Persona: HEAVEN (Persona/Sword Art Online/Isekai Multicross)
- Thread starter afreaknamedpete
- Start date
- Crossover Sci-Fi Fantasy
Videogamer921
oh god it’s him
- Location
- 10th circle of Hell; Ohio
- Pronouns
- He/Him
So he's definitely our next seed bearer. We should try and focus on him before the next arc. Maybe if we befriend him enough, we can talk no jutsu our way out of a boss fight
Kermie
Surprisingly Not A Frog
- Location
- Somewhere on the planet
- Pronouns
- He/Her/They
We also now have a good idea of why the Hint Corner was talking about leveling our FITNESS; We'll have to run around IRL for the next one.
By the way, since it says that SWORD provides contacts in the field of Cognitive Psience, does that mean we can get in contact with Rinko next plan phase? The Queen Mab data we salvaged from ALO has kind of been burning a hole in our Nervegear...
- Location
- The Z-Cave
I hope we can expose that she was a willing accomplice of Kayaba like in canon. She deserves to go to jail unlike in canon where she got away with everything.
Oh shit what? I know nothing of SAO so this comes as a surprise to me.
Immediately after Kayaba triggered the SAO Incident, Rinko figured out where he was hiding and went to confront and kill him but instead couldn't do it and instead chose to help maintain his health while he was diving in SAO (since unlike the other players he wasn't transferred to a hospital.) Obviously she didn't report his location to the authorities either.
The reason she wasn't found guilty as an accomplice afterwards is that Kayaba installed a dud bomb inside her to give the appearance that she was coerced into helping him and was simply another victim but that was just a fiction created to give her a cover story.
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So if we give her the Queen Mab data, we'll just be giving Kayaba ammo. Seeing her creeped out reaction might be worth it though.
...crazy thought, what if we found Futaba Sakura and gave the data to her instead? As a former Phantom Thief, she surely would be willing to help?
- Location
- The Z-Cave
To make matters worse Kirito and Asuna learn the truth in canon and let her go because she did it out of love or something stupid like that.
...you know, this just makes me want to find Rinko's Heaven and burn it to ash before her eyes before forcing her to make a confession to the police a la a Change of Heart from Persona 5.
- Location
- The Z-Cave
So nothing at all then given that she's yet another person who benefits from SAO's warped protagonist-centered morality.
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I simply didn't want to leave the impression that Rinko is (portrayed as) some completely unsympathetic villain - like a Sugou or Miller or PoH because canonically she very much isn't. It's true that she gets away with her assisting of Kayaba but if anything it seems to compound the guilt she feels.
To remain objective for the quest I would point out that as Kayaba's ex(?)-lover she probably has the best insight into his thinking - that she alone figured out where he holed up during the SAO Incident and did so immediately bolsters that given the police didn't figure out where they were until after the Incident ended. And she's knowledgeable enough about FullDive tech that Kikuoka wanted to recruit her for the Underworld project (and only agreed after Asuna contacted her and needed an in to RATH... sound familiar?). Regardless of anyone's feelings on her actions during the SAO Arc she could potentially be a useful source of information on our longer-term goal of figuring out Kayaba.
To remain objective for the quest I would point out that as Kayaba's ex(?)-lover she probably has the best insight into his thinking - that she alone figured out where he holed up during the SAO Incident and did so immediately bolsters that given the police didn't figure out where they were until after the Incident ended. And she's knowledgeable enough about FullDive tech that Kikuoka wanted to recruit her for the Underworld project (and only agreed after Asuna contacted her and needed an in to RATH... sound familiar?). Regardless of anyone's feelings on her actions during the SAO Arc she could potentially be a useful source of information on our longer-term goal of figuring out Kayaba.
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Kermie
Surprisingly Not A Frog
- Location
- Somewhere on the planet
- Pronouns
- He/Her/They
I have a strange feeling that when it comes to SAO, part of the discourse might just be that some characters are morally dubious, while a lot of it is just the natural consequences of the protag centered Reiki Kawahara writing.
Say it with me everyone: DAMN YOU, REIJI KAWAHARA!!!
Say it with me everyone: DAMN YOU, REIJI KAWAHARA!!!
- Location
- The Z-Cave
The thing is that she is a completely unsympathetic villain in canon. The writer is just trying to gaslight you into thinking she is because she's a cute waifu.
I mean, we ARE talking about a writer who seems to defer to sexual assault as an inciting incident like, 75% of the time...
As for regards to Rinko, once Hiyori finds out what she did IC, we milk her for all the information she's worth before spitting in her face when she tries to garner sympathy.
Gonna agree to disagree here. Canon definitely glosses over her SAO Arc actions and expects more sympathy for them than they perhaps merit but "significant other can't bring themselves to turn in criminal lover" isn't exactly a new idea for giving someone a more sympathetic portrayal.
It's kind of a matter of scale for me - this is a series that has Gabriel "I literally eat people's souls" Miller and Nobuyuki "literally licks Asuna's tears while held captive" Sugou. The severity of the crime Rinko didn't put a stop to may be far worse than what either of those two did (Sugou didn't kill anyone IIRC and while Miller did I'm guessing Kayaba's body count is higher since it's around 4000 dead) but she is certainly more sympathetic than either of those two. Doesn't mean she should have evaded justice in a perfect world, of course.
It's kind of a matter of scale for me - this is a series that has Gabriel "I literally eat people's souls" Miller and Nobuyuki "literally licks Asuna's tears while held captive" Sugou. The severity of the crime Rinko didn't put a stop to may be far worse than what either of those two did (Sugou didn't kill anyone IIRC and while Miller did I'm guessing Kayaba's body count is higher since it's around 4000 dead) but she is certainly more sympathetic than either of those two. Doesn't mean she should have evaded justice in a perfect world, of course.
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- Location
- The Z-Cave
My ideal scenario would be Rinko working on the Alicization project from a cell with Shigemura so she isn't in a position to be put in charge of RATH like in canon.
The thing is that people like Sugou and Miller are just such one-note caricatures designed to artificially make Kirito and friends look good by default that it utterly destroys the ability to see them as hateable. They come off more as puppets designed to move around in specific ways that destroy my suspension of disbelief while the double standards that the narrative wants me to feel towards characters like Rinko and Kayaba just make them all the more loathsome as the story tries to lie to me.
- Location
- The Sea of Souls
I'll say this: I didn't write this to bash SAO, and I do unironically enjoy SAO. It takes the trapped in an MMO concept that .hack first used and refines it down into something actually watchable. DON'T KILL ME .HACK//SIGN FANS BUT LETS BE REAL IF I WANTED TO WATCH DEPRESSED TEENAGERS WAX PHILOSOPHY I'LL REWATCH EVA
As I can now confidently call myself an amateur writer, I look at what Kawahara has done with something approaching awe. Because when you break it down it's just... 1 volume. Volume 1: the Aincrad Arc, the one single volume that is the absolute cornerstone of SAO's success. In a single story paced like a runaway freight train, this man managed to launch arguably the most financially successful light novel series of all time.
I am genuinely impressed with SAO's worldbuilding too. Fluctlights, memory, the digitization of the human soul, none of this stuff had to be in it. They could've largely cut out all the real world RATH shenanigans and focus only on Kirito in Wonderland, but they took the time to worldbuild this entire... memorypunk like setting. Outside of something like Black Mirror or Rick and Morty I can't recall any other major media franchise actually tackling this concept of 'the soul is a resource that can be commodified' like SAO does.
So yeah. SAO isn't FMA or anything, you stare at it with even the slightest bit of scrutiny and things fall apart. Kayaba Akihiko still doesn't have a plan, though I presume that Unital Ring is building up to some kind of big twist on that end, sexual assault is used way too much even when it doesn't make sense (set Sugou aside at least that added to the stakes. Why was there this random tentacle rape scene between two tangential side characters in the middle of War of the Underworld? Like I checked the receipts that stuff's in the novel too). So in that end I am trying to 'fix' SAO in the sense of ironing out the plot holes, shoring up character motivations and altogether trying to build towards a 'theme', but fundamentally I do enjoy SAO.
Rinko will be available later but there's no pressing need now to talk to her so I haven't simulated the options/conversation yet.
And I will be cutting the whole... dud bomb chest thing. It just leads to too many logistical complications. Like who did the surgery? And wouldn't it obvious it was a dud bomb when it was removed? Putting a bomb on the heart is like... hard work and a difficult surgery, unless he just implanted it under the skin like a holter monitor, in which case it would be trivially easy to remove. Did Kayaba drug her or did she go along with it? Where did he get the small bomb, did he buy it from Battler?
