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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

[ Terrence was following the tabby cat, because he really has nothing better to do and was wondering where it would go. He's peeking from the corner of an alleyway because he feels like disturbing the scene would be some sort of crime that he would have to answer to. It looks like the guy is enjoying it too, and smiling people are always nice to see.

But the problem with that is, he looks like he's stalking... someone...

Not like he notices right now. Everything about the scene is cute! Except himself. He's not being cute about this. And his head poking out from the corner is totally not conspicuous at all! (no) ]

[ As someone who's been 'trained' to be wary of his surroundings, it doesn't take Mondo long to sense a gaze on his back. Goddamn, can't people just let him rest or something? With heavy heart, he mutters 'wait up' to the little feline friend, taking his hand off her. The giant is now on his full height, standing tall, moving fast towards the source of gaze.

If Terrence chooses to run, he'll run after him. But if Terrence chooses to stay, he'll loom over him, snarling dangerously: ]

What's your problem, aah?!

[ Terrence didn't run off and stayed put, but now that he sees Mondo at his full height, he just gapes in slight awe. He thought he was pretty tall at 180cm, but no, there's someone even taller, even if it's just a few more centimeters. And they're looming over threateningly.

Holy shit. ]

Nothing! I don't have a problem! Nope!

[ He says that hurriedly in a slight panic, which doesn't do well for his usual mouth filter. ]

I was just following the cat! I was gonna go pet it when I found it again, but then I saw you petting it and you looked so happy that I couldn't really go up to bother you because being happy is a great thing and--

[ He finally stops himself from rambling and just looks at Mondo all wide-eyed. ]

Please don't hit me.

[ The menacing look he’s sporting doesn’t stay for long. The more he listens to what the other had to say, the wider his mouth gapes. Who, he? Looked happy??? NONSENSE!!! ]

Aaah?!

[ Don’t mind him going overly loud here, it’s his pathetic attempt to distract the other from his burning cheeks. ]

Shit, don’t say it like it like I punch people for a hobby! Look, I ain’t gonna jab ya in the face... [ He leans closer, pompadour inevitably tickling the other’s fringe as his voice drops a few tones lower. ] ...if ya forget what ya saw.

[ And that’s not a negotiation.

Well, alternatively there’s an option to knock him out hard he’d forget when it comes to it. ]

[ Thankfully, what's left of his mouth filter prevents him from saying something incredibly stupid for this situation such as calling Mondo out for needing to keep his tough guy image. Not that there's anything wrong with that! But Terry thinks that he doesn't really... need to... if it makes him happy...

But then. Well.

It doesn't sound like negotiations are happening. He was already knocked out by having someone slap his face super hard... he'd prefer not to have his face damaged so much in the same week. So to be compliant, he slowly nods. ]

I... won't say a word! Not even dying will get that out of me. I promise!

[ Excuse you?! He’s not keeping a tough guy image! He’s a TOUGH GUY™️ period!!!!11 ~~Of course I had to typo that as tough gay~~ ]

Good. [ He’ll let you off the hook... for the most part. ] Anyway. Ya got anything on ya right now?

[ IS THIS EXTORTION maybe it is ]

[ He's very thankful that his face gets to be untouched for another day (for now) and almost sighs out of relief.

The possibility of this being an extortion completely flies over his head, because he stands there with a confused look on his face. ]

Like what? Money? Do you need food?

Not me. Her.

[ He points behind him with his thumb at the tabby kitten that still is looking at them expectantly. ]

I’ve got a bit of money, but I dunno where to buy shit for cats. You know anythin’?

[ So it's a girl cat. Good to know! Terry thinks back on the times when he played with stray cats too and what his friend told him. ]

There's a farmer's market not too far from here! Cats usually eat meat, so cooked chicken or beef should be fine. They often have liver problems, I think, so they need to drink lots of water. And uh...

[ He was thinking too much about cats that had homes. Regearing his thoughts to strays-- ] Wait, don't stray cats usually take care of mice and stuff around the area?

—Aah?! You’re gonna make her hunt for her own food when she looks at you like that?!?

[ LOOK AT HER. He’s gesturing, a little more than necessary, but really now?!

He walks back to the tabby kitten, squatting back down. ]

You wanna come along, lil’ fella? Let’s getcha somethin’ to eat.

[ As if a discussion happened between the boy and the feline, Mondo nods and gets back to his feet yet again, now walking towards the other. ]

Oi, come with us. Show us the way.

