purpleknee]

[WHY IS THIS HAPPENING

If asked later if that strangled squeal was a scream, Warrick would have no idea what you're talking about. What squeal? Surely not him, he's a full-fledged witch, probably. Well, his training was never completed or anything, but he had the title, and sweET LURLENE THIS MAN IS TRYING TO MURDER HIM]

I do not! [neeever mind that he's already pretty drained from having used lots of magic just before coming here. Probably not important.] I'm not -- [mmmmm] I haven't done anything! I'm definitely not coming out when you have that -- that!

[infinite1up]

[Sato's bullets plink-plink off the shield, sure enough. Realistically, this would be where a normal person might give up.

He does, at least, lower the gun. But this is just a prelude to a little experimentation, fearlessly stepping closer to try to touch the shield with his left hand. Can he push it? Can he push it and move the green guy inside along with it? Will it just zap him? What does it feel like, anyway? So many questions to answer, since as far as magic goes, he really has no prior expectations. Or at least none that aren't based on games he's played.]

Don't worry, I've been practicing on the monsters in the caves. I'll figure something out.

[purpleknee]

You listen even less than Jinjur.

[His shield is really just a thin barrier of protection -- barreling into it might cause Sato to bounce away from the force, but just touching it does nothing. He won't be able to do that for long, though, as Warrick steps back and moves the shield along with him. He didn't have a clue about his range, or if stretching his bubble would expend more energy.]

I would really prefer it if you didn't! I'm telling you, I'm not one of them! I don't even look that much like them, I'm just green!

[infinite1up]

[Sato keeps advancing at a relaxed pace. He can think of one way to puncture a hole in it, but it wouldn't be permanent; the shield would probably fill it back in right away. Magic really is a problem. He might actually have to back it off a bit.]

You're here at the same time. And how many normal people are green, hmm?

[Of course not that he can really talk about 'normal people', but Warrick doesn't need to know that.]

[purpleknee]

[It sure is a problem...]

I don't know why they're green, but -- if I tell you why I'm green, will you stop walking towards me and trying to kill me? I'm talking to you and not stabbing you, that should tell you something!

[infinite1up]

Why don't you tell me, and I'll make up my mind after that.

[He says, still continuing the slow but deliberate stalking. Even if he can't breach the shield, that doesn't mean he doesn't want to mess with it still.]

[purpleknee]

[weh, his shield...

Warrick groans and pinches the bridge of his nose briefly with one of his hands, then lifts it to join the other in holding up his magic. He didn't really need to, he knows that, but it helps his focus on it while the rest of his mind is reeling from this turn of events. This was just supposed to be an quick, easy, cute mission! Now it's a litany of terrible things.]

My mother was magically created from a flower. She was purple and green. Okay?

[infinite1up]

That's not a very good story.

[Like so many things he's seen here, however, he might as well accept it.]

Why don't you just let me kill you? And if you're not a monster, Hope will revive you in a few days or so. At least, that's what I hear.

[That 'angry' expression has vanished though, seemingly more bemused than anything. He can't really go around just killing whoever, that wouldn't look very good and could cause a lot of problems. And unfortunately, his justification is rapidly vanishing.]

[purpleknee]

It's not a story! And my sister is purple, so apparently I'm just unlucky here.

[What's so hard to believe about flowermom?! No, he knows it's weird.]

No?

[Sato... Sato plz.]

That doesn't make murder okay! Are you crazy? Even I wasn't that bad, I just stole stuff and set things on fire...

[infinite1up]

Ha ha. I guess you really aren't a monster, are you. Just a criminal, from the sounds of it?

[That doesn't mean he's going to put the gun away. There's still tonberries out there. But he does stop the menacing advance.]

[purpleknee]

[Why...are you like this... With the continued advance, Warrick does finally back up into a wall with a jolt of surprise. Hoo boy. His shield flickers for half a second, but being cornered makes him redouble his efforts towards keeping it up.]

Not...lately. I got better. [Mostly.]

[infinite1up]

Oho?

[Don't think he didn't notice the shield flicker, either. It figures that it would take some effort to hold it up, doesn't it?]

Well I can hardly hold that against you then.

[purpleknee]

Right. Okay! Great. So we've definitely settled on not killing each other, right? I think that sounds fair.

[Never mind that Warrick never threatened this old man in the first place!!! Rude.]

[infinite1up]

Of course. A simple misunderstanding. You can let go of the shield any time.

[Sato replies, rather cheerfully in fact. He knows perfectly well how that sounds after menacing the young man.]

[purpleknee]

[...............]

I'm okay, thanks.

[infinite1up]

[Sato chuckles, and reaches out to tap the green bubble again, the little flick of a fingertip bouncing right off. Magic.]

What's your next move, then? You look like you're a bit lost. I can show you the way out, so nobody else makes the same mistake as myself. What do you say?

[purpleknee]

[nnnnn

nnnnnnnnn]

You still haven't put your weapon away.

[infinite1up]

I can't do that. There's dangerous monsters still out there, and I think I've died enough for one night.

[purpleknee]

...Um?

[Wasn't it supposed to take a while? And why was that "okay" in the first place?]

Um. Explain.

[infinite1up]

Hmm? Oh, I'm immortal.

[He tries out the way Firo puts it, but it doesn't have the same ring to it as 'demi-human' or 'ajin'. They might have a lot in common but there's quite a few differences, too.]

[purpleknee]

[Finally, Warrick's expression drops any bitterness or bafflement it had been clinging to. Now he just looks...kind of bemused.]

Oh. Do you...have a heart? Still in your body?

[because like if that was a no it would explain a few things just sayin]

[infinite1up]

[Well isn't that an odd question. Sato's learned in his time here that these kinds of responses that would be strange by his own standards are often telling. Is that a thing where this green young man comes from?]

Of course. Don't you?