hadriel_logs | Event Post: Everyone Chill

Entry tags:

Event Post: Everyone Chill

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 The spires have been replaced by shining skyscrapers, the roads are clear of rubble and paved neatly.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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"You've already made such strides coming out here, though!Sometimes we must endure things that are not necessarily the most comfortable if we are to grow. But... if that is what you think would be most helpful... then I defer," the ice alien sighs, his shoulder sagging slightly. He's never been the sort to try and cajole someone into doing something against their will, and he especially does not want to be so insistent here that Carlisle begins to grow uncomfortable with his presence. More than anything, he likes being a sense of security for the clergyman... but that gives him one final idea.

"What if I shifted partially into the water, and took you out just a little further? You could keep your arms around my neck, or I could hold you in mine--it wouldn't teach you to swim, necessarily, but maybe it would help you feel safe while being partially submerged. You'd even be able to look around and get a better feel for your surroundings without having to worry about moving through the water on your own... you might even like what you see." It's his hope, anyways!

Carlisle's immediate inclination is to decline, and to head back to the beach, away from the water, the sensation of being pulled further in, and the downward spiral of self-confidence his mind is already treading. That will put him closer to the buildings, but at least they don't seem to be moving anymore, unlike the water.

However, Glacius' suggestion gives him pause. Just what is there to see out there other than more water and the endless abyss that surely lies below? And why is it Glacius is so insistent he experience it?

He manages to answer that second one himself: this is important to Glacius. The alien wants them to enjoy this time together, to relax after all the city has thrown at them. Whereas Carlisle seeks refuge in plants and prayer, this is what the icy alien would prefer to do. They may not get this opportunity again -- not unless they go swimming in the city's river, and that doesn't sound fun at all.

He'd be safe, he tries to convince himself. Glacius won't let anything happen to him. Of course he wouldn't. Still, he stalls.

"Sh- shift? Where you, ah. Sort of melt away? Is that- is that safe?"

Glacius can see the trepidation written all over Carlisle's face, so he's doubly happy when the man does not give in to his immediate inclinations. That he's still making an effort on his behalf causes another surge of that appreciation in his hearts--gentler, this time, but no less pleasant. He smiles softly and nods, realizing that further explanation might be helpful here.

"My apologies for falling on short-hand terms. You are correct, in my people's language a shift simply means any partial alteration to our forms. A complete change is referred to as liquidizing... which I will not be doing here, for if I were to merge completely with the water you'd have nothing to hold on to, and it wouldn't be a very good way for us to spend time together, now would it?"

Glacius chuckles, then trails off when he realizes he's beginning to over-explain--as he usually does when trying to bridge the gap between his culture and his friend's. Any reluctance to speak of such things seems to gradually be ebbing as trust between him and the clergyman is built stronger and stronger. "So I would shift in one of two ways, either leaving my head and neck intact, or remain formed from the waist up; either change would allow me to effortlessly traverse the waters while still allowing you to hold on or be held. Either way, yes, I assure you it is completely safe for both of us."

Having only seen Glacius' kind do such things when in danger, Carlisle wasn't entirely sure of what such a practice entailed; however, he is grateful for the explanation, and realizes the importance of receiving such a gift, given the icy giants' secrecy regarding their technology and their bodies. The two of them have spent much time together though -- tending to one another's wounds, keeping each other's fears at bay, sharing moments and memories and missteps others may never see. Carlisle himself is a fairly private person, and would never reveal even half of what he's told the alien to anyone else. He never felt the need to.

But as Glacius shares his vulnerabilities with Carlisle, he can't help but want to share his in turn, especially when Glacius is so driven to help him in any way. The alien has other friends, Carlisle reminds himself, but... what he has with Glacius feels unique in some way, and he likes to believe Glacius feels the same. Of course, he'd like to believe many other things, but faith only goes so far.

He adjusts his glasses again, looking at the sun as it dips ever closer to the horizon. Glacius won't leave him out there if he panics -- he knows that much to be true. Their people are not prone to deceit.

"I—" He swallows down another impulse to decline. If he doesn't do this now, he may never again get the opportunity or the nerve to do so, and it is obviously so important to Glacius. "I think I'd rather hold on, if that's all right."

Edited 2017-01-02 04:10 (UTC)

"Of course that is alright. Whatever it takes to make you most comfortable... that is all I wish, after all that you have done for me today. You are making such an effort on my behalf, Carlisle... I will remember this always."