[ So condescending?! ]

[ It's at this moment when Terry can confirm that... yup, this tough guy has a soft spot for animals. He 100% believes it. Mondo looks like he means well though, so it won't hurt to lead them to the farmer's market. The way Mondo talked to the cat was pretty endearing, but he wants to keep his teeth, so he'll keep that to himself.

He figures that there isn't a way to persuade him that cats are ferocious, no matter what they look like. ]

Sure thing! Let's see... [ He takes a quick look around the area to situate himself in his mental map of the town and points at a direction. ] Should be fastest that way. Let's go!

[ A thought crosses his mind and he hesitates on asking as they walk along, but decides to ask anyway. ]

So if you see any more cute cats, are you gonna feed them all?

[ Look, Mondo’s a thoroughly dog person, let him learn the hard way... Anyway, even if weird and maybe kinda creepy, this guy’s giving a relatively good impression to him for being pretty useful, so he’s gonna follow him now... cautiously.

That’s... a very good question, though. He hasn’t thought about that yet. ]

Well, shit. I dunno... I’ll figure it out when it happens. What, you’ve got a heart to just leave them there watchin’ ya?!

[ You can't hug all the cats, Mondo... ]

Ah, well... if they look like they're starving, I'd feed them! But if they're not, then maybe they just like food. I knew some stray cats that were incredibly round because the people in the area kept feeding it. They were seriously big, and super round. [ He makes a gesture with both hands, making a circle in the air to tell Mondo just how big they were.

Just as he said, it doesn't take long for them to get the farmer's market. There seems to be a lot of fresh produce around, waiting to be bought and turned into a delicious meal. There's a deli section in the back where they handle the dairy and the meat. Seems pretty sanitary too. ]

[ IS THAT A CHALLENGE

Boy if he heard that he'd make that his life mission. YOU CAN'T TELL HIM WHAT HE CAN (OR NOT) DO!!!111 ]

Y're sayin' ya know how ta tell when they're starvin'?! [ He'll be pretty impressed if that's the case. ] I've never had a cat, but... [ Gestures to the tabby, askin him to LOOK at her ー she seems... hopeful to him. She's following them all the way here, too!! ]

Whoa, they've got a buncha stuff here, huh?

[ He intently stares at the wide selection of meat, thoughtful. ]

Chicken sounds good, don'cha think? [ Spotting a display of chicken heads ready to be cooked, he frowns. ] What kinda sick bastard eats that?

It's kinda like looking at a person and how you can tell if they're hungry or not. Uh... mannerisms or something. [ It just makes sense in his head and glances down at the tabby cat. It's cute, but it's probably done this a lot of times to swindle food from strangers. Not that it's some kind of evil act, but Terry wouldn't doubt it if that happened.

He looks over at the chicken head and... well, he's not well versed in that kind of cooking, so he has no idea. ]

... Maybe rich people? They like eating some weird stuff.

Huh.

[ Mannerisms? The wrinkles between his brows deepen. He kinda gets where the guy's coming from, but people are so much easier to read. Not that Mondo's exceptionally good at it, but every time he looks at their round eyes, he just... wants to give everything to them. He's definitely the kind of pet owner with spoiling tendencies.

He picks up a package of chicken breast, then looks at the other. ]

I take it yer experienced?

[ He scoffs at the response he didn't expect getting on his off-handed comment. That's an opinion he can get behind. Though, he gotta admit he can't really picture a certain rich bastard he used to know eating chicken heads. That in itself will be a hilarious image. ]

Right. Like the-- what's that called? Goose liver. Uh, fo... fo... something. Heard they're real expensive tho' it's just this big. [ He uses his thumb and index finger to illustrate the size. ]

I go over to my friend's house a lot and he has like... 4 cats with all different personalities. He sometimes plays with the strays that lurk around his house too. A little too much, I guess... so most of the stuff I know was from my friend.

[ It's surprising how much information gets stuck to his Terry's head, considering it doesn't tend to stick for long unless it's been beaten into his head. Perhaps it was just that common. Life as having a friend who's a cat fanatic does that to people, apparently. ]

I wouldn't say that I'm experienced, but it's just stuff I found out. That's all!

[ While he's been talking to Mondo about cats, he's been trying to figure out what the goose liver thing was, and it takes him a moment while looking at the chicken head again to figure out what it is, shown by an enlightened expression on his face. ]

--Oh! You mean foie gras? Are they that expensive? I heard that it was a luxury food, but it's banned where I'm from so I don't really hear about it much.

