cancry | if you desire the world, then come and take it

if you desire the world, then come and take it

[Discordia]

@ wolfsbane
Enough is enough. Who knows how long it's been in that place without a proper meeting. I propose we convene back at the base in Invidia. That'll keep the migraines and getting lost to a minimum, plus whoever the Authority is won't cotton on, I should hope.

[Invidia - Authority's Mansion]

[Wolfsbane is entirely fed up. After a few days in Avaritia (it's longer, but who knows in that place), she sends out the notification and sets up shop in the mansion back in Invidia; not too far a commute for anyone no matter where they are, and plenty of room besides. When the others arrive, she's sitting at the table, eating a plate of steak and lima bean salad. No, she didn't make any for you. Okay, those with good senses can probably smell that there's more in the kitchen, but given where they are, it seemed tacky to offer to share.]

I'm sure we've all at least come up with something by now investigating that tacky tourist trap. Share, will you?

(This is an open mingle log for everyone to share the fruits of their investigations! Have fun... or at least vent your frustrations at Avaritia's economy.)

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[Ruin had established some habits early on in Avaritia and the last two or three days have completely destroyed his routine. He hasn't been back to Limbo in days and there's something decidedly hollow about his expressions. Never mind that he's generally very particular about his appearance and now he's a bit disheveled. Or maybe it's intentional to match the roguish grin, the way his shirt seems to be even less buttoned, a dark mark or three on his throat.

Surely it's fine. But even though he comes to the meeting he's quiet for a long time, just leaning casually against a wall, out of the way. Last thing he wants to do is piss Wolfsbane off again.

Eventually, once others have made their suggestions and only after someone else has brought up the idea of the Authority being a possible gambler, he'll mention the information he got from the bartender.]

It probably doesn't actually mean anything, just the luck of the draw or something. But I did hear about a lady that... well no one's ever seen her lose. The bartender flat out said there's something supernatural going on with her but no one can figure out what. She doesn't come in that often, especially not any more. But the higher ups have given up even trying to stop her. Seems like seeing the big money paid out makes everyone else that much more eager to blow their savings y'know?

'Cept one time, I couldn't get an exact time frame or confirm if Lady Luck's been in since then. This gal was on the worst losing streak anyone had ever seen. Just pouring money down the drain, owed the house a ton of novas, just burying herself in debt. Biggest losses the casino had ever seen. And in one miraculous hand of poker... she doubled down and won. Biggest single payout the casino's ever done.

Big news, lots of talk. The most interesting part that no one seems to have considered the implications of? Lady Luck was at the table. Which means this girl won and Lady Luck lost. Could be a coincidence, could be Fate.

Could be Authority changing hands. Hell if I know.

[He made one plan and it royally fucked a ton of stuff up. He's not sticking his neck out again. He won't, can't be responsible if things going wrong ends up getting people other than himself hurt or in trouble. It doesn't really matter anyway because he's 98% sure the info's useless but just on that 2% chance it's not? He can't just say nothing.]

Lady Luck, was she a woman in her 30s? And the girl younger? Because at the theatre I often see a small group of people visit regularly, and be treated like nobility- those two, and an older man with a young boy. Likely his grandson or child, or as much as anyone has relations here.

The uh... girl that won the hand of fate was younger than Lady Luck but I didn't really get an age for the Lady herself y'know?

[Lion making connections makes him, honestly, feel even more stupid for bringing it up but... well nothing to do now but forge ahead. He'll... definitely have to give him shit later for latching onto something he said like there was anything of value there. Idiot.]

There's a guy that wipes out the claw machines every time he comes in? Like... uncanny good, thousands in prizes. I guess the management's tried to reprogram the machines to stop him but it never does any good. It'd make sense if he had a kid cause like... what is a grown man gonna do with all those toys?

[He nods along, seeming pleased]

It's not enough information to make a move with yet, but it gives us some leads to follow. Good work, Ruin.

[As pleased as Lion seems Ruin just sort of shrugs awkwardly. Not meeting his gaze.]

It might... not mean anything. Like you said, not enough info.

[Of course it's not enough. When has he ever been enough.]

It is certainly more information than anyone else has gained yet. If only they made it as obvious as Esme did...

Hm! It almost sounds like there's multiple people vying for the Layer Authority, but...

The layer of Greed doesn't sound like the kind of place where anyone willing to share would end up, does it?

No that doesn't make sense. Unless maybe they're all family?

[Lion's apparently seen them so he looks over to him.]

D'you think?

Hmm... unless they all regained memories I doubt they would know. But the older man and the child seem to at least see each other as such. While the women would interact with them and each other the tone was more.... I would say more like associates meeting by chance, not a group arriving together. They do seem to know each other at least.

They could well have formed a crime family, even if they weren't one in life. Don't those largely form by alliances anyway?

...kind of like us? [Are we in a mob now? Is she a mob doctor?]

We're not a fucking crime family.

[Okay it's a little snappish but the look he shoots Wolfsbane makes it clear it's not directed at Medic.]

Whether they're blood relatives or just consider one another family it doesn't matter. They have access to things the rest of us don't and are apparently super secretive. My source tried to warn me off asking questions a few times before he really put his foot down. Like talking to me at all could get him fired.

If they're not the Authority they have a hell of a lot of clout.

Look, I didn't suggest we were. I was clearly talking about them, and from what you've said, "crime family" would fit that lot well enough. And given that we already know that multiple people can share an Authority role, that works perfectly... though these things do tend to have a leader, a head.

...which I guess would put us right back to figuring out which one of them is really in charge. Except that we should also be careful of the others in case they're helping them out.

What do you suppose that would mean for us? Would we have to out-maneuver all of them?

It would probably depend on whether the Authority is split between them, like it is for the five of us back in Invidia, or if it keeps changing hands.

I see! It could be either.

[ Thank you for the comparison to themselves! She understands it! Sort of.]

Those even if it keeps changing hands, we may have to deal with all of them anyway.

Then again, we don't know if we'll have to deal with any of them- at least, not the way we did with Esme. For all we know, they could just decide they want us to leave as quickly as possible, and open the way down as soon as they see us.

[Look, you may laugh, but "please just fucking leave" has been a pretty great method for getting people to give her what she wants in the past.]

[...the way they did with Esme, right.]

[BUT ANYWAY]

I suppose such a thing is entirely possible. Or perhaps they'll be more willing to listen to reason.

[Hope springs eternal.]

Right! [What angst and regrets? Don't know her.] They're supposed to be greedy, right? Maybe if we point out there's six other layers they aren't getting to take stuff from, they'll want to open the path back up.

I know I wouldn't be satisfied with only getting to study one place if I knew there were more out there I could be researching.

Goodness, do you suppose they've ever been anywhere else? Perhaps even the mere chance to visit Invidia would be of interest to them.

I wonder if we'd be allowed to invite them, as the Invidia Authorities? We could do tours!

Surely we could? Otherwise we would have precious little actual authority...

Each of us only has one-fifth, though, and we're pretty new at it... I still haven't figured out how Esme did that invisibility trick.

[And she's certainly been trying.]

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if you desire the world, then come and take it

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