achates | [DAY 0] TDM.

[DAY 0] TDM.

Error in final launch sequence:
Failed to execute MI command:
target remote localhost: 01633
Error message from debugger back end:
Cannot access memory at address 𝟹͚̽𝚡̰̍̂𝟸̠̯̘ͭͧ𝚌̭͉̺͖ͥ𝟿̳̰̒̇ͅ𝟷̦ͣ̉͌̅𝚋͓͎̈̒̀𝟻ͭ̌͂𝟷ͩ̓𝟾̦
Failed to execute MI command:
target remote localhost: 01633
Error message from debugger back end:
Cannot access memory at address 𝟹̖͇͕̃𝚡͉̹̯͇̻̉̓̂𝟸͚̹͈͓̩͚̲̼͒̾𝚌̱̠͙̝̪͇̈̌̂̃̄ͭ𝟿̱̜̪͓̳̹ͤ̊̈́ͦͥ̑𝟷͖̱̝̀̒̇̂̄̈́̓̇ͅ𝚋̥̯͉̹͛͛̊ͤͦͩ𝟻̬̮̈́̋ͯ͛̉̐𝟷̋ͩ̔̔𝟾̼
Waiting for debugger connection...
Debugger connected
Debugger connection lost.
Waiting for debugger connection...
Debugger connected
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Target is not responding, retrying...
Debugger connection lost.
Shutting down...
Rebooting
Download in Progress:
File download complete
Time elapsed during download operation: 00:12:33.131
Rebooting
Launching Demon Summoning Program. . .

You open your eyes to the end of the world, but you do not see it.

Instead what rouses you is screaming and crying, blood and tears: all around you are signs of life. Inside the overturned train, people begin to awaken, sprawled on the ground as if thrown violently from their seats, broken bones and bleeding wounds struggling to rise from the carpet of shattered glass from the windows at their feet. Emerging from the wreck, characters will find themselves at the edge of a dense forest, a towering stone wall at their backs. Bright eyes peer out from the shadows of the foliage, more and more blinking into view like stars in a darkening sky, but despite being drawn to the scent of blood that hangs heavy in the air, nothing steps out of the forest. Not yet.

None of the passengers can recall what happened, what they were doing on a train, where it was going- there's more they can't remember, but overshadowing the gaps of memory are things they have gained in return. A familiar item that is not theirs. A gemstone that feels lighter than it appears, as if hollow inside. And a device that wraps around their wrist (or rests on their head, or hangs around their neck, or however it presents itself to each character) that starts up on its own the moment the character turns their attention to it, as if waiting. Each character's COMP has a "navigator" selected at default, either "A☆L☆A" in bright neon orange, or "K5" in cool slate blue, although the presiding navigator can be freely switched between them.

Heya, boss! My name's Ala, your new navi!

You wanna know something really funny? Go ahead and touch the map on the corner of the screen to enlarge it. See all those little red dots? Those are demons out to kill you. Haha! You're surrounded!

Heya, boss! You can call me Keigo, your navigational AI.

If you touch the map on the corner of the screen, you can enlarge it and see the positions of all your allies. Looks like some of you are already heading out: see those little blue— oh. That one just disappeared. ... Try to stick together.

Along with providing a map with enemy/ally positions, the navigators will walk characters through the demon interaction, recruitment, and summoning processes, with advice varying between the two navigators (click to expand)

Just beat 'em up and force 'em to join! They can't say no if they're dead!

Nobody is immune to bribery, not even demons. What do you even have, though...? No matter what, don't let them get that life stone.

More demons incoming! Ooh, you're screwed. You'd better run! Don't worry, I won't tell.

Let's hide here. We'll wait here until that demon passes, then move!

Look, a body! Are they still alive? Wonder what's in their pockets...?

It's already too late to help. But better them being demon food than you.

