Luxuria Intro Log

[cancrymods]

PROCEEDING...

With the real super power of teamwork, the Executors have successfully managed to make their way through the Gula Underside and defeat the previous Authority there. With Gerda now freed from her past regrets and given the power of an Executor, Gula and its inhabitants seem to be in safe hands... for now at least. More interesting – or concerning, perhaps – is the tentative ally you've gained in the form of Birdie, the mysterious girl who attacked some of your number in the Superbia Underside. While she seemed to be nothing but an enemy back then, a surprising connection has been formed with who you now understand to be the Authority of Purgatory itself. While she doesn't necessarily believe the Executors will be able to repair Purgatory, she is at least willing to admit that she shares their goals of wanting to see Purgatory restored... either to its former state, or to something new. But what does that mean for the Executors? And what does that mean for Rei supposedly born from the Authority's discarded heart? There are still many questions the Executors need to answer and as a blast of dry, hot air blows up from the next layer, you can only hope that Luxuria holds the key to at least some of them...

LUXURIA

♪♫ Wet & Dry – Sakuzyo After the humidity and noise of the Gula Underside, passing down to the Lust Layer of Purgatory initially seems like a relief. The air here is dry and sharp and though you hear noise drifting up to meet you and see a whole rainbow of lights clustered together in the dark, it doesn't seem as though it'll be quite as overwhelming as some of the bustling Layers you've had the pleasure of exploring before. But as you set foot down into Luxuria and feel the heat of the ground under your feet, you begin to wonder if you might just have hopped out of the frying pan and into the fire...

Comments

[emberserker]

Oh, do not --

[In a flash, Wolfsbane has transformed and shoots out a shard of ice from her hand to stop just short of the dragon girl.]

I've got enough problems without some would-be Revenant. Kindly tell us what your issue is.

[syrinfacet]

[ The ice is enough to make her stumble, just enough to shake loose the instinctual wrath response - but not enough to stop the already charging lightning breath. It fires from her, tearing up the ground in a line in front of her, sending debris flying everywhere. It thankfully misses Wolfsbane - and in retrospect, didn't seem to be aimed at her at all.

She stumbles back, eyes darting too and fro, the state of Luxuria too much of a sensory overload when you're already dealing with a lot. It's clear she's panicking, breathing heavy and shaking, before she clutches her head, eyes shut tight.

She doesn't answer, instead just stumbling back another couple steps. ]

[emberserker]

[Okay. Breathe in and out, what would Medic do -- okay, do not do what Medic would do, that way lies intrusive questions about how one breathes lightning and whether those horns are anchored to her skull. Veil? Absolutely not. Mona? No. Ugh, fine, she'll deal with this her way, and never say she didn't try.]

I'll thank you to explain why you tried to kill us. Do you have a name?

[syrinfacet]

[ Her brows crease, eyes scrunching shut tighter as she tries to focus just on the sound of Wolfsbane's voice.

Too much noise. Too much - ]

Hhh...

[ It comes out as a hiss. She had...attacked? What? She... she'd... ]

P-panicked. I - sorry. N-not hurt?

[ The words are disjointed but come together quicker as they leave her mouth. It's like she's trying to remember how speech works. It's getting easier, just focusing on one thing.

Her...name?

Well, that was a stupid question. Her name was...

... obviously it was ...

It...

Her eyes snap open in alarm as it hits her - something she regrets, given the half hiss, half whine noise that escapes her throat as her senses go into overdrive again. She focuses on the girl in front of her instead of the carnival. ]

I don't...I-I don't remember.

[ Electricity crawls around her form for a moment, panic building - and then she grits her teeth, trying valiantly to keep her panic at bay. Baby steps. ]

[emberserker]

...Of course you don't. It'll come, or at least a suitable alternative will.

[Wolfsbane looks the girl over narrowly and frowns. The group's there, not that half of them talk to her; surely someone will come fussing over this girl and have her adopted on the spot. That isn't Wolfsbane's style. With all that's going on, she needs to focus herself.]

This place looks to be a chaotic disaster, I'll give you that. Better than that hellhole we just left, at least. Though given you look to have just woken up, as it were, it's hard to tell whether you've got the context for that. Regardless, focus, will you? It'll help you calm down.

[syrinfacet]

[ It's funny, she's over a whole decade older than Wolfsbane, but between her status as a new eidolon and their similar shorter stature, they're on the same level anyways, more or less. ]

I...thank you. This - it's a lot.

[ She doesn't even really know how she got here or what here even is. ]

Does this...happen often?

[ You know, the whole suddenly realizing you exist and nearly having an existential meltdown over it. ]

[emberserker]

Not to everyone, but enough to note. It's the transition between Spectre and Eidolon. Most of the Eidolons who exist are either Executors, like us, or Authorities. I'll get to that bit later. You've obviously got enough to deal with as it is.