There's a much more elegant solution. Rinko can just say that Kayaba threatened to kill all the remaining SAO players if she didn't help him, since at the time Kayaba had an effective army of hostages. This is the 'official story' as far as the government is concerned, though obviously there's the whole love story subtext angle.
[X] Kalûnga Line
Underdog Emiya
God-Emperor of Underkind
- Location
- Brazil
- Pronouns
- He
[X] Ys
06/06: Jobless Rehabilitation [TEMPLE Rank 1]
- Location
- The Sea of Souls
FRIDAY - June 6th, 2025
Evening
"That's the steering wheel. That's the gas pedal. That's the brake. Now go nuts."
You test the steering wheel of Hanako Akazawa's brand new mini-truck, trying to adjust the seat so you're not craning your neck to look out the window. It's awfully foggy outside, and the pouring rain smears what little visibility remains into a muddy haze.
"Are you sure I should be doing this?" You have no idea what's the legal driving age, but you're willing to bet it's not 15 years old.
"My dad taught me how to drive when I was 14. What's your excuse?" Hanako Akazawa says, eyes glazed over and tapping on her smartphone.
Was that the same dad who ran over someone in the mountains and kept on going? Clearly you're in the hands of someone trained by an experienced and conscientious driver. Kikuoka could make lots of things disappear for you. You doubt Manslaughter was one of them.
"Just, you know, trying to make sure I don't run anyone over."
"You're not going on the highway, just around the neighborhood. The speed limit is 20km/hr, and the self-driving system will stop you if you're about to hit anything. I often doze off when driving this thing."
With that horrifying revelation delivered, you decide upon reflection it's probably safer for you to be the one driving. You turn the key in the ignition, hearing the roar of a very angry muffler, and with that, you're off on the world's most boring joyride.
The streets are empty at this time of night, as you were in a purely residential area in the middle of a downpour. The drive goes smoothly, with any slight deviations in performance caught by the vehicle's computer.
"See? Easy peasy. But enjoy it while you can, I doubt you'll be driving ever again."
You brake a bit too sharply, feeling your body jump. "What do you mean?"
"That thing all over the news? The Social Camera? Once that goes online unsupervised self-driving cars will be street-legal, provided they can plug into the network. The municipality will even take responsibility for loss of life or property. Damn convenient, even if the stupid chip is expensive as hell."
The whole of Tokyo seems abuzz with construction, and it's no longer unusual to see swarms of drones flying overhead. Kikuoka mentioned the government is counting on the cameras to shore up its flagging police force. Pundits were calling it the biggest infrastructure project since the invention of the road.
"Doesn't this whole thing strike you as a bit... dystopian?" If the Social Camera were active just a bit earlier the entire Death Gun case could've been prevented. Though hearing Kikuoka just casually admit to mass government surveillance wasn't making you comfortable either.
"Why fuss about it? Either that or they hire a million police officers," Akazawa replies. She clearly doesn't have strong opinions on the matter. "They say it's all for the sake of a 'harmonious society' or whatever, but I think it's all just setup to sell Augmas. Half of our business is now shipping Kamura's crap around the city."
The buzz over the AR device seems ceaseless. Once the Social Cameras go online the promised Augmented World will finally begin. It's starting to sound just like the lead-up to the NerveGear's release.
"What, don't tell me you're turning into a luddite, part-timer? I ain't stupid enough to ever go into FullDive again, but I can see the writing on the wall. Soon this AR crap is gonna be manda— FUCK LOOK OUT!"
Akazawa's sudden cry catches you entirely off guard. You slam down your foot and— crap which one was the brake!? The autopilot triggers some emergency failsafe, jolting you upright as your body whips into the seatbelt. A large figure fills the front of the truck, pulling someone out of the way before stumbling forward. With a squeal of screeching rubber the mini-truck comes to an abrupt stop, the automated horns making it hard for you to distinguish the terrified shrieks of passersby from your own.
Did you just... run over someone on your first drive?
"YOU FUCKING STUPID KIDS NEED TO GET THE HELL OUT OF THE ROAD!"
...Guess not.
"USE THE CROSSWALK YOU GOOD FOR NOTHIN' BRATS!"
The truck sits motionlessly by the curb as you try to tune out the incessant shouting just outside the doors. The downpour has finally started to thin, and you see your boss in the side mirror cursing like a sailor.
"FUCK IF I SEE YOU DUMBASSES ARGUING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD AGAIN I SWEAR I WILL SLAM THE ACCELERATOR MYSELF!"
You see a few kids in unfamiliar uniforms out on the road, bowing profusely to Akazawa. From the scattered words you can make out they got caught up in an argument and wandered into the street. There's also a fairly large man standing shock-still in the middle of the street staring into the streetlights as if they're hypnotizing him.
"NOW GET LOST! ALL OF YOU, BEFORE I CALL YOUR PARENTS!"
With one last huff, the small crowd disperses with their tails between their legs, the high schoolers walking down the crosswalk properly this time. The large man, meanwhile, doesn't move an inch. He just sits there and stares.
"That means you too pork-chop. C'mon, hop to it, you're obstructing traffic." Your boss waits for what feels like an eternity, and the big man doesn't move a centimeter.
"HEY! YOU DEAF!?"
The sounds of your boss' shouts grow more and more intense. If the streets weren't abandoned, you're sure that a crowd would've formed. The door to the truck opens wide as you unclasp your seatbelt, stepping outside to see exactly what's going on.
"Yo, part-timer. You're good at convincing idiots, right? Tell the walrus to clear off the road," Akazawa says. Your boss steps to the side, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it up with a frustrated grunt. You expect even if you call the police it'll take almost an hour to get a response, especially as no one was actually hurt. You step closer, sensing something... strange about the man before you...
"Are you... alright, mister?"
The man is dressed in a beaten-up tracksuit, and even soaked in rain you can smell an oily odor permeating through him. His frame is massive and stocky but without the faintest hint of sinew. Fogged-up glasses and mud-caked bare feet tell the tale of a homeless person wandering through the streets. There's an empty look on the man's face, the expression of a person with no destination in mind. At the sound of your voice, the big man glances your way, making the faintest grunt.
"You sure you didn't hit him?" Akazawa says. "He seems brain damaged. Whoa, wait, you sure you should get so close!?"
It's a vision of... something powerful. A SEED of a world to be, shining so brightly that it practically overlays itself over the man, projected in a soft hazy light. This thing you were seizing on behalf of ETTEILLA, you had assumed they were nothing more than nascent SEEDs. Unformed, unfilled...
But this man's vision looks nearly complete. A world almost matured, waiting for the briefest disruption in the walls of reality to suck his soul in and never let it go.
You see glimpses of something within, a wooden house, green grass, a boundless sky, and two tiny hands reaching out...
Your hand touches his chest. Something powerful flows from him to you, seeping deep into your heart and coursing through your body. Magic. Power. Respect. Disaster. Loss. A fawning wife— no, three? Loving children. A foe turned friend. A family crowded by a warm fire. The satisfaction of a life well lived...
That dream you hold in your hand. And as your fingers clasp around this vision of a world made just for one...
This thing of a million faces and a million mouths seeps out of the earth. With a million hands it reaches into the world to deliver its million curses. The million shadows grow a million thorns and a tiny home on the edge of nowhere is flayed open, its people ripped of skin and sinew and soul. The world and everything within is ground to blood and dust and when the thing has eaten its fill it lets out a million screams before all the lights snuff out...
Your hand recoils. The sounds of Tokyo come flooding back.
"I... what... where..." The man awakens as if emerging from a trance, shaking wildly and falling to his knees. He stares at his hands, as if surprised at their size. You feel a pair of eyes behind foggy glasses, staring straight into you. He realizes you've taken something from him, but cannot fully comprehend what just happened.
But all you can think of is that brief fleeting vision you saw. A vivid, half-realized world, a different life that he could've lived, one shining with wonder and mystery. And the sheer potential of the power within... it's not entirely what you set out to do today, but you weren't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. You give the stranger your big friendly smile, all full of teeth. "Hey, you seem awake. Mind getting off the road?"
You assurred to Akazawa that you'd be safe by yourself. She didn't care, and just drove the truck way. At least she had the decency to leave you an umbrella, though it barely manages to cover the listless man sitting by the side of the curb. Before she rolled away, Akazawa called the local neighborhood association— they had a social worker who specialized in these types of cases. But it'll be some time before he arrives.
"So? Who are you?" you lean down, fighting your initial instinct to pinch your nose. "Can't be fun wandering outside with no shoes on."
"Me...? I'm, uh..." A look of great difficulty creases the man's face. He turns away from your gaze as if he was expecting you to fire lasers from your eyes. "I'm... nobody."
"Maybe a name to start with Nobody-san?"
"Call me what you like."