Or, you could stay. There is nothing forcing anybody to leave the relative safety of the train. Those who stay behind will find the conductor's cabin empty, save for a small black cat perched on the headrest of the driver's seat that peers out with bright golden eyes at those who enter. Otherwise, there are no signs of a fight or struggle inside the cabin. Elsewhere, there is unclaimed luggage in the overhead compartments with an abundance of clothing and blankets, although characters will not find any of their own clothing except what they're already wearing. The dining cart is still stocked with enough food and beverage to last each passenger at least two days— maybe longer, if people keep leaving/dying... But at the same time, maybe shorter, considering the pervasive hunger that gnaws at the pits of everybody's stomachs, an emptiness that yearns to be filled by something... more.

As minutes stretch into hours, it becomes painfully clear that nobody is coming to help. Everybody only has each other, this town, its inhabitants. The forest is dark and unforgiving, near impossible to navigate even with a map. Strange creatures jump out from the shadows, eyes bright, mouths salivating, hungry. Strong hands claw through the dirt underfoot to grab at people's feet, pulling themselves up, mouths wide open, hungry. Sharp talons swoop down from the skies above, snatching characters up into the air, crushing skulls and snapping spines. Hungry. The demons here seem delighted to see such a feast wandering right into their home; those who are stopped for attempted conversation express surprise that characters are able to see them, but ultimately the hunger wins, and hunger does not listen to reason.

Casualties are inevitable. Blood mist permeates the air, and follows even as characters break out of the forest and across town, all the way to the fraying end of the world. Out in the open, however, the sun rays beat down bright and harsh, and those hungry eyes shy away from the sunlight to remain in the shadows, inside husks of buildings and thickets of overgrown fields. Characters will be able to find refuge in the greenhouse and the church, and some of the standing houses are truly vacant (as opposed to "surprise! there's actually a demon inside!" vacant); the only eyes that follow you are those of photographs hung crooked on the walls, of familiar strangers and forgotten friends. Look, there's a picture of you too.

Other locations require more caution to explore:

The sound of crying can be heard from the upper stories of the school building, thin wails echoing up and down the deserted halls, and human-like shadows peer out from the broken, unboarded windows, as if watching. A barricade inside the front doors makes it difficult to enter from the main entrance, and with most of the windows boarded up, the hallways inside remain dark even during the day. The smell of rot is prominent, heavy and cloying, especially in the auditorium-become-mausoleum that is littered with crushed bones, thin and brittle, every last scrap of flesh already nibbled away. A flock of demons crowd around outside principal's office, where a blizzard blows through the entire hallway, rendering visibility near zero and temperatures below that.

The hospital is also deathly cold, breath visible in puffs of mist that sometimes form into screaming faces, and when all is still and quiet, you look up and see yourself. Shadows form into mirror images of the characters who enter the hospital, silently approaching others and attacking once the person's guard is down. If a demon borrowing your face isn't bad enough, Phantoms go a step further and take the form of people who are close to your character: friends, family, foes. Exploring the hospital may or may not be worth the potential backstabbing, considering the fact that the supplies found are maybe not the most sterile, half the equipment is rusted or corroded, and a lot of the medicine is unlabeled tablets and capsules inside unlabeled bottles (essentially, take at your own risk). Moreover, hordes of all sorts of demon ghosts will bar characters' way down to the basement, gathering in massive numbers anytime somebody tries to descend. Electricity bounces around the top of the stairway down, while bright flames lick the bottom of the stairs; particularly unlucky characters may be hit with a confusion spell, liable to throw themselves headfirst down the stairs to be consumed by the waiting demons below.

Hauntingly beautiful music can be heard from within the concert hall, and listening to their song puts you fast asleep— possibly in the middle of the street if you're not careful— while those who manage to make it past the front doors are immediately frozen in a hunk of ice or electrocuted to a crisp before being kicked to the curb. The concert hall appears to be actively guarded, and it's clear that strangers are Not Welcome. Even the other demons keep clear of this building, drawn to the music but lingering far enough to not be overwhelmed. Characters may have an easier time of initiating conversations with demons from around town or inside the houses nearby the concert hall.

