Prison World #3: Panultima (tw violence, torture, coercion)

[spoofer]

Characters: Ensemble Cast, maybe even you!
Summary: The third prison world in Xistentia is a terrifying subdimension where sentient people exploit each other in order to run technology that will fend off D.E.S.T.I.N.Y. The 'ruling' class, Primus, are bound to a system of coupling (see: fake dating!), legacy and nepotism, whereas the Servus are put through an elaborate media circus (see: Hunger Games). You're here to study this world. And perhaps even to free those captured.
Date(s): February 8-20
Warnings/Notes: Violence, torture, coercion

Panultima

You cursed your gods and died

The Primus Life

If you thought Earth was a tough neighborhood, welcome to Panultima. Here, life is sweet. At least, as long as you're one of the Primus class.

It's a sprawling city of wicked spires and elaborate canals, covered in a luminous, translucent shield. Rather than a circular planet resting in orbit, instead, it's a flat plane of matter suspended in space, the foundations of the buildings rooted in only a hundred feet of stone and unknown technology. But the vast majority of citizens care little for that. After all, the city has every amenity and experience one might desire.

Restaurants line the streets. Theater is at an apex in development, with a particular focus on integration of moral philosophical themes. Gondolas run the canals, whereas a railway races over the winding laser-track in the air. Fashion is diverse, colorful, characterized by wild shapes, patterns, and accessories. Food imported from worlds both thriving and dying across the multiverse. At the numerous colleges and institutes, premier technology and opera are under constant invention and reinvention.

COUPLE STUFF

Primus culture emphasizes couples. Trios. Larger groups of lovers than that, even. After all, with romantic love and loyalty to care for, and survival hanging on it... who has the time or energy to care about justice for all?

Not these guys!

In this world, the mission and pleasure roll together well. The implant picks up information, so your main job is to explore. Perhaps you and your partner might enjoy yourself a glow-in-the-dark cocktail in a smoky bar where a two-headed singer is providing the music, a tour of the massive shield generators in the sparkling complex. Or pick fruit from one of the hundreds of bonding trees in the city's central park— so named, because it requires successful completion of questions to "the newlywed game" for each before one of the luscious, sweet fruits is released from a vine.

THE SERVUS LIFE

But for the little guy, life is considerably shittier. Welcome to the arena, the fully manipulable bubble reality set up to torture the slave class. The emotions of pain, fear, anguish, and wild, adrenal victory.

Most days, it looks like a forest— incidentally, very much like Xistentia. There are dozens of hybrid creatures in it, most of which are edible, others toxic, several very dangerous. However, the ground below can change at any moment, turning into mud or belching acid baths. Or you might find yourself abruptly attacked by a bear with biological armor growing from its huge shoulders. The control room, operated by Primus, is concealed from view. Its role is to keep the environment challenging for those competing, shifting the settings of the place to advantage some and cripple others.

But the arena's programming isn't the only threat.

Instead, you have a motley host of macabre killers, other Servus locked up in here just like you. Some have survived in here for years, earning favor from audiences thanks to the amount of pure horror they squeezed out of their victims. Some of the better-known brands are the Bantam Butcher, a fallen angel whose first kills were those who took his wings, and now thrives on torture. The trapmaster seems to have control over environmental factors that rivals the control room. And the baker trio will eat the flesh from your bones if they catch you.

For infiltrators, the challenge is worse. Not only might you need to kill, survive, and explore the arena with your implant— but if you want to save the very same people who are out to murder you, how are you going to do that?

Breakout!

Several days into the mission, and that's when it happens-- the control room shuts down, under attack. And suddenly, there's pandemonium. Within the arena, some of the servus know immediately what this means— and they're willing to make a break for it, cutting each other down, crippling each other if it means that the Primus might have slower-moving people to contend with and allow them to escape. Others seem to have long since given up, failing to respond as the trees suddenly go dark and motionless, the birdsong dying into silence. After all, where is there to go? It's either D.E.S.T.I.N.Y., or to join the system that hates them, isn't it?

