hadriel_logs | Intro Log: Don't Wake Tonberry

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Intro Log: Don't Wake Tonberry

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!

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The Guard worked on a system of shifts, and having finished his stint helping newcomers at the colosseum, Henry was seeing through a patrol round to complete his. He almost didn't recognise Dorian as he passed him -- mostly because he knew without a shadow of a doubt that Dorian had left Hadriel for good many months ago.

And yet.

Double-taking, he stopped and turned on his heel.

"Dorian...?" Henry's surprise was evident in both his tone and expression, through which a clear undercurrent of familiarity also ran.

Henry closed the distance between them and looked Dorian over keenly, assessing his condition. Even in the worst situations, Dorian was never anything but impeccable -- so while by ordinary standards there was nothing particularly bad about Dorian's current unkempt state, by Dorian's own standards he appeared rough. Still, he at least seemed hale.

Faintly concerned, Henry's eyebrows drew in. "Good God. Evidently you have been through much."

Dorian was always pleased to find he had a knack for making friends with attractive men with a penchant for armor, even when it wasn't strictly him making the friends. The tone of familiarity was one he'd heard fairly regularly, and while he didn't recognize the man in front of him, he saw no reason not to be friendly.

"I am, though not the Dorian you know, I'm afraid." He looked down at himself and shook his head sadly, he really was in a sorry state, especially for him. "Yes, wandering around in empty woods trying to find what passes for civilization will do that, unfortunately. Now, who do I have the pleasure of reacquainting myself with?" And, even more importantly, would he be able to direct Dorian to a place to bath and shave? The man was clean shaven himself, so clearly he was in possession of some kind of blade that would be up to the task of making Dorian presentable again.

That gave Henry pause, and no small amount of confusion besides. He parted his lips to speak, but a second later closed them, and instead pressed his armoured knuckles to his mouth as he considered the situation.

It was not that he disbelieved Dorian; certainly, he had no reason to doubt Dorian's word. But the notion took a moment to sink in. He supposed he should have expected that this place could still surprise him.

He dropped his hand back to his side and shifted his weight, feeling awkward for his mistake and unsure of whether he was disappointed or not. Not the Dorian he knew, but Dorian nonetheless -- what is he to do with that?

"Ah. Henry Percy. Pleased to make your acquaintance. Forgive my presumption."

He could only press onward from here. In Dorian's position, he would have wanted to be treated like his own man. It is a matter of respect.

"Know you aught of this city yet? If you require assistance, I am happy to be of help."

"I'm afraid I don't know a single blessed thing about it. And I'll be happy to forgive you, the whole "multiple existences" thing can get very confusing." He'd had notes upon notes written down in Eros, notes that of course had been left behind when he'd been taken to Arda, where he had started more notes, which had, of course, been left behind yet again.

"But yes, I will forgive you the confusion, and you can be my guide, specifically to hot water, a razor, and some wine, preferably in that order." He rubbed at the scruff that had long since ceased being scruff and was now more of a proper beard. He hated it, beards really weren't his thing at all. Blackwall was welcome to the blighted things.

Henry huffed a short laugh, then nodded decisively.

"Very well. Follow me. I shall explain what I can on the way."

They were all easily fulfilled requests. He began to lead on.

"You have comrades from Thedas present here. One imagines that you will want to contact them at some point. But for now an unoccupied house shall provide running hot water, and the shops on the way contain soap and razors. There is a bar here where you may have your choice -- and fill -- of wine."

"Blessed Maker I have missed hot running water." He followed after Henry, walking next to the man with long strides, much more cheerful than he'd been a few minutes ago. Even if he'd never had it in Thedas, getting used to all the modern amenities in Eros had quite spoiled him. "And a bar! Even if I'm in a cave, at least it seems to be a civilized cave." He was almost giddy at the thought of a proper bath followed by several bottles of wine.

He chuckled "I fully intend to take advantage of all these things. Though I do have another question." He paused "Who brought us here? And for what purpose?" He had never actually gotten a proper explanation in Arda, and in Eros, they had all been fed a pack of lies. A bit of truth, or at least something that vaguely resembled it if you squinted, would be a welcome novelty.

It was the other Dorian who had done this for Henry on his arrival -- one might consider it a kindness now repaid. Though that first day was the least of the debts he'd owed.

