Winning Vote:
[X]Plan- I don't need sleep I need answers!
-[X] Ask her to come along
-[X] Ask questions
-Was it always like this and I just never noticed?
-Are we dead? This isn't hell, is it?
-Does anybody else know?
-[X] Make your way home.
"I think we should stick together," you say eventually, trying to think about what you want to do with the situation you've found yourself in.
Shiho's shoulders sag almost immediately. "Awesome, I would've been antsy all night if I left you now."
"Yeah, I've got some questions and this is…more than a little weird."
Nodding, Shiho tugs on your sleeve and starts walking down the bridge with you. "There's both a lot and a little I can tell you about what's going on, so let's just go by your questions. Hopefully, you don't blank out again."
"I didn't exactly like the feeling."
"Me neither. So? Where do we start?"
[X] "Was it always like this and I just never noticed?"
"Oh, god, no," she shuddered. "At least, I hope not. This all started four months ago, on Christmas- well, Christmas Eve."
You try to make a connection. On Christmas Eve you were just sitting at home? Yes, you were knitting a muffler since it was supposed to be extra cold in the next few weeks.
Your memories continue after a moment and you can see them almost like a video rather than your own thoughts. Sitting day after day, going back to your hobby and working at it mindlessly until the job was done. After that, days working on small, simple practice projects, but never anything with any inspiration behind it.
You shake your head before you can lose yourself any further, just in time to hear her continue.
"I only think I know what was the sort of center of this whole thing, but even that I'm shaky on. Everyone I tried to talk to about it just…wasn't like me, like you are now."
"I want to know what you mean by that, but first-
[X] "Are we dead? This isn't hell is it?"
The girl snorts, giving your arm a shove. "I won't lie and say that hasn't come up as an idea, but I don't think it is. I'm…I'm not sure if you wanna hear the kind of the weak reason I'm betting on no."
"A true detective doesn't stop at the first answer just because more might be scary, they push forward until they find one that solves every question and more."
The words played themselves in your head with an unexpected clarity compared to pulling up any other memories. One of many of Amasawa-senpai's bold declarations about the true meaning of being a detective and reaching out for the truth.
"That's fine," you said. "None of the rest of this makes much sense so far, I won't dismiss your experience just because I haven't seen some specific thing yet that you have."
Shiho slowed to a stop after hearing that. Taking a look at her, it seemed like she was about to cry again as she looked back at you. She wiped at her sleeve before any tears could come out, then tightened up her face in determination.
"Okay, yeah. So I think we're still alive because…because there are demons."
Bewilderment took over as you took in the words. Demons? What did that-
(Learned+)
You snap your head to the side, looking at one of the buildings you and Shiho were walking by. It's one of what appears to be many buildings that have different bones sticking out of them, most of them dripping and some still dropping bits of gore into the ocean of blood beneath you.
Bones, flesh, and blood that might have been part of something. Something enormous.
"They're not- They're not that big, are they?"
Your arms are burning as you speak the words. It's hard to even notice the pain until Shiho grabs your hands, bringing your panicked attention back to her.
"No! No, they're not! Relax, okay?" Shiho says while stroking her thumbs over the backs of your white-knuckled hands. "You need to relax, or else you're just going to make your arms worse than they already are."
You nod, it makes sense.
"But just let me explain; I can't always see them, but sometimes I see these things, these demons around. Not many are that much bigger than a person, and a lot are about the same size."
"And that makes you think this isn't hell?"
"I was getting to that. No. What makes me think this is hell is that they aren't doing anything to us- to anyone!"
If that was true, you could start to see the logic behind her conclusion.
"You think that if this was hell, the point of demons being around would be to torture us, not simply…exist? Is that what they're doing?"
"Yeah, exactly!" Shiho said, almost bouncing in place. "They would be torturing us or something! Most people can't even see them, and I've seen some people fully bump into one and the demon just looks mad but does nothing! That wouldn't make any sense for hell!"
"People can bump into them?" You ask, catching the detail. "Can they feel that? Do other people see them? Speaking of which-"
[X] "Does anybody else know?"