Are you inside the arena, or out? Are you there to help the fleeing Servus, or are you merely ready to scramble on home yourself and save your own skin?

Footnotes

1. Please ensure that threads are marked with appropriate content warnings!
2. The plotting post for this event can be found here, and the original announcement with some other details is here.

Comments

janus lefevre | ota

[bangitybang]

closed to arthur;

[one last mission. one last mission, before they go home to a world of familiar monsters and love. which might seem like a weird juxtaposition, but it isn't, really, when your fella is a sex demon.

what a multiverse we live in.

but they put most of it out of their mind once they step into the incandescent warp of the transportation system and into this world. and when they do so, they come to realize that there's grief under it-- because they see arthur, decked out in the gaudier fashions of panultima, and realize this will likely be the last time they meet. they look at the way his dark hair falls toward his eyes and his eyes fall toward the loor, and their heart twists in their chest. he looks nervous, understandably. even if the implant does most of the work, the risks still seem enormous.]

Just put your arm in mine, [they tell him. it's their instinct to reassure, to take the lead, where arthur is concerned. it's been their way with him for more than a month now, since the first evening he turned up, weak-kneed and feverish with want— a welcome addition to their shower.] Take a breath and let me take you to dinner.

open;

[mostly, janus keeps their head down. the cover story is something about combat programming for the sophisticated weapons and defense system around the planet— supposedly, they're involved with providing their knowledge and understanding of murder technique to the artificial intelligences. of course, they have no actual intention of giving this horrific world anything like that, but as covers go, it makes sense. there's something about janus, the perfect balance of their stride, their meticulous attitude toward health, that tends to hint to anyone who spends time with them that their better-than-human strength and power is honed for something more than regular business affairs.

you might catch them at a bartelevised servus combat with well-hidden disgust.

and later, when all hell breaks loose and the mutants flee the arena, janus is there, accessible by a subnetwork and ready with a hijacked transport to pick you up. it's a leap in the dark, but it's one they'll make with you.]

[astralera]

[ Era is there when all hell breaks loose (for where else would the Warrior of Light be?), clad in an attention-grabbing bright red dress and healing any who cross her path. Her hood is up, hiding the empty space where her horn once was from sight - space now occupied by her faerie, Lily, who assists her with healing the ones fleeing like animals from a sinking ship.

She made sure to try and spread the word that 'the girl in red will heal you'. Right up until someone is dropped at her feet, barely alive, Era hadn't been sure how successfully her message had spread. The wounded's would-be rescuer runs as soon as they see Era has turned her attention to stabilizing her newest patient, leaving the diminutive Auri woman to carry the man someplace safe on her own. On a good day this would not be difficult as Era has more than enough raw strength to carry a man twice her size, but when impeded by rushing crowds of people and the risk of assault it's not easy.

When she spots Janus a short distance away Era can't help but offer a short thanks to the Twelve, regardless of whether or not the deities of her world can hear her prayers from here. Her Galvanized shields are more than strong enough to make up for how eye-catching she has dressed (her outfit has allowed her to save many lives, but it also made her a rather fetching target), allowing her to reach her friend without any issues of note. ]

Janus.

[ With her head and tail hidden and only her size to go off of, Era makes sure to speak loudly enough that Janus can identify it as her by voice alone if need be. She brushes away her surprise at seeing them (she thought they had left already), instead focused on the task at hand: stabilizing the wounded man she carries as quickly as she can, that she might be able to return to the war zone to continue aiding even sooner.

