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

[devotional]

[ Lunafreya had never had the chance to meet Prompto back in Eos; her letter had been the only manner of communication between the two of them. When he says her name, her pace quickens to meet him, her arms reaching out to grab hold of him as he stumbles forward. ]

You are injured, please, you mustn't move overly much-- [ She begins, noting the way his eyes turn wide as he looks up at her. She meets his gaze with one of grim understanding, inclining her head slightly. The moisture that collects in Prompto's eyes is not lost on Lunafreya as she very gently pulls him to her, summoning every ounce of astral energy this place has afforded her in order to invoke a healing prayer for his injuries.

Bathed in a soft, golden light, Lunafreya gently brings her hands to his face, allowing him to speak even as she wills his pain away as best as she is able. ]

Nor is it how I thought I would meet you, [ She manages, giving him a soft, wan smile. ] Still, I am gladdened to finally have the chance to see you face-to-face... Where else are you injured? Are you able to walk?

[mercurio]

[he nods at her words, but feels a pang of guilt upon seeing that many of his bruises are healing soon as golden light gleams over them. something doesn't feel right about it.]

Don't worry about me.

[--he's surprised at how brave and foolish that sounded]

I mean, I'm not too badly hurt. Save your strength, alright? In case we find Noct.

[ah]

[devotional]

How am I not to worry for you if you're bleeding? [ The look she gives him is one of confusion, though her smile shines through. She's always known him to be brave, that much was certain. His next words only serve to drive home the fact. ]

Noctis was asleep when I left the apartment. I am certain he will be happy to see you. [ Lunafreya gives him a once-over to ensure that he's not terribly injured, and she finds herself straightening his vest without really thinking about it. ]

How did you come to be so injured in the first place? [ She asks, her tone mildly concerned. ] Pray, tell me as we walk. It isn't safe to be in the streets alone. [ Says the woman who had been walking alone not five minutes earlier. ]

[mercurio]

[he was asleep]

So... he's alright?

[he needs to know that much; not knowing the whereabouts of his best friend makes him feel shitty, but it's important for him to know. still, if lunafreya isn't in any way panicking, it should be fine. should he be more cynical about her presence, though?]

[he starts walking alongside her, his eyebrows furrowed together, and instead of talking about why he's injured, he actually stops--forcing her to do so, too.]

Is this a trick?

[ardyn, the chancellor's name pops into his mind; his voice, dripping with lies, twisting everything he knows from deep inside.]

[the only people he's met so far, communicator and otherwise, are either strangers or people who are meant to be dead. he wants to believe fully that this is lunafreya, but he needs to know for sure.]

[devotional]

Noctis is... [ Lunafreya's expression falls at the question. She doesn't want to lie to Prompto. She can't. Noctis hasn't been injured since their arrival, but... that's likely because he hasn't left her or Regis' side. His paranoia and complacency have not been lost on her, though she hardly knows how to approach him about them. ] He fares well, physically speaking. Emotionally and mentally, though...

[ Lunafreya looks to Prompto, her expression serious and a bit sad even as she smiles at him. ] Your being here will do wonders for him, I believe. You can do things for him that no other can.

[ Her expression falters again at his next words when they come to a stop, confusion and surprise coloring her features. His tone is wary, though not terribly accusatory. ] Hadriel has a way of muddling one's understanding. People who should not be here are, and vice versa. What do you last remember before awakening in this place?

[ She understands his confusion, and she's willing to help him through it. ]

[mercurio]

[she speaks just as prompto ever imagined lunafreya would, about noctis. she knows about himself and the prince, and their relationship, gives it the spin she had hoped and knew their friendship would surely provide when she had done him this request, years ago.]

[it's hard to not just believe it is her. a big part of him wants to believe it.]

I... [he gulps; he really wants to believe her] I was being held captive, in the Keep. By the Empire... Because of the chancellor, he confused Noct, so he pushed me off the train...

[and that big part of him will give himself to lunafreya, frail and torn, sad and discouraged]

[devotional]

[ Lunafreya looks stricken at Prompto's recounting of the events that led him to this place, and she almost wants to gather him up in her arms even if she knows that he doesn't need protecting of his own. Prompto is strong, capable; as stalwart a companion as the king's shield himself, even if he has no official tie to the royal bloodline. She has not spoken to Prompto past the letter she had sent, but she knows all of this for certain and more.

