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

[syrinfacet]

Galea's tail immediately perks up, swaying faster. "Could I give them a try?!" she blurts out with bright eyes, mouth acting before her brain does.

And then moments later, once she remembers the others: "A-and could I invite my friends?"

[cancrymods]

Lana laughs again – the pleased, slightly nervous laugh of someone who very much had not expected to run into such a kindred spirit (no pun intended) out of the blue. Her smile is open and warm and she crosses the top of the cart to stand by Galea properly.

"You know what? Why the hell not. Usually I'm supposed to be a little more picky about who gets to come down but after seeing the way you bounced up here, I'm interested to see what else you can do."

Then – as if having an idea out of the blue – she raises her eyebrows. "Can these friends of yours pull off any of those stunts?"

[syrinfacet]

"I'd be disappointed if they couldn't, honestly. I'm hardly impressive compared to them."

But she's smiling as she says it - it's all in good fun.

"Where should I meet you?" And then, after a moment's pause: "Shall we head down together?"

[cancrymods]

Lana mulls on it for a moment – then she grins to herself, the sort of smile someone makes when they're making a very funny joke to themselves that they don't expect the other party to get.

"How about just by Pollux?" She says it casually enough but she's still wearing that grin. "I can take you and anybody else who's interested down... on one condition, though."

[syrinfacet]

"Oh? What condition would that be?" Galea tilts her head, curious, but with a small twinkle in her eye.

[cancrymods]

With a slightly sly smirk like someone about to pull off a great prank, Lana breezes past Galea still with that all-too casual air. "It's like I said. I'm pretty good at getting up and down here myself, but... it's getting stale, you know? I've done it so many times. Even this isn't any fun anymore."

Before Galea can ask the reasonable follow up question of what, Lana suddenly breaks into a run. She doesn't go far – just enough to take her to the edge of the car where she leaps from the very edge, aiming for the next one down. For a heart-stopping moment while she's still in the air it seems like she might not make it–

But then with a clatter and a rattle, she lands with both feet firmly on the car and quite casually turns to look back up at Galea. This far down, she has to call back to make herself heard.

"Whatever this trick that you and your friends can pull off is... I want in. I want to learn how to pull it off too."

[syrinfacet]

There is a single, terrifying moment, where Lana looks like she's going to plummet and it's the same moment that Galea nearly jumps after her - but sure enough, Lana makes her landing and the woman heaves a sigh of relief.

"That power's not up to me! But as long as I'm here, I'll make sure you can learn!"

And then she leaps down, a bit more gracefully, then: "Want to race down?"

[cancrymods]

Lana's whole face lights up in a big grin - there's enough charm there that you can understand just how she's had so much success in getting folks to follow along with her into all her life or limb schemes.

"Oh yeah? You'll be sorry you asked when you lose!"

And with that she goes bolting off down to the next cart, mascot platforming away without a care in the world.

[syrinfacet]

It's clear that Lana has the upper hand - but Galea is both too prideful and stubborn to admit defeat. There's just something irresistibly magnetic about the small girl, the kind of feeling that leaves Galea with bright eyes and a brighter laugh, the woman throwing her cares to the wind as she races after her, steps light but confident.

"Oh, I don't know, I think I'll be quite the challenge~!"

Whoops, looks like she's caught up!