hadriel_logs | Event Log: Fourth Wall, Part One

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Event Log: Fourth Wall, Part One

Who: Everyone in the city + Fourth Wall visitors!
What: Part one of the fourth wall event, hosted by Fear, Confusion, and Delight!
Where: All around the city
When: October 24th-November 1st
Warnings: Visitors from other worlds!

If you're not from around here, you may be wondering what's going on. You've woken up out of the blue in the colosseum, or near a temple, or in one of the numerous other locations in the city. You're somewhere underground and it's dark, cold, and maybe a little unnerving.

Luckily, shortly after your arrival, the road below your feet begins to light up in a gentle, warm glow. The light points you in a set direction and, if you choose to travel that way, will lead you toward the center of the city, where there is a large gathering of others who are lost here like you, people who might know their way around a bit more, and even some of the gods who rule this place.

There are lights strung up on poles throughout the large clearing, casting a comforting glow onto the tables beneath them. The tables are abundant with lots of food that looks simply delicious- though, none of it tastes quite like it should. The tarts taste like green beans, the mashed potatoes like cheesecake, and the chocolate seems oddly reminiscent of steak. In addition, there are decorations artfully placed around the meeting point. If you see them moving, don't worry- that's probably just your imagination.

Also distributed along the tables are shot glasses, filled with a sludgy, yellow substance. If you're brave enough to consume them, they taste strongly of mint and will give you a much needed energy boost, circumventing the need to eat or sleep for a full 24 hours! After that, however, everything hits you all at once, so use them wisely. Some of you may remember these shots from our How Delightful event earlier this year!

In addition to all of the above, there are also party poppers strewn around the area. Each popper can jet out some strange objects- glitter bombs, seashells, plastic dinosaurs, maybe a live lizard or two- so be careful! Feel free to use your discretion on these, but remember to keep it small!
_

Of course, you can always not travel that way. The rest of the city has plenty of places to explore- maybe you'd like to stumble in our Silent Hill zone, have a quick look around the alien orchard, or check out any of the god temples that can inspire their chosen emotion. Be careful not to get lost in the tunnels leading away from the cave- none of them can actually move you above ground, but you may run into a few monsters on the way.

For those of you who have been with us awhile, please bear with the gods while they try to adjust around these new folks! Join in on the festivities if you like, or try to orient as many of the others as you can. Start a community outreach program, start a fight club, introduce your parents to your weird cave girlfriend- nobody's judging!

Well. Some of us might be.
_

Enjoy the fourth wall event at Hadriel! Once you're settled in feel free to explore the rest of the city! Find a house, find a new monster, or simply scavenge for supplies.

Fourth wall characters do not enter with phones so they cannot reach the network- however, if you'd like to handwave that they somehow got ahold of Mello's Newcomer guide to avoid the 'where am I/what is this' sort of questions, then feel free!

Good luck, and enjoy your stay in Hadriel!

► This log covers October 24th-November 1st.
► Feel free to make your own logs as well! Fourth wall characters will not have posting access, so grab an in-game friend if you wanted to do anything separate from the main log.
► Fourth wall characters will be in the city for at least one week, though they can stay for longer. The party will go on throughout the entire week, thanks to Delight's boundless energy!
► Please put your character's name and open/closed in the subject line of your starters!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ That makes Matt jump almost immediately, nearly dropping his cane. With his powers, he doesn't do surprises, so give him a bit. People are supposed to make more sound than that! Is there anything off about the way Cas sounds or smells? Probably. Matt's used to hearing humans not... fallen angels. ]

Um. Probably, yes.

[ He manages to readjust his grip on his cane, tilting his head a bit to try and 'find' Castiel, so to speak. There's a perfectly logical reason for people to not make any noise. Maybe Matt was just distracted, that's all. ]

I hate to do the 'lost, blind guy' thing, but do you know where I am?

[ Apart from the deep gravel of his voice, Castiel sounds...normal. If he'd flown over, at least, his appearance might have been announced by the rustle of feathers. But he'd just approached quietly, and it's...a little too much, he realizes. Perhaps he should have put some impetus into his steps.

But there is a smell--not something he'll notice straight away, because it's not the kind of smell that one usually attributes to a person, the sharp scent of ozone, like air cut through by a lightning bolt, or the smell of the world after the first minute of rain. ]

You're in the city of Hadriel. We're underground.

