Gula Undercity Log

[cancrymods]

GULA

Now that you've been guided here by one of its residents, it's time for you to get familiar with the Undercity of Gula. With so much of the rest of the layer consumed already, its Specters have retreated to the last safe haven left for them. Just like the city above, when in the Undercity, you will suffer the same inability to fully satisfy yourself and will always be craving just one more... anything. The entrance to the Undercity is slap bang in the middle of the last remaining garden in the entire layer. A snapshot of what this place might have been like before, it's crammed full of all sorts of plants, flowers, vegetables... if it grows in the ground, it's here. There's evidence to suggest that even this garden was a fair bit larger than it is now, with plants looking like they were uprooted or crushed on the outside of the garden, but it's difficult to tell. In the center of the garden, you'll find a steep set of stairs leading down to the underground where you'll find the settlement proper. The Undercity itself is set up in a giant underground bunker, with a tall ceiling and huge open spaces that keep the place from feeling too claustrophobic. There's a mild bit of spacial distortion going on down here that make the ceiling much, much higher than it should physically be possible for it to be, but that's baby stuff in Purgatory by now. There's a few walls and some makeshift separators that section off parts of the bunker for privacy reasons, but more or less everything is set up in the same huge communal space.The walls, floors, ceilings and more or less every surface have been slathered in paints and cloths in a chaotic variety of colours to make things seem a bit less cold and dull. The effect is... striking, to say the least. In some places, where the paint or cloth has begun to peel away, however, you'll see that the surfaces underneath are cold and black and seem to be made of metal. The general vibe of the place is some weird cross between a convention or an indoor market and an airport at 3:48 in the morning. There's rows of chairs and bed and makeshift beds all over the place for people to set themselves down and take a breather, with wide gaps left in between each row to let people safely come and go without tripping all over themselves and dying again. But despite all the work gone into setting up the place, it still feels strangely empty – going by the number of Specters you can see milling about in here, even with the Executors' arrival, this place isn't even half full and that's a generous estimate. On top of all that, the uncomfortable sense of things being "thin" or "stripped away" increases almost tenfold down here. There's something else, too, but it's hard to immediately identify – you'll have to investigate that yourself to work out exactly what's wrong. Thankfully, despite how dour Gula as a whole is, you're free to come and go as you please. So while you still need to make your way through Gula to reach the next layer, the previous layers will still be available for you to rest and recharge if you'd prefer to stay elsewhere. ⚝ Rest Areas: If you're desperate for some shut-eye, or just to get away from the chaos a bit, the four corners of the bunker have been sectioned off with thick screens and padded mats, blankets and pillows have been spread out across the floor. It's basically a nap area for you to come and chill out and despite everything, it's pretty cozy over here. There's also a radius of about fifty feet around each of the rest area that's designated a "quiet zone", where everyone's expected to pipe down and stay quiet to not wake anyone up. They're generally a good place to recharge, even if sleeping out in the relative open can feel a bit awkward. ⚝ Dining Area: A number of long tables have been lined up end-to-end by the door that you can assume is probably the kitchen. They're covered in colourful tablecloths and a hodgepodge of mismatched chairs line either side of it. Dinner is served twice a day, with a ten minute warning beforehand so you can hopefully find yourself a seat before the rush is over. As for what the food is... well, it's pretty lacklustre! Pretty much everything is dried food, canned food or some horrifying combo of both. At least it's... mostly edible? ⚝ Music Stage: A little stage area that's been set up by pushing a number of crates and boxes together to form a stable platform. It's had a colourful cloth thrown over it and weighed down so it looks a little less slapped together, and there's a few instruments spread out across the stage – there's the regulars like an acoustic guitar and a bass but then there's also... a saxophone? An oboe? A harp??? It's pretty random. There's usually a handful of people milling about the stage with someone banging out the tunes, but it's also used to give announcements and anything else that needs the attention of the whole group. ⚝ Kitchen: Locked. Investigate to unlock further information. ⚝ The Rusted City: The once-majestic city of the Gluttony Layer, now reduced to rust and decay. It's a huge, sprawing urban affair with skyscrapers climbing to dizzying heights and buildings packed in to each and every space that could conceivably hold a building. It reminds you, just a little, of Invidia – envious excess beyond anything a single person could ever own or consume by themselves. But the unfortunate reality of Gula is that much of it has been consumed. Shops have been stripped bare of everything that could be useful and any houses or apartments you might be inclined to check have been raided in much the same way. It's a sad, lonely seeming place that feels as though it's slowly rotting apart from the inside out. Alarmingly, Revenants can occasionally be found here, though they seem to have aimlessly wandered up from the Underside and seem just as confused to find themselves here as you are. ⚝ Train Station: On the outskirts of the layer is slightly busted-up looking train station with a single platform. Rusty old trains come through here every half hour on the dot, stopping only briefly to allow Executors to board. Using these trains, Executors can either travel back to any of the other layers of Purgatory without having to pass through the Underside. Isn't quick travel convenient?

