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

Hannibal Lecter | Colosseum | open!

[tablewithoutpity]

In truth, the sharks were not surprising, but the land, the surroundings, the being alive was. Hannibal slowly pushed himself up from the sand, his mind swiftly absorbing and cataloging the onslaught of new information. The crumbling colosseum around him, the other people also waking up, and of course the sharks, including strange, fantastical varieties. All right, maybe the sharks were a little surprising. He calmly noted the closest sharks (two headed to his left, giant to his right, sharktopus straight ahead) and remained as still as he could, remembering that sharks are attracted by motion and by blood.

Blood. Hannibal pressed a hand to his abdomen, where he had been shot and was slowly bleeding out, and when his hand came away he expected it to be entirely slick and red. But there was nothing. He wasn't bleeding. He wasn't even wet. Curious.

He slowly straightened, hands held out in front of him, eyes calmly yet quickly moving from shark to shark, watching every move. He glanced behind him and saw a fin running along the sand, as if there was a shark actually swimming in the sand.

But that was impossible.

But it was coming closer.

Hannibal took a step back, his hands patting his pockets, looking for something to use as a weapon. A phone (did he have a phone before?) was no use. But the corkscrew? He pulled it out, curled his fingers around the handle, the pointed metal screw protruding between his middle and ring fingers, and waited, knees slightly bent. The fin sped up, and then the animal broke the surface of the sand, jaw open wide in a rush toward Hannibal...

...who side stepped it, spinning, putting the power of the torque in the fist with the corkscrew. It punched right into the shark's eye with a burst of ocular fluid and blood. The shark writhed and thrashed and sank back into the sand. Hannibal watched it, his breath only slightly elevated with effort. Satisfied it would not return, he flicked his wrist, sending fluid and tissue flying from the improvised weapon onto the sand. He looked around to ensure he was no longer in immediate danger. He wasn't...but there was a sand shark headed for a nearby person who was unaware of their peril. Hannibal moved quickly to intercept it.

Re: Hannibal Lecter | Colosseum | open!

[drabsolutelynot]

"Have you....had dealings with these before?"

Lee had seen it in his periphery: a man doing combat with a shark, on land, with only a...well to be perfectly honest from where he was standing Lee can't actually be sure what the man had been holding.

He takes a tentative step closer and then another when he's verified that the path is clear of sharks, for the moment at least.

[tablewithoutpity]

Hannibal turned toward the voice, his body wary but relaxed. Seeing that the man appeared to present no threat, he glanced at the corkscrew in his hand, covered with shark bodily fluids.

"I cannot say I have." He looked back at the man and offered him a mild smile. "Apparently today is full of first time experiences."

[drabsolutelynot]

Lee's brow furrows and the corner of his mouth quirks in disbelief. The man is smiling? Given the circumstances it almost makes him want to laugh at the absurdity but the sentiment starts ebbing away as soon as it comes.

The man is smiling.

He swallows a bit uncomfortably then. He's in the presence of a man who can, in a matter of moments, wake up in an alternate reality, be challenged by a beast that should by all laws of nature be underwater,severely injure it, and all with poise.

In his mind, Lee is marking this person with a large red question mark.

"I'm not sure this is a first time experience I would have liked to have," He offers, sounding a bit flustered as he casts his gaze around once more. A few fins can be seen sliding through the sand a few paces away. They are circling.

[tablewithoutpity]

Hannibal had given him a small smile to put the man at ease, to be reassuring in this moment of uncertainty. The way the man responded to the smile was not as Hannibal expected. But it made sense, he supposed, considering the strangeness of the situation. Some people were not easily reassured.

"We rarely can choose our first experiences," Hannibal noted, turning his head to follow the man's gaze, seeing the fins. He turned it to the other side and saw more.

That could be a problem.

He looked back at the man and took a small step closer.

"Their eyes and their gills are the most vulnerable. Do you have a weapon?"

[drabsolutelynot]

"No. I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't," he offers an apologetic look. Its not like the psychiatric ward had let him keep anything useful on his person.

His eyes dart between Hannibal and the sharks.

"Any suggestions for hand to shark combat?" His attempt to cover his nervousness is betrayed by the way his voice grows tight.

[tablewithoutpity]

"Use your thumbs," Hannibal says, his eyes tracking the closest shark. "Or the heel of your hand. If we were in water, they would have the maneuverability advantage. In our present situation, we are more or less on even footing. So to speak."

