hadriel | [Video]

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[Just ignore the fact this dingdong is clearly outside and just sort of perched on whatever bench he could manage to find. With a violin pretty clearly strapped to his back.]

Been... sort of lurking on this whole thing, I guess. But I have a question about this place in general and the people here? Is being dead and now... not being dead sort of a thing that happens here a lot or do you get attacked by whatever death squad to drag you back to the afterlife or whatever for being a fluke in the system?

Just asking... for... a friend?

[He's pausing for a brief moment, not quite sure if he should add more after this or what. But there's no reason not to, right?]

Anyone happen to have a use for a musician around here or I guess a bard in general? Been sitting around for far too long and I don't have to anymore.

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Uh, I don't know anything about being dead or whatever, but what kind of musician are we talking? Is that a violin? I've got a keyboard if you ever want to jam sometime. Oh, and the biological equivalent of a loop pedal.

[Oh thank god, he's far more comfortable with just audio.]

Uh, well, the violin is more or less the one that I'm the best at. So yeah, let's go with that. [A keyboard isn't... exactly what he was expecting, but at least someone is actually seeming excited about all of this.]

It's been ages since I've actually played with anyone else, but I'm willing to get the rust off if you don't mind that.

Well, what else do you play? Do you have any other instruments here?

[Newt doesn't, unfortunately, but getting his keyboard massively improved his quality of life here. It's his favorite instrument anyway, so it works out.]

Hey, same here, dude. Usually I'm just noodling around by myself.

There's not many options for traveling with, but I also was pretty good at the lyre. Not that I... have it here, but those aren't exactly hard to make or come by, in my experience. [Nor would he say a particularly difficult instrument, but it works well enough for how compact it can be.]

There others around here that play or is it literally just us, then?

Oh, sweet. Never tried a lyre but I can play guitar.

[Close enough???]

We've got some people in town that have instruments... I think they've been getting 'em from the gods. Not sure. Mine came in during an event where we all got crap from home. That happens sometimes.

[... Guitar. The fuck is a guitar? He's not going to question it right now, seems the safest bet. Since, well, it's easier to know an instrument when you see it than to just have it described, right?]

Getting them from gods... That whole business already sends off warning bells, but I have no intentions on getting involved in that shit anyway. [He's a simple man of simple tastes and getting involved in shit he doesn't understand is very much not his way of life.]

Seriously? It's tough to avoid around here.

[He feels like he's stating the obvious, but clearly it needs saying.]

You may as well use 'em to your advantage.

There were plans for a fine arts society some time ago, but so far as I know it was never kept up. Otherwise... I believe some residents of the city have performed at the Speakeasy. Perhaps you could inquire there.

[Just his luck that something like that would fall through, but at least there's something to look into for the future. He doesn't mind playing for actual magical purposes, but it's nice to just be able to regularly do things without worrying about it.

Which might be why he's humming in thought before answering.]

Speakeasy? Where's that located? I'm guessing it's a kind of inn and bar ordeal or something?

[Fingon nods. He's never performed there, but one of his former roommates did so sometimes.]

The local tavern, yes. It's not far from the shops, so you've likely seen the outside before. The proprietress may be looking for more hands about the place, actually- I believe there was a notice along those lines a few weeks ago.

[That... doesn't sound like a bad idea, even if he's fairly sure money isn't a thing here, from what someone else has told him previously.]

Outside of performing, don't know if I'd be much help there. Besides, resume's not that great other than the performing bit and spending too goddamned long of my life feeding some weird otherworldly jellyfish thing before dying. [Someone might still be a tad salty.]

[Ah. Now there's a familiar tone. Everyone Fingon knows is salty about something]

You may find you have rather more in common with the people here than you think-

[A pause]

-although, admittedly, being fed to jellyfish is rather new. Mine was rather more prosaic.

As for being of "help-" you may find that does not matter so much, here. Find a friend. Look out for them, when you can- that can be enough, even for the greatest of bards.

[Of course he's just briefly shrugging and leaning back against that bench with a thoughtful bit of a hum.]

I mean, I just sort of fed it compositions on paper or whatever. Worked out well enough, I guess, no one ever really complained. [That he knows of, but that doesn't really matter at this point in time.]

... I guess I have no other option there, doing this whole thing by yourself probably isn't going to work out for me, I know that much. [What good is a bard without at least one party member, right?]

Damn, I was hoping maybe I could have some downtime for once, but I guess not.

[That gets a laugh.]

"Downtime" is relative. It is rather like war, this place: a long period of boredom, followed by a week straight of madness. Also, perhaps, a good reason to make friends. You'll need something to do.

And I've met few bards who particularly liked solitude, unless they were the type to seclude themselves and relish what their audience might be missing. You are not that type, are you?

Now, okay, the being dead and then not thing is totally normal here. I can't say that I know anyone that's been attacked by any death squads. Even if we were though, Hope would probably just bring us back anyway so it wouldn't even be like, a big deal. Things are super weird here, but you've probably already gathered that much, huh?

Oh man, I think you got me wrong on the death squad bit. I mean, uh, more like reapers or something, I guess? Raven Queen isn't really big on people dying and then coming back or whatever, but death is kind of a weird thing to begin with.

Not that I'm complaining about this place being weird. I kind of like having a physical body again, makes things a little... easier, I guess?

See like, my roommate's a grim reaper or whatever, so I kinda guessed you were going that way with it? It's not even weird anymore. Which I guess is kind of weird in itself. Have we said "weird" enough?

[What. Peter. What.

