Fighting For Your Life!

[strangerpeople]

WELL SH*IKSSHSH*

[The first thing you feel when you finally come to is a headache.

The bad thing is that it's not even a painful headache - it's one of those annoying headaches that's just below the threshold of pain, and it's centered right in the middle of your forehead. Just...ugh. Where's the aspirin?

For that matter, actually, where are you? This is not your beautiful house! In fact, as get out of your bed, you realize this place isn't even remotely a home. And whatever you're wearing isn't even remotely what you recall wearing. (I mean, yeah, it's not uncomfortable, and whoever dressed you was kind enough to make sure you had underwear on, I suppose. That's one less thing to worry about, right?)

Also, you have a weird wrist...watch...comm...thing on you, which is nice. Or at least it would be, if it and every other computer in the place didn't suddenly start making the second most ungodly noise you will no doubt come to hear in this place. The noise is followed by a a message on every desktop in the area, which won't be disappearing any time soon. Thankfully, your nifty wristwatch comm is spared this unavoidable screen, and tapping a button let's it disappear to reveal a simple profile interface, alongside a a text, calling, and photo function. Something tells you those latter two won't be particularly useful to you in the long run.

In any case, apparently you now have a Title, as well as a power, even if you've never had one before. Why? Where the hell are you? Who else is with you? Can you get out?

And...is someone laughing? The sound seems to bounce off and echo faintly throughout the floors. It's high-pitched, and - as you get closer to the theater - it gets just a little louder and just a little more grating. It sounds like a rabid hyena that huffed helium. Hopefully, it's just a movie or something that can be turned off. Someone ought to go in and do that.

In the meantime, welcome, Titled - and good luck.

There are fifteen strangers in this place.]


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Comments

[beguiledcard]

[ This isn't the first time Akira's awakened in a strange place.

And his first thought, upon it fully sinking in that he's in yet another strange place, is that he must be in some kind of purgatory maybe. They all died, right? Yotsuyu unleashed that attack on everyone, and then... nothing. There was literally nothing for a moment.

In any case, after searching his memories a bit more, it dawns on him that there's something wrong again. Very... very wrong.

He looks over to the person stumbling out of bed, and his mouth opens to say something - maybe... ask if he's all right, there - only to be interrupted by a sound (that's doing nothing to help with the headache). And to say Akira's pissed after reading what's on their bedroom computer? Well, that would just be an understatement. He's outright glaring at the screen, eyes widened a bit, hand curling into a briefly trembling fist.

He's probably fine, though. ]

[crouching_sin]

[Naoya glances at the other person, his posture slightly defensive, though it's hard to tell in the suits. The wording on the screens gets ignored for a moment. Deal with the problem at hand first.]

Who are you?

[beguiledcard]

[ It takes a moment for him to focus on taking deep breaths, gathering some composure, and just... focusing on this stranger. Just pull it together, Kurusu.

Really, he's done this song and dance before, and it won't go like last time. He'll make sure of that.

With a slow, discreetly deep breath, he turns to face his roommate(? He's assuming that's the case, anyway). ]

Akira Kurusu. And you?

[crouching_sin]

Naoya. I'd say it's good to meet you, but I don't think any of this situation looks 'good'. Unless you have some idea as to what's going on?

[beguiledcard]

[ There are about three different kinds of expressions flickering over his expression as he stares at Naoya for a moment. It's such a simple question, in theory.

... And yet... ]

Not technically. [ a conflicted, softly bitter smirk ] The rules remind me of the mall, but this setup is almost entirely different.

[crouching_sin]

[Well. Now that's... interesting.]

'The mall'? Elaborate, if you will.

[beguiledcard]

[ He nods, fidgeting with the helmet now. ]

The mall was the setting of the first game I was put through, and we were completely trapped there and cut off from the outside world. We were given a similar set of rules, titles, and they did their best to get someone to kill. For instance, the first motive that I remember, was that everyone's darkest secrets would be revealed, unless someone was killed.

[ Both of his hands seem eager to slide into pockets that don't even exist on this terrible outfit. Instead, they simply curl into tight fists. ]

Someone wound up killing two people, and then a trial was held. They made us vote for whoever we thought was guilty... and then that person was executed for their crime. The same pattern was followed the week after that.

[ He lowers his head a bit, a brief, bitter, and dry chuckle escaping. There's something not-quite-steady to it. ]

Then, the last week came, and we all fought the person in charge.

[crouching_sin]

... Hm.

[Well then. He's not quite... sure how to take that, only file it away.]

That does sound familiar. So? How did fighting that person in charge go?

[beguiledcard]

[ It's said without hesitation, but there's clearly something tense in his voice. ]

I woke up here before I could see the end result.

