Intro Log: None Hadriel With Left Shark

[hadrielmods]

Who: New arrivals and everyone else!
What: The intro log for February
Where: The colosseum and all around the city.
When: February 10th-16th
Warnings: Shark week

Once more, new arrivals will wake up on the ground level of the ruined colosseum. There isn't anything particularly comforting about it, either- everything is a bit cold and impersonal and there is, of course, the fact that nobody remembers just how they managed to wind up here in the first place. That can all be explained in time, though- until then, you've got quite a bit on your plate already.

And why is that? Well, that may be because you're also surrounded by sharks.

Yes, on land.

It doesn't mean that they're totally incapacitated though- you still have your two headed sharks, your giant sharks, and your sharktopus that are more than capable of flopping in your general direction before taking you into a death roll. And don't forget the (far more dangerous) sand sharks, capable of swimming through the ground as if it were water itself. You might want to start to find a life raft high ground soon.

But hey, if you manage to get away from the sharks, feel free to help yourself to one of the odd food shaped blankets. These cozy comforters are perfect for your new bed, but they tend to carry a faint scent of the food they represent, so be sure not to sleep on an empty stomach!

Listen to the Jaws theme, grab a harpoon, and get cozy! On your way to safety, make sure to 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 February 10th-16th.
► 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

[outstandingbalance]

[Natasha crosses her arms, the movement seeming natural enough but it disguises the way his sentiment makes the hairs on the back of her neck stand up in sympathy.

It's not the time for sentiment, and she doubts he's looking for comfort from her.]

I'm sorry you were pulled into that.

[wipedclean]

[He's not, but he appreciates the sentiment.

Bucky shrugs again.]

I'm a valuable asset, of course I was pulled into it.

[He's clearly trying to brush it off, but it's a deep-seated issue of his, that he'll never be able to get away from being the Asset, the Soldier, or any other part of his very long, very bloody past, both the bad and the good.]

[survivorsguilt]

Ouuuuuuuugh. I think it just did.

[The feeling is mutual. She's made her first sort-of-kind-of-friend in Hadriel, and it's a god damn talking skeleton.]

Yeah... thanks. I guess it's not awful, aside from the sharks. Just really fucking weird.

[She might be changing her tune the next time one of the gods decides to shake things up, of course.]

[outstandingbalance]

It's not surprising, all things considered. [His past tied him to too many people, created too many opportunities.]

Still, when you took the chance, you got out.

[wipedclean]

I tried. But there's always someone pulling me back in somewhere. Doesn't seem to matter if it's Europe or a whole other world.

[It'd be funny if it weren't so exhausting and terrifying.]

[skelebro]

[Hey, why not? Sharks that cleave through land as easy as water, talking skeletons - you gotta get used to some wild and wacky things down here, in Hadriel, and she's taken it all in remarkable stride.

He can respect that.]

"Weird" ain't so bad. You get used to it.

[He'd promise, but he don't exactly have charitable views on promises.]

Anyway. Good luck with your, uh, scavenging.

[outstandingbalance]

For what it's worth, I'd rather have you here than some other people I've known.

[She knows it doesn't make anything better. But maybe it wouldn't hurt to let him know she considered their deal still holding, unless he wanted out of it.]

[so_dark_a_road]

"Everybody wakes up here in the Colosseum, usually with no memory of how they have come here. I myself don't remember the journey, and am even a little vague on what point in time I was snatched from, in the world I was living in before Hadriel. So I can't tell you much about the means."

Curufin looks up in the direction in which Ragnar is gazing, into the high ceiling of the vast cave. There is something oppressive about living in such an obviously bounded universe. He tries not to give Hadriel any more power over him than it has already, so he doesn't focus on the boundaries -- except when he's thinking about how to escape, which he does from time to time.

"As far as I can tell, the gods of Hadriel bring us here. I can't say what's in their minds when they do this. The rumor is that they somehow choose us for our qualities of character." The last three words are spoken with irony. "Let us just say, all of us here have some shady incidents in our backgrounds, or there is something shadowy about us as persons. Everybody I've talked to, anyway. So far."

[survivorsguilt]

[Not a good enough reason to use the word 'penetrates'.]

That's pretty- I mean, that's pretty incredible. Sounds... kinda dangerous, though. So are there like, rules?

[soundtest]

[Napstablook is finally starting to manage being able to stand up on their own, even if they look like a woobly human noodle trying to do so. Without the threat of sharks all around them, Napstablook takes a moment to finally take in their new body. As they try to balance themselves, they're looking at their new feet and knees, they're staring a few seconds too long at their new set of fingers.

There were moments, after their cousins all left, when they would daydream what it would be like to be corporeal too. If they should just go through with it...

It wouldn't change anything, not really. It wouldn't make them happier, it wouldn't bring them closer to anyone. But here they were, for some reason they didn't know, in a real human body standing up on real human legs.

It's not what they wanted at all.]

i don't really understand any of this but... thank you for helping earlier...
oh... right, i'm napstablook... i don't think i said it earlier
i guess this is a pretty awkward way to meet another monster... haha...

[soundtest]

well... up until a few hours ago i didn't have legs...
so this is all pretty new to me...

[It doesn't occur to Napstablook to explain that they don't have legs because they were a ghost a few minutes ago.]

[save_theworld]

[What does it feel like, to belong in a body that doesn't belong to you? Chara would know; Frisk had never really thought to ask, however. It can't be fun. It's probably terrifying, to look in the mirror and see- not you.

Just someone else.]

