Event Log: June, What Lies Beneath

[faileas]

Event Log: June, What Lies Beneath

Down, Down, Down The group leaves on the morning of the 16th, a band consisting of Mirrorbound, Theodore and Sowilo from the Coven, and one of the two returned Wilders to lead the way. The latter three will only be present for the first leg of the journey: from the North Gate to the Northern Outpost by teleporter, then a few hours' hike to the site. A tunnel yawns open, fallen rocks built up around it in mounds. Everyone is offered enchanted lanterns to light the way, and their guide takes them perhaps a mile down before he and the pair from the Coven must part ways with the Mirrorbound. The poorly-lit tunnel leads steadily downward. The way is marked by their gracious hosts to be, with arrows drawn in softly-glowing algae painting the walls so there is no mistaking which way to go; a good thing, because the deeper the party goes, the more tunnels branch off of the largest one, twisting and turning into the dark. It takes some hours to reach a familiar cavern lit with algae and glowing crystals, a herd of the velvet wormipedes idly milling about the small lake and stream that led into town in the dream. Much nicer long boats are set up and waiting to take them deeper, along with respectfully quiet Monster guards to steer them. They take a slightly different route from the dream, but before long, they reach the curtain of grayish green moss that dangles down into the water, stretched across the wide tunnel exit like a membrane. It parts on its own as the boats pass, though beware if you are infected by the Cwyld - it will not allow passage, only reach out long, tough tendrils to try and envelop you, the touch of it burning acid-bright where it is harmless for those uninfected. Past the curtain of strange moss, the cavern city opens up before them, vast and spacious, dimly lit with more algae, crystals, and softly glowing orbs of magic. It's like being plunged into an eternal twilight, somehow soft, cast in gentle colors. The boats bypass the markets this time, drifting farther down a branching stream into the city proper, to dock next to stone platforms. The winding streets and flowing canals branch out all around them with no rhyme or reason, the city sprung up around the natural layout of the caverns rather than the other way around. Buildings are carved out of tall stone spires, the windows and doors covered in fluttering silk, many of which are pulled away so that fascinated locals can peer out at the scene unfolding. The Matriarch herself comes to greet the group, ringed at the back by spear-carrying guards, all Monsters. A tall, long-limbed Arachne woman bearing battle scars and stark white hair, she looks perhaps in her 30s, and speaks with a booming, commanding voice, amplified by a charm. As she speaks, ten Wilders are released from silk rope bonds and nudged to join the Mirrorbound; they're a little roughed up, perhaps, and shaken, but none are seriously injured. A few Monsters also make the rounds, placing copper tokens in the hands of ten individuals. "Welcome, travelers! This meeting was foretold and so it has come to pass. During your stay you will be treated as our honored guests. You may come and go as you please, but we ask that you use the same tunnel you entered through; we have not yet re-secured the other entrances from Cwyld nor the tribes. I would hate for danger to befall you while you are under my care." Her smile is wide, her eight eyes bright, and her teeth are very sharp. "We have prepared temporary residences for your use. I hope you will stay for the celebrations. I look forward to meeting with some of you very soon." Notably, she does not mention the surface where from the Mirrorbound came, and those around her do not ask.