"There is a price, I fear. It ties into your questions."

As he picked his way along the streets, Henry did his best to explain concisely.

"This place is named Hadriel. As I understand it, there were first but two so-called gods: Hope and Fear. Fear made active... some manner of relic known as the The Door. It is The Door that dragged us all into this realm. Hope informed us that none of their kind living knows how to actually work The Door. But he believes that one of their kind must know. Using his power, he revives his fellow gods at intervals."

Discontentment coloured his tone as he continued, lending his voice a sharp edge.

"That is where we come in. We are the well from which they draw their sustenance. The gods feed upon our emotions. Which emotion is decided by their name. Thus far, in addition to Hope and Fear, Rage, Delight and Sorrow have been revived. They actively seek to inspire those feelings in us so that they might gorge upon our sentiment, regardless of our disposition. The beings who served that purpose before us were apparently annihilated by whatever killed most of Hadriel's gods. They refuse to impart further details."

Dorian was silent for a moment after all that information, processing it and thinking it over. "I see. So we are basically livestock for them. Or a garden. Tend it properly, water and feed it, and why you'll get a bountiful harvest of whatever you might want." He didn't sound terribly happy about it, who could blame him?

"They sound terribly incompetent, or at least pretending to it." Of course it made sense that they were being kept in the dark about almost everything, hadn't that been the case in Eros? In Arda? Either told lies to their faces or simply being told absolutely nothing. He wasn't sure he believed that there was nothing these gods could do, but if that's what they were going with then there wasn't much that someone like him or Percy could very well do about it.

"Both at once is common opinion."

Henry scoffed, before he reached into a pouch hanging from his swordbelt to pull out his phone, which he then held up in demonstration.

"The gods also use these phones that we have been given, so you can talk to them yourself. We may make requests of them, and if we choose to pay their price, receive boons not usually available to us. The phone is our foremost means of communication. You should have awoken with one in your possession."

He returned his phone to its pouch, and turned towards one of the ruined shops around them. He pushed open the door and held it for Dorian.

"This particular shop should have what supplies you need."

Dorian chuckled at the suggestion. "Oh yes, I'm sure that's going to work out splendidly. 'Yes, powerful being? I'd like to file a complaint. You see, I would very much like to go home. Yes, I know you are very busy and don't have time for silly things like people getting on with their lives, but it's rather important.' He did at least pull the phone out of his trouser pocket, looking it over. It was more advanced than the model he'd had in Eros, but he had been able to figure that out. He was sure this one would be no different.

"Thank you." He stepped inside, not sure what to expect, but it certainly wasn't the items trapped behind amber and not a clerk in sight. He spotted the razors and soap immediately, a simple straight blade like he was used to. He could hope that the soap was a good quality, but a the moment he would happily take even a harsh lye soap over nothing. "Ah... how does one, pay for the items?" There was no one around for him to pay, and he had nothing to pay with anyway. He wasn't a thief.

Even resolved to treat Dorian as his own man, Henry still found it ludicrously easy to like him. That playful sharp wit and good humour in the face of ill circumstance routed his normal reserve just as adroitly as before.

Henry gave a soft laugh, remaining at the door, from where he watched Dorian browse.

"You already are, by virtue of being here," he put sardonic emphasis on that particular word. "'Tis Hope who stocks these places. When you are clean and shaved and feel better for it, he shall have his payment."

To alleviate any potential future guilt, with a quirked smile, he added, "And Delight keeps the bar abundant, so be sure to savour every last drop."

Dorian would argue that of course it was ludicrously easy to like him. How could it not be?

"Ah yes, the whole feeding off emotions things. Well, I am quite hopeful that I shall not look like a homeless wandering apostate in a few short hours. So I suppose that worked." If only all the gods were so pleasant with their needs.

He laughed, taking out the razor, soap, a brush, a few more items that he had been missing (of course the place didn't have hair product) and putting them in his napsack. "Oh, I'm sure that will not be a problem. I fully intend to do that." He might not drink five bottles in a go, but he had every intention of taking full advantage of a bar that served free booze. Delight might regret that policy before he was done.

"I would suggest that you call your friends from Thedas before you drink. The previous--"

Abruptly, Henry cut himself off with a faint frown, and ran a gauntleted hand through his hair. He did not want to imply that this Dorian was second to the one before, nor that Dorian was a replacement, as though his value derived from his other self -- the language, and indeed notion, of multiple existences was full of pitfalls.

