Event Log: Fourth Wall, Part Two

[hadrielmods]

Who: Everyone in the city + Fourth Wall visitors!
What: Part two of the fourth wall event, hosted by Sorrow, Rage, and Hope!
Where: All around the city
When: November 1st-November 7th
Warnings: Visitors from other worlds!

Welcome to Hadriel! Or, for those who have been here, please continue enjoying your stay. Perhaps you arrived here last week, and have been wandering around since then, making new friends. Or perhaps you've just arrived, and have no idea what's going on. You may have woken up in the colosseum, or near a temple, or in one of the numerous other locations in the city. You might be confused and frightened to find yourself in this underground city, or maybe you're just wondering why you haven't been sent home yet, when others have.

Whatever the case may be, the situation in the city has changed somewhat. There is still a gently glowing path leading you to a nicely-outfitted party, but the specifics of it have changed. If you're a new arrival, it'll be easy to follow the path and find the party - if you're not, well, the color of the light has changed, signalling that something's different. Maybe you want to check it out?

Around the clearing are gently glowing flowers, illuminating both the tables and the rest of the area, bright enough to make things clear even when the larger light at the apex of the cave is gone. On the tables are an array of different kinds of food - however, sampling this food will quickly make it clear that nearly everything is spicy, whether subtly so or with a burning heat. The cookies seem to have chili oil in them, the dip has jalapeno-like peppers. It's hard to find anything that won't burn your mouth a bit. If you're lucky enough to find something that doesn't, though, it will most certainly be somewhat bitter or quite sour. That doesn't mean the food tastes bad - if spicy and sour are your sort of thing, they're delicious! If you're looking for something more normal, though, you're out of luck.

Also on the tables are a variety of drinks, and these at least are not spicy. Instead, they're the sort of warm, comforting drinks that might remind you of home, of curling up in a soft blanket while rain falls outside. Warm cocoa, hot cider, teas of various flavors. Just the sort of thing to soothe a worried newcomer.

Decorating the area are various banners with welcoming messages saying things like 'HADRIEL' 'THIS IS A PARTY' 'EAT FOOD' and 'DO NOT DIE'. They are all identical, with large black block letters on plain white paper. They look very similar to something that you might print out on a standard office laser printer at the last minute if you have no discernible sense of humor or fun.

Scattered around can be found exciting party games such as pin the tail on the donkey and musical chairs. Here and there can also be found various pinatas of different types. Break them open, see what comes out! If you're really lucky it'll be candy - if not, it might be full of bouncy balls or cherry tomatoes. Good times!
_

Or maybe you don't like parties? No worries. 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 came last week, here's your chance to help out newbies along with the people who have been here forever! Join in on the festivities if you like, or try to orient as many of the others as you can. Rule the newcomers at musical chairs, continue your fight club, pick up a second weird cave girlfriend and then watch as they dump you and hook up with each other! There's no end to the possible fun.
_

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 November 1st-November 7th.
► 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. If you want them to stay longer, our applications are now open!
► Please put your character's name and open/closed in the subject line of your starters!

Comments

Sato | Open

[infinite1up]

1. Armory

The Armory is a usually good place to find Sato. Things happen out in the tunnels: axes and knives take a beating, get lost or stuck in various creatures. He'd still prefer guns, but really, he'll work with what he's got.

Today seems to be a bit different than just a replacement pickup, though. In addition to his usual gear, machete, hand axe, and his old semi-automatic pistol he brought in with him when he arrived, he also has a duffel bag half-full of pointy objects sitting at his feet. He hefts a wickedly spiked morning star in one hand, clearly considering if it should be added to the bag or not.

Should anyone else happen to come in, it warrants at least a glance and a pleasant smile, waving with his free hand. "Afternoon," he greets. After all, anyone coming in for weapons could be interesting in one way or another.



2. Near City Guard HQ

One old man is sitting on the steps of a ruined building just down the road and within sight of the City Guard headquarters, looking particularly blank. One might think he was staring off into space, or perhaps just bored. Maybe even fell asleep sitting up.

Bored would be close to correct. But Sato is working on fixing that, keeping an eye on the comings and goings of the self-styled City Guard. He's close enough to have a good view, without really being intrusive, and taking mental note of every face he sees pass by.

And... if you happened by at just the right time, there might be an occasional clap, as though some unseen person couldn't decide if they were going to applaud or not.

In fact, while he waits and watches, Sato is playing around with the idea of summoning two black ghosts at once -- something he'd never bothered with much before. Unfortunately, they're not very coordinated as a pair, and so he has the invisible beasts attempting to play paddy-cake as a bit of practice. The result is very much like a certain infamous cat video, hence the occasional clap or two when they actually manage to slap hands together.



3. Party

Though less interested in the food than scanning the crowd of faces, new and old, that hasn't stopped Sato from picking up a mug of hot cocoa to sip as he stands off to the side of the tables. Eventually Warrick will have to show up somewhere. And never let it be said he doesn't have a sense of humor, standing directly under one of the 'DO NOT DIE' banners.