I. The City The Mirrorbound receive mixed reactions from the Underground. Some are fascinated by these visitors personally invited by the Matriarch and allowed past the markets; others are wary and suspicious, believing them to be wolves in sheep's clothing. In the city proper, most passing Monsters are armed, but this doesn't seem to be anything new. Still, step cautiously - plenty do not take well to even unknowing offense and will pick a fight, or may see these guests as easy, weak targets to pickpocket or mug in the dark corners of the twisting streets. The guards only step in if things take a turn for the worse or if the fight is very obviously imbalanced - they step in more for Witches being attacked than Monsters, because they feel Witches require protection more. Still, not all are so unscrupulous: more citizens are delighted to talk, even if they still seem skeptical about a whole world up above. Mirrorbound, as guests of the Matriarch, are given nearly free run of the city, allowed to explore such locations as the marketplace, the library, the shops, the schools (the Arena for Monsters and the Academy for Witches), and the tunnels and caverns outside the protective moss barriers. The only places they (and most locals) are expressly barred from are the Matriarch's audience hall, the upper level of the library, and the guards' barracks. a. The Marketplace The marketplace is much larger than previously thought - it rings the entire city, and stalls spill onto the streets of the inner city as well in a lazy sprawl. There are some shops with actual buildings, but they're fewer and more expensive: alchemy and apothecary shops, a couple of restaurants, a weapons shop or two, nice clothing shops. Most, though, are independent merchants who set up and take down their stalls every day and night. Any number of Underground-sourced foods, clothing, weapons, trinkets, and more can be found at the stalls; they barter, or exchange chips of precious metals and gems, but they'll take cune coins with fascination. The marketplaces are the liveliest areas of the city with Monsters and Witches alike, from all walks of life, mingling and sharing gossip and idle talk. Those who lost items to the burrowing hyenas at the Northern Outpost some months ago should keep an eye out: the hyenas are fairly common down here, serving the roles of pets or working dogs for Underground citizens, and a few merchants deal in more interesting goods. The missing items can be found scattered across some stalls, and the merchants will gleefully tell perusers that these things come from the surface, aren't they fascinating? Don't you want to buy? Luckily, it shouldn't be too hard to get your things back. They'll take all manner of interesting trinkets in trade. b. Library The library is bound to be a popular stop. Monsters get some strange looks if they enter the spire just off the courtyard from the Academy, but they aren't barred from entry; most just feel that reading is for Witches. The building is only two levels - one closed off at the top, guards keeping everyone out, and the rest is just one very tall floor ringed with a spiral of platforms and stairs to access the honeycomb-shaped shelves built into the walls. All their books are written on scrolls of silk, and the librarians bark at patrons to be delicate with them, some are very old. If one has endless time, the scrolls can offer a look at life Underground: historical accounts of past Matriarchs, brave warriors and battles against nomadic tribes or hideous beasts, their history as they know it, scrolls on offensive and defensive magic for Witches, fighting techniques for Monsters, information on their unique flora and creatures that can be found outside the city, and even plenty of fiction - sword and sorcery novels all set in the tunnels and the city. It's just a bit difficult to find what, specifically, you're looking for, because if there's any kind of organization, it only makes sense to the deep-dwelling denizens. Maybe make it a team effort! You'll also need some simple translation spells, because their system of writing is quite different to the common system in Aefenglom; even then, it may not be accurate on older scrolls. c. The Guest Villa Those who choose to spend several days in the Underground are given modest accommodations in a tall stone building. These guest chambers boast gentle lighting, wide beds, backless sofas, potted decorative fungi, and stone furniture. It's... cozy, with humble individual rooms and larger common rooms for gathering. The algae grows in delicate patterns across the walls, pulsing in soft colors. They've gone out of their way to provide what comfort they can, but there aren't enough rooms for everyone to have their own - everyone will need to share with one or two others, so choose someone you can get along with.

