hadriel_logs | Intro Log: None Hadriel With Left Shark

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Intro Log: None Hadriel With Left Shark

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!

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He waits for her response; if she says no, then no hard feelings on his part. But when she does say yes, he lets out a slight sigh of relief. Having someone familiar with the city at his side will definitely keep any unnecessary dead ends to a minimum.

"Outstanding." Danse extends a hand. They can't exactly bash shark heads in without each other's names. "The name's Danse. I'll do my best not to lag behind."

Sadly, Rey could have gone a long time without learning Danse's name. Things are easier being in the know, however.

After a thought, she steps forward and gives that hand a firm grip. Thankfully it's a part of her that isn't soaked in blood, or this would be awkward.

"Rey," she replies. "Do you have anywhere you're trying to be, or are you just looking to learn the lay of the land?"

Funny how the smallest, seemingly innocent gestures can snowball in to something much bigger and messier. Danse certainly has no idea that it might have been so much better for him to have kept his name to himself. A bloody handshake might have been appropriate; this is the start of a potentially dangerous acquaintance for Danse.

Still, hindsight is always 20/20. Danse returns her handshake with a firm one of his own and his eyes meeting hers squarely. "Good to meet you, Rey." With introductions done, he releases her hand and takes a step back.

"Some of the former. I'm also trying to gather some rations in case the situation is prolonged, but but mostly? Its to hunt these monstrosities down." There's an added note of heat when he declares his primary objective, grimly setting his jaw.

"These dangerous creatures need to be stamped out before someone gets killed. Not everyone came in here with a gun, and god knows how many of these sharks got out into the city."

To be fair, Rey has no reason to assume that Danse has any familiarity to anyone here than he could know of her relationship to the one person he does share more than a world in common with.

20/20, indeed.

She folds her arms. As she does, there is the clank of a long weapon with a curved blade hanging at the belt on her hip. The same blade tainted with shark's blood, which she has yet to clean.

"Believe it or not, it's been worse." Boy, would Danse sure have loved to have been around when deathclaws first showed up. Rey did not so much enjoy that mess of an encounter. "Have dealt with a few of them so far. One of them had eight arms like an octopus. Damn thing was huge."

Letting herself get eaten by it might not have been the wisest decision she's ever made, but Rey was never renown for positive decision making skills.

Eyes flick to the source of the metallic clank, observing the long blade at her side before snapping back up. The second person to use a sword instead of advanced weaponry. Were there no other advanced weaponry available in Hadriel? Especially since there are worse monsters than sand digging sharks. How he wishes he'd been in his power armor when the Door pulled him from his world to this one. Danse's grip on his makeshift weapon tightens slightly, fingers digging slightly into the groves.

"I just fought a shark that fits that description. Damn thing hid itself underground while sticking its arms out to strangle anything within reach. I used up more ammunition than I would have liked to take it down." He looks down at the board, brow wrinkling with frustration.

"Don't suppose you know a place where I can get something better than this? I'd rather not be caught unprepared again."

Glancing down at the board in Danse's possession, Rey makes a face. "You'll definitely need something more effective than that, yes."

You wouldn't want to get caught dead going at a shark or a deathclaw with a plank, unless you'd rather be dead.

She gestures in the direction across the river.

"There's an armory that way, near the Guard headquarters. You won't find anything like guns and munitions there, but you should find some things to better equip yourself to dealing with the shit here than nothing. Unless you want to strike a deal with one of the 'gods' here for an alternative, if you're feeling desperate."

By the tone of her voice, she does not recommend that latter part, though.

He grimaces, making an expression that mimics hers. He knows. It's really embarrassing. "Noted." A sword, a hammer, a knife, anything's better than going around with a wooden board.

The second part of her advice stands out more than the first though. The edges of his mouth deepen into a scowl at the mention of those enigmatic beings. "They sound like a mixed group. I read that at least one of them is able to bring back the dead, but some of them also contaminated the meat. Have you dealt with any of them?"

With names like Sorrow, Rage, Confusion and Fear? It doesn't sound like they've got the people's well-being in mind.

Just about anything is better than a wooden board.

His next question is a bit of a loaded one. A question that takes a bit of time, after having been in this place for as long as she has. She waves her hand in the direction of the armory, and starts heading the way, assuming that Danse is smart enough to take the hint.

"Rage and Fear messed with the meat, yes. It's been taken care of now, but still try to avoid it if anything killed in the tunnels can be eaten." Hm, sharks were once a delicacy in some Asian countries. Maybe she should start gathering while they're still fresh. "But yes, have dealt with them on a number of occasions. Hope, Delight, Tranquility, and Sorrow are all fairly reasonable. Rage is good if you're looking to trade for any specific weapon or ammo. Fear and Confusion are both collective assholes."

Seriously, fuck those guys.

He gets the hint, following her from behind. He's got an eye out on their surroundings and will be watching her back.

