Event Post: Everyone Chill

[hadrielmods]

Who: Everyone participating in the event!
What: The event log for Tranquility's resurrection event!
Where: All around the city
When: December 27th-January 7th
Warnings: Absolutely nothing creepy or weird at all.

The revival of Tranquility on December 27th marks a vast - if temporary, and actually completely fake - change to the city. Upon awakening that morning, the inhabitants of Hadriel will find the city changed from its usual broken-down dour cave self into a sparkling, clean, delightful island city. Instead of being surrounded by hard stone walls, the city is surrounded by warm ocean waters and soft white sand beaches.

Gentle waves lap at the shore, the sky overhead is perfect, wide and open. The spires have been replaced by shining skyscrapers, the roads are clear of rubble and paved neatly. The stores are quaint, windows no longer broken, and the items inside have changed too. Instead of simple canned goods and strange clothing, you might find delicate pastries, cool drinks, fresh fruit, and flowy summer clothes to match the city. How nice! How calming, really. Didn't everyone need a vacation? So throw on some flip-flops, grab one of the mopeds that have been provided, and enjoy yourselves!

As the days go on, though, you might notice one or two odd things. Maybe the pretty sun hat you picked up looked, for just a moment, like a grubby old baseball cap instead. Maybe that beach ball is a little heavier than it should be. Maybe the shining wall of that skyscraper feels more like stone than glass. Maybe - just for an instant - the sky above was solid rock instead of the gentle, calming hues of the sunset.

While there is a mild compulsion toward calmness and tranquility, towards accepting the city for exactly what it seems to be, that can be ignored - and the illusion can be broken, if you choose to try. But do you really want to? Isn't that croissant much nicer than yet another can of beans? Wouldn't you rather relax at the beach than run around, trying to convince all your friends that this is just the gods getting inside their heads again in an even more creepy and all-encompassing way than usual?

Come on. Don't be a buzzkill.

► This log covers December 27th-January 7th.
► 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 chill out so much you end up dead, please let us know here.

Comments

Glacius | OTA

[glacius]

1. Take Me Back to See that Sky

There was something very wrong about this sudden change of surroundings.

Logically, Glacius knew it. He knew there was absolutely no way that the gods had decided to release their prisoners, that instead it was much more likely that they were using their powers to trick the minds of those trapped into the city into seeing this bright and sunny new land. It should have been unsettling... and on some subconscious levels, it was. But after months of being trapped in a dark, decrepit cave, it was also a profound relief to see the sun and the sky again... so much that the ice alien was willing to buy into their new surroundings for the time being. He was even willing to take a long walk around this sparkling new utopia that had been planted into their heads, despite how the bright sun and warm temperatures were even harder on him than the environment of the cave had been. He was guessing that this might be an idyllic habitat for humans, but he could do with it being much colder--and being filled with far more snow and ice before he would even consider calling it a paradise!

Nonetheless, his natural curiosity drove him to explore, to take in everything about an environment that he'd never really seen before. Eventually the otherworldly being ended up at the beach... and though he certainly wasn't one to sunbathe, those vast open waters promised one of the best ways to get a respite from the heat. The ice alien spent a lot of his days there; sometimes he simply lounged in the shallows where he could idly watch all of the other inhabitants of Hadriel do whatever it was they did for relaxation while he cooled off. Other times he moved further out and merged with the waters--either completely, or with only his head and neck formed, making him look like some bizarre sea serpent. Either way it's not hard to flag him down, whether it's to introduce him to the concept of fun in the sun, or to request his assistance with some matter or another.

2. Left with Nothing but a Memory

Of course, Glacius could only exist in this illusion for so long. Though he'd been willing at first, so happy for the fresh air and the open sky, he'd known all along that this couldn't be--he knew that he couldn't keep living in a false reality, as refreshing as the change had been. And so the god's sway over his mind began to slip, cracks beginning to form in the illusion they'd constructed as the days passed by. At first it had just been little glimpses into the true world here and there, a fleeting vision of a beaten street or a solid stone wall, but it was enough that he knew: Hadriel was still there, and he was still just as much a prisoner as he'd ever been.

