[OPEN LOG] who's gonna take you home?

[frontality]

Who: Full Frontal and YOU.
When: Throughout late July
Where: ADI headquarters and ADI housing
Summary: Adjusting to life in ADI is a difficult feat... aka, the log where I put intro-y prompts.
Warnings: None as of yet!


I. HQ Canteen

[ Out of the recent arrivals to ADI's ranks, Frontal likely looks like one of the stranger ones if only for the metal mask with the red eyes that he has yet to take off even once. For a few days now, he's been a fixture in the headquarters. Striking in appearance but quiet, only observing. When he's standing in a corner, unmoving, it might be easy to mistake him for a mannequin.

Today, however, he seems to have made up his mind to stop being an extraordinarily unsettling potted plant and instead actually interact with somebody else. Are you about to settle down with your food? So is Frontal and you'll find him approaching with a polite nod. ]

Would you mind a bit of company? I've gotten the impression that you're new as well.

II. The Docks (after the Kelpie crisis)

[ If you're by the docks sometime during the day, you might find Full Frontal (still masked, still unnaturally still in the way he is standing) staring out at the ships. Being one of the few who did not participate in the hunt for the Kelpies, he's not yet sick of looking at the water at least.

He seems to recognize you as you pass by, having memorized your appearance during his time examining the headquarters. There aren't many others around, so he feels comfortable striking up a conversation: ]

Good afternoon. Would you say these ships roughly correspond to your definition of 'modern'?

III. ADI Housing - Laundry Room

[ And finally, you can find the masked man facing a rather mundane problem. Though usually his lieutenant Angelo is the one who does the laundry for him and Angelo is still very fortunately by his side... today, Frontal has decided to pull his weight around the household. Different times call for different measures.

The only problem is, he does appear to be reading the entire backs of several different detergent bottles, struggling to decide what would be most appropriate to use. Please help... ]

Comments

closed to ANGELO

[frontality]

[ It is good that Angelo is here. Frontal has thought it a few times already and it certainly has not ceased being true. Whether back on he Rewloola tuck in an unfamiliar world, Angelo is an invaluable personal assistant. Especially in this place, it is good to have somebody his side who has a bit more experience in handling... life, really.

And still, it is unsettling. Frontal is used to quiet inside his mind. He is the void, the end of times, an abyss... but it's still too silent now. The hum of Angelo at the side of his mind is missing. The constant surge of anger and affection, the up and down of emotions far beyond what Frontal could ever experience... there is nothing now.

Being incapable of feeling Angelo even if he tries is like losing an additional sense that he had become more reliant on than he'd thought. He doesn't like it.

He also doesn't like that he can't anticipate Angelo coming home, that he has to listen to the turn of the key in the lock, that he doesn't know how the mission went---

It feels like he is ordinary. And ordinary is too close to human.

Frontal exits his room to welcome Angelo home. ]

How did you fare?

[apodictic]

... well enough.

[ how does he even describe the events of the day. angelo's brow furrows as he thinks back. he can't deny that he smells awful. everything from the swamp to the surroundings were filthy and he hates the inconvenience traveling by land and by water presents.

but these are the circumstances they've been handed. what can he do about it? absolutely nothing. ]

This world is certainly full of strange creatures. I'm not happy about it, but the tasks they've presented so far aren't ... impossible.

[ that's probably the best way to put it. he'll give it this final assessment: ] It's certainly nothing for you to be concerned with.

[frontality]

[ Frontal certainly notices the smell but politely he neither makes a face nor comments on it just yet. He knows that Angelo himself is suffering more than anybody by smelling like anything less than the pristine fragrance of roses. ]

I disagree.

[ He lets that hang in the air for a moment, knowing the weight such a simple statement carries. ]

Right now, right here, I hold no authority whatsoever. Should I continue to remain idle and rely on you to deal with the tasks set before us, they could cast me out of their living arrangements which would subsequently cut me off from their research resources as well. It would be a substantial roadblock in our quest to return home.

I will be your mission partner before long.

[apodictic]

Captain ...

[ angelo frowns. he can't exactly say no to him even if he disagrees. the two of them aren't connected in ways they usually are, so he can't exactly feel him, or let him know, why he disagrees with him disagreeing in the first place.

right. words. ]

... I see your point, but it is - worrying. [ a pause, and then he adds, ] There is the possibility of physical transformation beyond what we can control or predict. So far the effects don't seem permanent, but I don't think anyone has a full picture of how it affects them afterwards.

