realmofstories | Character Introduction Log: May 2020

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Character Introduction Log: May 2020

Intro Log: May 2020—

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Greetings and welcome to the intro log for Forgotten Tales! There are no hard and fast rules here. Just include your Character, canon, and essence in the subject line and post away! Network prompts are allowed in the intro log, so feel free to put one in.

In terms of timeline, the intro log can span over several days, so don't feel as if everything has to happen all at once. You are also free to post your own logs at any time, and can even take these prompts for them!

§ prompts.

¶ I. Adjusting to a New Life. Even after being told by the Storyteller about everything, there's still a lot to learn. There's also the satchel and journal to investigate, and figuring out where they live. The Index itself is a large, vast city inhabited by a large variety of characters from numerous stories. Because of this, there is no uniform style to the city. One street could look like a normal street plucked out of a Victorian, English fairy tale and then the very next is made of candy. It makes for an interesting mishmash of cultures that somehow manages to get along. Most of the time, at least.

A. Brushing Up on the Lore. Perhaps a trip to the Grand Library to read up on the essence's stories wouldn't be such a bad idea. It might help give the Aspect some ideas as to what they can do. But you know, it would be their luck to have a large tome dedicated to their stories way high up on a top shelf. And the ladder is rusty. Might need some help.
B. Magic Journals. For those of the modern era, needing to write is going to be an interesting exercise. But after reading the instructions, maybe they want to reach out, see who else is out there. Or troll people with dumb doodles.
C. Watch What You're Doing! Testing out a new spell or weapon? Great! Just be mindful of the surroundings—this is all new and no one has thought to create a special training area for everyone (yet). And while most of the locals are happy and hopeful about their potential heroes, broken windows or almost burning one of them won't go over too well.
D. House Hunting. Among the items found in the satchel is a set of keys. These keys will magically lead their new owner to the house they will be living in for as long as they are in the Realm of Stories. The home will be styled to fit the essence and the location will also be fitting of that essence. It could be within the main city of the Index, outside of town, underwater, in the air—anywhere! Now if only the keys didn't take their own through...interesting, winding routes. Like through a random bakery or down someone's chimney. Who knows, maybe they will want to come back and visit the stores for clothing and other housewares.

¶ II. Rabbit Season, Duck Season. There are two new cafes that have opened up: Hare de Lune Teahouse and Bistro de Saison de Canards. The Hare's owners hail from the Book of Kaguya and wish to spread the joy of eating their local treats with the bonus of having a cute, fluffy rabbit as a dining companion. Canards, however, are more local and are competing against them with their own special delicacies focused on duck and eggs. A fierce competition is brewing between the two, and hair and feathers may end up flying before the day's out.

A. Hare de Lune Teahouse. The inside of Hare de Lune's is brightly colored (almost a bit too bright and chaotic), but the perfectly brewed teas and beautifully crafted wagashi served are surprisingly elegant, adding a note of serenity to the riotous surroundings. … At least at first. After eating certain cakes or drinking certain teas, patrons will suddenly find themselves either suddenly growing or shrinking in size. The effects only last at most ten minutes, but it's still a bizarre change that sends many in a panic. Could the Canards across the street have sabotaged their food!?
B. A Hareful of Trouble. Not only that, but even the cafe's rabbits are acting strangely. While most are still docile and enjoy a nice warm lap, others are acting rambunctious and are attacking cafe patrons. It gets worse when a few nibble on a few of the size-changing cakes. If they grow in size, they become a more dangerous threat while those that shrink make it harder to find. The owners don't want the rabbits to be harmed, however, so great care is needed to try and catch or calm them down! Perhaps a big carrot will help? Or figure out which size-changing food will reverse the effect—and hopefully not make it worse.
C. We Ducked Up. Bistro de Saison de Canards has gone all out to be as fancy as possible in every way. Duck-shaped flower arrangements and topiaries, ice sculpture ducks enchanted to "swim" in the center of the tables and quack pleasantly, linen napkins folded like swans, menus inexplicably also folded into a duck shape (good luck trying to re-fold them), and very pretentiously named dishes which… might have concerning amounts of duck eggs and rabbit meat in them. To help attract customers, they are hiring volunteers to be their mascot who must wear a special costume and try to draw anyone who is heading towards Hare de Lune to their side instead. Unfortunately, sometimes the mascots are a bit too zealous, and one even tries to steal a rabbit! Perhaps it's someone working for Hare trying to sabotage Canards? Whether trying to have a meal, roped into being a mascot, or a witness to the ridiculous actions, it's a chaotic mess. (Was that a small flock of ducks that just waddled out onto the street with a chef chasing after them?)