He steps closer, watching as the sharks' circle tightens. "Once one is injured, it's possible the others will turn on it."

[prazerbutterfly]

In the Colosseum nothing was sacred. From up above anyone could see anything and with his Power to Choose he made himself comfortable with watching for any family members or anyone from home. It's why this particular person grabs his interest away from his scouting and he's watching with that usual fascination as he uses quite normal means to dispatch a shark. It wasn't rare to see a normal human here in Hadriel just not like this. Most panicked or ran.

This one was calm. Exceptionally calm.

It's why he's down on the ground in a matter of seconds having cheated again with his ability and he's placing himself with his back to the nearest shark. If this fails, he'll be just fine given his power. Tyki was dressed in one of the finest shirts one would wear under a Victorian coat, if it hadn't been partially destroyed recently, with expensive slacks and shoes. There was no need to show all of his cards to anyone new or at least not yet. So go ahead. Dispatch the shark. He's waiting patiently with rising anticipation. He doesn't need the help and but manipulation in the smallest of forms did wonders for meeting new people.

"You know as many times as I've seen creatures spawn here it never fails to astound me what can come out of it next."

No worries!

[tablewithoutpity]

Intercepting the shark was not so much an act of altruism but one of propriety, of politeness, and also one designed to build social capital, putting the one assisted into his debt. The shark was a small one, and was focused on its prey, so Hannibal easily took it from the side, digging the corkscrew into the gills. It thrashed, chomped at Hannibal, but its teeth gnashed a bare inch from Hannibal's leg before it twisted away and sank into the sand.

Hannibal wiped the corkscrew on his trousers. "How many times have you seen this?" If he was someone who had information about all this, all the better.

[prazerbutterfly]

"Ah, I seem to have missed that one." Great minds think alike it seemed as he had intentionally put himself in harms way just to achieve an almost same notion. He liked interesting people. It was when people became too interesting that they often caught Tyki's eye as entertainment not only socially.

"The sharks? Only this time but once a month things appear here including new residence. It's how I got here and everyone else you're bound to meet, good sir."

[tablewithoutpity]

"Indeed?" Hannibal looked around him again, seeing people fighting sharks or running out of the arena. Some of them seemed confused, out of place, while others, like this man, seemed more experienced. "And where, exactly, is 'here?'"

[prazerbutterfly]

He smiles quite naturally at the question and opens his hands a little wide to just gesture to everywhere about him. He's ignoring everyone else but this man right now who has his full attention.

"They call it Hadriel. Somewhere I've never heard of despite my travels. You were called here by the Door and as far as anyone has been able to find out that is the only way out of here. Of course, we have no control over it."

[tablewithoutpity]

The full attention is not lost on Hannibal. He appreciates the concentration but cannot return it at the moment, his surroundings being almost entirely unknown. Hadriel. It sounds somewhat like Hades, which would not be a particular surprise to Hannibal, who had a fondness for the metaphysical, and would not doubt the existence of an afterlife.

"The Door," he echoes. The capital 'D' is nearly audible, which suggests that it isn't merely one of the archways in the stone walls surrounding them. "Where is it?"

[survivethis]

Jill was determined to do whatever she could to help people get out of the coliseum and to safety. She had her gun out and waved people in the direction of the exit. A few people moved past her, running to safety, but Jill remained behind. As long as there were more people in peril, she couldn't leave.

As she waved the confused newcomers on, she didn't see as a shark began to emerge from the earth behind her. Once she did get a sense of it, she turned, and it would've perhaps been too late, except that Hannibal had stepped in. Jill was a bit shaken at just how close she had come to being bait, but what also stunned her was how the man handled the shark. He was amazingly skilled with a corkscrew, of all things.

"Thanks." For a second, she's too breathless to say much more.

[tablewithoutpity]

Hannibal had buried the corkscrew deep into the animal's gills, and had to yank it out, spraying blood and mucus across the sand. He straightened and shook blood and tissue off of his hand. "You're welcome," he answered her, offering a slight, gentle smile for reassurance, careful to not let it go over into condescension. She was clearly someone who could handle herself, and he didn't want her thinking he thought any less of her.

"Can I be of assistance?"

[survivethis]

He got a little smile out of her in return. Even though he was new, he was helping out. It's nice to know some people can jump into a situation like this and still survive. The offer of assistance earned a nod from Jill. She's not about to turn down help.

"Yeah, thanks. I'm trying to keep this route to the door clear so people can get out. From this road, they can get to the clinic if they need to." Takes less time to point the in the right direction that way.

