Intro Log: Welcome to the Snave (snake cave)

[hadrielmods]

Who: New arrivals and everyone else!
What: The intro log for March
Where: The colosseum and all around the city.
When: March 10th-15th
Warnings: Snakes! Snakes! It's a snake!

Good morning, new arrivals! Or, well, it's probably morning. The sun is up, anyway. Okay - not the sun, but that ball of light at the top of the cave that functions as the sun, anyway. Whatever. The point is you've woken to find yourself on the floor of Hadriel's colosseum. You may be wondering where you are and what you're doing here, but what you should be wondering is how fast you need to run to get away from a three-headed snake.

You're not the only one who just woke up. Also to be found in the arena, angry and confused, are Runespoors - large three-headed snakes. Only one of the heads is venomous, but all of them are perfectly willing to take a bite out of you if you get too close - or if you annoy it. If you're lucky, an attacking Runespoor may distract itself via infighting between the three heads, giving you time to run. If not, well, let's just hope you can fight off all three heads at once!

But that's not the only thing you might find. Also scattered around the colosseum floor are what look like tasty snacks. Popsicles, cheese, even toast! Unfortunately, if you get hungry and take a bite, you will quickly discover that each and every one of these is actually soap. So that's great. Maybe the Door thinks everyone needs to shower more? You can also find a few that actually look like soap, and if you're really lucky, you might stumble across the rare and coveted 'pile of baby hands' soap.

With luck, you didn't get eaten by a snake or accidentally eat a piece of soap. Once you find your way out of the colosseum there's plenty of other distractions. Feel free to go 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 March 10th-15th.
► 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

emily kaldwin | ota

[honores]

arrival - colosseum

[ One moment she's crouched on a rooftop, testing out the reach of her new abilities... and then, just as she's magically snapped from point A to point B, she isn't in Karnaca anymore. Emily is very rarely caught off-balance, but the sudden change in scenery certainly does the trick. Her heart speeds up and her eyes widen as she tries to make sense of what just happened, to bring some logic into this very illogical change.

Rooftop by the docks, and then - where?

Emily, a young woman in distinctly Nice attire and with a scarf drawn up over half of her face, hesitates. She stares out into the Colosseum and wonders if it's at all possible that she'd been drawn back into the Void. But, no - she knows the Void (as all people do, a little bit, flitting in and out of the in-between world) and this is more solid than that.

The Mark on her hand tingles all the same, though that's more likely due to the aftereffects of using one of its gifts.

She doesn't have much time to pour over the scant details of her situation. Soon, there is a warning hiss, and she has her father's folding sword in her hands without a second thought. Approaching is... some kind of snake, a beast she's never seen (though, the bloodflies, too, had been unfamiliar). Emily glances between its three heads, swallowing. Assessing. The Runespoor draws back and then lunges, but this well-dressed woman is far from helpless. In a swift and well-practiced movement, Emily sidesteps the attack and slices cleanly through its heads, decapitating them all at once.

Only then does she allow herself a moment to breathe, heart still racing. ]


later - in the city

[ Once the empress has at least some cursory answers, she is no longer filled with confusion, but instead with purpose. After all, this isn't what she's meant to be. Not where she needs to be. Not when Delilah is sitting on her throne, when her father has been turned to stone, and when Emily herself has an enormous amount of work to do in Karnaca in order to start remedying those things.

Of course, being here, in Hadriel, makes that... fairly difficult.

Since her arrival, she's kept to herself, just as she would anywhere else. There aren't wanted posters bearing her face and name, true, but there's no telling how dangerous this city is beyond what she's seen and heard. There had been the three-headed snakes, true, but those weren't any more dangerous than the usual creatures that inhabited her empire and beyond, in unexplored places like this one.

Emily glances furtively across the street before crossing, sticking to the areas of the caves that are less-populated. It's clear she isn't the only captive of this place, based on the info she'd received thus far, but the others are strange, to say the least. Not like Karnaca was strange, with its distinctive smells and architecture and people, but in a way that made it clear she'd been drawn into a completely different world. Their clothes, the way they speak: some don't even seem human.

Calm down, she reminds herself, taking a steadying breath. Find out what you can and make a plan from there. She would need allies, supplies, some place to stay, at least temporarily. And then...?

She withdraws a piece of bread from her pocket, one she'd taken from the Colosseum earlier. It doesn't even make it to her mouth before she catches the scent, and Emily scoffs in disgust, dropping it, before moving on.

Noted: apparently the food here is not what it seems, either. ]

arrival

[surgent]

[ He knows before he's here that it's all wrong. A thread has been cut loose—no a million threads and the Void's song is softer, more yielding, young. It fills his chest with a whisper of fear and doubt, but, more than that, excitement. This is not expected.

None of this is.

The Outsider manages to avoid the snapping creatures, slipping in between their heads in a swirl of darkness, leaving them to snap at one another. He reappears near Emily, clapping his hands together softly after she takes care of one of the nasty reptiles. He'd seen her. He'd felt her. He knew the people he Marked, but, alas, it seems that it is only Emily and himself. ]

My, my, how many times can an Empress be taken from her people? [ His clapping stops as he speaks, his movements fluid, brushing a hand down the front of his black jacket. He smells of the Void. He smells of the sea. He smells of home. ]

But... [ He seems to realize something disappearing in a wisp, and reappears on her other side, almost touching her. This Emily is different, from further back, from far behind. She has yet to reach Corvo, to trap Delilah. He frowns, though it's barely noticeable. ] It seems that time is something of little value to this place. Time and accomplishment.

