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

[discutio]

[A handful of days passed with the group in and around Luxuria, largely without incident (at least as far as Phoenix knew, he certainly hoped it was without incident.)]

[...It was never possible to predict what would set off a memory lost a lifetime ago. For Phoenix's part, he wouldn't begin to be able to guess what caused it, only that voices broke through the sounds of Purgatory to echo deafeningly in his head.]

['You won't be going alone. I'll-'
'No. You're right. I mean, I wouldn't have made it all this way without you guys.']

[It came in a rush like a bucket of ice water dumped over his head, sharp and shocking and leaving Phoenix on unsteady legs, one hand bracing himself on the nearest solid object and the other pressed to his mouth.]

[Noctis. His name was Noctis and Phoenix had known his fate and said nothing, cursing his past self in frantic thoughts, what have you done why didn't you tell him-]

[His breath stuck in his throat as though he was drowning, heart pounding madly in his chest as though it was beating on the walls trying to escape. It was all his fault, all his former self's stupidity or cowardice or something mad that compelled him to just allow that to happen-]

[Later on, he sent out a simple message:]

I will be back at the mansion for a time. If anyone is looking for me, do not worry.

['In the end, I may not have you at my side, but I'll always have you in my heart.']

[What a godsdamned coward he'd been.]

[swordofajerk]

[Yeah, no, Sword is concerned. The roller coasters didn't offer anything useful, so when he gets that message in the group chat he just.

Goes to the mansion to try and find him.]

Phoenix?

[discutio]

[Perhaps unsurprisingly, he was back in the kitchen.]

[Perhaps very surprisingly, he was cooking at a rate one might call 'absurd'. There are so many neatly organized onigiri that it'll make your fuckin head spin.]

...Yes? What is it?

[Everything Is Fine]

[swordofajerk]

[Good goddess.]

There's at least fifty separate onigiri in here. What happened?

[discutio]

...Nothing. I only...thought it might be worth preparing ahead of time. Just...in case something went wrong, I suppose.

[swordofajerk]

Like what? No one in this layer eats this much.

[What is wrong here...]

[schardynfreude]

[Is it boyfriend time?

Not immediately. The text worries him, the wording of it. 'Do not worry', like come on, you only say that if there's something to worry about. Is it possible the layer got to be too much sound for him, or something a little extreme? Going back to the mansion to visit or eat or sleep, that's fine, that's sound, that's normal for people who care about such things; he's certain Mona still goes all the way back to the house at times.

It could be something else. Especially if he's staying for a time. It could be a memory.

Whatever the case, it's likely Phoenix would like to be more alone to deal with it, and Chiron is perfectly capable of allowing him to do so, understanding fully what it's like to need space.

But not forever.

Time is hard to measure in some layers like this one, and even harder for someone like him to measure. But at some point he decides it's enough time and journeys back up. Makes a point to feed the peacock. Makes a point to not at all hide his presence once he's inside.]

Are you cooking up a storm, dear?

[discutio]

[The voice, familiar as it was, sent a distinct and sharp chill up his spine. Phoenix didn't quite flinch, but it was a near thing for how tense he briefly went.]

[But he swiftly tried to collect himself, setting aside his obsessive work at the kitchen counter.]

...I thought it best to keep my hands busy.

[schardynfreude]

[...So. He remembered something. The tension that stiffens his shoulders and back speaks volumes. Chiron stays in the doorway. Watching.]

Any particular reason why?

[discutio]

[It was just Chiron, he reminded himself. Chiron, not...whatever that was. Just like Phoenix wasn't that useless coward who had stood by and done nothing--]

...it's nothing, Chiron.

[His voice came out quietly, Phoenix barely even able to speak--much less lie about the situation.]

[schardynfreude]

...If remembering what I did to you was not enough to frighten you, then I scarcely want to know what else I've done.

[Because it's him, clearly. Is what he's assuming. The monster in the room. The maniac, the murderer, that which could not die (but clearly could).]