THE UNDERSIDE OF GULA

...?

Comments

Investigation

[mementomoritz]

[Yeah, she's making a beeline right for the Kitchen. Gerda is very nice, but she never actually did answer that question about how far the food supplies down here could stretch, and Medic never could stand unanswered questions.]

[Seeing that it's locked, she rattles the door slightly and reaches out with her senses.]

Excuse me, may I come in?

[Does she feel anyone on the other side to answer, though?]

[discutio]

...Please don't tell me that locked door is the kitchen.

[he already has a bad feeling about this.]

[cancrymods]

[ The kitchen feels empty of any Spectres, but Medic does get a vibe of something in there, even if it's hard to tell what. It feels a little bit like the pull you get when you're stood at the edge of a long fall. ]

[emberserker]

[Wolfsbane goes straight to the train station. She checks over the train and the surroundings with a frown, but a small nod.]

Oh, good. At least we haven't got more of Superbia's nonsense to work with.

[And she. Immediately steps onto the train to leave. This place sucks.

She will be back, though, and after leaving some Limbo snacks for the crowd -- mostly the stuff nobody wants, like cherry-flavoured chips and a tin of lime green (lime green what? just lime green) -- Wolfsbane will get to exploring.

And then she finds the Rusted City. Transforming in a flash of fire, she starts to walk through an abandoned hotel, stepping over broken glass and past ransacked storage, until she spots it -- a Revenant.

Well, can't leave that around, can she.

If you hear some manic laughter followed by fireballs and axe noises as she chases the thing through the city, it's probably nothing. Just working off some steam.]

[twibeast]

[ For a few days following the arrival in Gula, Achilles stays as far away as possible, mostly keeping to hiding around in the Executor house, sometimes the Invidia mansion if he's feeling daring. He... quite frankly he looks kind of ill, what with how pale his already pretty pale complexion has gotten and the way he holds himself like he's trying to give himself any kind of comfort or stop himself from shaking. He's constantly out of it, more than usual, and sometimes doesn't immediately respond when spoken to. And then there's the fact that when his eyes aren't locked on the ground or out the window at nothing, they're nervously looking over his shoulder as if convinced something else is there.

Maybe "haunted" is more apt than "ill".

He doesn't even eat anything. That's when you know shit's bad! He also sometimes can be seen anxiously fidgeting with that earring he always wears, as if he's suddenly hyper aware of it. Less bad, but kind of weird?

After a few days of this though and avoiding all talk about the new layer, he finds himself staring in the direction of the train station, though not making a move to head there just yet. Instead he seeks out other Executors, either nearby or back at the house. ]

I-I'm sorry but... would you mind accompanying me? Down to... the new layer, I mean...

[ He wants to be more useful but

He can't. He can't be there alone. Even just the thought of boarding the train fills him with an intense, primal fear. ]


(ooc: Feel free to skip ahead to them being in Gula already if you pick the second prompt and don't want to play out the initial talking and getting there. Please note though that Achilles wouldn't ask 1) new people who haven't spoken to him before (once is enough), 2) people who make him uncomfortable/cr that leans a bit more negative. He's dealing with memories that involve not only a traumatic childhood but also his abuser, so yeaaaaaah.