Giving his friend's shoulder a gentle squeeze to further drive his thankfulness home, Glacius then removes his arm from around him and initiates the shift. Everything below his neck shimmers and then melts, the merging of his body with the ocean waters smooth and quick. All that's left in recognizeable form is the alien's head and thick, serpentine neck... which draws up mass from the rest of his body to elongate itself, giving Carlisle ample room to wrap his arms around, as per his request. The brightly patterned garment that they worked so hard to get him into now bobs at the surface in the gentle waves, and Glacius blinks down at it. That's right; it's not made with bio-fibers or alloys like the garments of his people, which are meant to transition between states with them when they shift. He chuckles somewhat sheepishly as he directs his attention towards the clergyman.

"Would you mind tucking that under your arm so we don't lose it? Then, you may take hold of me whenever you are ready. Just, ah--watch the gills..." He made sure there was plenty of space below those biological vents and their thick anchoring tendons when he finished his shift, but with such a vulnerable point of anatomy he figures it never hurts to lay extra precautions. The fact that he's letting Carlisle get his hands anywhere near his neck is one of those unprecedented displays of trust... but then the clergyman had them at an open wound not all that long ago, and hadn't sought to incite any harm there. He's earned the gesture.

Before Carlisle can argue that he hasn't really done anything for Glacius that day aside from walk to a beach, wander waist-deep into the ocean, and have himself a little panic about both of those things -- it's Glacius who has done the most, what with the ridiculous shirt and the encouragement and the part where he had to go rescue Carlisle from cowering in a store for the rest of his existence -- the alien transforms, his icy body shifting into the form of some kind of giant snake. His friend's visage is still there, as is his voice.

"Oh, uh." He looks down at the shirt and, his hands shaking, takes the garment in hand, tucking it under his arm as instructed. "Right. Okay. Got it. The shirt, I mean. And the instructions. Watch the gills."

He hesitates despite what he just said, but finally does wrap his arms around Glacius' now-much-longer neck, careful not to lose the shirt.

A huff of breath escapes Glacius' gills when he first feels Carlisle's arms wrap around his thick, powerful neck. Despite the fact that he is trying his very best to be as accommodating as possible so as to hopefully soothe some of his friend's nerves, he's never interacted with someone while in this form, and this particular interaction is admittedly rather personal. As has been made plenty apparent, the ice alien comes does not let just anyone touch him... let alone hold tight to him while he ferries them about in the water.

But this is for a good cause, the otherworldly being reminds himself--not just to hopefully get the human more comfortable in the water so that he doesn't immediately panic if he ever ends up in a body of it on his own, but to enjoy their new and surely temporary surroundings together while they can. Casting a look out at the horizon and the setting sun, he draws a breath, then swivels his head on that serpentine neck to look back at his friend. "Alright then, Carlisle. Off we go..."

The partially shifted ice alien begins winding through the water like some otherworldly sea serpent, a glimmering streak playing host to the various reflections of the sun that are glinting off the waves. As he moves, he speaks in gentle encouragements: "Remember, you are safe. Focus on breathing, and on keeping your body relaxed. Don't think about the ocean--think about the fresh air in your lungs, in the colors of the setting sun, in the glint of its light off the surface. There is such beauty in this that we may never see again... I am so happy you came out here with me, Carlisle, so that we may share in it together."

Glacius thinks of the beauty all around them and the experience they're about to share; Carlisle, on the other hand, thinks first about the movement of the water, the way it pushes faster against him, and how he's not sure that holding onto a slick, icy being is as safe an adventure as promised.

But most of all, he thinks about his glasses, which slide from him as the air picks up around him, water splashing droplets across his lenses. He releases one arm to grab them, but immediately regrets that decision as he slips from around Glacius' serpentine body just a hair. "Yes, happy to share it," he yelps, his voice quickening. "Not sure I can wait wait wait slow down I almost lost my glasses!"

And his grip, but his glasses seem to be the priority.

Alright, well, his bid to distract Carlisle from his own nerves didn't work out like he was hoping... but at least this isn't full-on panic just yet. In truth he hadn't even been moving all that quickly, has just been coasting slowly through the waves, but now the ice alien comes to a complete stop and swivels his head around again to look at the man; as he does so, a large, icy tendril--likely the alien's tail end-- reforms from the water a few feet behind him to coil around his waist in a supportive fashion.

"Are you sure you do not want me to take a more conventional form so I can properly hold you?" Glacius asks, tilting his head as he tries to help Carlisle get purchase around his neck again. Any other methods of transporting someone in this form haven't even come to mind yet, given how he's never interacted with someone like this before.

Even 'not moving at all' seems to be too fast for Carlisle for the moment. "I'll be fine if what is that?! Something's—"

It's a good thing Glacius has that tendril coiled around his waist, as Carlisle lets go of his neck completely in his moment of panic, He shoves his hands into the water to fight off whatever has grabbed him, only to feel the icy surface of the serpentine limb. It's just Glacius; he's safe, as promised. "Oh, oh that's you. Right."

