Persona: Sea of Djinn

[Mel]

[Channah, Velvet Room]

 

“Yes,” Channah replied, “but I am not sure that makes me feel more secure.”

 

She took another sip of coffee to fortify herself.  “When I s--called my persona, it--her I hardly remember what happened.  I just wanted to go home and I suddenly knew what streets to take.   It was like the whole route home suddenly laid itself out in front of me.  And I took off running.  And I didn’t look back, all the time wondering if those things would catch up to me.  But they didn’t.”

 

She looked down, embarrassed.  “I’m rambling, aren’t I?  But I keep wondering why I escaped--and if I had hesitated, if there had been more of the shadows, if they had been faster.”

 

She shook her head.  “It’s all so overwhelming.  And my life is complicated enough as it is.  But I need to know more about my Persona as long as I have it.  Can you help me learn?”

[Constructelf]

IC: Yasmin

"No, nothing of note. You?"

[25K Now!]

NPC: Velvet Room

 

"Of course," was the bemused reply. His bloodshot eyes twinkled, for it was obvious that he had been waiting patiently for this very moment, for those who attended this room of velvet to seek his aid in all matters related to the concept of a Persona. "It is my duty as your guide to elucidate upon any queries you may have."

 

That was his purpose: to impart knowledge and wisdom upon his guests.

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

"--seems some of you still can't remember your quadratics for the life of you, so we're going to do something a little outside the box. Has anyone here ever seen the Whale Trick?"

 

Des Taylor had never seen the Whale Trick, but she'd certainly seen THE MOTHERIN' D O DOUBLE G SNOOP DOOOOOOOGG

 

DA DA DA DA DA

 

YOU KNOW I'M MOBBIN WITH THE D R E

 

She had only survived twenty minutes of quadratics talk before sneaking an earbud up her sleeve, into her palm, and resting her head against her hand. Her math grade would survive one (more) day of slacking, right? Right?

 

...

 

This was her last class of the day. Maybe just...

 

...

 

Des stacked her books up, shook the earbud back down her sleeve to around her elbow, and slipped out the back of the auditorium classroom, intent on booking it out of the university as quick as she could. There had to be something better to do than this in the city.

 

-Tyler

[Not Quite Dead]

NPC: Police Investigation

 

There was a small trumpet sitting on the bed, strangely untouched.

 

NPC: Alleyway of Horrors

 

Something screamed.

 

Guttural. Primal. Horrifying.

 

The tongue, once forgotten, streaked out of the darkness once more, its sickly mass striking against the ladder and against the wall behind, shattering apart everything its way with pure strength.

 

IC

Well, their escape hadn't worked out too well. She was drenched in sweat, thin clothes soaked through. Trembling too from the exhaustive task of maintaining a Persona for extended times and fighting for her life. Which, by the way, looked awfully forfeit right now. The golems still outnumbered them. Lauren's illusions had proven ineffective and they were being worn down, slowly but surely.

 

Time for a saving throw, right?

 

Right now, she was pondering the importance of the abyssal tongue. It had not been fooled by the illusion, leading her to believe it lacked eyes. Heck, the possibility of there being a literal gateway to some furtherunderworld than this one at the end of the alleyway was terrifying, it also gave her an idea. Perhaps the malignant tongue was controlling the golems in some way. Perhaps even, it could be attacked...

 

Something about it's form and movements reminded her of a serpent. At the realization, Ascalon began to glow bright as the noon sun in St George's increasingly incorporeal hands. She decided that even if it was a last ditch effort, she was at the last ditch right now... Charging the lance with all his remaining energy, her Persona threw it with all his might at the far off base of the serpentine hydrostat, resembling now a cruise missile more than a lance.

[Snelly]

IC: Clara

 

"Well, I found a trumpet on his bed, seems he played." It wasn't the most exciting bit of information, but it at least told them something about his possible activities. 

 

"We should find out if he was going to be playing that instrument anywhere, maybe at a concert if he was that good." 

[Mel]

[Channah, Velvet Room]

 

“I suppose you can’t just tell me what my persona can do?” Channah asked ruefully, taking another sip of coffee.  “That would be too easy.”

Edited May 30, 2015 by Mel

[25K Now!]

NPC: Velvet Room

 

"I am perfectly willing to do so if the question is asked of me," said Igor, smile seeming to grow. "It would be my pleasure to assist my guests."

[Mel]

[Channah, Velvet Room]

 

“Please tell me then,” Channah said.  She was hardly able to believe her luck; something at the back of her mind whispered that there must be a catch.  “If I at least know what I can do, maybe I can start to make sense of this.”

Edited June 1, 2015 by Mel

[Constructelf]

IC: Clara

 

"Well, I found a trumpet on his bed, seems he played." It wasn't the most exciting bit of information, but it at least told them something about his possible activities.

 

"We should find out if he was going to be playing that instrument anywhere, maybe at a concert if he was that good."