II. The Tunnels Mirrorbound are not restricted only to the city. There are many entrances to the cavern where it resides, the openings all covered with sheets of that same gray-green moss; some wider tunnels obviously see more use than other, narrower ones, and the footpath of many Underground denizens is easy enough to trace, the stone worn smooth. The path to the velvet wormipede cavern is one of them; they're raised as livestock, all at once food, transportation, and producers of silk and hide for clothing. This is much the same as the dream. Another well-worn tunnel leads upward to an agricultural center, though, and still more lead out into the wild. They're warned, but not hindered, before they leave for anywhere other than the farms or the livestock cavern; dangers abound in the Underground. Those who do much wandering may notice something going on as well; the guards stationed at each tunnel mouth can often be found talking to each other in low voices about an unknown red algae that seems to be growing on the protective moss. It can be found primarily around the lesser-used tunnels so far, starkly bright against the dull green, and this seems to be a point of concern... a. A Botanist's Dream It's a short walk down a wide, inviting tunnel to reach the place where the city grows fungi and underground plants for food and medicine. Large rats and hyenas both are present to keep opportunist creatures and insects from demolishing the carefully-cultivated beds of rock and soil, and small blind fish swim about in the large pool of shallow water, in which grows something like seaweed. One of their primary sources of food, besides bug and rat, are mushrooms of many sorts - all the types that grow in the farms are edible, though some may be an... acquired taste. The Fauns and Witches who tend the beds are happy to offer samples of anything that can be eaten raw; they're most enthusiastic about a type of spherical mushroom whose cap opens up to reveal what tastes and feels like savory cotton candy, and a type of flat fungi that tastes sweet and fizzy and offers a heightened good mood for an hour after. b. The Wild Underground The lesser used tunnels are a different story. A mile out from the city, Cwyld runs in thick black veins through the stone walls, infecting the sparse plants and many creatures that live out there. Careful not to touch. Infected and uninfected creatures both are highly dangerous to explorers, including stone-burrowing moles with wicked teeth and claws that can cut through metal like butter, vicious white wasps that carry lethal venom, and berserker vampire bats that survive on the blood of other animals and people alike. Some infected fungi give off blindingly-bright flashes when disturbed, while others will cause rashes and blisters on contact. Explorers are warned not to touch anything if they can help it. As well, the nomad tribes roam the less-civilized tunnels and caverns. These are small bands of usually Monsters of different types in mixed groups, though some can be found dragging humans along with them. Nearly all of them are some degree of feral, and plenty bear Cwyld infections in different stages of seriousness. They don't stop to ask questions before they'll attack anyone, including each other, in hopes of robbing them blind and leaving them for dead. As vicious and quick as they are, perhaps it's no wonder they value strength in the city?

III. Graduation Day (21st - 23rd) The Underground does not have 'Litha' as Aefenglomites know it, but come the 21st, they do have a major celebration. They simply call it the New Year, or Graduation Day, depending on what festivities are asked about, because the three days serve as both. At this time of year, with more magic in the air, the algae and crystals glow much brighter, cycling naturally through different colors that cast beautiful rainbows across the imposing stone structures. This display is how they mark the start of a new year, and it coincides with the graduation of young Monsters from the Arena and Witches from the Academy. The New Year is a time to celebrate Bonding, partying, and showing off one's skills in the hopes of attracting a new Bondmate or romantic partner. Tensions can also rise high as rivalries are settled, and small brawls in the streets are common; the guards don't interfere, again, unless things get too dangerous. They're content to let citizens work out their own issues, but unfortunately, this means Mirrorbound may get dragged in on occasion! Small fights are also a tried and true tradition to show off one's abilities around this time of year. It serves multiple purposes: attracting a Bondmate, establishing a place in the unspoken hierarchy of the city, and working out problems with others. Monsters are more likely to start brawls than Witches, though it isn't wholly uncommon to bear witness to two rival Witches throwing spells at each other in an alleyway over their grievances. They're more likely to be stopped, as magic can be quite destructive. a. A Matching Pair The un-Bonded should take precautions during the New Year celebrations. These fascinating newcomers are bound to draw the eye of curious locals, and they may put on a violent or flashy show trying to draw your attention in return! The most common way to show that you're already taken during the celebrations is with face-painting: several stands set up around the marketplace with cosmetics and brushes, and two (or three, or more) people painting matching designs on their faces and bodies signify them as a set - either Bonded or intending to Bond. That doesn't mean there won't still be competition for your heart, but it will lessen significantly, especially if you're a Monster-Witch pair already. b. Exhibitions Primarily intended for the graduating classes of Monsters and Witches, the exhibitions are an official stage set for their coming-of-age; this year, however, the Matriarch has decreed that Mirrorbound may participate as well, in the interests of getting to know one another! They're interested to see what these strange travelers can do, especially against some of their own. Mirrorbound are encouraged by excitable locals if they seem reticent, but of course, no one is forced. (Just don't be surprised if you're called a coward for refusing!) At the Arena, a massive sunken ring with stone benches for spectators ringing the whole of it, young Monsters learn combat skills, with and without weapons, and how to harness their unique physiologies in the dangerous world of the Underground. Their yearly exhibition fights take place all through the three days of the New Year, and young Monsters battle each other til first blood to the cheers and jeers of citizens (and more importantly, Witches) come to watch. The longer the battle, the more impressive it is - and Monster Mirrorbound will have no shortage of eager opponents wanting to test their skills against the unknown. Generally, the fights result in bruises, small cuts, and little else, but rivals for the same Witch might take it farther on purpose before they're wrenched away from each other by the teachers. Meanwhile, at the Academy, the tallest stone spire building in the city, young Witches learn magic from a young age. It isn't exactly the same as magic taught at the Coven, but many concepts are similar - barriers, evocation, enchantments meant for weapons or shields, healing, most of the magic they're taught at this younger age is for combat, protection or practical purposes. They only learn more frivolous magics after graduation. Much like their Monster counterparts, they give solo or duet shows of their flashier and more impressive magical skills in the courtyard, with many citizens coming to watch and take stock of the new generation. Mirrorbound Witches may find themselves being cajoled into putting on a show of their own by curious locals wanting to know what kinds of magic are taught elsewhere.