Her hands glow with a soft, pale blue light as Era uses her aether to heal what she can of her unconscious charge's injuries even as she carries the man. It's likely he won't wake up for a while, which suits her just fine as it means less resistance to deal with. ]

Help me move him someplace safe?

lmk if this is wrong in any way

[bangitybang]

[she's a vision, isn't she? vivid in red and flowing lines. there are stories about women healers in other worlds, who come clad in white or black, colors that remind other people of death in their cultures, or cleanness, or the afterlife and all the strange, inorganic energy and substance of what comes after.

she's more vivid than that. just as vivid, but differently. blood and fire. it suits her, the cut of the garment, even if her world bears little to no resemblance to the grisly technological spectacle of this one.]

Absolutely.

[by now, janus' voice is cracked and harsh from all the shouting they've been doing. they learned the controls for these transports days ago, through a combination of a coyly solicited lesson from an impressionable, dapper young gentleman who'd been working at a racetrack. though it always bothers janus not to be perfect at any given thing the minute they start, they'd made the most out of learning it, and taken some sweet secret pleasure in knowing that they would be someday part of bringing this all crashing down. whether or not they were in xistentia to see it.

granted, the initial 'crashing down' interlude actually started a lot sooner than they'd expected. but they'd been more than happy to hijack the nearest vehicle. and they're throwing the sliding door open now, hitting the hover function on the dash. stumbling across the floor. other vehicles are rushing by, panicky primus citizens trying to get out, get to 'safety,' whatever that might be, narrowly avoiding smashing into their waiting vehicle.]

I'll hold them off, [they tell her, stepping past the threshold. she can carry the wounded in, while janus pulls out their sword, staring down an approaching hoard of glittery hopeful escapees-- who then clearly decide better than trying to mob janus. or the tiny woman in red, amid her crackling shields.]

[astralera]

[ It took many months for Era to learn how to let others cover her, but she trusts her allies and that includes Janus. Despite her innate desire to always be the one helping, protecting, she is smart enough now to know she cannot do everything all on her own.

Which is why she's unspeakably grateful for Janus' presence - Era trusts he can defend himself (with the assistance of a magical shield), leaving her able to focus her full attention on making sure this stranger doesn't die. Perhaps he's a murderer, thief, or rapist. Or perhaps he's a husband, father, or brother. What he is beyond injured is inconsequential to Era. As a healer it is her duty to provide succor where she can.

The transport vehicle is like nothing Era has traveled in before, though she does not let that phase her. She finds a place to lay her patient down and begins her work, ignoring any disconcerting sounds coming from outside.

It takes three of her most powerful healing spells before the man's breathing evens out, going from unconscious to asleep. He will be sore for days after, and any serious wounds will still be there, albeit as more minor injuries now.

Sweat beads on her brow, trailing between her scales and down her face. Era takes her hood off for the first time in hours, pulling a kerchief out of a pocket to dry her damp skin. Tonight has been more exhausting than it ought of been and she blames it on her missing horn. ]

Janus? [ Her voice gives out on her, momentarily causing her panic (she has gone quite some time without an episode of losing her voice - to go mute now is unthinkable) until it returns an instant later, rough from a throat suffering dehydration. ] Do you need assistance?

[bangitybang]

[there are a couple times where janus glances back in the mirror, checking on the progress of the wheezing man. it's a little dangerous to do, considering the amount of panic going on on the aerial track ahead-- people tossing themselves into or onto vehicles along the way, a shuttle veering wildly off-course, narrowly avoiding hitting a tree and then narrowly avoiding the nose of janus' vehicle. but they want to know.

and their heart jumps when the man's breathing abruptly quiets. funny. they'd had no pangs with the near-collisions and piloting around some completely unfamiliar tech, but in that moment, they felt half their insides drop and the other leap up into their throat. but then era sits back, wipes her brow, and they know it's okay.

they snap their eyes back to the windshield, in time to dive below a fleeing transport. they wonder where the transport is fleeing to. but they can guess what they're fleeing from. this place will not survive without the servus, and all of the primus know that it isn't far to fall; not at all.]

