OPEN POST ♞ HOT DAMN

[tarotcards]

WHO: Souji and youuuuuuuuuuu
WHERE: Apprassage
WHEN: 05/15 - 05/19
WHAT: Souji can now set things on fire. You're on fire, he's on fire, everything's on fire. It's great.
WARNINGS: Fire??
ONE

Souji hasn't been feeling easy since the night of the prom. It wasn't the prom itself that got him feeling so disembodied with himself (in fact, he had a great time being crowned Prom Princess and all) but rather, it was something else entirely. It was this feeling of "something" residing within him, as if he suddenly wasn't just Souji Narukami anymore but instead, Souji and who knows what.

Obviously, he hasn't spoken a word about this to anyone. Why would he? No need to bring on unnecessary concern and besides, this is something he should handle on his own. It can just be another one of his secrets, just like the strange voices in his head and the floating cards that he sees...

As a result, Souji has been trying to be as secretive as possible about his newfound powers. Well, as secretive as you can be with another being living in your soul, but you know, you make do. You make do by going to a semi-secluded area behind a few building and try to figure out how to summon said new monster. It's honestly just as hard as it sounds.

The first few times, almost nothing happens at all. A card engulfed in blue fire appears, Souji crushes it, there's a brief half second of an oversized monster, it disappears, rinse and repeat. Thanks to a certain memory, there is a faint sense of familiarity with the summoning process, but it doesn't suddenly endow him with the experience or knowledge that he needs to continue. All he can do right now is to practise with what he knows and that is to just summon the damn thing.

Sure would be a shame if someone walked around that corner and saw Mr Blue and Flaming Demon...

TWO

... or it'd be a greater shame if someone turned that corner at the wrong time and accidentally got hit by a spell.

Over the next few days, Souji has been diligently practising with summoning Mada, slowly learning the type of skills it possessed and how to direct it to use said skills. It certainly isn't an easy task, quickly draining Souji out and having him nearly pass out a few times. One doesn't simply become a Persona master in just a couple of days and for someone as inexperienced as him, there's bound to be some accidents.

Accidents involve fire or silencing spells.

Don't worry, the fire might just barely miss you or just catch a tiny bit of your clothes so don't worry about any serious injuries, but that silencing spell... don't worry, it'd probably wear off.

... eventually.

THREE

Remember how Souji nearly passed out from draining himself of all energy with this whole Persona nonsense? Well, it just about happened now.

Souji at least had the common sense to try and sit up against the wall right before he just suddenly dropped dead from exhaustion, but he slumps over to the side, actually kind of looking like a murder victim. It's quite terrifying, really, but hey, if you're looking for an opportunity to take his wallet then now is a good time.

WILDCARD

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Comments

[tarotcards]

[ Souji feels uncomfortable speaking about Mada, as demonstrated by the very small gestures he displays: the way that his hand goes to his hip and his thumb wraps around one of the belt loop, playing with it, or how he looks downcast instead of making eye contact with Chloe. He's the type to bottle everything up, to never let others know what he's dealing with or what his problems are. To be caught and then discuss about this new monster he now has? It's... uncomfortable, to say the least. ]

... I believe so. To fight or protect me. I can't imagine what else it could be.

[ And it's frustrating because, at the core of it, he really doesn't know what this is. ]

[true_noir]

I... see. Well, he certainly has intimidation factor. But we don't need to think more on this. You are ok, though? It...whatever it is, it didn't take too much out of you?

[Her body language said that she was calming down a lot, now that he was assuring her of this much. 'protector' suited her, and she wasn't going to pry more, not today anyway. She might ask more eventually, but he was clearly uncomfortable.

And... she'd be rude if she didn't acknowledge that.]

[tarotcards]

[ And Souji is grateful for Chloe not digging further into the matter. Perhaps later down the line, when he's more comfortable with all this, she can ask him questions and he'll answer them. ]

Yeah, I'm okay. Don't worry about me.

[ Lying straight through his teeth. He feels slightly dizzy and tired (summoning giant spiritual monsters do that to you), but he's good at pretending that he's okay and nothing bothers him. It's easy enough to shrug it off and say that everything is fine. ]

What did you say about suddenly being a world-class parkour enthusiast?

[ Trying to shift the focus onto her. ]

[true_noir]

Not possible. I worry about all of you. [She winked.] But, I'll worry less. how does that sound? And, to answer your question...

[She proceeded to run to the other side of the small space in the alley, jumping off of the ground to hit one of the dumpsters with her foot, jump off and make a grab for a low-hanging fire-escape.

She didn't even miss this time. A swing or two and she was scrambling up into it and turning around to smile down at him.]

You aren't the only one able to do things that you shouldn't be. [Ok, she liked to show that sort of thing off.]

[tarotcards]

[ Souji just watches in complete awe as Chloe makes parkour seem like child's play. He just walks to the fire escape and looks up at her, the gaping look hasn't faded. ]

That was... impressive.

[ To say the least. ]

But let me guess: you just woke up with these skills?