[ That's accurate enough, if not actually helpful. ]

[ Matt's still getting used to the echoes in this cave, the new surroundings and... wherever this is. His smell isn't going to register with all the new things Matt's going to have to get used to. It's okay, he's totally calm. Yep. This is fine. Not being in New York is Totally Fine. He's a ninja. ]

I kinda figured the underground part. [ Though the confirmation helps, really. ] I've never heard of any underground cities, um... or any place called Hadriel.

[ Are you sure it's not Jersey? ]

I hadn't either. I don't believe it exists in the human world. Perhaps adjacent to it. As far as I know, nobody has left the cave since we arrived here. It's almost as though... [ He makes a small humming noise. ] I would describe it as a biome, made just for the people being kept here.

[ Castiel wondered how to approach this. What should he do? He didn't want to startle the man, and despite the position of his shoulders, there was an edginess, a discernible tension. ]

There may be people that you know here. May I take your hand? I can lead you to them.

[ Okay, that's a lot of stuff that's going over Matt's head. (Sounds fake, tbh.) He's not an Avenger. This kind of stuff isn't supposed to happen to him. ]

Give me a minute. [ He needs to scream internally for a bit. Let his brain process things. He stands there silently, gripping his cane till his knuckles go almost bone white. This is probably some weird alien shit, maybe a bad dream or someone meant to kidnap Thor and not him. Matt takes a deep breath, though mention of people he knows sends him right back to the tension zone. ]

There's no way out? [ Matt holds out his hand. Sure, buddy, lead the way. It gives Matt something to focus on, besides the weirdness. ] I think I would know if someone close to me got kidnapped.

This may be difficult to understand, but...

[ Castiel made a soft, thoughtful noise, trying to think of the right words to explain it. Humans didn't know about other dimensions as a rule, and while Castiel found the topic easy enough to deal with, it was another thing to just expect anyone he met to understand it too. He thought it over. ]

They call it a door. But it's really a trans-dimensional portal. It doesn't ascribe itself to...to the usual rules of time and space. Someone could be brought here from your future, or your past. An alternate version of reality, even.

[ He takes Matt's hand, but at this point he's probably thinking that Cas is a crazy person, so we'll see how that goes... ]

I realize I don't have any way to prove it. It must sound strange to you.

[ .....okay. That's. Ok. It does all sound really crazy, but then again, aliens poured out through a portal and attacked New York a few years in Matt's past, so he doesn't immediately disregard Castiel's words. There's no hint of a lie in his tone, no skip in his pulse. ]

Do the Avengers know about this place?

[ At least that would make sense. Matt keeps a steady grip on Castiel's hand. He's not shaking, but it's a close thing. Murdock boys aren't exactly known for breaking under pressure. ]

I don't know any Avengers. Are they brothers?

[ That's it, that's his level of context right there. Internally, he does suspect it might be a pop culture reference that goes over his head, but he's innocent enough about the question that Matt surely must notice emotional clarity in the response; harmless innocence.

He guides the way, at Matt's pace, making sure to guide him around any debris left behind by the dragon-fighting earlier that month. Outside, the lit pathways guide their way toward the town center, a distant hum of conversation up ahead. ]

[ It's hard to believe anyone could live on God's green earth and not know about the Avengers, but Matt can't deny that Castiel is... well, clearly not lying. He doesn't know. ]

No, they're, uh... superheroes. This sounded like their kind of thing.

[ Matt's mouth goes dry. So much for that theory. No Avengers. No superheroes. No easy explanation to transdimensional portals or time travel. Matt's steps would normally be a bit more sure than this, but he's going through a lot in his head right now, so the help really is appreciated. He taps ahead with his cane idly, trying to make sense of everything he's supposed to believe somehow. ]

You sure this isn't just some weird dream?

[ No one ever says yes to that question, what would it matter? ]

[ Definitely a pop culture thing. ]

I'm sorry, I don't watch much television. Or, well...any. The news on occasion, but it isn't really very new by that point, is it?

[ He made a soft humming noise to himself, paying attention as much to Matt's feet as his own. They've found a lit path now, and the path ahead to the party is clear, if only to Castiel. If the gods had had any foresight at all, they would have made the steps chime as they led the way. That would have solved this little problem, at least.

