don't say a word while we dance with the devil

[beguiledcard]

FEATURING: akira, akechi, kurama, sora + anyone wanting to go on a field trip to another reality where there are monsters that aren't Sound Eaters

for the Metaverse prompt, people are welcome and encouraged to make their own own toplevels!!!
WHAT'S HAPPENING? akira was given some awful drinks + he's learning to cook! PLUS METAVERSE THINGS...
DAY 076 - 090 ( 04/01 - 04/14 ) for now
CONTENT WARNINGS: nothing in prompts; subject lines will be marked appropriately, especially for metaverse things
NOTES: PLEASE READ THE BOTTOM if you're throwing your dude(s) at the Metaverse prompt.

otherwise, pp / ping me at skiesonfire ) if you have any questions / concerns!

april fool

[ He's never been big on pranking people - well, more like... he's never been given the chance...

Yet, the thought to give it a try comes to him after he tries drinking one of the bottles of... "fruit juice" he was given. Biiiig mistake, on his part. Fortunately ( "fortunately" ), he recognizes the taste. It's a familiar kind of bitter that he used to drink, back home.

There's a thought of seeing how a select few others might feel about it. Which is how some of said people find the bottle with a note that says who it's for ( and who it's from, because hE AIN'T SCARED ) attached to it. Others? Well, they'll find themselves being directly handed these drinks.

And he is wearing a perfectly casual expression as he does so. ]

cooking with ignis

[ While there is a part of him considering handing Ignis one of those drinks, it's for much more ( genuinely ) innocent reasons he's contacting the older man. After asking him over to his house, he's straightening the kitchen up and setting everything up.

He wants to learn how to cook more things, and he believes it's time to get those lessons from ( what he assumes is ) a professional. Currently, he has plenty of ingredients, thanks to Santa, so there are options.

As he waits for Ignis to arrive, he's working on some coffee - it's not the exact same thing as Leblanc, but it's at least a fairly close replication, based on his own descriptions. In the meantime, he's sipping some tea that he did a much better job at making, this time around. Maybe he'll eventually get the hang of making a cup that's remotely similar, in quality, to his coffee. ]

fight like you're gods and monsters

[ He's been curious ever since he saw the icon - it shouldn't be there. For one, this isn't even his version of Earth. For another......

... Well, anyway. It's after deciding to finally give this a go, he contacts the people he knows are either involved with Personas or have at least one of them: Akechi, Sora, and Kurama.

Dimly, he's amused that this technically makes up a full party...

In any case, it's after suggesting they go to the Reset Room to do this, they activate the MetaNav, and-- ]



(( NOTE: check below for specific Metaverse prompts / proper location description!!! EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO MAKE THEIR OWN TOPLEVELS

i'm honestly just going to be doing this as an actual dungeon option, so there will be monsters AKA Shadows ( including a boss-level Shadow towards the end ).

if anyone wants help with setting up a Shadow fight or help with the setting, in general, beyond the base that i will have typed up, please put "NPC PING" or "SETTING PING" in the subject line.

i'll gladly NPC the Shadow or toss some maze info at any thread, any time ( within reason; i will prioritize these pings for the first part of this month ). ))

Comments

m e m e n t o s . . .

[beguiledcard]

QUESTIONS

[beguiledcard]

Please direct all questions regarding the Metaverse prompt here!!!

DO NOT REPLY TO THIS | entrance

[beguiledcard]

It happens in the time it takes to blink...

Regardless of what they were doing or who they were talking to, they're now standing somewhere that's clearly underground. A place that looks to be covered in a combination of red dust and sand ( even the walls are covered in a combination of the two, and it's not clear how the sand is remaining in place ).

At first, during whatever span of time they might have been holding their breath, it's quite possible they only heard total silence...

Silence that is shattered by the first movement.

Maybe it's a brush of fabric against fabric, maybe it's an inhale, an exhale. No matter what it is, it should be easy to discover that all things that would normally be a source of low-volume sound, suddenly carries much more weight. Could it be that they're underground? Surely that's all it is...

The only thing that doesn't make considerable noise is walking.

For some strange reason, the ground feels softer than it visibly should, given they're walking on dirt in some areas of the entrance, and floorboards in others.

It won't take long to notice that this is simply the entrance. Each open doorway leads to nothing more than a long-stretching, red hallway. The hallway eventually leads to a very large and very metal door, but maybe they're noticing something else first...

The closer they get to the door, the louder their breathing seems to grow, the more obvious it is that their clothing is rustling against their bodies... What's more, it appears there is a very thick trail of blood that seems to be coming away from the door, in their direction...

It's clear the door is heavy, but it's not impossible for a person brimming with determination to open it...

>head inside?