IV. Aefenglom - Litha (21st - 23rd) Meanwhile, for those who have chosen to stay above-ground or those who have left early, Litha comes once more to Aefenglom, bringing with it beautiful pink and purple skies, a far departure from last year's red tint. It has the city in a much cheerier mood for the celebrations. While they know that several Mirrorbound left for a while, they don't seem too aware of the actual mission, and have very little to say on the matter - they'd rather have a nice Litha, after last year's bad omens! Many of the activities from last year return, better than before, including the brothels opening up their doors (showing off all the wonderful new styles in lingerie!), collecting flowers to put under one's pillow in order to dream of future partners, and wandering the hedge mazes that have been magically constructed in certain parts of the city. Seeing off ships happens regularly as well, citizens setting floating candles into the harbor and river to wish them luck. a. Love Boats A new attraction for Litha is being rolled out this year right on the River Temese! Near the gate, an enterprising Faun has set up a few small boats, each just big enough for two and shielded with fine gauzy curtains for privacy. Couples are invited to buy a ride down the river together, assured it will certainly set the mood. Those who have no partners are offered (or cajoled) to be randomly paired with someone, because perhaps it's fate! The boats drift lazily down the river and stop on their own next to a small dock right before they reach the Harbor. Unless you're willing to swim, hopefully you like your boat partner, because you're stuck with them the whole ride. b. Predictive Pools One bathhouse in the Entertainment District has laid an enchantment on one of their semi-public baths for Litha. When two people stand in the water together, bare, it will begin to glow and take on one of a handful of colors that they say will predict the pair's compatibility level! Sexually, romantically? Well, why not both? The only thing is, they've lost the instructions, and cannot seem to remember what color means "most compatible" and what color means "not compatible at all"... As a reminder, all sexual content should be clearly marked in comment headers, or else moved to a comm-locked log or personal inbox! Be good to each other.

Welcome to June's Event Log, What Lies Beneath! The Underground will be open until mid-July at minimum, and possibly longer. Characters can come and go if they're willing to make the trip multiple times. As always, please direct your questions here! The NPC threads will take place here. Aaand, the Action Tracker is right here! Make sure to let us know what your characters have been up to, good and bad, by July 7th, as this will help determine how Mirrorbound-Underground relations might proceed in the future!

Comments

[yesdoubt]

[Momo surveys Sougo again, as if judging the validity of that answer to himself. He could see it being nervous energy, to some degree, but it does seem a little bit off compared to how he's used to seeing that manifest.]

I guess it could be...are you usually this agitated when you're nervous? That was the first impression I got, though I know some people get a bit like that.

[Momo gets energetic when he's nervous, but it tends to be a bit more internalised - rather than pace, he'll more likely sit and shiver and fidget since he worries about disturbing others even in that kind of condition.]