( city time )

[chantes]

( Leliana had been at the Colosseum, though the monsters had proven enough of a complication that all she could really do was fight, and keep people as safe as she could. Introductions would have to wait, and her duty came first over meeting new people.

Seeing the woman now Leliana doesn't know if she's new or not, but the reaction to the food was enough for her to offer help. At the very least she knew where there were other options )

There is more here, if you know where to look.

[deceiving_is_believing]

Shuuya groaned as he pushed himself off the Colosseum floor. Just where was he, anyway? He doesn't remember coming to, or passing out, in a place like this. He feels groggy and hungry. Where would he find breakfast?

Wait, are those popsicles and toast? Weird. Can you trust food that's just lying around.

He's examining the soaps, contemplating whether he's hungry enough to trust some food he found lying around.... Or popsicles that don't seem to be melting. And why is there Dill Pickle soap? This place is definitely strange. Okay, this soap arrangement is actually pretty funny, and Shuuya's snickering about it as he examines all the soaps he can find. This is so weird.

Unfortunately, he doesn't get too much time to ponder, or laugh at, this wide variety of oddities as a three-headed snake begins to make it's way toward him.Those three heads look pretty threatening, actually.

"Well, shit," Shuuya laughs out. "Looks like I'm in trouble."

Despite his laughing disposition, he scoots back slowly, glancing around for a means of escape as the snake (or is it snakes for those three heads?) closes in on him. Shit, how am I supposed to get out of this? I could use a weapon right about now. His disguises, unfortunately, won't be very much help here.

He turns and bolts as fast as he can, trying to make a run for it. But really, though, he could use some help. Please?

Rome | ota

[leashed]

1. Colosseum
[He realizes that he's underground before he even opens his eyes, and Romulus scrambles upward as soon as he can, getting his feet under him and staying low to the ground. His heart kicks up a notch because this is not where he remembers falling asleep, and his hand is at his firearm lightning-fast.

Still, he doesn't draw it yet. There doesn't seem to be any immediate threat- other than everything- and so he holds himself there, statuesque, until his heart rate settles and he can clearly assess the situation.

Underground. People around him. Food that smells like soap littered in the dirt near his feet. Something else nearby that he can't quite pinpoint- reptilian maybe?

Violence should be the last resort, he reminds himself. The only way to get more information is by communicating and so he does, tilting his head to offer a sharp look toward the person closest to him- still partially crouched on the dirt ground, a hand still hovering over the grip of the gun in his holster.]

Where is this?

2. Scavenging
[The where is still a question that hasn't been answered to his liking, but Rome has at least managed to glean that most others here are prisoners as well and this is now a time for survival. The snakes had been unpleasant, but simple enough to deal with, provided proper planning. The real concerns he has now are food and lodging.

The idea of just taking something from a store feels odd somehow, like he's breaking a rule that he hasn't been taught about yet, and so Romulus wastes a fair amount of time in the shops, tentatively touching various objects like they might be poisonous somehow, carefully lifting each thing to sniff at it before setting it back down.

He's not sure what he's looking for, exactly. He knows that he'll need food before long, but none of this seems... right, somehow.]

3. Knock knock
[The first day is a little rough, all things considered, and he spent far too much time getting food. Now, Rome is tasked with finding some sort of shelter to stay in for his first night in Hadriel and even that task seems equally complicated. How would he know which places are acceptable and which aren't? What if he stays somewhere and finds himself unwelcome?

It's not too late to make inquiries and try to feel out the atmosphere, and so when Romulus finds a place that seems at least somewhat habitable, he sets his stolen-food down at the doorstep before moving to the next inhabited house over and knocking firmly at the door.]

3

[danseur]

[ Wow, Rome, way to wake a guy up from a nap. I mean, sure, it was his like third of the day, but still: it was the principle of the matter, you know? Waking someone up was generally impolite, but it wasn't like Morgan got a lot of visitors.

Mostly, it just means that the knock has him a little wary.

He opens the door just a crack, and through the sliver of visible space between the door and the frame, Morgan looks more like a disheveled, reclusive cat lady than anything else. ]

Uh. Can I help you?

[ He's deeply uncomfortable for a reason that he can't exactly pinpoint. ]

2

[unknowable]

[It's not so rare to find someone in a shop, so when Adam enters the building and finds a stranger there, he doesn't say anything. It's only polite to let people go about their errands in their own way, after all. Plus you never know who might be a murderer - or worse, one of those people who engages in small talk like their life depends on it.

He finds a few cans of soup that looks, from the picture, marginally edible. He can't read the writing on the label, but that's nothing new. There's a box of granola bars too, and a few pieces of fruit.

He glances over at the man in the shop with him, and after a moment's observation decides it might be best to say something. Adam doesn't recognize him, so he might be new, and that means a certain amount of disorientation. Which... hopefully explains why he's smelling everything.]

Are you looking for something specific?

