hadriel_logs | Event Log: Jumpscares

Entry tags:

Event Log: Jumpscares

Who: All characters participating in the event!
What: The event log for the Jumpscares event
Where: All over the city!
When: May 16th-May 20th
Warnings: Some startling jumpscares, interdimensional demon cats, the usual

A dark shadow looms over Hadriel on the morning of May 16th. There's a tension in the air, something palpable, as if everything has gone still and is ready to snap. You've been waiting for the other shoe to drop for hours now, and you're getting to the point where you're starting to wish that it would just happen already so that you can stop feeling this way.

Of course, when it does happen, it's not quite like you expect.

Maybe it's a tiger leaping out of your closet, claws extended. Maybe it's a faceless slenderman, stepping out from around the corner or a monster with beak and claws ripping open your shower curtain when you're most vulnerable- but within seconds, after you've been startled half to death by the monsters, they're gone. They vanish in a puff of smoke, or dissipate into glitter, or become something silly instead for a few brief moments before disappearing entirely.

Weird. But not unendurable, I guess. The bright side is that there will also be a few demon cats that have also made their way through the door. No two cats are ever in the same location, but there seems to be enough of them to go around, though the toothy one can be a bit vicious. Still, they aren't untameable, and might make nice pets, as long as you don't mind a bloody finger or two when it's time for lunch!

► This log covers May 16th-May 20th.
► Feel free to make your own logs, as well
► Please tag headers of threads with content warnings where they apply
► Please put your character's name and open/closed in the subject line of your starters!
► If you have some heart problems that are unfortunately exacerbated by this event, please let us know here, and we're sorry.

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[Hux eyed the gun in Lance's hand but he wasn't concerned, raising his eyebrows.]

You don't seem as if you know how to use that. [he remarked as he adjusted the cuff of his coat. Lance didn't seem to have the same military bearing that would indicate any kind of formal training. The look the other man was giving him only served to amuse Hux further]

You're upset I would have shot you. [So cute.] I doubt you're military, given your general appearance, but it's never too late to learn to follow orders.

[Lance watches him carefully, noting how casual he seems to be, and is quickly forming an idea of Hux's personality type. It's one that makes him nervous, even without all the reasons he already has to be so.

It's due to a combination of not wanting to make the situation worse and trying to get a better read of Hux that Lance just lets him keep talking, trying not to take any of what he says personally, and when he's done Lance decides to venture a comment.]

You're making a lot of judgements based on appearance.

[He keeps his tone mild this time, to go with the less agreeable words, and still hasn't put his gun away.]

You lack control- your facial expression tells me a great deal. If you did have military training, I can't imagine you got very far.

[At least, that was true in Hux's experience. An officer who didn't know how to control their reactions and feelings tended to find their careers ending rather abruptly.]

So am I wrong?

Edited 2017-05-18 04:28 (UTC)

[He never did quite master controlling his expressions; usually he can get away with it, but every so often--especially in a particularly stressful or surprising situation--it's a lost cause entirely. So he really can't argue with Hux's comments, and indeed he doesn't have any military experience.]

No.

[He answers that much, mostly because it's no secret, and he's deciding to try a particular tactic in this conversation. Whoever this is obviously is used to being right, so he'll let him be right and see what he can get out of his reactions.]

I work with people with military experience, but I was not a part of it myself.

Edited 2017-05-18 05:09 (UTC)

What kind of work do you do? [He raised his eyebrows, curious. In the First Order and Imperial military even civilian posts required certain skills. Such positions were coveted which required someone to use more unorthodox methods of getting the posting.

Something told him Lance wasn't capable of that.]

I'm a psychologist.

[He gives the short answer and leaves out the explanation of what that actually means; who knows if Hux's world even has psychologists anyway. Probably not, if his behavior is anything to go by. Besides, if not that'll make Hux have to ask if he's interested in knowing.]

So your profession is to know about other people and to use that to your advantage. [They came in useful in developing interrogation techniques but somehow he doubted that Lance's duties included such things.

What exactly do you do then?

[Not in the way Hux is probably thinking, no, although he does have an aptitude for picking the correct strategy when questioning someone.

And he'll just avoid answering that last question for now by focusing the first part of what Hux said.]

Not to my advantage, no. That isn't the point.