A name flits to the edge of your mind, whispering to you from the SEED you stole from him. An... English name? One you've never heard before. Starts with an R, or was that an L? It sounded like Lugh. Lughy? It'd be beyond entertaining to find out this man is Lugh's real identity, though considering he didn't shove anyone in front of the truck and play it off like an accident it's probably not your creepy assassin friend.
"Sure, whatever, keep your dumb secrets. Now what the hell is your problem?" you had your guesses, but you wanted a concrete answer.
"none of your business..."
"What? I didn't quite catch that. Speak up."
"I said none of your business you nosy bitch!" The man slams his clenched fist into the concrete as spittle flies from the homeless man's mouth. "LEAVE ME ALONE! CAN'T A MAN GET SOME FUCKING PEACE?"
His bravado fails to impress you, but you decide caution is the best strategy in case he decides to take a swing. Mentally sound this man is not.
"No can do. Gotta at least watch you till someone comes pick you up. God knows you'll try to run in front of the next truck you see if I don't." It doesn't take much deductive reasoning to imagine what he was doing running in front of a truck in the middle of the night.
"You here to gawk? Pity me? You're just a fucking normie. Wanna have a good laugh? Take a picture, it'll fuckin' last longer."
A good number of choice words were on the tip of your tongue, but the man just keeps talking, driven forward on his tirade.
"You don't get know anything! You must enjoy feeling like you're so damn enlightened talking to lower than the shit on your shoes. Must be so nice to be you. All you need to get ahead is get on your knees and bend over."
...Now the ideas coming into your head involve smashing his head into the pavement.
"Well? What? You keeping me here to gossip about shoes and lipstick? FUCK OFF!"
This whole situation is like talking to a rock. An angry emotionally unstable rock with a hair trigger. What do you even say to this guy? He's already hostile, and there's nothing natural about this encounter. Someone like you suddenly talking to a weirdo like this in the middle of a public street? If this was the plot of a manga it'd get canceled in a week. There's no socially logical reason you should even be talking to him right now. Even this man can sense that.
So naturally, the only thing you can do is lie. Not just any half-assed lie like pretending to be nice to him. No, you need something big. Something so revolutionary he doesn't have the time to think and doubt. What you need to do is to tell the mark... exactly what they want to hear.
...
"Hey, how'd you like to go to another world? A new start to your shit life?"
The homeless man's mouth drops open, staring at you in open astonishment. You feel his brain slowly start to separate from his mouth, and you finally feel like you have his attention for the first time since you started this conversation.
You lean forward, giving him a big smile as the sound of thunder rumbles in the sky. "What, cat got your tongue? You heard me. Maybe, let's say, you get to become a powerful magician. A family of your own. Get married! No, get married a bunch of times! How's that sound? Beats walking through the rain barefoot, huh?"
He gulps. "Y—you're full of shit."
"Annnndddd you just blew your chance. Too bad, tough luck, won't be a next time, buddy. I suggest you start looking for a bigger truck."
The man's words fail him for what seems like the tenth time today. He takes a while to struggle out a coherent sentence, but by then you're already starting to walk away. "I-is this a sick joke!? " he stutters, the words slipping out of his mouth. "You just some chuuni edgelord getting off on being cryptic!?"
"Hmm... maybe I am. Maybe I'm not. I'll let you be the judge of that."
"YOU'RE FUCKING WITH ME!" The man desperately cries out, his face red and steaming.
You laugh, turning around and opening your umbrella. He's one second from running after you in a rage. "That I do not deny. I suppose this means negotiations have broken down. See you never..."
The rain is still falling all around. Your feet start marching down the street. Your lips creak upward into a horrible smile as you give the stranger one last word.
"Rudy."
...
"WAIT! WAIT DAMN IT, WAAIIIITTT!"
"Was that real? That wasn't a hallucination? T-that could've been... me?"
The homeless man asks you a question you don't precisely have an answer for. You suspect he saw much more than you did, but lacked the context to see them as more than a fleeting daydream. You only saw glimpses as you ripped the SEED out of him, nothing more than flashes of infinite possibilities and a single, half-formed name. It's a shot in the dark but it's clear this man remembers at least that much— enough to believe you.
"Sure, let's go with that. A whole new world waiting just for you. Sounds nice doesn't it? I have it on good authority that if you survive for long enough, you'll soon be able to leave this cruel and empty life," Your tone carries a mirthless bitter laugh. Best not tell him you're trying to prevent that outcome. "Isn't that what you want?"
The homeless man shifts uncomfortably against the curb, nodding vigorously. "Take me there! Please, take me! Megami-sama!"
You're subjected to the entirely unpleasant sight of a grown man twice your age kowtowing to you in the middle of a street corner, pleading for his entry into a non-existent otherworld. Thankfully no passersby are around to videotape this.
"Yeeeaaahhh, it's a bit more complicated than that. Can't just force-chug magic and expect your dreams to come true like that. Also, I'm no goddess. I'm the uh... acolyte of the... Sun God? Let's go with that."
"Whatever you are, please! I'll do whatever you say!"
There's only one rational response to an offer like that. "The Sun God demands your supplication in the form of all your worldly possessions."
"But I don't have anything!"
Shit, there goes Plan A. "It would help if you explain your situation to me. So the, uh, Sun God can best learn how to help you."
The homeless man blinks. He practically retreats into himself, glancing away and refusing to answer. "I—it's not important."
"You think I want to waste my time guessing? Gonna make me play charades?"
"I got kicked out..." The homeless man's voice is ridden with shame.
"Anyone with eyes can tell that! Details!"
Just like before sullen melancholy explodes into sudden violence, his emotions snapping back and forth like a broken pendulum. "I—it was my shitty family! They robbed me of my inheritance and threw me out into the streets! All I was doing was minding my own business, I wasn't bothering anyone and they destroyed my computer! They ruined my life!"
Translation: He's a NEET whose siblings just kicked him out of his house. And you'll bet all your magic powers that computer was more cursed than Mikami's. "Clearly you're skimping on some details, but luckily for you, the Sun God doesn't care. The Sun God only wants one thing from you."
"...What?"
"A contract." The homeless man's lips part in bewilderment, and you savor his look of shock. He tries to dig deeper but you refuse to elaborate on anything further. Being a cryptic magic goddess is much more fun than you originally anticipated. Maybe that's why ETTEILLA does it all the time?
"Do you want my soul?"
"Yours? Fuck no. Who knows where it's been? Nah, repeat after me. Slowly. Got it? I take full responsibility for the choices I make. Say it."
"S-shouldn't I be signing something?"
"Sun God's running short on brimstone. Just say it so we can move on, alright?"
The man hesitates, and you like to imagine every one of his brain cells screaming in utter protest at this moment. But after one long minute he opens his mouth and seals what he thinks is a binding supernatural contract. "I... I take full responsibility for the choices I make."
You clap. It doesn't feel like a proper contract without starting off with that.
"Excellent. Now here's how this is going to go. Soon, the universe as you know it is going to end. You'll get to reincarnate into a magical world where all your dreams come true, unless some cute and sexy magical girl comes around and ruins it for everyone. But you don't have to worry about that at all, if you want to become thus uh... Rudy dude, all you have to do is... survive."
"Just... survive? For how long?"
"Couple of months, tops, definitely by the end of the year." You'll rip your hair out if you're still dealing with this crap by the end of the year.
"If you're alive then I'll make sure you end up in the world of your dreams. But you're gonna have to get your shit together in the meantime."
The homeless man's excitement melts away from his face as he finally puts the pieces together. "That's impossible. I—I don't have anywhere to stay. I don't have a job, I can't just..."
"Look, think you're the only guy I gotta rapture? So in the meantime, I called a social worker for you. He, uh, works for the Sun God too. Just don't tell him I told you that, I outrank him and he's still salty about it."
As if on cue a beat-up but well cared for minivan pulls up at the side of the road, the vehicle stopping just a few feet behind you. You look and see a handsome man with glasses waving at you behind the wheel.
Wait a minute, you recognize that face...
On one hand, the fact that the social worker recognizes you adds a lot of weight to your ad-hoc story.
On the other hand, you have to deal with Subaru's Dad. Mom was still asking about him!
"Hiyori-chan, what a coincidence! I came as soon as I got the call!"
Natsuki Kenichi stands before you in all his glory, giving you his million yen smile. You've heard rumors about Subaru's dad being some kind of neighborhood hero, but you thought those were just unfounded rumors. Turns out he's a professional social worker, a fitting line of work for a person so bright he hurts to look at.
"O-oh, it's you, Natsuki-san. Fancy meeting you here."
"Indeed!" He gives you a thumbs up and you see his eyes wander down to your moving company uniform. "I see you're hard at work! Ah, I remember my first part-time job..."
