As All The World's Evils laid waste to what was left of Emiya Shirou, he had expected death. Instead, he gets dragged into another world without any explanation. And what the hell is a Persona?
You slump back in your chair exhausted. You've been guiding your chosen Soul for a decent while now, and he is just tiring to deal with, not to mention the two distractions…
"Heyyyy buddy!" Speaking of… "I have something for you~"
"Is it pay?" You're officially unemployed, and you're only living off the free food either Divine or Abyssal bring, and you've been living in your… 'office'.
"It is!" You're honestly shocked. "Due to your accomplishments with that timeline, we've been granted some funds!"
"Is it enough for us to move out of this closet?"
"...no… but, it's still a paycheck, right!?"
You let out a sigh and grab the offered check. It's… about a third of what you would have made at your planned job.
"Oh, and they say they're going to need to see a bit more from us to keep up the funding, so we'll have to take on another Soul."
…
You desperately keep yourself from saying all of the expletives that appear in your mind, barely able to hold on.
"So, I've brought the files again, and I was able to make some pretty interesting changes!" She looks at one of the other chairs in the room, where Abyssal is snoring softly, and frowns. "ABYSSAL, wake up!" She snaps her fingers at him, causing a small beam of light to apparate and knock him down to the ground.
"Shit-!" He's able to land without too much injury. "Not cool."
"We have to help them pick another Soul! Also, you were supposed to be awake to help me break the news about that."
"You say 'help' but we just made some random comments last time, and I doubt it will be any different now."
So you don't have to sleep here anymore, so you don't have to sleep here anymore, so you don't have to sleep here anymore-
You repeat the mantra in your head over and over as you once again look over the files.
One choice per section. Just like last time.
Character Archetype:
[ ] Heaven's Fall
Timeline Designation: F20S04N.UBW24-D
Destination Worldline: Honkai:Star Rail
Transfer Point: As a Stellaron is implanted in a receptacle
Transfer Location: On the Herta Space Station, in a horde of Voidrangers
Combat Difficulty: Very High (You'll be up against things and people that can destroy worlds.)
Social Difficulty: Easy (Companions will essentially fall into your lap. Probably not literally.)
Notable Physical Differences: None. Red hair, amber eyes, unchanged height or skin tone. Your everyday Shirou Emiya.
Origin Synopsis:
Your circuits were exhausted, but you had won. You couldn't let there be even a chance of him getting out alive, so you threw yourself into the rift he was attempting to climb out of. Feet first, too, just for the split second of satisfaction of kicking him while he's down.
As the void swallows you whole, you lament that it had to come to this, that your wish to save people will go no further. A traitorous part of you feels that this was the only outcome for someone like yourself.
Even so, you'll stay true to that hypocrisy no matter where it leads.
Stats:
Strength: D
Endurance: D+
Agility: D
Mana: C-
Luck: C-
Tagged Skills: Reflex, Awareness, Initiative.
Deteriorated Skill: Research
Starting Weapons: Kanshou & Bakuya (The Married Blades)
Perk Gained: Streamlined Manufacturing
Archer's shared experience has made your tracing far more effective than it would've been. However you're still a long way from the heights he had reached.
Projecting weapons causes 20% less strain on your magic circuits, and their quality won't be affected by mana overuse.
Flaw Gained: Martyr Complex
You've already given your life to save others, and you'd easily do it again. Far too easily, actually.
Choosing not to attempt to help someone, no matter how impossible the situation, will cause stacking penalties. (-1 to every roll per instance. You are curently unaware of a way to clear this debuff.)
Destination Worldline: Persona 5 Royal
Transfer Point: March 31st, 2016
Transfer Location: A random street in Tokyo, where a man is forcing a woman into a car.
Combat Difficulty: Easy (Possible threats are rather powerful, but you'll be granted powers to match and surpass them.)
Social Difficulty: Moderate (You'll be heading to school with criminal charges, which may make it a challenge to have people to talk to in the first place.)
Notable Physical Differences: Darkened irises, near black with light speckles of gold.
Origin Synopsis:
There are five original penalties. Life penalty, body penalty, freedom penalty, fame penalty, fortune penalty. Give the penalty that extends so much punishment, mud, darkness, and malice.
All of humanity's sins crash against your consciousness, cementing your loss, your agony. You were utterly dissected in that fight if you could even call it one.
death penalty penal servitude imprisonment custody fine penalty, crime from a grudge, crime from self-interest, unconscious crime, self-conscious crime, civil war, inducement
Your thoughts start to drift, an endless cold replacing an endless pain. Your very self begins to crack, then shatter.
false statement, theft, robbery, kidnap, suicide, rape, tyranny, arson, bombing, violation, negligent homicide, mass violence, death at work, overconfident accident
The last of your thoughts before you fade away is that you hope Saber is alright.
dirty dirty dirty dirty dirty dirty you are dirty atone atone atone atone atone atone every violence every crime every victim atone atone atone with death
You know that she isn't.