"I'm surprised it's still going," he says pleasantly. "Not a single monstrous party-crasher yet."

3 I couldn't resist after that line, sorry

[asrielasitgets]

[A small goat monster has gone straight to the teas, and is currently nursing a warm cup of jasmine between his paws after an unfortunate run in with a spicy cookie. He's getting homesick, and it reminds him of his dad.

He catches the last sentence and spots the grey human and just kind of. Hunches down into the cup with the demeanour of anyone caught doing something they're not supposed to.]

Sorry, haha. I didn't realise I wasn't allowed here.

[The other party didn't seem to have any restrictions, and he feels put out at possibly being excluded, but when amongst humans...]

[infinite1up]

As long as you don't start trying to kill everyone, I'm sure nobody will mind.

[Sato gives the kid a friendly smile.]

[asrielasitgets]

[WHOA. Okay that sentence went from 0 to 60 suddenly. Is that a good smile or a bad smile?]

I'll... try not to kill anyone, promise.

[His fur's floofed a little. He's not dumb, he knows what humans think of monsters from the plaques and the media that falls down and his sibling, but it's one thing for it to said so frankly like that to his face.

Asriel immediately fumbles for small talk. It's only nice to be polite to strangers? Small talk in this case apparently means channelling his dad.]

Have you tried the teas? There's some really good ones!

[infinite1up]

[Sato chuckles. After all, the advice holds just as well for himself as any 'monsters' visiting. Not skipping a beat, he's still smiling pleasantly as the conversation takes an abrupt turn for the inconsequential.]

I rather thought I'd try the cocoa, myself. All that's missing are the marshmallows.

[asrielasitgets]

[It's a little like if Chara was a grown-up. It's a bit spooky.]

Is it good?

[He might try some too, then.]

Hee hee, all the marshmallows would probably be really spicy, right?

[Considering all the other foodstuffs here. A lot of people's reactions have been pretty funny, although he feels bad for laughing.]

[infinite1up]

Oh, that's true. Maybe it's better off without them, then.

[He takes another sip - it's still plenty sweet even without extra sugar - and takes another good look at the strange little monster.]

Now just where are you from? I'm sure we don't have monsters lke you in my world.

2.

[synthedick]

Though not as active as he used to be, Nick still makes his way to the Guard's headquarters every now and then, usually carrying a folder full of patrol reports in one hand. His other is used to hold his cane, allowing him to walk steadily on his injured leg, to keep the pressure off it so as not to worsen the damage. He'll have to get that bent shaft fixed eventually, but he keeps putting it off. It's one thing after another: new arrivals, an invasion of the undead, the resurrection of another god, dragons, etc. There's always something that pushes him back, something more urgent requiring his attention.

This time, it's another batch of newcomers, but far more than ever before. The gods are up to something, as usual -- he'd like to know what.

So after a brief look around the latest party, he heads to the Guard headquarters to do some filing, and see if he can't work out just what's going on while he's at it. He's crossed a few strange faces along the way, but it's when he nears the office that he's met with another.

Since he's on the way, he stops to greet the fellow. Nick doesn't know him personally, nor recognize him from the network, but there are so many people to keep track of in Hadriel that it's easy to miss a few here and there.

"Good afternoon." He nods politely. "You waiting for someone?"

[infinite1up]

For all of the strange people here in Hadriel, it's still a pretty small population relative to the size of the city overall. So the street is otherwise empty when Nick comes along, prompting Sato to casually watch him as he comes up the street.

"Not really," is Sato's easy but noncommital reply, being sure to give even the not-quite-man a pleasant smile. Andriod or robot or whatever he was exactly, he definitely had the old-timey detective look going for him, which is definitely something Sato can appreciate. "Just having a little rest."

[synthedick]

Nick returns the smile. "Could use one of those myself," he adds with a nod to his cane, "but work never rests. Not with all these new folks in town."

Someone has to look after them, and that falls on the Guard. Some people in the city might see no point in there being such an organization, but Nick knows well enough that they do more good than folks realize.

[infinite1up]

Sato chuckles. If there was any doubt about whre Nick was heading, well... that's pretty much sealed it.

"No troublemakers, I hope," he replies lightly.

[synthedick]

"Not yet," he answers, "though you never know who -- or what -- will come in when the Door opens. It's just best to keep an eye out."

Some monsters are easy to spot, and some are hiding in plain sight, much like the newer synths. Telling who from whom is the tricky part.

1.

[witnesses]

Truth be told, IV abhors the use of weapons. She has rarely had a need for such things when she could easily manipulate and dispatch someone -- or something -- to do the work for her. But sometimes, she's had to make do with crude practices.

And if her encounter with that detective had been any indicator, it's that she isn't particularly met here with open arms. And without the security of her own usual tricks and devices, it seems that she is going to have to resort to more archaic methods if she has any inclination towards self-preservation. There is still so much more to see, and so many interesting people to meet!

More antiquated than she expected, it would appear, when she eventually locates the armory. She has not seen nor heard of most of these things outside of a museum in quite some time, but still regards the sundry selection with interest and fascination.

