The Ruler of the Undercity

[InfiniteInsanity she/her]

1 minute ago, IcedOutPenguin said:

"At least you would've lived."

"I didn't expect to get ambushed."

"Aren't we like staging a coup because this place sucks and is incredibly awful for everyone. It's run by like crime lords."

[Through the Living Hope]

8 minutes ago, IcedOutPenguin said:

"At least you would've lived."

"I didn't expect to get ambushed."

A bit of resentment began to rise within her. You know why I’m in this. I would’ve lived, but at what cost.

6 minutes ago, InfiniteInsanity said:

"Aren't we like staging a coup because this place sucks and is incredibly awful for everyone. It's run by like crime lords."

She glanced over. 

[IcedOutPenguin He/Him]

55 minutes ago, InfiniteInsanity said:

"Aren't we like staging a coup because this place sucks and is incredibly awful for everyone. It's run by like crime lords."

47 minutes ago, Through the Living Hope said:

A bit of resentment began to rise within her. You know why I’m in this. I would’ve lived, but at what cost.

She glanced over. 

He sighs, then you see him drop down from the darkness above, "Let's go. We've still got a revolution to start."

[Through the Living Hope]

Just now, IcedOutPenguin said:

He sighs, then you see him drop down from the darkness above, "Let's go. We've still got a revolution to start."

She nodded, and for a moment her eyes betrayed… well, some kind of emotion.

[InfiniteInsanity she/her]

6 hours ago, IcedOutPenguin said:

He sighs, then you see him drop down from the darkness above, "Let's go. We've still got a revolution to start."

"Oh, that's the word, revolution. Not a coup. We're not calling it that. I'll try to remember that for next time."

[IcedOutPenguin He/Him]

55 minutes ago, InfiniteInsanity said:

"Oh, that's the word, revolution. Not a coup. We're not calling it that. I'll try to remember that for next time."

"Well, I would call it a coup if it were a coup."

7 hours ago, Through the Living Hope said:

She nodded, and for a moment her eyes betrayed… well, some kind of emotion.

 

[InfiniteInsanity she/her]

19 minutes ago, IcedOutPenguin said:

"Well, I would call it a coup if it were a coup."

 

"What's the difference?" Her tone was different, more curious. Like she genuinely didn't know.

[Through the Living Hope]

31 minutes ago, IcedOutPenguin said:

"Well, I would call it a coup if it were a coup."

 

She waited. 

11 minutes ago, InfiniteInsanity said:

"What's the difference?" Her tone was different, more curious. Like she genuinely didn't know.

She had the feeling that she knew. Once. A long time ago.

[IcedOutPenguin He/Him]

15 minutes ago, InfiniteInsanity said:

"What's the difference?" Her tone was different, more curious. Like she genuinely didn't know.

"Well, a coup is top-down, usually a small group. A revolution is bottom-up, the majority group revolting."

5 minutes ago, Through the Living Hope said:

She waited. 

She had the feeling that she knew. Once. A long time ago.

He broke into a light jog.

[InfiniteInsanity she/her]

1 minute ago, IcedOutPenguin said:

"Well, a coup is top-down, usually a small group. A revolution is bottom-up, the majority group revolting."

He broke into a light jog.

Cora thought about that for a moment. It was an acceptable answer for the time being. She stopped asking questions and followed him, speeding up as he had.

[Through the Living Hope]

21 minutes ago, IcedOutPenguin said:

"Well, a coup is top-down, usually a small group. A revolution is bottom-up, the majority group revolting."

He broke into a light jog.

 

19 minutes ago, InfiniteInsanity said:

Cora thought about that for a moment. It was an acceptable answer for the time being. She stopped asking questions and followed him, speeding up as he had.

As did she. 

[IcedOutPenguin He/Him]

On 3/27/2026 at 8:25 PM, InfiniteInsanity said:

Cora thought about that for a moment. It was an acceptable answer for the time being. She stopped asking questions and followed him, speeding up as he had.

On 3/27/2026 at 8:44 PM, Through the Living Hope said:

As did she. 

Nothing eventful happened as they ran, until they got to the Sector they were headed towards, there were many people, all gathered pouring from buildings. "Right on time." Urilo whispered 

[InfiniteInsanity she/her]

11 minutes ago, IcedOutPenguin said:

Nothing eventful happened as they ran, until they got to the Sector they were headed towards, there were many people, all gathered pouring from buildings. "Right on time." Urilo whispered 

“What are we doing?” Cora whispered.

[Through the Living Hope]

55 minutes ago, IcedOutPenguin said:

Nothing eventful happened as they ran, until they got to the Sector they were headed towards, there were many people, all gathered pouring from buildings. "Right on time." Urilo whispered 

 

44 minutes ago, InfiniteInsanity said:

“What are we doing?” Cora whispered.

“If I were to guess, I’d say he’s making a speech and he organized this meeting without telling us.”

[Through the Living Hope]

@THE DOOM SLAYER

[IcedOutPenguin He/Him]

On 3/29/2026 at 9:31 AM, Through the Living Hope said:

 

“If I were to guess, I’d say he’s making a speech and he organized this meeting without telling us.”

"Quite the contrary. I didn't tell anybody to gather."

On 3/29/2026 at 8:47 AM, InfiniteInsanity said:

“What are we doing?” Cora whispered.