Stats:
Strength: D
Endurance: C
Agility: D-
Mana: E
Luck: C+
Starting Weapon: Caliburn(The Golden Sword of the Victorious)
Perk Gained: The Everdistant Utopia
Her sheath is still within you, granting protection. Its strength is far weaker with her gone, but it stubbornly holds on.
0.5% of your health will be healed every minute, and major wounds will take half of the time to recover from. You are immune to poison.
Flaw Gained: All The World's Evils
Being touched by Angra Mainyu is already a terrible outcome. Taking the equivalent to a bath in the stuff is considering "way fucking worse".
You now have a voice in your head with absolutely no one's best interest in mind. Also, it seems to have some minor control over your actions. Congrats, buddy.
[ ] Sparks Liner High
Timeline Designation: F20S04N.HF38-E
Destination Worldline: RWBY
Transfer Point: As the Beacon initiation test begins.
Transfer Location: In the sky above the Emerald Forest.
Combat Difficulty: Variable (Your ability level will vary wildly for quite a while, as you attempt to rebuild yourself.)
Social Difficulty: Very Easy (You'll find yourself surrounded by people attempting to be heroes, or at least something similar. The remnants of your personality make it simple to get along with them.)
Notable Physical Differences: Patches of tanned skin and white hair.
Origin Synopsis(?):
Spirit and technique, flawless and firm.
Our strength rips the mountains.
Our swords split the water.
Our names reach the Imperial Villa.
The two of us cannot hold the heavens together.
It's still as incomprehensible as last time, though considering your newfound experience, you'd wager it's some form of aria? How broken does one soul have to be for the summary of their entire existence to be 5 lines of a poem?
Stats:
Strength: C
Endurance: E
Agility: C
Mana: D-
Luck: D+
Perk Gained: Artificial Phantasm
You are capable of sudden and seemingly impossible bursts of effectiveness, as though being possessed by an unseen force.
Your critical successes will add an Explosive Die to the roll, possibly skyrocketing the result.
Flaw Gained: Shattered Soul
You are missing far more than just your memories. There's a disconnect in everything you do, hindering your actions.
Every roll will have a -5 penalty.
[ ]Hero of Justice
Unavailable, Soul is currently in deployment.
Adding accumulated experience…
Form Modification:
[ ] Giant's Might C+
Your power is enhanced by the spirit of the mad Berserker.
Your Strength increases by a rank, as does your Athletics skill.
[ ] Swallow's Grace B
Your dexterity is enhanced by the spirit of the serene Assassin.
Your Agility increases by a rank, and a roll is considered a critical success if it is 95 or above, instead of 100.
[ ] Hound's Tenacity B
Your constitution is enhanced by the spirit of the dogged Lancer.
Your Endurance increases by a rank, and each rank of Endurance gives an extra 10 max health.
[ ] Hound's Tenacity C-
(Sparks Liner High rankdown)
Your failing constitution is stitched together by the spirit of the dogged Lancer.
Your Endurance increases by a rank, and your max health increases by 10.
[ ] Witch's Potency D
Your magecraft is enhanced by the spirit of the lovesick Caster.
Your Mana increases by a rank, and your circuits take half the amount of time to warm up.
[ ] King's Garden A
(Holy Grail Completed only)
Your soul is revitalized by the spirit of your king.
Your Luck increases by a rank, and the regeneration granted by The Everdistant Utopia is increased to 1% per minute. You have immunity to non-unique mental status effects. (Fear, Dizzy, Confusion, etc)
"Still cute."
"Still cute."
Combat Specialties:
[ ] Goliath Slayer C+
Following in Archer's footsteps, your CQC is designed around exploiting your opponents greater capabilities, allowing you to cut them down to size.
When fighting a clearly physically superior foe your Strength and Agility are considered to be a rank higher, and all of your physical Skills temporarily have a + to their rank. (ex. Rank C -> Rank C+)
"I was able to squeeze a bit more info about this out of that 'Archer' guy since your other Soul had to fight him recently, hope it helps!"
[ ] Superior Tactician C
Your Mind's Eye is rapidly developing, allowing you to analyze situations and use the people and things around you to greater effect.
Your surroundings will be given more in-depth descriptions, and when fighting in a team each member gains a +5 to applicable rolls.
[ ] Superior Tactician E+
(Holy Grail Completed rankdown)
Most of your plans are some form of 'hit it till it dies', but you're working on it.
You'll sometimes notice a convenient position or useful object, and when fighting in a team each member gains a +3 to applicable rolls.
[ ] Bloodied Survivor C
Each injury you receive fuels your determination to live through the fight.
When below half health you gain a +1 bonus to physical rolls for every 10% of your health missing. The first time you hit 0 health you'll restore 20% of your max HP. This ability can be restored in different ways depending on the Archetype chosen.
[ ] Prodigious Archer C+
You've tapped back into your gift of archery, allowing you to stay a threat at long ranges.
A bow is added to your starting weapons, and you can alter blades into arrows at Quest start. This can now be done in the same action as projecting them.
"I don't know how we missed this last time, honestly."
[ ] Bladed Bombardier C-
(Heaven's Fall Only)
Developed as a counter to the Gate of Babylon, you are now able to fire off your projections much in the same way the golden king did.
