Intro Log: I'll Cry If I Want To

[hadrielmods]

Who: New arrivals and everyone else!
What: The intro log for December
Where: The colosseum and all around the city.
When: December 10th-14th
Warnings: Angry crying ladies and a bunch of newbies

Good morning, new Hadrielites! What a joy it is to awaken on the hard ground of the colosseum, with absolutely no idea where you are or what's going on. As you wake up, confused and possibly a little terrified, you may be angry. You may be frightened. You may be hungry, if you didn't eat a good lunch. You may want to cry.

And it looks like you're not the only one who wants to cry. Along with the newcomers, a number of Witches have come to Hadriel. They stand in one place or wander, crying bitterly, as if their boyfriend has broken up with them or they've lost their puppy. Maybe you're a good person who wants to see if they're okay? Well, you might want to rethink that. Disturb a Witch - which is pretty easy to do - and they'll fly into a rage, attacking you with their sharp claws and tearing your guts out. Good luck trying to get out of the colosseum without running into one!

Don't worry, though. Scattered around is also some stuff that's a little more fun! The Door's theme this month seems to be 'stuff stressed-out executives would put on their desks', and since we've got so many of those, surely you can find a toy or two to play with!

If you've managed to avoid getting clawed to bits and maybe found a cool new distraction or two, congrats! That's the first step to becoming a productive member of Hadriel society! Now, feel free to go explore the rest of the city! Find a house, a new monster, a project to help with, or simply scavenge for supplies. Good luck, and enjoy your stay in Hadriel!

► This log covers December 10th-14th.
► Feel free to make your own logs as well!
► All characters arrive with phones that have network communication and the newbie guide installed.
► Please put your character's name and open/closed in the subject line of your starters!

Comments

Newt Geiszler | OTA

[fortunefavored]

A. Delight's Housing, House 1

[If one decides to follow up on a mass group text that Newt sent out (possibly accidentally to people he didn't intend to send it to,) regarding a sleepover/blanket fort happening in House 1 in Delight's housing (BYOBeverages&PJs, some snacks will be provided but bring other shit anyway because it's always good to have an excess of snacks,) they'll find the living room area turned into a veritable Blanket Fort. With some help from the kitchen table, the couch, and chairs from both the kitchen and the living room, as well as a massive amount of blankets, Newt has managed to construct a proper blanket fort in the middle of the room. It's rather large and spacious, all things considered, with blankets and pillows littering the floor inside. Lamps provide most of the lighting, as well as a random flashlight or two. There are snacks. They're under the table, along with some paper plates and napkins. Try not to get crumbs everywhere??

Newt himself can be found at various places both inside and out of the blanket fort. At the moment, he hasn't seen fit to bring any specimens from his recent work into the blanket fort, but he has brought a notebook, and one might be able to find him scribbling notes in it, as well as speaking into his phone as though it were a personal journal. Additionally, he might be getting snacks. Or poking his head out of the tent to see who has arrived.

Either way, the blanket fort itself looks rather inviting. Come inside?]


B. Lab

[Back when Hope had that whole "clean up Haven" day, Newt and Hermann, along with quite a bit of outside help, had managed to put together a lab for the purpose of any and all science-y things. Newt can easily be found there almost any day of the week, probably dissecting something. It is technically a public lab, so the door is proverbially open. Perhaps not physically, but at least it's unlocked?]




(ooc: if anyone wants to start their own blanket for thread here for others to comment, that's cool with me! o/)

does this mean i should be issuing a blanket apology

[skelebro]

[So he's been getting out of the house more and more lately, which is really doin' a number on his reputation as a lazy good-for-nothing layabout, but can you blame him when this shit has been going on for weeks now? He needs a break. A blanket-fort-shaped break.

That sure as hell wasn't what he had in mind when he nipped out that morning (or, more accurately, mornternoon - sleeping is serious business!), but heck, he'll take it.

He ends up there for most of the day, unsurprisingly.]

You know what I like about this place? The lack of frozen slippers.

[AND WITH THAT SEEMING NON SEQUITUR he's going to revel in the non-prank-oriented atmosphere and get a few z's in.]

A+ idea tbh

[dedikated]

( why the heck did she get this text? why the heck did she agree to go?

(answers: who knows and probably Faith. Kate needs to get out more, let's be honest here.)

regardless, she's here, with beverages that are for adults rather than kids - which is to say, a whole lot of tequila - and a highly sceptical expression, no matter how inviting it looks. )

The idea behind this?

( seriously, what is it? )

bangs fists on table, a!

[sciencelizard]

[She's been trying to force herself out of the house recently, considering she absolutely hasn't left since the whole demons thing, and two apartments over isn't far to go... especially since her place is being sabotaged at every moment, and she could use the reprieve. Plus, free snacks. She is always down for free snacks.