Her look turned sour, arms crossing over her chest. Shiho started walking again, almost visibly burning with frustration.
"No," she said. "No one sees any of this or knows anything! Everyone's just…just wrong!"
You almost go to ask what she meant by that, but it started to slip together in your mind. Before you noticed it, this walk has started to significantly clear up the fog covering your mind, making it easier to connect the dots and remember the past few months.
(Due to pushing for answers through the haze over her mind, Akiko will no longer struggle with simple memories about her past. Few blockages remain!)
"So everyone is just like I was, aren't they?"
Recalling months of attending classes, ascending to the next year, and traveling to and from school. None of your actions were outside of what you would have done normally. Even so, not a single thing was done for fun, for happiness, or for any reason outside of one single line of thought.
This is what I should do, this is the proper order of things.
A memory flashes through your mind, one that you don't wish to recall. A group of boys and girls standing around you, laughing as you pick up the scattered contents of your bag until Amasawa-senpai barges into the room.
Another flashes through later. A set of boys, some the same as the last memory, surrounding you as one yank harshly on your hair as if expecting a plea to stop. None of the boys look like they're having fun. You give them no reaction as you stare out of the hallway window, seeing a sky full of red that you don't react to.
Shiho's shoulder bumping into yours brings you back. You've walked a few blocks, and now you can see people starting to slowly fill the streets as school and work hours end. None of them look any emotion other than flat neutrality.
"Did I lose you again?" Shiho asks, and you know she's frowning without looking at her.
"No," you answer. "Not like before. I was just lost in my memories for a bit. I know what you mean by wrong, now. I think you're…partially correct, but a little wrong."
"Yeah? About what part?"
You looked around as you considered how to phrase your thoughts. There were no signs of the demons Shiho mentioned, and your memories didn't even have any as far as you could tell, but for some reason, you knew she was telling the truth.
"At least as far as seeing the world the way we see it. When I'm remembering anything of the last few months, I see the same red we're seeing now."
"Couldn't that be because you woke up?"
"I don't think that would affect my memories retroactively like this, though. I think it's more that they're seeing this but they don't, or can't care about it or give it any recognition. It's like when you forget a task you were in the middle of. You should be thinking one way or doing one thing, but you've forgotten it, your mind can't bring it up as a thought because it's so far gone. Like forgetting a ramen cup in the microwave until it's ten hours later."
It takes you a few steps before you realize Shiho stopped again. You turn back to look at her, only to see her staring at you with her head tilted to the side.
"…What did I do?"
"That was probably the single worst analogy I've heard in my entire life."
You have no way to respond before Shiho bursts into laughter, quickly getting more and more caught up in it until she's bent over at the waist. A giggle slips from your lips and you almost break into laughter, only for the world to slow around you.
A feminine, childish voice rings in her head, calling out words from everywhere at once.
I am thou, thou art I…
Thou has acquired a new vow.
It shall become a tool of discovery
That shall uncover thy salvation.
With the birth of the Chariot——
I have obtained the winds of blessing
That shall lead to unearthing new power…
And as the voice dies out and the world leads to quiet, the speed of time resumes its normal pace. Shiho keeps laughing for a moment more before taking in a large breath, struggling to keep her composure in the face of her amusement.
"Okay, okay, I just- heeheehee~! You had to see the look on your face! It was-"
"I just heard a voice."
Something about your tone snaps Shiho to attention. She looks around, trying to see if anything stood out. "Like, someone said something, or…?"
"No," you shake your head. "It was a voice in my head, it- it said…"
And it's gone. The thoughts slip away, important yet invisible. The knowledge is there, but you just…just can't reach it.
"I don't know what it said, but it…"
Something bumps into you. You lock up from the pain that jolts through your arm, almost sending you sprawling if not for Shiho catching you. She's still shouting at the unaware office worker continuing on his way by the time you get your balance back and your breathing under control. The thought you had is entirely gone. Another enters your mind as you think about the pain in your arm and the friend next to you, the only friend you've had for a long while.