Reddening in embarrassment, he goes back to his initial problem. "I can hold on myself -- I think -- but it'd be easier if I could maybe sit on this bit you've got around my waist? I don't mean to ride you like some kind of great, watery horse, but I'd definitely feel better if I could hold onto my glasses with one hand, and your neck with the other, and still feel like I wasn't going anywhere. Figuratively. I mean, relative to your back, not as in 'not going anywhere' with this endeavor, obviously..."

Edited 2017-01-02 19:52 (UTC)

Glacius muscles' tense up against Carlises hand as the man grapples with his body briefly, relaxing only he feels the clergyman catch on to what's happening. He nods in reassurance, though the motion of his head slows as his friend continues speaking... and then it stops completely when he comes up with a possible solution.

"Sit on me??" Glacius blinks. That sounds... highly strange and undignified. But then, he was just wearing the most garish, unsightly garment ever to don an ice alien's body... maybe he doesn't have any room to complain any more. Besides, his friend's comfort is most important right now... he can put up with temporary discomfort to that end. "Ah... al..right? If you think that would be easiest for you, then... yes. We can try it."

The surface of the water ripples as the ice alien reforms more of himself from the ocean, the full length of his long, thick serpentine body completely formed now. It means it's going to take him more work to stay afloat, but he's willing to try this out. His tail end releases Carlisle, freeing him up to try and climb on, or... however it is he's going to do this.

Though made even more uncomfortable by the obvious apprehension Glacius has with his idea, Carlisle slides onto his back once it is formed, determined to give it a try now that he's unfortunately talked the alien into it. He has to admit that it does feel... safer. Easier. He can wrap his legs a little around the alien too, giving him even more purchase.

"That does, ah. Feel better on my end, admittedly." He wraps one arm around Glacius' neck carefully once more, holding his glasses with his free hand and glad to find he doesn't slide back into the ocean. "Is that too uncomfortable for you?"

Alright, so there's a human straddling his back now. Glacius lets out a rattling breath, the sound tapering off into something a little more at ease when he feel's Carlisle's hands at his neck. "No. It's--I mean, it's strange. Different, maybe, is the better word. I've carried my fair share of humans ever since being brought to this cave, just never like this."

Now he gives off a light chuckle, trying to make things feel less awkward with humor, before he begins winding through the water again. It's a little bit more difficult now--having the human's legs wrapped around his body like this inhibits his lateral undulation somewhat, making it hard to effectively use the movement of the waves to propel him. As Carlisle probably knows by now, however, he's not the sort to be deterred--it just means he probably won't be able to swim about for as long before he has to head back to the shore to rest, which probably suits the clergyman just fine. Until that point Glacius coasts them towards the sunset, watching the bright blue sky fade to a dimly glowing golden-orange.

"In my defense," Carlisle returns as he makes himself as comfortable as can be while wearing shorts and riding atop an icy serpent in the ocean, "I doubt you were toting them through the water as a giant snake at the time."

Despite the oddity of the situation, as well as the unusual sensation of Glacius' body moving under him, Carlisle finds it much easier to turn his attention to their surroundings. The water pushes against him as they move, but he feels stable with Glacius around him, supporting him from two points; nothing from below can get him, as any danger would have to literally go through Glacius to reach him, rather than simply pulling him free from the alien's neck (which is no challenge, given his flimsy physique). The buildings are more distant than ever as they make they way toward the setting sun.

And no longer worried about losing his glasses, Carlisle can look through them to see that Glacius is right -- it really is beautiful. His grip loosens from time to time as they make their journey and he arcs himself away to get a better look at the water and the cool depths of it -- the darkness below is still terrifying, but kept at bay by the protection the alien's strange, new form offers.

"Certainly not, hence my remark that I've never carried anyone like this," Glacius responds, puffing out another breath as he adjusts. "I have ferried a human across a body of water, however. This is just, ah... taking it one step further, I suppose. Anyways it's not like I have any room to complain, given how much I kept pestering you to come out with me."

As the alien speaks, his tone becomes more and more unbothered-- adaptable as ever, this one. And apparently he's not the only one getting used to this decidedly new situation; when he first felt Carlisle's grip loosen he had turned his head back to make sure the clergyman wasn't in the process of slipping off him again, and instead had seen him actually leaning back, staring out not only at the setting sun, but down into the water's depths as well. That seemed particularly significant given his overwhelming fear of it before... Glacius smiles gently, returning his focus to his ferrying duty.