How to neatly navigate it was somewhat beyond him.

"That is to say, those from your Thedas all shared a house, and no doubt still do. I imagine that you might wish to continue that trend. Using our phones is a simple matter, especially for one of your intellect."

Luckily for Henry, Dorian knew plenty about previous versions. They were all, sort of, him. And so there was no need to take offense if there had been another version of him here that people missed. Besides, he was confident enough in his own ability to be charming and friendly that he didn't feel threatened by himself.

"Ah yes, that would be a good idea before I progress too far into a bottle. I'll be sure to do that, thank you Henry." Not that he was going to be so rude as to pull his phone out and fiddle with it right now. He had used a phone in Eros, though just the look he had been able to give the model in his trouser pocket told him it was a more advanced, and hence he was sure, more complicated model. But he was intelligent enough that he would figure it out in short order, he was sure.

With Dorian supplied, Henry resumed their journey. As he walked, he spoke.

"Delight made her own housing in addition to that which already existed -- conveniently near her bar. If we take a short detour, the library is not far from either. Dorian spent much of his time there. 'Twas the place to find him if one wished to see him. During the day, at least."

Henry grinned as he made the latter remark, though it was conspiring: the last time that he had got devastatingly inebriated, it had been because he'd quite literally dragged Dorian into his and Maketh's drinking game. Good times, for what tiny portion he could recall.

"Most books are unreadable. Yet he undertook some manner of research. Should his work remain, who better to comprehend it?"

After a moment, Henry cast Dorian a curious glance. With explanations done he finally indulged his pressing curiosity.

"How came you to be lost in the woods, unprepared?"

All of that made a comforting amount of sense. Yes, had he been here before, he would have spent most of his time in the library. "Unreadable" after all could mean either gibberish, a code, or a language. If it was the latter two, one could decode it, given enough time and patience. If he'd had nothing better to do, he could see himself spending time in that place.

He had been quiet for a moment as Henry talked, but he smiled at the question. "Well, funny story, that. I was... helping a friend of mine fix his house. Supervising, really" Because Dorian didn't really do hard, sweaty labor out in the sun, but had no trouble watching ~~Cullen~~ men doing so "when there was this... bright light, almost like a cord, or a snake made out of light itself. It hit the both of us, and the next thing we both knew, we were in the middle of an old ruin near a river. I, of course, only had the clothes on my back and my staff, which I had taken to carrying around, he only his clothes and sword." He shook his head in annoyance. "Eventually we figured out where we were and headed back towards our home, a journey of several weeks by foot. Halfway through that we were hit by another of those... light snakes. This time we were separated. It was another week before I was pulled here." He was frustrated and annoyed, though relieved not to be stuck out in the woods either. He hoped Cullen had found his way back to Deepwood. The man was capable, but there were limits to any man's capability.

Henry listened attentively. It was a strange tale, full of the mischief that usually characterised fairy tales back home, but it was no stranger than other people's stories, nor some of what he had seen in the past year or two.

"A hard march on foot without respite. Had you provisions enough? You are certain that you suffer no ills from your misfortune?"

He could not help but fuss.

"We were able to make do with what we found. The water at Imladris was clean, and we were able to fashion waterskins from what we found. I won't say that it was easy, or that my trousers are not fitting more loosely than they were a month ago. I'm filthy in ways I have not been in perhaps years, my feet ache, and I could sorely use a full meal and at least two bottles of a good wine." He wasn't dying, or sick, but he also wasn't terribly happy with how his life had been for the last several months. If Henry wanted to fuss, Dorian wasn't going to stop him.

Henry nodded thoughtfully, mentally working out what he could do to assist. When he cared for someone, he became something of a mother hen. He was also a man very much inclined towards action.

"The shops carry clothes, though one is better off paying visit to the seamstresses -- they are captives like us whom have opened their own shop. 'Til then, every house here contains devices that wash and dry our clothes. I can show you how to work them before I leave you. While you get clean I shall fetch you a proper meal. Is there aught you do not eat?"

Dorian shook his head "On a normal day I would remind you that I am an adult, and haven't had anyone wait on me hand and foot since leaving Tevinter." He sighed, a tired sound, but not annoyed "However, given the last month, I believe I have earned letting someone else help out for a day."