But she slips in, quietly, and will chill near the snack table for a bit, just trying to keep to herself. She doesn't want to intrude, after all.]

AND NOW B BC I HAVE NO SELF CONTROL for later this week

[sciencelizard]

[Alphys had heard about the lab a little while back from Sans, and had... totally intended to go. But now it'd been about 2 months since her arrival and she's barely done anything; between the events and her already extreme desire not to leave the house anyway, she thinks she's plenty justified. But she knows while nobody will nag her to go outside, if she's going to be here, she should probably know her way around, and... well, what better place to start than a lab owned by people she knows? She figures it's as good a place as any.

It takes her about five minutes of just standing outside the door, double and triple checking it's the right place, before veeeery quietly creaking the door open, poking her head inside.]

H-Hello...?

a;

[hasitsthorns]

[ Of course Rose was completely down for the idea of a blanket fort. It was the best idea that Newt had come up with recently, in her opinion. The woman might have even decided to take a short snooze in it after all was said and done. Said snooze might have been intentional too for when she wakes up she quietly sneaks up behind Newt while he's working and... ]

Guess who!

[ -chirps Rose, after covering Newt's eyes from behind with her hands.

Yes, that's right.

Hands. ]

lab

[mismanagement]

[Maketh knocks on the door, uniform perfectly ironed, and a leather bag slung over her shoulder. It's probably for the best that she finds Newt there and not his partner. The last conversation Maketh had with Hermann wasn't kind.

She gives him a hesitant smile. Hopefully she hasn't soured this as well.]

Hello. I have something that might be of interest to you.

A, anyone?

[war_itself]

The fact that Quill is looking for a house to claim does in no way imply she's given up on returning to Earth soon, mostly to teach the prince a lesson about the consequences of lying to her that he won't find in any textbook. It does however mean that she's been exploring this war-torn city for hours and needs to rest, and she's hardly going to do that among the rubble in the streets.

So she enters the first dwelling in this neighborhood, quietly appreciating how it seems to be dug into the ground and cave walls. Most of the structure will be hidden and easily defensible. With a twinge of something she doesn't care to define, she's reminded of home, of tough, intricate circular walls that could bend but never break, like the Quill that were born in them. But that's all gone now.

...And whoever is apparently occupying this place has a hideously wrong idea about nests. Every surface is covered in soft things, all those cushy and garish materials humans love and she makes a face like she's looking at the grisly aftermath of a detonated mine. "Oh I'm gonna vomit," she mutters to herself but can't quite take her eyes off the horror yet.

A. murderpotato party crasher

[murderpotato]

[So Gren got this text about some kind of blanket fort party or some bullshit like that, but what he really cares about is the fact that it's coming from the same house as sweater grandpa. The same sweater grandpa who bet him a bottle of whiskey that he couldn't last more than like three minutes against Rage.]

[Well, fuck that guy, because he lasted over ten. He still got the fuck beaten out of him, but he outlasted all of the bets, so everyone can suck his dick. Just get in a line.]

[Gren was going to knock when he got there, but the door's unlocked so, what the fuck, he'll just go right the fuck in. There sure is a blanket fort going on here, but Gren mostly ignores that because fifteen-hundred is too goddamn old to be fucking around in blanket forts. Besides, he's a monster on a mission, and that mission is to acquire the booze that he is rightfully owed.]

Hey, where's that fuckin' sweater doctor asshole?

B

[ushahin]

Hello there.

[Guess who's just wandering through the door? It's Newt's least favorite next-door neighbor. Ushahin looks much as he always does, a little out of touch with reality, his eyes always unfocused. On his shoulder lies Fetch, who is eyeing everything in the lab that's shiny with a pair of beady, eager eyes. At least this time he's attempting to start things off on the right foot. Look, he's even brought cookies! Though judging by the packaging, Newt may want to hold off on eating them. Regardless, Ushahin will set them down on the table and slide them over towards Newt.]

A

[ishotyouuu]

[Aside from booze, the coliseum and... well, Sans, the various antics of K-Sci are of the few things that keeps Wade from permanently taking the angst vacation that all comic book protagonists seem have tickets for. The constant yelling and bickering can get annoying (though it's never not entertaining to watch), but it's a small price to pay for having two of his Haven buddies back in the same house with him again.

There are other benefits, too-- like coming home to find a gigantic blanket fort spontaneously erected in your living room. Wade stares at the cloth construction site with no small amount of amusement-- feels like old times again-- before bending to peek through the tent opening.]

Heh. Someone's been busy. While the merc's away, the nerds will play, I guess. Do I need a password to get in or can I just use snacks as an offering?

