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

[friendlyforce]

Turn right.

[ Caboose immediately stops to stare at the roads. ] Is that my right or your my right? [ The rifle goes quiet as it tries to translate the question. ]

I'm glad we're away from the worms. They... they weren't great. I don't think that Simmons would like them, either. I think. Or is it some other thing that crawls on the ground? [ A beat. ] I, I don't know. I should ask him. [ Another moment of silence. ]

Freckles, you'd be able to find them if you looked, right? [ He lifts the rifle up toward the area. ] Could you look for them? [ Another moment of silence. ] I shall make a thermal sweep. [ The AI sounds almost sounds sad at how confused Caboose is. There is a brief pause as it starts its thermal scan. ]

[followorders]

[Locus steps forward into visual range, dropping the cloak.]

[friendlyforce]

Hostile detected. Preparing--

[ As he is all alone without a plan and without Agent Washington or Carolina, he immediately pulls the rifle up. ] No, no, bad Freckles. Please, don't shoot the bad and scary man.

[ The rifle cools in his hands as he lowers it. Pulling one hand free, he waves. ] Hello. Have you seen my friends? Or have you kidnapped them? Could you kidnap me, too? I am just feeling... I don't know what to do now... Freckles wants me to go to a house I don't know and take a nap. And I think that'd be all right, but then I don't know which right is the right-right.

[ Long pause. ] Oh. Wait. We're at war. Yeah, I guess so. [ But how to be in a war? He takes a second before attempting his best Sarge voice. ] So, uh, tell me where they are, dirtbag! Or else! Arrgh. I'm not a pirate.

[followorders]

[The blue simulation trooper. The one who acquired the Mantis Class Military Assault Droid whose matrix now inhabited his gun thanks to Dr. Grey. Locus had studied him along with the rest of his comrades even when Felix wrote them off as worthless. He knew better to than to underestimate his enemies, even the stupid ones.]

I have no reason to fight you.

[Not anymore, and to emphasize his point, he lowers his gun.]

[friendlyforce]

Oh, good!

[ He didn't realize winning wars was that easy! His smile is obvious beneath his helmet as he jogs over to close the distance between them. ] It's nice that we're not at war anymore. That means that you can help me find my friends! I can't talk to them on the radio. Usually, it's because they turn it off 'cause they don't like me yelling things at them, but they're always encouraging yells.

[ A long moment of silence. ] Yup.

[followorders]

[No, Caboose. That's not what that means.]

........

[Encouraging yells... Right. He's not even going to comment on that.]

You're alone.

[A statement.]

[friendlyforce]

No, I have Freckles. And I have myself. And I have you!

[ Because if they're not at war and Locus isn't shooting at him that means that they're friends! ]

I'm the least alone that I've ever been!

[followorders]

......

[A pause as his helmet shifts to regard him more closely.]

You don't consider me your enemy?

[After everything he's done?]

[friendlyforce]

No?

[ What a funny question. ] Captain. [ Freckles sounds worried and he looks at his gun in confusion. ]

I mean, no. You don't want to shoot me and we're not going to be fighting each other anymore. It's just like with the Reds and Agent Washington! It's almost like that! Kind of! It's ... it's close enough... we can it's an analogy. Metaphor.