¶ III. Untitled Swan Princess. It's a lovely morning in the Index… unless you happen to be the latest princess cursed by a rogue sorcerer. Unfortunately, this particular magic user was under the impression that swans are lovely, serene birds and make complacent captives. He was proven very, very wrong very quickly. Now the princess-turned-bird has a lot of anger to unleash, and quite a few acts of chaos on her to-do list.

A. Write Your Story. Apparently either the princess or her new bird brain has quite the case of kleptomania. Everyone wandering the streets today will want to keep a close eye on their valuables: lunches, keys, potion supplies, even journals and quills! As a result, some might find themselves on the receiving end of squiggly, angry beak-writing from strangers, or chasing after the thief while dodging bubble traps or ice slicks from potions dropping out of a snatched satchel!
B. Hot Fuzz Sundae. Somehow, the swan has managed to orchestrate a massive accident involving broken barrels of caramel sauce, a teddy bear parade, and a cart full of down pillows. Thankfully for anyone caught in the crossfire, the caramel is room-temperature, but now the whole intersection is covered in a sticky, fuzzy, feathery mess! Are you a passerby, a volunteer for the clean-up crew, or a stunned victim? And more importantly, is that caramel making you stick to something (or someone) else?
C. Wild Goose Chase. Finally, after hours of chaos, reports come in of the swan storming the Grand Library, stealing artifacts from the four Drafts the Aspects have restored thus far: a Jack-o-Lantern from A Hollow Christmas Carol, a bamboo sword from The Legend of Princess Kaguya, a pearl necklace from The Little Mermaid, and a rose-decorated dragon egg from A Midsummer Rose. It's up to the Aspects to stop the swan before she leaves the Library with the relics, but it won't be easy. The swan has planted rotten egg bombs all over the place, some even ready to fall on the unsuspecting. They do not smell until cracked open and are camouflaged to match their surroundings, especially the carpeting. Then there are some that are large and tick ominously once someone is within range, counting down until they explode. Either get those eggs out before they explode or somehow neutralize them, or the Grand Library will really be a mess for months to come.

¶ IV. Of Tea Leaves and Dragons. Somewhere outside the index is a newly opened nursery farm focused on raising tea dragons — special little dragons that produce leaves on various points on their bodies. Teas brewed from their leaves will reflect the temperament of these dragons, and although friendly special care must be taken for them. As they are a new addition to the Index, both the dragons and their caretakers are still learning to adjust and thus need a little extra help. These are the mains types of dragons and their teas at the nursery:

Rooibos. Active, curious dragons who tend to get into trouble. Drinking Rooibos tea will lead one to being unable to sleep or sit still.
Earl Grey. Easygoing and protective dragons, they are the largest of the group. Drinking this will lead the person wanting to be around those they care for, making sure nothing bad happens to them.
Hibiscus. Although calmer, they are willing to try new things and socialize with others. Drinking this tea will make one want to explore new places and or become more talkative about what they discover.
Ginseng. Very sensitive, these dragons can read the emotions of others and are loyal. The tea will help strengthen bonds between relationships as well as have an odd side effect of allowing one to read each other's thoughts.
Chamomile. The smallest of the dragons, they love to take long naps and just laze about, not really caring about what's going on around them. Similarly drinking their tea will make the drinker more apathetic and prone to sleep more often.

A. How to Bribe Your Tea Dragons. The dragon tea leaves are ripe for "plucking," and while the process is painless for the young dragons, they can still be a little ornery about it. After all, no one likes being manhandled by a stranger. One has to earn their trust, and fortunately it's not too difficult. As they are young, playing with them will go a long way in forming that needed bond. Tossing balls for either a game of catch or fetch, playing chase (the flyers are cheaters), hide and seek (they love hiding in bushes), and other similar games. Another good way is to offer them their favorite treats; fruits, veggies, and specially cooked biscuits are all part of a balanced diet, and will add some delicious notes to the final tea.
B. Harvesting Tea Leaves. Once settled in, the dragons will allow their leaves to be plucked and harvested. The process is really more like "grooming" the dragons, using special brushes to gather the loose leaves before hand plucking those that remain. First a special oil is applied to loosen the leaves and then a rake-like brush is used. It's a simple enough process, but the real problem comes from the dragons. While one person could possibly harvest a dragon on their own, they get so comfortable and cuddly while grooming that more often than not they end up pinning the holder's arms or keep butting their heads against the brushing hand which can hinder gathering the loose leaves. A second person is usually needed to either help distract the dragon or to collect the leaves.
C. Taste Testing. At the end of the day, everyone is welcome to try a taste of the finished tea. They all have different effects, and everyone can carry a small sample home with them.

¶ V. Wildcard. Make up your own prompt! Especially in regards to the festival, anything can really happen.

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[He'll get a very deep frown at that. Gabriel knew her position on needless suffering, even for those who were downright despicable. The fact that he would flaunt the suffering he inflicted...]