Rydia | OTA

[blessedmaiden]

[Colosseum]

[The last thing Rydia could remember was stepping on one of her city's teleporting platforms: sometimes they malfunctioned, other times they were just manipulated by pranking monsters but she never... fainted instead of walking in another zone of the city. Still, the intial confusion of finding herself in an unknown place is soon replaced by the shock of being alone. Almost blind to the witches and the other people in the arena, she spends a long moment trying to reach for her summons but nobody answers: no Mist dragon, no Leviathan, not even her chocobo, there's just silence- even the cries of the weeping witches pass unnotice for almost a whole minute while the summoner

Okay, there must be an expalation. She tells herself getting up It's not the first time! It already happened during her lunar trial and everything was resolved in a couple of hours, no need to worry too much... right? The woman takes a deep breath and gets up while grabbing the strange thing that emits light she found at her side. The whip is still there, it gives her a sense of security, and she can still feel magic running in her veins, it's just a matter of finding a wait out of... there. Is she lost in some kind of ruins?]

Okay, we can do it...

[The summoner would normally approach the crying creatures... with caution, of course, but she definitely would. Now? She feels naked without her eidolons and, being perfectly aware not all monsters are friendly, Rydia would rather avoid any kind of contact if possible. In silence she starts to walk, in silence she tries to leave that- oh gods, are those human bones? Yes, she definitely has to leave.]

[Near the unrestored spires]

[No trials, no spirits telling her anything, no signs of familiar monster... Rydia managed to escape the Coliseum, yes, but longer she spent walking around in that place more she realized she was not supposed to be there at all. And while three of the buildings she can see, those odd towers that remind her more of stalagmites than actual buildings, are apparently occupied by someone (She can see some lights from her position) she doesn't know if it would be safe to approach the area.

Oh, well, at least she can waste her time trying to understand how the misterious device she found on herself probably lunarian technology, she has seen similar things only on the Lunar Whale. At least the woman realizes the screen turns bright when she presses the button on the side, yet it seems more complex than a weird torch...]

Colosseum

[foundafamily]

[Getting out of the colosseum might be a little complicated by the fact that some jerk several yards away has upset a witch. She screeches and lashes out, and as said jerk backs away from her, he inadvertently guides the witch closer. At first, he's too preoccupied with trying to get a punch in to realize that someone else is around. It's only when dodging the witch's swipe that he happens to glimpse the other woman.]

Watch out, lady!

[ooc: Let me know if this doesn't work!]

Spires

[dragoon_pride]

[Sitting atop one of the spires, Kain is keeping an eye on the ground below. There's been some hints of trouble, with the appearance of those creepy crying witches, so he's being extra vigilant. Who knows if this may be the start of worse? So he happens to be staring below when he notices something surprising... a glimpse of green hair...]

[Kain gasps. Rydia! He watches as she comes closer, wanting to be sure it's her and not some sort of trick. He hasn't been in this world very long himself, but already he really doesn't trust this place. Especially not after recent events. But it's definitely her, he's sure of it, and the least he can do is talk to her. It's been so long, though... Would she even want to see him?]

[Leaping downward, Kain goes in for a landing right in front of her.]

Rydia...?

colosseum

[avephoenix]

[From off to Rydia's left, there comes a whisper.]

Don't startle them.

[Faith steps slowly over to Rydia, careful to make as little noise as possible.]

They're lethal when disturbed. Come on, follow me, I know a way out.

[Faith holds out a hand. Don't worry, she won't leave without you!]

Natasha Romanoff | OTA

[outstandingbalance]

Coliseum

[Coming to on the ground, no memory of how she got here, might not be the worst wake up Natasha's ever had but it's not exactly in the top ten.

It's not something she's completely unprepared for either. Within moments she's on her feet, she's assessed her resources and her surroundings and she's found the phone and perused its contents.

What she makes of all this, she hasn't decided yet. She faces it will a healthy amount of skepticism, that's for certain. It seems unbelievable. Unbelievable and irrational, even. On the other hand, she would have said the same thing about alien invasions a few years ago and whether or not she believes what she's read, whether she even believes what she sees, she is here and she has to deal with that.

She can't stay in one place and wait to be found. Among other things, she doesn't have any reason to believe anyone is looking for her. No one she wants to find her. So she starts to look for a way outside, moving cautiously, boot falls all but silent as she picks her way through the coliseum, alert for signs of life—fellow abductees, or otherwise.

Whether or not she'll approach is going to depend on the situation she finds them in...]

Recon

[Out in the city, with a little time, distance and a close call or two with witches between her and her uncomfortable arrival, Natasha still isn't sure what she believes. Something is happening here. Something she'd rather have no part of, too, but doesn't look like that's a choice she's going to get.