But what can you expect from lesser gods of emotions, anyway? It isn't as though they're all seeing. ]

It would be nice if that were the case, wouldn't it? But then the dream would continue, and you'd still be here.

[ He bit his lip, suddenly catching onto a thought. ]

Do you dream? Would you like to see it?

[ Damn, you'd have to really damn far not to hear about the alien attack in New York... but Matt will accept that answer, it's a fair enough excuse from someone who hasn't even heard of the Avengers. Maybe he fell through a hole and dropped into a different dimension like this man said, but why him? Because he's Daredevil?

Matt's a bit lost in thought, letting himself be led while he runs through the possibilities in his head. Still, Castiel's question is strange enough to catch his attention. ]

See what? A dream?

[ Is he dreaming or not? ]

[ Yes, a really long way away in another dimension. But if he'd asked around, maybe he'd have come upon the story anyway. It's just unfortunate that he hasn't spoken to the right people. Yet.

But when it comes to odd questions, the suggestion isn't that he's dreaming, but that he could be. There's a world of high definition technicolor waiting, and it's just a touch away. ]

The cave. Hadriel. If you're asleep, I can show it to you. Um...like a dream.

[ Well, he's okay with superheroes. Angels are basically just the same thing, right? ]

[ Matt slows down. Everything Castiel has said so far has been true, or at least he seems to think so. That's fine. Matt knows there are people with powers, but he's going to need some context before he lets some guy into his head. ]

How, exactly?

[ Castiel slows as well. He's prepared to stop, even, should Matt do so. It's going to be quite a lot to swallow. So he's calm, and keeps his tone gentle and level. ]

I'm an angel. I can walk in your dreams, even manipulate them.

[ Yep, Matt stops. ]

You're an angel?

[ The dream stuff can wait, this is the kind of thing Matt wouldn't take seriously if... he wasn't stuck in some trans-dimensional cave. ]

Like. A real angel?

A seraphim, in fact, yes. A real angel.

[ He hummed, ever so lightly, wondering how he could continue to explain it. He could, perhaps, even return Matt's sight, but perhaps that wouldn't be fondly received--Cas tended to avoid interfering with such intensely personal things. He didn't heal people just because he could. ]

My name is Castiel.

[ That would definitely not win him points, no. ]

I... Uh.

[ Matt goes completely stiff. He brings hand to his temples, his mouth now extremely dry. This shouldn't make sense, this man could be lying, could have some way of stilling his pulse when he lies, but Matt wants to believe too. God doesn't make sense. This isn't possible. But also. ]

Not that, I... [ You're not supposed to ask for proof, right? ] I... I'm Matt.

[ He didn't really ask, Matt. ]

I know it doesn't seem...um. It's hard for humans to accept, which is probably for the best. I think it would be foolish to believe everything you're told. There are some people who would take advantage of that.

[ Sure, talk him out of believing in you, Cas, that's great. Super. What's your next trick? ]

But you don't have to believe me for me to show you. You just have to trust me. It wouldn't take more than a moment.

[ An angel walks up to a Very Catholic dude and tells him he has angel powers and says doubt is good and-- yeah, sorry, there's no way Matt is turning this down.

Matt turns towards Castiel, doing his best to look him in the eyes. ]

Show me.

[ Just one of many reasons they call him the Man Without Fear. ]

[ Castiel doesn't nod, or mention that he's about to do anything. He just steps into the space between them, lifts his hand, and lays two fingers against Matt's temple. The rest of him tips forward to catch him, as the gesture is intended to put him to sleep, and it's a long way to the ground.

After that, it's a simple case of crouching beside him, still using the physical contact to focus his own mental abilities, reaching into Matt's unconscious world to find him. Where does his mind go when he sleeps? Where does a small man in a tan trench coat find a blind Catholic lawyer with ninja skills? That is the question. ]

[ Matt crumples to the ground, unconscious. He can see in his dreams, that isn't all together strange. He remembers enough, picks up enough with his senses that his mind builds a world not too different from his modern day New York. The difference is of course, the colors are faded. Like an old memory, Matt can't remember more complex shades of anything besides red. So enjoy that, Castiel.

