hadriel_logs | Intro Log: I'll Cry If I Want To

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Intro Log: I'll Cry If I Want To

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!

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[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.

[Natasha's fault: she should have given him more warning. It hadn't occurred to her that she'd actually sneak up on the Winter Soldier. Not without putting a lot more effort into it. But while they hadn't exactly been on the same side the last time they saw each other, they hadn't been trying to kill each other.

And they had Steve in common. Solid enough grounds, given the circumstances, to risk contact.

She leans back a little, her hands visible at her sides. Her posture becomes deliberately nonthreatening.]

Didn't expect to run into you here.

[Whether or not that's an apology is open to interpretation. His state doesn't go unnoticed though.]

Steve too?

[The two of them had been together last she saw. And if she were being honest, it would be nice to have someone here she trusted. There's almost a little hope in her voice as she asks.]

[She's not treating him like an enemy, which is surprising enough. She's wary, which is good, but she's also relaxed, deliberately so, so she's clearly coming from a point when he wasn't trying to kill her.

This doesn't really put him at ease, but it at least gives him a little context.

He stiffens when she mentions Steve.]

Not anymore.

[He swallows hard, frowning.]

You're not... afraid of me?

[He's tried to kill her several times. He still has orders to kill her, or apprehend her, though he's been in the caves for long enough that the orders are quiet now, sunk into the back of his mind, unimportant.]

[His response says a lot. It says, among other things, that he expects her to be afraid. That taken with his demeanor makes her cautious.

But while his stance was threatening, he wasn't trying anything.]

Should I be?

[Her chin comes up a little. Her tone is even, no trace of sarcasm.]

I was supposed to kill you. We were fighting.

[He lets out a huff and shakes his head, his hair swinging in his face from beneath his hood.]

But I was supposed to kill Steve, too, and I never did. Not in six months.

[The skin around her eyes tightens a little, her brows winging up slightly. That was two years ago. At least, to her it was.]

If I was afraid of everyone who tried to kill me a few times, my job would get real hard.

[She'd lose some good friends, too.]

Six months?

That's how long I've been here. Steve was here until a few days ago.

[He frowns.]

He was small. Didn't have the serum yet.

[It takes her a few seconds to process that, her chest rising and falling in a long breath. That makes things more complicated.]

So when we come here, it's from different times too. I have that right?

[Why not? They're already coming from different realities, if the info on her phone is to be believed. Once you accept that, times is a minor concern.]

That complicates things.

[He nods.]

Apparently. [Bucky relaxes a bit, his gun lowering. He's fairly certain now that she's not going to attack, but he still isn't sure where he stands with her.]

Complicates how?

[For one, Natasha might have to believe it.]

That depends, doesn't it?

[She crosses her arms over her chest.]

It means that even if Steve were here, he wouldn't have remembered me. And if you change your mind about your orders, that gets pretty complicated from where I'm standing.

[And if he's not trying to kill her, that could make Barnes a resource. That didn't exactly uncomplicate things.]

[He shifts, irritated, but not by her. More by thinking about his orders.]

I don't want to follow those orders. I don't want to follow any Hydra orders again. But. [He swallows hard.] If they show up I won't have a choice.

But they're not here now.

[That much is obvious. And lucky.

Her attention stays on him, unwavering as she considers how to respond to that—or if she even should.

She does know that Barnes went two years without drawing attention when he was given the chance. Then... well, like he said.]

What do you think the chances of that are?

[He's silent for a long moment, not looking at her.]

Pierce was here.

[It's a quiet confession.]

Only for a day. But. He could come back. Or Zola, or Rumlow or...

[He stops himself before he works himself up into hysterics. Those kinds of emotions won't help now. He swallows it back. Fights it down.]

Hey... [She pitches her voice low, not entirely sure how to deescalate the Winter Soldier. But just now, they have a shared interest in him not being in HYDRA's control.

Easier to focus on that very rational angle than on stickier topics.]

You know, you're not alone here. Maybe if Rumlow or Pierce show up&mdash[back from the dead]—they might try to take control of you again, but they won't have the resources they're used to.

[She lets that sink in. Natasha doesn't know how much he knows about her, what he remembers, what he might have been briefed on, but he should know at least some of what she's capable of. Gives him the time to realize she has some very unaltruistic reasons for the offer she's about to imply.]

Between an aging politician and me? I like my odds.

[He eyes her warily, but eventually he nods stiffly. He's not entirely sure Natasha understands how much control HYDRA has over him, but... well. Having an ally against them is... comforting.]

Okay.

[She knows enough to prefer not fight him again. All things considered, this makes the most sense.]

Sounds like we have a deal.

[His brow furrows.]

What deal? You didn't ask anything from me.

You don't really have to. Not having you in HYDRA's hands is a good trade.

[She cocks her head and adds in a dry voice:] Though if you want to just keep on not trying to finish your mission as long as you have a choice in it, I wouldn't exactly say no.

[He snorts, and he nods.]

That's fair.

Like I said, a deal.

[Not a bad one either. All things considered.]

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Intro Log: I'll Cry If I Want To

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