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July Intro Log

INTRO LOG

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"Persona, Persona, please come here."

→ I.

The words linger in the back of your mind, but whether it’s your own thoughts or somebody else’s, ceases to matter in light of more pressing things. For one: actual light, mid-summer daylight streaming down upon your face, dust in the air glowing almost golden. Next to your hand lies a cloth omamori, each character’s a different color but all bordered with gold thread, a little black bird stitched in one corner, and… at the bottom...

It is your preferred name, along with another word. For those familiar with tarot, they may recognize it as one of the major arcana. Regardless, it seems to be meant for you, so it might be a good idea to hang onto it.

Looking around, all around you are broken stone pillars and crumbling walls, a spiral staircase that leads to an upper floor that has partially caved in, requiring a bit of a leap to make it to the top. From the outside, the structure looks like a castle, situated in a clearing otherwise surrounded by forest. From the inside, it appears as if no person has been here for a long time. Birds have made their nests in the upper story, eggshells scattered across the floor, and sticks and straw breaking off the nests in the dry summer heat. The occasional woodland animal can be found around the castle, skittish and quick to flee upon approach, but there are also several cats who seem to have no fear for strangers, rubbing against your ankles and padding off again unless you have food to bribe them to stay.

There is also a bear in deep sleep, in the middle of the main hall all characters awake in. Please do not disturb, or you may find yourself in the middle of a bear attack, completely disconnected from any special powers or abilities you may have. Curiously, any injuries you might remember last having seem to be in the process of healing, though by varying degrees, and maybe we shouldn’t undo that! There isn’t a hospital out here in the middle of nowhere, after all. You’ll have to venture out of the castle in search for help like that.

→ II.

A field of dry grass forms the clearing around the castle, with two paths on opposite sides leading into the forest:

A stone path, though broken up and partially buried in the dirt, will lead you out of the forest and towards the town, given you don’t wander off the path to be lost in the woods. But it’s alright if you do! If you keep wandering the forest, you may eventually come across the mountains. And if mountains aren’t an obvious enough sign you should turn back, you can continue through the short mountain range to find yourself back inside the forest; keep on going and eventually you’ll arrive at the opposite side of town. It’s the long way around, but you’ll make it either way.

The road less traveled, however, is one of just dirt, a narrow path that’s been cleared away but after all this time, the weeds have started encroaching again on both sides to reclaim the space. Following this path will take you to a set of stairs, dusty and crumbling but sound enough that you can climb it to the top and find a shrine. A fox yaps at you, and ducks away into the trees behind the shrine. The place could really use some cleaning up, from having the steps swept, to the water in the basin being changed out, to fixing up the sign stating what deity is worshipped here— it’s been broken apart, the name seared off the surface of the rotting wood. Who knows what it used to say…? There doesn’t seem to be anybody around at the shrine, nor anywhere in the forest.

→ III.

Civilization can finally be found in the town, but the people here just look at you curiously, unsure of what you’re talking about if asked about how you got here, and laughing a little when you inquire about the town, though happy enough to talk about their home. ...That’s strange, though? The language spoken here is Japanese, what sounds like an older dialect, and regardless of what you’re used to speaking, you find that you can speak and understand the language here without trouble. How convenient!

While much of the townspeople are bustling around in the mid-day, there are still others more than willing to show you around, or to point you in the right direction if you’d rather wander and explore on your own. Even if you feel like you don’t need a guide, there are plenty of stray cats loitering around the town more than happy to escort you wherever you go. For those who are injured, the walk-in clinic at the hospital has its doors open to treat anybody who needs tending to, for a small fee. Don’t have money? The townspeople are more than happy to hire you on, especially with what seems to be preparation for a festival to be held at the school at the end of the month. The students in the school are also eager to receive what help they can get, building sets, figuring out menus, or creating enough decorations to cover the school twice over.

Whether it’s cooking, mending, delivering, or something else, there’s a variety of odd jobs to be done, and the extra pocket money will serve to be helpful, especially once night falls. The temperature will dip overnight, a dense field of stars covering the sky like a blanket when the sun sets and the moon takes its place, but it’s warm enough in the summer that camping outside is a viable option for those who are used to sleeping outside or want to save money. No worries keeping warm without blankets, either; there’s a good chance a stray cat will wander by and sleep on your face. The inn, rumors have it, is haunted… but it may be the cheapest option if you want a roof over your head and not a broken castle or a cat.

Mod notes:

⬥ There is no Lockdown period for the first week, and as such, Personas cannot be accessed until week 2
⬥ A new post will go up detailing the Lockdown period and Persona summoning process next week, but this post may be used for threads taking place throughout the month
⬥ The name on the character’s omamori is up to player discretion, whether it’s the character’s full name, first or last name, or nickname
⬥ Please see the locations page for visuals and more details about the setting

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Aah?