Gain the ability to project weapons at a distance and fire them off. If multiple of the same blade are used in a single barrage every projection after the first has half the cost.
Trait Resurgence:
[ ] Eroge Protagonist B You still got it.
Your Influence rolls when talking to women is increased by 10, and Affection gain with them is increased by 25%. Your Insight goes down a rank.
"...I know what it means now…"
"I told you not to look it up…"
[ ] Bloodhound C
You've always had an in-built sensitivity to magical irregularities, expanding its ability has made you hyper aware of their presence.
Your Awareness increases by a rank, and rolls attempting to track something magical(or equivalent) will be calculated as though your Awareness was two ranks higher. If you sense something before you see it, you'll be able to add your Awareness modifier to the subsequent roll to avoid or endure it.(Reflex, Grit, even Composure in some weird circumstances.)
"Who's a good boy?"
[ ] Signature Weapon(s) C+
Attempting to follow the path of a proper heroic spirit, you've begun to mainly use and train with a single or specific few weapons, though that means focusing less on others.
Your starting weapons cause half the magical strain, and rolls using them have a +5 added to the result. All other projections are 25% more expensive.
[ ] Signature Weapons D-
(Heaven's Fall rankdown)
Your consistent use of Kanshou and Bakuya have made them more comfortable to use, though you've noticed your other weapons have started being harder to trace.
Your starting weapons are 25% cheaper, and have a bonus of +3. Non-signature weapons cost 10% more.
[ ] Misfortune Avoidance B+
An ability taken from another 'you', that helped him escape the hollow dream. A strange form of precognition.
Upon reaching a Bad End, all rolls will be made at advantage for the next two updates. Your Luck decreases by a rank.
[ ] Body of Blades B
(Sparks Liner High Only)
As your body dies your soul seems to ignite, and pours determination(swords) into your dying body.
While below 10% of your health, you don't receive the usual penalties, and Shattered Soul's effect is inverted into a bonus of the same value. Health gained from Endurance is halved.
"Still metal as fuck."
Legacy Boon:
"Because of your great work so far with the other Soul, we've been able to transfer some of his experience to the next!"
"Are there any side effects of this?" You find yourself asking.
"...Probably not?" Of course…
Legacy Boons are a way of implementing some cross-progression, they'll start off rather underwhelming but their rank will increase when progress is made in the other quest. Don't worry, he'll be getting his own soon enough once you start accomplishing noteworthy feats in this one.
No this is not just a way to shamelessly promote both, shut up.
[ ] Competency E
Taking some of the 'ruthless efficiency' from the Mind of Steel but removing the ruthless, you find your skills honed.
Select a Skill, and its rank increases by one.
-[ ]Write in a Skill.
[ ] Foxtail Blessing E
(Heaven's Fall or Sparks Liner High only)
That 'eccentric' Caster has marked your Soul causing a resonance with all of the others, allowing you to more easily interact with those similar to her.
Your rolls with social stats increase by +2 when talking to someone with animal traits, and your Affection gain with them is 5% faster.
"I'm not certain what to think of her just yet…"
[ ] Eleventh Hour E
(Sparks Liner High or Holy Grail Completed only)
A minor ability to defy Fate, unreliant on Luck. Gained by saving the 'Valkyrie'.
Your first critical failure per update will be rerolled.
"He's been able to change others' fates already, so if I make that conceptual effect apply to the him that is this new one it's technically another person so it works out? I think?"
"It is astonishing you are anywhere near as good at this as you are."
[ ] Wind's Fury E
(Holy Grail Completed or Heaven's Fall only)
Your other self's great speed has been partially transferred, making you more nimble.
Your Agility is changed to the plus(+) version of its current rank(even if it's currently a minus(-), and you can add half of your Agility modifier to any Reflex, Stealth, or Athletics check you make.
"It's honestly absurd how fast he is."
Divine is silently calculating the chances of his past successes with Agility and looking incredibly confused.
Author's note: Surprise! I did it even earlier. (I found the motivation to finish my remaster of the CC system faster than I thought, and I am impatient.)
Welcome/welcome back to character creation! I'm once again looking forward to everyone's builds, and I'd love to see your reasoning behind each of them!
The options have gone through some changes, some buffs/removals/additions based on what I noticed last time, so I'm hoping for a bit of competition here.
Also, bonus points to whoever can help me come up with a name for the last one! Fate/Dead End Agency was meant to be a placeholder until I thought of one, but I got nothing. (The bonus points aren't real and they don't do anything, but I'll be really thankful.)
Please vote in plan format, like this:
[X] Plan: Athletic as FUCK
-[X] Sparks Liner High
-[X] Giant's Might C+
-[X] Goliath Slayer C+
-[X] Body of Blades B
-[X] Competency E
--[X] Athletics
You could my plan as your own I guess, but I demand 50% of the non-existent profits.
Copied over from v1, which I should really update the mechanics threadmark for soon.
Rolls will be made with a d100, and then stats/skills/perks/etc will modify the result, which will be used to see if it can pass a specific number (The DC/Difficulty Class). You probably didn't need to know that, but it's here in case this is your first ever time with anything relating to a TTRPG.