"You sure can hold your own with that thing." It's funny he'd have a corkscrew on him the moment he arrived here. She'd offer him the use of her knife, but she doesn't think he really needs it.

[tablewithoutpity]

While he much preferred controlling most or all variables and watching things unfold exactly as he planned them to, there were always times when he found himself having to improvise with whatever he had on hand, even when those hands were empty. He's killed men with less than a corkscrew.

"I would much rather be using it to open a bottle of 1993 Dom Perignon," he replied lightly as he scanned the area for more threats.

[survivethis]

"Sounds fancy." She would hate to break it to him that he won't see anything like champagne here, but he'll find out soon enough. The means here are no doubt going to be a disappointment to a man with such a refine palate.

Hearing a shift in the sand, Jill turned to look just in time to see another shark leaping up to try and take a bite out of her. She took a side step to avoid it, whirled around and swiftly plunged the blade of her knife down into the skull of the monster. They're all going to need some major dry cleaning when this was over. Shark blood was starting to get everywhere.

[tablewithoutpity]

Hannibal leaped to the side to give her room to slay the shark, watching her every move, analyzing her technique, her strength, her aim, all of which were exceptional. This was a woman comfortable with combat. "Impressive," he said, one eyebrow lifted in approval. "Military?"

[ushahin]

Ushahin watched the man take care of the shark in a most efficient manner. He can respect that. "A sword would be much more effective," he murmured in a quiet, mild-sounding voice. He had one strapped at his side, but made no move to unsheathe it to protect himself.

Despite all the chaos going on around them, Ushahin seemed entirely unaffected. Indeed, when one of the sharktopuses reached for him with a tentacle, he merely turned his uneven gaze on it. The creature shook back and forth for a second, tentacles moving uncertainly, before it turned away, and sought out someone else in the colosseum. He turned back to look at Hannibal, blue eyes not quite focused on his face, but at a spot just to the left of his shoulder.

[tablewithoutpity]

"I agree entirely," Hannibal said as he watched the shark sink into the sand. He looked up at the man and tilted his head as he watched the interaction with the sharktopus. Fascinating. When the man turned back, Hannibal raised his eyebrows. "Impressive." He nodded toward the retreating hybrid creature. "Do you have a way with all animals? Or only shark-octopus chimeras?"

[ushahin]

"If you need mine, I can lend it. As you see, I have other ways of dealing with them." He brushed a lock of hair out of his face. It was getting annoyingly long and he would need to cut it sooner rather than later. His powers drifted outwards, trying to catch the drift of this new person's thoughts as he answered him.

"Anything that has a mind can eventually be swayed. But animals are easiest. They're all instinct and simple thoughts. It's very easy to twist them to suit my own purposes."

[tablewithoutpity]

The dominant tenor of thought for Hannibal was intense fascination. "Indeed. I have heard of people who claim such abilities, but as far as I have been able to ascertain, they have been, for the most part, incredibly talented in more pedestrian ways." As dismissive as the words might have sounded, the tone was one of curiosity, even awe. He does not disbelieve the man's claims, rather is interested in learning more.

A fin slid through the sand to the right, and Hannibal turned his head to watch it.

[ushahin]

Ushahin, old as he is, is not without an ego, and he feels a great deal of satisfaction at sensing the awe coming from the man. Too often, those here find what he can do to be unnatural or something to be wary of. "You must come from a world without magic. That is what it is called where I am from. Some here call what I can do psychic abilities."

His good eye focuses in on the fin circling around them. "Observe." He focused his mind on projecting his will into the shark's. Its instincts are simple, to hunt and feed, and twisting them is simple enough for someone as powerful as Ushahin. It stops and pokes its head out of the sand, mouth open, gills moving slowly back and forth. Ushahin wonders what the purpose of gills are if the creature has no water to breathe.

[tablewithoutpity]

"The magic in my world tends to be metaphorical," Hannibal muses as he watches the other man focus his attention on the shark, which after a moment comes to heel, almost like a dog, its mouth open as if for treats. "Incredible," he remarks approvingly. He approaches the shark, taking care not to spook it, unsure of the extent of the man's control over the creature.

"There are those who claim to be able to charm snakes and wild horses, bend them to their will." He crouches, looking at those gills, so delicate on such a powerful creature. "I wonder if perhaps magic does exist in my world, but is simply exceedingly rare." He glances up at the man. "How many in your world can do such things?"