hadriel_logs | INTRO LOG: A TAXING JOURNEY

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INTRO LOG: A TAXING JOURNEY

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Hey, this guy's not far off. That's one of the reasons he wears the cape. So people know that he's a real badass, and not to screw around with him. At least he's holding the sword like he knows how to use it, right?

The centipede thing keeps approaching, clicking towards Kamina, and he's entirely focused on it--until he hears that voice right behind him. Looking back over his shoulder, he grins. "Hey, don't worry. We can totally take these guys, no problem!"

Though he might have spoken too soon, judging by the sounds in the darkness...

Amos refrains from retorting maybe YOU can and instead informs his newfound ally: "There's a lot of them, an' they're hungry. At least five coming our way, maybe more."

It's hard to count when each thought is the same overwhelming chorus of hungryhungryhungry, and Amos has never been all that great with insects to start with. He's pretty sure the only reason he can read the minds of these is because they're so big...and so focused on eating.

"Five? They should have brought their buddies!" Kamina sounds cocky, confident, totally not worried at all as he takes up a stance, readying his weapon and charging at the centipede waving its pincers wildly at him. He ducks the first swipe of claws and spins, slicing the thing's belly open and bouncing back, waiting for it to fall and the others to run.

He maybe isn't expecting the hissing in the hallway to double in volume, or for the centipedes right behind the injured one to...

"...Are they....eating him?!"

Amos scrambles back at two giant centipedes lunge past him, hands rising to press over his ears. It doesn't help dim the mental volume, the sheer overwhelming rush of the bloodlust and feeding frenzy, but some reactions are just automatic.

Gasping to catch his breath, feeling rattled between the ears, Amos puts up as much of a mental shield as he can, and reaches out to grab Kamina by the elbow. "They are. Move before they eat us!" He pulls, but he's a little dazed and definitely nowhere as big as Kamina: it probably doesn't have much effect.

Kamina gets another couple blows in as the newcomers rush towards him, taking off a couple legs, leaving a wound across another's upper body, but it's like they don't even really notice as they join the feeding frenzy. He stares at the tangled knot of hissing and screeching creatures for a minute before he realizes the little guy is talking to him.

"Huh?...oh! Yeah, come on!" Sword in one hand, he grabs the new guy's hand with his left, wheeling and taking them down a new hallway. "You know where these things are coming from?" The hissing isn't really getting quieter, after all...

Amos willingly scrambles along behind Kamina, happy to led the man with the sword lead. The mental effect of the feeding frenzy at close range feels an awful lot like he got actually hit in the head: sometimes being able to hear animal's thoughts has its downsides. The farther away they get from the tangle, though, the clearer his head feels.

"Halls are full of 'em," he answers Kamina. "Wait, wait, go left, there's more down the right."

He can sense more of them to the right, at least.

"Okay, go left when we get there!" It's a little weird that this guy can tell where they're coming from when even Kamina's usually sharp ears are confused; it sounds to him like the things are everywhere all at once. But hey, maybe this guy just knows. Kamina doesn't argue with the assessment, but he does stop at the intersection, dropping his hand.

"Do you have a weapon? Something you can fight with, anything!"

Amos digs in his pocket and pulls out his balisong knife. A quick flick of practised fingers and it's open: he shows this to Kamina and shrugs. The blade is roughly five inches, and honestly only useful in close quarters. Amos is very fond of butterfly knives, but he knows their limitations very well. He has a handgun in his packpack, but using a gun in an enclosed place like a tunnel is a damn fine way to lose his hearing...and attract more insects.

"S'all I got. Sorry." It's still better than nothing his supposes.

He flips the handles again, closing the knife, and pockets it before heading down the left-hand turn, moving at a smart pace.

Well, it's not exactly gonna do much good against things this big, but it's gotta be better than nothing. And maybe it'll do some good, since these things eat their own wounded? He's still grossed out. Kamina nods, and brings up the rear, keeping an eye out behind him for the next pack.

"Is there a way out of these tunnels, or are we gonna be stuck down here forever? I didn't exactly plan on dying underground!"