[Although sure, he does use it to his advantage especially in his role as a criminal profiler, but in his job as a psychologist that isn't the point and it's interesting that's the conclusion Hux has come to.]

Edited 2017-05-18 22:03 (UTC)

Then what do you use it for?

[The whole 'helping people' aspect didn't occur to him.]

We use psychologists for very specific purposes and yes, it's to gain and advantage and provide information that can be used later.

[Basically, torture.]

I'm guessing you sit around and talk about feelings then.

[He's not nearly as surprised as he wishes he were by that answer, and by 'not nearly' it's more like 'not at all.' Still, it's useful information, and he files it away mentally while responding to that last part.]

It's a little more than 'sitting around and talking about feelings.'

[For the record. And although it's a correction Lance would've normally made anyway, he does it now for the additional benefit of making himself look harmless by defending what he imagines Hux sees as a pointless job.]

I primarily counsel people who have been through difficult experiences and help them work through them.

[It's half-true; that is a part of his job, but only one part, and it's purposefully vague even though that's mostly just to avoid having to explain what the FBI is and how it works.]

So you talk about people's feelings with them. That seems a dangerous job to have within a military organization if your military officers are sitting down and divulging anything that makes them, or their command, vulnerable. [Such a strange thing, he couldn't even imagine such a thing.]

Any Imperial officer would be executed if they ever did such a thing. At least, if they weren't eliminated by some other means first.

[Hux's voice was even, he was merely making an observation. The First Order and Imperial military were not exactly the most friendly places and any weakness could and would be exploited.]

[Although it would've been easy enough to guess at a connection just from that first part, Hux's mention of 'Imperial' means it would be difficult to believe that Hux and Maketh aren't from the same world; that suddenly explains a lot, and Lance has a bit more solid of an idea of how to proceed in dealing with him.]

I'm not in competition or conflict with them, and don't want their jobs. They have very little to risk in speaking with me, and it's better for them and for those they're leading if they're performing at their best.

[All of that's true, even if it's carefully worded. Not only does he think the system that Hux--and Maketh--describe is flawed on a personal level, it also seems hugely impractical and a waste of resources.]

That doesn't mean someone else doesn't want their jobs. And perhaps I may be wrong, but you don't seem as if you're the type of person who is very familiar with how torture works.

[Hux can't believe that someone would be so helpful for so little in return. It makes sense to him that officers are strong and present that facade to the rest of the world no matter what they may be experiencing on a personal level. He had been able to set aside his emotions at a young age, he didn't see why it was difficult.]

[...How does he end up in these conversations? Oh right, he's nosy and the people in this place are ridiculous. That's how.

The insinuation is pretty clear, and fortunately the wince that comes naturally in response just helps in the image he's trying to project at the moment.]

I try not to be.

[It's a truthful answer, at least for the most part; his job being what it is he's actually a lot better versed in the subject than might be expected, since he needs to be able to counsel people who might've gone through it, but it's certainly not a subject he wants to put more thought into than necessary.]

But that would be... A really extreme resort, where I'm from. It'd be a lot easier to frame another agent for conducting an illegal investigation or something.

[No one gets hurt, it's a lot simpler to coordinate, and it's still very effective if you don't get caught. Of course, that last part isn't easy when you're dealing with FBI agents, so that sort of backstabbing just isn't all that common.]

Why? That presents another weakness to anyone who would seek to gain anything from you.

[He's baffled by Lance- every First Order and Imperial officer worth anything would be familiar with how torture worked and any resistance to such tactics.]

That's ineffective, don't you think? You're depending on someone not to have the right connections, for anyone in power not to be bribed or otherwise compromised. It works in some cases but you have to be willing to put a great deal of faith in your connections if you don't want that to backfire on you.

[He has no doubt that Lance would get eaten alive by Imperial politics. It would even be amusing.]

And often that leaves your enemy alive. Eliminating someone is the most effective solution and can be used as a demonstration to others as to the power of your position.

[He's so torn right now between wanting out of this conversation and being fascinated--and horrified--and so wanting to learn more from a psychological perspective.

And... Alright, he can't argue with the part about relying on those in power note being bribed, because that's pretty much exactly the situation they're dealing with sorting out at home, and also what got Lance mostly likely murdered. But he's not about to get into that subject, so he just nods agreeably--not bothering to hide that this is a somewhat disturbing conversation--and addresses only the last part of what Hux said.]