I won't stop you, and I'll be honored to work with you, of course, but please be careful.

[ angelo says this as if full frontal can't kill people in his own right, let alone fight, but you know, he takes his duties as his bodyguard and attack dog very seriously. ]

[frontality]

[ The moment of silence in which Angelo bemoans their lack of connection and forgets that verbal communication is an alternative... that is a moment Frontal certainly doesn't mind and further, relates to an unfortunate amount. He's tried reaching out to Angelo's mind quite a few times over the course of the night, absent-minded attempts that naturally went nowhere. The void is too quiet without Angelo's chaotic emotions in its periphery. ]

Am I ever not careful?

[ A bemused question, not really expecting an answer. ]

I'll let you shower and change your clothes before your full report. Would you like a tea to go with it?

[ This cohabitation might as well be a space to explore new dynamics, just a little. ]

[apodictic]

[ angelo shakes his head. ] With your track record ...

[ and he'll let that trail off because it's not really a question to be answered seriously. that being said, the offer of tea is surprising to him; angelo's eyes widen. ]

Oh, but I can -

[ - belatedly, it occurs to him that perhaps this is something his captain wanted to do, learned how to do for the sake of doing, and angelo doesn't want to encroach on his independence. shouldn't, anyway; he's sure that this experience is new to full frontal too. isn't adapting a skill? isn't adapting part of survival?

angelo wrings his hands for a moment and just nods. ]

- I would love to have tea with you, Captain.

I'll be back in no time at all.

[ as if it ever takes him a long time to shower and clean up. but he does smell awful. the mission was a mess. angelo rushes towards the shower, excited for something as mundane as tea time. ]

[frontality]

[ Frontal smiles, pleased, as Angelo accepts that he is responsible for providing the drinks today. Though it is uncomfortable like a skin that doesn't quite fit him, Frontal will be required to act more as a regular person here. The best space to practice this is with the one person in this place who he can actually trust.

Brewing tea can be surprisingly easy to mess up, but Frontal has tried it for himself once or twice now and produces a very simple but very decent little can of black tea for the two of them.

Angelo will return to Frontal pouring him a cup and sliding it over the little sitting room table. He'd wondered if they should move to one of their rooms, but it is more comfortable here and Aelwyn is not likely to return home just yet - he hopes, anyway. ]

Do you feel better?

canteen

[marmoron]

[ keith doesn't have much room to judge when it comes to fashion, but the mask is decidedly too much, even in his eyes. he's noticed this guy milling about, of course, because even if the guy's been quietly keeping to himself, a phantom of the opera mask just isn't what you wear to blend in.

he's about to have a peaceful bite out of a chicken tender when said dude approaches him out of the blue. keith is not...hostile, exactly, but there's clear skepticism in his expression and a tense look about his body language. ]

Yeah. Who are you and what's with the mask?

[ a not so subtle approach for a not so subtle guy, yes. ]

[frontality]

[ Frontal does not seem to be bothered by the bluntness at all. There are few who have dared being this forward with him in the past, but he does appreciate the straightforward approach. A thin smile plays at his lips. He's still holding onto his lunch tray, not yet sitting down. ]

Captain Full Frontal, it's a pleasure. The mask is an object that carries significance where I am from, as a symbol. Here, it is at best a fashion statement.

[ But not one he is willing to let go of, it appears. ]

[marmoron]

[ captain. so ranking military officer -- duly noted. ....except, call his immersion shattered with the name "full frontal." keith doesn't laugh, but his eyebrow spikes higher up. ]

That supposed to be an alias?

[ on second thought, why's he even asking. of course that has to be an alias. ]

What's the mask supposed to represent?

[frontality]

[ Frontal hesitates. These two questions in conjunction with one another are difficult to answer. In his world, Frontal lets omission do a lot of the work for him both in revealing and in concealing his identity. He doesn't have to lie, the human mind does the work for him. Here... well, none of the details matter here to begin with, but there are principles to consider.

