Event Log: Fourth Wall, Part One

[hadrielmods]

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!

Comments

[devilsavocado]

[ Okay, buddy. Sure. ]

And also with you?

[ Matt, stop being Too Catholic and take this seriously. This guy is going through a lot of trouble for his act, so Matt will humor him. ]

They keep the sun out of your eyes. Since I'm blind, that's kind of a non-issue.

[deadsinger]

[Alexio smiles. How polite.]

Thank you.

[He takes another step closer, wondering if the man will take offense at the presumption. And what might come of it.]

Then why do you wear them?

[devilsavocado]

[ Matt takes a careful step back. He might be blind, but personal space is a thing, dude. ]

Mostly to hide my eyes. I don't look where I'm going or make eye contact at all. It usually unnerves people.

[ It makes him feel a little better too, but he wouldn't admit that. ]

[deadsinger]

[Alexio smiles to himself. Interesting.]

But you are blind. Such things can hardly be expected of you, no?

[devilsavocado]

[ Matt chuckles. Story of his life. ]

You would think. But sometimes people need extra clues, apparently.

[ To be fair.... he has superpowers. But y'know, otherwise, he's totally blind. ]

[deadsinger]

[Alexio laughs softly.]

And it gives you no advantage at all...?

[Pure decoration or not, he wants to know how they're made. The design is like nothing he's seen before. And if there is an advantage, well. That's worth knowing as well.]

My son is blind as well. So it goes.

[devilsavocado]

Well, I get to hide my eyes from people. Which is pretty nice, I tend to feel exposed without them.

[ A fact he shares only because Alexio bothered sharing the bit about his son. Matt's smile softens when he hears that. ]

I lost my sight when I was about nine years old. It was pretty rough on my dad, but we made it work.

[deadsinger]

[That feels honest. Alexio hums thoughtfully. Such a thing had never occurred to him. Markos never conceals his eyes, though the damage is clear and will never heal. But then, these 'sun glasses' have never been offered to him.]

Markos was born blind. But, the gods are generous. He is a good son.

[Alexio nods. Markos is adopted like the rest of his children, but that hardly matters.]

Ah, but I am being rude, no? My name is Alexio.

[devilsavocado]

I see. I'm glad to hear that.

[ Matt nods. He knows it's a lot different for people who were born blind, but hey, if he can help... then that's good. Dads are very important. He thinks back to his own, fondly. ]

Oh, yeah. Sorry. [ He holds out his hand to shake, almost an afterthought. ] I'm Matt. Nice to meet you.

[deadsinger]

[Alexio blinks, not sure what he's meant to do with that gesture. His people don't do handshakes.]

Hello, Matt.

[He's never met anyone with that name before, either.]

Do you know where we are? I cannot see the sky.

[devilsavocado]

[ Oh, that's... usually Matt's thing, ignoring people's handshakes. Shoe's on the other foot, at last!! Matt withdraws his hand, resting it back on his cane as he tilts his head. From the echoes of this cave, the ceiling is very high up. But it's lacking all the telltale signs of actually being outdoors. ]

Sounds like a cave, as far as I can tell. A big one. [ He taps his cane on the ground a bit, listening for the echo. ] And the building we're in is... round. That's about all I can figure out.

[ Perhaps this is all part of the reenactment bit? But the thing with his son sounded too real to be an act... ]

Do you mind if I ask where you're from, Alexio?

[deadsinger]

[The biggest cave that Alexio has ever seen, certainly. For a moment he wonders if they've wandered into the underworld, or one of the dream places ruled by lesser gods. But no, the small gods always sign their names on the walls.]

Oh? A place called Haven. We fly no flags and swear no oaths but to our own blood.

[He smiles.]

I do hope the gods do not test us for long. A war comes.

[devilsavocado]

[ Matt nods. If Alexio is a reenactor he is good. Too good. This is officially Weird. ]

I'm from New York. Doubt that rings a bell?

[ Because yeah, Haven and wars and chainmail are not... New York City. ]

Who are you at war with...?

[deadsinger]

New...York? No.

[Today, Alexio is learning many new and strange names. He will have to write them down soon so he won't forget. His daughter will want to know. Always the historian, his Isidora. Never satisfied with the knowledge in front of her. There must always be more and she is eternally hungry for it. Perhaps he will give her a book of names as a gift when he returns.

He shrugs at the question.]

The Honored King. Though I am not sure which one holds the title now. The last was old and in his wisdom, left us alone. But his successor must now learn manners.

[Alexio tsks.]

A dirty lesson. We shall have to kill some of his nobles, I think.