Things feel apart more quickly from there on out, and the ice alien found himself wandering down to the edge of the island every night to look up at the open sky. A sea of black, dotted with countless shining stars; gazing up into its endless depths didn't just make him feel freer, it made him feel closer to his people and to his world--to everything he'd known. It was going to be hard to lose all of that, so for now he was going to drink in as much of it as he could. He sat out in the dark of every night, the light from the celestial bodies reflecting off of his glimmering icy skin as he breathed deeply and honored all of the things that would soon be gone without a trace. At times, he's completely lost to his thoughts; at others he seems to actually be seeking someone to share the memories with, as a way to try and keep them alive, as he actually speaks to those that occasionally walk by.

"Look at it all, so bright and vivid, shining as though it had never been taken from us. Possibilities as endless as the stars, true freedom... words fall short. Yet still I would like to try. I've seen so much, and soon will have so little of that left... perhaps in this way it can endure."

1 - Beach

[justice_from_above]

[Someone else is enjoying the wide open skies as well, and as Glacius is relaxing on the beach, Fareeha pops her jets and tears over the sand above him. She wasn't capable of reaching the height of the usual cave-ceilings, but there was always an oppressiveness of it. It was so freeing to flie against an open sky once more, enough that for the moment she's willing to ignore the flutter of suspicion settled in her stomach. She's needed this.]

[She settles back on the sand to let her jets recharge, standing tall and looking out over the waves with a truly grateful expression.]

[glacius]

[Glacius has spent quite a bit of time looking up to the sky, drinking in not only the same sense of freedom that Fareeha is enjoying, but the tranquility in that blue expanse... so it comes as quiet the surprise when a figure shoots across it, clad in shining armor that reflects the bright sun. Even more confounding is the realization that this figure is coming to a stop not all that far away from him... warbling with shock and uncertainty, the ice alien scrambles up to his feet in the surf, gentle waves lapping at his ankles. Sunlight glints off the icy facets of his skin... the Overwatch agent isn't the only one clad in shining armor!

The ice alien stands immobile, watching and waiting for any sort of reaction from this new face... be it some sort of deman, or inquiry, or maybe even an attack. When it doesn't come, he lifts his head and tilts it slightly to one side in confusion, then clears his throat--a vocalization that makes the gelatinous covering of his gills quaver slightly, a clue to where his voice originates--and speaks up.] Ah... hello..?

[justice_from_above]

[She looks over, then reaches up to take her helmet off and shake out her hair. She spends a moment looking him over, noting the odd manner of speech and the glinting ... armor? She wasn't sure. Whatever Glacius was, he was certainly interesting. She gives him a little nod in greeting.]

Hello. I see I'm not the only one enjoying the view. I never thought I would have been lucky enough to see an unspoilt horizon like this.

[glacius]

[Oh, so it is a human--or at least one of those beings that isn't quite but still very much looks the part. And they don't seem alarmed by his appearance, which is always a plus! Glacius lifts his head a little bit more, then after a brief delay, returns the nod of greeting... and when Fareeha comments on the sky, well. He can't help but turn to look up at it himself, the first traces of a smile tugging at his features.]

I was beginning to wonder if I would ever see the horizon again, myself. I have been trapped in this cave for so long... even if it might not be real, it's still a sight that gives a sense of freedom, no?

[justice_from_above]

[He's stranger than a lot of things she's seen, but she's adult enough not to stare or draw undue attention. Really, how is he any different than an ape scientist or cyborg ninja?]

It really does. I've only just begun my tenure here but it's one of the things I miss most.

[glacius]

Ah, well. That answers one of my questions. I was going to ask how long you have been in this cave--you do not seem terribly surprised by my appearance like most newcomers, yet I have not seen you around before...

[Glacius explains himself, then returns to the actual topic of conversation.] I think I can guess why, if that equipment you come with is standard issue. The only flight I've ever engaged in has been in a space-faring ship... which is beautiful in its own right. [And just as unobtainable as an actual, not illusion-based sky.]