However, one way or another Keith doesn't seem entirely disinclined to conversation, so Frontal will take the chance to sit down. ]

It's my real name, actually. [ Not that he doesn't understand why people have their doubts about that. It would be easier for everyone if he simply went by 'Char Aznable' instead, but some part of him refuses. ]

And this mask... It is reminiscent of a famous war hero from 16 years ago. It reassures people to see it.

[marmoron]

....

[ give him a moment to unpack this. ]

So your first name Full, last name Frontal. [ his eyebrow is staying raised, btw. but name shenanigans aside, there's something messed up about the symbolism of that mask. ]

And the mask represents peace? Or does it represent victory?

[ similar vibes, different nuance. ]

[frontality]

[ Frontal has never given much thought to the whole first and last name construct of his name, really. It would feel more appropriate to say both are his given name and neither is his family, for he does not have a family. He has a feeling saying that won't go over with well, so he leaves it.

The second question is loaded enough, really. ]

For the oppressed, the two can be the same.

[ For Frontal, the mask represents failure. It represents a reminder of a man who lost, who left this world defeated. It represents propaganda and a world that refuses to change.

But to those who see it... well, primarily he supposes it represents the possibility to not think for themselves and follow a leader instead. Not something he'll say out loud at a first meeting, however. ]

But to answer the question you are actually asking, I am not interested in starting a war in my world or in any other.

[ Terrorism is fine though. ]

[marmoron]

[ to the question he's actually asking? keith scoffs at the framing of that, dipping his chicken into honey mustard sauce. ]

I don't know how you'd even start a war here with the resources you have. [ blunt. ] Assuming we're all standing on even footing here.

[ but even so, it doesn't escape keith's notice that "starting a war" is really just one phase of a war. propagating it, raising tensions, refusing to end are all components here that are, either unintentionally or perhaps very intentionally being left out. ]

You didn't answer my actual question about your name though.

II

[aelwyn_aberration]

[Aelwyn was standing at the dock, vacantly staring at the boats with an expression entirely unlike any of her usual snide smirks or sarcastic faux sincerity. Instead, she might as well not be here at all.

It takes her a moment to realise Frontal is even talking to her, takes her longer to remember to respond. The captain's awkward enough, he'll get it.]

Erm... It's... complicated? But I've seen ships like these before, yeah.

[She looks a little less vacant but her eyes don't leave the ships she was watching sail.]

[frontality]

[ He does get it. There is no pressure for Aelwyn to answer fast and even if she hadn't answered at all, he'd have allowed for that and not asked again. It's an idle question, anyway, there is no urgency.

She may not be looking at him, but Frontal is not looking at her either. They can be comfortably empty here, that is okay. ]

They feel outdated to me. I imagine some like them might still be in use, but I've never been at the ocean before so I would not be able to tell.

[ Maybe Aelwyn feels like elaborating on her end in return. ]

[aelwyn_aberration]

...Yeah.

[She's silent for a few moments.]

It's... complicated because the country I was in most recently has very similar technology to this one, but as far as I know everywhere else on my planet is still very behind on most things. No computers, no crysta - phones, no elemental powered cars, that kind of thing. But then also, apparently these people consider creating fully sapient robots or giant fighting mechs to be science fiction?

And their space exploration is limited to the moon. We've had that for... a few thousand years? Elves don't care much for historical dates, but space travel is hardly a new thing, let alone interdimensional travel. This world is... bizarre.

[Apparently, she is actually quite passionate about this subject, passionate enough to break her out of her intentionally making herself guilty.]

[frontality]

Ooh?

[ It's a pretty flat noise, but still unmistakably a sign of interest. Frontal glances over, but it's hard to tell that he does because with the mask on it's only a slight tilt of the head. ]

Quite different from my own world. Space travel has certainly progressed further than the moon and done so for over a hundred years, but it hasn't quite been a century yet since any space colonies were formed.

We do have giant fighting mechs though. They are the most effective form of war weapon.

[ After a beat: ] Interdimensional travel was unheard of to me, before coming here. What does it require?

[aelwyn_aberration]

It's less space colonies here... though I think Fallinel has a few of those, no idea about Highcourt or Solis. But there's thousands of worlds and civilisations out there that we've been in distant occasional communication with for some time, our actual sphere is pretty empty as far as I know? But Spelljammers can go far, and teleportation circles can go farther.