She needs to know more. Intel has always been the currency with the most weight in Natasha's world, and right now she has precious little of it. Needing more overcomes some of her instinct to caution.

At first this means setting herself to explore the cavern, taking in the artifacts and architecture, comparing it to what she knows from home; with the exception of a few stress balls and a moving sculpture back in the coliseum, though, it's all alien. The buildings in particular rub her wrong. She's traveled most of the world, seen buildings new and ruined on six continents, and she's never seen anything like them. She can't deny the evidence is consistent with what the guide on her phone claimed.

From there it's clear she'll need to change tactics. That's okay. She's a spy, after all. She's always done her best work among people.

Which is how, a few hours after she showed up, her exploration shifts from getting the general lay of the terrain to seeking out places people might congregate, the stores, residential spires and housing areas, and especially the bar. There, she keeps a sharp eye for people who look like they might be able to provide her with useful information. People who look like they know what they're about, maybe. Or who seem calm, carrying an air of experience. People alone, who look like they'd rather not be. People who might want to talk.

When she spots someone likely, she inserts herself near them with a smooth, casual ease and strikes up a conversation.]

Hey. Maybe you can help me. I'm a little lost. [She might say, depending on where she's at, her voice flexing with what might be embarrassment or might be nothing at all. That, or if her target seems newer, something like:] You look like you're having as bad a day as me.

[Or when she finds the bar, Natasha might just say invite herself to sit next to them and murmur.] Mind if I join you? I hate to drink alone.

[wipedclean]

[He's alone, and he definitely doesn't look like he particularly wants to be, but that's about all Bucky has going for him on Natasha's list.

It's hugely telling that he doesn't actually notice her until she's right next to him, and it startles him, makes him anxious and panicky. He wants to bolt, but he stays where he is.

He looks pretty awful. Hair unwashed, clothes soft and comfortable but getting on the ratty side from dirt and tears, and his eyes are wild and red-rimmed and he just looks exhausted and in pain.

But he also still has a gun, and lots of knives, even in his comfy cozy clothes.

Bucky stares at her, and steps back, his grip on his gun shifting, but not quite hostile.]

Yes. It's a bad day.

papyrus | ota

[beautyis]

colosseum

[It's that time of the month again! Time, as always, to don his city guard sash and march down to the colosseum to ensure all the new people are kept safe from whatever new creatures are brought through the door!

Papyrus stayed up late last night pranking his housemates, but, then, he hardly sleeps as it is. He pushes his sleepiness aside, solves the puzzles necessary to reach his breakfast (oatmeal, lacking dinosaur eggs unfortunately), solves the puzzles necessary to reach the front door, and he's on his way. In the distance, he hears wails of despair.

Well, that won't do! Obviously someone is very scared, having found themself suddenly in this new place. He ought to ensure they are cheered up!

Upon reaching his destination, he gets distracted by a magnetic sculpture toy that he thinks Sans might like. It's got stars in it! He quickly tucks it away in his hotpants (don't ask where) and keeps an eye out for anyone who might need his help.]

i think i hear a witch

[He still hears that distant wail. It's worrying him. Someone out there must really be upset! He hates to hear someone cry. It kind of upsets him, in a way, to feel like he can't do anything to help someone. But surely there is something he can do! He's the proudest member of the city guard!

So he finally decides to follow the sound of the crying, calling out after the mystery person.]

Hello? Do not be embarrassed that you are crying! I understand you are very scared! But it is okay! The great Papyrus is here to...

[The crying suddenly sounds a bit more like heavy, noisy breathing. Almost like a growl.

That's when he notices the long-haired woman, curled up on the ground, her pale face covered, peeking at him through her long, dark fingers.]

Ah! There you are!

[And she shrieks.

In a blink, she's rushing at him, teeth sharp and claws sharper, screaming in rage. Papyrus yelps and stumbles back, but he's not fast enough. She pounces on him, tackling him to the ground.]

witch motherfucker gotta answer for this

[skelebro]

[Between the pranks and jokes he's been exchanging every which way and the care and feeding of erstwhile human kids, he's almost forgotten that it's that time of the month again. And what a time it is. He remembers to hang around the Colosseum, keepin' the lookout for new arrivals in case anyone he knows happens to stop by. Not that he's real optimistic, but it's just plain habit at this point. Habits have a special relationship with death, wouldn't ya know. Just like him.

He doesn't really think much of the weird ladies with the ragged hair veiling their faces. He keeps movin' around 'em and don't bother 'em, and they don't bother him, and that's fine. It's all well and good until Papyrus -

Well, Papyrus goes and is all Papyrus to 'em.