[justice_from_above]

My world was filled with some pretty remarkable people. I am not surprised that more exist outside my original understanding of the universe. We haven't quite mastered the stars yet; we got a little too ambitious on the ground.

I.

[tongueamok]

Unlike Glacius, whose natural curiosity led him to explore the new world around them, Carlisle spent the first few days refusing to leave the apartment. It had taken nearly half a day just to talk himself into leaving his own room. He'd been overwhelmed the instant he discovered everything outside had changed, though some of it had been for the better: the cavern ceiling had been replaced with a gorgeous sky, the roads cleared of the debris that so often lined them. It looked so safe, so serene.

And then there were the buildings. Overnight, they'd been transformed from the towering spirals, which were already intimidating in their structure, into even taller monstrosities that reached so high into the sky that Carlisle could hardly comprehend what he was seeing. As someone who'd spent his entire life in a small village and the surrounding areas, he'd never seen structures so imposing, save for the Tranquility -- that was a thought that brought him no comfort at all.

So he'd covered his window and stayed in his room, only exiting for brief periods when Glacius, who had noticed his anxious behavior, managed to coax him out. Even then, it was a monumental effort, and one with only limited results. There was a beach out there, reportedly -- Carlisle had never seen one of those, nor cared to see one. Despite living near a river, he was, at best, a very poor swimmer who didn't so much as swim as flounder and panic over the water and everything in it possibly trying to kill him.

But Glacius seemed so enamored with the water, and while he was out, that meant Carlisle was alone with his own thoughts -- also his pet, but mostly thoughts. He thought about Chris, who had vanished, returning home to his monster-filled mountain and deceased friends. He thought of Miriam, whom he'd discovered had also gone missing: he went over one day, and found her place empty, her name missing from his communicator, the bottles he'd given her gathering dust on the shelves. He knew well enough what that meant.

How long would it be, then? Would he be next? Or was he damned to remain torn from his world, his few friends he'd managed to make vanishing one by one? Would Glacius simply leave one day and not come back?

And that thought on its own was enough to finally get him to brave the city. Despite knowing it had to be an illusion of some sort, crossing the threshold of the doorway into the street was frightening all the same, the former spires looming above him -- the one he was leaving included. He could do this, he reminded himself. It was all a trick of the mind, as everything in the city was (save for the monsters, which were very much real). Nothing had changed.

In good news, all the self-reassurance he could muster managed to get him to one of the stores where, despite his earlier thoughts that nothing had changed, everything had seemingly changed. The clothing had been replaced with bright, colorful numbers meant for a day of fun in the sun, and bottles of concoctions he didn't quite recognize lined the walls. He had to admit that something labeled "sunblock" did sound promising. If only there was a "building block" formula.

Deciding that trying to find Glacius when the city was so different and he was so painfully inadequate at dealing with his anxiety over something as stupid as scary tall buildings was a futile effort, he turned to his communicator, thanking his goddess that Glacius' name was still listed within it.

"I'll have you know I did manage to leave the apartment today."

[glacius]

It hadn't taken Glacius long to realize that his human friend was distressed by the sudden change in their surroundings, but it had taken him some time to figure out what, exactly, to do about that. At first he had tried to coax the clergyman out of their shared living space, thinking that maybe exposure to the new scenery would help him adjust, but it became clear that whatever good each attempt was doing was being overwhelmed by the added anxiety of being out in a bright, strange new place. So the ice alien had ultimately decided to stop trying to force it. He didn't want to cause his friend undue stress, and he was more than capable of bringing various supplies back at the end of each day for them. When Carlisle was ready, he would venture out--or at least that was what the galactic marshal was hoping for.

Those hopes were finally being realized, now, as Glacius took a break from the ocean to go check his communicator, which he'd left further up the gentle slopes of the sandy dunes with a towel--something Emily had showed him, a very convenient trick for keeping his poor cold body off of the hot sand--and some other supplies. It was good timing; the small device began buzzing right as he strolled up to it, and he picked it up and smiled when he heard that familiar voice. Despite knowing this was all some grand trick the ice alien was in good spirits... he had the sky and the fresh air and new things to occupy his mind, and now one of the people he wanted to share all of that with most was finally making strides to come see it all.