Earned or not, the man I remember wouldn't enjoy causing others to suffer. You don't put out a fire with a torch.

[His question makes her glance down briefly at the dragon in her lap.]

Keeping, no. I doubt the handlers here would appreciate anyone taking these creatures with them. But we are able to harvest their leaves as we wish.

[Listening to his answer, though... it's interesting. Gabriel has changed so much, but when it comes to answering a call to help an entirely new world, he answers it? She has so many questions she wants to ask him.]

I'm here for the same reason you are. To help. And I'm a grown woman; I answered the call on my own, without knowing who would be here before me.

[Before she knew either Gabriel or Jack were here, really.]

I'm not the man you remember. You might not put up the fire, but a torch is excellent for spreading it.

[There was something to be said about continually having to expend energy to hold himself together, the constant pain of dying and regenerating in equal measure. It ate at him, distracted and plagued him. If he had to live this suffering, he had no problem making those who turned him this way feel a small measure of it, even for a short period of time.

It also benefited the reputation that he was going for. There were times that playing a part was necessary in order to have fewer questions lobbed his way. Crazy, tactical death mercenary was apt for what he was going for.]

Most people don't appreciate their things taken, no. [That didn't mean someone might not try.

Reaper had to help or he would never get back to what he was doing. It wasn't anything to do with being altruistic; he had things that needed doing, and he couldn't do them while some world eating monster was being an annoyance. Besides, he hadn't wanted to come, but there hadn't exactly been much choice when he initially refused. So be it.]

But I suppose there is benefits with knowing old allies are here. Maybe you can keep him from living like an angry hobo in the woods.

Clearly not.

[It's unfortunate how true his words are. As much as she wants to believe, Gabriel isn't the man she once remembered. He's changed. They all had. Hers, Jack's, and Gabriel's 'deaths' had been a catalyst for the lives they were living now. It was a heavy weight on her heart, and while she wanted to get angry at Gabriel for his actions, it also saddened her. He had been her friend, after all.]

[That last comment has her brow furrowing in confusion, her one ear flicking.]

Angry hobo in the woods?

[Good. Now there was less chance that she would interfere with his business. If he could keep her and everyone else at a distance, he could finish what was necessary here and go back to his own plans and revenge. He couldn't have them involved. They weren't allowed to die again.

He picked up the tea dragon trying to make its new comfortable home on his lap, and he dropped it right off the branch he had been sitting on. It gave a squawk of protest, but he was already standing from his branch, his coat seeming to unfurl like wings.]

What's left of ol' Jack. Though I suppose he's more human than some, as much as he might deny it.

I doubt any of us can claim to be truly human while we're here.

[She knows how Jack is right now, knows how much anger and hurt he carries, and knows how he tries to make himself out to be more than just the man he is. Part of her aiding Jack had been trying to keep him from overworking himself, to remember how to be human again in their own quest. Funny how Gabriel would claim such a thing, though.]

If I were to be daring, I would say you sound concerned about his living conditions.

Oh yes, I suppose the analogy could be made that soldiers aren't humans, just weapons of their government.

[He also knew just how 'daring' Ana could and would be depending on the situation. The steady hand, the voice of reason, but she had made her choice, and it would have never been him, choice or no. In his mind, there was no point giving a choice and besides, he hadn't killed the both of them when he had his chances.

At least them together meant that they were technically safer. That was something that mattered, even if he couldn't bring himself to say anything of the like. Even here, they were better off watching one another's backs. She'd keep the worst of Jack's pig-headedness in check, and Jack would pull her into conflicts where she was admittedly needed. A good show.]

Hardly. If he's living there like a hobo, where am I going to live? I need his real estate, so you're going to drag him out of the dark so I can inhabit it. [Also, his house moved and tended to like to roost in dark places.]

I meant that since coming to this place, many of us have become part animal or fairy in some way.

[She says it almost a little deadpan. But even from the short conversations she's had with Gabriel back home, it seems as though he hasn't lost his flair for the dramatic.]

[But at least she's learned that he and Jack have met, and haven't killed one another. That was positive, at least. But then what was their course of action? Having to work with Gabriel as he is, towards the same goal... she isn't sure how well that will turn out.]

So you can take his place in the woods?

You don't say. [His voice was just as deadpan. Of course, he thought his answer was better, less direct when it came to an assessment of this miserable place.] You've become so wooden in your old age, Ana.

[He and Jack in fact had not killed each other, though there definitely had been initial efforts towards that vein. He had used it as a way to learn about Jack's powers and Jack had just been angry and lashing out as was his current M.O. He hadn't game-planned if he would work with anyone just yet, still assessing the situation.]

I would haunt any woods better than he could.

I'd prefer being wooden to being a homicidal murderer.