When the thing moves, it's quick as a blink, almost like she's got some shortcuts of her own to boast. She's on top of him, howling, and he's

watching the head separate from the shoulders again
watching the pauldrons crumble to dust again
watching and waiting and never getting there on time again
getting there on time and just fucking waiting and watching anyway again
cause a kid with a knife is all it takes
it's all it takes and god damn why hadn't he TRIED

He sends a line of blue ribs through her. Not much, but if it'll slow her down -

It'd better fucking slow her down.]

Maedhros || OTA

[castintofire]

Colosseum and onward around the city

{This isn't where Maedhros belongs. That much is obvious as he comes to on a stone floor, remaining hand burning - yet not the rest of him. He might be an Elf, one of the Firstborn of Arda, but lava should have utterly destroyed his body. So too does this not appear to be the Halls of Mandos - unless it is that particular Vala's strange sense of humor acting out to make the Halls appear so decrepit.

He's even still armed with sword and armor, though the latter had seen better days and his hand has little hope of grasping anything unless he receives better Healing than he's been gifted with in some time. So he's left to struggle to his feet, red hair tumbling around his shoulders as pain and madness glitter in his eyes, and warily stares around before picking a likely way out.

If he's here, he has to find answers. Even if that means speaking with the strange creatures he sees, risking attack. He'll defend himself if necessary. Just as long as he can learn where he is, what has happened, why, and leave.}

[so_dark_a_road]

[ Curufin spots another armed warrior just as he turns to leave the colosseum, so he doesn't leave. Instead, he approaches. Something awfully familiar about this man. . . ]

Maitimo. . . ? Is it you?

Curufin Fëanorion | OTA

[so_dark_a_road]

A. The Colosseum

[ Curufin finds himself lying on the dirt. He climbs to his feet, picks up his sword, and for the moment leaves the rest of his gear on the ground. He doesn't quite like the look of these great circular walls around him, nor the state of disrepair into which they have fallen. No stone mason with any pride or resources would allow his or her building to become so decrepit. And on second look, he doesn't like ANYTHING about this space. He approaches one of the sobbing women and scarcely gets the words out of his mouth to ask her what is the matter, when she slashes at him with her enormous claws. He aims a cut at her with his sword, and then decides to avoid the occasion for violence. Not that he's averse to killing -- not at all! -- but he's new here and doesn't really know the score. No use in killing out of ignorance and then finding it a mistake later on. ]

[ He snarls. ] Get away from me! Or I'll slice you in more pieces than you'd slice me if you could! [ He backs away, picks up his stuff, and turns to abscond.]


B. The City Guard

[ After reading his Newbie guide, Curufin finds the stone warehouse building that houses the office of the Guard. He pushes the door open, and enters. He drops his two packs with their considerable load of gear on the floor, since they are fucking heavy, even for wiry Curufin. He looks around curiously at the office space with its many battered desks and filing cabinets. ]

Hello? Anybody here? I'm looking for somebody who can sign me up with the Guard.


C. Delight's Bar

[ Well, he liked this place when he was here before, so he imagines he'll like it now, too. ]

Bartender? Whisky! [ He turns to toast whoever is sitting beside him. ] Cheers.


C. Wild card -- your choice of location!

[ Curufin is a restless sort, and he probably crosses and recrosses the city several times in a few hours. Scoping out the lay of the land, checking out its buildings, its limits, its citizens and denizens. Curious, analytical, and pretty damn friendly for a Fëanorian. ]

PAPA <3 (B)

[handofsilver]

(He jerks, face paling of all color as he hears...that voice. His chair scrapes against the floor as he stands suddenly, gripping the table to keep himself steady.)

Atar? (How can this be? First his Uncle and now... Celebrimbor takes a deep breath, stepping away from the table to approach Curufin.) Is that you?

Yukari Mishakuji | OTA

[fracturedbeauty]

His eyes open, slowly at first. Well, this is uncomfortable, is the first thought that crosses his mind. Sitting himself up, he looks at his surroundings. He gives a slightly disgusted frown. Sleeping on the floor and not having changed into my nightclothes is definitely not beautiful.

Just where is he anyway? He doesn't remember crawling out to the middle of nowhere. He tries to run over the previous nights activities. Nothing would have added up to this. Well, it could have been worse, he supposes. He'll just have to find a place he's familiar with and get his bearings. He's not particularly worried, so much as annoyed. He gets himself off the floor and straightens his clothes, fretting over a few wrinkles.

With a mental huff at the inconvenience, he starts wandering around, looking for clues as to where he is and how to get out. This is ridiculous, how can he have no memory of ending up in a place like this? If this is someone's idea of a sick joke or attempt at a ransom, he's not amused and they're not very intelligent.

His step pauses as he hears something, crying from somewhere behind him. He looks over his shoulder to see a woman with her back turned to him, sobbing like someone shot Old Yeller. Odd, but not concerning. Not his circus, not his monkeys. To avoid becoming a potential shoulder to cry on, he keeps himself out of sight and carries on.