"Oh? Good, good. And how is the intrepid explorer finding everything today?"

[tongueamok]

"I made it to one of the stores."

And that was a feat for him, all things considered. He might even scavenge a few of the establishments later for supplies, granted he ever managed to leave the apartment again -- or got back to it at all. He wasn't so sure he'd accomplish even that much.

[glacius]

"Ah, yes! Everything in them is much better quality, now... or, it seems to be," Glacius corrects himself, not wanting to allow himself to buy into any of this too deeply, despite how he was enjoying it. "If you find anything to your liking, feel free to bring it back to the apartment. Ah... will you be going back to the apartment, afterwards..?"

Despite the fact that he's almost entirely certain Carlisle has already decided this has been enough excitement for one day, he can't help the slight twinge of hope to his voice. He's been enjoying sharing in fun new things that they aren't usually afforded in the city--even though they're still in the city--with all of his friends. He'd like to get a chance to do some of that with the clergyman, too.

[tongueamok]

There's hesitation on Carlisle's end. He can tell Glacius anything, he reminds himself. The alien is his most trusted friend in the city... especially now that Chris and Miriam are gone. The former would have reassured him that there are plenty of things to be afraid of, but this illusion is likely not one of them; the latter would have told him he was fun, but would be more fun if he tried new things every once in a while.

And what would Glacius tell him? He's sure he already knows, given that tone in the icy giant's voice, and the way he's taken to the changes in the city, exploring them while he has the chance. Carlisle hasn't that kind of bravery on his own, and he knows it.

"I, er. Of course I'll go back afterwards," he reassures through the communicator, though after what, he's not sure yet. "I'm just, um."

Trying not to panic. Attempting to cobble his nerves into something that even vaguely resembles a working human being. Wondering if it'd be less embarrassing if he called Kate to come pick him up.

The answer to that last one is a resounding no. "Just taking a break. The stairs do wear me out."

[glacius]

"Oh... well, alright," Glacius responds, fighting to keep the disappointment out of his voice. "There's no cause to push yourself too much in one day. I just... want you to be comfortable."

He'd been hoping so strongly that this first step that Carlisle had taken on his own would be the gateway to further adventures together, but that still doesn't seem to be the case... and he's never been the sort of creature to put his own wants before the needs of others. If they can't spend time together out trying new things, then they at least have good old stand-byes to resort to. Glacius doesn't want Carlisle to feel like any of that is second-rate, because even though the novelty of all these changes are enjoyable, the stability and comfort of their routines is something he wouldn't trade for anything. "I'll tell you what. I've been out here for awhile... I'll make my way to the stores, and then we can go back together, so that you don't have to worry about any of this or wear yourself out further."

II. Memory

[fracturedbeauty]

Alright, so Glacius' form is far more interesting than an ageless Elf's. Just what species would you call that, anyway? It's been an interesting week already. Actually, things have been pretty interesting since he got here. Still, this is one more curiousity to add to his list. He wanders up to the man to start a conversation, but it would appear the ice-man speaks first. Sounds like he has quite the story on his shoulders. Alright, he'll bite. He's all about hearing what other people's backgrounds are, so long as it's interesting.

"It certainly is beautiful," Yukari answers, looking up at the sky himself. "Nothing at all like those damp caves."

Yukari hasn't been particularly been disillusioned yet, mostly because he's satisfied to just let things play out however they may, and partially due to the fact that he isn't familiar with the functions of this world yet.

"I'd like to hear what you have to say. Tell me more about this true freedom, what you've seen, and perhaps how it will endure."