You grit your teeth and try to zone out as the man regales you with tales of his youth. At least he wasted no time doing his job— while he engaged with your latest find to the best of his ability, the homeless man just brushed him off without even a hello. But thankfully he did shuffle into Natsuki's van without much of a fuss. To your surprise, the two have history together, the elder Natsuki even mentioning that this wasn't the first time they've encountered each other. "I must say, I'm impressed beyond words. This is the first time I've ever seen him listen. Usually, he shuts down or gets agitated. What did you say to him?"
You're tricking him into thinking you can deliver him into a dream world through the power of bullshit. Not exactly something you can come out and say.
"...Just words. I don't know if they were the right words, but they seemed to have gotten his attention."
The man studies you, and suddenly you feel like an ant under a magnifying glass. You sense that he immediately sees straight through you. Such is the power of a psychologically healthy, normal adult. "Hiyori-chan. This may be forward of me, but did you... feed him a lie?"
You wince. Okay, you lied a little bit. Just a little. "I just told him what he needed to hear..."
There's a brief moment of silence as Natsuki-san stares at the silent van, the subject of your conversation napping within. "Did you know? His parents died last week. Within days of each other— you know what they said about lovebirds."
His parents... died?
"They were good folk. Hard-working, friendly, a couple that stayed madly in love with each other even into their old age. They had five children... hard to imagine, right? Even one's giving me plenty of trouble, hahaha!"
Natsuki-san takes a deep breath, and at once his sunny persona falls away into something more subdued. "I first met them when I started having trouble with Subaru. We bonded over our... shared problems... and we became quite close. I was sad to see them pass, but gladdened to see everyone whose lives they touched gather for one last day of remembrance. I was proud to have called them my friends, and it was one of the most packed funerals I've ever attended. But the third son... the one they spent the most time worried about... he didn't go. That among... other things... broke what little patience remained in his family."
Natsuki looks you straight in the eye, and you see the conflicted emotions within. "He hasn't left his room in almost two decades. I've offered vocational training, wilderness camps, shut-in rehabilitation centers— but nothing works when there's no will. His siblings advocated for physical intervention but that... never ends well. But now they're the only family he has left, and it seems they no longer want anything to do with him. It's a... regrettable situation. That being said I'm not sure outright tricking him is the right call..."
What is the right answer? How do you convince a man who's lived a wasted life for almost 20 years to just walk into a new one like nothing ever happened? You know one answer to that question, and it involved destroying the world in lieu of a new one. Rather than a lack of will you see it more as a lack of...
"I think what he needed was... hope."
Natsuki-san raises an eyebrow.
"It's nothing more than a hunch... but I think I know what he wants, more than anything else. All he really wants is a second chance. An opportunity to restart from zero."
Because with nothing but the clothes on his back and an employment gap longer than your lifespan, you don't truly see a happy ending waiting at the finish line. The odds stacked against him are incomprehensible. No amount of magic or psychic insights could fix this.
"All I told him to do was survive. However he can, for as long as he can... so he can potentially see a better tomorrow."
Just survive. So you can be a better version of yourself.
Natsuki-san smiles, "That's an interesting way of looking at it. I have no reason to doubt your methods, not when you're two for two in these matters. You seem to have a gift for this, have you considered social work once you've graduated? I can tell you'll be amazing at it!"
He claps you firmly on the back and you blush at the sudden contact. "S-still figuring things out..."
"No, no I'm serious! You know we once tried to hire a professional little sister for him? That's someone whose job is solely to talk with shut-ins and help them acclimate to human contact. Considering all you've already done, you're pretty much already a professional, hahaha!"
Natsuki extends a pen and a small card towards you. "I'd appreciate it if you could talk to my client in the future. For some reason he's opened up to you—I don't quite know what you did, but keep at it. Being part of his support network can go a long way towards healing him. And of course, you won't go uncompensated, my office has a stipend for work such as this, not to mention it looks killer on a resume!"
You look at your hand with a start. Hidden behind the business card was a crisply folded ¥10000 bill.
"Call me next time something comes up, Hiyori-chan! May the rest of the day find you well! Bye!"
You watch Subaru's father take the homeless man away to a local hostel, all while you stare silently at today's payday, the most a part-time job's ever given you in a single sitting. Maybe you could do this again...
FRIDAY - June 6th, 2025
Velvet Room
His world nears completion, its logos lies on the cusp of realization.
The World Seed is a parasite upon the dream of mankind. Its bloom portends the fracture.
Do not forget, contractor. There is only one true world.
...
...
He wishes not to be the hero. He has no dream of conquest.
The demon lord is another's problem. He desires only one thing.
Something to live for. A life to strive for. Another round at the table.
He fears neither pain nor hard work. He will toil and suffer in due.
What is the harm? Why should we not allow TEMPLE to build his paradise?
Why should we permit him his second chance when he has squandered his first?
Why should we permit this creature who has wrought only regret his absolution?
For you see the truth of his new world. What can be more depraved?
A world of mindless dolls created solely to feed a juvenile fantasy?
Or a world of realized minds created solely to serve the same?
There is no word for the taste. Magnificent, to be savored down to the last bite.
...
There is room yet for his fresh start. Every second of every day.
The opportunities of this world fall upon him like raindrops in summer.
Should TEMPLE desire his second chance, he already has all he needs.
But the one thing he cannot have, is passage into HEAVEN.
[ ] Hikaru Genji
I should like to indulge in the pleasures of the seasons—the blossoms, the autumn leaves, the changing skies. People have long weighed the flowering woods in spring against the lovely hues of the autumn moors, and no one seems ever to have shown which one clearly deserves to be preferred. I hear that in China they say nothing equals the brocade of spring flowers, while in Yamato speech we prefer the poignancy of autumn, but my eyes are seduced by each in turn, and I cannot distinguish favorites among the colors of their blossoms or the songs of their birds. I have in mind to fill a garden, however small, with enough flowering spring trees to convey the mood of the season, or to transplant autumn grasses there and, with them, the crickets whose song is so wasted in the fields, and then to give all this to a lady for her pleasure.
-Excerpt from the Tale of Genji by Murashaki Shikibu
STR: Rank D (2 Dice)
MAG: Rank B (4 Dice)
AGI: Rank D (2 Dice)
VIT: Rank E (1 Dice)
CHT: Rank C (3 Dice)
Weakness: Elec, Curse, Charm, Instant-Kill
Resist: Bless
Archetype [Shining]: You are a contemplative and reflective appreciator of beauty. You are also prone to moodiness and flights of fancy. You refuse to do anything that you cannot do fabulously.
Skills:
Garula -Spring-: Generate an AERIAL element and apply a complex modification or syntax to it, provided it reflects the blossoming Sakura of Spring. [MAG/WIND]
Psio -Summer-: Generate a CRYSTALLINE element and apply a complex modification or syntax to it, provided it reflects the blooming Wisterias in Summer. [MAG/PSY]
Agilao -Autumn-: Generate a THERMAL element and apply a complex modification or syntax to it, provided it reflects the falling leaves of Autumn. [MAG/FIRE]
Bufula -Winter-: Generate a CRYOGENIC element and apply a complex modification or syntax to it, provided it reflects a pale moon upon snow in Winter. [MAG/ICE]
[ ] Ximen Qing 西門慶
She is a ravenous beast attired in silk and satin.
Her bed is an execution ground, Her ivory couch a penitentiary.
Her willowy brows are blades, Her starry eyes are swords, Her ruby lips are spears.
Her sweet mouth and her fragrant tongue, Mask the designs of a snake or scorpion.
No one who succumbs to her is able to avoid disaster.
They are but fine dust in fluid, Or snowflakes in scalding water.
The states of Ch'in and Ch'u were hardy,
The states of Wu and Yüeh were powerful,
But they perished on her account.
You may be warned that beauty is a deadly sword,
That slays us all; but few defend themselves.
-Excerpt from The Plum in the Golden Vase
STR: Rank C (3 Dice)
MAG: Rank D (2 Dice)
AGI: Rank F (0 Dice)
VIT: Rank B (4 Dice)
CHT: Rank A (5 Dice)
Weakness: All Mind-Altering Status Effects, Psi, Slash
Resist: Pierce, Wind
Archetype [Villain]: You are an absolutely horrible person, who seeks victory in acts of cruelty and vice. You are unable to resist even the slightest temptations, but it grants you insight into the minds of the deviants and mad.