"Starting a revolution."

[InfiniteInsanity she/her]

1 minute ago, THE DOOM SLAYER said:

"Quite the contrary. I didn't tell anybody to gather."

"Starting a revolution."

"They just all chose to be here right now?"

[Through the Living Hope]

3 minutes ago, THE DOOM SLAYER said:

"Quite the contrary. I didn't tell anybody to gather."

"Starting a revolution."

 

2 minutes ago, InfiniteInsanity said:

"They just all chose to be here right now?"

She raised an eyebrow. 

[IcedOutPenguin He/Him]

Just now, Through the Living Hope said:

She raised an eyebrow. 

3 minutes ago, InfiniteInsanity said:

"They just all chose to be here right now?"

"I didn't say anything to them."

[Through the Living Hope]

Just now, THE DOOM SLAYER said:

"I didn't say anything to them."

“So you gave them all letters or something. You’ve done that before.”

[IcedOutPenguin He/Him]

Just now, Through the Living Hope said:

“So you gave them all letters or something. You’ve done that before.”

"I didn't indicate to them that I'd be here."

[Through the Living Hope]

16 hours ago, THE DOOM SLAYER said:

"I didn't indicate to them that I'd be here."

She grunted and made a motion of her arm to the crowd, implying, “Get on with it, then.”

And she remembered something else. Maybe. She thought she did, at least. 

That bar. Someone had met her there, she thought. Not Urilo. Maybe worked with or for him. She hadn’t gotten his name. She didn’t think then that she’d join this.. this what, revolution? Cause? She didn’t think she’d seen him since, though. Maybe Urilo mentioned it? Osborn, or something?

She thought she remembered Urilo mentioning a small team. People she hadn’t met. Maybe one of them orchestrated this? Either way, Urilo didn’t seem particularly talkative with her at the moment. 

He never had. 

For the first time, she started to barely regret drinking so much recently. She’d never had access to so much alcohol down here. If only it worked how she actually wanted it to. She’d forget her pain and be able to remember all this stuff that was probably important. 

She looked at the back of Urilo’s head. She’d told him she’d cooperate with him even if she didn’t trust him. She was starting to wonder if that had been the right choice. He was secretive, quiet. If he wanted her to trust them, why was he so cagey with details?

Well, who was she to judge? She was just as secretive, wasn’t she?

She closed her eyes, barely shaking her head, as she remembered another reason for her drinking. She didn’t want to think like this. It didn’t lead anywhere. Her head pounded with thoughts and her hangover. 

If only her thoughts weren’t so loud. 

A few days ago. Another time her thoughts grew too loud. After that meeting in the bar, before she ran into Urilo in the alley. She’d gone to sleep in a haze. As drunk as she could afford to be. 

She’d had a dream that night. A vision of a better, safer Undercity. Someone had spoken to her. Urilo? She didn’t remember the voice. Why couldn’t she forget the stuff that hurt and remember the important things!

She focused once again on Urilo. There was definitely something he was hiding. Something.. unnatural. Even that first note after the meeting- he’d never met her, but he pinned the exact way she thought and criticized her drinking. There was no logical way he could have known that. 

So how did he? How was he able to accurately guess at her inner workings? How was he able to influence her dreams? It shouldn’t have been possible. No, something had to be off.

But she knew he’d never tell. No, Lias would never get those answers. Urilo would forever remain an enigma she couldn’t understand. She didn’t trust him, so he wouldn’t trust her with that information. And she wouldn’t trust him without knowing more. What was that called? A catch 22? Her thoughts were too loud. 

Manipulation. Hadn’t that been all she’d experienced from day one down here? He wasn’t like her old—was there really no better word than owner?—owners, she had to admit he was a better person than them. But didn’t he just manipulate her, too?

Her fear had been her fuel for years. Her mind was manipulated, thus her body. Finally, she’d run. She’d been free. She tried to lay low. 

And then the first note had come. Curiosity had influenced her at first. That was the main thing that got her to meet the unnamed man. Then Urilo had showed up. What had he done since but manipulate her with hope? It was all the same, wasn’t it? Was this all she would ever be?

Someone’s pawn?

Her thoughts were too loud. 

Edited April 2 by Through the Living Hope

[InfiniteInsanity she/her]

13 hours ago, THE DOOM SLAYER said:

"I didn't indicate to them that I'd be here."

"Fine. You didn't tell them to be here. How are we going to start this revolution?"

[Through the Living Hope]

2 minutes ago, InfiniteInsanity said:

"Fine. You didn't tell them to be here. How are we going to start this revolution?"

‘We’ won’t. He will. I haven’t done anything but follow him around. 

I haven’t been open to more than that-

Quiet.

[IcedOutPenguin He/Him]

5 hours ago, Through the Living Hope said:

‘We’ won’t. He will. I haven’t done anything but follow him around. 

I haven’t been open to more than that-

Quiet.

5 hours ago, InfiniteInsanity said:

"Fine. You didn't tell them to be here. How are we going to start this revolution?"

"We're going to climb on top of one of these buildings." He says, pointing to the surrounding buildings, "Then we're going to go to where the crowd is focused, and I'm going to make a short speech." 

"But first, we need to gauge the mood of the crowd. That's the role you play. I'll try to help, but I'm not as good at judging mood and intent as you or Lias."