He's just kind of staring blankly at the screen for a moment before leaning back and rubbing his face with a free hand.]

Lovely. And no, no we haven't. This place continues to baffle me both in appearance and residents.

[i mean. welcome to hadriel my dude.

Peter just kinda does that slow shrug thing like yeeeeep]

Oh yeah, I feel that. I've been here for a few months and I still feel that.

Months. [He doesn't like the sound of that in his mouth, honestly. But there's not much he can do about it, even if he could go back, he'd just... be dead... again.]

I... guess I should take the body opportunity while I can, huh? Man, not even that sounds right.

[He was going to mention that some people have been here for a couple years buuut he'll just save that.]

That was maybe a strange way to phrase that, but I totally get you.

I don't think that there's a better way to say it. "Taking the new body out for a testdrive", "relearning the flesh prison", "maybe this time I can protect myself properly hahahah that's funny", "the not dead version of me". I think that last one might be the best.

Huh.

No, no, nah, you don't gotta like-- I mean, I get it. Flesh prison? Ew. But no, I know what you mean. It's uh, it's kind of jarring.

Hey, flesh prison is technically accurate, if you think about it. As gross as it sounds. [Why are they even discussing this?]

Just a little jarring. Just a tiny, tiny bit. [Please just ignore the sarcasm underlying his tone.]

I mean, maybe if I didn't like my flesh? [YOU STARTED IT]

I dunno, like, I'm all about the whole second chance thing? [But you don't really seem super jazzed about it my dude]

Hmm...

The may be a few of us that aren't exactly sure we're dead or not either, so I'm not sure if that might count as a different category of death.

Is there a purgatory squad, maybe?

Purgatory squad...

Dunno, man, there probably is. Only familiar with the death category of it, but you never know when it comes to... whatever the hell this place really is. Or what your definition of life and death is, come to think of it...

It would seem that 'death' as it applies in our home worlds does not apply here.

Yeah, kinda already noticed that one. Pretty sure I'm first hand knowledge of that riiiiight about now since you don't really tend to see the afterlife if you're not dead, right?

Uhm, n-no, it doesn't matter if you were dead back home or not. I uh, had a friend once who that. Happened to. And it was fine!

[That doesn't make her sound suspicious at all, nooo.]

[Oh, she's getting the smallest bit of a brow raise, because that totally sounds suspicious.]

So how does death just kinda "happen to" someone, exactly? Pretty sure that's more of a thing that does instead of... sounding like an accident?

[It's kinda suspicious, yeah.]

Uhhh... well, death can be an accident.

[That's not better!! She clears her throat, trying to find words.]

I m-mean, uh, it's, I knew someone who was dead, at home. They were alive here. Everyone is.

[Alphys, why do you have to make yourself even more suspicious! Which means he's just going to avoid the actual hell out of her until forced to otherwise confront that. Because that's how he do.

Though his expression still looks like he doesn't believe a word of that.]

It can, but it's usually not said like that?

[SHE IS TRYING, OKAY. Alphys just looks more flustered as she gets called out, waving her hands in front of her face.]

No, I don't-- I don't kill people or anything! I'm just, uhm, I'm n-not familiar with, uh. Death stuff.

[Perfect.]

[Ignoring the last part, since she doesn't know what a bard means other than in reference to Shakespeare.]

I haven't seen it happen to anyone. I think they'll be safe.

[Close enough.]

Thaaaat's actually the answer I was hoping to hear on that one, not too keen on finding out that someone comes back from the dead only for a reaper to bitch about it and drag them back, y'know? Sounds kinda... lame.

[There are Reapers here, but they're just as stuck as everyone else. Jo's not going to mention them right now.]

If they showed up, I'm not sure how they'd get anyone back.

Johann?

[ She'd recognize that voice even if his face hadn't popped up on the tiny screen along with it, and she's so shocked she almost drops her phone. Maybe it shouldn't be a surprise - if Angus and Taako and Lucretia herself are all here, why not Johann too? Still, he's definitely not the first one she would have looked for, and she blinks dumbly at the screen, not quite ready to process the content of his message yet. ]

Is that you?

[So far he'd been pretty chill with everyone answering, until that shows up and he's going absolutely silent to inspect this tiny screen. If it isn't the Director herself showing up here, that... sort of possibly breaks his idea of being free of shit here. But without the voidfish around, maybe this will still work to his advantage.]

Unless you know of another bard that looks like me, then yes?

I...don't, actually. How long have you been here?

[ Give her a second...annnnd there it is. ]

...Why are you asking about being dead?

[What. How does she not know? He's frowning to himself for a second before just rubbing his face, cat's out of the bag.]

Beeeecause last I checked I was kinda dead. You know, nasty creatures invading, kinda got myself killed, that sort of thing. Not really all that pleasant, if I'm gonna be real with you here. [... Why was that so casual? But okay, sure.]

...The Hunger. Oh...

[ Of course she'd known that there was a potential for casualties. She'd known there'd be a battle, after all, the last one in a century-long war. Just winning it will take - will have taken? - all they've got.

But she'd been so overjoyed to hear they'd won at all, so incredibly happy to have Lup and Barry back and discover that her gamble had paid off, she'd never paused to ask about the details. What it would take to achieve that happy ending. What price they would pay, beyond the one she's paying already every time she thinks of Taako. ]

Johann...I'm so sorry.

[ There'd be casualties, yes, but Johann? He isn't even a fighter. This isn't fair. ]

The...invasion...it hasn't happened for me yet. I didn't know.

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/rises from grave ten million years later

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