[It isn't the strangest thing to happen to him, no, but perhaps the most unprecedented.
The panic that floods his body upon waking and finding himself in water, too much water to be in the bathhouse, is all-encompassing. So it doesn't really help anything when something moves underneath him.
I have to get out of here.
He jerks, hard, hard enough that it jostles his glasses off and into the waves. There's the slightest pang of remorse, but then he's moving, flailing his arms until he remembers the movements he needs to swim as his brain kicks into action.
He glances around, quick, takes stock of the fact that there doesn't appear to be anybody else with him. Good. If I'm alone, no one else is in danger.
But he doesn't want to die here to whatever's rumbling underneath the surface, either, especially not when there's too many people counting on him. So he grits his teeth even as it rattles his skull and pushes-
He pushes until he is caught in the gaze of that large amber eye. And then, as soon as it's gone, even as his heart trembles - he pushes again.
When he finally reaches the shore, he collapses on it. Maybe somebody finds him there... or when Akira finally picks himself up, too much later, maybe they'll find him pulling his hair in front of his eyes to hide his face void of glasses.
It doesn't seem like a Palace, because he isn't wearing his Phantom Thieves attire, and... weirdly, he can't really feel Arsène? But it doesn't do him any good to stand around, so Akira starts moving to see what answers he can find.
And if he can't find answers, he'll look for an exit.]
b. (post-)twizted tea-cupz
[Alright, so. Akira might have made some mistakes here and there.
Lost his glasses because he panicked in the water - first mistake, very critical.
Tried to get out and went all but catatonic as soon he hit the fog - second mistake, a lot more critical.
Decided to try out the rides if he's stuck anyway, and make the even worse decision of turning his teacup - third mistake, probably less critical than the first two.
...Hopefully. He's not sure yet. But he sure does feel abysmally sick from it.
Should anyone happen to be heading onto the ride while Akira is in the throes of his despair, he'll hold out a hand with an urgent noise from the back of his throat.]
If you're riding this one... you should be careful. Been off of it for a while now and I still feel sick. The spinning option really...
[There's a pause, and he'll look at the person very seriously.]
...stirs things up.
[Akira is, unfortunately, alive and not dead - and that means even if he's in agony, that means he's alive enough to make puns.]
c. prize alley
[If he's stuck here it makes sense to explore, so that's what Akira's going to do. His journey through the park eventually brings him to the Prize Alley... and the disturbing Masks that he finds there.
A few moments of observation go past, and it makes him wonder if he really has ended up in a Palace somehow, what with those jerky movements and all. But they don't respond at all when he speaks to them, neither to talk back nor attack him, so he sighs a little and looks through the rest of the place. Eerie.
The menu catches his eye, reminding him with a twinge in his stomach that he hasn't eaten, and he looks it over. The food is a little... eccentric is probably the kindest way to put it, but Akira's never one to turn something down without giving it a try, so who knows really-
His eyes reach the bottom, and he snorts.]
There's something a little wrong with this menu if water and beer are both the same price, and more expensive than anything else.
[There's a little coil of suspicion that unwinds in his chest, but- no. Better not to let his mind go to a place that dark.
Anyway, he needs a reliable way to get food and water, so that means he needs tokens. Focus on that. He scans some of the games and-
oh thank God]
Fishing, huh... [He turns to- you there, stranger (or not). Maybe you've been with him this whole time, or maybe he noticed your presence during the exploration of the stalls and such, but as he looks at you... His face stays fairly neutral, but his eyes are bright.] Have you fished at all before, by any chance?
d. wildcard!
((got something else in mind? throw it at me or hit me up at Yamadori! also I'm still voicetesting and going through p5 please be gentle with me))
[ She takes out her park pamphlet; while saying the name would be easy, it would be better to show him where the location is on the map so that he's aware of the specific location. Even if she's concerned with the way that his eyes seem to light up with curiosity.
Should she really be showing him this...?
No, it's probably still better to. ]
Here. [ She points out the location on the map to It'z Quite The Large World. ] This one... It'z Quite the Large World. My friend disappeared while going on this ride and something... happened to her while she was gone. She's back now, but...
[ You can hear the hesitance and cracking in Kanade's already small voice, her eyes ducking slightly. ]
The ride - or rather, the animatronics on the ride have been singing her song ever since, too.
[That light dims. The reality of the ride is a sharp reminder - it's not the time to seek thrills, because Akira is in the land of creatures lying under the surface of the water.
It's seeming less and less like a Palace, and that's worrying enough in and of itself.]
"Something" happened to her... Do you know what it was? Or notice anything different when she came back?
[He needs to ask about that "song" too - it's such a specific way of wording it, isn't it? But he'd rather not overwhelm a girl he just met with a bunch of questions.]
