Invidia Arrival Log

[cancrymods]

INVIDIA

With the Executors now victorious over the first layer of Purgatory, the only way for them to go is further down. Thanks to the combined efforts of Kingslayer, Ariel and Mona, a path forward has been opened that leads down to the next layer of Purgatory. Rei looks ill at ease about this. If asked, she'll brush off the concern a bit, explaining that she's never gone this far down into Purgatory before and she doesn't know what lays ahead. It might be even more dangerous than the Underside. She's just glad they're all heading down together. So, once everyone's collected themselves... head down they to to the next layer of Purgatory... Welcome to Invidia. Congratulations on unlocking your first major location change in Can Cry! Feel free to use this arrival log to chronicle your initial misadventures in the city of Invidia. Investigation is strongly encouraged here as from here on out, plot progression will moved along by player involvement. If you want to unlock the next Underside, get investigating! All investigations that require mod oversight should be tagged with INVESTIGATION REQUEST in the subject line. Get out there and have fun!

Comments

investigating in prompt b!

[crypddyd]

A- Arrival

[After everything that the dungeon was, reaching a more stable area should be a relief.

It is not a relief. Lion is overwhelmed by the glass and lights and noise almost right away, snarling and keeping close to the others like a very large but very anxious dog. For those that saw him during his... fit... he at least looks much more aware and himself. That glassy disassociation has faded for the most part, but anyone coming on his blindside might still get him flinching away. He's even still in his Executor outfit.]

This place feels like a nightmare...

B - Enterntainment to Housing

[It takes a bit for Lion to feel secure enough to wander around, but once he does he is constantly looking up at the screens. Though never for long, as his lack of depth perception makes his head hurt if he focuses on them for too long.]

That girl... is she perhaps a diva?

[He makes his way to Housing eventually, and finds the mansion- it's the same one from some of the videos! And a thought occurs to him. A realization. That girl, she is no diva, she's-

-he grabs a 'local' Specter, pointing at it]

The woman who lives here, is she your Lady? The local head of a noble house, or your Queen, perhaps? What is her name?

C- Labor

[Once it starts to get dark the lights hurt even MORE to his unaccustomed eye, so he retreats somewhere darker, ending up among the warehouses. He'll likely find a corner and just... pass out there in his cloak. It's fine]

a

[emberserker]

It's tacky, but that's a bit much. Nightmare?

[crypddyd]

It's loud and bright and crowded. How could it be anything less?

[emberserker]

A lot of people would find that inviting, you know. Or exciting.

[crypddyd]

Then they are free to enjoy it.

[He huffs]

[emberserker]

Well, one hopes we won't be here too long, either. That last excursion took eons.

[crypddyd]

... yes. We can not waste time playing here. The Gears demand our attention above anything else.

[emberserker]

That woman up there, too. Ugh, they're obsessed. I'll bet she's nothing special, anyway.

let's investigating!

[cancrymods]

[ The Specter sort of looks through him for a moment, obviously a little puzzled by his question, but then they follow the direction of his pointing and triple take back to Lion. ]

Are you really saying you don't know who Esme is?!

[crypddyd]

I would not ask if I did.

[He growls, a little annoyed]

[cancrymods]

[ The Specter just continues blithely. ]

She's only the prettiest, richest, most talented girl like, ever! Jeez, I'm so jealous... I wish I could get to have the rush of finding out all about her again.

She's our very own idol! Singing, dancing and acting and everything in between, she does it all!

[crypddyd]

...ah, so I was correct. He is a diva.

[Ponder ponder]

Does she have shows one can go and see?

[cancrymods]

Sometimes she performs live... but not that often. [ They give a HUGE sigh. ] After all, she's so busy making all those amazing shows they're always screening around the city! You've seen them, right?

[ It's definitely impossible to MISS them, given how absolutely Everywhere they are. ]

Are you hoping to go check out one of her shows?

C!

[alcahest]

[ Mona doesn't have strong feelings either way about the bright glare and noise of Invidia's city centre, but Saint-Germain's lessons about understanding her surroundings in combination with her newly increased capacity for feeling, curiosity chief among the lot — it's a mindset that results in her exploring every last place in Invidia.

