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

[schardynfreude]

arrival
[It's been a fucking exciting time for Chiron with the whole Birdie situation, that's for sure. Hard to know how much of the conversation to say and how much to keep close to his chest.

And it's so damnably hot. He seems to physically slow while descending the stairs, and not just because he's taking in the sight of a giant carnival, as though a weight were set on his shoulders. But he doesn't stop to mourn, not this time. But he does make the choice, interestingly enough, to stop by the food stalls to check the edible goodies as he tries to sort himself out. Even tries a few items, in spite of knowing he doesn't require food.

It's a distraction. Which is better than wallowing.]

games & arcade
[At some point during this excursion, Chiron will be making his way around the various games. You will probably see him with a bag full of won items, redeemable tickets, and other odds and ends. Watcha got there Chiron? A smoothie. Oh, and a giant bird plush strapped to his back. If you join him in games, it seems to be a fairly even mix of him genuinely being that good...and also cheating. What are the sleepers going to do about it, hm? If a game is rigged, can you really be cheating if you're cheating the cheater? (But, can anyone prove the games are rigged? HM?)

He seems like he's having fun for a given definition of the word.]

rides & coasters
[But the rides! Those are even better! He'll give absolutely everything a try at least once, and the ones that are more thrilling he'll give a try twice or thrice. At least he seems to be more actively enjoying himself and even encourage others on some of the wilder ones.

Caster he rides, and rides, and rides, and rides several times in a row as if in some kind of trance before he gives Pollux an eyeball. There might be some buildup over a few--days if you can really tell time in a place like this, but eventually he gives Pollux a go.

It's an absolutely terrible time. He can't wait to ride it again.]

wildcard
[Of note, to those who might be able to tell such things, Chiron seems to be actively avoiding Rei unless she deliberately comes to him for a conversation. If asked, he'll express that he doesn't know what you're talking about. He'll be inclined to check out the ferris wheel at least once. And given the atrocious heat, he's likely to have a change in wardrobe! (Have I put together an outfit yet? Ha, no.) Whatever coat he's had on lately will be stashed away for something a little less heavy and stifling, at the very least. And while he might take infrequent trips back up the other layers for currency Of Some Kind, he overall seems reluctant to leave.
Go nuts.]

food stalls

[emberserker]

[Hey. Wolfsbane's been acting off since the last meeting, this probably isn't that weird, but ever since they got into Luxuria, she's been occasionally looking off or down at herself like she doesn't recognize what she's seeing. Who knows what that's about.

Either way, she looks up at Chiron as she gets a turkey leg and frowns.]

At least this layer's better than the last hellhole.

[schardynfreude]

[Look...everyone's a little off kilter these days. Probably. Weird memories and funky events will do that to a person! But this apparent llllack? of self-confidence is rather off-putting for her.

He twirls his deep fried oreo corndog in the air, examining it.]

There's not a lack of things, at any rate, so that's an improvement.

[He gives it a bite, a thoughtful chew, and a range of facial expressions flits across his face. This is. different!]

Has something gotten you down?

[emberserker]

Aside from the usual issues with this lot? [She frowns and studies the food.] I doubt it's something you'd understand. A memory that brought up more questions, shall we say.

[schardynfreude]

Ah. [With a light frown. He won't presume that he could understand the memories of others and the feelings brought with them, of course.] I wonder if we'll ever get the full picture. Perhaps when we reach the Cogs. I've gotten...some answers, and some tidbits verified. But there's still so much I don't know or understand.

games

[alcahest]

[ something about Chiron is... off. he's not quite himself. and it's not the first time that's been the case — if anything, this is far less of a change, compared to other times his behaviour has stood out as unusual. but it's the timing that's a worry. it started before they descended. it's not a memory; it's something to do with what happened back in the Underside, with Birdie.

Mona doesn't want to just leave it alone, though. she shouldn't be so passive.

... but it's hard to find the right time to ask, so for now, she's focusing on step one: cheer Chiron up. for this noble cause, she is dragging him by the hand to the shooting gallery with a determined look on her face. ]

I'm going to win you something.

[ that may not seem necessary when he is clearly capable of amassing prizes all on his own. incorrect! it is very necessary. ]

[schardynfreude]

Ah? [His free hand runs through his messy hair, a touch befuddled.] Of course, if you insist. I believe you capable of such a thing.

[He won't point out that she doesn't need to. Because clearly she thinks she needs to! The shooting gallery seems an odd choice for her, though.] Isn't this one a little violent for you? Even if it's all fake, of course.

[alcahest]

[ Mona looks down and runs a hand (bare — no gloves) along the stall, the barrell of the toy rifle. the expression on her face is sad, but fond. ]

Everything here... reminds me of someone else.