3

[mismanagement]

[Sobriety has not been gentle on Maketh. Now that she's forbidden herself from drinking herself to sleep - on pain of Henry's disappointment - she has to do it the old-fashioned way. Thus far, it hasn't been a gentle process and so she's taken to brewing coffee and working until exhaustion finally takes her. No room for nightmares that way.

Either way, work gets done. It takes a great amount of paperwork to keep the guardsmen on top of everything.

She answers the door carefully, one hand on her pistol. Her hair is pulled back in a loose tail and she's wearing sweats instead of her chosen uniform. Nonetheless, her expression is sharp and business-like.]

May I help you, sir?

2

[foundafamily]

[Firo, who has no such qualms, pauses in the shop door on his way to do his own 'shopping.'

He stands in the doorway, watching the objects be inspected and discarded.]

It doesn't get much better than that, so you might as well take what you can get. What're you looking for?

1

[manofmettle]

You've been abducted.

[That's the short answer. Gripping a sledgehammer taken from the armoury, Danse had immediately made for the colloseum the moment he heard that the Door had opened again. The shift in environment was disorientating enough without a couple of monsters to deal with, and not all the new arrivals were combat-ready.

Whatever help Danse can offer, he'll offer it gladly.

This young man in front of him moves fast. Jumping to his feet, his hand to his side (maybe a gun?) in the blink of an eye. Good; Danse can give him a rudimentary run-down and trust that he can take care of himself. There'll be others that won't be as calm or capable, and they should be the priority.]

I'll explain more but we should exit this area immediately. It's not safe.

duck | open

[quacked]

1. colosseum; 10th

[ Duck kind of feels like he should be used to this by now. Waking up in a place he doesn't know. But it still confuses him, it still scares him, and it takes him several seconds to find his bravery and clamber to his feet. He had figured, even on opening his eyes, that this was the same as the last few times he'd woken up like this. He figured he'd died again. He couldn't remember dying, but... he's not remembered dying before. So maybe this was the same.

It doesn't take him long after he's gotten to his feet to realise that this is all very, very new though. Did the Technicians move them again? He heads toward the Colosseum exit, hoping to find someone familiar. Before he can get to the exit though, he comes across what looks like a piece of toast lying on the ground. Duck is hungry, and there was a time he would totally have picked that up and eaten it, but now he's all too aware of what happens when you eat something that could have been messed with. So Duck doesn't pick up the toast this time, instead kicking it away with a frown.

That is perhaps his first mistake. The toast skids quickly and bumps right into one of the scariest looking snakes Duck has ever seen. His eyes widen as the snake's three pairs of eyes turn their gaze to him. Duck immediately grabs the gun from the back of his pants, backing up fast and shooting randomly at the snake. He actually hits it, sort of, enough that one of its heads seems to lash around in pain. Unfortunately all that really seems to do is make all three heads angrier, and Duck soon realises he's fast running out of bullets.

He turns and runs. It may be that he sees your character up ahead though, and if he does, he's more than likely to yell at them, perhaps grabbing their sleeve to pull them away too. ]

Run, quick! There's a snake!

2. in the city; 12th - 15th

[ Duck is pretty used to scavenging for things by now. He's not used to doing it here though, and he's not finding what he wants at all. Of course, what he wants isn't really what he needs right now.

If he sees someone around in the same shop or area, he may ask curiously, ] Do you know if anyone ever finds comics around here?

2. Pls!

[drabsolutelynot]

[Rosen is walking near the shops shops, a stack of black paper under his arm and though he is mostly distracted with his own hunt for research materials, he stops almost involuntarily at the sound of a child's voice.

It still makes him feel ill when he sees children on their own in this place.

He falters a moment before timidly approaching]

Are you alright, young man? I..um...I'm afraid I've not seen any comic books around here.... [His voice peters off awkwardly. He wants to help but, having been in this place a month already, he knows there is probably little he can do.]

1!

[queensberry]

[When Jacob first heard the sound of gunshots, he'd thought it was action he wanted to get in on. He wasn't any stranger to children being armed, so even as he came running, it wasn't too surprising to see someone so young. In fact, he even threw a grin his way when Duck tugged, and an even wider one when he heard snake. He's an adult, he can take care of it.] You haven't hit a snake with that many shots? I hate to break it to you, but--

[Oh. He can't take care of it. Jacob goes from resisting the child's tugs to grabbing his hand, dragging him along with him as he ran. As it turns out, he's not that much of an adult. A capable one would probably not yell back.] Perhaps you should say there is a giant snake next time! That might be a bit more helpful!

[They are in ruins, so there has to be a space they can't shove their heads through. Jacob's more than likely to run past them.] With oh, I don't know, three heads! What are they feeding those things?! Soap?!

2

[skelebro]

[Hope you don't mind that you just asked a talking skeleton about comics, buddy. Granted, Sans was about to amble off the scene, his hood pulled up. He half-turns at the question and spots -

Another kid.

This place sure likes hauling kids in, don't it? Figures.]

I'd be the wrong guy to ask, kiddo. Sorry.

1

[manofmettle]

[He hears the gunshots before he sees the kid running full pelt at him...and a giant, three-headed snake snapping at his heels. He's got no time to be astounded by the monster of the month. Time to swap the sledgehammer for the lazer rifle. Ammo has to be conserved for emergencies, and he reckon this one counts as one.