Additionally, please know that there's a high possibility of some of the stuff from said childhood coming up. While I'm not going to dump the worst of it on people without warning or asking first if they're okay with it, there'll still be warnings throughout the thread when it comes up so keep that in mind while reading. The write up with the warnings of it can be found here.)

[discutio]

[Phoenix was unusually quiet himself as he worked; putting together simple and light food that would be easy to carry. He didn't have much intention of helping the Authority just yet, but keeping everyone else going was another matter.]

Achilles-...? [It took a second to untangle himself from his own thoughts, raising his head and looking in the other's general direction.]

Y-yes, of course. I was preparing to leave shortly myself; I think I would like the company as well.

[schardynfreude]

[So. Chiron. He's been in moderately the same boat, but has made himself go to Gula anyway after some time Vibing And Vibrating away from it. Has been relatively blank or empty or depressed or...not like himself, even more than usual, but.

At some point! Chiron seems to have perked up at least a little, and makes a point of finding a good doggod.]

Achilles? My dear, I don't wish to overwhelm you; I just wanted to share a little good news.

investigation (accomplices welcome!)

[ourtomorrow]

[ Newly-minted as an Executor and ready to Assist, Prehnite has gone to check out the dining area! Perhaps hoping a Gluttony layer clue would be found there is too obvious, but precisely because of that, he's figuring it's best to do a thorough once-over. Just in case.

What's irritating, though, is how the food...appeals. He frowns. This is...this is strange. He has no recollection of himself - almost none - but the one memory he has back, the one of sharing his time with a precious partner -

He remembers Wormmon. He remembers sharing meals, and snacks, with Wormmon.

He remembers being the sort of person who always fed Wormmon first.

But now he wants to snatch at others' food? That's not right. It's alarming.

So to see what the Spectres do, he joins the rush for a seat. And when he receives his food -

He looks around at the people sharing his table, and although his stomach roars in protest, he speaks up. ]

Sorry, I'm not that hungry. Does anyone want mine?

[ This way he won't also be squandering their precious resources. ]

[emberserker]

How can you not be? There's something about this layer.

[She scratches a fingernail on the table, over and over.]

In Invidia and Avaritia, it was the culture pushing people into their sin. Superbia's didn't encourage its sin so much as its Authority's mistake did. But this one's different.

[cancrymods]

[ There's nothing particularly unusual at the dinner table – when the food comes out, he'll probably start getting hunger pains but it's hard to tell if that's something to do with this area specifically or just his body reacting to the smell of the food. ]

[schardynfreude]

[The Dads are having a Time right now. Where Achilles sees the empty ruins of a once bustling city and has a Reaction, Chiron...is much the same. Enormous city that must have been a wonder when it was full, abandoned to naught but monsters occasionally roaming the streets.

It reminds him of home.

No. Of a home away from home. No. It reminds him of Insomnia, in tatters, abandoned but for the daemons and the few brave/stupid souls trying to make a living...underground...

Even following everyone down, it's a lot to take in. Normally it's not too much, but after everything that had happened, the memories lost, the smack in the face of the city, the strange pulling sensation of loss and thinness and lack, he finds himself standing at the foot of the stairs in the Undercity and, in spite of the colors and the lighting and how massively cavernous it is--it still seems closed off and somehow small. Interesting. He's never been claustrophobic before, and a stranger thing still to feel in a place so big.

When he goes pale, it's not the unnatural deathly pallor when the sickness in him takes hole. Just a normal drain of blood from his face. His hysterical reaction to the loops of Superbia (what he remembers of it) suddenly clicks into place, and his disjointed memories of the past and the present and the enormous technological jump, the sensation of being in a ruined city for a length of time that seemed ridiculous and simultaneously a blink of an eye, a sense of time entirely shattered in fact, and

he'd better have a seat.

...And he's going to stay seated at the bottom step to the Undercity, arms across his knees, head hung, completely unresponsive for a good long while.