"So how are you finding your first ocean excursion now?"

His grip on Glacius tightens just a hair as the alien speaks to him, drawing him from his awe.

"Oh, ah. Much better actually, now that I don't feel my impending demise all around me."

He says that with a nervous laugh, but he's probably serious.

"It's- it is really lovely out here. I can see why you like it, once you get past the abyss beneath us."

"Impending demise," Glacius parrots under his breath, "Please! I am right here. You know I won't let anything happen to you." He'd pat his friend on the back if he still had the limbs to do it with. Instead he leans head back, butting his neck into the clergyman's grip briefly. "I am so happy that you can finally enjoy it, though--it's one of the things I was hoping for when I brought you out here. There are so many colors, and the rays of the sun stretch out across the unending sky... it's enough to make me not feel trapped, even if only for a little bit."

The openness of the world around them means very different things to the two of them. For Glacius, it represents freedom, the ability to go anywhere and do whatever he pleases. He thinks of his home, worlds away, and the family he's missing. Without the walls of the cave, he can see the sky, and even a false one is more comforting than the cavernous prison they're being held in.

For Carlisle, however, the illusion of open space is as frightening as he often found it back home, and especially in the jungle. With the sky so open, with no trees or mountains to block the view, there's nothing to keep him out of sight of anything that may hunt him down; the horizon goes on forever, making him feel that much smaller in a big world. When faced with a large room, Glacius might be the type to explore and look for the exit, but Carlisle is the sort who will find a nice spot in the corner and settle there, as trying to find the door seems too taxing a venture, and there's no telling what's waiting behind it anyway.

But for that moment, he seems to find the enjoyment that Glacius wanted him to see. The colors are phenomenal, the unending sky as awe-inspiring as it is overwhelmingly open, but he finds he's getting the most pleasure out of just... being with Glacius, really. Feeling safe enough to be able to relax at times, even if only between moments of unease.

And for someone who constantly feels the weight of that aforementioned impending demise, that's a big deal.

"It is nice," he murmurs quietly, leaning against Glacius' neck as he watches the water blend with the sky, painting the entire area in an orange hue.

It's something that the otherworldly being isn't going to overlook or take lightly, either. Knowing how the unfortunate circumstances of the clergyman's past have caused such stress and fear in his daily life is something that never stops tugging at the alien's hearts. He doesn't deserve any of that, and to provide his friend with little moments of security and contentment that help to break down the worry and self-doubt that plagues him is an accomplishment that Glacius can feel really, genuinely good about. It's enough that another deeply pleased purr rolls up out of this gills, the thrumming in his throat easily felt under Carlisle's hands, and against his chest given how he's leaning against the alien's neck. "It certainly is," he responds equally quietly, nodding his agreement--but aside from that he seems content to watch wordlessly with his friend as the sun begins to dip lower and lower, that bright burning orange dimming to a lower glow.

Then, before too much longer, even that fades--replaced by a dark night sky beset with countless stars that shine like beacons to the lost alien. This far out in the ocean, however, it's even more impressive; the placid sea beneath them becomes a deep black mirror, reflections of the shining lights glimmering in its surface. Surrounded on all sides by the seemingly endless expanse, it feels almost like they've been transported to somewhere else entirely, closer to the void and that sense of not only endless possibility, but of unbreakable tranquility. It's enough that even the otherworldly being finds himself absolutely transfixed as he stares up at the night sky, his glowing green eyes wide.

Carlisle feels that rattling against his chest, and now knows more of what to make of it as the vibrations rumble through him. He assumes it's the sight that caused such a reaction this time; still, he feels sheepish all the same, as though he's been let in on another secret usually hidden under the ice, and reddens a bit as he leans off Glacius to look further into the darkening sky.

He's silent as his eyes take in the emerging stars. The sea becomes discernible from the sky, save for the soft waves that push against them, ever inward toward the island that was once the cave city. The vast expanse all around them threatens to swallow him whole, but Glacius is there, grounding him. Carlisle reminds himself that he's okay. He's here.

He's also cold, the temperature dipping the longer they're out there, but doesn't quite realize it until he starts shivering. His hands do shake a lot -- sometimes, it's hard to tell what it is that ails him.

There are so many stars, so many countless little reflections and details and reminders of home that Glacius feels as though he could get lost in them forever. He could certainly stay out there for hours longer, staring up as memories and feelings of both joy and longing sweep through him, were it not for the shivering of the human on his back. It's enough to snap the ice alien out of his trance; again he swivels his head around to regard the clergyman, and then without a word his body begins to turn, aiming to take them back to the shore. He's kept him out here long enough... and while he's deeply pleased at how well Carlisle is playing along, and he's enjoying the moment immensely, he does not want to risk his comfort or health. He already seems to have trouble staying warm as is...

