The Ruler of the Undercity

[IcedOutPenguin He/Him]

Just now, Spark of Hope said:

“You told me who you are, sure, but you didn’t tell me who you are."

"Well, the answer to that question is admittedly complicated."

[Through the Living Hope]

Just now, IcedOutPenguin said:

"Well, the answer to that question is admittedly complicated."

“Well, you’d better attempt to answer, or any hope of my cooperation is gone."

[IcedOutPenguin He/Him]

Just now, Spark of Hope said:

“Well, you’d better attempt to answer, or any hope of my cooperation is gone."

"What do you want to know specifically?"

[Through the Living Hope]

2 minutes ago, IcedOutPenguin said:

"What do you want to know specifically?"

She glared.

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Really just the “why do you care, why are you doing this” type stuff

 

[IcedOutPenguin He/Him]

Just now, Spark of Hope said:

She glared.

 

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You already asked those

 

[Through the Living Hope]

Just now, IcedOutPenguin said:

 

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… I did? What did he answer?

 

[IcedOutPenguin He/Him]

2 hours ago, IcedOutPenguin said:

"Because I want something better! I don't like what's going on here, and things need to change in order for people like us to get out!"

^

Just now, Spark of Hope said:

 

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This conversation is going in circles

 

[Through the Living Hope]

Just now, IcedOutPenguin said:

^

 

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In my defense, I woke up at 5 am, am currently in calculus, and go to work (across town) as soon as this lecture is over

Okay, he wants things to get better and he wants change. She wants to know why. Why not just keep your head down and make things better for yourself

 

[IcedOutPenguin He/Him]

1 minute ago, Spark of Hope said:

 

"You want to know why I'm doing this don't you?"

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You're good

I woke up at 5 too

 

[Through the Living Hope]

Just now, IcedOutPenguin said:

"You want to know why I'm doing this don't you?"

 

“Obviously

[IcedOutPenguin He/Him]

1 minute ago, Spark of Hope said:

“Obviously

"I've stated what I'm doing, and I've told you why. You just need to believe that there are still good people who want to do the right thing."

[Through the Living Hope]

Just now, IcedOutPenguin said:

"I've stated what I'm doing, and I've told you why. You just need to believe that there are still good people who want to do the right thing."

She closed her eyes tighter. “It’s not that simple."

[IcedOutPenguin He/Him]

1 minute ago, Spark of Hope said:

She closed her eyes tighter. “It’s not that simple."

"Then you explain it to me."

[Through the Living Hope]

1 minute ago, IcedOutPenguin said:

"Then you explain it to me."

“If there were good people, I wouldn’t still be here. I wouldn’t have been here for even a month. My parents could afford to hire someone to find me. I know they did. But.. somehow… the person they hired didn’t return me."

~~~

It had been about two weeks since she was kidnapped. Every night, for hours, she endured the unimaginable. It got to the point where she could barely cry anymore. She tried to resist, and every time she disobeyed, the price on her went lower - easier to afford. They got rough. The pain never stopped anymore.

A man came in. Unlike most of these, he was clean. He could afford to be clean. He had seen her and began approaching her, but the owner of the bar cut him off. She remembered watching them talk for barely a minute, then money changed hands. The man still walked towards her, but it seemed different. He took her up to the room. She endured. Every time the pain got worse, but she couldn’t scream. The owner would make it worse for her if she screamed.

[IcedOutPenguin He/Him]

3 minutes ago, Spark of Hope said:

“If there were good people, I wouldn’t still be here. I wouldn’t have been here for even a month. My parents could afford to hire someone to find me. I know they did. But.. somehow… the person they hired didn’t return me."

~~~

It had been about two weeks since she was kidnapped. Every night, for hours, she endured the unimaginable. It got to the point where she could barely cry anymore. She tried to resist, and every time she disobeyed, the price on her went lower - easier to afford. They got rough. The pain never stopped anymore.