Lupin would have liked the games. He'd have won so much that they banned him from playing. And Impey would have wanted to see how the rides work, so we'd have to go on everything.

Van Helsing would have said he didn't want to play, but—

[ she hoists the rifle, and tries to picture Van Helsing's stance, how he holds the gun, the calm focus in his face. she closes one eye, and then corrects herself, thinking that Van always looked straight ahead when he was firing. ]

—he'd have won first prize from this game in one try.

[ she pulls the trigger. it doesn't even graze a single target.

Mona stares, her mouth hanging open a little in sheer dismay. ]

[schardynfreude]

[Ahhhh, memories. Bittersweet, it seems. Not unpleasant to have, merely sad that it's over. It's heartwarming to see her try, and to hear her recount those who would have enjoyed this place.

Her whiffing the shot seems to take her by surprise, and he chuckles, patting her on the head.]

Don't be discouraged, dear. Have you ever fired a gun, even a toy one, before?

food

[discutio]

Is there anything particularly good?

[Lucky Chiron, with an attractive man on his arm (so no one gets lost in a new environment, of course)]

[schardynfreude]

That depends entirely on one's definition of 'good'. I think you'd find plenty appalling. Is there anything that can't be deep fried, for instance?

[He's happy to have Phoenix on his arm where they can talk food or not talk about feelings or find their way around or ignore memories.]

It is at times akin to some of the stranger items in the konbini. Almost as strange as its name.

[discutio]

Theoretically, one can deep fry anything. Whether all of it morally should be is a deeper question to be examined.

[there should be a line somewhere.]

[schardynfreude]

I haven't yet seen something meant to be inedible, but it's only a matter of time. What say you of-- [There's a pause as he squints to read a sign, making sure he's got it right.] Peanut butter cream-filled gherkin with panko crust and a drizzle of chocolate hot sauce?

Rides and Coasters

[mementomoritz]

Oh, are you here to try this one? [Medic is in line to ride Pollux.]

[For the fifth time.]

[Horrifyingly, she seems to be enjoying herself.]

It's really fun!

[schardynfreude]

Is it? [He observes some of the specters coming off of it. Someone looks positively sick. Others merely shellshocked.] I can't wait to try it for myself. It looks positively excruciating and physically improbable at best.

[mementomoritz]

It's incredibly unsafe! [STILL WAY TOO CHEERFUL ABOUT THAT, MEDIC.] If you have any form of heart condition or severe breathing difficulties, I advise you to stop immediately.

Also, someone almost threw up on me, which would have been a biohazard.

[schardynfreude]

Thankfully, my heart stopped beating long ago, and breathing isn't exactly an issue.

...I'm going to regret asking this, but it seems pertinent--you aren't looking to collect any, ah, samples are you? [of. of spectral spew.]

games

[twibeast]

Oh my, what a cute bird.

[ Hello Chiron, other boyfriend has found you now. ]

Do you need any assistance carrying that, my dear?

[schardynfreude]

[Other boyfriend! A sight for sore eyes, truly. He adjusts burd and shakes his head.] Mm, no, for the moment it's fine.

Reminds me of the birds from back home. Have I told you about chocobo? Rideable, steadfast friends. Highly trainable. And yet somehow their heads seem devoid of all but a jaunty tune inside. [rodeodechocobo.mp3 10 hours unskippabe]

OH GOD THIS WAS A MONTH AGO IM SO SORRY

[twibeast]

A... choboco? You hadn't, no.

If they were rideable they must have been very... large.

[ They don't ride animals back home but he's trying to think of a bird big enough to carry a human and is very impressed even just with his imagination ]

[schardynfreude]

Tall as a person, or taller still really. Flightless things, more for speedy travel over the ground, though they have the ability to do a rather graceless kind of glide should you leap from a height.

rides

[crypddyd]

[Unlike Chiron, Lion still has his coat. But he has it around his waist for once, and is down to a black wife beater]

You seem to be enjoying those... devices?

[He's eyeing the roller-coasters]

[schardynfreude]

They're quite marvelous. Oh, I don't suppose you had anything like them in memory? They are, as I understand it, something of a relatively recent invention. Will mechanical wonders never cease!

[crypddyd]

Nothing even close! They look more like tools of war than entertainment.

[schardynfreude]

They're only dangerous if things go awry. For the thrill-seekers, the closer a ride seems to bring you to death, the better! But sturdy bars and straps as well as an understanding of physics means that for the most part, they are all perfectly safe.

Unless you've a weak heart or a bad back, but those seem to go without saying, I feel.