Skills:
Rakunda -Lotus-: Inflicts a -2 DICE penalty to all defensive rolls, duration lasting 1 Turn + CHT Roll degree of success. [CHT/DEBUFF]
Tarunda -Vase-: Inflicts a -2 DICE penalty to all offensive rolls, duration lasting 1 turn + CHT Roll degree of success. [CHT/DEBUFF]
Uwarunda -Plum-: Inflicts a -2 DICE penalty to all CHT rolls, duration lasting 1 turn + CHT Roll degree of success. [CHT/DEBUFF]
Jin Ping Mei: Inflicts a -2 DICE penalty to all rolls, duration lasting 1 Turn + CHT Roll degree of success. Regardless of whether the effect lands, Kuro is also afflicted with a -2 DICE penalty to all rolls for 2 Scenes as an extra cost. [CHT/DEBUFF]
[ ] Don Juan
My dear lady, this is the list
Of the beauties my master has loved,
A list which I have compiled.
Observe, read along with me.
In Italy, six hundred and forty;
In Germany, two hundred and thirty-one;
A hundred in France; in Turkey, ninety-one;
But in Spain already one thousand and three.
Among these are peasant girls,
Maidservants, city girls,
Countesses, baronesses,
Marchionesses, princesses,
Women of every rank,
Every shape, every age.
-Excerpt from the Catalogue Aria, composed by Mozart
STR: Rank B (4 Dice)
MAG: Rank E (1 Dice)
AGI: Rank C (3 Dice)
VIT: Rank E (1 Dice)
CHT: Rank C (3 Dice)
Weakness: Blunt, Ice, Charm, Bind
Resist: Psy, Nuclear
Archetype [Libertine]: You are the life of the party, able to entertain with your sharp wit no matter how dire the situation. In fact, you can't stop needling your opponents, even when it would be in your best interest to shut up.
Deadly Sins: Perform a rapid-fire seven-hit sword skill at blinding speeds, overwhelming even the defenses of trained swordfighters in a single rush of steel. [STR/SLASH/MELEE]
Mirage Fencer: Call forth an illusionary double to strike your opponent as though in the throes of a waltz, causing them to misjudge your position and leave themselves open. [STR/PIERCE/MELEE]
Rebellion War: Summon an ephemeral stone sentinel that manifests behind your opponent, slamming its massive axe into the earth. In truth, the statue is targeting you, but you are too quick to be struck by the lumbering thing. [STR/BLUNT/MELEE]
Grand Tack: Manifest your sword or bullet into a single lance of incredible force and launch it in a straight line over a SHORT distance, penetrating all defenses and armor. [STR/PIERCE/SHORT]
Previous Persona vote remains open.
Evening
"That's the steering wheel. That's the gas pedal. That's the brake. Now go nuts."
You test the steering wheel of Hanako Akazawa's brand new mini-truck, trying to adjust the seat so you're not craning your neck to look out the window. It's awfully foggy outside, and the pouring rain smears what little visibility remains into a muddy haze.
"Are you sure I should be doing this?" You have no idea what's the legal driving age, but you're willing to bet it's not 15 years old.
"My dad taught me how to drive when I was 14. What's your excuse?" Hanako Akazawa says, eyes glazed over and tapping on her smartphone.
Was that the same dad who ran over someone in the mountains and kept on going? Clearly you're in the hands of someone trained by an experienced and conscientious driver. Kikuoka could make lots of things disappear for you. You doubt Manslaughter was one of them.
"Just, you know, trying to make sure I don't run anyone over."
"You're not going on the highway, just around the neighborhood. The speed limit is 20km/hr, and the self-driving system will stop you if you're about to hit anything. I often doze off when driving this thing."
With that horrifying revelation delivered, you decide upon reflection it's probably safer for you to be the one driving. You turn the key in the ignition, hearing the roar of a very angry muffler, and with that, you're off on the world's most boring joyride.
The streets are empty at this time of night, as you were in a purely residential area in the middle of a downpour. The drive goes smoothly, with any slight deviations in performance caught by the vehicle's computer.
"See? Easy peasy. But enjoy it while you can, I doubt you'll be driving ever again."
You brake a bit too sharply, feeling your body jump. "What do you mean?"
"That thing all over the news? The Social Camera? Once that goes online unsupervised self-driving cars will be street-legal, provided they can plug into the network. The municipality will even take responsibility for loss of life or property. Damn convenient, even if the stupid chip is expensive as hell."
The whole of Tokyo seems abuzz with construction, and it's no longer unusual to see swarms of drones flying overhead. Kikuoka mentioned the government is counting on the cameras to shore up its flagging police force. Pundits were calling it the biggest infrastructure project since the invention of the road.
"Doesn't this whole thing strike you as a bit... dystopian?" If the Social Camera were active just a bit earlier the entire Death Gun case could've been prevented. Though hearing Kikuoka just casually admit to mass government surveillance wasn't making you comfortable either.
"Why fuss about it? Either that or they hire a million police officers," Akazawa replies. She clearly doesn't have strong opinions on the matter. "They say it's all for the sake of a 'harmonious society' or whatever, but I think it's all just setup to sell Augmas. Half of our business is now shipping Kamura's crap around the city."
The buzz over the AR device seems ceaseless. Once the Social Cameras go online the promised Augmented World will finally begin. It's starting to sound just like the lead-up to the NerveGear's release.
"What, don't tell me you're turning into a luddite, part-timer? I ain't stupid enough to ever go into FullDive again, but I can see the writing on the wall. Soon this AR crap is gonna be manda— FUCK LOOK OUT!"
Akazawa's sudden cry catches you entirely off guard. You slam down your foot and— crap which one was the brake!? The autopilot triggers some emergency failsafe, jolting you upright as your body whips into the seatbelt. A large figure fills the front of the truck, pulling someone out of the way before stumbling forward. With a squeal of screeching rubber the mini-truck comes to an abrupt stop, the automated horns making it hard for you to distinguish the terrified shrieks of passersby from your own.
Did you just... run over someone on your first drive?
"YOU FUCKING STUPID KIDS NEED TO GET THE HELL OUT OF THE ROAD!"
...Guess not.
"USE THE CROSSWALK YOU GOOD FOR NOTHIN' BRATS!"
The truck sits motionlessly by the curb as you try to tune out the incessant shouting just outside the doors. The downpour has finally started to thin, and you see your boss in the side mirror cursing like a sailor.
"FUCK IF I SEE YOU DUMBASSES ARGUING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD AGAIN I SWEAR I WILL SLAM THE ACCELERATOR MYSELF!"
You see a few kids in unfamiliar uniforms out on the road, bowing profusely to Akazawa. From the scattered words you can make out they got caught up in an argument and wandered into the street. There's also a fairly large man standing shock-still in the middle of the street staring into the streetlights as if they're hypnotizing him.
"NOW GET LOST! ALL OF YOU, BEFORE I CALL YOUR PARENTS!"
With one last huff, the small crowd disperses with their tails between their legs, the high schoolers walking down the crosswalk properly this time. The large man, meanwhile, doesn't move an inch. He just sits there and stares.
"That means you too pork-chop. C'mon, hop to it, you're obstructing traffic." Your boss waits for what feels like an eternity, and the big man doesn't move a centimeter.
"HEY! YOU DEAF!?"
The sounds of your boss' shouts grow more and more intense. If the streets weren't abandoned, you're sure that a crowd would've formed. The door to the truck opens wide as you unclasp your seatbelt, stepping outside to see exactly what's going on.
"Yo, part-timer. You're good at convincing idiots, right? Tell the walrus to clear off the road," Akazawa says. Your boss steps to the side, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it up with a frustrated grunt. You expect even if you call the police it'll take almost an hour to get a response, especially as no one was actually hurt. You step closer, sensing something... strange about the man before you...
"Are you... alright, mister?"
The man is dressed in a beaten-up tracksuit, and even soaked in rain you can smell an oily odor permeating through him. His frame is massive and stocky but without the faintest hint of sinew. Fogged-up glasses and mud-caked bare feet tell the tale of a homeless person wandering through the streets. There's an empty look on the man's face, the expression of a person with no destination in mind. At the sound of your voice, the big man glances your way, making the faintest grunt.
"You sure you didn't hit him?" Akazawa says. "He seems brain damaged. Whoa, wait, you sure you should get so close!?"
It's a vision of... something powerful. A SEED of a world to be, shining so brightly that it practically overlays itself over the man, projected in a soft hazy light. This thing you were seizing on behalf of ETTEILLA, you had assumed they were nothing more than nascent SEEDs. Unformed, unfilled...
But this man's vision looks nearly complete. A world almost matured, waiting for the briefest disruption in the walls of reality to suck his soul in and never let it go.
You see glimpses of something within, a wooden house, green grass, a boundless sky, and two tiny hands reaching out...
Your hand touches his chest. Something powerful flows from him to you, seeping deep into your heart and coursing through your body. Magic. Power. Respect. Disaster. Loss. A fawning wife— no, three? Loving children. A foe turned friend. A family crowded by a warm fire. The satisfaction of a life well lived...