I don't think it was anything external. But... I didn't want to ask Mafuyu for specifics. She's my friend after all. I didn't want to hurt her more than she had already been hurt.
... I did. Apparently Mafuyu had been singing to the mannequins in that ride after hearing them desperately ask for help before she was taken. I knew she had disappeared at the time, but I wasn't sure where she was. But I was able to tell, because I heard the mannequins sing her music.
The two of us, you see, we write music together. I'm a composer. So... I could tell pretty easily when I hear Mafuyu's music.
That's... strange. Even if they had some kind of recording equipment inside of them, why record it in the first place?
[It's a rhetorical question more than anything, but Akira's mind is racing, working.
...Oh. A grimace pulls at his face. It's not a reason, but that's one possibility, isn't it?]
I can't be sure without seeing it, of course, or Mafuyu-san giving answers to questions it's better not to ask, but... That sounds like the mannequins record the voice of the riders, or mimic it in some other way. And in the case before Mafuyu-san...
[Help me. Help me. Help me.
Akira shivers. He can't see it, but he can imagine it.]
...Yeah. It doesn't seem safe to check it out until we can find out more.
[If they can find out more, and that might be a big "if".
It's not worth the risk right now, though. It's one thing to seek a thrill, another entirely to walk headfirst into something suspiciously dangerous.
There's no way out through the front while that fog is there, and we're stuck in here with attractions trying to harm us... I have to find out as much as I can.]
Has it just been you and Mafuyu-san stuck here, or are there others besides us?
( it's strange. there's new people in the park again- will they stay too? or are they going to just disappear one day, like everyone did in august? she's not sure which is worse. when someone approaches her she's... not sure what it is she expects. caution in herself, perhaps? a plea for help from him? both are fitting.
and then he tells a pun.
mafuyu stares for a moment, not... entirely sure how to respond beyond "where's noah, they'll get along", honestly. )
Ah... y-yes, many of the rides have some adverse side effect. Please be careful... there's a health station towards the gates, but I'm not sure it will truly help.
( yeah she's ignoring it. sorry akira. i laughed at least- though maybe the visible exhaustion on her shoulders or the circles around her eyes will at least excuse her lack of reaction. )
[it's okay, he's used to having a tough crowd - that's what workshopping is for]
Sounds like you've been here a little longer than I have. [He leans back to stretch just a bit, but even as he does he's taking stock of the situation - absorbing, assessing. No reaction to the joke, positive or negative, which is fine - though the lack of the latter if not the former is interesting. She knows the side effects from the rides, so... She's ridden it herself? Watched someone else get sick from it? Maybe.] Thank you, though, that's a good suggestion. Do you happen to know if there's a nurse or any other personnel on site?
[If he could finally find a person that works here... After stumbling around through hazards and an almost entirely empty park, that would be pretty huge, honestly.]
Since August, if the zeta is to be believed. ... That's the device on your wrist. Eventually it may tell you what cabin is yours, for a place to stay.
( not that it's too great to think about. small blessings, as she and shiemi had agreed... but they're still trapped here. )
The nurse's station... the last time I went there, it was practically empty. I haven't seen anyone working in it, but there is supplies locked away inside a cabinet. We couldn't get it open, though. But there's at least a cot.
( another small blessing, given that you can't get back into your cabin during the 'day'. )
[He twists his wrist to look at it again. Unlike Mafuyu's, his is still dark. He hasn't paid it much mind until now, but... Maybe he should have.
When did this get on his wrist?]
Might be worth having a look then, even if it's just to lay down. I guess trying to find a person that works here is probably too much to hope for, though...
[Hold on, though. Akira thinks back through the conversation. Frowns slightly.]
You said since August, right? Have you been here for two months already?
[Unfortunately, Akira doesn't know that his two months is probably different from everyone else's.]
There's Corax, the ringmaster- he's by the circus tent. But he doesn't come out often... and he can't be as helpful as he'd like. Something's holding him back beyond his power.
( but she's not going any further into that because i don't actually have the rest of the lore yet. )
I haven't seen anyone else yet. But yes, that's right. ... I've tried to pass through the fog at the gates, but...
[He's going to say something else, maybe about Corax, but then he follows up with that and- Akira can't help it, he snorts helplessly. He hadn't really meant to, so the look he shoots her is sheepish as he tugs at the hair in front of his eyes.]
Should've gotten to me before with that warning. That's where I was before... this. [He waves at it with a hand.] Did you come out of it feeling like you were drowning after, or did I just get special treatment?
[Akira doesn't meet a lot of people taller than him, let alone a whole 20 or so centimeters, so that part is a novelty all on its own.