With one well-aimed shot, a blast of red, crackling energy strikes the Runespoor's second head. The snake erupts into a trashing, hissing fit, tail and heads lashing out. Where the eyes should have been on the second head is a gory, cauterised wound. Danse takes careful aim again, but this time it's a much trickier shot with all the wild movement. The shot snaps the snake's third head back but misses the eyes.

That's fine. As long as he's judicious with his ammo, he can keep the snake at bay. Hopefully long enough for the kid to get away.]

Over here! Hurry!

dylan blake. ota.

[dylinquent]

( one | the colosseum )
( "I'm going home."

It was pretty much over, right? It's not like she has any more clues, any way of finding out what happened to her father unless she somehow manages to find the woman in that ugly coat. No one else in her family seems to care, and maybe they're right.

Maybe Richard Blake doesn't want to be found.

Dylan doesn't remember leaving the hospital, doesn't even remember getting out of the doorway of the volunteers room, but she opens her eyes to the crumbling walls of the Colosseum, of a place that she's entirely sure doesn't exist in the city.

Other things that don't exist? Three headed snakes. Giant three headed snakes. Nope. Definitely not. She scrambles back on her hands as one begins advancing, pushing herself to her feet in a hurry, hand closing around something just before she manages to find some sort of balance. )

You've got to be kidding me.

( What the hell can she do with toast? Toast of an oddly synthetic texture, more waxy than bread. Dylan pockets the watch in her other hand and does the most sensible thing in this situation:

runs. Turns tail and hoofs it the heck out of there. )

Crap- ( She is so not going to outrun this thing. Definitely not. ) Crapcrapcrap!

Hey- ( Yeah, you, other person. ) A little help here?

( two | the city )
( Today? Has been twenty kinds of crazy, and for once none of it has anything to do with Open Heart Memorial. Dylan winds her way through the streets here, looking at buildings, trying to find something familiar. A face that she knows.

(Could her dad be here? Maybe that's why he's been missing all this time. He was dragged off. Maybe that woman had nothing to do with it at all-)

She hesitates in front of a shop and steps in after a second. ) Hello. Is anyone, uh, here? ( No? Okay, then. She'll just take another slow step in. ) So, um, what do you sell here?

( She can make out a few things on shelves, but none of them look entirely familiar. Like weird off-brand products. )

Are you closed? I can come back later if that's the case.

( If no one answers, she'll just go. Maybe bump into someone. You never know here. )

( three | wildcard )
( hit me with anything! )

one

[surgent]

[ Huh. Is that young woman calling out to him? His beetle-black eyes blink with no acknowledgment of her plea. There do seem to be a great deal of people in danger it seems.

In a flash of dark smoke, he disappears from her eyesight. When he reappears, he's closer to her but closer to the snake. It snaps at him but, just as he'd done a moment before, he wisps away in a haze of black. One of the heads snaps at one of the other and they begin to infight offering the both of them enough distraction to get away.

He's behind her again, voice low and even, monotonous. ]

It would be wise of you to run. [ With a mild sweep of his hand, he gestures to the exit. ] I would suggest that direction.

ned wynert | ota

[trainspotter]

one
[Baby hand soap is creepy and all, but you know what's great? train soap. Maybe they're supposed to be shortbread cookies...? In any case, Ned has somehow located a whole three of these stupid things, and he is genuinely on the hunt for more. Like, stop-and-ask-about-your-soaps on the hunt.]

Any more locomotives and I swear I'm going to lose it. Nothing else...? [He seems to be scouring the ground. People are being chased by giant snakes, Ned.]


two
[Ned can get behind the concept of a city where everything is free. Anyone else out among the stores today might spot him strolling in and out of several of them, picking things up and moving on without even stopping to check if someone's waiting to take payment for them. At one point he even leaves one store to sidle into another to pick up a bag to throw his things into.

But of course, when he's so eagerly collecting whatever he wants - and he doesn't even know what some of these things are, but they look neat - that twinge of guilt that comes with taking from the stores just keeps getting stronger. Eventually Ned stops in the doorway of a store, brow furrowed in confusion, and looks over his shoulder. Then down the street one way... then the other.]

'Scuse me, [he says, to whoever will pause and listen.] Are there police around here? I've got the nastiest feeling that someone's got his eye on me.

[fuckthepolice.mp3]

two-b
[Alternatively, Ned can be found in one of the stores, sitting behind the counter with his feet up, waiting expectantly. If there isn't actually a counter in the shop, he has slid a table over to where one should be, so he can play cashier.]

My warmest welcome! What can I do for you today?

three
[Some odd days after the big arrival, Ned has made his way to the armory because—it's there. Why not. He learns very quickly, however, that not only are half the polearms and even some of the swords in here bigger than he is by at least a foot, there are also—] No guns?

[The disappointment is palpable... How will he shoot things with no new guns and therefore no ammo?? He hums, dismayed, and runs a finger along the handle of a particularly nasty-looking spear, grabbing onto it more abruptly when it wobbles dangerously and knocks into the one propped next to it.

Just a tiny dude hugging a spear in the armory. No weapon-falling crisis here.]

two-b (or not two-b wowie im so clever)

[skelebro]

[He's tired.

Big surprise, right? A real shocker; the skeleton with a profound lack of motivation on any given day, tired? Yeah, yeah, he gets it. It ain't exactly a deviation from the norm.

