Gula Underside Log

[cancrymods]

GULA DUNGEON LOG

As you make the now familiar descent, the screeches and chatterings of the Underside's inhabitants swim up to meet you alongside a suffocating wall of heat. The Gula Underside unfolds itself before you in jewel colours and sweltering heat. In stark contrast to the Rusted City stripped bare and the sterile Undercity, the Gluttony Underside is bursting with life - and danger. This densely packed rainforest spills out in all directions like a natural maze and you're going to have to pull out all the stops to find Gerda before something else does - or before it finds you.

THE UNDERSIDE

♪♫ Floating -Liquidly- – Sakuzyo The jungle is thickly clustered with huge palm trees rising to form an almost impassable canopy that only opens out occasionally when branches shift or when the wind blows, revealing the dim green light of the Underside's sickly looking sky. As you look up, you occasionally see the shadows of Revenants (or at least you HOPE they're Revenants) darting around high above your head. The ground is blanketed in luscious undergrowth that feels soft underfoot - loamy moss, tangled patches of grass, leaves. Occasionally, the uneven ground gives way to puddles of water or patches of loose, sloppy mud that you're forced to wade your way through if you want to proceed. Fortunately (or unfortunately), the jungle is so dense that you're never not within reaching distance of a sturdy tree or rock you can use to steady yourself. Somewhere in this place is Gerda and your way further down into Purgatory. Let's hope you can make your way through unscathed. AREAS OF INTEREST Due to the sheer scale of this Underside, explorations will proceed slightly differently. The Executors will be split into three teams – two to explore the Underside itself and the third being the team assigned to this layer's Boss Combat. Please see below for your role assignments. ⚝ NORTHBOUND: The Executors exploring the north are Medic, Etoile, Lion, Chiron and Veil. ⚝ SOUTHBOUND: The Executors exploring the south are Rei, Genius, Mona, Achilles, Ariel and Phoenix. ⚝ THE WATERING HOLE: Boss Combat volunteers, report! HAZARDS ⚝ Dense Wood: The overgrowth of the jungle and the tightly packed trees mean there are very few wide open spaces as you make your way through. For those of you who rely on your eyeballs, this means visibility is hampered - and that Revenants could ambush you if you're not on high alert! Uneven Footing: Given how wild the terrain here is, you might find that it's a bit hard to get stable footing when you're running to and fro here. Some of this is varied elevation but a lot of it is varied textures too. Stumble too close to anywhere with running water and you'll be slipping and sliding all up and down the Underside! ⚝ Revenant Types Present: Charles, Minturno

Comments

[discutio]

[of course he's going to approach what if Other Boyfriend is in trouble]

[that said he's also going to be listening to see if he can pick anything up before they're noticed, just in case]

[twibeast]

[ He’s also going to approach but before he does he hangs back a moment and turns his head to the others still on his back. His voice is still quiet. ]

Girls get down for now. Please.

[ dads might need to go in ]

[cancrymods]

[ With the teen girl trio presumably making haste to hop off their ride, Phoenix and Achilles are able to catch the last few threads of the conversation.

"...benefit of others... mistaken for the likes of her?"
"... a startling sight... something with a face like this..."

Both of them seem distracted enough that if you wanted to intervene... now's your chance. ]

[discutio]

Chiron.

[He wasn't quite crazy enough to go in guns blazing, but Phoenix was holding his cane like he was ready to draw his sword in the next second.]

I can't help but presume you have interesting company. Are you alright?

[twibeast]

[ Achilles has shifted back into his humanoid form, readying his harp in case he needs to use it but

That other voice makes him stop. He hasn't seen them yet but

While it might be slightly different enough that others might not be able to place why the voice was familiar even after all this time spent together, for him... well. ]

...Rei?

[ A good father knows his daughter better than anyone. ]

[alcahest]

[ Mona is definitely not staying far behind, not where Chiron might be concerned. but she does follow a step back from Achilles' side, careful not to get in the way — until she hears him speak. she moves forward cautiously to glance up at his face, to see if—

he isn't looking back, where Rei is. he's looking in the direction of the voices. ]

Achilles...? [ she glances back at Rei, concerned. ] Rei is right here.

[calculated_risk]

[Genius glances nervously at Rei and then in the direction of the conversation.]

Don't tell me this is some kind of evil twin thing...

1/2

[cancrymods]

[ Rei is indeed exactly where she's supposed to be – but she's also frozen on the spot, her eyes painfully wide. Appropriate enough, she looks like someone who's seen a ghost. Or maybe something worse than a ghost.

From the depths of the fog, you hear a sharp intake of breath. Distaste, perhaps. Surprise, almost certainly. ]

[cancrymods]

[ Standing before Chiron, she doesn't have the time to give him a response before Phoenix's voice cuts in. She's alarmed enough by his appearance, but when Achilles says Rei? so gently, she somehow turns an even more deathly shade of white.

A shaky breath. Her hands ball into fists. ]

... so, then. Your friends have arrived.

[schardynfreude]

[Chiron looks up sharply at Phoenix's voice. His face still bears all the signs of the scourge, does not ease even with Achilles' voice to join in. Absently, without thinking, he pats Birdie on the head, a light stroke of hair, not dissimilar to something he would do with Rei.]

So it would seem. Not the ones I arrived with, though.

[And then louder, to the rest.] Shockingly enough, I am quite all right, other than having taken a tumble. I'm afraid I've been separated from the rest, and I wouldn't be able to tell them where I was anyway should they reply to my message.

