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!
  

ic comm | inboxes | ooc comm | full nav

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Comments

[idealies]

i. wake up, get up, get out there

[ A girl's out of her depth here. Next to the fighters wielding their weapons like a pro, Ai's got the confetti cannon she'd been handed to protect herself with and she has it clutched to her chest as she backs away from the monsters. Eventually though, a monster goes for her or she sees it going for someone else and she takes aim. A pop can be heard and there's a spray of confetti.

It...doesn't do any real damage but causes a pretty distraction. Confetti in the air. Confetti in your hair. Confetti everywhere. ]

Oh...hehe...

[ The monster is still alive and growling. Help. ]

ii. into the cat train

[ Ai's piled into the train with the others and is sitting in a seat, one hand clutching her heart. That was frightening! After a breather, she starts to take notice of the people around her, especially those with injuries. ]

Are you hurt? I think I've got something to help.

[ She presses her fingers to her temples. Give her a moment to get into her headspace again. ]

[ Or she may lean in, voice hushed and awed, to chat with her seatmate on this fantastical cat train. ]

Was that a talking cat? It feels like we're in a movie!

iv. day to day life / wildcard

[ Ai can be found wandering the town directionally challenged, taking up modeling gigs, or in the dorms eating cheap take-out. You might also catch her looking wistful and attempting to text on her old phone. She's anxious to know how things are at home. ]

i

[ushirono]

[ Cool. Now he's bloody and confetti. His expression looks so dead when he looks over at Ai. Girl. What the fuck!! ]

If you can't fight, do that bonding shit instead.

[ But not with him, seems to be the implication as he relentlessly stabs the monster with a serrated knife. ]

[idealies]

Wow, you move like an action star!

[ A very...relentless action star. But this isn't a movie set and the danger is real. The blood is also most certainly not dyed syrup. Wait one moment. It's hard to summon her inner voice under pressure. ]

Let me see...

[ushirono]

[ Fuyu will think it's a compliment and let it roll over him, because he decided that he doesn't care. He continues to deal physical damage with his knife repeatedly until the pixie is incredibly low on health. ]

Use your Persona or whatever.

[ Whack the pixie with the confetti gun! Something. ]

I

[kandata]

[When the confetti cannon fires, Kirumi instinctively ducks, to dodge anything. There's just...confetti. It flutters down, Kirumi not having expected that.

......

Well, it might be good as a distraction! She shakes off her surprise, and slams the back of her axe onto the monster, bludgeoning it]

You were granted an interesting choice of weapon.

[Perhaps it just needs some improvement? Might be harmless right now, but in the future it might be a force to be reckoned!]

[idealies]

[ Thank goodness there are skilled fighters among them! Ai laughs weakly as the confetti settles. ]

Ehehe, yeah...! I didn't think we would be surprised by monsters. I'm no good with action scenes.

[ She looks down at the confetti cannon in her hands. ]

At least it refills itself?

[kandata]

We all have different strengths. What might not be good for fighting may be useful for something else.

[Hmmmm...about that cannon]

It could be that cannon is meant to give support to us in some way.

[Kirumi begins pondering how to test that, because asking to have a cannon of any kind fired at her seems dangerous]

i

[swordthatsmilesback]

[There's confetti in his hair. There's confetti on his black coat. He looks so stupid. Black was not meant to be dotted with this much color.]

[Chihiro blinks, before he unsheathes his sword, hesitating as he looks between lady and monster. He will fight. In a second.]

Was it...supposed to do anything?

[idealies]

I wasn't sure, since they told me I could defend myself with it, but...nope. Looks like it's an ordinary confetti popper!

[ Ai sounds like she's taking it in stride, cheerfully scrambling away from the Black Ooze that's also sprinkled with color. Sorry to the both of you... ]

[swordthatsmilesback]

I...see.

[Damn.]

[But that's fine. He'll fully pull out his katana at his side, gesturing to her.]

Get behind me. Don't go ahead of me, or you'll be in the way.

[And with that, he'll move like a whip - a fast few lashes to the thing to drive it back.]

I

[moodwrecker]

Are you serious?!

[Fortunately, her persona - a scrawny rabbit, more like a wild one than domesticated, its fur white and its eyes a brilliant jade green - readies its pestle weapon and raises its mortar like a shield. Fortunately the thing is about the size of a tween, meaning it does not look completely ridiculous when it bodies the nearest Shadow with a Lunge.]