[Oh, now it's time to explain fucking... Sigil and extradimensional telportation magic.] Well... it depends, I guess? Somewhere like this would require a whole lot of steps that I can't begin to figure out, but if you wanted to go to, say, Heaven or Hell, these other entirely different planes of reality, then there's some powerful transmutation magic that can create gateways.

On top of that, gateways are naturally occuring in my world, they just have extremely arbitrary locations and keys to unlock them. Like... [She hums in contemplation, looking at the water and pointing to a rock under the waves.] You see that rock? A gateway could be that rock, so long as I'm singing Don't Stop Me Now as I leap onto it headfirst. Or something more ridiculous like... [She points at a cloud in the sky.] If I were to put myself in a cannon, wrap myself in duck carcasses and fling myself at that cloud, it is entirely possible that that could be the "key" to that "gateway" and I'd end up in the Elemental Plane of Slime. On the other hand, some are rather simple, like a circle of rocks in the ground that you just have to jump in. Complete randomization, you know?

There's a whole city of gateways like that called Sigil, supposedly at the center of all realities and all worlds. I don't know if that includes here but I have no reason to believe it doesn't.

[frontality]

[ Under the mask, Frontal is frowning now. ]

This sounds incredibly inconvenient, I must say.

[ The odds may be slim, but how unfortunate would it be to accidentally fulfil the conditions of a gateway and end up a whole world away from where you were, possibly unable to go back? Get back, hmm... ]

Your explanation gives the impression that these gateways are inherently one-way, is that correct? You could find the correct combination of key and gateway to possibly wind up in my dimension - but my dimension does not have gateways or if it does they are so uncommon that they have never been discovered. Would you be stuck?

[aelwyn_aberration]

[She shakes her head, a little amused. How to explain this...]

It's actually more likely to be the other way round. They're not always one-way, but the key is often different from one direction to the other. Sometimes the Lady of Pain decides to just remove the gateway as soon as you step through though, she's an asshole like that. She's the one who sets them up, and her reach is supposedly uh, limitless. Like... Elder Gods have tried to walk into her city and she's killed them on the spot levels of limitless. She just largely stays in her lane. She's a whole other set of issues though, I can get into that later if you're curious.

[She rests her chin on her hand, still watching the ship and furrowing her brow.]

I personally can probably get back home from your world rather easily, I have the spell for it, and if I can't get home I can get to one of the outer planes and hitch a ride until I've found my way back. But on the other hand, it would be next to impossible for you to get back to yours if you accidentally stepped through a portal. Which has... happened. We get people from planets completely unused to magic, they get lost either in Spire or in one of the other worlds like it and then they never find their way back.

But yes, portals are..... existentially speaking, an entire fucking nightmare both conceptually and in practice. There's horror stories of people stepping into their bedroom and ending up in Sigil, a city full of portals, and they never find their way home again, instead they keep getting more and more lost as they walk through labyrinth after labyrinth of horrors and eventually learn to never trust any gateway again and go completely mad.

[This of course begs the question of why she hasn't done it here if she's so confident it would work out for her, doesn't it.]

III

[littlegentleman]

[Generally, Junior would mind his own business. He'll come back later to use a machine, wait until the room is hopefully empty. But...there's just something about how violently overwhelmed the poor man looks that makes him pause. So, instead of fading backward into the hallway before he's noticed, he approaches.]

You should start with this one.

[He points toward a detergent.]

[frontality]

[ Maybe he should feel a little humiliated to have detergent explained to him by a child, but right now Frontal is not concerned with such things. It would be far more humiliating to mess up his first attempt at laundry, after all.

He gives a grateful little nod. ]

Thank you. I've never had to do my own laundry before and I admit, I didn't think it was so complicated.

[ ... said, not realizing he is definitely making it more complicated in his head than it needs to be. ]

sorry for the delay, I've been crazy busy!

[littlegentleman]

It's alright.

[He understands, not that he says so much in as many words.]

I only learned, myself, by watching.

[Ms. Wendy was always so busy, he felt guilty having her do such things for him, so he watched her one day and learned from there.]

Would you like me to show you the rest of it?

No problem, it happens!!

[frontality]

That... might be prudent. I'm good with machines, but I have no experience handling fabrics so I'd rather like not to ruin any garments.

[ It would be kind of embarrassing when he knows he has somebody who would gladly do his laundry for him and he's only doing this to try and gain a bit more of a sense for this lifestyle by himself. ]