(maybe it will alleviate a little of the guilt she feels over how useless she was in the fight against Lucretius, too.)

that's how she stumbles across Lion's sleeping place, and she's immediately reminded of Rei's sleepover; how he tried to make himself small and unobtrusive, that he meant to forgo a bed entirely just because he didn't want to take up the space. she considers waking him, but... she doesn't want to startle him, either.

Mona's footsteps aren't any louder or quieter than usual when she approaches him, just the soft clicking of her boots against the warehouse floor. she doesn't deliberately make herself known, but she doesn't try to hide. she just stops a few feet away from him and sits down on the floor, whether he wakes or not.

if he doesn't get woken up by her presence, she'll simply sit there until he does wake, no matter how long that is. she doesn't mind. ]

[crypddyd]

[That doesn't end up being too long at least. While he doesn't wake right away, he does stir soon after and blinks awake with a startle, his eye darting about until he sees who it is and he calms]

...Mona?

[alcahest]

[ oh, he's awake! she nods, and doesn't move from her spot on the floor near him, her legs tucked up under her beneath the frilly mass of her skirts, hands folded politely in her lap. ] Good morning, Lion.

[ she's not sure if it actually is what passes for morning in Invidia, but it's a nice thing to be able to say to someone when they wake up. a moment later, it visibly dawns on her that she should probably explain why she's been sitting here while he sleeps, so with no preface: ]

I wasn't sure if I should wake you up. It seemed like you were tired... [ he often seems exhausted lately, ever since they passed through the Underside and descended into Invidia. she's been worried about him, but she's not sure what she can do; if the answer to that is trying to make sure he looks after himself a little more, she'll take it.

she puffs up a little, prepared to be stubborn. ] But, um — you shouldn't sleep here.

[crypddyd]

[He grunts, sitting up with a frown. Indeed he looks exhausted. Like he hasn't had a full sleep since his memory]

... it's the only quiet place here.

[alcahest]

... Yeah. Invidia is a bit noisy, isn't it?

[ she wishes she could help him. she remembers last time, how touching him soothed a little of that darkness that hangs over him; and that it always feels the same to her, as if a shadow has receded a bit at someone else's warmth. Mona shuffles closer and reaches out for his hand. it's not quite the same, she knows, since she always wears gloves, but...

she makes sure to look him in the eye. ]

You can come back to Limbo, if you want. [ more importantly: ] Come stay in the house with us.

[ that second part is more insistent, a hint of pleading. ]

[crypddyd]

[He allows her to hold his hand, his eyes softening a bit]

I... it is such a long walk there and back- I can't risk something happening here...

[...Lion doesn't know about the train]

[alcahest]

[ rather than surprise or any kind of disbelief, Mona's expression shows warmth. she smiles at him, kindly. ]

Have you seen the train? It goes all the way back to Limbo, without any of the monsters in between. I can show you, if you want.

[ her smile turns sheepish, with just a little amusement at herself. ] Usually, I'm the one who doesn't know anything, so it's nice to be able to share something new...

a

[phantasmagorial]

[ Rei's not stupid enough to hang around on Lion's blind side, so hovering on his good side it is. Her face is scrunched up into a similar look of discomfort and without really thinking about it, she reaches up and grabs a fistful of Lion's cloak to anchor herself a bit. ]

I–I've... never seen anything like this before. It's so bright and noisy...

[crypddyd]

...

[He looks down at her, and then carefully just... opens his cloak and hides her in it]

[phantasmagorial]

[ HIDING IN LION'S CLOAK IT IS. It doesn't solve the central problem of Invidia being Way Too Much, but it's a nice stopgap at least. ]

I had no idea there were so many Specters down here... Limbo was already full enough but this is even worse.

[crypddyd]

If the Cogs are blocked in some way, I suspect it will get worse the further we go. Like a beaver damed river becoming an overflowing pond.

[phantasmagorial]

Then we really will have to hurry. At least things seem stable enough here...

[ She squints at the city again, trying to take it all in, but the colours and noise are making her head swim. ]

Why do they even need so many screens...?