awashlogs | Event Seven.

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Event Seven.

The lives of men, the lives of men
With every sheaf are bound!
We are the blessing which annuls
The curse upon the ground!
And he who reaps the Golden Grain
The Golden Love hath found.

he setting is actually rather miraculous. In the center of the Town, not far from the well, there are tables set up, complete with bright orange tableclothes, and at the tables, there is a spot for each and every character, both new and old. They have a fancy placeholder with their names written at their spot, and at each spot is a meal they've been craving since they arrived. It's colorful, and delicious, and can be as fancy and spectacular as they desire.

Of course, as nice as that is... maybe they should go save the people in the well first? There's definitely some yelling going on down there. Seems like there are some new friends, and the Town's welcoming everyone in style this time!

Enjoy the feast; you made it through the Town's tests and are still here!

Welcome to Awash's seventh event log/first intro log hybrid, everyone! If there are any questions, please ask them here, and don't forget to welcome all of the new players here! Thank you!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Jon is always an idiot to Damian. But Jon is his idiot? Only he gets to call Jon an idiot. He'll rip the face off anyone else who does.] Yeah, okay. Spare me the good hero crap.

[Don't make him regret the pinky promise.

For a moment, his brows come together as if to ask, "Why?" Then he begins a short but convoluted mess of signing that's decently fast and "fluent." He smirks afterward.]

Yeah. Why?

( you got it, good sir. no more hero talk, or else he'll embarrass damian. or go on and on about how friends never leave friends behind, damian doesn't want to hear that. but he knows the intent behind their pinky promise, that's all that matters. )

Can you teach me? I met a guy who doesn't seem to talk much. He tried signing at me but I only got a little of it.

( it's very important to be able to communicate with one's peers. )

I haven't gotten whisked away to faerie lands yet so that's a good sign.

[Geez. Jon is just going to steal all his "friends" at this rate.]

I guess I can. [Like it's so Troubling. But it'll give him something to do besides plot and brood and worry.] His name is Dextera. He stays in Bluo with his chickens.

[Talking about mundane things is good. Damian's face stays more harshly pinched than usually, and that's probably because he's trying his damnest not to look relieved or happy. It's been a couple of months; he hadn't realized he missed Jon until Jon wasn't around.

It had been less we-should-be-here-holding-hands-nonstop and more... There had been things to happen, things he learned, things he saw which reminded him of Jon, and then Jon wasn't there to tell. He has so much to tell.]

I'll be the judge of whether or not you warrant condescension when we figure out if you're going to vanish into the feywilds. [Pls don't.] I need to show you my boathouse first. It's in Bluo at the harbor.

Don't go in the water. It's dangerous. Has anyone told you anything about this place yet?

( it's not his fault he's a little more sociable than damian, is it. he's just making friends! getting a good feel of the area around him, figuring out who's here, what people do here, language barriers, knowledge barriers. . the extra information is nice, too. a name and--chickens. yeah, makes sense. jon is also fond of chickens, they're nice.

but he beams a smile towards damian regardless. that pinched expression doesn't hinder jon any. )

Thanks! I promise I won't be difficult over it.

( being taught, at least. no guarantees for anything else. )

I. . haven't heard a lot about this place yet, no. ( but he. also realizes he's in uniform and damian isn't. the mixmatched identities aren't going to be easy to explain if he does strip down to civvies later and starts hanging around damian just as much. )

How far away is your boathouse? I can give you a lift.

[Yeah, welcome to his Struggle when he first arrived too, only to find out Bruce was here without the suit. It's why he peeled out of it like a cicada as fast as he could. Secret hero identity intecredity and all that.]

The town isn't very big. [Not compared to Metropolis or Gotham?] We can walk.

[His eyes lower to the place in front of Jon on the table.]

Take that too. You've already eaten some of it. Just eat the rest so you don't starve to death. It'll be the last time you get something as good until we can find a way to grow the ingredients and get color for them.