Eventually, wordlessly, he stands and leaves. Like Achilles, he's going home and processing some shit.]

special delivery

[schardynfreude]

[...Let's ignore all that happened, shall we! When Chiron decides he needs to get up and do something and reappear and do something, he gets to it. He gets to it with relative silence and a look that generally seems far away, pained or saddened or simply just tired. But at least he's here. In theory. Physically present, at any rate.

First is the food. If food is such an issue, then they can take care of that in the shortest of terms easily enough. It's a lot of back and forth on the trains, hauling bags full of...well, plastic bags, filled to the brim at first with goodies from the conbini and elsewhere in Limbo, and then he progresses downward, doing some trades, spending some coin, some fresher ingredients and higher quality foods. ...But let's be honest, it's mostly conbini things because that's easiest. It's deliveries down the stairs, placing the bags along the dining tables. Until that gets tiring and tedious. Eventually he just resorts to overturning the bags at the top of the stairs and raining bags of foodstuffs down below.

It's with something like grim determination that he moves on to slightly more unwieldy things like blankets, cushions, and pillows, and those are still much less abundant, but those, too, get dragged onto the train and to the top of the Undercity stairs and unceremoniously deposited below.

If, uh. You want to help him make these supply runs and deliveries, feel free...?]

undercity (cw: alcoholic tendencies)

[schardynfreude]

[After those, obviously alcohol has to be on the list of excessive necessities, right? Oh, uh, hm, those bottles of wine don't seem to be for sharing. Not that he's going to complain (too much) if someone nicks one, he supposes. But when he brings a whole box of what appears to be various wines, he takes it directly to whatever corner seems to be the coziest with the new delivery of pillows and shit, plops himself down, and alternately seems to spend his time drinking and napping. Given that he long ago realized that, being dead, none of them necessarily have to eat or drink or breathe or sleep, he tends not to do much of any of the above (save breathing, that's simply force of habit), so this is...alarming, maybe. His sleep always seems to be restless and ends with him jolting awake again before, with some irritation, grabs whatever not empty bottle is closest within reach and takes a swig.

Occasionally he even drags himself to the dining table and eats something, whether it's whatever is being served or something delivered from the conbini. Notably, he avoids eating anything that resembles meat or a meat product. Sometimes he eats, sometimes he plays with the food before sighing and leaving it for someone else. When he wanders, it's aimless, barely present, somewhere between actually looking and not actually seeing anything at all.

He becomes marginally better when he leaves Gula entirely, but the desire for wine and sleep seem to at least remain, if not to the excessive amounts.]

investigation

[schardynfreude]

[At some point he decides to try and address a question about the setup of this layer that's been nagging at the back of his mind. It would be easy enough to brush it off as Purgatory Weirdness, that this is simply how this layer is set up, but...he wants to be sure. Because at least that's doing something, and at this point apparently he's decided doing something is better than the nothing he keeps oscillating back to.

He gets up on the stage. (Dear gods, who let him do that?) Gets attention, for announcements, right? And brandishes a little recorder. (Of the recording sound type, not the schoolkid instrument.)]

Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen and people of Gula, if I could have but a brief moment of your time? I'm one of the newcomers to your...charming little fallout shelter of a city, and I've a few questions that won't take but a few short minutes to answer. If you'd like to speak to me about your living here, please file to the front here, thank you.

[The specters might not be of all that much help, given their status as not being awake, but, well, it's somewhere to start. He's looking to ask about the bunker and the city, if to their memory and knowledge the Undercity has always been here, if they had always been here, if the topside city had always been ransacked and empty or if any of them perhaps remember a time when the city...was a full city.

Does it seem strange to anyone else that a layer for gluttons just exists as an underground bunker with everything up top already picked clean? Or is he overthinking this?]

[calculated_risk]

[As she looks at the stage, Genius' newly regained memory stirs something in her, and she's soon hunting down some of the other Executors who've been here longer.]

Hey, do you know where we could get a karaoke machine?