[ Oh whoops he accidentally rammed his corncob to your forehead. Sorry not sorry. Not his fault you called out to him so suddenly. ]

.....

[ He's just gonna accept that plate of curry rice without acknowledging the drilling, all the while glaring at the other. ]

What's it to ya?

[ There's absolutely no need to get confrontational here, but frustration has admittedly been building up the past few days, and he's hangry. Sorry Akira. ]

[Whap.]

[ ... ]

[Mondo's confrontational attitude is met with a hard stare — Akira's already too defensive to just accept something like that. And when he speaks again, his voice is quiet but tense.]

I'm trying to find out if you're a local, or if you came here from the woods.

[He knows that kind of outfit, and it's not the sort of thing you see too often out in the boonies.]

Edited 2019-07-02 18:18 (UTC)

[ He raises an eyebrow at the statement. ...Ah. ]

So you ain’t from here too.

[ Everyone else in the town seems so friendly and accepting it’s kind of creepy, it’s easier to weed out the ‘outsiders’. While he’s not dropping the attitude entirely just yet, he is aware that there’s no point making enemies with someone in the same boat. ]

Guess you’ve got one of these things too?

[ He raises his wrist to show off the amulet that’s tied there. Depending on how good Akira’s eyesight with the glasses, he might be able to catch the text on it, which says “Oowada Chariot”. ]

[Now that he has confirmation that this guy is a potential ally and not just some random local asshole, Akira backs off a bit too. The glasses actually do something in this instance; apparently this Oowada person is Chariot.]

[...It checks out.]

That's right. Mine says Fool.

[A quick look around tells him that no one else is demanding sustenance right now, so he figures he can stop and talk to Oowada.]

I'm Akira Kurusu. Good to meet you.

[ He blinks. That reminds me of a few days ago when someone asks him if ‘he’s a fool too’. So... what, are these supposed to be groups or somethin’? What’re they even based on? Mondo frowns. ‘Fool’ and ‘Chariot’ don’t seem to have any links whatsoever. ]

Got any idea what these stuff are? Mine’s Chariot.

[ On the introduction, he returns the gesture — it’s common sense to name yourself when the other party does. ]

...Mondo Oowada. How long ya been ‘round here?

Chariot...

[Akira pretends to think about this for a moment, and then he raises his eyebrows behind the glasses.]

Well, Chariot and Fool are both tarot cards, right? I've only been here for a day or two, but this doesn't seem like the kind of place where the locals would... you know, care about that.

[Ordinarily he's not too concerned with speaking frankly about the countryside mentality, but being back in it makes him feel a bit strange.]

Tarot cards?

[ Mondo stares at his amulet, then Kurusu’s. Well, it sure feels like he’s heard of tarot cards before, but he’s never really been interested in them. In that way, he can sorta relate with the locals. ]

You know anything about it? What they do? It’s like card game or somethin’?

You're supposed to use them to read fortunes.

[Akira shrugs, again pretending that his life has been less relentlessly intertwined with these cards than it has. And that he doesn't know off the top of his head what Chariot or Fool would look like in a person, both according to Chihaya's books and whatever power assigns Personas.]

I have a friend in Tokyo who sells tarot readings, so she talks about them pretty often.

[ Ahhh. So that’s what those shady as fuck people use. ]

Huh. You believe in those?

[ Sure doesn’t really look like the type, though. Mondo’s impression, anyway.

As they continue talking, the smell of the curry rice he’s holding wafts, distracting him just a little — if Kurusu pays close attention, he’ll catch Mondo glancing towards his own plate for a sec, wetting his lips subconsciously. ]

I've seen enough weird shit in my life that it wouldn't surprise me if they were true.

[Yeah. That's a nice way to put it. But Akira does notice him looking down, and glances at the clock.]

I think the line is just about to close. You should sit down and eat, and if you want I'll join you again after I get mine.

...Have ya?

[ Oh. Mondo thought he'd never ask. ]

Sounds good.

[ He'll find a table for two then, sitting himself there. As much as he thinks tarot cards are bullshit and that he's dubious about it, he feels that it's worth hearing out whatever Kurusu has to say. After all, people who wear glasses are usually the smart type, aren't they? (No...) ]

[Listen. Akira was assuming he would just head off on his own.]

[But he does do his part to cover up the remaining food, take a small serving for himself, and do a quick bit of cleaning. He's able to get away in about fifteen minutes, albeit with a promise that he'll come back later and a strange look from his supervisor.]

[So, Akira shows up with his own plate, generously filled with curry.]

Hey again.

Where were we, tarot cards?

[ It's just The Mondo Way to blame it to someone else. You'll get used to it, Akira.

Mondo takes a glance at the other's plate, a little longer than he normally would as that's not the portion that he expected this lanky person will eat. ]

...Tarot cards. You also said you've seen lotsa weird things. Like what?