[timenace]

[ Sougo fights the involuntary frown on his face as he crosses his arms at the next set of questioning. Usually he likes Momo's company, but right not the questions aren't entirely welcome.

He'll have to get used to fighting those feelings of agitation that are springing up on him for the next few days though, because there's only one way they're leaving him, and he's got awhile before that goes down. ]

Maybe? I haven't really felt nervous in this kind of way before, but like I said I've never really been this kind of underground in my life.

[ In tunnels, sure, but those are different than giant hollowed out city caves. ]

[yesdoubt]

[It still feels somehow off, but Momo doesn't have much to compare it to in this world, so he tentatively takes it at face value for now. Nonetheless, this probably isn't the place to be burning it off either way.]

Do you want to go somewhere a bit more open, then? I feel like the library probably isn't the best place to be trying to deal with that kind of energy, you know what people can be like about their peace and quiet.

[He gives a slight, encouraging sort of grin. If it's a problem with the underground, maybe going back towards the surface for a bit might help.]

[timenace]

[ Just the mention of heading back out into the crowds has Sougo wincing slightly, which does seem to indicate the fact that he would much rather not go anywhere a bit more open.

He does bow his head just a little though, and offer a hasty apology. ]

I didn't mean to bother you. I can head over there if you're busy.

[ He gestures to another part of the library that looks largely unoccupied... at the moment at least. ]

[yesdoubt]

[This is kind of a familiar playbook to Momo, given how he tends to be about his own problems, so that response just makes him frown a little. He's not going to force him outside if he doesn't want to be, but he doesn't want to be misinterpreted either.]

What I'm doing can wait. You're not bothering me, but you are worrying me, so I want to know if there's a way I can help out. Is there a reason you ended up coming here?

[Might as well start with that, to see if he can suggest somewhere else suitable that's not the library.]

[timenace]

[ Sougo sighs as he turns his head away, not really sure how to explain himself, and not sure he really wants to either. He's felt weird even before coming down into the underground, and the reasonable thing to do would be to seek some help and see if there's a reason for his sudden anxious and irritable feelings, but Sougo has never been good at seeking out help, especially for any emotional struggles he's going through. ]

It just seemed like it would be a little bit quieter, but I guess I'm the one making it not as quiet now.

[ He laughs, and it does sound like his regular laugh, but he's good at faking that. ]

[yesdoubt]

[Momo's faked enough laughs to know that it's not that hard to fake if you're used to it, so he's not necessarily taking it at face value.]

If you're uncomfortable down here and you want somewhere quieter, maybe heading back up towards the surface could help? There shouldn't be as many people on the path since most of us are just hanging around down here at the moment.

[Given the combination of those two points, it seems like the most sensible solution to him, even if it requires going through the noisy people again to get there. Though some of Momo's illusion magic could probably help with that.]

[timenace]

[ It's probably a smart idea, honestly. Though Sougo doesn't know what's going on with him, an explosion in one of the tunnels, for example, could end pretty disastrously.

As it is, he knows something is off about him, but like most things off about himself he's really trying hard to ignore it. His smile shifts into something a little more apologetic at Momo's suggestion. ]

To be honest, I don't really want to head back up so quickly. Besides, I think I'm just having trouble adjusting, but I'm sure I'll get over it eventually.

[ He won't, because it has nothing to do with needing to adjust to his environment at all, and Sougo is even vaguely aware of this fact. ]

[yesdoubt]

[Momo doesn't look very convinced of that, because if there's one thing being in this world a few months has taught him, it's that feeling off might be attributable to any number of decidedly not-harmless things. So he's reluctant to just let Sougo go, but he imagines trying to force him to do anything probably won't go so well either.]

Did your Bondmate come down here with you? Being closer to them might help settle you down. [As he says that and awaits a response, Momo focuses particularly closely on Sougo's face. Momo himself lied about having a Bond for a while after he probably should've gotten one, so he's looking for any tells of a lie depending on the answer he gets.]