Except for when he turns, there's another one around the corner. Facing him. Her sobs stop and she launches herself at him with some very frightening claws on those delicately pale hands. His eyes widen, but he manages to swiftly cartwheel backwards and out of the way, standing upright again with ease.

"My, that was too close," he tsks, a smile creeping across his face. "Those sobs are just a trap, hmm?"

If he would have taken the bait, he'd probably be in a much worse way right now. Annoying? Yes, but he can work with this. He grabs the hilt of his sword, angling the blade as he pulls it from his sheathe.

"I suppose I have no choice then."

He readies himself, getting ready to charge the Witch, but she charges him first. He might admit her speed is impressive, but this is taking up a good amount of his focus to keep dodging and look for an opening to hit her with. He'd rather not get hit with those claws, thank you very much. Swiftly, and with grace, he ducks low and swings his blade at her ankles. He manages to take out one of her feet before she swings another furious set of claws at him.

He tries to roll out of the way, but he ends up taking a hit and getting slammed to the ground. Normally, this wouldn't be too much of a problem. But, for some reason, he feels fatigued. It takes everything he has to dodge her next charge, and with alot less grace this time. He certainly has no intent on dying here, but someone should probably help him before he gets shredded to pieces on his first day.

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin, who is a tall, black-haired Elf with brilliant dark gray eyes, is passing by on his way out of the Colosseum. In one motion, he whisks his black steel sword out of its scabbard at his back and takes the Witch's head off. It flies into the nearest wall, bounces, and hits the ground with a thump!

He looks around to ascertain that no more of these apparitions, or whatever they are, are near enough to threaten the two newcomers. Seeing none, he turns to the other warrior.

"New here, too?" Rhetorical question. What else would he be doing here?

Miss Quill | OTA

[war_itself]

Quill has never actually been sucked through a crack in space and time before, but as soon as she wakes up on unfamiliar ground, slightly dizzy, slightly disoriented, she knows that's what must have happened to her. You don't just march through your school with murder on your mind in one moment and wind up in some kind of... decrepit arena the next without at least space travelling. The only surprise is that it's taken this long, when she spends most of her painfully tedious days in a place that's riddled with these cracks. Still, it couldn't have happened at a worse time and she's going to find either a way back or someone to punch about it.

At least the latter doesn't take long; she's made it barely halfway through the arena when she spots someone in tattered dress wailing like a deranged cat. Quill takes a moment to weigh the possibility of information against the threat of having to listen to someone's problems, but she'd really like to make some progress here. "Hey! Do you think you could stop sobbing for two minutes to answer some questions?" She barely gets the words out before the thing launches herself at her with startling speed. Quill dodges her at the last second, landing in the dirt and getting her feet up just in time for the quite impressively clawed creature to impale herself on her heels. She grabs her flailing wrists in one hand and casts about for something useful with the other, maybe a rock or a rope (anything but a weapon, as a painful twitch of the arn in her brain doesn't fail to remind her). She lands on a weird contraption, wraps her hand around it and smashes it into the thing's face repeatedly. Turns out it was made of tiny nails and does some rather satisfying damage, at least enough to give her the breathing room to push off the ill-tempered lady and get back on her feet. While the thing is struggling to dislodge the nail frame with clumsily long fingers, Quill backs away and glances around for something more effective, like a spear trap or a fire pit, in case her opponent hasn't had enough yet. "I was only going to ask for directions, you know!"

[onlythemonstrous]

The Doctor hears something blessedly normal: a raucously human (or humanoid, anyway) voice, actually fairly easy to pick out from the unearthly weeping and shrieking to which he's becoming all to accustomed. The silly fidget toys don't make for very useful weaponry, for the most part; she got surprisingly lucky with hers, and with the heels. Not just luck, however. That much is obvious, and he files the observation away even as he approaches the woman and the monster cautiously.

"I don't think they're particularly fond of tourists," he says, keeping his eyes fixed on the disoriented weeper, stepping into the woman's peripheral vision in what he hopes is a bolstering fashion. Startling people suddenly seems like a lot worse of an idea than usual. At least she doesn't look equipped to disembowel him, if desk toys are all she's got. Still watching the crazed banshee creature, he scoops up the nearest rock of any size. "You should probably run for it." She probably should have as soon as she blinded it, but oh well. He has to try. He advances on the wailing creature, intending to brain it with the rock, without waiting to see if the woman makes good her escape.

Kida | OTA

[crystal_heart]

Colosseum

[ It's not exactly a warm welcome to have a starved, pale woman shrieking at the top of her lungs.