That's... Very difficult to get away with. Killing someone usually ends up landing you in prison, no matter what your title or position.

[With some exceptions, of course, but the rampant murdering of people in a higher position than yourself that Maketh and now Hux have described is just... Not feasible, even ignoring all the moral issues.]

[Hux made a note of how Lance only addressed the last part of what he said, clearly the man had a problem with torture. Whether it was moral or something else, it could be useful in the future. ]

Usually. If you are going to murder someone then you have to ensure that doesn't happen.

[Says the man who murdered trillions and is regarded by many as a hero.] But I'm sure even your military allows for killing someone else when necessary.

[It's probably for the best that Lance is totally unaware that that's what Hux is thinking, because he already has enough trouble sleeping in this ridiculous place.

Instead, he's focused on trying to decide how much he should push arguing on the subject of likelihood of getting away with murder; it's not like he thinks he's going to change Hux's mind, so if he's going to argue he needs to have a different reason. Besides, it's probably for the best to keep it to himself just how familiar he is with investigating murders and criminals.

So again he decides only to address the last part of what Hux said, because discussing that could potentially lead to useful insight.]

It does, but when that's acceptable is highly specific and killing someone on your side is almost never one of those situations.

Don't you execute traitors? Or anyone who threatens the survival of the group?

[Such a strange thing.]

I have to admit, I do not understand how your military organization manages to stay intact if you allow members to disclose personal information that could lead to vulnerabilities and the restriction on the methods used.

[He misses tossing Resistance and Republic operatives off his star destroyer. It was fun.]

I have to admit, it would be amusing to toss you on a star destroyer and see how long you manage to survive.

[He's not a big fan of executing anyone, but--]

Yes, sometimes, but again those are very specific situations and usually involve thorough investigations of guilt.

[And aren't about stealing someone's job.

He doesn't bother to correct the 'military organization' part, because again he's not interested in explaining the difference between the military and the FBI, or what his own involvement in the latter is beyond being a psychologist. He also thinks it's a lost cause--at least at the moment--to reiterate why counseling is not only allowed but encouraged, because he has the feeling that's not something Hux is going to grasp right away.

...Also he has no idea what that last part about a star destroyer is about, and so that's much more what he's focused on at the moment.]

I beg your pardon?

[What the hell does that mean and why does he feel like it's not a good thing Hux would find it amusing?]

You don't seem the type to do what you have to in order to survive if it means potentially hurting someone else. That's the type of thing that will get you eliminated quickly and for good reason.

Hesitation could mean the difference between life and death- and often not just ours. If others sense that you're not willing to sacrifice others or are indecisive, you would be dealt with.

[All lessons Hux had learned during his childhood. It was the reason he had survived to be a general even if he had left a bloody trail of bodies in his wake.]

I will be curious to see how long you manage to survive here.

[While this is utterly fascinating insight into Hux's opinions and outlooks, it's also somewhat horrifying and Lance doesn't like how focused and personal it's gotten. He certainly has no interest in correcting any of Hux's assertions, both to avoid arguing with him and because he's trying to seem as nonthreatening as possible, and that last comment is a bit... Ominous, to say the least.]

I'll um, I'll keep all of that in mind.

[For now, he's going to try to get out of this conversation, even though he's learning quite a bit.]

But for now I should... Probably return home.

[You know, scary event and all, he probably should go somewhere safe.]

Of course. But one last thing.

[Hux held out a hand to block Lance, only barely touching his arm.]

I didn't catch your name- I'm sure we'll run into each other again here since there is only so many places to go.

[So there is nowhere to run, Lance.]

[He tries not to flinch when Hux reaches out, but he's just blocking him; not ideal, but could be a lot worse. Still, he really doesn't appreciate it, and his eyes darken slightly in a combination of nervousness and annoyance.]

It's Lance. And I'm sure we will.

[He says it more coldly than goes with the image he's been projecting, but he's rapidly reaching the end of his patience for vague--or not so vague--threats.]

A pleasure, Lance. I look forward to it.

[He lowered his hand so Lance was free to leave and Hux even waved his fingers to indicate Lance was dismissed. With one last smirk he turned on his heel to walk off, pulling off his gloves as he did so.]

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Event Log: Jumpscares

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