The crackle of electricity can be heard from inside the power plant's upper stories despite the blackout, and the entire building shakes from time to time, as if caught in a thunderstorm, or an earthquake. A slow drip... drip... drip... can be heard throughout the building, of amorphous demons clinging to the walls like mold and leaving puddles of caustic acid Everywhere. Anybody who enters the power plant's front entrance is met with a massive agglomerate of black Ooze that has expanded to fill the entire first floor from wall to wall, floor to ceiling, preventing anybody from going upstairs while it remains. Arms and legs poke out of the demon's body in places, desperately clawing and kicking, weaker, weaker. done.

OOC

Welcome to Day 0! What better meet-and-greet is there than everybody being tossed into the fray to fight for their lives? ('': For convenience, here are the game info, locations, and demon compendium pages; please use these as reference for what more can be found in the setting.

The characters' COMP will turn on only after they notice and focus on it. If they do NOT activate the COMP, they will not be able to see the demons or interact with them in any way other than being killed. Activating the COMP will allow characters to see demons and somewhat understand their language, with an added effect of allowing physical attacks to harm demons, and mitigating the damage taken from demons.

For characters who app and are accepted, please report demon recruitment here. Characters who are just tdming do not have to report. Recruited demons are inclined to listen to their summoner, but are not necessarily friendly at the beginning: if your character shows weakness, the demon may be just as likely to eat them as they are to protect them.

There will be no NPCs in this game other than the two navigators and some key demons. You're on your own for now!

This first event/tdm is open to the public, and can be used for test driving at any time after the game starts. I'll be keeping a pulse on threads for when characters have gotten their bearings and seem to have a general idea of how they want to proceed into the next day, and we'll go from there.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The viciousness of this world has left a mark on Akira - whether it's the unseeable slash across his heart or the finger shaped bruises that ring his neck, both hurt worse than the glass he cut his hands open on when he awoke in the train. He can't say he's used to it, but he's adjusting to it.

His shoes crunch on gravel outside the church, but there's a more notable sound coming from inside, an audible thud. Against his better judgement, he opens the door to investigate.

He's accounted for the viciousness of this world... but he has not accounted for the viciousness of his own.

Because he is Kurusu Akira - because he understands the two people in this room implicitly - it doesn't take much for him to gather what's happening. A few darting glances of his eyes back and forth, to Akechi's menacingly approaching figure and Maruki's back to the wall. It takes him a second, maybe two tops.

Without any conscious thought, his arm is already darting out in front of Maruki, a shield. Even if he doesn't understand the why of it.]

What happened in here?

[His gaze is split between the two of them. Alternating, questioning them both equally.]

[It's so goddamn laughable - 'work together'? An acidic, baffled laugh tumbles out of his mouth.

'Work together'

In a way specified by Maruki Takuto.

The way he wants to.

Conform and comply to rules set by a man whose god complex is all encompassing and expansive.

Work together - he wants to puke. Would sooner rip his own body apart, piece by piece, bit by bit and hand feed it to the shadows outside than spend a single second allied.]

Oh, how funny. Your fortress is gone and you're powerless, so now you spew that kind of shit. You truly are pathetic.

[Strained and rigid - blood rushes to his ears, pounds against his skull, vision blacking at the edges until only that man remains in view.

And then he doesn't.

There's two.

Akira.

A knight in shining fucking armor to save a madman - arm thrown in front, like flesh can stop bullets.

He looks like shit. Akechi doesn't care. It's about to get worse if he doesn't move away - the blackened edges of his vision dissipate, thin bright lines sharpening instead. Strain from not blinking. He still doesn't. A physical altercation would have felt-

Incredible.

This new addition negates that. No chance in hell this sentimental idiot is going to let him get close enough to wrap his fingers around the man's throat.

The gun on his person isn't just for show in the cognitive world. Isn't a replica. It makes an appearance now - pulled out from his side, like he's bringing out a notepad to show. ]

What an entrance, as usual. I was starting to think you died. Tell me - are you blind, stupid or both?

