Week 2

[linkupmods]

WEEK 2

WAKE UP, GET UP, GET OUT THERE.

Saturday rolls around and characters may see that there are notices from Mina, saying that everyone will be taking a trip at noon sharp on Saturday, and to have their weapons. Whether characters pay this heed or not, they will in fact hear a ding from their phones at noon, their screens glowing a sunset red with the word "TRANSFERRING..." the only thing to be seen. And then, just like that –

You all enter.

The new world before you can be described in one word: twisted. It doesn't feel great, but it doesn't feel extremely awful, either, depending on how you look at it – it's a distorted version of the already grim city that you've been brought to, and you are specifically in the shopping district. Everything seems to be darker shades of red, yellow, and purple, if you can see it through the haze ominously floating about.

That feeling of something stirring in your chest seems to grow stronger, more potent, burning with the desire to be let free…

…and you, all of you, are surrounded. Various monsters and demons are threatening to attack you, looking at you like you are their prey. That's because you are…but you don't have to be for long. The moment that you engage in battle with them, no matter who strikes first, is the moment your emancipation begins.

Welcome to your awakening.

You feel a surge of energy rush to your palm – for some, it burns like a fiery blaze. For others, it sparks with electricity; perhaps wind circles around it, or a mysterious frost begins to blanket it. Maybe you have a mysterious pink aura around it, or a bright turquoise light; a dark, sinister glow or a calming light. Whatever the case may be, it drives you to place your hand over your heart.

You latch onto something. It is not your chest, it's not your heart, but it's something deeper than that, something from your being. You pull, you drag it out, and there is no bloodshed or any sort of pain, only a very bright light and some struggle as you unearth what is within. You finally, finally feel free as a new part of you literally stands before you. Say hello to your new friend: Your Persona.

Your new skills feel intuitive, and you feel like you can navigate them well enough to at least try to survive. You don't need to question how or why you understand them just yet; all you need to do is let yourself experience your power, and you'll stand a chance.

And with that, it's time to fight.

(Note: Weapon attacks will always deal Phys damage, but Phys spells will naturally do more than just whacking enemies with your weapons. Go wild, dodge, parry – combat is more freeform here than it is in Persona, so play this out however you'd like.

Furthermore, you'll be able to see everyone's cool Personas! You just won't be able to really interact with them directly.)

???

(Picrew by ~danidoninha!)

After the battle, there's the sound of a whistle. Turn your heads towards the source, and…huh? A cat?

"Alright, newbies, it's time to roll out."

…And it talks???

She says it with a scowl on her face, and soon, she leaps up – poof, and suddenly, there is a cat train in front of you. Weirdly enough, this cat is the one driving it. How did she summon the train…who knows.

"Get in, unless you wanna get your asses kicked!"

And sure enough, she's right, because there seem to be more enemies flocking towards you. She will drag you all in whether you like it or not.

SAFE AREA.

And, after a quick ride on the cat train, you find yourselves back at the dorms! ...Kind of. Much like the rest of this alternate world, it’s distorted in shape, though there’s none of the haze you saw when you first arrived. It seems this area, at least, is safe - characters would be wise to note it as a location to base any Nekyia operations out of in the future.

Mina is also here! She looks, quite frankly, relieved to see everyone show up alive in the train. The train, by the way, is gone, because it seems like your mysterious cat friend is now back to her…first…form? And seems to be on her way out. Back to Mina, though:


“Thank goodness... Okay, um, app hiccups aside...

Welcome to the Nekyia - the world of the unconscious. As you can see, the unconscious version of the city is, um... Very, very messed up. The more commissions you complete, the more connections you forge, the more bonds you repair, and the more Shadows you take out will help return the Nekyia to normal - and with it, the real world!

The people of this world don’t have the power to summon Personas... You’re the only ones who can save this city from the influence now. So please...

Help me fix this city from the inside-out!”

Mina has also set up a folding table set up with divinity cookies and water bottles from “Ambrosial Water Co”, judging by the labels. Characters who partake in these proffered snacks will find them rejuvenating - literally. Using a Persona’s abilities takes spiritual energy, but these snacks replenish one’s energy to full again with a single bite or sip. Any characters who want to try venturing back into the thick of the Nekyia today are free to take some with them, but do take care! Mina is only providing snacks for today, and after this characters will need to monitor their energy levels on their own.

