descent

[cancrymods]

growing heavy for the vintage

Like flakes of snow, the days spent in the Sloth Layer slowly but surely begin piling up. Life here is quiet and easy, even with the anxiety that comes with needing to move onto the next layer. But as the days drag out, so do the mysteries at play here – with the gradual uncovering of the odd doppelgangers and the seeming lack of any way to proceed to the next layer, it leaves the Executors at a loss for what to do. Until one day, everything changes. It comes entirely without warning – the ground lurches under everyone's feet in a sickeningly familiar way as a brief but violent earthquake rattles through the town. Then all of you feel it; a snapping sensation deep from the very foundations of Purgatory followed by the most cataclysmic impact any of you have experienced in your lives – or unlives. Snow explodes up from the ground, houses creak and lurch and the whole layer seems as though it might shatter apart under your feet. It seems like it's going to last forever. Then, finally, it stops. The silence that follows is even more pronounced in comparison to the hell-rattling noise from before, but as some semblance of calm starts to return, you realize several things. First is how eerily quiet the town is. Surely after all that, you'd hear a Specter or two... but there's nothing. Secondly – a splash of something wet strikes your cheek. Then again. Until it becomes clear that the weather has taken a sudden drastic turn and in place of the gentle snowfall from before, the heavens have opened with a torrential rainfall. Why? Possibly because of the steadily growing heat you suddenly feel burning up through the foundation of the layer and radiating out through the town. Will you investigate?

Comments

Re: 2/2

[daughterofthemark]

[You know what? This might as well happen. It's weird shit, yes, and he's being very dramatic. Must be a Tuesday in purgatory.

Lion needs attending to and she's recently become capable of helping with that, but something else feels like it takes priority, thanks to a part of her that's finally reasserted itself. Not that it was ever entirely gone. She's Royal Veil, after all.]

It's my pleasure to meet you, Lord Ardyn. My name is Arianna.

[schardynfreude]

Ah? Another name pulled from the depths? A joyous day indeed, Royal Arianna!

[mementomoritz]

Oh, what a pretty name! You two almost match... [Are names with "A" just a royal thing? That doesn't sound right, but she doesn't know enough about the monarchy to dispute it.]

[daughterofthemark]

Ah! Thank you.

[She thinks it's probably just a coincidence, but the optics of immediately disassociating herself from Ardyn seem bad even if she doesn't mean anything by it.]

[daughterofthemark]

[Ah, right, that too, she's royalty.

...

Gonna scoot right past that. Just because it influences her entire personality is no reason to focus on it, right?]

I suppose so. Though in truth, I rather like being "Veil."

[schardynfreude]

The name, my dear? Or the you that you are now?

[daughterofthemark]

[...]

I meant the former, but...

[schardynfreude]

You can be whoever you would like to be, Veil.