Kida is instantly on her feet, though a little dazed from the suddenness of the situation. She grabs her Atlantean mask and spear off the ground beside her as the woman starts toward her at a full sprint. Kida takes three long strides and uses the spear to propel herself into the air over the Witch, landing in a strong stance. A swift motion of the spear strikes the Witch onto the ground— but not for long it seems. As the woman is scurrying up onto her feet, Kida makes her escape through the nearest doorway.

A blur of blue with the rattling of charms on wood is all anyone can catch flying through the halls unless she stops to attack another Witch, either to help someone get away or gain an upper hand on the creature. At which point the passerby would notice the ornate carvings in the wood of her large mask and the mix of fur and feathers decorating the edges. Between the glowing eyes and gaping maw of the mask and the language she aggressively spews out, one may or may not be startled into thinking she's another sort of monster. ]

Mokh! Leb eseneh dupp, duwerentop?

[ Not to mention having a bone-carved spear jabbed in your general direction. Probably not helping. ]

Around The City

[ Once she's clear of the colosseum and the Witches, she finds her way into the streets of the city. Kida pulls the mask from her shoulders to flip it around to her back. There isn't enough room for her spear too, but she has no problem just carrying that in hand. Now her (lack of) attire is clear to see along with the tattoos around her body, the crystal illuminating around her neck being the most notable accessory.

She's in a total awe of every window she comes across; touching the glass carefully and staring through to the things inside with wonder, even going through a few of the shops just to see the inventory. With how alert she had originally been waking up in the colosseum, it almost surprising that she nearly runs into someone while staring up at the cave ceiling, intensely focused as if she were reading it like the old sailors read stars. ]

House Hunting + Wild Card

[ Kida will continue wandering and meeting faces around the city for some time, if you'd like to approach her. She'll eventually come across some of the housing. If she walks through your door by mistake, she'll politely apologize and leave. Unless you just so happen to be looking for a roommate, of course! ]

Colosseum

[circumitus]

What.

The fuck.

It's that time again, where Rey can be found meeting newcomers of all kinds. Though more often than not, she is greeting the newly arrived creatures that threaten the other fresh meat.

In fact, this masked woman may have gotten that same welcome, had she not started spewing those words. Likewise, her stance would indicate a threat rather than a full offensive.

"Apologies," she says plainly, holding her hands up to show that she is only carrying a pistol in one. A weapon she doesn't venture into the Colosseum without this time. She cants her head, arching a brow. "Don't speak that one."

Silva was the linguist, and even she wouldn't have been able to identify that tongue.

The Doctor | OTA

[onlythemonstrous]

Oh good, the Doctor thinks upon waking up, with weapons-grade resignation already armed and ready to go. Still alive, and now he's in...some kind of dilapidated amphitheatre. Unfamiliar in architectural style, and he doesn't remember going to sleep in any coliseums, alien or otherwise. Reeks of Time Lord nonsense, to be perfectly honest. Some new trick, some new war effort that just happens to require his involvement, and of course there's just never any time to bloody well run it by him first, is there. Not that that's likely to ever get them the desired results. The Doctor gets to his feet with a groan that is as much exasperation as fatigue. Soldiers can sleep anywhere, and he supposes he can, too, but that doesn't mean it's pleasant. Or, very likely, necessary. How tiresome.

By the sound of it, he's not the only one having a bad time of it. Someone, somewhere, is weeping catastrophically, the worst sort of bereaved sobbing, sounding utterly disconsolate. Nothing theatrical in it, nothing that says the weeper is trying to gain help or pity. The Doctor follows the sound to its source--poor woman, crying her eyes out on the ground, rocking pitifully. She's painfully thin and he's seen much better dressed prisoners of war. This is looking like it might turn out to be more than some stale Time Lord inconvenience, this is fresh horror; what else is new. He approaches with deliberately loud steps, giving her the opportunity to pull herself together if she's able, intending to offer any help he can if not.

The woman looks up at the sound of his crunching footsteps, and it's an animal motion, out of place like the unnerving glow of her eyes. Her weeping is replaced with angry, hoarse groans. Don't have to have seen many horror movies to know this is trouble it isn't necessary to borrow. He backs away, ready to run if it looks like slow backpedaling won't do the trick, which is why he doesn't see the little plastic cylinder that nearly costs him his footing before crunching to shards under his heel. That's all it takes, for the creature to be thoroughly roused and lunging for him like something launched from a cannon. The Doctor is bowled over, and it's all he can to to keep a tight grip on the thing's wrists, struggling to keep its claws out of his throat.

[zen_en_vert]

Bruce tries not to go into the colosseum when the arrivals, for the simple fact that when things get too bad, he inevitably ends up making it all worse- but something about this round of new arrivals is bad, feels unfair, understaffed, and so he takes a risk and rushes the downstairs hallway, to try to see if he can help.