( it's a little easier to be superboy than it is to be jonathan kent. jon is always being cautious not to push too far, kick the ball too hard, careful to mimic what's considered human while maintaining an air of clumsiness only a human child should have. he doesn't have to worry about that too much in this hoodie. no one would think twice about how hard superboy throws something as long as he's not throwing it at anyone or anything it'd hurt.

but he gets the need to stay dressed down, too. the starving to death comment warrants a concerned look thrown damian's way, but jon does reach back to grab onto the plate, murmuring a soft "i'll bring this back when i'm done sorry" as if the table cares where the plate itself goes. )

I'm ready to go when you are.

( but also-- )

Do you want some, too? Or are you trying to avoid faeries.

I'm trying to avoid inevitable disaster. [Maybe the people who don't eat it get tossed around like garbage. Thanks, town.

He considers for a moment the food left for him. A deliciousness only Alfred Pennyworth could craft. He couldn't even eat it, fearing too much it was dangerous.] Call it an experiment.

I'm the control, and you're the variable. We'll see what the results are, if any.

( right, okay. whatever, that makes sense and he's not going to argue against damian anyway. starting petty fights over food is stupid and isn't going to get either of them any brownie points. )

Okay. ( food plate in hand and the other reaching for yet another sandwich-- ) Which way are we going?

[The only thing he worries about is Jon being whisked away and him being left behind. Kind of like the trial they had with the birds. They were all separated.]

This way. [GOD. He can't even scold Jon about being a glutton when, it's true, Jon should enjoy it while it lasts. So he kind of just looks exasperated while he waits for Jon to get it and follow.] I'll show you a map when we get there.

[With a quick glance at the other people present, he turns to lead.]

Who else have you spoken to besides Dextera?

Uh, a lot of people. Zelda, Kaoru, Roxas, Ruva. .

( while following right next to damian, just a step to the right. look he's socializing. making friends. although that does bring up another problem especially considering he doesn't have anything else to put on-- )

I told them I'm Superboy.

[Going out of the center of town isn't much different than the usual Robin-Superboy (he's older) flee. Damian makes sure they aren't being followed or, mostly, watched, but continues a steady pace so Jon will keep up or risk losing him to distance. He doesn't want Jon looking around, or they'll be suspicious ne'er-do-well delinquents.

With Damian, they're all of that anyway.]

It's fine. [Amazingly, Damian gives Jon a dismissive handwave.] You're just going to have to play dumb later when you're not in the uniform. The hardest part is going to be-- [Oh right.

Suddenly, he stops then waits for Jon to stop too.] Be still. Close your eyes. [They're going to have to find Jon's laptop first before going to the boathouse. Is it weird he assumes Jon is going to stay with him because... partners? Maybe Jon will like his roommates? Look...] Focus on yourself. Which direction does your instincts tell you to go? Follow it.

With your eyes open obviously.

( damian isn't being pissy and angry over every misstep which is new but liked, thank you. jon certainly isn't going to complain about it. he could complain about the orders, but--that's just asking for trouble when damian is already being nice and jon has no intentions of ruining that.

so he does stop in place. closes his eyes. takes a deep breath and tries to feel out the area around him, whatever damian was talking about. a deep breath in, slow exhale. and opens his eyes after another moment, reaching out to grab onto damian's wrist to pull him along towards the brick houses in bluo. )

This way.

( right, but also-- )

I don't think I'm good at playing dumb.

[Listen... He's had a very frustrating time being pissy and angry, only to get roadblocked to hell and back. There's even less here he can control on top of ~*magic*~, and he's having to re-evaluate.] I'm aware.

You could at least try. A white lie isn't going to hurt anyone here. [He follows Jon along for several yards, wondering if he should yank his hand back or not. He's not a child. But... he's Tired. Just lead him.] If someone came up to you and said, "Hey, you look kind of like that Superboy fellow..."

What do you say back?

I don't like lies. ( his nose wrinkles, but--jon does understand it. the importance of a secret identity. what could happen to people he cares about and loves if he doesn't maintain a line between his life as a child of earth and his existence as a child born to one of the last few kryptonians left.

doesn't like it. but understands it. which is why even while he's still holding onto damian's hand, leading him off in the direction that feels right, jon does manage to mutter a quiet: )

Really? I'm pretty sure he's taller, but I'll take that as a compliment.

Just call it equivocating then. [Look. He has a mile-long scroll of synonyms for lying. The response pulls a smug grin to his face, one of the first few he's had since being here. Good job, Jon. You bring the imp out in him.] That's more like it.