You can call me Wolfsbane. We're Executors, under our leader, Rei. Moving through this place to try to repair it.

[syrinfacet]

[ Hoo boy this is a lot, huh. One could practically see the question marks floating over her head as she regards Wolfsbane with a clueless expression, head tilting. So many terms...

Something about the other girl's name, though... ]

...aconite. Wolfsbane.

[ It comes out unbidden, like an instinct. ]

It's a flower. Used mostly in poisons, but it has its medicinal purposes.

[ She blinks, confused at the knowledge she has. ]

...how...?

[ ........the question of why the hell this teenage girl is named after a toxic flower has not even occurred to her. It's fine. No one tell her. ]

[emberserker]

Good, you know some things. More will come back from when you were alive, in time.

[syrinfacet]

[ girl how do you make a compliment sound like an insult, that's impressive ]

That's a relief.

[ She mulls over things. Spectres - was that what she was before becoming aware? The way Wolfsbane talks about it seems so. Eidolons though, and Executors and...Authority...?

And... ]

What is this place?

[ The obvious question, albeit a delayed one. It makes her feel a bit on edge, now that the worst of the sensory overload has passed and she's beginning to feel...well, person shaped, at least. ]

[emberserker]

The tacky carnival? It's a layer of Purgatory. I'm not sure which one, given we've just arrived, but there aren't that many choices left to go. It's got to be better than the last one.

[syrinfacet]

[ Purgatory, huh. Something sinks in her stomach as the fact she's dead starts to click.

This doesn't make sense. Dragons didn't die like people did. Their souls returned to the earth or were imprisoned until freed.

Maybe it's the second one. It has to be the second one. Otherwise...

She takes it all in - the carnival, the train, the strange heat permeating all around. This place, filled with these people - spirits? - like her.

Something else Wolfsbane said sticks out. ]

...you said this place needed fixing, right?

[ When all you have is a hammer... ]

I may as well help you all, if you'll have me.

[emberserker]

Oh, good. It's better than the alternative. We may as well take you to Rei, then -- she is still the leader, even if we've got that other girl hanging about now. She can bestow you the power, even if it looks like you've got plenty of your own.

[syrinfacet]

[ Oh! A compliment! ...maybe? It's hard to tell with this girl and her hot and cold attitude. ]

Where do we find this Rei anyways?

[emberserker]

She probably won't be anywhere too busy, but we did all just arrive. Leave it to me.

[Wolfsbane pulls out her phone and texts Rei.]

Picked up another stray. I assure you, this one's never tried to kill us. Tell me where to find you.

[phantasmagorial]

[ IMMEDIATE response: ]

I was looking at some of the food stalls but I can come and find you!
Where are you?
Is everything ok?

[ she's probably broken into a run already... ]

[emberserker]

Not far from the train platform. It's fine.

Honestly, what's got her so worried? We've got enough to deal with.

[syrinfacet]

Maybe worry over what happened before you got here?

[ Wolfsbane made it pretty clear Stuff had happened wherever they'd come from previously... ]

[emberserker]

Oh, probably. Especially with that demon hanging around with us now. I suppose it is an improvement on her trying to kill us, and it isn't as if half of them have the inclination to listen to my opinion.

[syrinfacet]

[ someone seems.......bitter........ ]

I can...understand where you're coming from though? I wouldn't trust someone that dangerous either.

[emberserker]

Honestly, I haven't a clue how they managed to get her on our side, at least for now. Regardless, Rei at least is sensible most of the time. Too nice, but sensible.

[syrinfacet]

[ somehow she gets the feeling Wolfsbane wouldn't say that to Rei's face. it's almost cute, somehow. ]

Maybe it's that compassion that won that person to your side?

[ ..........no, it probably wasn't that. ]

[emberserker]

[sigh] Whatever it was, it probably doesn't matter. Let's just wait. She'll be around soon enough.

[phantasmagorial]

[ 'Soon enough' turns out to be 'almost immediately', because here comes Rei pelting at top speed to meet them. ... well, not quite top speed given that she once again forgot she could just transform and make it here twice as fast and with half the effort. She's got a lot on her plate.

She gradually slows down once she spots Wolfsbane and comes to a halt, leaning over with her hands on her knees to huff and puff. ]

I'm here...! I got so turned around trying to find you both...

[syrinfacet]

[ ...she's so small... ]

You must be Rei.

[ she inclines her head a little in lieu of a bow. ]

I just...awakened, as it were? Wolfsbane told me briefly of those of you seeking to fix this place - I'd like to help, if at all possible.