[What a goddamn disappointment. What's going on? like they both weren't standing at the edge of Eden only hours ago. Clip still in tact. Limited ammo, but he's a good shot. ]

We tried this shit your way, and now we're here. I'm not entertaining foolish ideas anymore. Far be it from me to ask a golden idol to dirty his hands, so move.

Kurusu–

[ It's a dream. It must be. Why else would the only person with the ability to save him appear just when needed? Why would he be here at all?

A dream. Or purgatory. Or hell. Certainly not heaven; they just left that behind.

Maruki looks sharply from him to the produced gun, then to Akechi's face, twisted and seething with a hatred one might charitably consider justified. Maruki's mouth sets in a line and he stands up straight, shoulders back and expression mild. What does he have to fear? The worst has already come to pass. ]

You already defeated me once. I'm not the enemy here, I promise you that.

[As always, in every conversation, there's a choice to be made. Akira usually has three or fewer thoughts that'll spring to mind, and now isn't any exception.

» Maybe you should put a bullet through my brain and see if it sticks this time.
» How are you sure this is his fault?
» I don't want anymore blood on your hands, either.

For as many times as he makes the right choice, he can just as easily make the wrong one. Even with the people Akira grew closest to he's made that type of mistake; the two people in this room aren't an exception to that rule. Sometimes he sought Chihaya's aid for help, but more often than not he chose to try to navigate his relationships on his own. It felt more real, more right, when he picked out the thing they needed to hear. Oftentimes it meant he even got to say the thing he wanted to.

He does not have Chihaya's help now, even if he were to want that. If he makes the wrong decision, a gun is going to scold him very loudly for his mistake. Akira can accept that, probably, but he can't live with it if Maruki is the one shot instead. But silence is its own, fourth answer, and one that he imagines Akechi won't like very much. Whether it's right or not, Akira must make his choice.

» Maybe you should put a bullet through my brain and see if it sticks this time.
» How are you sure this is his fault?
» I don't want anymore blood on your hands, either.]

This isn't anything like Maruki's actualization. [If anything, it resembles Christmas Eve if everyone else could see the Shadows, too. But Akira definitely, absolutely can't say that. It won't do Maruki or himself any favors.] Why are you trying to kill him if he isn't the one behind this?

[Akechi hates Maruki. More than Akira thinks is called for, really, but he can also understand it in a way. Even if it's only the loss of his own crimes, Akechi hates losing control and the bits of identity he can cling to with his bloody hands, more than anyone else he knows in the entire world. That means Akira also knows it would be entirely fruitless to appeal to his emotions, but utilizing logic may still yield a less negative result.]

[The grating voice of a man who has the nerve to say a goddamn thing to him and-

Someone who should be on his side, protecting Maruki with some half-assed logic. Everything out of Maruki's mouth is deception - 'You already defeated me once. I'm not the enemy here, I promise you that.'

He won't fall for that shit - not ever. The gun is a placating tool in his palm, the cool metal soothing. He has the upper hand - none of them powers, by the look of it. He can kill both if necessary.

If necessary.

Akira could be a figment of this man's delusion - a hero saving him in the ninth hour. Could be real. Could be conforming to a world that became distorted prior to battle.

There are many what ifs and maybes - none of them matter when the solution is clear. Kill him and solve the problem - whatever the hell is happening.]

You shut up.

[Directed to him - Maruki, with a pointed glance instead of a blade or gun. Gaze shifting to Akira with that same pointed, irate expression.]

And you - you're smarter than this. We were standing at the edge of that disgusting Eden and about to fight him. If you don't remember, I'll slap you until you do. A man who can warp reality to his whims didn't cause this? There are shadows here. Use your brain, Kurusu, unless you have concrete evidence otherwise.

[And if that evidence is THE COMPS SAY IT'S DIFFERENT? Oh, he'll be so mad.]