We should pick a drop-off point for the gentleman you just saved, [they tell her.] And then we need to make it to the exfil point with our implants. Can you pick something out from the geography?

[astralera]

Admittedly I am not familiar with the geography. [ Era has been preoccupied with many things - with treating her skull where her horn once was, that it might grow back correctly, and being Aymeric's wife are more or less at the fore. She hasn't had opportunity to truly study any maps or properly explore the city. ] He will be fine without assistance now. If you can see a place he won't be trampled we could leave him there.

[ She mentions nothing of the exfil point just yet, fully intending to return from whence she came that she might aid more injured. ]

[bangitybang]

[the hunter nods at her, and shifts gears in the great flying contraption. the motors roar, sending a faint tremor of kinesis through the armor and the floor and the seats. the man below era groans faintly, his feet moving, fingers fumbling on empty nothing. the inertia inside the vessel shifts slightly, and they take them rapidly down toward the deeper parts of the city. a canal catches their reflection, glittering with watery serenity that's terribly at odds with the screaming pandemonium of people above.]

We're coming up, [they tell her, tersely. they pull the brake, and the craft begins to slow palpably. it stops above a platform just below a flight of stairs. canal maintenance area. no one will be fleeing down here; it's simultaneously both too exposed and not free enough to feel like an escape. the minute they set the craft to hover, janus unclips their seatbelt, moving over to help her—

--only for the vessel to jolt abruptly, as something hits the roof. a tiny explosion rattles them all, sends a flicker through the lights. and the healing man's eyes open, rolling around, a nearly drunken groan escaping from him.]

[astralera]

[ Even with the breath knocked out of her by the sudden explosion, Era's focus is not on herself but for the man she had healed. She's still rather disoriented from the movement, the loss of her horn making it more difficult to adjust to sudden shifts, yet it isn't difficult for her to reach out with her magic. With Lily's help it doesn't take more than a few seconds to heal the man's aggravated injuries, hopefully soothing him back into unconsciousness.

Her faerie companion extends her worry to Era once they've cast their spells, flittering around her mistress' face and checking for any bruises. The little aetherial being has been prone to fretting over her since Era's horn was shattered, leaving Era to face the full brunt of her persistent hovering. ]

Janus?

[ Are you well? is her unspoken - but obvious - query. ]

[bangitybang]

I'm doing all right, [janus says. they move fast and sure-footed, picking their way across the unstable floor of the craft until they find themself with the healed man. they tuck their arms under him and lift easily-- and when the craft gives another rattle, it's not difficult at all for their feet and weight distribution to compensate. they can lift a ton or two easily enough; this is no mean feat.

setting down the man outside the wobbling doorway is a slightly more complicated task, but they manage all right. roll him gently over, so that his face is angled down, but at an angle. less risk of drowning, should he vomit or the like in his sleep, or one of the canals overflow on him.]

Your head.

[their attention is on her the next instant. they grab a ceiling bar for balance, making their way over to her. it's-- presumptuous, they realize an instant later, but they can't help it, reaching automatically to touch her head, very gently, past where she lost her horn.] We should return you to Xistentia.

[astralera]

[ Era watches closely as Janus deposits the man outside. It hurts her just a little to leave an injured person alone, but she is also accustomed to healing during war and knows that it's a necessary evil at times. She puts him out of her mind and focuses instead on her friend.

Their words startle her, causing Era to reflexively tug at her hood only to realize she discarded it a while back. It isn't that she doesn't trust Janus - far from it, in fact - but losing her horn is a shame that weighs on her heavily, and not just because it annihilated her hearing, balance, and spacial awareness. What Janus says next draws a scowl from her. Aymeric had thought the same, if only for a moment. Though her dear friend realized very quickly that trying to keep her away from a place she could offer help (and she is still of help regardless of her injury) was a futile effort. ]

No.