He smiled over at Henry "But you will have to let me return the favor somehow. Are we agreed?" He wasn't even sure how he would, but he wasn't going to let Henry think he was a delicate hothouse flower. He just... needed one day of not doing everything for himself. That wasn't too much to ask for, right? It wasn't as if he was expecting Henry to peel grapes and give him a footrub. ~~Not that he would say no to having Henry's hands on him...~~

"On a normal day I would not offer," and given how obviously highborn Henry was, in speech, manner and appearance, that was rather apparent.

Henry smiled himself, obviously pleased.

"We are agreed."

It was not far now: the library, bar and Delight's housing were all in the same corner of the city. Henry looked away, tapped his gauntleted fingers against his armour and cleared his throat.

"...Dorian helped me out of trouble many times, and on one occasion saved my life. He was the very best of men. You are not he. Yet presumably you shall prove of the same quality."

He glanced back at Dorian and dipped his head.

"If I can make your arrival in this new realm easier in any way, then why would I not?"

Henry's regard was, for most people, hard to win. But thereafter he was as loyal as they came.

"Always good to know that my previous self made a good impression." His tone seemed to indicate that of course he would have, because it was Dorian. Perpetual maker of good impressions, to everyone but Chantry Mothers. And angry ex-slaves. And... well alright there were people he didn't make a good impression on, but really that wasn't his fault at all (yes it is, Dorian.)

"I'll do my best to live up to... my example." It was a little strange talking about yourself as another person, but it got easier the more you did it. And he did want to continue with the good impression his previous self had made with Henry. And he did intend to repay him for the help, one way or another. It wasn't as if Henry owed the debt to him, so Dorian would still feel that he owed the man.

Henry laughed at that, relieved that this multiple existence business was, in actual fact, awkward in some small way for Dorian. But then Henry was the kind of man who, should he have met another version of himself, would have duelled him for the right to use their name.

When they came to a split in the path, Henry stopped, and pointed to a large building in the near distance on their left.

"Follow this path on our left and you shall find the library."

That done, he walked along the right path. After a little way he turned on his heel with a grin, and walked backwards, presenting a second building with a flourish of both arms.

"And that would be Delight's bar."

A few more steps and he turned back round, resuming a forward march.

"We are not far now. Ah, there. See you them?"

Delight's housing was set in a downwards spiral that dug into the earth, each house dug into the cave wall. The lighting embedded into the floor filled the area with a warm yellow glow. He lead them into the neighbourhood, then headed straight into the first of the occupied homes.

A quick glance around showed that yes, it was empty and uninhabited -- as a rule of thumb, any front door that was not firmly shut indicated that the place was free game.

He stopped when it opened out into a living room and set both hands on his hips.

"I know not the layout of these ones, so you shall have to explore for yourself. I occupy an apartment in one of the Spires."

Partly because he had been shown to a Spire on his arrival, but mostly because, being alone, it would have been a waste of space for him to live anywhere else.

Edited (fixing a typo gj me) 2016-09-23 10:22 (UTC)

Dorian made note of where the important buildings (the library and the bar) were, so that he'd easily be able to find them later without Henry's help. It was good to know where those particular location were, and he was glad to see they were near the housing. Even if the layout of the city itself didn't make a terrible amount of sense to him.

"I see. How interesting, cave homes inside a cave." He wasn't sure he was a fan of below below ground housing, but the glow coming from them was warm, and even with any reservations he might have, it was an actual house, presumably with beds and hot running water. That alone made him happy to see it.

He looked around the room "Well, it doesn't look too terribly complicated." He turned back to Henry. "If you've other things to do, I believe I can manage for myself. With as much dirt as I've collected, it might be some time before I feel properly clean again." He hadn't had a nice, hot bath in literally months. He fully intended to spoil himself.

Henry nodded.

"If you are sure. I belong to the guard here and reports will not see to themselves. Our headquarters are across the river by the armoury, should you ever require our help."

He smiled again, hands falling from his hips. What he says next is direct.

"Once you are settled in, you should contact me."

Henry was not shy about wanting to get to know Dorian.

He took a few steps back, the precursor to taking his leave, then lifted his hand in goodbye.

"Fare thee well."

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rebelarchivist - 2016-09-26 12:22 (UTC) - Expand

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