Go on - please, relay what you know and how a man who was able to meld realities together isn't doing it again.

[A wave of his gun - a looming threat, a slight motion ends it for both of them. It's not ideal, no, but Maruki could have gotten distorted. Could have been harmed. The false world may not have been as ideal as he thought and that unerring control over all lives could have backfired.]

[Akira's eyes blaze.]

You're smarter than this. I haven't forgotten anything, and that's a fight we've already won.

[Why would Akechi phrase it like they haven't fought yet...? To put his memories to the test, perhaps. That's the only reason Akira can think of for it.

The only counter to this, though... Akira didn't want to play this card, only because he knows it's a gamble on whether Akechi will trust it more or less. They didn't, but back then they should've discussed Yaldabaoth far more than they did. He regrets that now.

Akira doesn't have time to regret it, however. His luck has been truly abysmal today, but sometimes you have to fail eight times on the claw machine before you get the prize.]

Maruki is the second person we faced that could control people's cognition, even if you didn't fight the first with us. Maruki didn't even have power until Yaldabaoth fell. [Something cold slips into his veins as he says it, a realization being made. Yaldabaoth was defeated; Maruki practically stepped into his place. If Maruki was defeated, would that make a power vacuum of sorts for someone else to replace him...?] If you kill him without any evidence... all you're doing is wasting what may be limited ammo and getting on the bad side of your only ally.

[All you're doing is turning your only ally against you. It almost leaves his mouth. He doesn't know if he'd have the heart to turn on Akechi anymore. In the same breath, he doesn't know if he could forgive him for killing Maruki, either.

He doesn't want to think about it, what he'd do or think or feel. Akira tries so hard to be put together, but- he's reaching his limit, thrown into this situation right on the heels of something with Sojiro's face choking him out. It's too much. He can't afford to falter, and he doesn't think he has yet...

But he's so, so tired.]

[Akira's talking and it doesn't make sense.

You didn't fight the first with us-

Stings in its casual mention, more than it has any right to. More than he cares about -

Akira doesn't know. It doesn't matter. He doesn't falter or turn his gaze away. It's logic- it's the truth. He wasn't there and only knows the vaguest details from late night conversations in front of dimly illuminated vending machines. Relays and updates from a time Akechi doesn't exist in to prepare him for the false reality they were being consumed by.

It doesn't matter, so he doesn't care.

And then-

Getting on the bad side of your only ally-

Makes his teeth grind in his mouth, until the pressure is unbearable. Of course - he's another member of a bumbling team of misfits. Of course - his only ally, Akira. Of course, he should consistent in ensuring the leader is content. Of course.

Another exasperated scoff that borders on acidic. A laugh with no mirth.]

I wouldn't want to earn the ire of the illustrious leader of the Phantom Thieves. My, so magnanimous and kind - you give everyone a second chance, don't you? Believe any shit spewed, so long as a life can be saved. Even those that force you into cages of their own creation and want to warp your life are given value. So generous, Kurusu.

[Beyond annoyed, his anger immeasurable. The gun lowers. His voice doesn't.

His only goddamn ally means fucking nothing to him. He would kill both if a wrench hadn't been thrown into the ring - if conflicting accounts weren't apparent. If Maruki's influence was clearcut. If two people weren't claiming a similar story. If that megalomaniac's power was showing itself in any capacity, in fading edges of reality or flickers of perfection in the corruption.]

I can't wait to see the look on your face when you find out this is what that man's disgusting heart actually looks like. By all means - continue averting your gaze from it. It's not as if anyone's life is on the line, after all.

[ To his credit, and entirely against his very nature, Maruki does shut up. He holds his tongue, watches the two of them with a gaze that melts slowly from panic into quiet calculation.

Akechi doesn't remember their battle. Akira does.