[glacius]

"Ah, you are kind enough to indulge me," Glacius murmurs, swiveling his head on his curving neck to look at this new face as they come up beside him. "Now the question is where to even begin. I do not want to ramble on, but there is so much to share... I have drifted through the void, traveled from system to system. I have seen so many different planets, witnessed the unique beauty of each one. That is the sort of freedom I am referring to... to know so much and yet so little of what lays before you, and to know that you could see it all."

So different from the sad little cave he's been trapped in for months now, where all he ever sees is that same cavern ceiling, the same crumbling buildings and beaten streets. Even though they all have room to walk around and can interact freely, the ice alien could never fully shake the knowledge that he'd been made a prisoner once more. It made him long even more fiercely for the worlds that he once knew... one of the reasons he's been so enraptured by the sight of the sky--the night sky in particular, dotted with all of those shining stars. They were little reminders of what was out there, and he was holding fast to that while he still could.

[fracturedbeauty]

The word beauty definitely catches on Yukari's ears, and his brows raise in intrigue.

"Oh, please, feel free to ramble. You can start from the very beginning, if you like. I'm quite fascinated with other worlds as of late. I certainly have no problems with listening to it all. It truly sounds liberating and mesmerizing."

After hearing of Curufin's, he is indeed taken in by other systems, and apparently this man has seen many. It's like getting to experience the beauty by secondhand means. As well as getting to expand his horizons of knowledge and the cosmic forces of each unique world.

1;

[pellameno]

The beaches are the most fascinating thing about this new setting for Pell -- he's never seen so much water in his life, certainly not water that moves in waves. Jack's been teaching him to swim in its abundance, a skill he never actually thought he'd gain. He's heading out to practice now, and scanning the beach for anyone he knows who might be willing to spot him. Even if it's fake, he's gotten some water up his nose during this endeavor and it certainly feels real enough to drown in.

He spots Glacius submerged in the shallows, head and shoulders peeking up as he lounges. Maybe the alien would help... even if not, Pell would like to check in with him, see how he's doing. So he heads that way, tying his hair up as he wades into the water.

"Glacius. How are you?"

[glacius]

Glacius is just lounging about, his head lifted high on that long serpentine neck as he scans the beach and watches all of the various people frolicking about. Aside from swimming, he has no idea what sort of activites constitute a fun beach excursion, so he's trying to learn by observation; some are simply laying out in the beams of the sun, which sounds horrifically unpleasant to a creature that detests heat. Others are swimming about, some testing their endurance while others play with brightly-colored rubber balls and foam noodles; yet others remain on the land, digging and making crude structures from the wet sand with shovels and buckets.

It's as he's taking it all in that he spots a familiar face coming up to him, belonging to a person he's taken quite a liking to for his politeness and quiet consideration (that fiasco with the dragon aside!). Glacius stretches in the shallows, then pulls himself up from laying on his side into a neat cross-legged sit, his back straight. "Pell! I have been well. Enjoying the change in our surroundings, regardless of how real they actually are... I have never gotten a chance to enjoy the beach like this before, but the cool waters are quite agreeable. How have you been?"

2 let's go

[dedikated]

It's no surprise that Kate's out of the house. She is so often, whether working or working out, doing something to pass the time (it's been this way as long as she can remember, even back before her parents were killed. Busy running, practicing triple jump, spending time with friends. Anything but sitting still long enough to do homework.) Since the skies opened up above them - fake or not - it's only gotten worse, with time spent to actually enjoy the sight of something she'd begun to believe would never return to her sight, that she'd be trapped in a fishbowl that brings back too much she'd rather forget.

Sure, it's fake, and she knows it is. That sort of knowledge seeps deep into your bones the more you look, touch, smell. The smell of the sea is off. The sky is just a little too perfect. There are spots, running along the buildings, where your balance goes. There's an overwhelming sensation that everything shouldn't be as okay as it feels. That too much has happened, has been lost, recently for it all to be swept up in the current of this sudden beauty.

She goes looking for Glacius one night, after the knowledge has buried itself so deep within her that she can't just ignore it and have fun, like Faith keeps advocating, wanders the city until she finds him at the edge and sits down next to him, wrapping her arms around her legs and following his gaze up to what rests above them for a short while longer.