Critical Failures are when the base roll(with no modifiers) is 5 or below. A Critical Success is when the total is above 100.
Votes are Majority Wins, with a coin flip in case of a tie. Write-ins will only be allowed if the option "[ ]Write-in?" is present. Or if something is suggested and I really take a liking to it, but don't count on it.
Base Stats
Strength: Used when brute force is needed
Endurance: The toughness of your body, your health and resistance.
Agility: Measures your pure speed as well as your technique
Mana: Increases the amount of strain your circuits can take.
Luck: Influences events outside of your control.
Physical Skills
Athletics: Use your body. Climb, leap, sprint, slide, or swim.
Stealth: Skulk and sneak. Eavesdrop or even assassinate.
Reflex: React and counteract. Dodge attacks, traps, and awkward situations.
Grit: Brace yourself. Ignore pain and injuries.
Mental Skills
Willpower: Keep moving. Don't let anything affect you.
Research: Learn and grow. Excel in academics or training.
Tinker: Interact with objects. Repair, improve, disassemble.
Awareness: Notice your surroundings. An obvious ambush or a hidden button.
Social Skills
Insight: Read faces and bodies. Find out their emotions and thoughts.
Composure: Keep your cool. Hide your weaknesses.
Initiative: Take the leap. Act first, be it in combat or conversation.
Influence: Sway the people. Use persuasion, deception, or other such tools.
Ranks
Each rank of a stat or a skill above D increases the bonus associated with it by 5, and an E rank is a -5.
A + or a - rank will add or subtract 2 from the base rank, respectively.
Ranks are essentially just cosmetic for perks, but may be used to show growth when they upgrade.
Each rank(including E) of Endurance will add 30 to your base health of 100. A + or - will have an increase or decrease of 10 in this instance.
Rather than consuming a source of MP or spell slots, casting accumulates strain on your magic circuit, which will lead to consequences for overuse. If a spell causes more strain than a single stage can take, it will fail. Strain is reduced by rest.
Every level (except for the Warming state) has a base 100 points of strain attributed to it, which is increased by 10 for every Mana rank above E.
Deactivated(Warming)
The starting stage, as your circuits begin to acclimate to the mana flow. Competent mages skip this step entirely. You are not them. Has a 50 point capacity, which is not lowered by Mana, but can be by perks.
Magecraft is cast with a -5 penalty in this state.
Nominal
The optimal level for operation. Sane people would say the only level, but desperate times, desperate measures.
No penalties or bonuses.
Stressed
Pushed a bit further than they should be. Enough to cause some pain, but no actual damage.
Magecraft is cast with a -5 penalty in this state.
Struggling
You'll be feeling this for hours afterward. Mana flow is significantly reduced.
Magecraft is cast with a -10 penalty, and your Grit will be temporarily lowered by a rank.
Burnt Out
For world-ending situations only. It will feel like lava is flowing through your circuits. There is no actual limit to this stage, but going past the recommended level can and will lead to permanent damage or even death.
Magecraft is cast with a -20 penalty, all Physical skills are temporarily lowered by a rank, and you'll sustain health damage for every point of circuit strain you generate.
Current Status Effects:
Beginner's Luck Plus: Grants a reroll whenever a check is failed, once per update. 5 uses remaining. Your first critical failure is replaced by a 100 on the die.
Strength: D (0)
Endurance:C (+5)
Agility: D- (-2)
Mana: E (-5)
Luck: B+ (+12)
Physical Skills
Athletics: D (0)
Stealth: D (0)
Reflex: D (0)
Grit: C (+5)
Mental Skills
Willpower: D (0)
Research: D (0)
Tinker: C (+5)
Awareness: C (+5)
Social Skills
Insight: D (0)
Composure: E (-5)
Initiative: D (0)
Influence: C (+5)
Combat Perks:
Prodigious Archer C+
You've tapped back into your gift of archery, allowing you to stay a threat at long ranges.
A bow is added to your starting weapons, and you can alter blades into arrows at Quest start. This can now be done in the same action as projecting them.
Social Perks:
None.
General Perks:
The Everdistant Utopia
Her sheath is still within you, granting protection. Its strength is far weaker with her gone, but it stubbornly holds on.
0.5% of your health will be healed every minute, and major wounds will take a half of the time to recover from. You are immune to poison.
King's Garden A
Your soul is revitalized by the spirit of your king.
Your Luck increases by a rank, and the regeneration granted by The Everdistant Utopia is increased to 1% per minute. You have immunity to non-unique mental status effects. (Fear, Dizzy, Confusion, etc)
Bloodhound C
You've always had an in-built sensitivity to magical irregularities, expanding its ability has made you hyper aware of their presence.
Your Awareness increases by a rank, and rolls attempting to track something magical(or equivalent) will be calculated as though your Awareness was two ranks higher. If you sense something before you see it, you'll be able to add your Awareness modifier to the subsequent roll to avoid or endure it.(Reflex, Grit, even Composure in some weird circumstances.)