[X] Make your way home
"Can we head to my place, Shiho? I wanna get off these streets…"
"Sure, yeah," she agreed readily enough. "But, uh…is your bedroom on the ground floor?"
Luckily, the answer was no. You hated the reason your mind came up with for why that question was important.
Within a few minutes, you arrive close to your home. Your aimless walking once you left the school led you and Shiho in the opposite direction, but a quick detour had you walking through the Bar District. Whether Shiho had lived in this city for long or not, not many people your age would wander around the Bar District. It was part of the reason you tended to go straight home after school, it's a lot easier to avoid messy drunks the earlier in the day you approach the place.
Just beyond that, however, laid a building entirely out of place in its surroundings. You had only a portion of the details, but Amasawa-senpai laid it out once. As part of a real-estate scheme, a reactionary 'moral cleanliness' group was attempting to drive the local brothels out of business. It didn't work thanks to a series of events you had no chance of understanding when she tried to describe them, but one of the real estate moguls jumping on the plan jumped the gun.
After buying up a set of abandoned buildings prior to the completion and subsequent collapse of the plan, a single new building was constructed. A high-end, high-rise apartment in a location where no high-end tenant would ever wish to reside. Not unless frugality meant more to them than appearances.
"Well this place looks nice," Shiho mentions, looking much less comfortable than a moment before when an older woman offered her a job at a certain type of…establishment.
You'll never tell her that you panicked and ran away the first few times they tried the same with you.
It took just a few minutes to go up the elevator and walk to your apartment, with a sense of relief filling you the whole time that your place seemed to be spared from the 'giant bones in everything' treatment. You also kept expecting to look down and see your skirt and below stained red, but luckily that didn't happen, either.
Reaching the final door at the end, you pulled out your keys and made your way inside, discarding your shoes and welcoming Shiho in.
"Did you guys just move in before December?" She asked.
It was easy to see how she came to that conclusion. The apartments looked new and yours looked anything but lived in. A few pieces of plain furniture, a television in the main room with a layer of dust over them.
It was an innocent question. You wished you had a better answer.
"No. My parents just don't feel a need to decorate, even before our…current situation."
"Oh, gotcha."
No more words passed between you as Shiho followed along to your room. Once you both arrived, it was as if color bled into the world. One wall held a large quilt covering the surface, a mix-and-match appearance that had no apparent rule to what colors were chosen, but clearly had more and more skill placed into its creation as one gazed from the right to the left.
The rest of the room itself was…
"Damn, Akiko. You live like this?"
A mess. Even your 'autopilot' self had no concept of cleaning, it would seem. Nothing 'dirty,' just more organized than anyone else's room you'd ever seen. All except for the meticulously-organized knitting deck in the corner.
"I am aware," you replied, a dry look on your face.
Shiho started giggling like mad again while you took it all in, trying to see if anything changed in your time 'gone.' There was nothing of note, which pleased you as you saw Toranosuke in great shape.
It took just a minute for you to take care of him for the day, a bit of water, and a simple wellness check.
(Kindness Increased!)
It's only when you turn around that you realize Shiho's giggling stopped. Instead of laughing at you for the piles of clean, unfolded clothes on your floor, she was lying on one while completely unconscious. You barely had time to be worried before the world started blacking out.
—
Waking up brought no comfort. Your head pulsed with agony and dealing with that pain made it take a long time to realize the world around you was pulsing just the same. Blearily, you opened your eyes and found yourself greeted with blue on all sides. Blue as far as the eye could see, so much so that you struggled to make out any distances or shapes between your screaming head and the uniformity of the color.
After a few moments, you got to your feet. A glance downward told you that you were still wearing your clothes from a minute ago, the vibrant blue of your blazer matching the surroundings perfectly. Your arms, however, felt only a shadow of the pain they felt before.
Gathering yourself, you tried to stay calm. Whatever was happening felt off, but still real. After everything you experienced in the past few hours, you had no doubts that you needed to tread carefully. That was the question, though. Where to tread?
[X] Observe the Area (Knowledge Check)
[X] Try to Find a Way Out
[X] Look for Shiho
[X] Wait for Someone to Come By
[X] Write-In
