July Intro Log

[citta]

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

Comments

[trabryu]

[ Mondo's jaw drops at that statement, the look in his eyes says something along the lines of 'that's right!'. ]

Aight, my bad. Let's negotiate, then. [ Still with both hands on Terry's shoulders. ] Tell me, what's your terms?

[ Ah, they're getting further and further, to the deeper sea... ]

[overstrain]

[ Terry's just in his own delusions here, and he definitely thinks a proposal out of nowhere is going EXTREMELY FAST. Though, his only experience is from the media and dealing with... his original's ex (it's complicated), and those are not really good examples to go by. He thinks he can meme a little bit to lessen the tension he feels, so-- ]

You have to buy me dinner first. Then I'll... I'll think about it.

[ ...

Yeah. That's the best he got. He sounds completely serious too. If it was a real proposal, he'd probably be rejected. ]

[trabryu]

Hah! The hell's that, thought you said you ain't easy?

[ He raises an eyebrow, grinning wide. ]

Sure, dinner's on me. So you'll cook for me in the morning...?

[ W o r d i n g . ]

[overstrain]

[ Did an old meme not deter Mondo?! (It's 2029 for him, so yeah it's hella old in his perspective) Then again, he's not sure what time frame he's from. Wait, THAT DOESN'T MATTER. HE AGREED SO EASILY. Terry feels like his soul is escaping with what Mondo says next. Cooking for someone in the next morning has implications that Terry can't ignore, and this time, his face turns really red up to his ears. ]

Wait! Wait a minute!

[ He says that, but he has no idea what to say next, so he just ends up being a quiet tomato. ]

[trabryu]

[ Mondo's getting more and more confused at Terry's "exaggerated" reactions. ]

Ah? [ Hold up. ] Why're you turning so goddamn red?! What didja put in your chicken?

[ Mondo will tear off a small piece to try it with his free hand, and... ] 's normal. The hell? You've got some allergy?

[ Are we gonna shoujo 101 cliche it up... ]

[overstrain]

Isn't it obvious--nothing?! I don't have an allergy!

[ This probably would have been come confusing shoujo stuff, complete with bubbles in the background, but it's time to end the charade. It's time for Terry to blurt things out again. ]

You just proposed to me and then said you wanted "breakfast in the morning after"! I don't know what to say to that! We just met today!!

[trabryu]

[ Ok one sec. Mondo's listening but not following. ]

Hah?

[ "You just proposed to me and then said you wanted "breakfast in the morning after"!" Slowly, he tries to repeat what Terry said, word for word. It's supposed to be Japanese, but it feels like he's trying to catch a foreign language. ]

Hah?

[ Who proposed to Terry? He did??? And breakfast in the morning after is-- ]

Haaaaahh????

[ Cue raining on Terry's face. ]

How in the fuckin' universe your thoughts could go there?! It don't mean anything but I wanna eat your cooking!! That's all!!

[ Lia is finally done with her meal, watching them all "you're not done yet?" because god, humans are truly foolish beings. ]

[overstrain]

I guess it does in mine?! [ That's not the point, Terry, but he sure does want the ground to swallow him whole right now. He's immensely embarrassed and he just... covers his face in his hands after a quick wipe because lol mondo

The redness doesn't look like it's fading anytime soon either......... Lia, Terry is sorry for this scene. He's so ashamed. ]

[trabryu]

[ Looking at how embarrassed Terry is, Mondo can't help but burst into roaring laughter.

And it lasts for quite a while. ]

The hell, Terry?! I can see smoke comin' out of your head!

[ The laughter then subsides, followed by a sigh. ]

I mean, there is that kinda saying, but... I dunno, that's weird, right?

[ In like. Many ways. ]

[overstrain]

Huh?

[ His embarrassment gradually subsides and he looks over at Mondo after finally getting his hands away from his face. ]

What's weird?

[trabryu]

Huh? Well, two guys, y'know...

[ His words taper off the moment he catches himself.

Shit, he did it again. He thought he'd learned from the time he had the talk with Max. Despite the things he's said to her then, deep inside there's a part of him that hasn't fully understood it yet. There's nothing wrong, or weird about it now, is there? Why is he saying all these stuff still? ]

...My bad, forget I said anythin'.

[ He puts a hand up, feeling like he can't see Terry in the eyes now. Guilty conscience. ]

[overstrain]

[ The thing is, Terry doesn't fully understand why Mondo is being like this. He's never really been oppressed for this sort of thing, so it just flies over his head. Though he does understand that Mondo seems to be feeling bad for whatever reason, so he gently grabs Lia by her sides and boops her nose with Mondo's.