That dream you hold in your hand. And as your fingers clasp around this vision of a world made just for one...
This thing of a million faces and a million mouths seeps out of the earth. With a million hands it reaches into the world to deliver its million curses. The million shadows grow a million thorns and a tiny home on the edge of nowhere is flayed open, its people ripped of skin and sinew and soul. The world and everything within is ground to blood and dust and when the thing has eaten its fill it lets out a million screams before all the lights snuff out...
Your hand recoils. The sounds of Tokyo come flooding back.
"I... what... where..." The man awakens as if emerging from a trance, shaking wildly and falling to his knees. He stares at his hands, as if surprised at their size. You feel a pair of eyes behind foggy glasses, staring straight into you. He realizes you've taken something from him, but cannot fully comprehend what just happened.
But all you can think of is that brief fleeting vision you saw. A vivid, half-realized world, a different life that he could've lived, one shining with wonder and mystery. And the sheer potential of the power within... it's not entirely what you set out to do today, but you weren't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. You give the stranger your big friendly smile, all full of teeth. "Hey, you seem awake. Mind getting off the road?"
You assurred to Akazawa that you'd be safe by yourself. She didn't care, and just drove the truck way. At least she had the decency to leave you an umbrella, though it barely manages to cover the listless man sitting by the side of the curb. Before she rolled away, Akazawa called the local neighborhood association— they had a social worker who specialized in these types of cases. But it'll be some time before he arrives.
"So? Who are you?" you lean down, fighting your initial instinct to pinch your nose. "Can't be fun wandering outside with no shoes on."
"Me...? I'm, uh..." A look of great difficulty creases the man's face. He turns away from your gaze as if he was expecting you to fire lasers from your eyes. "I'm... nobody."
"Maybe a name to start with Nobody-san?"
"Call me what you like."
A name flits to the edge of your mind, whispering to you from the SEED you stole from him. An... English name? One you've never heard before. Starts with an R, or was that an L? It sounded like Lugh. Lughy? It'd be beyond entertaining to find out this man is Lugh's real identity, though considering he didn't shove anyone in front of the truck and play it off like an accident it's probably not your creepy assassin friend.
"Sure, whatever, keep your dumb secrets. Now what the hell is your problem?" you had your guesses, but you wanted a concrete answer.
"none of your business..."
"What? I didn't quite catch that. Speak up."
"I said none of your business you nosy bitch!" The man slams his clenched fist into the concrete as spittle flies from the homeless man's mouth. "LEAVE ME ALONE! CAN'T A MAN GET SOME FUCKING PEACE?"
His bravado fails to impress you, but you decide caution is the best strategy in case he decides to take a swing. Mentally sound this man is not.
"No can do. Gotta at least watch you till someone comes pick you up. God knows you'll try to run in front of the next truck you see if I don't." It doesn't take much deductive reasoning to imagine what he was doing running in front of a truck in the middle of the night.
"You here to gawk? Pity me? You're just a fucking normie. Wanna have a good laugh? Take a picture, it'll fuckin' last longer."
A good number of choice words were on the tip of your tongue, but the man just keeps talking, driven forward on his tirade.
"You don't get know anything! You must enjoy feeling like you're so damn enlightened talking to lower than the shit on your shoes. Must be so nice to be you. All you need to get ahead is get on your knees and bend over."
...Now the ideas coming into your head involve smashing his head into the pavement.
"Well? What? You keeping me here to gossip about shoes and lipstick? FUCK OFF!"
This whole situation is like talking to a rock. An angry emotionally unstable rock with a hair trigger. What do you even say to this guy? He's already hostile, and there's nothing natural about this encounter. Someone like you suddenly talking to a weirdo like this in the middle of a public street? If this was the plot of a manga it'd get canceled in a week. There's no socially logical reason you should even be talking to him right now. Even this man can sense that.
So naturally, the only thing you can do is lie. Not just any half-assed lie like pretending to be nice to him. No, you need something big. Something so revolutionary he doesn't have the time to think and doubt. What you need to do is to tell the mark... exactly what they want to hear.
...
"Hey, how'd you like to go to another world? A new start to your shit life?"
The homeless man's mouth drops open, staring at you in open astonishment. You feel his brain slowly start to separate from his mouth, and you finally feel like you have his attention for the first time since you started this conversation.
You lean forward, giving him a big smile as the sound of thunder rumbles in the sky. "What, cat got your tongue? You heard me. Maybe, let's say, you get to become a powerful magician. A family of your own. Get married! No, get married a bunch of times! How's that sound? Beats walking through the rain barefoot, huh?"
He gulps. "Y—you're full of shit."
"Annnndddd you just blew your chance. Too bad, tough luck, won't be a next time, buddy. I suggest you start looking for a bigger truck."
The man's words fail him for what seems like the tenth time today. He takes a while to struggle out a coherent sentence, but by then you're already starting to walk away. "I-is this a sick joke!? " he stutters, the words slipping out of his mouth. "You just some chuuni edgelord getting off on being cryptic!?"
"Hmm... maybe I am. Maybe I'm not. I'll let you be the judge of that."
"YOU'RE FUCKING WITH ME!" The man desperately cries out, his face red and steaming.
You laugh, turning around and opening your umbrella. He's one second from running after you in a rage. "That I do not deny. I suppose this means negotiations have broken down. See you never..."
The rain is still falling all around. Your feet start marching down the street. Your lips creak upward into a horrible smile as you give the stranger one last word.
"Rudy."
...
"WAIT! WAIT DAMN IT, WAAIIIITTT!"
I AM THOU, THOU ART I.
LIGHTNING SHATTERS THE HOLY LAND.
BRINGING UPON THE CITY PAIN AND MISERY UNENDING.
BUT BEHOLD THE TYRANT'S FALLEN TOWER. THE SUNDERED PRISON WALLS.
AND LET THE SINS WASH AWAY WITH THE CRUMBLING TEMPLE.
TO GRANT YOU POWER TO DESTROY THE HEAVENS.
LIGHTNING SHATTERS THE HOLY LAND.
BRINGING UPON THE CITY PAIN AND MISERY UNENDING.
BUT BEHOLD THE TYRANT'S FALLEN TOWER. THE SUNDERED PRISON WALLS.
AND LET THE SINS WASH AWAY WITH THE CRUMBLING TEMPLE.
TO GRANT YOU POWER TO DESTROY THE HEAVENS.
"Was that real? That wasn't a hallucination? T-that could've been... me?"
The homeless man asks you a question you don't precisely have an answer for. You suspect he saw much more than you did, but lacked the context to see them as more than a fleeting daydream. You only saw glimpses as you ripped the SEED out of him, nothing more than flashes of infinite possibilities and a single, half-formed name. It's a shot in the dark but it's clear this man remembers at least that much— enough to believe you.
"Sure, let's go with that. A whole new world waiting just for you. Sounds nice doesn't it? I have it on good authority that if you survive for long enough, you'll soon be able to leave this cruel and empty life," Your tone carries a mirthless bitter laugh. Best not tell him you're trying to prevent that outcome. "Isn't that what you want?"
The homeless man shifts uncomfortably against the curb, nodding vigorously. "Take me there! Please, take me! Megami-sama!"
You're subjected to the entirely unpleasant sight of a grown man twice your age kowtowing to you in the middle of a street corner, pleading for his entry into a non-existent otherworld. Thankfully no passersby are around to videotape this.
"Yeeeaaahhh, it's a bit more complicated than that. Can't just force-chug magic and expect your dreams to come true like that. Also, I'm no goddess. I'm the uh... acolyte of the... Sun God? Let's go with that."
"Whatever you are, please! I'll do whatever you say!"
There's only one rational response to an offer like that. "The Sun God demands your supplication in the form of all your worldly possessions."
"But I don't have anything!"
Shit, there goes Plan A. "It would help if you explain your situation to me. So the, uh, Sun God can best learn how to help you."
The homeless man blinks. He practically retreats into himself, glancing away and refusing to answer. "I—it's not important."
"You think I want to waste my time guessing? Gonna make me play charades?"
"I got kicked out..." The homeless man's voice is ridden with shame.
"Anyone with eyes can tell that! Details!"
Just like before sullen melancholy explodes into sudden violence, his emotions snapping back and forth like a broken pendulum. "I—it was my shitty family! They robbed me of my inheritance and threw me out into the streets! All I was doing was minding my own business, I wasn't bothering anyone and they destroyed my computer! They ruined my life!"
Translation: He's a NEET whose siblings just kicked him out of his house. And you'll bet all your magic powers that computer was more cursed than Mikami's. "Clearly you're skimping on some details, but luckily for you, the Sun God doesn't care. The Sun God only wants one thing from you."