He nods, something that's almost a smile pulling at his lips.]
Good. If you'd like, I could use a hand. [His middle-most fingers reach to adjust his glasses out of habit. And he remembers, hand left to hover in a space of awkwardness and small loss.] I want to gather as many tokens as possible to get us a decent supply of food and water.
[ Yeah- Floyd is an absolute beanpole of a teenager. He doesn't seem to stop swaying gently, either. It's almost a subconscious act, like he's moving with a current of some sort. Wonder what's up with that. ]
Ohhh, work together to get snacks, huh? Maybe, maybe~. Are we just gettin' 'em for you and me? I dunno who else is here, so their loss.
[Akira catches the movement, curious, but he doesn't comment on it. Everyone's got their eccentricities, after all.]
There's some people I met earlier that I'd like to stock some up for, too, but I don't mind taking it out of my portion if you'd rather have it for yourself.
[Maybe that being his go-to response isn't great, but... Well. If Akira wants enough too, that just means he has to work hard, right?]
[It's a little bit of an adjustment, doesn't quite feel the same as the fishing hole he's gotten used to back in Tokyo, but he can do this. He nods to himself.]
Mm. Not half bad. [He glances over at his companion.] Do you know which snack you'll try first yet?
[ Floyd scans all the options. Man, he likes junk food, but this much? And for water to be so expensive? Yikes. This place could give Azul a run for his money. He thinks, keeping a steady hand on his fishing pole. ]
Maybe the shrimp corn dogs to start? They're on the cheaper side, but I'll take that gamble, ehe. You'd think with all the deep-fried stuff, they'd have takoyaki here or something.
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amuze2022-10-05 07:15 pm
akira kurusu | persona 5 | tdm
[It isn't the strangest thing to happen to him, no, but perhaps the most unprecedented.
The panic that floods his body upon waking and finding himself in water, too much water to be in the bathhouse, is all-encompassing. So it doesn't really help anything when something moves underneath him.
I have to get out of here.
He jerks, hard, hard enough that it jostles his glasses off and into the waves. There's the slightest pang of remorse, but then he's moving, flailing his arms until he remembers the movements he needs to swim as his brain kicks into action.
He glances around, quick, takes stock of the fact that there doesn't appear to be anybody else with him. Good. If I'm alone, no one else is in danger.
But he doesn't want to die here to whatever's rumbling underneath the surface, either, especially not when there's too many people counting on him. So he grits his teeth even as it rattles his skull and pushes-
He pushes until he is caught in the gaze of that large amber eye. And then, as soon as it's gone, even as his heart trembles - he pushes again.
When he finally reaches the shore, he collapses on it. Maybe somebody finds him there... or when Akira finally picks himself up, too much later, maybe they'll find him pulling his hair in front of his eyes to hide his face void of glasses.
It doesn't seem like a Palace, because he isn't wearing his Phantom Thieves attire, and... weirdly, he can't really feel Arsène? But it doesn't do him any good to stand around, so Akira starts moving to see what answers he can find.
And if he can't find answers, he'll look for an exit.]
b. (post-)twizted tea-cupz
[Alright, so. Akira might have made some mistakes here and there.
Lost his glasses because he panicked in the water - first mistake, very critical.
Tried to get out and went all but catatonic as soon he hit the fog - second mistake, a lot more critical.
Decided to try out the rides if he's stuck anyway, and make the even worse decision of turning his teacup - third mistake, probably less critical than the first two.
...Hopefully. He's not sure yet. But he sure does feel abysmally sick from it.
Should anyone happen to be heading onto the ride while Akira is in the throes of his despair, he'll hold out a hand with an urgent noise from the back of his throat.]
If you're riding this one... you should be careful. Been off of it for a while now and I still feel sick. The spinning option really...
[There's a pause, and he'll look at the person very seriously.]
...stirs things up.
[Akira is, unfortunately, alive and not dead - and that means even if he's in agony, that means he's alive enough to make puns.]
c. prize alley
[If he's stuck here it makes sense to explore, so that's what Akira's going to do. His journey through the park eventually brings him to the Prize Alley... and the disturbing Masks that he finds there.
A few moments of observation go past, and it makes him wonder if he really has ended up in a Palace somehow, what with those jerky movements and all. But they don't respond at all when he speaks to them, neither to talk back nor attack him, so he sighs a little and looks through the rest of the place. Eerie.
The menu catches his eye, reminding him with a twinge in his stomach that he hasn't eaten, and he looks it over. The food is a little... eccentric is probably the kindest way to put it, but Akira's never one to turn something down without giving it a try, so who knows really-
His eyes reach the bottom, and he snorts.]