Point is, he's more than just not slept. He's drained in every way it's possible to be drained. The week prior weren't real kind to him.

So the last thing he expects, when he manages to drag his coccyx out into the real world again, is someone to be actually manning one of the empty shops for once. He blinks, long and slow. 'Cause skeletons definitely walk and, uh, blink now. Bone's definitely that pliable]

That's new.

ravine | ota.

[whip_poor_will]

i. the arrival | colosseum

This isn't déjà vu. Not by one's common misconception of the experience, in any case. That implies a feeling of familiarity of an event that has already occurred.

No, a more accurate description of this scenario would be déjà vécu. A vague recollection that she has, in fact, been here before in a different scape in memory.

Even the creature standing before her is different: Clarity comes to her like clouds parting from a clear and empty sky. Not insectoid this time. Serpentine. Three heads.

Recognition flashes in her eyes behind the dark lenses of her sunglasses, but by then it's too late. The oversized three-headed snake jolts, as if noticing the unarmed figure in red and black for the first time. And it very well may have. One second there was nothing, and the next -- there is a woman standing before it, and the creature begins to lunge towards her.

When it does, the snake stumbles, rolls, one head attempting to strike at her before the middle one, and the left head stopping mere inches from her before hitting the ground. Eddies of sand puff around either side of its skull. Its eyes squeeze shut and then open again... But by then, it's prey is gone. Vanished into the air...

That is, until the woman materializes atop the pile of rubble on the complete opposite end of the colosseum, overlooking the area and far from the sight and minds of the beastly newcomers that have arrived with the newly waking fish.

ii. groves

Unlike many who come here confused and looking for answers, she isn't quite as in a rush to get to the punch. In fact, she's barely even given her phone so much as a glance since she got here, but that's mostly because she doesn't have to.

The answers are in the air, you see. The waves of words that no one else hears but she listens to quite often.

Besides, she has better things to be doing than to pester the locals and inhabitants.

Some time after that interesting excursion through the arena, a foreigner once again allows herself to manifest in the greenery of fruit and trees. Scents of life are what draws her here, in that this is a place that offers sustenance and provides a calming scene unlike the ramshakle architecture all over.

She pauses when a bird flutters upon the branch of an overhead tree. The woman, standing a stunning height of six-foot-seven-inches when she straightens her back to look up, just stares at the avian staring back.

"Run, quick!" the bird shouts in a boy's voice, wings flapping. "There's a snake!"

Tilting her head, she draws her shades down to the tip of her nose to look at the chattering creature. "A bit late for that, aren't you?" she replies, having a sense that she won't be getting a linear answer to her query. Not from that little guy, at any rate.

iii. wildcard

[ooc: Of the Choose Your Own Adventure variety, for any of those who want to do something else with a Giant Woman!]

ii

[unknowable]

Adam is a regular in the orchard. He likes it, the green growing things and the calmness of it, and he likes the simple work of tending to the plants. They don't need all that much help, but that doesn't mean it's useless to do it - he's not sure Sorrow pays all that much attention, given the weeds he's removed and the pruning he's done.

So he hears the bird and rolls his eyes a little. Those things are annoying, more than anything, but if someone doesn't know what they are - well, he can imagine it would be strange. Confusing, maybe. So he approaches.

"They repeat what they've heard other people say. It'll be saying that until it copies something else."

Sherlock Holmes | OTA

[deerstalkers]

[Option 1 - Arrival]

[Sherlock opens his eyes and finds himself looking around at a scene that doesn't make any sense. For a moment he's taken aback, but the only outward indication of this is the slightest lift of his eyebrows as his gaze swings around.

This is not his flat. This is not London. This is not anywhere he's seen before -- he doesn't even have to really wrack his brain for that realization. Something to do with the three-headed snake he's currently staring down.]

Have I been drugged? Some hallucinogen...

[Sherlock mutters to himself. Wouldn't be the first time. Wouldn't be the first time he drugged himself either, but this seems different. The snake makes a lunge and Sherlock takes a quick step back, the serpent following. Sherlock is way too annoyed for this, and he snaps at the snake like it'll at all care,] Oh come off it. I don't have time for this!


[Option 2 - Around about the city]

[By now, Sherlock has decided that this hallucination or strange new world or whatever the hell it was, it wasn't going to be over any time soon. It was seemingly real and lasting enough that he probably ought to acclimate himself. The fact that John is here as well has settled him somewhat. But only somewhat.

But idleness will only drive him mad with boring. He'll make the most of this mystery, absurd as it may be. Long coat wrapped close, scarf tucked about his neck, Sherlock is striding through the city and making a mental map of the streets and alleys, the geography of this prison he's currently found himself in. Sherlock alternates between the map on his phone and his surroundings.] Hardly the pinnacle of urban planning.

[And then, abruptly, should you happen to be near.] You. How long have you been in this place?


[Option 3 - Wildcard]

[Sherlock can be found basically anywhere, so feel free to hit him with some other scenario.]

2

[mismanagement]

[It's lucky the man decides to get her attention by snapping rather than trying to grab her. More than a few newcomers have tried it in their confusion and Maketh has then been forced to apologize for her very Imperial reaction. Though she no longer wears the uniform or swears the oath, she still thinks like an officer. Still moves like one too, back perfectly straight and her clothes - civilian though they might be - ironed into sharp corners and flattened into clean submission. Everything in its place. Everything as it ought to be, from the rifle to the knife at her belt and the thin line of her mouth - utterly unamused.