"...What?"
"A contract." The homeless man's lips part in bewilderment, and you savor his look of shock. He tries to dig deeper but you refuse to elaborate on anything further. Being a cryptic magic goddess is much more fun than you originally anticipated. Maybe that's why ETTEILLA does it all the time?
"Do you want my soul?"
"Yours? Fuck no. Who knows where it's been? Nah, repeat after me. Slowly. Got it? I take full responsibility for the choices I make. Say it."
"S-shouldn't I be signing something?"
"Sun God's running short on brimstone. Just say it so we can move on, alright?"
The man hesitates, and you like to imagine every one of his brain cells screaming in utter protest at this moment. But after one long minute he opens his mouth and seals what he thinks is a binding supernatural contract. "I... I take full responsibility for the choices I make."
You clap. It doesn't feel like a proper contract without starting off with that.
"Excellent. Now here's how this is going to go. Soon, the universe as you know it is going to end. You'll get to reincarnate into a magical world where all your dreams come true, unless some cute and sexy magical girl comes around and ruins it for everyone. But you don't have to worry about that at all, if you want to become thus uh... Rudy dude, all you have to do is... survive."
"Just... survive? For how long?"
"Couple of months, tops, definitely by the end of the year." You'll rip your hair out if you're still dealing with this crap by the end of the year.
"If you're alive then I'll make sure you end up in the world of your dreams. But you're gonna have to get your shit together in the meantime."
The homeless man's excitement melts away from his face as he finally puts the pieces together. "That's impossible. I—I don't have anywhere to stay. I don't have a job, I can't just..."
"Look, think you're the only guy I gotta rapture? So in the meantime, I called a social worker for you. He, uh, works for the Sun God too. Just don't tell him I told you that, I outrank him and he's still salty about it."
As if on cue a beat-up but well cared for minivan pulls up at the side of the road, the vehicle stopping just a few feet behind you. You look and see a handsome man with glasses waving at you behind the wheel.
Wait a minute, you recognize that face...
On one hand, the fact that the social worker recognizes you adds a lot of weight to your ad-hoc story.
On the other hand, you have to deal with Subaru's Dad. Mom was still asking about him!
"Hiyori-chan, what a coincidence! I came as soon as I got the call!"
Natsuki Kenichi stands before you in all his glory, giving you his million yen smile. You've heard rumors about Subaru's dad being some kind of neighborhood hero, but you thought those were just unfounded rumors. Turns out he's a professional social worker, a fitting line of work for a person so bright he hurts to look at.
"O-oh, it's you, Natsuki-san. Fancy meeting you here."
"Indeed!" He gives you a thumbs up and you see his eyes wander down to your moving company uniform. "I see you're hard at work! Ah, I remember my first part-time job..."
You grit your teeth and try to zone out as the man regales you with tales of his youth. At least he wasted no time doing his job— while he engaged with your latest find to the best of his ability, the homeless man just brushed him off without even a hello. But thankfully he did shuffle into Natsuki's van without much of a fuss. To your surprise, the two have history together, the elder Natsuki even mentioning that this wasn't the first time they've encountered each other. "I must say, I'm impressed beyond words. This is the first time I've ever seen him listen. Usually, he shuts down or gets agitated. What did you say to him?"
You're tricking him into thinking you can deliver him into a dream world through the power of bullshit. Not exactly something you can come out and say.
"...Just words. I don't know if they were the right words, but they seemed to have gotten his attention."
The man studies you, and suddenly you feel like an ant under a magnifying glass. You sense that he immediately sees straight through you. Such is the power of a psychologically healthy, normal adult. "Hiyori-chan. This may be forward of me, but did you... feed him a lie?"
You wince. Okay, you lied a little bit. Just a little. "I just told him what he needed to hear..."
There's a brief moment of silence as Natsuki-san stares at the silent van, the subject of your conversation napping within. "Did you know? His parents died last week. Within days of each other— you know what they said about lovebirds."
His parents... died?
"They were good folk. Hard-working, friendly, a couple that stayed madly in love with each other even into their old age. They had five children... hard to imagine, right? Even one's giving me plenty of trouble, hahaha!"
Natsuki-san takes a deep breath, and at once his sunny persona falls away into something more subdued. "I first met them when I started having trouble with Subaru. We bonded over our... shared problems... and we became quite close. I was sad to see them pass, but gladdened to see everyone whose lives they touched gather for one last day of remembrance. I was proud to have called them my friends, and it was one of the most packed funerals I've ever attended. But the third son... the one they spent the most time worried about... he didn't go. That among... other things... broke what little patience remained in his family."
Natsuki looks you straight in the eye, and you see the conflicted emotions within. "He hasn't left his room in almost two decades. I've offered vocational training, wilderness camps, shut-in rehabilitation centers— but nothing works when there's no will. His siblings advocated for physical intervention but that... never ends well. But now they're the only family he has left, and it seems they no longer want anything to do with him. It's a... regrettable situation. That being said I'm not sure outright tricking him is the right call..."
What is the right answer? How do you convince a man who's lived a wasted life for almost 20 years to just walk into a new one like nothing ever happened? You know one answer to that question, and it involved destroying the world in lieu of a new one. Rather than a lack of will you see it more as a lack of...
"I think what he needed was... hope."
Natsuki-san raises an eyebrow.
"It's nothing more than a hunch... but I think I know what he wants, more than anything else. All he really wants is a second chance. An opportunity to restart from zero."
Because with nothing but the clothes on his back and an employment gap longer than your lifespan, you don't truly see a happy ending waiting at the finish line. The odds stacked against him are incomprehensible. No amount of magic or psychic insights could fix this.
"All I told him to do was survive. However he can, for as long as he can... so he can potentially see a better tomorrow."
Just survive. So you can be a better version of yourself.
Natsuki-san smiles, "That's an interesting way of looking at it. I have no reason to doubt your methods, not when you're two for two in these matters. You seem to have a gift for this, have you considered social work once you've graduated? I can tell you'll be amazing at it!"
He claps you firmly on the back and you blush at the sudden contact. "S-still figuring things out..."
"No, no I'm serious! You know we once tried to hire a professional little sister for him? That's someone whose job is solely to talk with shut-ins and help them acclimate to human contact. Considering all you've already done, you're pretty much already a professional, hahaha!"
Natsuki extends a pen and a small card towards you. "I'd appreciate it if you could talk to my client in the future. For some reason he's opened up to you—I don't quite know what you did, but keep at it. Being part of his support network can go a long way towards healing him. And of course, you won't go uncompensated, my office has a stipend for work such as this, not to mention it looks killer on a resume!"
You look at your hand with a start. Hidden behind the business card was a crisply folded ¥10000 bill.
"Call me next time something comes up, Hiyori-chan! May the rest of the day find you well! Bye!"
You watch Subaru's father take the homeless man away to a local hostel, all while you stare silently at today's payday, the most a part-time job's ever given you in a single sitting. Maybe you could do this again...
FRIDAY - June 6th, 2025
Velvet Room
His world nears completion, its logos lies on the cusp of realization.
The World Seed is a parasite upon the dream of mankind. Its bloom portends the fracture.
Do not forget, contractor. There is only one true world.
...
...
He wishes not to be the hero. He has no dream of conquest.
The demon lord is another's problem. He desires only one thing.
Something to live for. A life to strive for. Another round at the table.
He fears neither pain nor hard work. He will toil and suffer in due.
What is the harm? Why should we not allow TEMPLE to build his paradise?
Why should we permit him his second chance when he has squandered his first?
Why should we permit this creature who has wrought only regret his absolution?
For you see the truth of his new world. What can be more depraved?
A world of mindless dolls created solely to feed a juvenile fantasy?
Or a world of realized minds created solely to serve the same?
There is no word for the taste. Magnificent, to be savored down to the last bite.
...
There is room yet for his fresh start. Every second of every day.
The opportunities of this world fall upon him like raindrops in summer.
Should TEMPLE desire his second chance, he already has all he needs.
But the one thing he cannot have, is passage into HEAVEN.
[ ] Hikaru Genji
I should like to indulge in the pleasures of the seasons—the blossoms, the autumn leaves, the changing skies. People have long weighed the flowering woods in spring against the lovely hues of the autumn moors, and no one seems ever to have shown which one clearly deserves to be preferred. I hear that in China they say nothing equals the brocade of spring flowers, while in Yamato speech we prefer the poignancy of autumn, but my eyes are seduced by each in turn, and I cannot distinguish favorites among the colors of their blossoms or the songs of their birds. I have in mind to fill a garden, however small, with enough flowering spring trees to convey the mood of the season, or to transplant autumn grasses there and, with them, the crickets whose song is so wasted in the fields, and then to give all this to a lady for her pleasure.
