into the inferno

to be affiliated Vergilius from Limbus Company

[divinelycomedic]

VERGILIUS from LIMBUS COMPANY/LEVIATHAN

Came ready to be disappointed, and yet still his disappointment is completely immeasurable.

The put upon guide for the Limbus Company bus and pretty much the person tasked with making sure they do their jobs correctly.

His new guidance style is...A wee bit different from his time as the head of his own Fixer Office.

Oh, he's also a (former? current?) Color Fixer, which is just Project Moon talk for "one of the strongest people in the City at the moment".

A.K.A. he's a physically augmented mercenary who is among the strongest in the rainbow, only made even stronger by [insert spoiler lore from Leviathan here].

He's pretty much an "All-Powerful Bystander" at the moment for unknown reasons ranging from lore reasons to he probably also doesn't want to abandon his daughter-figure on the bus.

Is literally doing this to save his kids. Please behave. Or else.

[turnred-deactivated20230831]

the arrival of his timing was in tune for summer festivites. something that was near uncommon within nests. sure ... there were local gatherings. usually on the small front and getting invitations to those required being in the social circles required but something like this— hosted by the city itself?

it was an unheard of concept. what place would be so gracious enough to care about the enjoyment of it's residents? so, as any curious person would. garnet looked into it. there was a wide plethora of mini-activities going on spread across the entirety of spirale. different wards produced different types of stuff to partake in.

the one of interest at the moment, for garnet?— a portrait to remember.

not ... the most delightful. if anything it might be cause the re-opening of fresh wounds. a looking glass in the form of one's happiest moments from one's past .. or present. who wouldn't be curious to see what shows?

maybe, it was a delicate enough topic for him to approach but not one he had particularly been ready to let go of. seeing things back from the city, back from the place with the closest familarity of home was what he needed!

yet, garnet halts. hands smoothing his clothes as if he's preparing for some grand interview. he's surprisingly scared. a bit jittery over this. he's been through a lot more anxiety inducing things and yet the feeling at the pit of his stomach hadn't minimized since he approached the entrance.

maybe ... for now he'll take a seat, fold his hands on his lap and process this. what could he see? ... moments with the other children, probably lapis, ahhh... there was that one time when they were all younger, wasn't there? his face lights up with a sentimental smile.

why was he scared again? garnet lifted his head from the ground— not for any real reason. mostly to adjust so he could prepare to stand up. though it's funny ... the first thing- no.. person, to catch his eyes looked awfully a lot like...

huh...

huh?

his face stills, processing that the figure in the distance slowly walking in not his specific direction but .. around the area. that... that was him? was it not?

garnet is to his feet, not without having given his cheek a little pat to make sure this wasn't some dream. though it's embarrassing, the way he opens his mouth. took in a deep breath and let his voice boom ... louder than he probably should've.

"m...mr. vergilius?—" using the honorific ... felt a little wrong. too formal but it's a slip up of his nerves. his brains not functioning all too right.

he's shuffling from his seat, moving to meet him and forgetting his past plans momentarily.

"have i really gone mad? or- ... maybe i am mad, actually." he's fumbling on his words. furthest from smooth. "you're real? here in the flesh?" he looked ... different from when they last saw each other. a bit skinnier. a lot more scarred. there's questions already forming at the depths of his throat.

@divinelycomedic liked for a starter

[divinelycomedic]

He didn't look into the glass himself, not yet.

He didn't want to see that gallery. Those realizations. He did not want to see the limbo he had lost. He did not want to see the ones that he had let die (all of them, now. All of them. Lapis was as good as dead, and all he could do was care for Charon in her stead).

And yet his feet had brought him here. Perhaps a yearning to see what he was fighting for. A reminder of why he had to leave. Something that made him feel human again, faces that didn't look at him with fear (and it was good they looked at him with fear. Perhaps the children should have taken note from the Sinners).

Perhaps it had been some tug. Some pull. Even without that pseudodistortion he now knew as his own E.G.O., there were tugs at his subconscious. As though something had been awoken in him. The issue was that whatever had awoken was like as not to drag him into the depths of his own personal hell as it was to lead him to paradise.

Garnet looked the same as he had when he was trapped in that place.

Vergilius did not.

Vergilius looked drawn, older. The stress of that incident and his new role had aged him, he knew. He was angrier, no longer apathetic but instead angry. He didn't want Garnet to see him this way (at least Charon had no previous memories of him, not like Lapis would have).