Heeh... guess that's just how it is. You know stuff when you're around 'em so much. [ Mondo crouches a bit when the tabby starts scratching his ankle, trying to climb up him. He lets her go up his arm, propping up another hand to support her back. ] I've only had dogs, so I don't really get cats still. [ The tabby mewls, and his heart melts. Also maybe his face for a split sec, please ignore. ] ...But they're pretty cute too.

[ Now that she's on a high perch, she can see so many things! Curiosity glints in her eyes, and there's no way she can just stay still. Stretching her paw, she starts poking Terrence on the shoulder. Sup, human. ]

Yeah!! That, that!! [ Wow, volume. Tabby (temporary name) whines at his loudness, to which he responds with a soft 'my bad!'. ] ...Well, that's what I heard, at least. Never seen one in my life, just heard of it.

[ Banned, eh? 'Cuz they're internal organs? ]

What's it like? The place you're from.

[ He's not gonna assume they come from the same world at this point, having already met... well, so many creatures in Wonderland. ]

I think dogs and cats are both pretty nice! They're cute and have their own little ways of life.

[ He tries so hard not to remark on anything about Mondo's expression when he gets the cat up. He promised, so he'll keep his mouth shut about it. He thinks that the rich people have their own little ways of life too, quirky even. Them and their fancy foie gras lunches and money. He supposes it's not all that important here either.

When Mondo asks the question though, Terry blinks. He's no stranger to the concept of world traveling, but it doesn't come to mind with Mondo's question. He just thinks he's asking about his hometown. If he has to tell the truth, it sounds complicated, but that's also not what he's really on his mind right now. What he's actually thinking is-- ]

Is it hard to tell?

[ He asks in a completely serious tone. No rhetorics, no condescending tone--just a straight up serious question. ]

[ Good going, Terrence! People who keep promises are on the right track to get into Mondo's good book. He nods in agreement about dogs and cats ー he's still a dog person at the core, but he has learned to adore cats too.

To the question launched at his question, though, he can't help responding pretty roughly. Because.... he doesn't get it. ]

Aah? How am I supposed ta know? I mean, you're deffo not from my country...

[ But he's not trying to pick a fight here. ]

Well, ya don't hafta tell me if ya don't wanna.

It's okay! I was just curious.

[ The stupid smile comes back on his face as he scans the available types of chicken beyond the glass wall. He ponders on the best way to say this in the most simple manner for a second or two. ]

I was last in America!

[ He's not aware that it's a strange way to word it, but that's what he's rolling with. ]

Oh, that type of chicken looks good. How about that one? [ He points to one of them on display. Of course, without the chicken head. ]

.....

[ Well, that reaction sure bugs him, but he’s already said the guy doesn’t need to say if he doesn’t want to, so... no take backs. Mondo decides to get on with the conversation, humming in response as the hand supporting Tabby begins running her fur. ]

Huh, so America bans fo... foragura? [ He’s trying. ] Didn’t know that. So ya travel a lot, or somethin’?

[ Since the guy said ‘last’, surely he’s been somewhere else! Dang, Mondo’s kind of envious, though. Like many other Japanese, he does see America as the land of dreams — it’s the land of the free, after all. Just saying ‘I’ve been to America’ is such a status, too. ]

Ah. Yer right.

[ With a chicken that big, he surely can feed both him and Tabby. Not that... he knows how. He’ll improvise!! Then again, there’s another major problem: ]

Where you livin’ right now, got a kitchen?

Foie gras! [ He repeats with ease. Though if he's asked to spell it, he probably wouldn't be able to since he only heard it spoken. ] I don't travel a lot, but sometimes I went on road trips whenever my friends wanted to go. Never really left the country though.

[ It was a pretty good conversation, until Mondo asks that question. He pauses and then turns to look at him all wide-eyed (this face should be familiar to Mondo by now). ]

I thought you had access to a stove already because I mentioned cooked meat...!

Yeah... that. [ He’s not even gonna try?! ] Hah? [ Not really getting it... ] But y’said you were last in America...?

[ Well, yeah, Mondo’s been thinking that the guy has a wide range of expressions by now. Anyway, look, he wasn’t thinking that far!! ]

I wasn’t thinking that far!!

[ Don’t say it so honestly!! ]

You talk like you know a lot [ About cats. ] so, y’know... [ Incoherent mumble goes here. ] ...I thought you cook!

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