[discutio]

...What's going on?

[Somewhere between suspicion and confusion, the hostile grip on his cane eased slightly.]

She didn't attack you this time?

[twibeast]

[ Achilles doesn't respond to Mona, or to anyone else, right away. There's a weird feeling in his chest, heavy and cold. Dread, perhaps. Or just confusion.

He looks back to Rei for a moment, to make sure she's still there as Mona said, takes note of her expression... but still starts to step forward through the fog, trying to see if he can get a better look at whoever this... and sees her face.

The face that is undeniably also Rei's just like her voice. But cracked and splintered in a way that fills his heart with concern. ]

Darling...? What is this?

[ Now does he mean his daughter or his boyfriend... ]

[schardynfreude]

No. I'm perfectly fine. So is my companion. We've...been talking like civilized people.

[He looks to Achilles, and it's hard to read the look on his face through the smear of scourge and the fog. Looks to see Rei through that same fog.]

We're all fine, aren't we? No need to draw any weapons.

[alcahest]

[ Mona only hesitates briefly, at the sight. it's unusual to see Chiron so close to someone other than a few members of their own group, and especially someone who, last encounter, attacked him — which means that something has changed, significantly. and she trusts his judgement. if Chiron believes there is no reason for hostility, then she has no reason to doubt that. she continues forward at a calm, steady pace. ]

I'm glad you're alright, Chiron... [ she does look at the girl, as she approaches. but the only reaction on Mona's face is concern. ] What about the others? How did you get separated?

[schardynfreude]

Ah, we were taking the high road, as it were, but the ground was so damnably dry and brittle it must have just given way under our weight. I've no idea how we ended up in separate places...

[His hand drops from Birdie's head mostly so he can give Mona a hug. She would be the most understanding of them all, would empathize with the predicament. He might have to explain the whole of it to her. Later.] And you all? Have you found anything? Not the Authority, clearly.

[Who's going to address the elephant in the room? Not it!]

[twibeast]

[ At Chiron’s mention of not needing weapons he lets his harp dissolve. His eyes don’t leave the girl, and even though there’s enough context clues for him to catch on, it doesn’t actually register to him that this is the same girl who attacked them before and caused Chiron to momentarily lose his memories.

Maybe he wouldn’t be so soft right now if he did.

He knows, somewhere inside, that the right thing to do now would be to stick by the Rei still steps behind them and make sure she’s okay, but…

He steps closer, until he’s next to Chiron and Mona… and then gets down on one knee so he’s at a more even eye level with this strange NotRei. With all the gentleness he gives the Rei he’s always known he speaks directly to her: ]

Why is your face like that, dear? Are you all right?

[ He doesn’t mean to ignore Chiron’s question - he figures Mona and Phoenix can answer them - but like. He has so many himself for their guest. ]

[discutio]

[Phoenix approached just as cautiously when he heard Achilles move, coming to stand next to Chiron and speak in an undertone:]

...Tell me what we're looking at, Chiron.

[something is Afoot here]

[schardynfreude]

[He supposes...that if Achilles is going to speak to her directly, perhaps he should inform Phoenix of at least some of the very basics.]

The girl we fought before. She has what she thinks is an unfortunate appearance under ribbons she wore around her face. She has a face just like Rei's, but terribly cracked around the eyes as though a porcelain doll were dropped and glued back together.

[He leans in closer, cheek to cheek with Phoenix to speak into his ear directly.] I don't want to get into the details here. Let her say what she will, let us go through this place as we can, and we...shall speak of it later.

[discutio]

[he's pretty sure he hates this but]

Very well. I'll trust your judgment on this.

[cancrymods]

[ When Achilles addresses her so gently, the girl doesn't just step back – she recoils, her face twisting with an expression of taste that's so unlike Rei, it's a little upsetting to see it take over her face. Her shoulders are set in a hard line and the words that come out do so in a hiss, forced out between gritted teeth. ]

Don't speak to me like that. I'm not a child for you to coddle.

[ Like that, she sounds more like a cat than she does a bird. ]

[discutio]

Do forgive Achilles, he has a tendency to want to parent anyone that looks in need of it.

[Said fondly, with a gesture back n the direction of the others.]

How would you prefer we spoke, then?

[twibeast]

[ If he's affected by her reaction, he certainly doesn't show it. Rather he just takes it in, inclining his head towards Phoenix for a moment as the other speaks, before turning right back to the girl and rising to his feet. ]

Yes, I'm afraid I do. I'm also prone to being quite the worrier, so I apologize for overstepping...

...though in this case you have a face and voice much like my beloved daughter, so I feel one can hardly blame me.

[cancrymods]

Without that doe-eyed look on your face, if you please. [ It's not hard to figure out who she's referring to. ] I don't think that it's too much for me to ask that you speak to me without putting on those sorts of airs.

[ Some of her immediate aggro energy seems to have cooled down, though, given that this doesn't seem to be about to turn into a fight. ]

Have you come to collect your companion?

[discutio]

It's rather more that we happened upon the pair of you, truthfully. But I might ask you something similar--did you not come to fight us again?

[twibeast]

[ This time Achilles reacts, flinching back and looking hurt for just a few seconds. His recovery is swift though and he’s looking off, uncertain.

He’ll let Phoenix talk to her for now but honestly he’s feeling more than a little frustrated and is having to stop himself from going into stern dad mode instead. ]