I knew you had it in you to deceive gently in favor of a greater cause. Now: the real trouble is what we're going to find. Your laptop. Everyone has one. It gives you access to an online forum and an e-mail system. Your handle is predetermined; it's a hexadecimal code, one of three colors: red, blue, or yellow.

The code is what's going to be the issue. Everyone you talked to as Superboy is going to get your code if you want to keep communication with them open. You're going to have to decide whether you're Jon or Superboy with the code.

[His voice lowers.] Father didn't come with his suit. He doesn't have it. I didn't-- [He frowns, pausing to find the right words.] I didn't want Father to only be Bruce Wayne and me only be Robin. [Basically, he didn't want them to be separated as dad and son except in private...] So I decided not to wear the suit.

[Digging his heels into the ground, he uses his arm to yank Jon to a stop.]

What were you doing right before you woke up in the well?

Edited (sorry i'm as anal retentive as damian) 2018-07-12 01:35 (UTC)

( using different words for lying doesn't make it any less lying, but--pick your battles, right? this isn't one worth fighting over right now. later, probably. now? definitely not. especially not when damian stops like that, forcing jon to stop in place or otherwise yank damian around. there's a moment where his strength does almost pull him, a split second before he catches himself.

and turns around, faces him. scrunches up his face unpleasantly because jon does understand where damian is going with this. )

So I have to decide if I'm gonna be a hero, or Jonathan Kent. ( classmates with damian wayne, or a very small super still learning the ropes. he can't just--decide that now. damian--can do extraordinary things without the cape. damian wayne is amazing on his own, even if he isn't a robin. jon. . jon's capabilities come from his kryptonian half. rely on strength and speed humans aren't capable of. he doesn't want to think about that decision right now, instead focuses on-- )

We were in our base, and Kid Amazo attacked us, poked a hole in the side of it and started flooding the place out. We almost got to the top but he grabbed onto my leg so I threw you up and, ( pausing in his speech to open his free hand in a wide gesture. ) here we are.

You can be Jonathan Kent and still be a hero.

[Something flashes across Damian's eyes. Relief? It's not like Clark had been... before. Jon also isn't ahead. It's fine. Everything is fine, and this is his Jon, his present Jon, and he doesn't have to worry endlessly about stupid timelines being different.

But now he has to worry about his whole Death and Limbo brooding shtick being a Thing.] I don't know if I made it. [It feels terrible to admit. Weak. No, not weak, just... uncertain.]

I planned to go after you, but--I was running out of air. Everything was getting dark the closer I got to the surface.

And then I woke up in the well. [His face pinches gently, lips frowning.] I thought I died.

But Midoriya claims he wasn't doing anything dangerous before waking up in the well. It can't be death then.

I can't be Jonathan Kent and go around using my super strength to pick stuff up. Or fly. Or heat vision stuff.

( waking up in a well with a couple other people who were also panicking over. . being in a well made it a bit difficult for jon to just focus in on himself. on his own fears and worries. the possibility of being dead even if he didn't quite feel dead. there's a moment where his expression darkens, before small shoulders lift in a shrug, giving another tug to damian's wrist to get him to start moving again. )

I'm okay. You're okay. No one's dead. That's what matters, right? We're here together and we'll figure this out, together.

( they're not alone; with as many people who are also stuck here, jon's sure they'll work this out. )

No matter what, I'll always be there for you--and I know you'll be there for me, too.

That's not what I meant.

[Being a hero doesn't mean there has to be super powers, dammit, Jon. He doesn't have powers. In fact, he's been in one or two arguments with certain Academias over the merits of not having powers when it comes to heroism.] There's no evidence that counters the hypothesis that we're dead. That I'm dead.

Or that I'm dreaming in a coma.

[In one motion, he twists his arm free of Jon's grip, but instead of drawing back, he gives Jon his hand instead. It'll be less he's getting hauled around like a scolded child. The only downside is Jon will probably look back, and Damian will already be staring of to the side in embarrassment.]

Let's just find your stupid laptop.