[Once that's been found and brought down to Gula, she's quick to set it up, plugging it in and scrolling through random songs until she finds one that's slightly familiar. Soon, she's singing her heart out, and waving and encouraging everyone to sing along.]

Hey! Come join in! It's good for camaraderie, you know!

[ourtomorrow]

Thanks. I'd be happy to.

[ Prehnite takes a seat, defaulting to being in the audience. Watching people have fun is fun in and of itself, and besides, he can tell he's getting too worked up about Solving This Layer. Ironic as it may seem, he'll do better work for everyone if he cuts a little loose. ]

[ourtomorrow]

[ Those exploring the Rusted City may discover that it has acquired a Bug Infestation.

Well, one bug, anyway, zipping around on buzzing wings, face partially obscured by a visor. The bug(?) darts up, down, back, forth, banking and looping, engaging in acrobatics that make full use of all three dimensions of movement possible in midair.

Then it spots its company, and comes zipping - right towards you! And beneath a peaked visor that hangs over its face but doesn't obscure it, it has...a human face??? ]

[schardynfreude]

[Bug Boy best be careful or someone's going to think he's a revenant! Which may be what Chiron thinks when this bug thing goes zipping across the sky and then, also, at him!

His scythe manifests in hand to come up on the defensive with a yell. Maybe...maybe pull up? Maybe pull up is a good idea.]

MEETING . . . ?

[phantasmagorial]

[ They've been in Gula for a while with no major incidents to speak of when Rei sends the message out. ]

There's something I'd like to talk about. Back at the mansion, if we can.

It's important.

[ She doesn't elaborate more, even if asked, but once all the Executors are gathered back at the mansion, Rei stands up and gazes at them all, looking determined and ill at ease all at once.

The butterfly that was following Ariel around is also here – for today, she's perched on Prehnite's shoulder. ]

... Now everyone's here... there's something I think I should've told you all sooner. It's... about the memories we've been finding. And my memories. Or rather, um...

[ She fumbles with her words for a moment before deciding to just go for it. ]

I haven't... remembered anything else about myself the entire time we've been moving down into Purgatory.

[schardynfreude]

Does that...include the butterflies, or do you mean aside from them?

[swordofajerk]

When was the last time you remembered anything?

[Was Sword even around for that?]

[twibeast]

[ Achilles is quiet for a while even after Rei’s words, looking off while deep in thought.

Finally he does speak. ]

I see… I had been beginning to wonder as much.

[daughterofthemark]

...actually, now that you mention it, I've remembered very little myself.

[Veil that is for a different reason.]

[discutio]

[For a good stretch of time since getting to a new layer, Phoenix had been...quiet. Which was probably understandable, given that he'd very nearly died in the prior Underside, but considering this was Phoenix we were talking about one might not be wrong in assuming he'd have brushed it off by now.]

[(Which he had.)]

[Quiet as he might have been, he kept himself fairly busy; if not poking around with Medic, then making sure none of their group went hungry or imposed too heavily on the layer's stockpile of food (which he did not trust by any means). He'd go between there and Invidia often, keeping himself busy and bringing back light but carefully crafted bento boxes for anyone that might have ended up getting particularly hungry. Or thinking they were. Purgatory was just sort of like that.]

[schardynfreude]

Phoenix.

[He says the name with perhaps more confidence than he has since the loss of memory. Like it comes more naturally.]

You truly know nothing of the concept of resting, do you?

not an investigation per se, but

[daughterofthemark]

[A stage, huh? Well. People here have been going through some problems, and while addressing those by bringing food is obviously helpful, Veil has the feeling she should be doing something else. Yes, she's the kind of person to get up in front of other people and inspire them!

You know, because she's technically still an idol. Probably no other reason.

So at basically random intervals she's going to get up on the stage and perform. The choreography from Invidia was really meant for the whole group, but it still kind of works as a solo act.]

[emberserker]

What are you doing?

[Wolfsbane appears to the side and hops up onto the stage with a frown.]

I don't think that's going to work if you want to become an Authority of two places.