And Matt himself? Well, he hasn't seen himself in a mirror for twenty or so years. There's a blurred quality to him. He's young; eleven? Twelve, maybe? Wearing the same thing he was wearing when he fell asleep. He knows it's wrong, but it's the last time he knew what he looked like. He's had plenty of dreams where he's older, where Elektra asks him to kill a man (and he does,) where Wilson Fisk kills his friends (and he can't save them,) but this isn't one of those dreams. This is a good one.

In this particular dream, Matt's sitting on a pew in a church, the smell of candlewax and incense coming from seemingly everywhere. The walls are bare, forgotten in favor of more important things. Outside, there's no doubt they're in New York City but the bustle of the city is muted by the thick, solid walls around them. Light pours in from stained glass windows. Red, of course. ]

Um. [ Matt's not sure what he expected, but it wasn't this. Stick would say he's gone soft, letting someone knock him out, but Stick isn't here. There's only a man in the body of a boy with a very real fear that Castiel was lying to him. Or perhaps worse, that he wasn't. ] Castiel? Are you there?

[ Castiel let the dream begin, let it form itself--and then he stepped into it. It might have seemed like a little too long, perhaps, but there was no harm to it. He took shape, tilting his face upward, looking toward the light as it shined in through the glass. It's beautiful. The entire church, in fact, and the sound of the city beyond it. The scent seems stronger than usual, a sense memory that Castiel can't quite empathize with. Scent doesn't work that way for him, after all.

But inside dreams... Inside dreams he can smell and taste the same way as the people dreaming. He enjoys that about them.

Still, he's not here to linger. He's here to find Matt, to show him Hadriel. It takes him a moment to turn, and when he does, he's surprised by what he sees. The youth of him. The way he remembers himself.

He tips his head quietly, then comes closer, an angel in a trenchcoat, nothing more or less, no truly divine quality to him. ]

I'm here.

Oh.

[ Matt stands and looks up at Castiel. Visuals have always been something nostalgic for him. Seeing Castiel now, something new is strange enough as it is. He recognizes his shape, the sound of his coat and his smell, just as he would anyone else. The fact that he is something new... it's enough to at least tell Matt he wasn't lying. Is he really an angel? God is supposed to be more minimailistic than anything, he supposes.

Matt takes off his glasses, though the light of the church still paints everything in shades of red. Still, when he looks at Castiel he tries to focus on the colors. Castiel has blue eyes. He'll try to remember that when he wakes up. ]

Hi. Uh... [ Matt looks down at himself. He's so young. He flusters a bit. ] I, ah-- I lost my sight when I was about this age, so it's... it was the, uh, the last time I could see my own reflection. [ Poor Matt really loses his eloquence when it comes to actually talking about himself. ] I don't really know what I look like, now.

[ Cas feels that he understands it. Perhaps it's like taking a human shape, after watching for so long without one. It's one thing to see the world in one way, and quite another to experience it. The disorientation, moving between one and another, is unsettling. It's hard to quantify, and harder still to come to terms with, even if inherently nothing has changed: certainly not the world itself.

Castiel steps slowly closer. His smile is soft and sad, but he knows from the feeling around him that he is welcome here. Matt has made him welcome with his choice of destination if nothing else. This beautiful church, lovingly rendered by his memory.

But Castiel has a memory as well. He looked on Matt mere moments ago, and when he steps well into range of him, he offers his hand in front of him. That is entirely what it is: an offer. Not insisting, not forcing anything upon him that he isn't willing to take for himself. There is no demand here. ]

I can show you.

[ Matt doesn't need his sight, that's what he tells himself. And he doesn't, not with his abilities, though he isn't about to explain that. But this is a dream and he's traded his heightened senses for sight. The reds and blues in muted shades won't suddenly sharpen. The walls won't become whatever color they were twenty years ago. He can't go back and experience every sight he's ever missed, that's a dangerous road. But knowing what he looks like... that wouldn't be so bad, would it? ]

I... [ Still, Matt hesitates. He looks up at Castiel, then down at his hands. They're small. Like they'd been when his dad died. When he was weak and powerless. He could do with not remembering that. ]

Show me.

[ There's that conviction again. He's still Jack Murdock's boy. Fear can't stop him. ]

Event Log: Fourth Wall, Part One

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I assumed this was okay based on the tag, but if it isn't let me know!

totally fine!! I love excuses for this stuff

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WOOPS

god works in mysterious ways

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