Half of his mind runs away from him then, trying to conjure up any explanation for it. A distorted cognition is the obvious culprit, by from what source, if not himself? There is a somewhat distressing gap in his own memory, a jagged tear between Azathoth and its tentacles succumbing to the Phantom Thieves' relentless barrage of attacks and the endless minutes spent facing Akira down on the shattered remains of his reality. He's been tempted to chalk it up to a posthumous mind missing bits and pieces of what came directly before its end, but...

Akechi's insistence that they were just about to begin their battle throws that theory into harsh light.

It's not as if anyone's life is on the line, after all, and he winces internally. That's the thing, though, isn't it?

Silence falls between them for longer than a few seconds. Maruki draws a deep breath and opens his mouth, ever cautious, ever foolish. ]

If I may...

[ A brief pause; no one stops him. He looks toward Akechi, plainly sympathetic. ]

I'm far from the expert on this reality, but I don't think anyone's lives hang in balance now. I can't summon Azathoth now, so there's no possible way that I'm the one keeping you here. And I wonder–

[ He sets his mouth in a thin line, looks askance. It feels horrific to bring it up in front of Akira, but... ]

I wonder if it isn't some sort of afterlife instead. Has that thought occurred to either of you?

[ It makes sense, for him and for Akechi. Akira is the outlier. ]

[The words sting, but it's not anything beyond what he can handle. If it was, Akira wouldn't put up with Akechi nearly half as much as he does. No, instead he endures it quietly and doesn't rise to the bait, because he knew this would happen when he said what he said. There's no way that Akechi wouldn't be enraged by it.

It's far better for a not small amount of his ire to shift onto Akira rather than Maruki right now, anyway.

He's caught up in that silent face-off to the point that he's distracted, only focused on what's before him. It's why when the detail offered by Maruki peeks from between the trees, it blindsides him.

Akechi will see what shouldn't be happening first. And when Akira turns to face him, Maruki will see it second: pure, unfiltered, genuine confusion, followed directly by the words that should never be spoken.]

What makes you think any of us are dead?

[It feels like walking through summertime straight into winter. It's such a drastic leap to be made, and from Maruki specifically... Akira isn't quite sure what to do with it. Is there something obvious he's missed that would make him ask that...?]

I'd more readily think it's something to do with cognition. [He moves on from it for now, until either of them bring it up again. It just makes him feel too uneasy.] And if Maruki can't summon Azathoth, I'm still inclined to believe him if and until there's evidence saying otherwise. I can't summon any of my Personas either, so we might not even be in a place that plays by the same rules.

[I wonder if it isn't some sort of afterlife instead, needles at him, digs its claws into the back of his mind. If he died... would he not be able to summon Personas properly?

...If he died, is that why Morgana wasn't with him...?]

[Any elation that surges through his body at the slightest hint of Maruki being dead -

Is dampened by Akira's own distorted face, a clear indication that nothing is lining up in his head.

Nothing is lining up in Akechi's either. Vivid memories with a few specifics coated in fog - irrelevant in the grand scheme, irritating in that it exists. He thought it was an effect of his looming death, potentially the one that occurred after battle if they made it that far. Akechi only remembers the first few moments of it.

He briefly entertains the thought of shooting both of them. Lowers the gun in full instead and lets it rest against its side.

There's more wrong than a distorted world. A part of him exhausted by the whole ordeal - a constant, moving target that has no end ever. It weighs on his bones like lead and-

Then it's gone. They have more to do and he can't help the way his free hand falls under his chin in pensive thought, ire waning into annoyance.

He can always kill Maruki Takuto. This needs to be sorted first.]

What a mess.

[Assess. Where are they? Who's in control? Find a path to kill them and go back-

To the battle. Assess. Find a path to end Maruki by Akira's shitty means or his own. The persistent hunger in his gut doesn't help matters at all.]

Has anyone seen Yoshizawa-san or the rest of your merry little band of thieves?

[ Maruki looks just as bewildered by Akira's question as Akira did by his. He opens his mouth to answer, but the words die off as Akira switches gears back to defending him– far more important, at the moment. And effective, too. Thank god. The gun is lowered, and Maruki's shoulders ease down from around his ears as he exhales, low and slow.