Characters with further questions may ask Mina and she will do her best to answer! You can also try to catch the mysterious cat from earlier, too.

To go back to the real world, all characters need to do is press the "RETURN?" button on their phones. Much like the "TRANSFERRING..." message, this is the only thing on their screen.

All phones will now have a Nekyia app that will enable them to come in and out of the Nekyia at will.

OOC

READ ME!!!!

• Welcome to your Week 2 event log!
• Here is your promised Persona debut. Fighting is very flexible, so please just thread the fights in whatever format you'd like.
  
• A reminder for those of you who have gotten their Level 10 skills: These do not unlock ICly until Week 3, starting on 8/17.
  
• As always, please let us know if you have any questions! Enjoy!
  

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Comments

Tenn ur a real one

[ledbythewind]

[Richard jumps, hand immediately falling to the hilt of his rapier out of instinct. It takes a moment for it to register that Tenn is shooting at the barrier rather than anything present inside it, though even then he still doesn't move his hand away, waiting for the inevitable response-- a retaliation of some sort, simply because he can't help but expect something like that to come.]

Be careful!

[gardenful]

[ The gun doesn't even make her flinch—once you've been around a man with a gun for an arm long enough, you get kinda used to it.

But once he's done shooting, Aerith places a hand on Tenn's shoulder. ]

Wow, my secret was that bad, huh?

[ Just a little joke to lighten the mood... ]

[incompletely]

It's not bad because of you. It's bad because of the horrible people who did it to you.

[ He lowers his gun and places it back into his pocket. He closes his eyes, frustrated, and Richard's warning... ]

...I apologize. I had to try it. I don't like where this is all going.

[ledbythewind]

[Now Richard's hand does at last drop back down to his side, the breath he hadn't even realized he's been holding coming out in a sigh.]

No, it's all right. You confirmed my suspicions, if nothing else. Whatever this barrier is, we aren't going to be able to break it down by force.

[He kind of hates this.]

Which means our only choice would be to give in to that urge.

[gardenful]

[ Ah... Tenn's sentiment is so sweet that it makes her smile, even if her smile isn't as bright as it normally is. ]

If it helps, we could plug our ears while one of you speaks? But loopholes might not be allowed...

[incompletely]

You can try, but as I said, I don't mind going next.

[ He shakes his head. The ugly truth about himself, coming to light? What could that be, though?

Time to find out. ]

I worry about my brother -- my twin. Nanase Riku. He's had chronic health issues since he was born. He's an idol, just like me, but he can't do it. He shouldn't. The industry will tear him apart, and he'll work himself to a dangerous point -- I've seen the worst of it.

But I can't be honest with him. He'll feel like a burden if he learns the truth.

[ledbythewind]

[Ah.]

But wouldn't it be worse for him to run himself into the ground trying?

[Not that Richard can't understand why someone would, especially if it was something they were passionate about. Still, his mind flits briefly to Cheria and how frail she'd been as a child and how much it would have hurt Asbel should anything have happened to her as a result.]

Sometimes... I think you need to be cruel in order to be kind.

[gardenful]

That's right, you do.

[ It's the unfortunate truth—kindness can sometimes only be accomplished through cruelty. ]

He deserves to know the truth, even if it makes him feel like a burden. How would you feel if you found out he was keeping something like that from you
for the same reason?

[ Though, honestly, Tenn has probably thought about that, huh? ]

You never know... maybe feeling like a burden will make him stronger in the end. Maybe it'll give him a little push.

[incompletely]

It won't. He's been worried about becoming a burden since we were children.

[ He wishes he could be kinder towards Aerith right now. He really does, but this is honesty hour, apparently.

To Richard: ]

...I have been. I've tried to convince him that he's incapable of making good on his promises. [ His frown, notably, deepens. ] That hasn't stopped him, though. I'm afraid that the truth will break him more than anything.

[gardenful]

[ She doesn't seem to mind it all that much, at least. ]

You're thinking about him and trying to be kind to him, but... I think you should just tell him the truth, Tenn. He might be stronger than you give him credit for, but you're not giving him the chance to be.