A man came in. Unlike most of these, he was clean. He could afford to be clean. He had seen her and began approaching her, but the owner of the bar cut him off. She remembered watching them talk for barely a minute, then money changed hands. The man still walked towards her, but it seemed different. He took her up to the room. She endured. Every time the pain got worse, but she couldn’t scream. The owner would make it worse for her if she screamed.

"I believe that, some people are easily corrupted by money, or power, or other things. I'm not, I've lived down here, really lived. Not many topsiders have."

[Through the Living Hope]

1 minute ago, IcedOutPenguin said:

"I believe that, some people are easily corrupted by money, or power, or other things. I'm not, I've lived down here, really lived. Not many topsiders have."

“Where do you think I’m from, then.”

[InfiniteInsanity she/her]

15 hours ago, The Aspiring Archivist said:

"...All sorts of things."

Kora nodded slowly.

"Fair enough. Well... we did what it said."

[IcedOutPenguin He/Him]

15 minutes ago, Spark of Hope said:

“Where do you think I’m from, then.”

"You're from topside."

[Through the Living Hope]

Just now, IcedOutPenguin said:

"You're from topside."

“Exactly. I’ve lived here too. I’m not some.. naively hopeful optimist. I just want out.”

[IcedOutPenguin He/Him]

13 minutes ago, Spark of Hope said:

“Exactly. I’ve lived here too. I’m not some.. naively hopeful optimist. I just want out.”

"I never said you hadn't, I know you want out. But you're going to need to trust me a bit."

25 minutes ago, InfiniteInsanity said:

"Fair enough. Well... we did what it said."

"But is there anything else to do?"

[Through the Living Hope]

26 minutes ago, IcedOutPenguin said:

"I never said you hadn't, I know you want out. But you're going to need to trust me a bit."

"But is there anything else to do?"

“I won’t trust. But.. I’ll cooperate.”

[TwinStorm He/Him]

8 hours ago, IcedOutPenguin said:

The alley ended in a dead end, but was open to the sky(of the undercity)

@Hoid Slayer

@Sherma Main

You are both in the same room, with a wooden table in the middle, and another man sitting at one end of it.

@TwinStorm

 

sry my time schedule is crunched and any Shard time I have rn I need for SE (you understand) gonna have to drop out

[IcedOutPenguin He/Him]

8 minutes ago, TwinStorm said:

sry my time schedule is crunched and any Shard time I have rn I need for SE (you understand) gonna have to drop out

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Alr, sorry

14 minutes ago, Spark of Hope said:

“I won’t trust. But.. I’ll cooperate.”

"Alright." A hand reaches down through the fog into view. "Let's go."

[Hoid Slayer He/Him]

On 11/10/2025 at 7:10 AM, IcedOutPenguin said:

They opened the door into the same room, and inside sat the same masked man from earlier, along with another, quite burly man.

For a while, Weaver waited for someone else to make the first move. But no one did, and in the awkward silence, he at last took a leap of faith.

"Greetings." He nodded at the two others in turn, heart beating in his chest. Then he turned to the man he had followed in. "Would you care to explain why we are here?"

He was so focused on the events in the room he didn't notice the bar outside go silent.

9 hours ago, IcedOutPenguin said:

The alley ended in a dead end, but was open to the sky(of the undercity)

@Hoid Slayer

@Sherma Main

You are both in the same room, with a wooden table in the middle, and another man sitting at one end of it.

@TwinStorm

 

Spoiler

Yup sorry busy

 

[IcedOutPenguin He/Him]

1 minute ago, Hoid Slayer said:

For a while, Weaver waited for someone else to make the first move. But no one did, and in the awkward silence, he at last took a leap of faith.

"Greetings." He nodded at the two others in turn, heart beating in his chest. Then he turned to the man he had followed in. "Would you care to explain why we are here?"

He was so focused on the events in the room he didn't notice the bar outside go silent.

That man, being the barkeep, had left to go back to the counter. The other man, who wasn't masked, just shrugged. "I don't know."