TEAM ONE... aka the people responsible for ruining some people's day

[beguiledcard]

[byanyother_name]

[The differences are eerie. Kurama is already forming a certain habit of not breathing here in Reims, unless he's somewhere safely soundproofed. But the normally quiet rustle of his long, green bondage coat is disturbingly loud.

And he's far too aware that they don't know yet if the Sound Eaters can manifest within this new Metaverse.

He shakes his head a little, pulling out his device even though he's not sure how much hope they have of keeping things quiet long. Shadows haven't exactly bothered to keep their voices down before. Then again, new Mementos, new rules, perhaps.]

Joker... I realize it's unlikely and I hope it's not the case, but there isn't a Velvet Room door here, is there?

[That sent, he might as well prepare for leaving the entranceway. Kurama closes his eyes for a moment, and a massive white-silver fox almost seems to slink out of his body, its four tails a strangely two-dimensional tribal design in dark green that nonetheless move as if they're a living part of the fox's body. The fox comes up to Kurama's waist, tall enough for him to easily lay a hand on the gleaming fur.]

[priwen]

[ ooc: i'm flexible with these prompts but they will be on 4/2 and maybe 4/3 as alex is heading to paris on 4/5! ]

enter night;

[ given his abilities at healing and combat, alex had volunteered to come along to assist and explore something that seemed interesting to him. perhaps, by entering such a space, he would acquire a greater understanding of this world and how it worked. it seemed like a good idea at that time...

... though, his appearance changes the moment they load into the metaverse. a dark aura springs up around him, wisps of black and murky red swirling around him like veins of solid smoke. alex almost doubles over, but catches himself in time.

slim fingers tear at his collar, and he unbuttons it with a clear fumble. a tug produces two crystals strung on a chain from under his shirt - one octahedral and glowing with a lambent blue, while the other is in the shape of a triangle and bears foreboding spikes. it gives off a strong red glow, enough to almost cover up the soft illumination of its companion.

the crystal burns. it's burned before, in the presence of others - but never like this. it is painful to touch, at least for him - these caustic emotions are usually kept in check by the holy light of the paladin crystal. but not here. ]

.... what?

[ a question for the stones in his hand. ]

later;

[ wildcard prompt! let's go beat up some shadows.

alex will be channeling his dark knight magic in the mementoes, as it is amplified by the general negative atmosphere around him. feel free to have your character ask about it, as his abilities will revolve around distinctively 'edgy' and red-black auras for weaponry as opposed to the holy magic that he usually uses. he can also shield.

hit me up on plurk or pm for custom starters! ]

enter night

[justbeingknife]

You all right?

[ Majima looked much the same as he always did... save for the violet flames pouring off of his body. It was fine. ]

More of that magic junk givin' ya trouble?

[priwen]

[ odd eyes flick over to the flames wreathing off majima's own body, then up to his face. alex's own expression is tense, and it's clear now more than any other time that he is trying to suppress a great deal of pain.

should majima come closer, he might even hear the whispers that accompany the dark aura strangling him. they are not good whispers.

fear, anguish, vengeance, bloody murder. the screams of this world mingle with the darkness in his crystal, cuts lurid pain into the back of his skull. yet: ]

What happened to you?

[justbeingknife]

This's normal.

[ In fact, what wasn't quite normal was that no one else seemed to do it around here. Maybe Tetora was right. Maybe he was the odd one out. ]

I'm guessin' those voices ain't normal for you, though.

[stealyoursoul]

SO. Being completely canon-blind, excuse me for sounding like a derp. But if I'm reading right, appearances change while in the Metaverse. Exactly how dramatic are those changes? Because Leo here, he's actually very proud of being a Sunai monster, so while he looks human most of the time, what he prefers looking as is his true self, which looks something like this smoke and fire demonic monster.

[beguiledcard]

You definitely don't sound like a derp! Given that it's a world that pulls in people with so many supernatural skills, it would make sense to me.

But, since that's usually something only Persona users can do, I'm not sure how the mods would want to approach this. I shot a question their way (while finally getting back to them on something else, because I'm good at things).

I'll paste the answer in here as soon as I get it!

[priwen]

[ they aren't. they've flared up sometimes, in the dead of the night where the silence presses down particularly thickly. but never in public - here, he feels exposed, as if the crystal had prised him inside out.

so he shakes his head, tries to close his fingers over the burning stone. it still stings, but perhaps he can calm it by force of will. ]

My magic is reacting strongly to this place.

[ half an explanation, but he hopes it'll suffice ]

[justbeingknife]

Alright. Long as ya can handle it, I'll count us as good to go.