[true_noir]

[She had done a lot more falling the first few times, but nobody got to see those times generally. Too much pride to let them see her go sprawling on a jungle gym or gymnast's horse. She looked down at him and nodded.]

I'm a regular jogger, not a world class gymnast. She, though, the girl from my hallucinations? No, she moves like this.

[She kicked the ladder down to him if he wanted to come up.]

I've... been picking up a few things she seemed to know.

[tarotcards]

[ He definitely takes the offer to head up, climbing up the ladders like the boring non-gymnast that he is. But he doesn't talk again until he gets up and stands next to her. ]

So you're saying that you've gotten memories or hallucinations of all this before you got all this?

[ Just confirming before he says his next point. ]

[true_noir]

[She leaned against the old metal railing and thought about that for a second. It took her a moment to piece it all together, timeline wise.]

I would say that the skills? I picked them up after I saw them in a hallucination. Some of the things I've received, I had the hallucination afterwards. That's been consistent enough.

[tarotcards]

[ Souji crosses his arms, thoughtful, and nods. ]

I've been hearing the same from others, so it seems undeniable that these hallucinations, memories, or whatever you want to call them are linked directly with these sudden changes.

[ He pauses to think for a bit then looks straight at Chloe. ]

It's been established that Retrospec has some kind of control over granting us memories, based on the letter they gave me back for the beauty pageant, so if we assume that the skills are linked with the memories, then that means that Retrospec also has control over granting us these abilities as well.

[true_noir]

Considering that ... well, my hair is purple now, my body more limber than is natural with my lifestyle and [She coughed uncomfortably.] some of the skills I seem to know? They're all things that fit the girl I see in my hallucinations. Yes, it is quite related.

And yes, I think that seems fair. [She nodded.] I firmly believe that they are trying to turn us into these people. I do not know how, and I definitely do not know why, but they want us to become them.

Mind you, I won't be her. I refuse.

[tarotcards]

[ Now this is interesting. Souji hasn't heard this sort of perspective from anyone yet. Pretty much everyone he's spoken to has accepted that the person in their memories are themselves. ]

You don't believe the person in the hallucinations is you?

[true_noir]

I believe that they want it to be me. I believe that the girl I see in the mirror, in these visions, is supposed to be me. I believe that we share some things in common.

[She gripped the railing and looked at him.]

But I don't want to be her, Souji. She's a ... She's not a good person. I do not want to be a bad person. Hate cannot save people. And no matter how many times I hear the things she heard in my head, I can't see why she believed it.

[Though part of that was stubbornness. The more she saw, the easier it was to believe that Altena had a point, especially when it was becoming clear that the people on the app needed people who were willing to break the rules for their sake.]

[tarotcards]

[ Ah... is that so... That definitely makes it a lot more difficult to accept those visions as memories if you believe in something completely different. Souji has been making assumptions that the person in these visions is him, but now he's not too sure. ]

The fact that you disagree with her, it shows that you're different.

But... even if you were the same person, if this person in your visions was hypothetically you, you are not the same as them. You don't have to be defined by these visions.

[true_noir]

[It's an entirely reasonable assumption. Chloe was being very stubborn about it because of the fact that, whatever similarities they had, she really hadn't quite honed the whole killer instinct thing yet.]</small. Mmm, yes. Thank you for that. I think that's why I say she isn't me. It's my way of not being defined by her. My little defiance. I will take what I want, but not become her.

[tarotcards]

[ He nods. He can understand her perspective and thinks he can't really fault or blame anyone for this. ]

Have you been all right otherwise?

[ Asides from the whole 'you're not me!' sort of thing. ]

[true_noir]

Some of my relationships back home have been strained. Mother has been easier, but my girlfriend and I have been arguing more. She doesn't understand why I'm stressed lately.

Other than that, though... well enough. I'm not bite size anymore. Definite improvement. I'm already short enough as is.

[tarotcards]

You haven't talked to her about your memories?

[ What she just admitted to Souji right now? ]

[true_noir]

She in't on the app. I tried, months ago, but she can't understand any of it and thinks it's crazy. It was our first big fight over anything. I haven't been willing to risk it since.

But the stress has been getting to me, obviously, and the distance.

[tarotcards]

[ Souji stays silent for a moment, looking down thoughtful before he looks back up as he speaks. ]

... A friend of mine has been referring to the people off the app as "sleepers" and there's been a pattern of these sleepers not registering the changes in the city, such as that one time we shrunk or with the disappearances of the horses.

Maybe because she's not on the app, she also can't understand the kind of visions or changes that are happening to us.

[true_noir]

Oh... I know for a fact that she doesn't understand them. It's one of the things we struggled with, though I don't talk to her about it at all. Still, she seems to know because of the stress I feel and how I act.

[She sighed and raked her hand through her hair.] I still love her... but it's... it's gotten very hard to talk to her. We always seem to argue, and the next day I just smile and pretend everything's alright, but it isn't getting better.