"Thank you for indulging me, Carlisle," Glacius speaks quietly, as he cruises gently back towards land. "You did so well, and thanks to you... I... I got everything that I wanted out of today. I'll look fondly back on these memories for a long time... when I no longer have the light of the stars to guide me, to make me feel connected to the world I once knew, I will think back on this time that we have shared and know that I do not have to feel alone. This gift that you have given me... it cannot be outshined."

Carlisle can tell the moment Glacius looks back at him that he wasn't doing a very good job of stifling his shaking, but the alien doesn't draw attention to it, simply turning for the shore and heading back. He offers instead that steadfast encouragement, words to bolster Carlisle against his own fears rather than push him farther toward them. It's rare for him to receive such things, and even more so for him to want to believe them. Why would he, knowing what a blight he has been to his entire lineage? To the people around him?

So he reddens as he mulls over what Glacius says, how he'll hold these memories in such high regard. Carlisle doesn't even hold most of his own that way, so for the icy giant -- so proud, so secretive in what troubles him most -- to admit that this experience is one he'll hold dear, that will help him when he feels so disconnected from his world...

Carlisle rubs at his chest and the talisman beneath his shirt, his face burning to think that something as small as a day out of the apartment with his company could be so important to Glacius -- and it, in turn, makes him feel like he has some meaning in his life, some purpose beyond proving himself to his goddess. The alien has come to mean so much to him, and having been a solitary creature since the disappearance of his uncles, Carlisle has never felt like that about... well, anyone before. His family had been supportive, but even he felt small beside them, always living in their shadows in the eyes of everyone around him, himself included.

"That's- that's terribly kind of you to- to say, Glacius," he stammers. "I- ah. I'm flattered, I suppose. Yes. Thank you."

And just like that, that addictive feeling rises in him, the one that's hard for him to either pinpoint or name. He doesn't know if Glacius feels the same as he does, as though he's more than just some insignificant speck who can't possibly live up to his own expectations, but when the alien says things like that... he likes to believe so. He might not be able to properly say what that feeling is that wells in his chest, but perhaps his peaceful smile and the deep color against his pale skin, so different from the nervous look he usually bears, can say it for him.

Edited 2017-01-03 04:33 (UTC)

"You are more than welcome, Carlisle," the ice alien replies, smiling another soft smile to himself. Given how hard Glacius worked to make this night with Carlisle a possibility, and how much he enjoys his friend's company, it is a very safe bet indeed that the alien feels the same way about the clergyman's worth. It's safe to assume that his friend means as much to him as he means to his friend... but the sign of that color the human's cheeks is currently lost on the otherworldly being, given that he's preoccupied with bringing them safely back to the beach. He only notices when they get closer to the shallows, and he stops to allow Carlisle to dismount so that he can properly revert to his natural form.

"There. I can't go much further like this, but this should be shallow enough that your feet can easily reach the bottom, so..." now, as he turns his head to make sure the clergyman doesn't need any assistance in this endeavor, he finally sees the sign of that blush. "... ah, are you alright, Carlisle?"

Carlisle slides off Glacius' shifted back easily, and almost immediately takes himself to the shoreline. He's still missing that one sandal, but the sand is no longer burning, the heat dissipating with the sun's disappearance. Even with Glacius so close, he would rather not remain in the water for too much longer -- it's too dark, too open. Now that he has the option of being on land, he takes it.

Despite the cold, he can feel the fire across his face -- and it's apparent enough that Glacius can see it. "I'm fine," he reassures the alien, that nervous smile returning. "I'm just, the water is a bit chilly at night. Not used to it. Not used to, um."

He swallows, his voice dropping. "Not used to many things."

It hasn't even occurred to Glacius that a human could harbor any of those sorts of feelings for a creature as alien as him--hell, he was still adjusting to the friendships that he'd been offered-- so he takes the words at face value. A chuckle bubbles up form his throat as he reverts, his natural form reappearing from the water; a rippling mass of liquid takes the shape of the alien's powerful body, limbs and spikes and all, and then solidifies into underbody and icy skin. Despite the fact that he's seemingly recreating biological matter from nothing, the whole process only takes a matter of seconds for a being as trained in the practice of shifting as him, and now he comes out of the surf as well, grinning at Carlisle.

"Well. It has been a day of new experiences for you, hasn't it? Thank you for putting up with all of that for my sake. Come, let's go back and sit down for a little bit before we head back to the apartment. I need to rinse the wound on the side of my face anyways... it is still healing, but the salt water is not kind to what cuts remain."

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