Eleventh Hour E
(Sparks Liner High or Holy Grail Completed only)
A minor ability to defy Fate, unreliant on Luck.
Your first critical failure per update will be rerolled.
Flaws:
All The World's Evils
Being touched by Angra Mainyu is already a terrible outcome. Taking the equivalent to a bath in the stuff is considering "way fucking worse".
You now have a voice in your head with absolutely no one's best interest in mind. Also, it seems to have some minor control over your actions. Congrats, buddy.
Structural Analysis
Scans something in view, providing you knowledge of its structure, materials, history, and current status.
While looking at something with a blade, it is considered always active and has zero cost.
Anything else will cost 3 points of strain.
Reinforcement
Enhances an object's effects. Makes blades sharper, armor harder, and yourself stronger.
When used on yourself, it costs 25 points of magical energy and will increase one of your physical stats(Strength, Agility, Endurance) by one.
When used on something inanimate, costs half as much as the same object would cost to project.
Projection(Tracing)
Creates a replica of an item, reproducing its form, effects, and history.
Making nondescript blades (swords, spears, axes, etc) cause 10 points of circuit strain.
Any other standard weapon will cost 20.
Unique weapons are case-by-case and can be viewed in the Armory.
Any non-weapon projection will be determined when it is necessary.
Mysterious Bow
A bow who's blueprint randomly found its way into your mind. While far sturdier than a mundane bow, it will likely shatter if used to fire a Noble Phantasm.
Magical Energy Expenditure: 25
Caliburn, The Golden Sword of the Victorious
Saber's original sword. The one that made her king, made her 'inhuman'. Not as strong as Excalibur, but with similar effects.
Magical Energy Expenditure(Projection): 200
Magical Energy Expenditure(True Name Release): Currently Impossible
Persona – Enjolras. Element – Fer/Fera/Feradyne (Metal). Weakness: Psi, Garu.
Rank 1: Unlock Skill: Trace (Allows Joker to trace a random skill from an enemy, giving him the skill for the rest of the battle.)
Rank 2: Baton Pass
Rank 3: Follow Up
Rank 4: Unlock Skill: Dual Wielding (Allows Joker to use two melee weapons at once, granting the effects of both. Uses the highest stats of both weapons.)
Rank 5: Unlock Skill: Unlimited Blade Works (Allows Joker to 'fuse' weapons, granting both their effects at once. Fused weapons cannot be fused again.)
Rank 6: Harisan Recovery
Rank 7: Unlock Skill: Trace On (Allows Joker to select the traced skill. Skills which are dependant on enemy-exclusive mechanics cannot be traced.)
Rank 8: Endure
Rank 9: Protect
Rank 10: Transforms his Persona into Aeneas Nulls: Bless
Third Stage: Charles (Based on Charles Jeanne, one of the leaders of the real June Rebellion, which Le Misérables was set during)
I know that we'll be taking Joker's place in P5 if chosen, but here's what his confidant would be. There might be a better Arcana than Hanged Man, but I couldn't find it.
[X]Plan: The Other Type of Ranged Combat
-[X] Heaven's Fall
-[X] Witch's Potency D
-[X] Bladed Bombardier C-
-[X] Eroge Protagonist B
-[X] Wind's Fury E
[X] Plan: Speed Demon of Archery in Space
-[X] Heaven's Fall
-[X] Swallow's Grace B
-[X] Prodigious Archer C+
-[X] Eroge Protagonist B
-[X] Wind's Fury E
[X]Plan 2: Shattered Remains Of The Sword
-[X] Sparks Liner High
-[X] Hound's Tenacity C-
-[X] Bloodied Survivor C
-[X] Body of Blades B
-[X] Eleventh Hour E
[X] Plan Crits be rolling Shirou Archer Style
-[X] Sparks Liner High
-[X] Swallow's Grace B
-[X] Prodigious Archer C+
-[X] Body of Blades B
-[X] Eleventh Hour E
[X] Plan: I don't die when I am killed
-[X] Heaven's Fall
-[X] Swallow's Grace B
-[X] Goliath Slayer C+
-[X] Misfortune Avoidance B+
-[X] Eleventh Hour E
The mud seeps in through your pores, leaving no inch untainted.
You can feel every conceivable crime inflicted upon you(?) as you float in this endless void. Crows pick at your(?) eyes and maggots consume chunks of your(?) flesh, the torture unending.
You've forgotten who you are, where you came from, why you're here. As the corruption eats at your synapses you find yourself desperately holding on to a mental picture of a smiling face. As if it's more important than anything else.
Seconds before you pass the point of no return, the mud stops its assault on your senses, as though by Divine intervention. A blue butterfly floats by unfettered from the surrounding's nonexistence. Your body regains its form, and you find yourself reaching out for it desperately, the tip of your finger barely making contact-
Your body hits concrete, and it seems to knock everything back into place. Your father, the Grail War, the love of your life.
You are Shirou Emiya, and you lost. You lost the one fight you needed to win, and you lost Saber. You thought you had died, you should have died. Looking around, you find it hard to believe the afterlife looks like a city's alleyway.