The Doctor is who he comes upon first, and so he does what he can, rushing forward to help pry her wrists back with a surprised gasp. She's stronger than she looks.

Suì-Fēng, Open

[sideboobs]

Colosseum
[Lungs aching for breath, it's a quiet and sore cough that lulls Suì-Fēng awake. She can't remember a reason for opening her eyes to a sky, or for lying prostrate with dirt on her cheek, and nor does she have time to try. A shrill shriek instead shocks her to her feet.

Seamless though the effort is to escape the path of a woman barreling and wailing towards her, Suì-Fēng can't help the barrage of questions in her head: Where am I? Who brought me here? How could I let this happen? Then, as the woman turns heel and persists towards her: Who is this lunatic? Is she human? How can she see me?

She has realized by now that her zanpakutou, Suzumebachi, is secure on her back where it should be. After a second fast dodge from the onslaught of chaos, she draws her weapon and flash steps behind her for an incapacitating strike across the deranged woman's back. What she really wants is to question her, but the continuous yowling leaves her no room to ask; and, as she gains more acute awareness of her surroundings, she notices similar behavior from others in the space who look like her.

By virtue of attacking a member of the Gotei 13, and her specifically, the Witch has ultimately marked herself an enemy. Suì-Fēng strikes her where she violently jolts and struggles on the ground, desperately yearning to dig her claws into the assassin, once more to silence her.

Then, the already-cold corpse produces no soul to send to the afterlife.

How disgraceful, she thinks of the remaining gravel she wipes from her cheek—or rather, the fact she was unwittingly vulnerable like that to begin with; but, for now she must suppress those thoughts and deal with the actual problem in front of her.]


Hope's Temple
[Suì-Fēng stands squarely at Hope's temple entrance. The phone found on her person contained a message that dropped the name of this so-called "god" more than others who also called themselves gods... so she had decided to come and take a look at the building erected in honor of.

Here she maintains a keen awareness of Kuchiki's reiatsu, and supposes she won't find straight answers as to why she cannot sense her other comrades. This temple seems a good place to start for clues at least, whether explicitly through artifacts or through poor souls passing by.]

Hope's Temple

[zen_en_vert]

[She arrives right as Bruce is coming out, trotting down the steps with his hands in his pockets.

He isn't the most outgoing person in the world, but has learned to spot new faces, and to greet, politely;]

Hello there. Welcome to Hadriel. I'm terribly sorry.

[It's just the least he can do.]

Jade Ellsworth | ota

[fourthsaken]

[collosseum]
[Jade wakes in the Collosseum with a start, disoriented, cold, and very, very afraid. She'd been hoping and praying for days that someone would come rescue her from her school's basement, but this is definitely not what she had in mind. This new place seems just as dangerous and unwelcoming, and unlike her school, it's unfamiliar. She has no clue where she is and as she glances around at other newcomers and the strange witch creatures she's not sure she wants to stick around long enough to find out.

The one glimmer of hope is the phone she finds next to her. She scrambles over to it, clutching it in her hands like a lifeline, the one familiar thing she has. She begins examining, hoping it will give her some answers of what the hell is going on.

It doesn't take her long to find the guide, apparently created for confused newcomers like herself, on the phone. She reads it carefully over and over again, eyes growing wider as she tries to make sense of what it's saying. There's talk of gods and emotions and monsters and a world she's never heard of before. It's completely overwhelming and she's frozen in place, staring at the phone and desperately wishing this was all just one of her nightmares.

Someone might want to help the poor newbie out.]

[exploring]
[Jade's calmed down marginally from her panic in the Collosseum, not completely, but enough that she takes some time to explore the city. Getting out of the Collosseum hadn't been easy and she's grateful to finally be out of there. She has no intention of returning even if she's unsure where else she should go.

She wanders the streets of the town, taking in all of the unusual buildings. It's definitely nothing like the small town in Iowa where she grew up. She stops in front of one of the stores, peering inside the decorative glass walls. It's beautiful for sure, but Jade can't help but feel like the stores aren't meant for her that going inside would disturb things or even worse lead to a run-in with these rumored monsters. She tentatively approaches anyone walking nearby, hoping for some guidance.]

Hey. I… Do you know if the stores are open?

colosseum

[outstandingbalance]

[Natasha is new herself, and she hesitates to get too close to the other new comers she sees around, not quite ready to commit to working with them. But when she sees a kid staring at her phone, apparently getting more worked up by the moment, she swoops in.

Holding both hands up about shoulder level to show she's not a threat, she speaks up.]

Hey, you okay over here? Because if you are, this doesn't seem like a good place to stick around.

[Her voice is level, projecting the image of a responsible adult.]