It's because of this knowledge that she doesn't begrudge him his hesitance. In fact, it heartens her. Luna keeps her distance for his sake, wanting him to reach his own conclusions without outside interference. ]

The chancellor... [ She murmurs softly, and her hand instinctively curls about her side. The stab wound has long since been healed by the individuals who had deemed her worth helping, but Luna swears she can still feel the bite of steel that Ardyn Izunia had driven into her that fateful day in Altissia. ] You have been deceived far too many times as of late. I can scarcely blame you for being weary, Prompto. I know not how to put your suspicions to rest, but if there is anything that I can do to allay your concerns, please, tell me. I refuse to desert you in this place.

[mercurio]

[any other person would demand answers, proof that she is whom she claims to be. prompto could ask her trick questions, try to find the truth. but--honestly? he's tired.]

[he's tired of doubting and feeling afraid of hurting others and being hurt.]

[at least, if this isn't the real lunafreya, at the very least... at the very least he's got to see her, for the very first time.]

[so, he takes her hand]

I'm sorry. My thinking's all messed up.

[devotional]

You have nothing to apologize for. [ When he takes her hand, she gently squeezes it, and she feels an ache begin to well in her chest at the sight of the weariness in his face. ] You have only just arrived here in the wake of a terrible turn of events. I would not dare to ask you to trust me completely; I have done nothing to earn that much from you... but I do humbly ask that you come with me. It is not safe here, and Noctis and His Majesty can help us sort through all of this.

[ There's a heaviness inside of her the more she looks at his face, and she finds herself amending the silent vow she'd made to return Noctis to Eos. Prompto is now included in her quiet oath, knowing full well that Noctis will need his presence more than ever. ]

Come. Our home is not far... [ It's strange, to refer to it as "home." Lunafreya holds his hand delicately as she moves to pick up her fallen basket, gently leading him down the way she came. ] You must be exhausted.

[mercurio]

[he follows after her, holding tight to her hand. her voice--when ardyn spoke to him and lies were everything he could cling to in that horrible place, the voice he heard was wicked, muddled with hatred and scorn. prompto will hold on to the idea that this is the right thing to do, because lunafreya's voice and words--either by illusion or reality--pierce softly, tenderly, and they don't seem to try and confuse him so much as help him find clarity.]

[he'll hold on to this; to her]

As long as everyone is safe...

[being exhausted doesn't matter]

[they walk a bit further, prompto stumbling on his feet a couple of times, but ultimately gritting his teeth and powering through, knowing that wherever it is they're heading, 'home' has a nice ring to it.]

[it's after several minutes, of him staring down at his hand holding lunafreya's, of looking at her face from the side, of seeing her--well, alive, and well, and with him (something he had always yearned: to meet her), that prompto starts crying--involuntarily so]

[he rubs at his eyes quickly and quietly, not wanting her to notice]

[devotional]

They are. His Majesty and Noctis have seen to that. [ Lunafreya looks to him with a smile, steadying him as best she can. The silence that ensues is deafening, but understandable; the best she can do is remain here with Prompto until he settles. To keep him safe.

She doesn't notice his tears, not at first. She keeps a firm hold on his hand as they move, her own thoughts consuming her: she'd never gotten the chance to meet him on Eos, though she'd desperately wanted to. She knew him as Noctis had: through photos and written stories, and from the kindness he had bestowed upon Pryna all those years ago.

She turns at the worst possible moment to see him swipe at his face, and something inside of her chest tightens. Slowing to a stop, Lunafreya acts on impulse, reaching out to smooth a stray tear from his cheek. Her expression is one of heartache, as she finds she understands, at least a little bit, what he must be feeling.

Danger ever looms on the horizon, yes, but it doesn't stop her from turning fully, very gently holding his hand in one palm while she brings her arm up to encircle him, holding him close. Prompto can pull away if he wishes, but it's a small token of comfort that she can bestow... And a gesture of gratitude, whether her knows it or not. ]

... It will be alright, Prompto.

[mercurio]

[prompto is not like tougher guys who will find themselves embarrassed or otherwise bothered by a show of affection and comfort such as this one, of being embraced by someone so kind and loving. this is why he doesn't pull away, but does his very best to stop crying.]

[he does, after all, not want her to notice]

I, I know. I'm just... really happy to see you, [his voice is strained] on top of everything else...