Still, while it looks like Earth, it doesn't quite 'smell' like it. The mana in the air feels ever so slightly off, like a beautiful painting with an off brushstroke.
As you drag yourself to your feet you notice your clothes and body pristine, no pitch black spots or burns. New to you, though, is the shoulder bag you're wearing, its weight barely noticeable. Opening it to check its contents you find your heart sink at the appearance of a familiar small stuffed lion. On impulse, you reach your hand down to caress it, your sense of growing panic calmed slightly at the feeling of its fur.
You aren't sure why it's here, but it brings about as much comfort as it does sadness. You belatedly notice that also in the bag is a wallet filled with a fair amount of money. Your endless confusion is suddenly interrupted by a yell.
"S-Stop it! Let me go!"
A woman's voice, coming from nearby. Without a moment's hesitation, you're moving towards its source.
"Just get in the car!"
A man's voice this time, clearly drunk from the way he's slurring his words. Your steps hasten, and soon enough the altercation comes into your sight, a bald man with a goatee trying to force a woman into his car.
"Incompetent fools like you just need to shut your mouths and follow where I lead this country!"
You start rushing towards them to stop him, when-
'Who cares? Just let him have his fun.'
Your thoughts stall for a second as an uninvited voice injects itself into your head.
'…What?'
'Oh shit, you can hear me? Hey, stab yourself if you can hear me!'
'Why would I do that when I could just respond?'
'Eh, It was worth a shot.'
"What're you lookin at, kid? This isn't a show, get lost!" While having a conversation with the intruder in your mind, your body kept moving, placing you only a couple of meters away from them. Even here, the stench of alcohol is strong.
"If you let her go, I will." You're aware you don't have a particularly intimidating appearance, but the sounds of sirens closing in help punch up your statement.
"Oh you little shit, you called the cops, huh?"
The drunkard takes a swipe at you but stumbles over his own feet as you sidestep the attack, face-planting into the road.
You hear roaring laughter from the voice.
'Could you be quiet!?'
'Why would I? This is prime entertainment, look at how that sad sack of shit went down! Honestly, did you hear that little bit of his villain monologue? D tier at best.'
The woman gasps as he slowly stands up with blood pouring from an open wound on his head, glaring daggers at you.
"Damn brat… I'll sue!" For what? He's actively attempting a crime!
"If you keep this up…" The victim speaks up again. "Then I'll report about the money! Is that fine with you!?" So, she works with him? For him?
"Then I'll just say you did it on your own, and it's over. Who do you think I am!? The police are all my little bitches!" He's clearly had far too much to drink if he's believing these delusions.
"Sure you do. Now-"
"No…" You're cut off by the woman speaking in a defeated tone, does she believe him?
He lets out a disgusting laugh and continues. "Hey. Make this statement to the cops. 'This kid suddenly attacked me.'Got it?" What the hell…? "If you even try to say anything else, you know what'll happen to you, right?"
You're astonished at this turn of events. The woman is horrifyingly silent.
"What are you talking about?"
"Shut the hell up. You're done for. You'll see what happens when you cross me."
'Threaten him back! Don't be a pussy about this, hero.'
You don't appreciate the somehow derogatory way he said the word hero.
"Excuse me, folks. We received a complaint about an argument, is something the matter?" You feel some pressure taken off your shoulders as a few policemen arrive, but as the drunk turns to look at them… "Oh! It's you, sir."
With a sickening grin the drunk glances at the woman. "Go on. Tell the officers what happened here."
"...That young man suddenly attacked him. He shoved this gentleman to the ground, and he got injured, as you can see…"
'Oh, that bitch! Good ol' betrayal.'
You can't fault her for it. He holds something over her. You'll just have to explain the situation yourself-
"It's exactly as she says." He speaks first. "Also… keep my name off the record. You understand what I mean, right?"
"Yes sir. Hey, cuff him!" He orders another officer to approach you, and you let it happen.
You're confident you'll be able to convince them of your innocence as long as you explain the circumstances.
Apparently, Fuyuki doesn't exist. Neither do you, nor anyone you care about. Also, it seems he wasn't exaggerating about his control over the police.
You already knew about how 'efficient' and 'accurate' the Japanese justice system was, but experiencing it is an entirely different matter. In barely any time you found yourself guilty and sentenced to assault. And, as you don't have a legal guardian there's no 'house' to go to for 'house arrest'. So you've been stuck in a detention center.
'So, let's recap, shall we? You died. Suddenly showed up here in this apparent alternate world with yours truly. Immediately decided to go do your hero thing. Then got arrested. I'd normally be laughing, unfortunately, I'm stuck here too.'
'...Why are you here?'
'Fuck if I know.'
He goes quiet after that, and you don't hear a peep from him in the few days you wait for a probationary home to be found. You spend those days desperately trying to figure out what happened to you, but if there even is an explanation it is far out of reach.
You entertain the thought of breaking out, but what would that get you? There's nowhere for you to run to. If there's a way back, you have to find it, but you're unable to come up with a step one. To the likely multi-thousand-step process that is dimensional travel.