-Excerpt from the Tale of Genji by Murashaki Shikibu
STR: Rank D (2 Dice)
MAG: Rank B (4 Dice)
AGI: Rank D (2 Dice)
VIT: Rank E (1 Dice)
CHT: Rank C (3 Dice)
Weakness: Elec, Curse, Charm, Instant-Kill
Resist: Bless
Archetype [Shining]: You are a contemplative and reflective appreciator of beauty. You are also prone to moodiness and flights of fancy. You refuse to do anything that you cannot do fabulously.
Skills:
Garula -Spring-: Generate an AERIAL element and apply a complex modification or syntax to it, provided it reflects the blossoming Sakura of Spring. [MAG/WIND]
Psio -Summer-: Generate a CRYSTALLINE element and apply a complex modification or syntax to it, provided it reflects the blooming Wisterias in Summer. [MAG/PSY]
Agilao -Autumn-: Generate a THERMAL element and apply a complex modification or syntax to it, provided it reflects the falling leaves of Autumn. [MAG/FIRE]
Bufula -Winter-: Generate a CRYOGENIC element and apply a complex modification or syntax to it, provided it reflects a pale moon upon snow in Winter. [MAG/ICE]
[ ] Ximen Qing 西門慶
She is a ravenous beast attired in silk and satin.
Her bed is an execution ground, Her ivory couch a penitentiary.
Her willowy brows are blades, Her starry eyes are swords, Her ruby lips are spears.
Her sweet mouth and her fragrant tongue, Mask the designs of a snake or scorpion.
No one who succumbs to her is able to avoid disaster.
They are but fine dust in fluid, Or snowflakes in scalding water.
The states of Ch'in and Ch'u were hardy,
The states of Wu and Yüeh were powerful,
But they perished on her account.
You may be warned that beauty is a deadly sword,
That slays us all; but few defend themselves.
-Excerpt from The Plum in the Golden Vase
STR: Rank C (3 Dice)
MAG: Rank D (2 Dice)
AGI: Rank F (0 Dice)
VIT: Rank B (4 Dice)
CHT: Rank A (5 Dice)
Weakness: All Mind-Altering Status Effects, Psi, Slash
Resist: Pierce, Wind
Archetype [Villain]: You are an absolutely horrible person, who seeks victory in acts of cruelty and vice. You are unable to resist even the slightest temptations, but it grants you insight into the minds of the deviants and mad.
Skills:
Rakunda -Lotus-: Inflicts a -2 DICE penalty to all defensive rolls, duration lasting 1 Turn + CHT Roll degree of success. [CHT/DEBUFF]
Tarunda -Vase-: Inflicts a -2 DICE penalty to all offensive rolls, duration lasting 1 turn + CHT Roll degree of success. [CHT/DEBUFF]
Uwarunda -Plum-: Inflicts a -2 DICE penalty to all CHT rolls, duration lasting 1 turn + CHT Roll degree of success. [CHT/DEBUFF]
Jin Ping Mei: Inflicts a -2 DICE penalty to all rolls, duration lasting 1 Turn + CHT Roll degree of success. Regardless of whether the effect lands, Kuro is also afflicted with a -2 DICE penalty to all rolls for 2 Scenes as an extra cost. [CHT/DEBUFF]
[ ] Don Juan
My dear lady, this is the list
Of the beauties my master has loved,
A list which I have compiled.
Observe, read along with me.
In Italy, six hundred and forty;
In Germany, two hundred and thirty-one;
A hundred in France; in Turkey, ninety-one;
But in Spain already one thousand and three.
Among these are peasant girls,
Maidservants, city girls,
Countesses, baronesses,
Marchionesses, princesses,
Women of every rank,
Every shape, every age.
-Excerpt from the Catalogue Aria, composed by Mozart
STR: Rank B (4 Dice)
MAG: Rank E (1 Dice)
AGI: Rank C (3 Dice)
VIT: Rank E (1 Dice)
CHT: Rank C (3 Dice)
Weakness: Blunt, Ice, Charm, Bind
Resist: Psy, Nuclear
Archetype [Libertine]: You are the life of the party, able to entertain with your sharp wit no matter how dire the situation. In fact, you can't stop needling your opponents, even when it would be in your best interest to shut up.
Deadly Sins: Perform a rapid-fire seven-hit sword skill at blinding speeds, overwhelming even the defenses of trained swordfighters in a single rush of steel. [STR/SLASH/MELEE]
Mirage Fencer: Call forth an illusionary double to strike your opponent as though in the throes of a waltz, causing them to misjudge your position and leave themselves open. [STR/PIERCE/MELEE]
Rebellion War: Summon an ephemeral stone sentinel that manifests behind your opponent, slamming its massive axe into the earth. In truth, the statue is targeting you, but you are too quick to be struck by the lumbering thing. [STR/BLUNT/MELEE]
Grand Tack: Manifest your sword or bullet into a single lance of incredible force and launch it in a straight line over a SHORT distance, penetrating all defenses and armor. [STR/PIERCE/SHORT]
Previous Persona vote remains open.
Last edited:
ThatGuyWithIdeas
Treize died for our sins
- Location
- Romania
Reiterating my earlier Persona vote for the previous set so it doesn't get lost.
As for the new set... Hikaru Genji is right out. Weakness to Instat-Kill moves is a bad weakness to have in the current arc, especially if it is paired with Kalûnga Line's terrain ability to make it more likely for Instant-Kills to be successful, a combination that is pretty much going to guarantee Death Gun can easily kill us. Ximen Quing is specialized in debuff usage. High CHT also makes one of its weaknesses less problematic, but Slash is still something that's a bit too common to encounter as far as weaknesses go. Archetype Villain might be more trouble than it's worth. And as for Don Juan... it's a decent physical persona that also has decent CHT for resisting debuffs and covers all most physical elements. Its Archetype also doesn't seem that problematic.
[X] Ys
[X] Don Juan
As for the new set... Hikaru Genji is right out. Weakness to Instat-Kill moves is a bad weakness to have in the current arc, especially if it is paired with Kalûnga Line's terrain ability to make it more likely for Instant-Kills to be successful, a combination that is pretty much going to guarantee Death Gun can easily kill us. Ximen Quing is specialized in debuff usage. High CHT also makes one of its weaknesses less problematic, but Slash is still something that's a bit too common to encounter as far as weaknesses go. Archetype Villain might be more trouble than it's worth. And as for Don Juan... it's a decent physical persona that also has decent CHT for resisting debuffs and covers all most physical elements. Its Archetype also doesn't seem that problematic.
[X] Ys
[X] Don Juan
Well, I asked, and we have received, so I may as well double down on getting SOME kind of fire coverage
[X] Ys
[X] Hikaru Genji
Even though Don Juan is SO tempting to fill in for a physical attacker (Grand Tack seems so BUSTED!), but QM himself hints that Priest Personas are specialized physical attackers, so why get something that's going to be redundant? Cats of Ulthar is already technically a physical attacker as well, although admittedly less effective than Putana or Khodumodomo were. I'm not willing to gamble on pete giving us a PHYS attacker with elemental attacks, and it seems like poor form to rely on Gwen for fire coverage specifically.
Also, the weakness to instant-kills may be not be as problematic as it seems if we use Sokushinbutsu alongside Genji. Tetraja is a hell of a shield for the current arc.
If Hikaru Genji wins, we might need to ask Motosu-Sensei for a bunch of classical Japanese poetry collections so we can, uh...utilize his spells effectively. Can't imagine Hiyori would be able to come up with good imagery on the spot, even WITH Genji's Archetype influencing her.
Also, don't recognize where the TEMPLE link comes from.
[X] Ys
[X] Hikaru Genji
Even though Don Juan is SO tempting to fill in for a physical attacker (Grand Tack seems so BUSTED!), but QM himself hints that Priest Personas are specialized physical attackers, so why get something that's going to be redundant? Cats of Ulthar is already technically a physical attacker as well, although admittedly less effective than Putana or Khodumodomo were. I'm not willing to gamble on pete giving us a PHYS attacker with elemental attacks, and it seems like poor form to rely on Gwen for fire coverage specifically.
Also, the weakness to instant-kills may be not be as problematic as it seems if we use Sokushinbutsu alongside Genji. Tetraja is a hell of a shield for the current arc.
If Hikaru Genji wins, we might need to ask Motosu-Sensei for a bunch of classical Japanese poetry collections so we can, uh...utilize his spells effectively. Can't imagine Hiyori would be able to come up with good imagery on the spot, even WITH Genji's Archetype influencing her.
Also, don't recognize where the TEMPLE link comes from.