[alcahest]

[ it's not the most reassuring text. and maybe it's just because Mona is lingering on her own memories — You must never know love — but she's worried that something may be eating at Phoenix, something he's hiding from them the way he so often does.

she still stays in the Limbo house, even when no one else returns and it's a quiet, lonely little place. so it's not out of her way to get off the train at Invidia in the morning after she wakes up, instead of heading all the way down to Luxuria. the front door of the mansion creaks open, and Mona's voice calls out: ]

Phoenix? [ her footsteps make their way to the kitchen, and Phoenix can probably smell the black coffee she's brought with her from an Invidia café. ]

Do you... need it to be my turn to be the person who's alright?

[discutio]

Mona-?

[After some time and being dissuaded from stress cooking, Phoenix found himself with little else to do--he raised his head from where it had been in his hands at the kitchen counter, quickly adjusting his sunglasses.]

[...The smell of coffee felt nostalgic in a way he wasn't sure he liked, at least today.]

No--no, it's fine. There's nothing you should trouble yourself with.

[alcahest]

[ stubbornly: ] It doesn't trouble me.

[ she crosses the kitchen and leaves the coffee on the counter near him. there is the sound of cupboards opening and closing, porcelain cups being moved around, the kettle being filled and turned on to heat up — Mona preparing tea for herself. while she does this, she continues: ]

If you really do want to be alone, then that's okay... but you don't need to isolate yourself just because you think you won't be good company. You don't have to hide it when you're feeling unwell. [ there's silence, waiting for the water to boil. ] I told you. It's not a burden you have to bear by yourself.

[discutio]

…

[For a long moment, there was no answer. Phoenix ran a hand through his hair only for it to fall back in his face, letting out a quiet sigh.]

I…seem to have ever had a terrible habit of bearing such things alone.

[alcahest]

[ relieved that she got through to him in some way, her voice warms. ]

It's alright. We're not exactly the same as we were in life, but... it's hard to shake off old habits. [ she's regained habits just from the presence of memories. it's strange to feel as if you're being influenced by someone that's supposed to be you. ] I'll just have to remind you.

[twibeast]

[ The text worries Achilles right away and after giving Phoenix a little bit of time to himself (that's definitely what he was doing and not trying and failing to untangle himself from the carnival) he heads over to the mansion to check on him. He calls for him as soon as he arrives, though he's already making his way to the kitchen because that's always the best place to look ]

Phoenix, dear? You're here, right?

[discutio]

...I'm here.

[At least he'd stopped stress cooking. But 'sitting alone in the kitchen with an ice cold cup of coffee' wasn't a whole lot better.]

[twibeast]

[ ...is there any leftover stress cooking-- wait no, that's not what he's here for, he's here for Phoenix, he needs to ignore his food motivation.

He approaches him and puts a hand on his shoulder. ]

Is everything all right? That message felt a bit sudden...

[discutio]

[there are So Many neatly packed and put away riceballs, friend.]

I...am just having a bit of a difficult time, that's all.

[twibeast]

[ He is going to eat So Many. Later. Definitely later.

He tilts his head, thinking. ]

Was it... a difficult memory?

later

[crypddyd]

[The message was... worrying. But he sees Sword heading of towards the trains and is sure the other man is going to investigate. And he has to assume Chiron and Achilles will do the same. Him going would just crowd things. So it's a few days later that he makes his way back 'home'.

He has some of the more exotic carnival food with him, the smell likely warning Phoenix of someone arriving just as quickly as Lion familiar heavy foot falls]

[discutio]

Lion?

[If nothing else, he was a good deal calmer. After a few days to collect himself, he was about ready to start heading back to Luxuria.]

[...And then he smelled something he wasn't quite sure was 'alarming' or not.]

What do you have with you?

[crypddyd]

Ah! I was not sure if you would be returning to the new layer, so I decided to bring some of the new food stuffs up to you.

[discutio]

Oh--forgive my absence, I was intending on returning shortly. I trust nothing's gone too wrong, else I would hopefully have heard about it.

[hopefully]

But that is very thoughtful of you.