"Get up, kid. They found a school for you." A few officers have shown up to your room with some good news. It's not much of a probation if you're being held in a room that's close enough to a cell. "You should feel lucky, too. You have a choice of where you'll be staying unlike most."
'Wow, a choice of where we'll be stuck for a year. How magnanimous.'
'You're back. Thought I had gotten rid of you.'
'Not that easily.'
"First off, there's always an orphanage."
'Veto! Veto, am I allowed to veto?'
He doesn't have a say in this, but you're definitely not going there anyway if there are other choices.
"An owner of a cafe that some of the officers like to frequent by the name of Sojiro Sakura has offered to take you. He apparently has a spare room in said cafe. His paperwork checks out, as well."
'Ehhh, nah.'
"Lastly, as part of a new initiative, you could stay with a government official. Specifically, it seems a prosecutor by the name of Sae Niijima was chosen for you."
"Bet she signed up just to make herself look good…" One of the other officers not so quietly gossips. The other just rolls his eyes.
'I prefer this option for obvious reasons.'
'Please stop talking.'
"So what'll it be, kid? We don't have all day."
This is a very big decision to have such little time to choose.
[ ] Live with the cafe owner.
You'd likely have a bit more freedom with him, and you're not a bad cook if he asks for your assistance.
[ ] Live with the prosecutor.
It's the option that would look better to those reviewing your case. You'd also be helping her out, apparently, so a win-win.
'Why are we going along with what they say anyway? You could easily break out of here.'
'I'm not killing anyone.'
'Then don't! Just beat them up a bit, and if something 'unfortunate' happens it happens. No big deal.'
[ ](0.5) Get out of here
It is definitely a big deal, but if you make sure not to hurt anyone it's not the worst idea. It would probably be easier to find out what's happened to you if you weren't under probation. Being on the run from the police would bring an entirely different set of problems, though.
Author's Note: This chapter was made with minimal knowledge of the Japanese legal system! I used Google if need be but it is absolutely not accurate.
It feels a little weird to have Shirou get arrested like that, but he also absolutely wouldn't get violent or try to run away. Especially with his incredible confusion as to what the hell happened and where the hell he is.
Fun fact for those who didn't know, one of the original ideas for Persona 5 was that you would live with Sae, but they cut it out because having a Phantom Thief living in the same house as a prosecutor was too much like a drama. Well I think it'd be really cool and I love me some drama, so it's an option now.
'Ugh, you're boring. Fine, it's a lot better than the other option at least.'
"You're going with the prosecutor? Huh…" He wasn't expecting that. "Fine then. She'll be contacted as soon as possible, and you'll be heading out of here with her tomorrow."
"That fast?"
"Of course. You'll be starting school this Monday." So, in three days. "Shujin Academy. It's a rather prestigious school, so I'd suggest putting a lot of effort into your studies, especially with your mediocre test results." They did have you take a sort of placement test soon after you arrived, but you thought you had done pretty well.
Without another word, he leaves with the two other officers, leaving you alone in your not-cell again.
'Huh, didn't know you were a dumbass academically too.'
Almost alone. Almost.
April 9th, 2016
Saturday
You wake up bright and early… just to wait. You're quickly informed that your new guardian will be arriving in the evening. You wish they had given you a bit more to do in this room, at least some textbooks or something.
Eventually, you're led out of your room by the same man as yesterday, bringing you to a reception area, where a woman stands waiting. She's a bit taller than you(which you really hope is just because of the heels), with silver hair and brown eyes, and wearing a suit.
She's also rather beautiful. You're definitely not looking though.
"Shirou Emiya, correct?" She holds out a hand. "I'm Sae Niijima. It's nice to meet you."
'Ooooh yeah, we made the right choice.'
'Shut up."
You return the handshake -oh, it's really soft- and reply, "It's nice to meet you too, I'll be in your care." You let go and bow politely. The same officer from yesterday evening seems to be gossiping again, and it seems she's noticed.
"We should get going. No need to stay around here." With sudden haste, she turns around and starts walking towards the exit, with you following a second later.
'Well look at that. Seems we chose a place with a view, huh?' He's clearly referring to 'something' in front of you, and he's certainly not wrong-
'Stop.'
'Nah, you were thinking it too. I'm just louder about it.'
You unfortunately don't have a rebuttal, so you just keep following her, ignoring the laughing.
68 vs 40. Pass.
53(Roll)
+15(Rank A Awareness)
As you do so, you swear you can sense something not quite magical emanating from her. It's barely there, like a seed that has barely started to sprout. It's the first time you've sensed something like this since you've arrived in this other world, so you make a note to investigate it soon.
You brush the thought aside for now and sit in the passenger seat of a very modern-looking car. Sae turns to you from behind the steering wheel. "Oh, and… here." She passes you a small black rectangle. "I heard that you didn't have one on you when you were taken in, so I bought one for you. It's just a cheap one, so don't expect it to be able to do much. It can take calls though, and that's what is important. If I call you, I expect you to answer immediately."
So this is what a phone is now…?
You knew that there was a twelve-year gap between where you came from and here, but it hasn't quite been shoved in your face like this until now. After a small bit of examination, you press one of the buttons on the side and the screen lights up. You knew of flip phones, but this is something else entirely.