[timenace]

[ This is the tricky part in all of it. Sougo is almost tragically good at lying, especially when it comes to obfuscating details of his own suffering, or at the very least does a great job of half truths. It's possible to tell, especially if you know him well, or if you're looking very closely for even the smallest hints of something wrong on his face.

Amazingly his eyes don't waver, but the nervous buzzing energy about him doesn't seem to settle as he tells one of those not full truths. ]

Mmm... no, so I guess that probably won't help me much right now.

[ Or ever, considering he lacks one. ]

I'm sure I'll be fine though.

[yesdoubt]

[The fact that Sougo's weird energy isn't relaxing at all for any part of this conversation has Momo dubious in the first place, so while he doesn't catch any tells around the eyes, the brush-off answer is enough to make him step slightly further on that inquiry.]

Do you actually have a Bondmate or are you still looking for one? ["Have you not been looking for one" would probably be a bit accusatory, but when Sougo's been here as long as him and Momo managed to find one while specifically trying to avoid getting one, it's definitely on his mind. He keeps close watch again, ready to catch anything unusual about the answer with such a deliberate question.]

[timenace]

[ Active avoidance hasn't really been the problem, but it's a pretty personal issue. It's amazing how you can make friends while still not taking that crucial step towards creating a bond if you don't ask for one.

Or even bring up the fact that you might need one.

It's not as if Momo can do much to help him though, considering he's also a Witch.

The question definitely seems to take Sougo by surprise, his eyes getting a little wider, and more telling his extremely brief response giving absolutely no information one way or the other. ]

Eh?

[yesdoubt]

[Even the eye widening is telling enough, but the fact that Sougo didn't seem to anticipate that question at all and that he isn't giving what should be a very easy answer one way or another drives it home. Momo's manner becomes much more serious and grave in an instant, because if this is the line they're going down this could be a very big problem.]

You've been here as long as I have, and I was cutting it fine enough getting a Bond last month. [Not mentioning his familiars - he doesn't want to give Sougo an avenue to grab onto for an easy lie.] If answering that question isn't a "yes" for you by now, you know how much danger you're putting yourself and others in, right? No wonder you feel terrible, but you need to find an outlet quickly.

[A backtracked "yes" at this point isn't going to convince him, because half of picking a lie is someone's reflexive reaction in that moment before they can manufacture something else.]

[timenace]

[ A backtracked yes isn't what he's going to get right now, because Momo's right that Sougo is a danger at the moment. Not just because of the danger of his magic going wrong, but because his emotions are barely contained right now.

The surprise disappears off of his face in an instant, and a look of irritation that Momo probably hasn't come across yet takes its place. Sougo is more than capable of getting angry, but he doesn't usually do it at the drop of a hat like this, and usually his reasons are a lot better than this.

The outlet that Momo means is obviously a Monster to bond with, or at least a familiar to eat up some of his magic, but it's not like Sougo has someone to just walk up to and ask for a Bond for at the moment. ]

If you're worried about being around me then I can leave. I said I would earlier.

[ Well, he said he'd go to another part of the library at least. Regardless, he is now backing away. ]

[yesdoubt]

[Momo is, for better or worse, the kind who will dig his heels in if someone tries to blow him off in this situation unless he has actually overstepped. In this situation, he doesn't consider himself to have done so, so his own expression settles stubbornly, if not with actual irritation such that Sougo has. While he doesn't raise his voice because it's a library and he doesn't want to get kicked out, there's certainly more urgency in his tone that's not common for him.]

I'm not worried about being around you, I'm worried about you! I know how it feels to disregard yourself, but you can't expect everyone around you to do the same thing, especially when your life could be on the line. [The small self-aware part of Momo wonders if this is how other people feel dealing with him, but he's a bit too concerned in the moment to think about that for more than the split second it enters his head.] Let me get you out of the city and maybe we can find a familiar on the way. There's got to be people down here who can do the ceremony.

[Considering what a big deal Bonding is down here. He doesn't quite step over the line of suggesting a local Monster as a stopgap, since it takes his very closest relationships for Momo to start considering using people an option to protect them.]