IC: Yasmin

"Alright."

 

Yasmin began looking around the room for any trumpet music.

[25K Now!]

NPC: Velvet Room

 

With a low chuckle, the hunchback waved his hand across the desk between them, in an instant changing the tarot of Temperance into a different card. It was embroidered similarly to the tarots that he had produced earlier, but where the arcana was once located now held the image of Channah's Persona, the slender, robed woman.

 

"Lady Miriam," said Igor, steepling his gloved hands once more. "A bearer of water, it appears."

 

His eyes stared up into Channah's, the bloodshot sclerae seemingly pulsing.

 

"A rejuvenator, protector and guide all at once ... do you believe it to be fitting, Ms. Maklouf?"

[Mel]

[Channah, Velvet Room]

 

“A protector, a rejuvenator, and a guide?  I guide...that must have been how I knew the way home.”

 

Channah frowned, looking harder at the card--as if that would make it give up it’s secrets.  There was something appropriate about it, something balanced--the Lord knew Channah needed more of that in her life.  She had no idea what the other things that Igor had mentioned meant though.

 

“How exactly do I, uh, do the other things?”

Edited June 4, 2015 by Mel

[25K Now!]

NPC: Velvet Room

 

"That is something that I cannot help you with," said Igor, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "Your powers are your own, and only you will be able to understand how to master them."

[Mel]

[Channah, Velvet Room]

 

Channah nodded.  Well it was worth a try.

 

“Guess I can’t expect anything to be that easy.”

 

She took a sip of coffee.

 

“How many other people do you think there are like me Sir?”

[25K Now!]

NPC: Velvet Room

 

"This city possesses many with the potential to unlock a Persona," replied the hunchback. "Rarely have so many been clustered so closely."

[Constructelf]

 

IC: Clara

 

"Well, I found a trumpet on his bed, seems he played." It wasn't the most exciting bit of information, but it at least told them something about his possible activities.

 

"We should find out if he was going to be playing that instrument anywhere, maybe at a concert if he was that good."

IC: Yasmin

"Alright."

 

Yasmin began looking around the room for any trumpet music.

[Krayzikk]

IC:

 

It was, truth be told, an exceedingly average day. His last class had ended about twenty minutes before, he had no pressing assignments, and he wasn't scheduled for work that afternoon. So without much direction, he wandered towards one of the exists to the university building. A single ear bud trailed from his ear, music playing at a low volume as he walked. Despite being hundreds of miles from home, his time at college actually had managed to be more peaceful (so far) than his life back home had been. Senior year in particular had seen some bizarre things.

 

Adam enjoyed the peace.

 

His path took him by a particularly dreary classroom, quadratics dimly audible through the wall, just as someone else was making their escape.

 

"What's up, Des?"

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

"Adam!"

 

don't with your hair in front of him

 

"Not much! Just, uh, taking the afternoon...to..." Des squinted, realizing she hadn't prepped an excuse for exactly why she had poofed right out of her Algebra class with no intention of going back for the day. "...Uh...go to Mallville for a burger."

 

...

 

"Or two," she added sheepishly. "I'll foot your dinner in exchange for some ye olde conversation."

 

-Tyler

[Krayzikk]

IC:

 

"I thought put people off their food, not made 'em hungry." The student commented with a grin, slipping his earbud out and back into his pockets. Adam wasn't even remotely surprised by her abrupt, and not quite sanctioned, exit. He'd been tempted to do the same more than once.

 

"I'll come along. No need to pay, though, I brought my wallet."

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

"Oh shaddup." Desdemona withdrew her own earbuds and shook them back down her sleeves with a playful smack on the shoulder. "You're not any worse at talking to people than I am. You seem to manage alright."

 

The two walked out together into one of the student parking lots.

 

"I really don't mind paying," she offered again.

 

-Tyler

[Krayzikk]

IC:

 

"I actually meant math class, but thank you for the vote of confidence." Adam grinned, chuckling slightly as they walked. If there was one thing he enjoyed more here than home, it was the weather. Warmer climates were definitely his preference. No need for extra layers that were only shed inside anyway.

 

"I can pay. Not gonna make you pay for my ridiculous appetite."

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

"Whoa, that sounded like a gauntlet being thrown! I could totally eat more than you could!" Des' slim frame swelled up indignantly. "You might not know it, but I've got my ways and means."

 

She opened up her car door and, as she always did upon entering a car, stood up on the driver's seat, sucked in a few last breaths of air that hadn't been percolating in her car for hours, and then dropped herself with a playful oomph onto the sun-baked leather.

 

"But fine. You pay for however many burgers you want." And I'll buy the milkshakes, she thought deviously.

 

-Tyler

[Krayzikk]

IC:

 

"One day, I'm going to stop making you drive." Adam tossed his bag into the backseat without worrying about where it landed (anything that could break in there already had), and slipped into the passenger seat. The wave of heat was instantaneous, and omnipresent; the seat, the air, the dashboard, seatbelt, everything was warmer than was really comfortable. 

