hadriel_logs | Event Log: Fadeout

Entry tags:

Event Log: Fadeout

Who: Everyone participating in the event!
What: The event log for the Fadeout event!
Where: All around the city
When: November 15th-November 25th
Warnings: None!

The morning of November the 15th seems rather normal- that is, if you can avoid the glowing cracks in the fabric of reality tucked away among various streets. Still, they don't really seem to be doing much of anything and you can't quite see through them, so maybe they're decoration? This wouldn't be the first time the gods pulled some weird shit to shake things up around here.

By midafternoon, however, something changes. Cecily, in all her wisdom, decides to attempt to dispel one of these rifts, and the resulting shockwave sends tremors through the city. Tears throughout Hadriel open wider and allow for various demons to burst through and terrorize the various citizens. Demons will be tearing through in all corners of the city, though you can choose to avoid them if you like.

Look out for Pride and Rage demons, who attempt to brute force their way to you and feed off of your anger, steel yourselves against Despair and Fear demons who grow stronger as you give up hope, and definitely cross the street to avoid the Desire demons, who can take either male or female forms and will offer you everything you want if you just let them in.

Demons will either focus on attacking you or tempting you by taking advantage of and feeding off of your basic emotions. Agreeing to let a demon help you and mentally folding to it generally means that the demon will begin to possess you and start calling the shots- often using you as a vessel to hurt others and sow discord. If you happen to have any sort of magical abilities, extended possession can lead toward becoming an abomination after the corruption takes root.

So... you might want to avoid all of that. Luckily, there are some good things happening that can distract you- along with the demons, several nugs and fennec foxes will also pop up around the city, and if you don't want them to die a horrible death to a hungry demon, you might consider adopting them. In addition, you may find a random potion laying around- maybe this can help you fight off those demons, or maybe it'll make every nug in the city love you- or maybe it's secretly a jar of bees. Wouldn't be the first time you guys let bees in jars get a little out of hand.

► This log covers November 15th-November 25th.
► Feel free to make your own logs as well
► Please tag headers of threads with content warnings where they apply
► Please put your character's name and open/closed in the subject line of your starters!
► If you are murdered by a demon, become an abomination, turn your insides to sludge with a potion, or just throw yourself from a rooftop to end it all, please let us know here!

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With how desperate he is to both find more of those little bottles laying around while at the same time avoiding every rift and demon he spies, it's no surprise Ryou finds himself hiding out at one of the temples. He'd been meaning to visit them all regardless, so this is just as good of an excuse as any to spend some time scooping one out.

He hadn't, however, anticipated finding anyone else around. He'd assumed most would be out either fighting the demons or holed up in their own homes to keep away from all the chaos. So when the question comes, he's caught off guard and gives a little jump, accidentally squeezing the small fox in his arms too hard and has to deal with a sharp bite to his already bandaged arm. He huffs, both at himself and the fox, before turning his attention to the one who spoke and-

...Well, that certainly is a skeleton. Anything he was going to say is lost for a moment as fascination takes over, and it's only at the last second he jerks his hand back, realizing he was just about to attempt to touch a stranger simply to see if they really are made of bone. "I-Um...I'm terribly sorry!"

Shit. Didn't he ask him a question? Give him a few seconds to stop staring and actually use his brain again. "But, well... I'm not quite sure? I've found a few of them myself, but I haven't tested them out yet. Maybe open it to pour it on something to see?"

Always with the shock and surprise at comin' across a skeleton, huh? Not that he's real surprised; he's long since learned to just roll with the way people jump and stutter and occasionally shriek when they see him. So he does what he always does - refines it into a punchline, and moves on.

Also not the first guy to try and give him a tap-touch, just for kicks. What is it about him that just screams Museum Piece, Please Touch All You Like, huh? No respect for bags of bones like him these days. Shameful, really.

"Don't worry, pal. I don't bite." He points a phalanx at his grin, and folds one socket down in a wink in a matter that be a tad disconcerting, given the way bone ain't really supposed to work that way. "My teeth don't even open. See?"

As disconcerting as it should be, the words and actions only have Ryou inching closer to get a better look. Because of course a kid obsessed with the occult would find a talking, malleable skeleton amazing. "Would... No, nevermind." Of course asking what he's made of is rude, Ryou mentally kicks himself for even considering asking. He's not a thing, he's a person, even if he's not human and should be treated as such.

His smile is a little sheepish as he keeps a respectable distance, trying his hardest not to stare too intently. "I really am sorry. I've always loved anything related to the occult, and a talking skeleton is rather high on that list. I've seen monsters summoned before, but I've never spoken to one."