[idealies]

Hehe, yep.

[ Thanks for the assist, Aubrey. Ai can at least distance herself from the monster while the cute and fierce rabbit is taking care of it. Her heart's pounding but her voice stays airy and nonchalant. ]

This stick only shoots confetti. Aah, I'm in trouble.

[moodwrecker]

Do you at least have magic?

[She seems to! Somehow! This may be something to reflect on later when they aren't under attack.]

i

[incompletely]

[ Tenn sees all the confetti.

Tenn also sees that the monster is alive and well.

He approaches Ai and holds out a hand towards her. ]

Can I borrow that for a second?

[idealies]

Sure, okay.

[ Ai doesn't mind, giving it up to Tenn easily and curious what he will make of it. ]

[incompletely]

[ Thanks. He lifts the cannon -- god, this thing is heavier than it seems -- but he walks up to the shadow and swings it down.

Confetti comes out of it again, but he does...some damage to it! Some Phys damage, to be exact, after slamming it on the shadow's head.

Then, he returns it to Ai. ]

Thanks. I wanted to see if it was a gag weapon and couldn't be used for at least that.

iii

[privatedomicile]

So I'm not the only dude seeing that as a talking cat?

[Whew, so he's not going insane/high. Just another dimensional quirk thingy.]

It is kinda sick though, huh? I shoot fireballs instead of regular bullets outta my gun now.

[idealies]

Nope! Unless we're both dreaming together.

[ It's good to know she isn't the only one finding it bizarre! Monsters and talking cats aren't part of an idol's everyday life...and neither are guns. ]

You mean you've fired a gun before? That's so dangerous.

[privatedomicile]

Uh. It's more like a statement? Guns are way more legal back in America. Anybody could be carryin' and you don't wanna be the guy that's not.

[Maybe he shouldn't scare a cute sheltered girl with the idea that he's shot somebody. He hasn't at this point, at least, so he quickly adds:]

Like. Hypothetical and all.

i

[imperiosity]

[Monsters are an everyday thing to him, so he doesn't think much of taking a position up front so he can dispatch what he can using his swords. But when he sees Ai taking aim though, he'll automatically move out of the line of fire so he doesn't--

...]

Hey! What the hell was that?!

[So here he is, running over to slash the monster a couple of times before finishing it off with a roundhouse kick to the face. It would've probably looked cool if he weren't trailing confetti the whole time but c'est la vie.]

[idealies]

This stick... only fires confetti!

[ She declares, following up with a weak laugh because that probably wasn't the answer anyone wanted to hear right now. ]

You saved me!

[ She sighs out in relief, a hand over her heart. An idol's not cut out for this. Don't worry about trailing confetti, Ai definitely thinks his moves were cool. ]

[imperiosity]

[There's a click of his tongue at her answer to his (admittedly rhetorical) question, but whatever exasperation there was at getting confetti'd quickly leaves his face as he looks her over.]

Well, couldn't exactly leave you alone with that joke of a weapon. You okay?

i. wake up, get up, get out there;

[beautifulknight]

[ Confetti in his hair... how could this happen to him?

...

But, nah. Argenti is perfectly fine with it. In fact, he'll even keep his spear at the ready and charge the monster, confetti and all, stabbing at it furiously, until it expires. ]

Is that the only weapon that you have?

[ He doesn't seem bothered by the confetti stuck in his hair, because he truly isn't. ]

[idealies]

Sir Knight!

[ Ai usually struggles to retain faces, but that tall stature and brilliant red hair however speckled with confetti? It's unmistakeably the Knight of Beauty swooping in with an elegant finish true to his name. ]

Well, you see...I'm not sure it can be called a weapon at all!

[ Ai, don't sound so cheerful about it? ]

[beautifulknight]

We indeed meet again, Lady Ai.

[ Argenti passes her another polite, but bright smile. There are the usual sparkles, don't mind them (this has nothing to do with confetti) ]

...Though, on second thought, I don't think it can be truly considered a weapon either. But, we could always see about retrieving something far more fitting.

[ There must be an equipment store around here...right? Or somewhere that at the least sells knives. ]

Speaking of which, have you had to engage in combat before all of this?