[devilsavocado]

I see...

[ Holy crap, he's serious. Completely serious. This is the Twilight Zone. Says the guy with superpowers. Matt's growing increasingly worried. ]

What did he, um, do exactly? And what year is it, as far as you know?

[deadsinger]

[Alexio shrugs, peering out into the shadows. This cave is a curious thing, much too large for its own good.] It is the tenth year of the horse. And he did what kings are wont to. Demanding tribute and our children's lives in service, things like that. No.

[He smiles.]

My children will decide their own fate.

[devilsavocado]

[ Definitely the strangest reenactor he has ever met. ]

That's good.

[ Matt nods noncommittally. God, he really hopes he's a reenactor. ]

Do you see any way out of here? Whatever this... building is, I have a bad feeling about it.

[ Almost like they're being stared at. Which Matt is used to, but normally there's people attached to that feeling. It's certainly not like this. ]

[deadsinger]

I do not. [Alexio cranes his neck, trying to see through the shadows. It doesn't help. He can't make out anything useful. Cyrana is indeed testing him.] But, perhaps--

[He cups his hands together and huffs a breath into them. Flames curl around his fingers, nipping playfully but not burning. Alexio laughs, softly.]

Ah. The goddess loves me still.

[devilsavocado]

[ Well, that's. That's fire. Matt can "see" it clear enough, the sudden heat is more than perceptible to his senses. He has not been around nearly enough superheroes to have anything smart to say, though. ]

Well, that's... that's useful.

[ Definitely not in Kansas anymore, Matt. ]

How are you doing that?

[deadsinger]

Hmm? [Alexio lifts his hands up, trying to see further into the cave. Nothing looks familiar. Just a great expansion of dark stone.] I follow the Laughing Goddess. She grants me favors in exchange for my help, on occasion.

[devilsavocado]

[ That means... nothing to Matt. But he's not about to look a gift flame in the mouth. ]

Can you see anything now?

[ It hadn't even occurred to Matt that it could be dark, oops. ]

[deadsinger]

Nothing useful.

[A great lot of stone and shadow. And something darting around. Something large.

Oh. Hello there.

Calmly, Alexio shakes the flame off his hands and draws his axe.]

Do you fight, Matt?

[devilsavocado]

[ Oh, good. Matt can hear whatever's coming but it's not anything he'll recognize, that's for sure. ]

I...

[ I mean, he's not going to die for his secret, will he? ]

A little. [ He folds up his cane, placing it back in his jacket pocket. ] I know some self-defense.

[ "Some" he says. Right. ]

[deadsinger]

That is good.

[Alexio keeps on smiling. It shows in his voice, the way his accent - similiar to Greek, though not quite the same - works through the tone. A good fight, he hopes. Preferably not with something too fast. His knees have taken a beating over the years and he can't move as fast as he used to.

It's good to fight again. Even in a cave with a stranger, this -- oh, this is wonderful.

The thing in the shadows moves closer. It's groaning. Smells like seaweed and rotting flesh. Then it ducks under a low outcroping and Alexio can see it clearly.

Well. That is certainly unexpected. He can see inside the beast's rib-cage, can smell the viscera and imagine the texture of rotting muscle fortified by iron.

It's damn big, too. Probably won't go down easily.

Oh, this is going to be fun.

Alexio tips his head back and sighs. Then, still smiling, he twirls his axe and begins to sing.]

I met a beggar on bended knee and he asked me for a prayer.

[The monster groans. Alexio's armor hums with power. The goddess remains silent but she blesses him still. Alexio waves his free hand at Matt and sends the rest of the blessing to him. If Cyrana approves, then it ought to make him quick and lucky.]

And oh I have nothing but my song. It's coming. Be ready.

[devilsavocado]

[ This has been a unique experience all around, Matt would think. Actually, he doesn't know what to think, since magical fire giant indescribable monsters are wayyy outside his purview. The smell is instantly obvious, and honestly, Matt is glad he can't really see whatever this thing actually looks like, because it's probably hideous.

To top it all off, Alexio is apparently singing now and Matt feels a surge of something strange course through him. Magic, if he has to guess. That's new.

This day could not get any weirder. But at least a fight will give him something to focus on. Matt folds up his sunglasses and pockets them as well, readying himself for this... thing coming towards them. Battle, he can do. He might not be armed or armored like Alexio here, but he'll be able to dodge if the monster goes after him. He can practically sense the thing on smell alone.

There's no hesitation in Matt's voice when he asks: ]

If I distract it, can you take care of the rest?