"I can see why you're wary of dealing with Rage for weaponry." God, just the thought of it is enough to make him feel mad. Food was hard to come by in the wasteland, and the thought of someone deliberately ruining a food source to turn people into meat-eating monsters boils his blood fierce.

...no wonder Rage had a hand in it then.

"Are any of the gods trust-worthy? I know Hope's the one that can...bring back the dead." Saying it out loud doesn't make it any easier for him to believe in it.

While acutely aware of her own surroundings, Rey is grateful for the extra set of eyes, as it isn't like she can keep her attention on every side at once.

She can also understand Danse's wariness at the fact that death is not always a permanent state here. Not only is Hope capable of bringing back the dead visitors, he also has a hand in the revival of the other gods as well. Someone with that much power can be dangerous, if not for what Hope had told Rey: It isn't in his nature to pick and choose who he 'wants' to resurrect. That much is evident when bringing back even the siblings whose opposition was expected and inevitable.

"They're all frustrating to deal with in their own way, but Sorrow is the one more likely to be straight with you."

Rey has gotten more answers out of him than most of his dodging fellows.

"...I suppose that makes sense. Sorrow hurts the most because it's truth." Still, he'd rather not have anything to do with the god of sadness. He doesn't really want to know what that kind of god would do to encourage its aligned emotion.

"Has Sorrow ever been behind any terrible incidences in Hadriel? You've mentioned that Fear and Rage were behind the food supply poisonings; I'm willing to bet that Confusion would enjoy a little havoc as well."

Edited 2017-02-27 15:32 (UTC)

He isn't far off the mark when it comes to someone like Sorrow.

"Confusion's a bitch," Rey says flatly. "But no, Sorrow hasn't done anything beyond make people feel inclined to be more... honest with each other."

Which can have its downsides as well. People can sometimes be at their worst when they feel like speaking what's really on their mind.

She pauses. "Think he also knows how the Door that brought us all here works, but he's of the opinion that we're better off staying."

Also not too far from the truth -- for some of them here, anyway.

"Why? So that we can continue to provide emotional food for the gods?" He responds, his voice dripping with contempt for the god. No one has explained to Danse yet that the dead walk among the living in Hadriel, but either way the thought wouldn't have occurred to him that some are better off staying than leaving.

"Think that's part of it." Rey hesitates before she continues. "It also is better for some. There's a handful of people who would be dead if they return home. At least here, they have another shot at living."

It isn't a perfect life, sure, but it beats the alternative. Rey might not be dead in her own world, but there isn't much of a difference from what she's facing back there.

Now that's the rub, isn't it. There's a sharp intake of breath coming from him, before he lets it out slowly as he processes this information.

"...I hadn't thought about that. If the Door can pull people in from any time, then it could do so when someone's about to get killed." Maybe a self-defence mechanism? Danse hasn't yet considered that Rey could be referring to actual dead people. But it sounds bad enough. "Has Sorrow mentioned if the Door can be used to send back those who want to get back home while leaving those who want to remain behind?"

Though Danse isn't too hopeful on that. If it's in Sorrow's best interest to keep them there, then it would be more likely for the god to be evasive about it when asked. Keep the people in conflict about staying or leaving.

There is also the dilemma of how the gods thrive on various emotions they're designated to. If being trapped here is a cause for great anguish, then that would certainly be a scenario which Sorrow would have gain from. Much as Rey wants to think of him as the more 'reasonable' one of the bunch, she isn't so naïve to think that he has their best interests in heart. Everyone has a bit of a stake in this, it seems.

"Not really. Delight more or less has said that it doesn't work that way, but didn't care to explain why. They don't appear to have the ability to pick and choose who gets to stay and who leaves, so even they have their limitations when it comes to the Door."

On one hand, it's good to know that they aren't completely omnipotent, and they are fallible. They can be killed. They can make mistakes. In some ways, they're not much different from the ones brought to this city.

"I see. So, they're not so much gods as they are overtly powerful beings with the ability to manipulate physical matter and our emotions. Outstanding." He mutters, before his thoughts turn back to the more somber topic at hand.

"This place could be good for those that have nothing to go back to. I don't know if there's been any attempts to locate this Door, but I hope that the well-being of those who would be better off staying will be taken into consideration."

Rey shrugs. "Guess so. Though it depends on your perspective, in a way. These are not human gods, neither are they any gods of other non-humans drawn here. So even their knowledge and abilities are limited in many ways."

Like how Sorrow had taken interest in the masergun from Rey's world. How he seemed vaguely concerned by it, enough to offer replacing it for something else from Rage's arsenal. So far, however, that is information Rey has granted to only a few until she knows for certain what it is they want.

"Would hope so, too. Have asked Delight to hold off on any attempts at sending everyone home until they've figured out an alternative."

A request which has, needless to say, not earned Rey many favors with certain people here.

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Intro Log: None Hadriel With Left Shark

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