"And I will pay for however many I want. Thanks." He added with a smile, fastening his seatbelt.

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

Desde grinned cockily and finally pushed her blue-tinged bangs away from her eyes. After letting the engine run for a couple seconds she felt comfortable enough to turn on the air conditioning without getting another blast of hot air, and instantly she felt herself growing more comfortable in the seat. Even if he wasn't as obvious about it, she was pretty sure Adam felt the same. Growing up in a relatively moist western US didn't really prepare you for the dry heat of al-Bareha, and that dry heat would slip into anything it could. Really made it tough when you only looked remotely attractive in dark colors.

 

"Any time."

 

-Tyler

[Krayzikk]

IC:

"Don't get any ideas like sneaking your way into paying for something else, either."

Edited June 6, 2015 by Riku Tryon

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

"I hadn't," said the conniving young woman who totally had.

 

-Tyler

[Krayzikk]

IC:

"Don't really believe you." The baseball star said with a smile, rolling his eyes slightly as he attempted to subtly adjust his seat to accommodate his frame more comfortable. He didn't know who Desdemona usually had riding shotgun, but whoever they were, they were a lot shorter than he was. The cool air, at least, was refreshing.

 

"Where to, driver?"

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

Des opened her mouth to reply, then let it hang open for a second; she suddenly remembered just how many burger places were compacted into Mallville. Her cocky grin turned sheepish.

 

"Uhhhh...heh."

 

-Tyler

[Krayzikk]

IC:

 

Adam laughed. In a well-meaning way, but he did. Reclining in his seat, finally able to properly fit in it, he glanced over to the other student with a grin. He wasn't surprised that she didn't have a destination in mind, given how many options there were, but her reaction was pretty funny.

 

"There's a good burger place next to where I work. Milkshakes, burgers, fries, all pretty good. We could go there."

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

"Sounds great! We'll head to..."

 

...

 

"Uhhhh...heh," she repeated. "Where do you work?"

 

-Tyler

[Krayzikk]

IC:

 

"There's a grocery store downtown. Take your first right down the road coming here, and then take a right when you see the local library. Can't miss it."

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

Desde smiled abashedly and followed Adam's instructions to the letter, distracting him with small talk now and again on the drive. Contrary to expectations, it actually kept her more focused on the road, and by the time they took the right at the library she was leaning back slightly in her seat, one wrist slung over the wheel to steer it haphazardly when required. The other hand had balled up a fist by the window controls while she told him about her day and initial plans for the evening.

 

"And they gave me off tomorrow, so I was just gonna go home and find something on Steam to zone out on until 1 or 2," she finished. "Not all of us can be pinnacles of athletic evolution like you, Adam. I like being a vegetable."

 

-Tyler

[Krayzikk]

IC:

 

"Pinnacle of athletic evolution, huh?" If he could have elbowed his friend playfully without risking a crash, what with her rather precarious hand on the steering wheel, he would have. "Contrary to popular belief, I can be lazy. Haven't been able to actually do any sports yet this year."

"Had to make up for it with gym trips."

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

"...Yeah. Gym trips...I know those feels."

 

She did not.

 

-Tyler

[Krayzikk]

IC:

 

"I feel like you're just saying that."

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

"Am not," Des protested, giving him her best pout as she slipped out of the car. It was a telltale sign that she was.

 

-Tyler

[Krayzikk]

IC:

 

Adam laughed again, pulling himself out of the car and stretching slightly. After sitting in a chair for hours, this was the first chance he'd had to really move around. He'd never liked being forced to stay in one spot for so long. Closing his door, he glanced across the roof to Des.

 

"Alright, alright, you win." He reached the restaurant a few moments later, pulling the door open. "Ladies first."

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

Des grinned and kissed Adam's cheek playfully on her way inside with a humored noise that could only be described as a semi-cackle. The burger place was one of those 'seat yourself anywhere' type of deals, so Des took something with a decent view of one of the corner televisions and parked herself facing the screen before Adam could swipe it. 

 

The blue-haired girl perused the menu with one finger as they waited for service.

 

"I've never actually had onion rings."

 

-Tyler

Edited June 7, 2015 by Aikuro Mikisugi

[Krayzikk]

IC:

The athlete was a little taken aback as he slipped in after her, sliding into the booth opposite her. His grin returned quickly enough, losing its air of confusion, but the bemusement lingered in his head as he glanced at the menu. There was a pretty wide variety, but he mostly looked on it to check for new items; he visited so often that he knew what he was going to order already.

 

"They're absolutely delicious."

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

"Mmmm...interesting." She poked at a couple items on the menu with her finger, as if reminding herself, then closed it and slid it back to Adam. "That was easy."

 

-Tyler