She's had a long day. The monsters are faster than usual and she's been bitten twice. Thankfully she's managed to avoid the venom or the day would be feeling much longer indeed.

She frowns at the man, eying him up and down with open suspicion. No one she recognizes.]

Long enough. Read the guide on your phone. I have work to do.

jacob frye | open

[queensberry]

1) First World Problems

[All things considered, Jacob Frye took the whole three-headed-snake thing in stride. There had been some running, some knife-throwing, and tripping over ancient ruins. It was fine. He got away unscathed.

His precious, precious top hat hadn't. There was a snake's fang through it, and snake blood from the removal of that fang soaking the thing. Somehow, he thought this was salvageable. Somehow, he thought this was suitable to be holding out to people.]

I don't know, I think leaving it might give it character. [The fang, that is, but it's definitely going to be stained.] Do think it's poisonous? I hope it's poisonous.

2) Cops and Robbers

[You know what a great place to make wild speculations about the city guard? Outside the city guard's office. In fact, he's not only talking outside the guard's office, but he's barging into it with arms wide. Sorry, peacekeepers, he's going to pull a chair out and straddle it like it wasn't his first day here.] --and somehow you look just as boring as Scotland Yard.

[The worst of it? He has the smuggest grin, like he's about to change that fact and more. This would not be his first visit, especially not with the questions he's about to ask.] So what do you lot count as crime? If I start a brawl, am I going to get in trouble for breaking someone's arm? Or do I have to kill them? Hypothetically.

3) Healthy Diet

[You would think coming from the 19th century, Jacob might be a little perplexed at all the food he's been finding. He's not. His arms are full with a wide variety, not seeming to question pizza rolls, some questionable eggs, and a large bag of gold-fish crackers that he's spilled on his way out. His face is stuffed with the latter.

No, Jacob is perplexed by the simple needs of baking. He's been on the hunt, then come to realize he doesn't know what the hunt is for, and stopped out on the street with furrowed brows, arms and mouth both full.]

Does anyone know what a gentleman would need to bake cookies? [The crackers, they're spilling again,] Or what a... micro... wave... is?

4) Sending (text)

[And unfortunately, after some period of time, Jacob has discovered a) what a phone was and b) what apps are. How does he have your number? Good question.]

MET ME AT TE BAR IF YOU WANT A ARSE BEATING THESE AR GR8

[He hadn't even taken a drink yet.]

WILDCARD

[Please spare yourselves.]

Two

[mismanagement]

[Maketh feels her eye twitching. She puts a hand over it and very deliberately does not reach for the pistol holstered at her belt. Aside from Sato's nonsense and that mess with Danse, things have been relatively quiet with Hadriel's citizens lately. The majority have been concerned with surviving and sniping at each other over the network, and less with causing trouble in the streets. Clearly she's becoming complacent, because trouble is sitting across from her desk and grinning at her.

Urg. Wonderful.]

The guardsmen maintain a defensive perimeter around the city and mobilize to defend the civilians when we are under attack. I don't care what you do, so long as you don't get in the way. But prevent my men from performing their duties, harm the citizens, or annoy me overly much, and I will deal with you.

[Maketh's smile is more than a little mean.]

Maketh Tua. One of the guard commanders. It seems you and I are going to have a little chat.

ardyn izunia | open

[daemonized]

ARRIVAL - COLOSSEUM;

[It’s a special kind of cruelty that tears one from rest to cognizance, from a long-awaited stillness to being aware once more. To say that it’s jarring is nothing short of an understatement; to say that it’s frustrating, causing a bitterness to spike almost instantaneously upon awakening, is beyond accurate. (From nothing to something again. All rewound, and for what? He feels heavy with the weight of what he is again, and it’s enough to make him hate.)

And yet Ardyn Izunia is nothing but adaptable, especially when spurred on by something akin to frustration, inlaid with a growing curiosity of what’s happened. Why is he here, and where might here be? Settling back into being alive was a bit like slipping on a well-worn glove, as tiring as the very thought might have been. But he (seemingly) takes it in stride, though someone who has the misfortune of running into him now may get the impression of a man whose politeness is only a thin veneer a best.

But the first thing he finds, of course, is a Runespoor, hissing angrily at someone else in the colosseum. And if Ardyn looks particularly inclined to help, it certainly isn’t reflected in his tone as he calls out to the lost individual.]

I do hope you’re a fan of snakes. This one seems fond of you.

[#helpful]

EXPLORING - CAVES;

[Who’s to say that Ardyn gravitates towards safety first?

The opposite is true, in fact. He’s far more attracted to the darkness of the caves, curious of the dangers that may lurk there. Knowing that, perhaps, all secrets are best kept in places hard to find.

That, and tonberries.

Seeing one of the creatures, holding its telltale gleaming knife, actually does give him pause — it’s out of a flicker of surprise, more so than actual caution. If anyone happens to be near, they might hear him say to no one in particular:]

You’ve come an awfully long way, haven’t you?

[Yes, that was ironically directed at the tonberry itself. How droll.]

TEXTING;

[Later, a message to everyone in the form of a text.]

Humor me with your opinions of these so-called gods.

