abraxaslogs | INTRO LOG #2

Intro Log #2

It has been two months now since the initial group of summonings first took place. Castle Thorne, or at least the part above ground, is buzzing with a vibrant air of hope following the 'success' at the Singularity. Eager smiles and excited chattering are to be found in nearly every corner of the castle and surrounding town. The honored guests may find grateful looks turned their way more often than not. A new and brighter day seems to be dawning on the kingdom.

In the dungeons it's a different story entirely. The mood is somber and uneasy. The prisoner taken for trial has yet to return, and no word has come regarding her or her fate. There has been no mention of any further trials as of yet and guards seem to have little patience for unruly behavior or even conversation. Some seem to not even look at or acknowledge the prisoners at all.

[ Feel free to continue threads from the TDM here or start your own! As cell and room assignments will be short-lived due to this month's event, you're free to assume whichever cellmates and roommates you like instead of officially signing up as long as there are ICly no more than four people in a cell or room at once. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

But that's like sayin' that you should always be hidin' your skills at work or school or whatever. You wouldn't get Cs all through math class just to make a big show outta gettin' an A on the final.

[ Julie did not go to college. If she had been born somewhere else, or to a different family, she probably could have. Sure, it would have been rendered irrelevant by the fact that the human race swiftly entered the end stage of extinction, but she's clever enough that she would have qualified for something better than the shitty, dead-end life she was born into.

Archery was just a guess based on the locale, really, and the fact that the guards carry swords instead of guns. Also, she does not have a particularly deep knowledge of medieval life to pull conjecture from. ]

Seems like it might be smarter to try magic all the time, though, 'cause they will be fucked if they're still on swords when someone else figures out guns. Ooh, you know what's a good old-timey weapon, though? Those sticks with the spiky ball on a chain. I'd fight with one'a those.

[ School? She's definitely younger than he is, but wow, talk about something he hasn't thought about in a long time. ]

Real life isn't exactly like school, though. Think about it more like advancing in a competition. You don't have to do your best every round, you just have to be good enough to advance. Then, when the stakes get higher, start pulling out all the stops. There's no need to overexert yourself before then.

[ Like, hey — swords are his thing, but he hasn't felt the need to bring that up. Although, that's something he should definitely be looking into while he's here. Get a sword. A real one, at that. That'll be... well, awesome.

Can't help but smile at her enthusiasm. ]

A mace? Yeah, that's not a bad choice. One way or another, it's still good to keep something that's not magic as an option. This dungeon? [ He raps on the wall beside him with his knuckles. ] Apparently they've got all magic disabled down here. Stands to reason they can stop magic from being a thing elsewhere, too. Weapons don't just stop being weapons, though. It's good to have a backup plan.

[ And hey, she wants hers to be a mace? It'd be a good look for her. He's all for that particular hypothetical. ]

[ She is actually old enough that her go-to shouldn't be "school", but rural shitholes lend themselves to arrested development. No jobs with ladders to climb, no new people, no point in continuing to grow on a personal level. Stakes? What are those? We don't know her.

Also, her preferred method of winning competitions is to brutally wreck everyone else, so there's that. Someone else has better chili at the church cook-off? Put dirt in their pot. Someone beat you out for a spot on the cheerleading squad? Take a tire iron to her leg. It's not as elegant, but it's all still very effective.

She still nods, absorbing this wisdom and filing it away. ]

So you think you got somethin' that's gonna be that valuable to 'em?

[ Well, yeah, brutally wrecking people is the way to go, isn't it? Unless you're in something for the long haul, which is almost certainly the case here. A more subtle touch is necessary. And if there's a way to brutally wreck people while being subtle about it... usually through psychological, untraceable means...

He hums. ]

I might. [ Truth is, he's at something of a loss. He could probably traditionally fight here, sure. He's genre-savvy, which might mean something. But he doesn't have abilities like others here seem to, so there's gotta be something else. ] Hell, you might, too, and they've got you down here because someone fucked up. Or they're scared of something. [ A beat. ] They're not exactly the most forthcoming upstairs, which you can't really blame them for. Still. Might take a bit of time for it to all come together.

[ So, you know, gotta be prepared to play the long game. ]

[ She tilts her head a little, sensing that he might not have the clearest idea of how his skills can be utilized here. She doesn't doubt that he has skills, but what are skills in the face of magic and shit?

But then again, she doesn't actually know what they want with any of the people they pulled. They must be offering something that the natives can't, even those of them without magical ability. ]

Well, if you ask me, they better get it together quick. They might have magic turned off down here, but these guards got swords, not wands. Enough people get real fed up, and, well...

[ Through the bars, she holds up a fist. ]

Attica.

[ It's all a big mystery, isn't it? Motivations and how far one is willing to go could play into it, too, but he's not about to get into that with someone he just met. It's better to be seen as at least somewhat out of place than to be known.

He raises his eyebrows a fraction in acknowledgement, not a smirk but not not a smirk playing on his lips at her reference. ]

Hopefully with less blood this time.

[ Or, shit, maybe more; doesn't make a difference to him. But, you know, it'd be nice if you could avoid that, Julie. ]

All it takes is one spark, doesn't it? The right person snaps in the right time and place and there you go. See any candidates for that? [ He gives her a knowing look. ] Or anyone you'd push in that direction?

[ All the while keeping your own hands clean, of course. ]

[ She shrugs. As long as she's standing after it all, she doesn't really care how many people die. Especially not guards. ]

I'm gonna give it some more time, but... it's easy pickings down here to find someone like that. Half these sorry fucks have been down here for months, starvin' and squabblin'. They're already on the edge. Just need a breeze to blow the right way.

[ And, as she will soon learn, infractions are incremental. Soon, Eponine will be doubly punished for having the honor of getting her face smashed in. Sure, Julie will have to suffer a bit, but she's not suffering the most, and that's what counts. ]

[ He'd agree with her: whatever way you can come out on top is the most important thing. In a way that makes sure you're still standing, no matter how many others fall around you. In any way that gives you the slightest bit of leverage, any kind of advantage over anyone else. After all, the only person who really matters is yourself. Anyone else can take advantage; anyone else can be a weakness.

He hopes it never comes to that point with Julie. He really does like her. There's something refreshing about being in the company of someone else who gets it: how the world; how basic survival works. ]

Just don't get too cocky. [ It's more a formality than an actual warning; he's sure she knows. She's clearly put some thought into it. ]

I wish you the best of luck, Julie.

[ And apparently their sign's the lucky one, so hey, she might just get it. ]

[ She smiles at him and it's less sharp than it was before. It's nice to meet anyone outside the bars, and the fact that it's someone she can, at the very least, relate to is even better. Even back home, most people just didn't get it. ]

If you ever wanna talk shit, you know where I am.

[ Because based on almost every other person she's met here, they're incredibly shit-talkable. Even the ones she already knew. Especially the ones she already knew. ]

See ya around, Brad.

INTRO LOG #2

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