Aaand he just called this guy a monster on accident, crap. Today is not his day. "Not that I mean to call you a monster-I just-" Nope, shutting up and hiding his face against the fox with a groan, how the hell is he supposed to save this? Social situations are barely his thing, and now he's dug himself a hole he can't even begin to dig his way out of.

Occult, huh? That's, uh...new. You learn somethin' different every day. He's only got a vague notion of what the occult might be, and he's pretty sure he ain't real familiar of the concept in the context of how it is up on the surface.

"You're the first kid to get it right, actually," says Sans with a chuckle. And he's a damn sight more apologetic than most. Even has the good grace to look embarrassed about how he's kinda bulldozing through this conversation with all the grace of a bowling ball. "I'm a monster. Sans the skeleton. Pleased to meet."

And 'cause the kid might need a little lightening of the mood, he clips a whoopee cushion into his palm when he extends a bony hand to shake with a winning grin.

"Oh, really?" Oh thank god. Ryou has no idea how he would've recovered without further embarrassment or insensitive questions, so he's relieved he hadn't messed up as badly as he'd thought. Situation still salvageable, and he makes a note to keep as many questions as he has to himself, for now.

"Ryou Bakura, it really is a pleas-" His words are cut off as he takes the other's hand to shake while introducing himself, caught off guard by the sound of the whoopee cushion. How did he miss that being there? The shocked silence only lasts for a few seconds before the little fox one again yips and bites in annoyance as it's held too tightly, the boy doubling over slightly with giggles he knows are immature but can't seem to help. This is the most ridiculous situation he's ever been in, and he can't find it in him to complain.

Ptttthhhhpppt.

Sans's grin widens, if that's even possible, and the kid's reaction makes it even better. He's probably the first victim of that little prank to actually view it with some sense of genuine amusement. Not just amusement, but laughter.

It's nice to know he can still make some people laugh out there, yeah?

"How did that get in there?" he says, mock-confused as he shakes the thing out and tucks it into his jacket pocket. "Better watch it, I guess. Sometimes weirdos like to hide these things all over the place. Real immature, if you ask me."

He winks again.

Immature or not, he's a seventeen-year-old boy who hangs out with the biggest children in his school, it's not his fault he's easily amused. Sans' commentary about it only serves to make him giggle harder, only stopping when the little fox actually manages to draw a bit of blood from annoyance. "Ow, okay, alright, I'm done, I swear."

Whether talking to Sans or the fox, who knows? Maybe both. The little growly bundle of fur gets a pat while Ryou brings the conversation back around to where it started in the first place. "About the bottle, why don't we try it out? You never know what you're going to find unless you use it on something, right?"

"I mean, I could." He gives the thing a little shake. It, uh...buzzes a little bit, and that's a bit unnerving. Or it would be, if he hadn't seen a dozen weirder things by now.

"It might be the sorta thing that makes rainbows appear," says Sans, neutrally. "Or it could be the kinda thing that opens a black hole wherever it lands. Probably best not to take risks where gift horses are concerned."

Assumin' "gift horse" is even the right term here. Gift wyvern might be more accurate in terms of how likely it is to inflict destruction.

"Who's your buddy?" he says, inclining his skull in the direction of the little fox.

The buzzing catches his attention, and he know's it's a bad sign that all that does is make him want to open the bottle even more. Or perhaps throw it. It came in handy with those few he found laying around before, and it's only thanks to the method of shatter first, check what it is later that's saved him from potentially fatal accidents involving whatever mysterious liquid they hold.

He only spends a few more seconds staring at the bottle as if willing it to open itself before he smiles and shifts his arms to hold the little fox a bit higher. "I don't have a name for him yet, but I think he's mine now. Poor thing was hurt and there were demons nearby, so I've kept him with me while we find someplace safe." The singe marks on his shirt and the bandages underneath imply that he did something a little more stupid than simply picking the fox up, but he doesn't regret it. A little pain's nothing so long as he managed to save the feisty little furball.

Yeah, the fox don't look like he took to bein' carried around lightly. He's still hangin' around, though, so there's that. Presumably he would'a run off if he wasn't havin' a great time of it.

"Seems there's all sorts of things like that running around," he says with a languorous shrug. He knows better than to offer a hand for the fox to sniff - if it chomps down on his phalanges, he's dust. The perks and fun of havin' 1 HP, right?

"Yes, it's certainly an inconvenience. First, the giant lizards who seemed quite fond of flesh and now all these demons running around causing such mayhem. Is it always this crazy here, or is it just my luck to come around at a bad time?" Because he had been wondering, and as much as he doesn't want to simply blame his own bad luck he can't quite be sure that it's untrue.