Lia probably sneezed when that happened, but. You know. It's usually the thought that counts. ]

[trabryu]

[ And that's probably for the better, for now. It's Mondo's homework to think it off, not for someone else to easily resolve it for him.

It'll be a lie if what Terry did doesn't lift him up at all, though. Mondo accepts it, sneezes and all. Despite his constant blunders, people always seem to have his back in some ways and another that he doesn't quite deserve. ]

Wellー it sure is weird to think that we've just known each other a few hours ago, tho'. Sure doesn't feel like that. [ Mondo looks at Terry, with the faintest hint of smile that isn't a silly grin or a cocky smirk. ] Thanks, man.

[overstrain]

Sure thing!

[ There's a large grin on his face in return and he puts Lia down. She really had to watch all this unfold, huh... Well, to Terry, it certainly doesn't feel like they just met a few hours ago. ]

Also, I'll cook for you--not every day, but every other day--and if you have the ingredients. Just let me know where you're gonna be.

... And I still want that dinner. [ lol ]

[trabryu]

[ Mondo runs his fingers on Lia's tiny head. You have worked hard judging them, Lia... ]

Seriously?!

[ Someone's eyes just shine bright like a diamond. ]

Leave it to me. You've got it.

[ That's settled, then. Mondo sits back now that they're not at the peak of confusion anymore, looking around-- that's when he remembers that they're not quite done with their meal. ]

By the way, I forgot I wanted to ask this earlierー why d'ya carry knife with ya?

[ For some reason, maybe because of the way Terry presents himself, it's more of a curiosity than suspicion that Mondo feels. ]

[overstrain]

[ If Mondo is happy, then Terry feels happy too. Seeing people genuinely smile is great, and it's something he will never get tired of. Terry goes back to eating his portion of the chicken until Mondo asks the question, then his eyes shift over to where the small kitchen knife is by his side. ]

It makes it easier to cut hot food. Ripping it apart with my hands can get really messy and I might tear a part that I'm not supposed to. Not to mention I would probably burn my hands when getting it straight out of the fire.

[ It's a pretty simple and standard answer. ]

Oh, and it's because I don't have anywhere to put it other than on me.

[trabryu]

[ So does Mondo, finishing off his drumstick without mercy. No meat gets left behind!! ]

Huh. 's like you're some cook or somethin'.

[ And it's useful for a lot of things, too, like... Uh. Wait. ]

...You're not usin' that for other things than cooking, right?

[overstrain]

Huh?

[ He is nibbling on a chicken wing and he swallows whatever meat he chewed off it while pondering on what he means by that. ]

You mean like sliding it into a crack of the door to unlock it? I heard about that, but I don't think that's easy to do.

[trabryu]

[ Terry........ ]

Why the hell d'ya always think of the randomest shit?! No! I just wanna know if that's clean.

[ Look... It's Terry. He needs to be sure. ]

[overstrain]

Is it really that random? I thought it was common!

[ Terry looks completely serious about it too. 2029 is a wild year. ]

And of course I clean the knife! It wouldn't be good if I didn't.

[trabryu]

What kinda world did you come from, Terry...

[ He's looking at you with Worry now. It might sound rhetorical, but he does genuinely want to know. Maybe it'll make sense why Terry is Like This. ]

[overstrain]

What kind of world?

[ He thinks about this for a bit. He thinks his world his pretty normal barring demigods and other supernatural things that clash every now and then, but. Hm. What actually counts as normal for everyone else...?

He can't think of anything. ]

Can you ask me a more specific question? I'm not sure how to answer that...

[trabryu]

[ What's normal, indeed.

The place Mondo originally came used to be, well, peaceful until that fuckin' bear came along. He also went to a different world where life-threatening events happening every month is a thing. Even then, he wouldn't think of using knives that way. It'd make more sense for him if Terry said murder or something. ]

You sayin' that common is like sayin' breakin' into places is normal. Or escapin', I dunno.

[overstrain]

Oh.

[ Well, then that makes it easier. ]

Not sure about the world in general, but there's higher crime rate overall than it was ten years ago. Those kinds of areas were usually like... cities that had colleges and universities in them, but now they're everywhere.

[trabryu]

[ ...Right. Time. Mondo's nearly forgotten about how they possibly come from entirely different time in their 'real' universe. That was how the people in Wonderland were. Not that it really matters for him. ]

That's why you said it's common? [ Mondo sighs. ] ...And? Were you safe from all that?

[ If only Mondo knew what was going on back home, outside that school. ]