"I am." Was all he could bring himself to respond with, for the moment. If a certain person had arrived here, one he had only heard in his mind, then this was more than possible.

He allows a few moments to lapse, hands hanging at his side.

The scars from that fight were lain bare, "I imagine you have questions. So do I." This could be a trick, is what his mind had ascertained. But, "But I don't really want to ask mine. I'm tired."

What he really wanted to say was: "You're here. Alive. That's enough."

[divinelycomedic]

@jadeincarnate replied: oh! are you looking due to wanting one too? allow me to share the ones i bought for everyone!

He takes the drink with his hand, but his eyes tell a different tale.

[divinelycomedic]

Does he want them to drink the purple drink? Does he not? He should stop them.

....

No. No he shouldn't.

[divinelycomedic]

Ishmael was...A unique problem Sinner. She was insightful, cautious, and typically careful. However, she often got into fights with other Sinners, particularly Heathcliff, due to conflicts arising from such survivorship.

The Sinner themselves, save one or two, typically had very little interest in survival.

"I imagine based on your history, you would have no concerns finding alternative work, here." Not only as a Fixer, in places such as Fibonacci, but also her familiarity with the sea, from what little he knew of her past.

"Do not forget your contract with Limbus Company." As if she would, but simply forgetting was not entirely possible for him. Not in the position he was held in by the Company itself.

@seafaredsinner

[divinelycomedic]

And yet another. This one was...Fine. Skittish, sometimes. Bad jokes. Normal - a perfectly average Fixer in another life. Enhancements...Unique. His own were typical, but he knew his other abilities were anything but.

Still, Gregor was...Amenable. Somehow normal. Someone, in an odd way, he could see adjusting here. Likely adjusting wherever.

However.

They should not be adjusting, they should be leaving. Past departure time and past due for leaving to their next mission.

"Gregor Samsa." He seemed in fine enough health, at least. Good.

"I hope I don't have to worry about you in comparison to the others, here."

@blattela

[sapphic-haymaker]

[divinelycomedic]

He recognized the other's presence, somehow.

And he became unsettled. Something in his bones, in his enhanced muscles that ran so silently in this place, the engine stalling when he needed it most. This place...

It was worse than that maze. It was far worse than the maze, here. What he would, or could, find at the end.

He was different, here. And yet the knot in his own brow, remained.

"You." It was rude, but he didn't care. Their previous encounter had been...Rude, enough.

"You're here." It was odd. Strange. A stranger, whose appearance he had never seen and yet knew. He'd heard his voice.

"...Who are you."

@cogitovineyard

[divinelycomedic]

Keeping inventory of the Sinners was difficult, if, unfortunately, his job. Hong Lu was, at least, somewhat tolerable. He was used to the perspective with which Hong Lu viewed the world, that somewhat naive nature reminding him of Garnet's first few months on the job.

But a thought to be stopped there, and an ache to be dealt with later.

His job was, after all, to keep track of this group to do their job. It would do neither Lapis nor Garnet any good to not, at least, know where they were.

...Although he could not decide if it was better or worse how many of them had been dragged here.

"Hong Lu." His greeting was the same as for the rest. "I presume you've been staying out of trouble." Part of him was starting not to care, but at the very least he could keep track for a report when they left.

...Once again, not that he cared, but if Limbus Company askedd for a report, he would have to oblige.

@jadeincarnate

[chaoin-deactivated20240314]

﹤ Um... ﹥ Their fingers drifted down to hold the bottom of their tie between two fingers,  the other hand lifting to fiddle with the very edge of tie fabric.  An island get away with a place this luxurious looking was meant to be ... fun, wasn't it? Not that Dante doubt for some people their idea of fun was not being injected to an island in the flat middle of bodies of water.  However, even then there was making the most of something but the look on their guide's face had not one changed from it's typical state.

Actually,  upon further speculation (they've been gazing upon him for a while now,)  maybe there was a crease of the brows that showed hints of annoyance? No... clearly something not quite positive. Dante wasn't against the concept of seeing how Vergilius would unwind.  Or maybe they thought to some extent, it might be better if he did.  They had never recall seeing him in a setting that wasn't restricted to being busy or pertaining to the general matters of Limbus Company.