Honestly, having 1 HP wouldn't be so bad. Better to dodge anything thrown at you than be a constant dart board for whatever happened to pass on by and have to deal with the aftermath.

"Nah, it's pretty much always like this." Sans rolls a shoulder in a droll shrug, grinning easily. Not much to be done about it, so might as well smile, right? Then again, that might have more to do with physiology. The whole "skull" thing makes it difficult to do anything but smile.

Supposedly.

"Better get used to it now, pal. Sorry."

"Mm." A small noise of acknowledgment, but there's no real surprise behind it. His mood's more somber from the earlier fit of giggles, more towards his usual neutral expression. It seems, at the very least, the small bits of preparation he's done hopefully won't be all in vain.

"I can't say I'm surprised, even if I'd hoped for otherwise. I may not be much of a fighter, but if I can't get my magic returned to me, I won't have much of a choice in the matter." Because he's been a victim all his life, leaning heavily on the support and protection of someone who only cared for the state his body was in so it could continue to be used for their own gain. Perhaps now it's time to finally stand up for himself.

"You got magic?" That gets a glint to Sans's eyesockets that might be construed as "curious," though it might be pretty hard to get a read on emotions as they're communicated over abnormally pliable bone. He's just that kinda guy.

Sans's next question might seem like it comes outta the blue, but the relation, at least in the context of his home, is pretty obvious. The guy looks human, at least externally, but looks ain't a qualifier as to physiology. Or much of anything, honestly. Sans would know.

"Say, you wouldn't happen to be human, would ya?"

The question really does seem odd, he thought it's obvious that he's human. What else would he be? "Oh, yes, I am? There's really nothing special about me either, just a human high school student. The only thing I had was an ancient artifact my father gave me for my birthday when I was a child. For all the trouble it caused me, it was my only companion for most of my life. And in a place like this, the ability to be able to summon the spirits of my monsters to help protect me is all I can hope for."

He shuffles a little, moving the much more relaxed little fox to one arm carefully as his other moves to his back pocket to pull out a peculiar looking deck of cards. He hesitates only for a moment before holding out the Duel Monsters deck in offering. "If I can find a way to convince the gods to bring my ring here, I can summon any of the spirits dwelling in these to the physical world."

The whole interest in skeletons and such is obvious in the cards, considering his deck consists mainly of fiends, ghosts, zombies and such, along with a fair amount of trap and spell cards.

"So a magic object, not so much a magic-doer."

He's been learning more and more about humans who can do magic of their own, which is an interesting thought, if a slightly intimidating one. That ain't a real common thing back home, see. If it was, it stopped being so a long while back.

"Most of these demon things running around?" He hoods his sockets, eyeing Ryou evenly. "They tend to gravitate towards folk with magic. So that might put ya in the clear a bit."

"So getting my ring back would only make them want to come after me even more?" A disconcerting thought, that's for sure. But not something that he regrets. If it works, and by some miracle, he can get it returned to him, it would be worth it. Not just to have a way to defend himself, but for much more sentimental reasons. Because even if the spirit which once lived in his ring will be long gone, part of him that's always been good at fooling himself will feel better just having it in his hands again.

"Still, it would be better than feeling useless and unable to do anything but run around and hide." He's gotten pretty sick of that these last few days.

He's lookin' for a ring then, is he? An interesting thing to keep in mind. That's just kind of an instinct that comes automatic to him at this point, and he can't even really muster the effort to feel guilty about it. It's just kinda how things are.

"Running and hiding is a severely underrated strategy," Sans says airily. "Personally, I'm a Grade-A runner and hider."

The absolute lack of shame that comes with that statement brings a small smile back to his face, and strangely makes him feel a tiny bit better about the whole thing. When you've spent most of your life listening to a voice telling you you're worthless, weak and can't do anything on your own, you grow a desire to prove it wrong when you can. But this way, it makes it seem that maybe he's not such a coward after all.

"Everyone has their own reasons for what they do, I suppose. I haven't been much good to anyone my whole life, not even myself, so I think my desire to fight back comes from having been pushed around and hidden away for far too long. It's silly, I'm sure, because I honestly have no one to prove myself to here. And yet, I can't quite quell the need to come out of hiding and do something to stand up for myself for once."

That's one way to swing, almost certainly. That or you just decide to succumb to it, and let those weaknesses more or less rule who and what you are. Sans ain't really ever gonna prove anyone wrong about what and who he is. He's a coward and a weak one at that, pure and simple, and there ain't any real point in fightin' that.

"Well, we gotta city guard if you feel like you wanna fight," says Sans, jerking a thumb over his shoulder. "My bro's a part of it. Does a real good job keepin' people safe and the like. Could always look into it."

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Event Log: Fadeout

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