synopsychic | [A day or so after the Werewolf Mess]

[Lyall's voice pops back onto the network a good long while after his aborted, panicked message from when the full moon rose. His voice isn't panicked anymore, now, but it is tense, and he's talking a bit faster than he usually does.]

Well. So. It's Randolph Lyall again-- I'm back, and no longer a maddened werewolf, or, in fact, a Heraclide. I'm very sorry about all that. Very... very sorry.

But I'm not in liminal space. I had to punch through to get to the network, the way I punched through to the other Jaunt a month or two back now, and I'm fairly sure I don't have very long.

I appear to be... underground? The underworld, perhaps? I know some of us were going here, are you still here? I would... really very much like to get out of here, but I can't seem to get a proper portal open to liminal space. And even if I could, I would just have to come back down here when I opened it again, and--

[He cuts himself off, and starts again, a bit more steadily, but even more quickly, trying to impart information.]

--and even if no one can get down here, I did have another vision when I came to. Watch out for shooting stars. Either at dawn or dusk or some other time where the sun and moon aren't making a mess of things, there's going to be shooting stars, and then a very large earthquake. We may want to start thinking about disaster relief, or else finding whatever idiot gods or titans or whomever are going to cause it and stop them before it happens.

... but I really would like out of here, too. Please. If anyone can manage it.

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Shootin' stars...?

[~~weirdly appropriate motifs aside~~ that news is extremely concerning for reasons he can't quite figure out, until something clicks and his tone comes out muted from deep thought and horror.]

...the Titans are gonna throw the gods off'f Olympus. As in literally overthrow 'em. That's-- that what that sounds like, t'me, somethin' big as hell gettin' thrown off a high place, ain't nowhere higher than Olympus - an' everyone what came back from Olympus was glowin', the gods are probably a hundred times brighter'n 'em...

[He knew killing the gods was probably inevitable, that had seemed like a given already, but this way would kill so many innocent people--!]

I-I got an in with the Titans, maybe I can try talkin' some sense into 'em, make 'em do anythin' that ain't that.

[Hajime is not having a good time of things. After Karis's disastrous last meeting with Galen, he suddenly found himself as himself again, albeit in the Underworld and completely cut off from the network and the ability to return to Liminal. That would be distressing and lonely enough if he hadn't just had his head chopped off. Between that and having been Karis in the first place, he wasn't in the best shape.

He went wandering around a bit, trying find a way out. It had been long enough that when he finally spotted Lyall, he wasn't sure if he was hallucinating or not.]

...Lyall?

... that is a very likely explanation. Bloody hell, that's... yes, that's very likely, and very awful. Please do see what you can do. Talk to the one who is Thorne. She seemed quite... keen on saving people, so perhaps she might be persuaded.

[The werewolf is sitting on a rock in one of the corridors, head in his hands, looking tired. He looks up more at the sense of a pack bond approaching than Hajime calling his name-- before it, even. The fact that it's his name, and not Lanides, has him smiling, tentatively, though he looks tense and unhappy still.]

Hajime? What are you-- how did you get down here?

[There's a sense of relief across the pack bond, mingled with a sense of intense discomfort at Lyall's question. Hajime draws a couple of fingers across his throat.]

There's a way to kill immortals here. Karis...made an enemy who knew it.

...what happened to you?

Thorne decided I was a "bad wolf". Or whoever she is here. Moon goddess of some sort. Honestly, I could-- I could almost thank her.

[She stopped him from eating more people. Eating them. He pushes himself up to his feet, to meet Hajime's approach.]

Are you all right?

I can't get you out, but if you need a secondary point of contact unless or until you are, I can help with that. It'll at least keep you less isolated.

I'll take conversation over nothing, certainly. There are... people down here. Sort of. Presuming they're also dead. But unfortunately, they're not particularly friendly or, well, chatty. And they don't smell right.

Well, Purgatory this isn't, and my other underworld-ish excursion of note didn't involve talking to anyone other than the... proprietor, I guess you'd call her. Neither of them's a very good parallel experience.

Still, since it sounds like Athens is bristling with necromancers at the moment, it does make sense that there'd be something resembling people in the underworld for them to call on.

I missed Beatrice-san's trip down, but I can find a guide and head that direction if nobody else can.

I could have done more. Should have done more.

[Hajime just looks tired, and there's still a bit of distress through the pack bond, though he's trying to clamp down hard on that.]

I'm...fine. Are you okay?

I can get people in. But getting anyone out is on Hades.

[Lyall pauses, as if considering how to answer, but in the end he finally says grimly:]

No, I am very much not okay. But I'll manage. Don't beat yourself up about letting me get away. You didn't know. You weren't even yourself, so how could you?

I don't remember much about Greek mythology, honestly, but what I know from this world is this is supposed to be where the dead go. They don't just disappear or move on to some unseen world or anything. But they're not very friendly. Nor can they send me in the direction of out.

If it isn't too much trouble, I'd appreciate it. It's really not very pleasant down here, and I don't think there's much I can do to help when I'm, well, dead, I guess. Are there any difficulties in getting someone out of here who's dead?

I believe getting people in is the easy part. All you have to do is die. But from what I heard, Hades isn't exactly being helpful at the moment, like all the other gods.

I should clarify. I can get people in alive. But it doesn't tend to end well, especially if they're trying to bring the dead with them.

Would it freak you out too much if I went? Because I want to help Lyall, but... yeah.

Underworlds aren't exactly known for being easy to leave, especially if you get there by dying. It's possible they can't fathom the idea of someone wanting to leave and thinking they have a good chance.

Edited 2017-05-05 19:15 (UTC)

What usually happens? Just out of curiosity.

If you want to be technical about it, I was already dead when I, er, died. Sort of, anyway. I don't suppose that really will change much, though... maybe if Hades were himself and not drugged, or whatever the issue here is, I could use that technicality, but I believe we're rather on our own for now.

Presumably drugged, possibly magic, from the sound of things.

I didn't accompany the last expedition, so I don't know how they got back out.

Or to throw them somewhere where they cannot land on the innocent, if they cannot be stayed from rough vengeance.

Unfortunately my usual liminal tricks did not function there, which is unfortunate.

Hades is, at present, unlikely to prevent you from leaving, though I recommend taking three bones for his good boy Spot.

I was a damn monster, that's what I was. I probably deserved to get executed like one.

[There is no small amount of shame in his voice...and yes, he'll be beating himself up over Karis's everything for a while.]

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[A day or so after the Werewolf Mess]

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