INTRO LOG: A TAXING JOURNEY

[hadrielmods]

Who: New arrivals and everyone else!
What: The intro log for December. Watch your step!
Where: The colosseum and all around the city.
When: December 10th-17th
Warnings: Taxxon-related violence, teeth shoes, general unpleasantness, mass confusion.

You wake up in the dust of the colosseum with no shoes on, regardless of the state of your feet when you arrived. There's dust covering your clothing and in your hair, but other than that, there's no signs of injury or bruising. You're also not alone- nearby, there are others, either still passed out or just waking up like you are. Feel free to take solace in that fact. Or don't- some of you aren't human, and are clearly not great people either. No offense.

To your left, there is a door in the wall of the arena, supposedly leading to the halls which will then show you to your freedom. To your right, and scattered haphazardly on the ground, are a myriad of teeth shoes. These shoes might be better than going barefoot right now, but good luck finding a matching set, let alone one that fits you.

When you do eventually try to escape, be careful. The halls are crawling with Taxxons. Large and grotesque, these caterpillar-like creatures have circular mouths and multiple rows of sharp teeth. Their sense of smell is impeccable, and they will stop at nothing to feed when they scent blood. So, you know, try to avoid stepping on anything sharp on your way out.

All done with the horrible monsters and awkward greetings? Try your hand at exploring the rest of the city! Find a house, find a new monster, or simply scavenge for supplies until your little heart is content. Good luck, and enjoy your stay in Hadriel!

► This log covers December 10th-17th.
► Feel free to make your own logs, as well!
► Characters may find their own shoes scattered around with the teeth shoes if you like.
► All characters now arrive with phones that have network communication.
► Please put your character's name and open/closed in the subject line of your starters!

Comments

[vendetta]

Somehow, Kaz can tell that the smirk isn't really at his expense, even if there is still the sense that he's missing out on some joke. Saying that they've got bigger problems is essentially a way of evading the question, which Kaz is going to take to mean that Snake hasn't been able to get any messages to the outside. They're on their own.

But are they in this together, or not? Kaz can't just crawl back to Snake as if nothing happened, it would go against every conviction he'd made since Venom showed up. But there's nothing wrong with getting some basic information out of him, is there?

"Gods," he echoes with a frown. With the kinds of lives they've led, he's pretty sure both he and Snake alike gave up on the idea of a higher power a long time ago. His mother had impressed on him the tenets of Shintoism, but none of it had really stuck, at least not on a deeper level. "Sounds like they've just got huge egos." Like someone else he knows.

Now that he's caught his breath, Kaz starts to walk, managing a decent pace despite the fact that he has to use the cane. He isn't heading in any specific direction other than away from the coliseum, but he figures Snake will speak up if he's unknowingly leading them into another trap. At this point he wants to get a lay of the land. "What do they want with us?" he asks, keeping his gaze focused forward. It's easier than continuing to look at that face, that's for sure.

[camouflage]

"An understatement." Although the two of them have managed to pull a few things off, John wouldn't go so far as to feel cowed by their phenominal power. Surprised, maybe, but his life had introduced him to a number of people who could be considered 'gods'. Volgin and his inexplicable ability to call up the forces of lighting stuck out the most in his mind, with the Cobra Unit ranking a close second.

Pulling a clinic out of one's ass, immediate though it had been, was not enough for Big Boss to acknowledge Hope and Fear as anything but crafty.

Any other thought he might've had about Hope and Fear was interrupted when Kaz began to hobble away. Well, hobble was insulting. Despite his handicaps and the ringer he had been through today, Kaz still walks with an air of authority. Authority and the aura of a rattlesnake ready to strike. John follows along right beside him, not faltering for a second, and matches his pace easily. It's hard to stay in-step with a man who doesn't have a real leg, but at least Big Boss manages not to walk ahead of him. "I may not have any intel on how to leave, but I have enough to keep you alive around here." Despite his simplification when he had initially answered Kaz's question, getting into the grove of this place was actually quite the info dump. "Let's find a safer area. I'll tell you whatever you want to know."

[vendetta]

At this point Kaz has had plenty of practice walking with his artificial leg. It may be obvious just by looking at him that he's lost pieces of himself, he doesn't walk like he's some kind of invalid. There's no way he would have been able to inspire any kind of loyalty from the members of Diamond Dogs if he'd looked weak. Even in those moments when he'd lost his balance and ended up on the floor, none of them had dared to laugh. They'd simply helped him up without a word, or left it for Venom to do.

It's hard for Kaz to admit, but he does appreciate the way that Snake keeps with his pace instead of trying to march ahead of him. That's what had made their partnership work out as well as it had. They'd functioned as a unit, each of them with their own roles to play, and Snake had treated him as an equally important part of MSF. They'd built it together, and they'd lost it together.

They were supposed to have gotten revenge for it together too, so in the end this still feels like it's too little, too late.

There's an implication in Snake's words that he'd prefer that Kaz remain alive. If only he'd known how to show that back home. Holding back a scoff, Miller nods, focusing on his practical need for information rather than the wounds festering under the surface. "All right, let's go."

So they walk, shoulder-to-shoulder.