[ He reached under his suit jacket, removed the tantō tucked against the small of his back, and unsheathed the blade. Its blade cast a cold, brilliant blue against the darkness of the maze. ]

Kinda itchin' for a fight, if ya know what I mean.

It's cooking time

[ebonyengine]

[There's something about being asked to teach that makes brings Ignis a sense of joy. He can't really explain why. Perhaps it's because it makes him feel useful, helpful, and trusted.

When he arrives and is let in, he signs a greeting to Akira, taking in the stock of food.]

What were you interested in making today?

[priwen]

[ it's probably impossible to calm the aura of darkness in this sort of place. better to let himself ease into it, a magic that he has not tapped into for quite some time...

... as much as he deters violence, justified violence can be a way to let some stress out. so he nods, unsheathing his blade; the runes engraved onto it flare to life - a lurid crimson in stark contrast to its usual warm gold. ]

A service we will do if we eradicate the darkness.

[ all the better, to relieve his own. forward? ]

[justbeingknife]

[ Forward. Honestly, the maze was a little creepy -- it looked like an abandoned mineshaft or something, only covered with the red dust.

Majima's footsteps were soft on the dark earth. ]

You do this a lot?

[priwen]

[ he's silent for a few moments after reading majima's words, trying to knit together an answer. the light of his sword illuminates the way, a similar hue to the red dust coating everything ]

Fighting, or?

I have had to fight a lot, willingly or otherwise.

[justbeingknife]

Wanderin' into mazes, weapons drawn. Y'know.

[ Before he could elaborate, however, a gaggle of Shadows appeared from around the corner -- equine, with green manes. Kelpies? ]

Well, that's different.

[priwen]

[ he's about to knit together a reply when the kelpies appear - they're definitely not living spirits, but they manifest very strangely in his aetheric vision.

alex tucks away his device, though his hand never leaves his blade. he stops, waiting to see if the Shadows would leave them alone.

— apparently not, as one breaks off from the pack and starts galloping towards them. he thrusts his unoccupied hand in majima's direction, and a translucent bubble appears around the other man - a shield. ]

[justbeingknife]

[ Well, that was unexpected. But it was too late to ask what Alexandre was doing as Majima swept himself up on his hands and gave the kelpie a whipcrack of a kick with both feet to the square of its jaw.

It reeled backward from the shock and force before trying to lunge at Alex. ]

[skyofreverie]

[It looks different from the way Hinoto-Ri was set up. More dark and dreary - more like the 13th hour and he very nearly expects something to come running up to attack them at any minute. Which is exactly why Sora is summoning his Keyblade and resting it against his shoulder. Prepared to fight with his weapon more than the Persona he's had for almost a year now.

With his other hand, Sora pulls out his own 'berry to communicate.]

Think any Sound Eaters came through? We could probably test it somehow.

[He's got long-distance attacks so they could set up some kind of object for him to smash from a safe distance.]

thank you for waiting;; birthday things came up and i wound up forgetting /sweats

[beguiledcard]

According to this, clothing can be changed in in the Metaverse!

[priwen]

[ the dark aura around priwen intensifies into crackling black lightning. he blocks the kelpie's lunge with the flat of the blade, bolts of lightning surginng from the sword and into the beast's body. a flick of his wrist lets him tilt his weapon upwards, carving a wide slash into the shadow's body.

it splits open, revealing blackened sludge and a hiss radiating from the gash. alex almost recoils backward, but steels himself - it's not the texture that repulses him, but how it amplifies the darkness instead.

focus. don't lose your way.

he's back to himself a moment later, pushing the shadow backward with measured strikes.

more kelpies are coming. they're not out of the frying pan just yet ]

[justbeingknife]

[ Fighting Shadows was not like fighting human opponents; they way they moved was different, as were their vulnerabilities. The long, strong neck of a kelpie, for instance, was higher than on a human assailant, and one attempting to get in close was liable to be struck by a flailing hoof.

Instead, Majima switched to his bat, bludgeoning the closest creature twice across the nose before using it as a counterbalance, launching himself through the air to catch two at once with an overhead swing. Both dissolved into more of that strange darkness.

Not a bad feeling. ]

[priwen]

[ majima takes point, and at this stage he's not sure if he is able to wrench the kelpies' attention back from him. it's different from when he fought with companions back home, when he would always be the one in front, using his sword and light to draw the enemy's attention.

but this isn't a godlike being they're fighting. these aren't people they're fighting. they're just... shadows. it should be okay.

he thrusts his blade in the direction of the second wave, black lightning arcing from the blade once more before he pounces. three thrusts, up, down, sideways, and he feels his sword slice through them like butter.

maybe, it's because they're one and the same. unconsciously, he funnels more mana into the crimson flame, willing it to act as some sort of deterrent. ]