A large chunk of time on the ride to your new home is spent figuring out how to use the damn thing. Eventually, you ask Sae for some help, and after a surprised look, she starts to give you some tips. By the time you've gotten stuck in your third traffic jam, you're pretty sure you've gotten the hang of it.
Though you notice an 'app' that wasn't there just seconds prior, its icon a strange stylized red and black eye. You attempt to open it, with no response. You then try to delete it, but it just comes right back.
As you turn to ask the obvious expert here, an uneasy feeling crawls up your spine. The hum of the engine suddenly cuts off, and the movement of the world around you ceases.
Outside your window, three ominous figures stand in the middle of the road, staring at you. They're composed of slightly transparent blue flames, and you swear you can see a perfect reflection of you in each of them.
As though it was nothing but a hallucination, the world returns to normality a second later.
'...what the fuck was that?'
'You saw that too?!'
'Of course I did! What the hell just happened?!'
The two of you attempt to find the source of the strange occurrence but come up empty, with nothing but half-guesses and shots in the dark. Somewhere in the conversation, you realize that this is by far the most positive interaction you've had with him.
Seems like he can be more than just a pest after all…
'You remember that I can hear all of your thoughts, right? Not just the ones you want me to hear?'
…
"This is it." Sae parks the car in the driveway of a fairly large home. You grab the bag with your very few belongings and exit the car, following her inside.
It's a far cry from the Emiya household, and it isn't even that similar to Tohsaka's place, which was very Western. A lot of monochrome and brown, futuristic -or modern, you guess- looking appliances, it takes you a moment to take it all in.
"Oh, is this him?" A girl with brown hair and reddish-brown eyes, just a bit shorter than you, appears in the entryway. So, this must be…
"It is. Emiya, this is my sister, Makoto." She had mentioned her on the ride over.
"It's nice to meet you, Niijima-san." As you say her name you realize the problem at the same time they do.
"Oh… you can just call me Makoto. We'll be living together from now on anyway, so that will make things a bit easier. It's nice to meet you as well.
"Will do, Makoto." Your cheeks burn a bit as you say her given name, but your experience with Saber lets you keep yourself together. "Then you can call me Shirou."
'And you honestly thought some cafe owner could match this.'
'Do you have an off-switch?'
'Sure do. If you blow your brains out I'll go flying as well!'
An awkward silence follows for a bit before Makoto speaks up again a little bit later. "Dinner will be ready in a couple of minutes… I'll go and set the table." A huge part of you wants to immediately follow and help out, but Sae turns to you.
"Some ground rules first. Curfew is at six, don't invite anyone over without telling me, and I expect you to keep your grades up. Also, I know that boys around your age generally aren't very… cleanly. So please take care of your hygiene and keep your room tidy." You feel a little insulted at the insinuation.
"...Got it. I will." But you feel like arguing against it wouldn't be very productive.
"Alright. Your room is the first on the left when going up the stairs. I imagine you'll want to put your bag down before having dinner."
You head up to find your room. It's fairly barren, only having a bed, dresser, and desk, as well as a tad bit dusty. Must have been a guest room. Overall, it's likely a tad bigger than your old bedroom, not that you used it much. You hang up the few pairs of clothes you were given, including your new school uniform.
A lot more stylish than Homurahara's.
Other than that, all you have is the mysteriously appearing wallet and Saber's plush. You sit the lion upon its rightful throne(your bed) and place the wallet on the desk, as it's unlikely you'll need it for anything tonight. Heading downstairs, Makoto has already brought the food to the table, and both of them are waiting for you.
Dinner is a lot more awkward than you're used to, with only a few scattered sentences to disperse the silence. The food itself was pretty good, though you wonder if she would protest to you helping out. Some people are pretty defensive about their kitchens. You also have to consistently ignore the voice's 'advice' on how to start up a conversation.
As everyone finishes their meal, your new guardian speaks to you once more. "We'll be meeting with the principal of Shujin early tomorrow morning. I trust you'll be awake on time?"
"Of course, not a problem." You're used to waking up early.
"Good. I'll be heading up to my room now, so if you need anything just ask me." Makoto nods silently at that and moves to do the same after clearing the table. With your help of course, you don't want to be a bad guest.
You've got the evening free, so what will you do with it?
[ ] Try to spend some time with Sae.
She mentioned that she spends a lot of her nights at work, so it will likely be rare to get an opportunity to learn more about her.
[ ] Talk with Makoto.
You should learn a bit more about your new room/schoolmate. She didn't say a word about herself at dinner.
[ ] Settle into your room.
Do some light cleaning and set it up in a way you like. Do some research on your phone about the changes in the past decade.
'I'm going to give it to you straight. You're a lost cause if you pick this one.'
Author's note: Angra's horny and so is Shirou(though he's far more polite about it).
It feels very weird to have basically no Skill checks as I'm so used to Master of Steel where the prologue is incredibly tense pretty much from the jump.
Still, though, I found a decent place to make use of Bloodhound, and more and more will start popping up soon enough.