It probably isn't a question for him, but he answers cautiously anyway. ]

I haven't seen anyone. I encountered a few others around the train, before I made my way here, but no one familiar.

[ He looks over toward Akira again, brows knitting together; he can guess the answer easily. If Akira found any of his friends, he would have brought them into the church with him. ]

[Part of him lingers on those reactions - but then slowly, he shakes his head.]

I haven't seen any of the others since I woke up on the train. Before, I got here I was with Morgana, but... [For the first time since any of this started - even when he stood between Maruki and Akechi's gun - Akira's voice wavers. Fluctuates. It's the first time he actually sounds upset.] ...He's been gone, ever since I woke up. I searched everywhere, asked anyone I ran into, and I couldn't find him.

[Some sort of afterlife, rings in his ears, but this time it almost feels like a relief. Maybe it's okay that he couldn't find Morgana, after all.]

Other than that, I haven't seen anyone. Just... something in the hospital that wore Sojiro's face, but- [Another skip to his voice, brief but noticeable.] ...it wasn't really him. The navigators on this- [He taps the COMP hanging from his neck-] -called them demons, but... I saw a few from a distance outside. Some of them look just like Shadows.

[He doesn't think it holds enough weight to bring it up as an actual discussion point, but in Akira's mind that counts as another sign that even if some things here are similar... they might not be facing the same set of rules.]

[He only asked one of the people standing in this room. Maruki speaks anyway. Always does.

Akechi notes his response and does little to acknowledge it outside of a single glance upwards. It lasts a split second.

It's Akira's response that he cares about, and it ends up being the most telling. Train. That goddamn cat. A phantom of someone from the leader's life a haunting hint to their dire situation.

A cognition that pulls from everyone, not a singular source.

A cognition that might be-

Akira's own. A distortion from a leader pushed too far, one of many masks broken.

It could be Mementos, twisted. An aftereffect of a defeated god, or false idol.

There are too many unknowns.]

The navigators may be calling them something different because the palace ruler, or replacement of, sees them as demons. They're shadows. This is a familiar situation and we will deal with it as we're accustomed to until we're proven otherwise. We'll adapt to what happens. There's no other alternative.

[No other thieves. A sea of unfamiliar faces, with the best and worst person by his side to deal with. Absolutely shit. He lets out another exasperated sigh - refrains from doing much else and puts the safety back into the gun, shoving it into his pocket with an irate shove.]

This place can operate as a safe room for the time being, however in the long term - I would prefer more privacy from the riffraff.

[The fuck are these goddamn people?? Not his problem, for one. He doesn't need any prying ears.]

Given your little friends are gone, likely taken in by some other thrall, we should operate on the assumption they won't cross paths with us. Please find another place for us to operate out of. I'll investigate the area and report what I find.

[And Maruki? Can go die (again), honestly! It's Akira's fucking problem. Stay nipping at the leader's heel for all he cares.]

[ He can't go die if he's already dead, probably! ♥

Maruki won't argue with them about demons or shadows – this is far from his area of expertise. He hadn't even learned the term palace until they first appeared in his research lab. And besides... ]

I think that's the right idea, Akechi-kun.

[ Akechi is highly intelligent. They both are. Operating under the principles that they know is likely a safe bet. Should things go south, well– They'll have each other. Hopefully.

With that said, he offers up one more thought: ]

I saw some abandoned houses on my trek here. Kurusu-kun and I can go scout them to see if any will work for our purposes. How about it?

...It sounds like the best plan to me, too. Let's do it.

[He nods at Maruki once. Whatever tightened in his shoulders when he saw the gun in Akechi's hands unwinds. Not all the way; Akira knows better than that, after all, even if - for better or worse - he's with the two people he trusts most outside of Morgana. Both of them may be here, but this is too dangerous of a situation to ever let his guard down completely.

People have died - are dying, will die. He hasn't felt this powerless since Kamoshida, and it burns the very breaths in his lungs.]