Maybe in passing to their room did the stop in front of the door to the office. Nearly knocked but chickened out. Had a whole scenario run through their mind of what he did to pass time. So now, with the scene they were always particularly curious of to be served on a golden platter this easy. They wondered how far it'd go?

﹤ This seems more promising than the island I was at before. ﹥

﹤ However,  you ... don't seem to be taking it in stride. Is an island getaway not your idealized vacation? ﹥

@divinelycomedic event starter

[divinelycomedic]

This was the worst-case scenario.

It was hot. There was sand everywhere (at least he was fairly certain this was sand, it looked nothing like the gray beaches of The City, and he'd barely seen any of those beaches as is). At least the previous place he was - Spirale Island - had its own understandable infrastructure.

And there they were.

His cross to bear. A burden to rest upon his shoulders - and now with the added stress of not knowing where Lapis is, nevermind keeping her safe until he did his job.

And he could understand them, it seemed. Some kind of universal translator, he supposed. He couldn't decide if that was preferable or not. He was leaning toward not, because it meant interaction on this overly sunny place.

"Tell me, manager, now that you can is this place consistent with your job description? Do you see the Sinners here?" His voice carried the air that these questions were rhetorical. "Spirale had infrastructure, investigative potential, and the gate that dropped us here." Were Lapis to arrive, he wouldn't be there to make sure she was safe.

The annoyance pricked at his subconsciousness.

"Of course, you don't remember, but we do not go on 'vacation'."

[elplus-deactivated20250511]

This guy's here.

Eyes gloss "this guy", Vergilius, over with the lacking vigilence always sported... tinged a hair more wary this round. Caught unaware of him existing here. Cigarette feels too little a joy in mouth, she should smoke two more before she gives him— who is still tacky, still dull and uninspiring— a word. Useless, wooden sword itches a hole into her back.

She takes her own advice. Stomp the dying butt into it's own ash under toe, lighting another fresh. // @divinelycomedic

[divinelycomedic]

She wasn't talking to him. Good.

Not that he smoked - too much of his life had been devoted to fighting and too much of his body had been destroyed and rebuilt by the City to encourage him to wreck it more.

The only sound that came from him was a long, drawn, sigh.

Vaguely, he wondered, if he had the patience to wait her out.

He was fairly sure he could, as he continued to make eye contact with the Sinner.

[divinelycomedic]

The sigh at Don Quixote's appearance was the deepest that had been emitted since his own arrival. He pinches the bridge of his nose, considering what to even say. She had, to her credit, behaved recently, but with a place as expansive as this, he found it difficult to not have concerns.

In part, they were not his problem here.

But if, for some theoretical reason, they were all his problem, then he couldn't accomplish his own goals.

A conundrum, to be certain.

"Don Quixote."

"I hope you haven't been getting yourself into trouble." While his tone hardly changed, it likely wasn't necessary. Because, of course, his tone was typically threatening.

@impossiibledream

[divinelycomedic]

Unamused was a good word to describe him, although it was doubtful such a man could be amused by anything in particular these days. More than anything, he typically didn't participate in anything beyond his own business. So, when the robbery took place nearby, he continued eating his kabob and looked at the morning paper.

It wasn't until the robber decided to, unfortunately, attempt to grab him as a hostage that he broke his wooden sword across the guy's leg and let him writhe around on the ground.

He had, apparently, been chased by some armored woman with purple hair.

"Is this yours?" He continues to eat his kabob, ignoring the person rolling around on the ground and groaning, holding his leg.

@nohrsrose

[divinelycomedic]

He couldn't help but deeply sigh.

Something he had always done often enough, but did more and more as time went on. Recognizing a face - not the one he was hoping to see, because if there was anyone he had wished would have been found it would be Charon, and not one of the Sinners - he approached.

He was, however, doubtful, that Sinclair would have any answers for him.

"Emil Sinclair."

"Name your last memory before arriving here. Now." Mirrors were very real - Mephistopheles' engine spoke of that much, but to have others planted within a mirror wasn't something he had heard of.

Of course, he wasn't the expert, nor was he Faust nor Yi Sang, but he could at least work with that knowledge.

@iimaturegreen

[divinelycomedic]

;; a little delayed but here's a starter call, capping at 4 with project moon castmates exempt from the cap

[caladbolg]

umm vergilius ur frenzy proc'd bro