[timenace]

[ It's for better, and it's a shame that Sougo might be a little past where he needs to be at in order to accept this help. Sougo's stubborn in his own way, but he's not usually one to turn down help when offered.

But things aren't usual for Sougo now, and his thoughts aren't entirely rational. There are leaps being made in his mind that make almost no sense at all, about the implications of throwing in the towel and giving up early (not actually a problem at all, considering it's not like there's an enemy to fight down here, and there aren't tons of Mirrorbounds with more tactful diplomatic skills than he possesses, especially right now).

His smile is tight as he steps away from Momo now. ]

When things wrap up here, then I'll head back up to the surface, and look into things. Until then, I'm sure I'll be fine.

[ It sounds like he's ready to keep repeating that endlessly right now, even if it doesn't seem like it's true. ]

[yesdoubt]

[Even so, Momo doesn't want to let him off, and he looks like he might intend to follow if Sougo tries to ditch on him. He might have to do a bit more than back off to get Momo off his back.] Are you really going to risk that? Even if you're not worried for yourself, this is a small underground city. You don't know what you could do in a worst case scenario.

[He'd been talking to Lady Maria earlier about the kind of damage a well-placed explosion could do down here and how that probably had something to do with how protective they were about their Witches here, but he was absolutely not expecting it to be this immediately relevant.] Let me help you.

[There's a certain finality to his tone, like he's not going to be asking anymore if Sougo turns him down. He definitely wants to save Sougo any suffering that comes from reaching his limit, but this has also crossed the line to potentially endangering others and he is having none of that.]

[timenace]

[ He'll ditch him if he has to, though he doesn't necessarily want it to come to that. There are big enough crowds and winding enough tunnels that losing someone in the Underground shouldn't be that hard.

It's hard for Sougo to maintain composure right now, which is unusual for him, but it is easy for him to lie... which isn't unusual at all.

Even if he's getting annoyed by Momo's tone and words, he doesn't exactly want to snap at a friend, so he takes a deep breath, and forces a weak smile. ]

I'm not planning to do anything, but I get why you're worried. I just...

[ He frowns now, glancing behind him. ]

Let me have some time to myself to get out of here and clear my head first?

[yesdoubt]

[Momo doesn't get any more short with him, at least, but he does arch his brows a bit at that suggestion.]

I know you're out of it, but you were also pretty happy to avoid this problem until I closed the loopholes asking about it. If you leave now I don't really have a guarantee I'm going to be able to find you again. So if you just need to clear your head, I'd feel more comfortable if I could come with you to outside the city and then you can have some time to yourself.

[If he's going to "clear his head" within the city walls then it's not exactly any different to the "it'll probably be fine" take from earlier, which Momo doesn't want to risk.]

[timenace]

[ So Momo is going to make this harder on him, huh? It's still going to be possible for Sougo to lose him. The crowds here can get pretty big, and Sougo is small and surprisingly lithe. He's seen how well Momo can move, but he didn't spend a bunch of time living as a superhero for nothing.

Well, a little bit for nothing considering Momo is right about Sougo putting people in danger here. The problem is that Sougo's mind is not in the right place, and the paranoia has already started to set in.

Hell, after this conversation the idea of allowing Momo to come with him makes his skin feel weirdly itchy and uncomfortable, but he still forces a smile and gives a small nod. ]

I'm not going outside of the city, but you can follow me into it if you want.

[yesdoubt]

So you can lose me? [Momo sounds a little as if Sougo is making this difficult for him as well, but he's stubborn enough to make Sougo have to work for it. Nonetheless, he lets out a long breath to settle his mood for a moment, a hint of worry at his brow that he wouldn't usually let show through.]

Pushing your limits like this is going to go wrong, Sougo. I just don't want something to happen to you, or for you to have to live with something happening to someone else. Isn't it clear enough that you're already on the brink if you're so prepared to put others at risk?

[Sougo never struck him as that kind of person, more the type to keep things to himself for fear of inconveniencing others like Momo himself. So that particular detail is rubbing him very the wrong way.]