"Tell me about it." Her voice is light, spoken into the air. Tell her something to distract her from the way the illusion ripples through, still trying to insist that this is an island with a sky.

Trying to insist that everything's okay.

LET'S! GO!!

[glacius]

Glacius scoots over to make room for Kate, always happy to have his friend's company... especially now, when things are feeling rather somber. He can already tell from her voice that she's feeling some of the same things that he is; trying to continue buying into the illusion despite the fact that they both know it cannot last. It is best to embrace this while they still have it.

"Gladly," he chirps, looking over to his friend. His green eyes glow brightly in the dark of the night, visible even as he turns to look back up at the sky. "You have seen so much of the bad of my past, I think it is long due that I share with you some of the better times. Tell me, has space travel been achieved back in your world, Kate? What sort exposure have you had to the void great and the stars?"

stabs self in heart it's cool.

[dedikated]

Space travel. Huh. Back home, the leaps and bounds they've made probably sound like nothing to a person who's travelled the galaxies. She lets herself watch the sky - it's too still, the stars too static, to be real, but it's beautiful in its own way.

Close enough. Everything here's just... close enough. This city is close enough to a place to spend your time, close enough to a livable place that you can pretend it isn't a prison if you distract yourself well enough. The people sometimes stay long enough that they're close enough to permanent fixtures in your life, or what this existence passes for.

Until, of course, they're no longer there and that illusion is shattered.

But she doesn't want to think about that, not right now. Not when one of those people who are still permanent enough that she can delude herself into thinking he won't disappear as well, is offering tales to her, sharing, confiding something.

(Those moments are, at least, real. Even if this illusion seems to dull the ache of so many things, there are memories that it can't blanket, can't hide with smoke and mirrors.)

"People've got to the moon. Mostly seems like it's satellites." That's what's always reported on the news, anyway. She's pretty sure man making it to another planet would have gained more than a passing mention.

that tag was so sad and good? omg ;n;

[glacius]

Glacius watches Kate as she thinks on his question, his bright green eyes glimmering as he wonders what she's thinking. Little does he know that she has some of the same sentiments that he does about this illusion, of the reality of living in this cave... or that she's actually thinking of him, concerned over how long he'll be in her life. He's still not used to having such an impact on the lives of humans... but if he was privy to those thoughts, he would be touched. He's already assured one person here that he will stand by them as long as he's able, and would be happy to do the same for the loyal and understanding woman who has always been at his side.

Even now she's here, sitting and listening to him, allowing him to vent his woes and share his memories. The alien considers the answer briefly, then responds. "The moon... is that the same moon that orbits the earth of my world? Very small, barren, with lots of craters and a very tenuous atmosphere?"

ugh these two ;;

[dedikated]

Memories help, in their own way. Sharing them, not bottling them up, listening to another's - every part of it helps, makes things feel real again. With a tilt of her head, Kate considers the description, considers - once again - just how much of Glacius' universe might be part of her own, lying undiscovered.

Just how close they came to being from the same world. She could have, so easily, fallen into something like Ultratech, been a guard and believed what she was told.

She did it back home, after all.

"Aye."

i love them so so much ;n;

[glacius]

"I see," Glacius responds, rubbing at his chin in thought. How strange it is, that universes can be so similar yet so different... he wonders what it would be like if his people existed in a different one, where humans were more evolved, more peaceable. Would his species be more open in turn, or would it simply be a different species that tortured his ancestor and put him through such arduous trials?

Thoughts for another time, he supposes. He folds his hands in his lap and continues on. "Well, to put things in perspective... my people have already developed our moon. Its primary use now is as a flight school for young pilots-to-be; the orbit around our planet provided them an expanse of space to practice in that was still close to home. It was from that frozen surface that I first saw my homeworld as a whole... and though I had always been keenly aware of its beauty, I found myself awestruck in a different way. Perhaps it was that moment, as I gazed upon that glimmering sphere of ice and snow that held my people and my very way of life, that seeded my love of exploration."