[ She makes no effort to force their hand away from her. Janus has already seen the damage - to touch it makes no difference, for all that it still sends a shiver down her spine to feel touch where there should be none. It's naught but a thick layer of scaly bone where one might find an ear, smoothed with finely-grit paper by Era herself so that there would be no jagged edges. Already some protective scales have begun to grow over it, ones that will harden later on (or so Era assumes. she has no Auri family who would have taught her about her biology and how regrowth might work, and no Auri friends until very recently). ]

[bangitybang]

It's time to evacuate, [they say. their tone doesn't imply an argument. they're looking back at the console, then out the open entryway to the craft.] Today isn't the day we topple this disgusting empire, or get caught trying. Today is just one mission.

And it's over.

[they don't say that as a method of manipulation. they believe it to be true. they need to get out of here, get back to xistentia— and then they themself, janus, has to go back home. it's a little selfish, maybe, that they don't want to leave, to close this chapter of their lives, without knowing that one of their favorite characters is okay. their hand is very gentle on their head.

but they let her go in time to tell her,] Please. [energy weapons crackle overhead.]

[astralera]

I do not intend to topple anything. [ She thinks of Aymeric, and his reluctant agreement to allow her to separate from him so long as she met up with him again just before daybreak. It had been heartbreaking, for it was clear he could only think of the last time he allowed her to fight a separate fight and how he almost lost her.

Janus' plea is not easily brushed off, but Aymeric... ]

I promised to regroup with Aymeric that we might evacuate together, and if I cannot send a message to my dear husband of the change in plan then I must fulfill that promise.

[bangitybang]

Husband? [janus' voice rises precipitously, but in a good way.] You're wed. [the next instant, their thoughts snap back to the present moment. they look up at the dashboard, just in time for the ship to give another little rattle.]

Where was your rendezvous point? [they ask. they start to move toward the front of the ship. their hand is gentle on her arm-- they'd have her come up to the front and sit beside them if they can convince her to, but if she'd rather stay by the doors, perhaps that would be just as well.] We can try to get him and leave together.

[a few swift presses of the controls, and the door begins to slide shut.]

[astralera]

[ Era pauses, realizing she had indeed said 'husband' instead of 'friend'. It's still very new to the both of them, but now that it's happened it feels to Era like something had slotted into place. It just... fits. ]

Yes. A necessity, but not an unwanted one.

[ They'll have a proper wedding someday, when their loved ones are able to celebrate with them. After all, Era is not fond of being the center of attention but her friends all know this. And all of their friends would be there.

Almost all of them, at least.

She flexes her fingers, sorely tempted to pull out her aetheroconductive gun and shoot at their pursuers. But Lily's presence is keeping her calm and focused and Era would hate to lose that. Instead she'll have to settle for a rapidfire advanced Ruin spell should they need the cover.

Given that she has refused Janus' last suggestion Era relents to their silent request that she move to the front. This is likely the final time they'll see each other and so she's willing to give up a few battles in that regard, especially considering how stubborn she's being about her one demand.

Era tells Janus where her prearranged meeting point is to be. It's still earlier than the agreed upon time, so if Aymeric is not there she can leave a message for him instead (despite how loathe she is to leave the world without him, even if Estinien is with him now). ]

tw mention of violence; fading this one out

[bangitybang]

[a necessity, but not an unwanted one. such romance. a smile flashes over janus' face, a moment before a body thumps down on the windshield of the shuttle. right, right. time to pay attention.] Forged in fire, then, [they say, sparing a look down out the window to check if there's any point in trying to rescue the falling stranger. nope. he's already in two pieces.

grisly, how that happens.] The strongest things are. I am happy for you. And eager to deliver us into a better setting for felicitations.

[they smile at her over their shoulder, just briefly. and then with a swift pull and jerk of the controls, they peel the craft away from the docking area, and up into the air. cutting swiftly toward the destination she'd named, and the hope of meeting era's husband at least once before they're done for this strange chapter of their lives.]