[ There's something tense in his voice; he's lying, technically. ]

[crouching_sin]

[He's quiet for a few long moments.]

Well, it's not possible that you're dead, because I'm not. So I assume you were transported just before you were killed, since you didn't see the end result.

[beguiledcard]

[ He's not so sure it works like that (re: not being dead because someone else isn't), after what he learned about Yotsuyu and the gang, but he'll leave that be. And, while he's at it, he's working more and more to get his composure under control. ]

Let's hope you're right.

[ A quiet sigh escapes him. ]

Anyway, mind if I ask which world you're from?

[crouching_sin]

Which world I'm from? Hm... well. There's somewhat of a crisis going on - demons have been flooding the human world. There have been people attempting to stop the source of it, but... well. The whole thing is a 'trial from God' and so the solutions are... difficult.

[That's... pretty basic, but it'll work.]

P5 spoilers

[beguiledcard]

[ This is far from what he expected to hear as a response, but here they are. Also the helmet is coming off bc mun originally forgot he was wearing it for a while there, and he's scrubbing a hand through his hair. ]

Sounds similar to what was going on with my world. [ hand dropping to his side ] A fake god trying to toy with people pretty much led to there being another layer to reality. We found things called Shadows and Demons in that place, and then eventually took on the fake god using the power of our Personas.

[crouching_sin]

Another layer of reality... hm. There is the demon world connected to my world... but what do you mean by 'Personas', exactly? I assume you don't mean the Jungian concept.

[beguiledcard]

It's called the Metaverse, and it's a place born from unconscious thoughts. Inside that place, we have things called Palaces, which are created by negative and corrupt thoughts. Basically just feelings that warp the perceptions of people into being a hazard for themselves and others.

[ He looks downward for a couple of seconds. ]

A Persona is created by a powerful swell of emotion... It's the spirit of rebellion that takes form into something that can use abilities. [ a beat ] For instance, I have a Persona named Satan that can use bufu skills - ah... ice spells.

[ Then, after a soft hum, he starts listing some from off the top of his head. ]

Arsene, Jack Frost, Flauros, Gabriel, Beelzebub, Mara...

[ why are we including Mara tho ]

[crouching_sin]

[!]

That sounds extremely similar. Demons are their own entities, yes, but they're created from the realm of the unconscious. I'm familiar with all of those - and I do enjoy using a good Bufudyne when the situation calls for it.

[beguiledcard]

[ ... Oh. For a moment, he's staring in surprise. ]

Then, they're just called something different by you... [ giving a small, wry smile ] So... what? They paired us together for the humor of it?

[ He's glaring off to the side for a moment, but then taking a deep breath and nodding. ]

Well... anyway. What's done is done.

[ BACK TO... talk that doesn't have him wanting to straight-up stab someone a second time. ]

My initial Persona was Arsene, and the elemental ability that came with him was Eiha. I guess I can't argue that curse is a fitting element for me, especially now.

[crouching_sin]

Possibly.

[Right.]

... Hm. I don't know that particular skill... though Curse can be a particularly annoying element to try to resist. Though you with curse... well. You don't have to tell me if you odn't want to, though that makes our pairing together even more appropriate.

p5 endgame talk

[beguiledcard]

[ His eyebrows lift a bit. ]

Does it? [ a glance to the side ] It's for a few reasons, in my case. I do have Satan and Satanael, and I used the latter to take down the false god who thought it'd be cool to destroy the world.

[ Gesturing vaguely to the side a bit, he shrugs. ]

Not to mention, winding up in two games where you're being forced into a "kill someone just to be able to leave" scenario, is pretty impressive.

[ Even if this is him listing only a couple of reasons, as opposed to a few, openly. ]

[crouching_sin]

Tch. I bet he had a stupid reason for it, too.

[Still...]

That's fairly unlucky, yes. I don't know if 'curse' would cover it, though, since that tends to be more supernatural in origin.

[beguiledcard]

He basically just wanted to play a game.

[ To the last part, he nods. His smile is wry as he rubs a hand over his face. ]

You have a point. I guess... it was more a bad joke than anything else, yeah.

[crouching_sin]

A 'game', huh? ... Depends on the game, but it sounds like it was a stupid one from what you've said.

[beguiledcard]

It was very stupid. [ said with obvious bitterness and no hesitation, at all ] Honestly? That's probably why shooting Yaldabaoth was probably the most satisfying thing I'd felt since meeting him. There wasn't a single redeeming quality.

[crouching_sin]

[He just... stares. His eyes are wide, and for once there's no trace of a smirk on his face.]

You fought the fucking Demiurge?!

[beguiledcard]

[ He blinks... ]

Yeah...?

[ Is this going to be a... good thing for their relationship, or a bad thing, or... ]