[ Maybe... just maybe, this guy's been to another world, just like him. ]

[Yeah, well, surprise. No one who gets as far as Akira did in the Big Bang Challenge eats like a bird.]

[At the second question, he sighs.]

It's going to sound absurd and pretty messed up, no matter how I put it.

Do you still want to know?

Yeah, shoot.

[ Honestly, after all he's seen, he doubts he'll get surprised by anything at this point. ]

[Sigh. Might as well just get it all out at once, though Akira looks like he's already bracing for some bullshit.]

Do you want the part where I spent a year hopping between the real world and a mindscape made up of the collective consciousness, or the part where I got dropped in a psychological experiment and told to kill a bunch of strangers to get out?

[His tone at the end is bitter.]

[ When Mondo hears the first option, he's got a couple of questions ready because of how familiar that sounded, but once he heard the second one-- ]

Don't tell me... were you in the Hope's Peak too?!

[ --everything just drops. ]

[Hope's... What?]

Where we were didn't have a name.

[At least sixty alarm bells are going off inside, but Akira pushes through them for now. He's leaning a bit over the table, staring intensely at Mondo.]

Are you telling me that sounded familiar?

You're sayin' they're pulling that kinda shit somewhere else too?! What the fuck...

[ It's not the kind of talk they should be having over curry, but here they are. Mondo can't believe this.

He needs a moment to take a breather, before answering the question: ]

...Yeah. [ More than familiar, even. ] "You can only get out if you kill someone without getting caught". You'd think it's a joke but people die for real. [ He looks at the glasses dude. ] Guess it's the same on your side?

Sort of.

[Akira takes a spoonful of curry with one hand, to buy himself time before talking again. The other hand is winding anxiously into his hair.]

It was explained to us as an experiment.

We were participating against our will... they were probably trying to test people's responses under extreme stress, or something. [He sounds utterly disgusted. Like he's half convinced they were just doing it to stroke their own evil boner.] At first we all had to vote for groups or individuals to kill, and there was no way out of that, but we never saw them die. Later, they just turned us loose on each other and told us to kill before time ran out, or everyone died.

[Beneath the glasses, his expression is heavily guarded, and he's looking down at his food instead of Mondo.]

[ The curry that was tasty a few seconds ago suddenly is tasteless. There seems to be a lot of logic in that, and it definitely can be applied to the he was in, even if the experience isn't 100% identical.

There are many things Mondo wants to ask, but at the same time, none. He feels like hearing about it will just make him feel worse. Even if Kurusu were to have killed someone, he wouldn't have any rights to judge. He stops digging into his curry, hand holding the spoon's just hanging in the air. ]

Goddammit! What kinda sick joke's that?! They're just doin' it for experiment?! [ He rubs his face roughly with his free hand... and stops promptly when he finally processes Kurusu's words. ] ーWait, you said you never saw them dead? Whaddya mean?

We never saw them die at first.

If you ask me, they were trying to remove the bad experience of seeing the people you killed, to coerce more people into murder. Makes the pill easier to swallow.

...Of course, soon enough they started making us choose who to save and who to let die.

...Then we had to kill each other ourselves.

[He's still eating the curry, actually, though taking slower bites. Akira's never been one to turn down food put in front of him, and it helps him focus on something other than what's coming out of his mouth.]

Edited 2019-07-22 01:54 (UTC)

What the flipping fuck... That's so fucked up...

[ Please pardon him, he doesn't have a wide range of vocabulary. He's just holding his forehead with his free hand, trying to refrain from it hitting the desk. God fucking dammit, the hell's wrong with these freaks?! Manipulating the heck out of people for the sake of 'research'... fuck that shit!

The tight grip on his spoon loosens, he puts it down as he slumps back to his seat. ]

The world must've gone crazy. Here I thought we were the only ones... You're the third person I've met who'd been involved with this shit they call 'killing game'.

[Akira just nods, because no matter how eloquently it's put, he's right. That shit's fucked. But Mondo's last statement really seems to draw his attention.]

...Really?

[His tone is still heavily guarded, but he starts to focus back on Mondo instead of the food.]

There's some other survivors from that experiment around this town. Did you meet them?

[ That gets Mondo looking back at Kurusu. ]

...There is? [ Mondo shrugs. ] Nah, at least not that I know of. The people I mentioned weren't here. It was at... this other place I was at.

[ He doesn't know how to even start describing it, but he'll try. ]

It was some kinda different universe, they said it was based on Alice in Wonderland. We were stuck in this hugeass mansion, where some kinda 'event' happens every month. Sometimes you gotta try to survive, sometimes it's just some crazy weird shit happenin'...

[ That reminds me of what he wanted to ask Kurusu before the killing game took over their topic. ]

...There was one that sounded similar to what ya said earlier. Ya, uh. Sorta go inside someone's head.

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→ I.

→ II.

→ III.

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