( being batman's son is different. one doesn't need super powers to be a hero when he can fight off a whole army of assassins with fists and feet. jon--doesn't have that kind of training or innate skill without use of his super senses. he has ears that can pick up sounds miles and miles away, eyes that can see that distance but--a ten year old recently moved off the farm boy living in metropolis can't do the same kind of stuff damian can.

fingers hold tight onto that hand, before jon's reaching over with his free hand and pinching at damian's arm. just hard enough to be felt. clearly he's not asleep if stuff hurts, right. )

I don't think we're in your coma dreams.

( but whatever! he leads damian into one of the nearby houses, up a set of stairs and to a bedroom. which. is completely devoid of color, but the laptop's there. )

Being Jon Kent on this won't. . be too bad, I think. If anyone needs Superboy and I don't decide to just hide away this, ( with a free hand patting down the chest of his jacket. ) I can hear well enough to pick up on people calling for me if I try.

[Wonderful. He's so reassured. Thanks, Jon.

One day soon, he will prove to Jon that being a hero can be accomplished without special powers or assassin skills. This is something Dick and his Father tried to teach him. Maybe Izuku will get to it before he can. Jonathan Kent is a hero because ~~Damian says so~~ Jon cares about helping other people.] Great. Identity juggling. That'll go well.

[HE CAN'T EVEN TALK.]

This is the place the town "assigned" you to live. Whether you do or not is up to you. [It's not like he wants you to stay with him anyway, idiot...] Your laptop works anywhere in town. [On the way up, he was scouring. Glimpses of familiar things. The boy who had been looking for the flowers in the forest. Hm.]

This section is called Bluo. That means your handle hexadecimal is going to be blue. Like mine.

If my deductions are correct, your roommate is Yusuke Kitagawa.

( fingers release damian's so he can make his way over to the laptop itself, searching the area for any routers, charging cables--all that nonsense that would usually be needed to connect to some kind of internet. he's not finding anything of interest at least, so the laptop gets tucked under an arm, and jon makes his way back to damian's side, grabbing back onto his hand without a word. )

Does it matter what color it is?

( an offhand comment while moving to walk damian right back out of there. he knows where this place is now, that's what matters. )

We're going to go check out your boathouse, right? I can meet the other person who lives here later.

[Jon trying to hold his hand again gets a look. At their hands. It half lifts when he glances back up, but then fades into something incredulous. Damian: wants Jon hang around with him at the boathouse. Also Damian: is shocked when Jon decides to hang around him at the boathouse??]

Yes. [Up until they get out of the door of the building, Damian lets Jon lead. Outside, he picks up his pace and flips them around, putting Jon behind him and, this time, dragging Jon along instead.] The forum is where "quests" are posted. They're just like they sound. Quests, like ones from story books.

But each quest has a prerequisite: colors. One red, one yellow, two blues, all colors, et cetera. [The harbor isn't too far through Bluo. It's rather nice, disregarding the eerie water. Damian's boathouse is somewhat apparent, as it is one of the few closer toward the docks. There's a built wooden raft tied and waiting to be ridden across.

And there's a cat sitting like a loaf of bread on the railing of the top deck of the boathouse. A tuxedo one. Hm. Familiar.]

( the expression on damian's face doesn't go missed, but it does go without comment. he was invited to the boathouse, why not hang out at it? he will probably--go find his dad later. figure out where he's staying, what's going on with that. what he's supposed to be doing, here, who jon's supposed to be here. that's--for later though.

now his full attention is shifting to that cat and he definitely needs his hand back now, thanks. while jon had been perfectly fine following after him before--now he takes a few steps ahead, moves to scritch behind an ear.

must love All Cats, it's very important. )

So there are quests to do that help get color stuff back and they have to be done by people assigned to certain colors. Right, gotcha. ( important to note. if they're both blues--jon can look through later and find stuff for them to do, he's sure. )

Alfred made it here with you?

Yes, despite not being anywhere near me before I woke up here. [Obviously. They were in the ocean. But whatever, town, you do you.] Ace is also here. He came with Father.

I have a map and a list of people in the boathouse. It's crude, but for now, it'll work. Izuku Midoriya was compiling the list. You can help me detail the map. [Thank God that Jon knows how to fly now.] Alright. Across.

[He points.] That one there. I'm renovating it a little. Be careful and don't break anything like some reckless giant.

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