"Fuck me if I know, but I hope so."

There is, at least, a place beyond where they are now that doesn't have any insect-minds, and that's what Amos is trying to head towards, while encountering the fewest beasties possible. Whether or not that's still underground, he doesn't know, but it's worth a shot. Anywhere away from hungry monsters is better in his book.

He pauses at a crossroads, concentrating, then starts down the left-hand passage. "Never been here afore, dunno where an entrance is."

"You've never been here before?!" Kamina's yelled response echoes through the halls, for a minute almost drowning out the hissing and clicking of their pursuit. "Why the hell are you acting like you know which way to go, then? Damn!" So far he's been following along with this kid, hoping they can make it out, but now there's no hope for it. Just after making that left, Kamina whirls, holding his sword in a guard stance. "You go ahead! If you find an exit, just yell back!" The monsters aren't going to stay back there forever, especially now that there's been blood spilled. They're gonna be rounding the corner any minute now...

Amos skids to a halt as soon as he hears Kamina do so. "I can tell where the monsters ain't an' that's where I'm going. Might be out, might not be, but it's better'n bein' ate! C'mon, if we hurry we can stay ahead of 'em."

But if Kamina really wants to pull a last stand, Amos will let him: because unfortunately, when it comes down to it, Amos would rather save his own skin. He leaves the dramatic heroics to others.

He still doesn't get it. This kid can tell where there aren't monsters? How? Kamina can't see any monsters right now, sure, but this kid's talking like he can hear them coming or something. Whatever, not like it matters. Kamina's fine with the kid going on ahead, getting himself lost or eaten or whatever...only when he sees not one or two or three but a literal hallway full of chittering creeps coming for him, he's on Amos' heels in a flash. "You better know where you're going, or we're both gonna be dinner!" He shouts over the noise, outpacing the kid's shorter legs just a little.

"Holy Mary mother of God!"

Apparently Kamina is about as heroic as Amos is in the face of that many hungry monsters: Amos doesn't blame him in the least and would even smile about it if he had the time. As it is, he's doing his best to keep pace with the longer-legged man, while trying to listen. He'll be lucky if he doesn't trip over his own feet at this point: concentrating hard enough to pick up the not-feeding-frenzied insect minds and trying to run is damned tricky. Good thing he's had years of practise....

"Take a right ahead!" he calls out, and is it just him or is it getting brighter, too?

Hey, even Kamina knows suicidal when he sees it, and while he's not afraid of a fight, he at least has enough chivalry in him to want to make sure the other guy makes it out of here okay. After all, what kinda leader would he be if he left someone to get eaten by some giant bug monsters? He can make his stand by the exits!

They come up on the right, and he skids around the corner, grabbing Amos' elbow to drag him along, too. The bugs are right behind them at this point, only thankfully--

"Door!" He yells, pointing dead ahead. Only one more cross-tunnel to pass, and then they're outta here!

Oh thank all the saints, and Amos is very grateful for Kamina dragging him along by the elbow. Every little bit helps, and they're going to need it...

He doesn't have the breath to shout a warning, just takes a hard lunging step and shoves Kamina past the tunnel opening. He flings himself forward but something in the mad rush of hungry frenized insect catches his leg and he goes down hard, bruisingly despite the instinct to tuck and roll that carries him momentarily out of danger.

The insects collide behind them in a snarling screeching bundle. Gasping for breath Amos tries to get to his feet, take advantage of the momentary lack of pursuit.

Kamina goes flying past the junction just in time to avoid the mad rush, stumbling forward and just barely managing to not stab himself. As he whirls around, mouth open to demand an explanation, he sees Amos lying on the floor in front of a mass of writhing bodies and immediately lunges forward again. His sword flashes once, then twice, and then he's between Amos and the mob, hauling the kid to his feet and shoving him back.

"Get the door!" There's no outrage or wildness in his voice this time, just command, and he faces the swarm in a solid stance, sword flashing as he cuts what limbs he can, blocking any attempts from the tangle of bugs to break free and come after them. Maybe if he cuts enough of them, the problem will solve itself?