We should have a meeting time and place. If we go too far over the time limit, we'll know something happened and that we need to check on whoever didn't show. [He doesn't think Maruki will protest that, or at least he'd be surprised if he did, so this is something he directs mostly to Akechi.] Here probably wouldn't be bad since we all know how to get here, but it doesn't really matter where, as long as it's somewhere we all know.

[Morgana missing. Unfamiliar faces, unknown just yet if they're ally or foe. AI navigators, demons wandering what looks like the real world, or one polluted by the Metaverse. Shadows that can wear people's faces, and the thought of his friends possibly being tied up in any of this-

Akechi and Maruki, both at his side. A temporary peace between the two people he'd die to protect.

All of it is a lot to think about, so it's a good thing he's about to keep his hands very busy.]

A shame you didn't think my ideas were good in our true reality. My, how things change.

[Sarcastic and bitter - feelings aren't lost in this tone.

The best part about this entire situation, this whole interaction, is Maruki saying his goddamn name. Talking. Discussing, like he has any part in what happens here. Akechi stares him down - tempering the urge to lunge forward.

Pulls his eyes away to the man's babysitter.]

I agree. [Akechi's reminded, in that moment, that Akira really is a leader. Time, place, meetups. He's used to it after their short stint working together. Watches him for a second more before-] We don't know how time works here and if it's a palace, using the environment will be moot. For now, let's attempt to meet up in four hours, or evening, whichever occurs first. Here is fine.

[A beat, and to Akira alone, loud enough for Maruki to hear-]

For the record, if something happens and it's a matter of your life or his, please prioritize appropriately.

[ Maruki turns toward the door to get a head start, and to be able to roll his eyes safely without fear of Akechi seeing. ]

We'll meet back up and take shelter for the night, either here or in one of the houses. See you in a few hours, Akechi-kun.

[ Kurusu, leash your dog and let's GO. ]

[Akira turns towards the front where Maruki has gone, showing Akechi his back; like this, between the two, neither of them can see him. Akechi at least will know when his right hand lifts up, but not know how it lands on his throat where the marks are still stark on his skin.

His voice is quieter yet clearer than it's been for the entire exchange.]

Don't worry. [His tone is unreadable, just the suggestions of things that peek through the cracks. Worrying and reassuring, distant and comforting. Impossible to know what he's thinking, yet so easy to guess.] My priorities are the same as they've ever been.

[I'll save you.

It's hardly the first time that's ever rung through his head.

There is not a single thought toward the pulse beneath his fingertips.]

Stay safe. We'll see you soon.

[There's freedom in having a moment to speak without a pair of eyes watching in the background. It's the first time in weeks a blink occurs in reality and in that short span of time-

Akechi wants to say something.

Doesn't. Opts against it. No sense in dragging any of this out longer than necessary.

Maruki's presence always felt. There. Present. A chain dragging them both to a reality they don't belong in. A place neither-

A place Akechi doesn't want to be.

'My priorities are the same as they've ever been' rings hollow in the blank gaps of his memory, residual unease filling the spaces between it.

They'll tread this unknown ground the same as always - Maruki has a leash around his neck with Akira, a noose waiting with Akechi.]

Right.

[He doesn't move.

Waits. Stares at Akira's back, as if his confused, distorted face will reform in the folds of his shirt and-

It doesn't. Of course it doesn't.

He begins to move, feet tapping slow against the broken church floor. Past Akira, through the set of dilapidated doors, without a spare glance back.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[DAY 0] TDM.

hey. hey y'all. who is saving ME. who is saving YAMA.

not LEXY ദ്ദി ( ᵔ ᗜ ᵔ ) CW: VIOLENT THOUGHTS ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و ♡

NOT ME EITHER! SAVE YRSELF I GUESS

cw some brief violent imagery in here ig... i don't think i saved myself either

cw: violent thoughts

it's violence against me

wow??? against lexys, acktually

closes my eyes hits post comment walks away

? get back here

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