That interest is transferred to the old man, politely greeting her with a spiked club in hand. Not at all threatened by the presence of such a neat looking toy, IV simply slides her hands up to her hips, canting her posture to the side with curiosity.

"Thinking of going a little medieval today, are we?" IV replies, not hiding the amusement in her voice.

[infinite1up]

"I thought it might be time to try something new," Sato replies cheerily. Not that there's really any option other than the medieval, looking around the armory.

Besides which, Sato's putting together a bit of a collection of small sharp objects, and if he breaks the points off this wicked-looking weapon, that should do nicely.

"Planning on hunting some monsters?" he asks, giving her a quick look-over. Not really the type at first glance, but he's hardly one to judge by appearances.

[witnesses]

Having a taste for knowledge and growth herself, that is logic that IV can get behind. "Seems that I am in a similar boat, then."

She saunters over to one of the shelves, with a display of various swords. Nothing that really strikes her fancy just yet, but maybe something will speak to her.

"Not at all," she answers lightly, running her finger over the edge of a broadsword's blade to test its sharpness. Glancing over her shoulder to Sato, she reveals neither fear nor shock when she adds: "It would seem that someone here would rather me dead."

[infinite1up]

"I thought that kind of thing was unusual here," Sato replies easily, stowing the morning star and checking out a flail on the wall beside it. Just about everybody seems to get along fairly well here in Hadriel as far as he's seen, helping each other out and... it's terribly boring.

So to have another newcomer show up here, clearly with some kind of conflict in mind, is curious. "What happened?" he asks.

[witnesses]

"Is it?" She cracks a light sound, like a laugh. "Honestly, I'd have expected it from a human -- they can be so emotional sometimes. But a fellow synthetic?" Another laugh. "Joke's on me, I guess!"

Though it's no joking matter, IV seems to bear no hesitation towards treating it as such. She has already eluded the detective at Hope's temple, and she would rather remain fully operational while she enjoys the thrill of a new experience. When you've existed for as long as IV, you come to take in new information as though it were a rich treat.

"In any case, I wish that I could say I was minding my own business, but playing the 'helpless, violated victim' role is boring, wouldn't you agree?" The corner of her lip pulls back, curling. "To tell the truth, I love to push buttons. It tends to get interesting results."

Such as forcing the hand of a goody-goody robot cop on her. Getting people panicked, watching the desperation in their eyes when faced with the threat of a loved one? Who needs 'screens when you can have that?

1

[hornrims]

The armory is always an interesting place. Sometimes there's items that Richie intends to use personally, other times it's a good way to scavenge for his fledgling shop. Being of the "better to have it and not need it" philosophy when it comes to survival, Richie typically does not leave empty handed. The armory is useful, and one of the few places in Hadriel that seems to make a logical sense.

What also makes sense is who is currently there when Richie arrives. He eyes Sato, not looking for a fight, but also not fooling himself into thinking their meeting has been entirely forgotten.

"Prepping for round two already?"

[infinite1up]

"Round one hasn't even begun," Sato replies, letting his usual smile fall away while stowing the morning star in amongst the knives and bits of other sharp, barbed metal. He glances back at Richie again, expression unreadable. Or perhaps 'blank' is a better word. It's not unreadable because he's hiding anything, there's just nothing in particular there.

"What do you think of the city so far?" he asks, seemingly apropos of nothing, taking an abrupt conversational tangent.

[hornrims]

"It's shit."

The answer is quick and without much thought. "Some of the people are okay. But the nature is all wrong. There's no sky. Gods try to make the rules instead of people making them for themselves. And most listen."

He watches Sato amongst the weapons, not settling on his own yet.

"I'm sure you have your own opinion."

1

[mismanagement]

[It pays to wander into the armory from time to time - not to do inventory, as Maketh often does - but also just to check and see who happens to be taking what. Thus far the problems they've had are few in number, but that's unlikely to last. Especially given the recent influx of newcomers. Some of them - Hux in particular - are going to cause problems sooner than later.

Best to be prepared.

She pauses, one hand on the door.]

Hello, sir. I'm not disturbing you, am I?

Re: 1

[infinite1up]

Not at all.

[Sato smiles, a little incongruous next to all the bag of all the sharp items he's been collecting.]

Just doing a little shopping around. It can be dangerous out there sometimes, and you know what they say. The best defence is a good offence.

[mismanagement]

I have heard that.

[Maketh isn't certain it's true, exactly, but it's important to be prepared for whatever might come.]

I'm afraid we haven't had the opportunity to speak yet. [She inclines her head politely.] Maketh Tua, at your service.

[infinite1up]

Sato. It's very nice to meet you, Ms. Tua.

[He hasn't seen her around before, and with the new crowd around lately, it's hard to say who's who.]

Are you looking for something? There's a good selection here, even if it's short on modern technology.

[mismanagement]

Nothing in particular at the moment. [She inclines her head slightly.] I came to take inventory. Check what we had. What people seemed fond of.