WILDCARD;

[I’m open to just about anything. Please feel free to toss something my way here!]

Colosseum

[deceiving_is_believing]

[Shuuya had been running from this pesky thing for quite a while now. This is annoying. Instead of soap, why didn't they offer weapons? Man, he's in trouble.

Still, Ardyn's commentary definitely doesn't go unnoticed by the Stepford Smiler. Maybe, just maybe he can beg for some help from this guy.]

Yea? You think? I was just thinking about asking it on a date. [Shuuya's grin is only slightly nervous, but mostly just for show.]

Care to give a dude a hand? [Please?]

Mettaton | ota always! will match style!

[mttbrandlegs]

❤ I. Two Steps Back (cw: slavery mention, mind control mention)

[Mettaton wishes he could even bother to be surprised anymore, that the placidity of settling down on a planet that still doesn't manage to be home was to be stolen from him.

But he can't. Not anymore than he can absolve within himself the fact that he deserved any better. Because he doesn't, does he? Karma, does he even believe in it? Well, whether he does or not, he probably shouldn't doubt that it was coming for him.

Still...being stuck in an arena was a little uncanny, and facing the odd, three-headed snakes? Even more so. The robot reaches up to touch his neck, his fingers shaking. No...no there's nothing there to feel, he's not trapped on the Outpost again. This is different and new.

Terrifying all the same, because despite the fact that he didn't have the same method of remote control integrated to his circuits didn't mean he wasn't infected somehow with that niggling urge to fight.

As the snake hisses viciously at him, Mettaton finds his expression fading into something cold, his heart hardening. He doesn't want to do this. But in this position, he can do little more than FIGHT.

So he does. because he has to. That's what he had been told to do in all but the words. He's going to obey. If he doesn't, then he'll be made to submit. He knows. He knows.

His hands fall loosely to his sides, electricity dancing across his fingertips. Once the Runespoor draws close enough, he extends a hand, unleashing his magic in one single bolt, strong enough to stun. Maybe he doesn't have the HP to tank hits anymore after all that's happened, but he's still got the EXP to make it up.

Any spectator is free to be amused, that's what he's there for! Entertainment of a sort. The seven-foot tall, agile robot with too much superficial damage to remain vain anymore. His movements cause the scarf which looks terribly out of place to flutter. He will not permit damage to it.]


❤ II. Settling In

[Alright, well. Disregarding the snakes--Runespoors, he believes they were called?--it's probably about time to seek out the silver lining in this whole mess. Once Mettaton's found himself far removed from that mess in the colosseum, he insteads shifts gears to mildly wandering the city. He doesn't question anybody, because he doesn't care to pose a hindrance, and unless they're familiar, he's not likely to seek them out anyway. It won't be the same, because as he's starting to realize, this wasn't just a simple trip through an Ingress which he was having a hard time recalling.

This was something new, and he probably wouldn't be going back to Kauto anytime soon.

The thought makes his heart pine for the normalcy he'd been starting to feel. Tending to Bucky's orchards. Having sleepovers with Asriel. Living in a nice little home all his own, creating his own little haven where nothing could go wrong, and he didn't have to leave unless he wanted to. It was nice, for a while.

What a shame it didn't last.

Mettaton finds himself drawn to the lake after a while, glancing out over the rippling currents and noting the darker colors the further out he gazed. The way he stares out across the water makes it clear that his mind is elsewhere...and not in a good place. It probably doesn't come across as exceedingly strange unless someone knows him.

Do you approach?

Prompt 2!

[soundtest]

[It's not everyday you see your favorite TV star just sitting by the lake.

It's not everyday that Napstablook visited the lake either, even if it was the closest reminder to home. It was about as quiet as home too, which Napstablook could appreciate. Even if they did miss the run-down walls of their former home. The sight of the robot causes Napstablook to do a double take as they approach from behind, causing them to stop and step back before they're seen.

There wasn't any kind of announcement that he was here - and even now Napstablook imagined he'd be swarmed by fans. But there didn't seem to be any crowds or photographers that the former ghost imagined would be surrounding him by now.

They should turn back. Rare chance or not, he probably doesn't want to be bothered by another fan.

Or... maybe they could just say hi really quick? That they liked his show and then they could leave him be.

No they should leave.

But maybe-

Without thinking, a scrawny-looking human with white hair and dark circles under their eyes opens their mouth.]

oh... h-hi mettaton...

[Oh god they said something oh gosh it's coming out wrong they're making this weird say something to make this not weird-]

i-i'm a big fan... of your show...

[Napstablook is suddenly wishing they could still phase themselves out.]

steve rogers | ota!

[starspangled]

arrival & around the city:

[here again. steve is one of the lucky few who knows exactly where he is from the moment he opens his eyes - if you can call that "lucky". he also knows that when you wake up in the colosseum, you don't wake up alone, and what you wake up with usually wants to kill you.

this time is no exception, and steve throws himself into the fight against the three-headed snakes, yanking them back by the tail if he sees one going after someone, dodging the snap of one head while punching the eye of another. he might not have his shield, but steve never had it before either.

he does find a sword, rusty and a little dull, but he thinks he can make it work. steve approaches the runespoor and anyone else who happens to be close to it.]

If we cut off one head, do you think two more will grow back in its place? I'm ready to find out.