At least with Kamina slashing the insects, they're more likely to set on one another than on the two men. Amos bolts for the entrance, more than willing to get out of the way. His little knife is less than useless, and Kamina will probably do better for himself without Amos to complicate the fight.

Outside the cavern is...a bigger cavern. But there are no insects immediately nearby, just a tangle of ruins and rubble-strewn streets. Amos can handle a city-scape, he's far more used to them than caves.

"All clear out here!" he calls back to Kamina, breathless, before hurrying along towards the crumbling buildings. Places to hide oh thank the holy saints.

The more he cuts, the more they seem to go crazy, ripping each other open. He's not afraid, of course he's not, but it's pretty damn unsettling. Listening behind him, he hears Amos yell the all clear and delivers one last slash as he backs up, checking behind him. The bugs seem to be caught up in their feeding frenzy, and he reaches the doors without incident finally, wiping stray bug blood from his cheek and finally slamming the door behind them, leaning against it. "They were tearing each other apart, it's completely insane--hey, wait. Is that...are we underground still?!" His sentence is interrupted as he looks up into the sky--or lack of, staring at the darkness overhead with an accusatory glare.

Amos stops, feeling safer on the little street between crumbled buildings, and tips his head back to squint at the unspecific source of light. Yup. "Looks like it. C'mon, let's get a little farther away." Both for safety and for his peace of mind: the feeding frenzy is loud to his mental senses, and he wants to get away from the unsettling clamor.

"But I just got out of a pit!!" He sounds outraged, and apparently needs no prompting from Amos to move along, choosing a direction and storming off, only pausing to wipe his sword off on a rag tied around the sheath and shoving it home. At least the light's a little better out here; indistinct cavelight, but still brighter than those close tunnels full of bugs. If Amos looks, there's a logo on the back of the red cape he's wearing, a skull wearing oddly pointed sunglasses, and as it moves flashes of blue tattoo are visible on his bare back and arms. Glancing back, he's still frowning. "Hey, kid, you have any idea where we are? What's the name of this place?"

"Not a clue. I just woke up about twenty minutes ago, just like you did," Amos answers with a shrug, following along after Kamina because why the hell not. The cape is interesting, as are the tattoos and the sword...okay, so he's just curious about Kamina and willing to follow as long as he's allowed. He likes people, and so far Kamina has been delightfully entertaining and useful. "But you asking means you don't know, either."

Well, that's helpful. Only not so much. But it's not his fault, and he did get Kamina out of that mess, so...well. Kamina stops at an intersection, turning back to the kid and looking him over a little more closely, arms crossed over muscled bare chest. "Not a clue. I guess we're gonna have to find out. Thanks for getting me out of a tight spot back there. I'm Kamina, leader of Team Dai-Gurren. Who're you?"

A nice hero-type, leaderly, who looks mostly human and has volunteered his name first. Should be safe enough to hand out his own. Amos nods a little and offers a grin. "Amos is my name. You're welcome, I'm glad to help."

Helpful is definitely what he's good at: being helpful means people like him. That, and he's been groomed to be the personal assistant of one woman since his teenaged years: she'd become the leader of the third biggest yakuza in Japan, and Amos had stayed right with her, learning to be very, very helpful indeed.

But he has no idea if her name will hold any weight here, so he doesn't drop it. He's presuming he's wholly on his own to get out of this new and exciting mess. It wouldn't be the first time, and he's certain it won't be the last.

Probably better that he didn't drop her name; it wouldn't have done him much good, and any mention of the yakuza--or 20th century Earth--is more likely to just confuse Kamina more.

"Amos! Okay, Amos. Seems to me like you've got really good hearing or something, knowing where those bugs were. You got any ideas on how we get back to the surface? I don't really have time for kicking back down here, when my team's up there!" He points up at the roof over their heads. Clearly his focus is already on the next step of this process, which is getting outta here as soon as he can.

INTRO LOG: A TAXING JOURNEY

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