[It will have to be a cautious endeavour, one that Ana would definitely need to assess further herself.]

I didn't realize it was a competition to haunt the woods. [Although, she is considering ways to make sure Jack isn't just going about living in the woods like Gabriel suggested.]

Sticks and stones, Ana. We're all murderers, so don't play the holier than thou card on me. How much blood do you have on your hands? Soldiers are murderers, but we get pedaled the heroes for innocent people cowering in their homes. We kill guilty and sometimes innocent alike. How is what I'm doing now any different than when I working under government or UN leashes?

[He shook his head, stepping off of the branch so he glided down to the ground. His wings folded and returned to being his coat, and he crossed his arms over his chest. He knew that Ana and other men and women of the uniform would understand to a degree, but it was easier to turn their backs on comrades gone rogue.

After all, loyalty to country and soldier were deeply ingrained in them both. They did not, in general, hunt their own.]

It isn't. [It was an excuse to get Ana to do something about Jack being antisocial and stubborn about the whole affair. It wasn't as if he cared where he lived or even how he lived. He was here for a purpose, and he would see that through so he could return to the real war.]

I'm not saying I am innocent, Gabriel. Nor have I forgotten all of those that I've killed. But what we did as soldiers is different from what you're doing with Talon. Fighting on a battlefield and hunting people down for sport are two very different things.

[She knew the responsibilities that came with being a soldier, and knows the moral and political ambiguity that comes with war. But despite Overwatch being paraded around as heroes, she knew the difficulty and hardship that came with being a soldier. It's one of the reasons she never flaunted her kills or bragged like some of the other soldiers had.]

Why are you doing this?

Is that what you think I'm doing? [It wasn't sport for him. It was revenge, and yes, there were victims that were in the way he would admit. He had a reason for doing everything, and some losses were just acceptable, as they always had been.] What I did in the shadows then isn't much different from the shadows now.

[They were career soldiers, so he wasn't about the belittle her experience or commitment. He remembered Ana struggling with some of the kills she had to make, the people she was robbing from families, friends and whatever else of importance. It was easier to be the soldier and harder to be the hero.]

I have my reasons.

[She knows how vital Gabriel's role had been, as controversial as it was. Every world power had quiet sects that did work that couldn't be done in the public eye. It wasn't pleasant, but it was necessary at times.]

[But what Gabriel is doing... it doesn't feel the same, and she doesn't understand it. The Gabriel she knew wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty, but he was an honest man.]

All I know is that you're assisting the very group who sought to destroy everything we stood for. I want to know why.

[Reaper carried many of his old contacts over to this abhorrant existence. He knew weapon's dealers, drug dealers, casino owners and all manner of shady individuals. His job had been to keep a bead on such scummy underbelly of most places. Follow the money, follow the drugs, follow the weapons, follow the troops... that was his motto.

He shrugged his shoulders, and it was certainly viable to assume that's all he was doing. He wasn't about to tell anyone differently. Let them assume.]

I suppose I crossed over posthumous.

Posthumous?

[For a moment the word surprises her. Her, Jack, and Gabriel had all been declared dead, but that certainly wasn't true for two of them. Did Gabriel mean he didn't consider himself alive anymore? Did it tie in to the horrific visage she'd seen beneath his mask?]

[She shakes her head, frowning.]

What happened to you, Gabriel?

It's a pathetic grave marker, really. Who knows who's inside the coffin, if anyone at all.

[He spoke airily but with the usual damaged growl that his voice had become. After all, they had all 'died', but some of them might have made it official for a time. Death didn't particularly stick where he was involved.

It was one of the reasons he put himself so deep into Talon. He could 'die' and just not stay that way. Here though? Who knew. He would have to test some of the limitations of this place in that regard.]

A little of this and a little of that. Just keep yourself safe; I don't do saving these days.

[Lies. He probably would. Gloating rights.]

Then it's a wonder why you're here at all, if that is what you truly believe.

[Her ears are angled to the sides as she speaks, frowning. He has to be lying; if he didn't do saving, why would he be here? No, Gabriel had his reasons for being here, and she wants to find out why. There's a lot she wants to find out about him, but she's not sure if he'll be willing to answer any of her questions. Not based on how he's been answering her so far.]

Such a wonder. Clearly this place just wants to gather useful people.

[He would keep his reasons as his own now that he was here. It wasn't as if he had actually agreed, but he saw no point in breaking everything just to try to leave. Everything had a purpose, and he just had to find out what that was.

Still, he made certain to offer the famous Reyes shrug for effect before turning away.]

Don't stay up late wondering though. Not worth the efforts.

[With that, he walked away though his tea dragon buddy tried to follow for a bit then gave a soft call of goodbye. Silly babies.]

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Character Introduction Log: May 2020

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