[once everyone else is out, steve leaves the colosseum and heads back in the direction of his old apartment. he takes the long route to see if things have changed, or if he might run into anyone that he knew.

he's half-afraid that he won't. some people come from worse places than this, so it's not entirely selfish. but being half-afraid that he'll find that apartment empty probably is.]

the apartment

[wipedclean]

[Bucky's thought about moving out, honestly. Finding another place that didn't have so many things that reminded him of Steve and of what Bucky was like before. But it turns out he's more sentimental than he realizes. Or maybe he just likes that he does remember what it was like here, as opposed to the still fragmented memories of his actual life.

Memory is a tricky thing, it turns out. And that he actually does remember living here is important, even if the Yeti fur coat is ridiculous and probably should've been disposed of weeks ago.

Bucky spends time here, writing in notebooks and remembering, even if there's almost certainly better things he could be doing with that time. Then again, around here, it's never certain what should or shouldn't be done.

Bucky's on the couch, writing, rolling his left shoulder to ease phantom pains in the arm that isn't there when the door opens. He tenses, looks up. He should've locked that. Except he was hoping... maybe someday...

His breath catches in his throat and he stares, swallows, then says, his soft voice barely managing not to betray his uncertainty--]

Steve. Hey. You're back.

[Because how else would he know to come here, of all places?]

Mikoto Suoh | OTA

[lionhearrt]

i. Runespoors - A Delicacy

[ Deep in the arena Mikoto sits atop a rock, chewing on a very dead, very cooked Runespoor. Upon seeing someone approach he'll look up, stare and promptly offer a piece of his catch. ]

Want some?


ii. Around the City

[ Mikoto can be found either taking a) a stroll through the city, b) napping on a bench in the Silent Hill zone, or c) drinking at the bar. Feel free to bump into him, wake him or buy him a drink! ]


iii. Wildcard

[ ota; choose your own adventure. ]

i.

[deceiving_is_believing]

[Shuuya is wandering around, curious about these odd soaps and seeing if he can find the funniest one. But, when he stumbles acrost Mikoto, he wants to know why this guy is staring at him. And then he's offered a piece of the dead snake-thing. He gives a grin.]

Uhh... no thanks. I think I'll have to pass on that one.

[Something along the lines of eat or be eaten, he supposes. He stuffs his hands in his hoodie pockets, his grin never fading.]

How'd you manage to do that, though?

[He hasn't seen tools here, and he certainly doesn't see any remnant of a fire pit.]

john watson | ota

[acclimatize]

( arrival )

[ The last thing he remembers is running through the dark, through fog and trees, chasing after the "good doctor". They had to stop him, make him answer for his crimes. But that was it. Then there was darkness. It seemed to engulf him like water and then he's hearing the hissing before his eyes finally squint open. He's... heard that kind of hissing before.

Snake.

His eyes open wide against the light and he's blinking rapidly while trying his best not to panic. He can't make any movements until he knows exactly where they are. Because there was definitely more than one. Once he can vaguely make out the... cave ceiling? What. John slowly turns his head to the side; his stomach drops at the sight of a three-headed snack. Multiple ones. Large ones. His tongue darts out to swipe at his lips and he tries to rationalize this isn't real. It has to be the fog. Just like with the Hound, this isn't real. Just a hallucination.

Except he really isn't liking how close that hallucination is getting to him.... He looks to his other side and sees that there's some empty space -- but also that there are other people here. Waking up just like he is...

He looks back over to the snake before he's rolling himself away and then pushing up quickly onto his knees and then feet in as fluid a movement as he can since his army days. He grabs for his gun and aims it at the creature but doesn't fire. This isn't real. But... the sand on his skin is very real. What is going on here? ]

( city )

[ Once he's able to find a way out of the colosseum, John runs all the way out and into the city. He doesn't stop until he's a good distance away. He stops, out of breath and lungs burning. Bent over, hands grip his thighs as he tries to get his breath, it takes a bit for him to really look at where he is. This... this isn't right. At all.

This... he straightens himself up, still breathing hard and slowly turning in a circle to get a better look at the buildings -- and surrounding cave. ]

Christ.

[ That's all he can get out at first. This is too much to be a hallucination. Or maybe there was an underground base they had no idea about. Maybe. But it still feels a bit much. But it was either believing that or accepting that he might not actually be in England at all. He didn't really want to swallow that pill just yet. ]

City

[manofmettle]

[With most of the snakes taken care off and the remainder having fled to the caves, Danse is ready to head home. With snake blood and gore splattered on him, a sledgehammer in his hands and what looks to be a rifle slung across his back, he cuts a pretty grim, if weary figure.

It's while he's picking his way home that he spots someone standing in the middle of the street, just staring wide-eyed in disbelief at his surroundings. Undoubtedly, this man was a new arrival, and unluckily he must have fled the colosseum quick enough that he'd slipped under the radar and found himself out in the city without a proper explanation of what's going on.

His legs are aching, his arm is probably still bleeding a little underneath those makeshift bandages, and he's feeling a little light-headed from a nasty combination of fatigue and the lack of sleep. But like hell he'll let that stop him from helping out. Danse waves a hand to try and catch the other man's attention, and calls out with a hoarse voice:]

You've been abducted. Try to stay calm, and I'll explain as much as I can.