I'm sorry. I met another ghost here; she doesn't have a body though.

[Why Napstablook is like this, and she isn't, they can't begin to explain.]

...Bodies aren't so bad. It could be fun?

notifs are wily things that love to hide, it's in their nature

[save_theworld]

He does! It's pretty sad. Vegetable soup is great.
She was really hurt, so I gave her my hot dog to help. I think it helped?

[It totally did.]

I'm glad you're here if you're his best friend! He's been here a month and I think he's been really down sometimes. It's hard not being at home.

[manofmettle]

If he had a broader understanding of the denizens in Hadriel, Danse might have better appreciated Maketh's caution. Right now though this whole setup seems overly excessive. The Brotherhood understood the necessity of force to ensure cooperation, but interrogations do not usually begin with a bomb strapped chair. Still, he does understand her position. From an outsider's view it does look like Danse has just attacked a member of the law enforcement of Hadriel, at a time when they need all hands on deck. He wouldn't expect her to treat him gently.

But if she expects him to roll over on threats, then she's going to have to do worse than to trap him with an explosive. Danse meets her demand with an ugly scowl. "You don't have the right to tell me how to feel about that thing. You haven't seen the destruction its caused, the lies its told and the lives its taken. Brave men and women, the innocent children, all dead by the hands of that synth!"

That last word comes out again in a burst of anger. He's losing his temper again. Danse takes a deep breath, tries to reel back all his rage and hatred. But he hasn't had an outlet for all these emotions in months, and unfortunately for Nick, the sight of the synth was the trigger for the explosion. Another inhale, another exhale, and his voice comes out quiet but no less bitter, and it's clear no punishment, no threat, nothing will get Danse to give up this grudge.

"I won't attack it again, and I will accept any punishment by the laws of this city for assaulting an...officer of the Guard." God, just saying that makes him feel ten levels of disgust. Nick Valentine, in a position of influence through trust and respect? It's like Nora all over again.

"But if you truly care about the lives of the people, you'd take that thing out and shoot it in the head. Save yourself the pain of knowing you acted too late. God knows, it's too late for the Commonwealth."

[romanovs]

"But I was gone for centuries, yes?"

There just has to have passed at least a good amount of time while he was gone.

[romanovs]

"In the first spiral with big bro and the lady Bianca." And perhaps Shadow? He hasn't seen him in months there, or hadn't before he left, but his friend wouldn't just leave their shared house, would he?

Of course not. Shadow isn't that silly.

[romanovs]

"Yes. We will be friends."

Can you really say no to this face, Shadow? Look, he made a new friend!

[romanovs]

Oh, right. Rey wouldn't know about that, would she?

"I am the Tsardom of Russia now."

Not that he sounds very regal as he announces this. More like a child coming home with a perfect record card, or a medal from a sports competition.

[romanovs]

[Well, there is one easy way to prove that someone isn't dreaming, right?

At least that is what people always say.

So he reaches out and pinches Prussia. Probably with a bit more force than strictly necessary, because what is proportional use of physical strength, can you put it in borscht?]

[romanovs]

"How old are you?"

He never asked, and never really considered it - it doesn't matter much when you are immortal, does it? And he always had the understanding that Ushahin was, in his own way - like everyone here is their own way of immortal and no two people in just the same way, it seems.

[journalname]

I see. Thank you, Sans.

[Asgore straightens, and hesitates. He would very much like to go there directly...but it doesn't seem entirely safe out here. Sans can defend himself, but he is not the most durable of monsters, and now that Asgore is here, he's responsible for his welfare too.]

Will you be alright? There are...sharks...out here, the streets may not be safe.

[closerift]

Oh, you know. Inquisit.

[ Comes the vague reply as she scans the nearby area for any other monsters. They seem to be in the clear, at least for the moment, and she looks to the hedgehog with her eyebrows raised. ]

I think that the original group hunted down and persecuted mages, but that was centuries ago. Nowadays, we stop undead god-magisters and get drunk together.

[mismanagement]

It's kind of you to say that. [Maketh ducks her head to hide the blush.] Most of the time. When the gods aren't meddling. It's very different from what I knew, but---good. The people have been kind to me.

[dedikated]

( That works for her. Nothing like an uncomplicated day at work, really. )

If I'm not, someone else will be.

( Since it's kind of important. )

Take care of yourself.

[mismanagement]

There's certainly a story behind that much hate. Maketh watches him silently, thinking. This is a temporary solution at best. She can't detain Danse indefinitely. They don't have the resources to spare for guarding prisoners and unlike with Sato, immobilizing him in any meaningful way would likely count as torture. Other members of the guard have spoken against such measures. It would be the Imperial thing to do, and Maketh is trying desperately hard not to be that person again.

Thus, she'll have to work something else out.

"Really. Nick Valentine solely responsible for that much destruction."

Doubtful. There's likely more to the story. Whether she wants to hear it or not remains to be seen. A lot of things cease being relevant once inside Hadriel's grasp.

Maketh gives Danse a long look. She doesn't smile.

"You're not afraid of dying. Not at all."

It makes things a tad more difficult.

"This place will give you the opportunity to test that soon enough, regardless of what myself or any of my guardsmen chose to do. You'll understand that soon. But understand this first, Danse. Myself and Henry Percy lead the guardsmen. In our absence, Nick Valentine has full control. Should that happen again, you are going to respect his authority. Challenge him and you challenge me."

She narrows her eyes, a clear warning.

"I suggest you refrain from that. I do not want to have this conversation again."