There's something a little wrong with this menu if water and beer are both the same price, and more expensive than anything else.
[There's a little coil of suspicion that unwinds in his chest, but- no. Better not to let his mind go to a place that dark.
Anyway, he needs a reliable way to get food and water, so that means he needs tokens. Focus on that. He scans some of the games and-
oh thank God]
Fishing, huh... [He turns to- you there, stranger (or not). Maybe you've been with him this whole time, or maybe he noticed your presence during the exploration of the stalls and such, but as he looks at you... His face stays fairly neutral, but his eyes are bright.] Have you fished at all before, by any chance?
d. wildcard!
((got something else in mind? throw it at me or hit me up at
also I'm still voicetesting and going through p5 please be gentle with me))takes out my gun this is betrayal, also b 🔫🔫🔫
[ This is coming from someone who's ridden all the rides at least twice each day during the first two days of October. ]
It's not the most dangerous ride, though.
still chews on whoever found me (I see you Looking Syn you're my first suspect)
You too, huh?
[He makes a noise of sympathy because that's... extremely unfortunate, he doesn't really wish this on anyone, actually.
...
However.
That is perhaps an even more unfortunate choice of words because - there's a lot of proper ways to respond to this beyond what he's said.
Instead, Akira's eyes light up, curious.]
Which one is the most dangerous?
no subject
[ She takes out her park pamphlet; while saying the name would be easy, it would be better to show him where the location is on the map so that he's aware of the specific location. Even if she's concerned with the way that his eyes seem to light up with curiosity.
Should she really be showing him this...?
No, it's probably still better to. ]
Here. [ She points out the location on the map to It'z Quite The Large World. ] This one... It'z Quite the Large World. My friend disappeared while going on this ride and something... happened to her while she was gone. She's back now, but...
[ You can hear the hesitance and cracking in Kanade's already small voice, her eyes ducking slightly. ]
The ride - or rather, the animatronics on the ride have been singing her song ever since, too.
no subject
It's seeming less and less like a Palace, and that's worrying enough in and of itself.]
"Something" happened to her... Do you know what it was? Or notice anything different when she came back?
[He needs to ask about that "song" too - it's such a specific way of wording it, isn't it? But he'd rather not overwhelm a girl he just met with a bunch of questions.]
no subject
I don't think it was anything external. But... I didn't want to ask Mafuyu for specifics. She's my friend after all. I didn't want to hurt her more than she had already been hurt.
no subject
...I understand. It's better that you didn't, in that case.
[He does. If it was his friends, he wouldn't want to make them relive whatever they'd gone through either.]
You said something about "her song" before, right? Can I ask what that means?
no subject
The two of us, you see, we write music together. I'm a composer. So... I could tell pretty easily when I hear Mafuyu's music.
no subject
[It's a rhetorical question more than anything, but Akira's mind is racing, working.
...Oh. A grimace pulls at his face. It's not a reason, but that's one possibility, isn't it?]
I can't be sure without seeing it, of course, or Mafuyu-san giving answers to questions it's better not to ask, but... That sounds like the mannequins record the voice of the riders, or mimic it in some other way. And in the case before Mafuyu-san...
[Help me. Help me. Help me.
Akira shivers. He can't see it, but he can imagine it.]
no subject
[ She shakes her head, her voice even quieter and concerned as her words keep going. ]
The ride is... it's there, but - I wouldn't recommend going there alone.
no subject
[If they can find out more, and that might be a big "if".
It's not worth the risk right now, though. It's one thing to seek a thrill, another entirely to walk headfirst into something suspiciously dangerous.
There's no way out through the front while that fog is there, and we're stuck in here with attractions trying to harm us... I have to find out as much as I can.]
Has it just been you and Mafuyu-san stuck here, or are there others besides us?
(no subject)
b
and then he tells a pun.
mafuyu stares for a moment, not... entirely sure how to respond beyond "where's noah, they'll get along", honestly. )
Ah... y-yes, many of the rides have some adverse side effect. Please be careful... there's a health station towards the gates, but I'm not sure it will truly help.
( yeah she's ignoring it. sorry akira. i laughed at least- though maybe the visible exhaustion on her shoulders or the circles around her eyes will at least excuse her lack of reaction. )
no subject
Sounds like you've been here a little longer than I have. [He leans back to stretch just a bit, but even as he does he's taking stock of the situation - absorbing, assessing. No reaction to the joke, positive or negative, which is fine - though the lack of the latter if not the former is interesting. She knows the side effects from the rides, so... She's ridden it herself? Watched someone else get sick from it? Maybe.] Thank you, though, that's a good suggestion. Do you happen to know if there's a nurse or any other personnel on site?
[If he could finally find a person that works here... After stumbling around through hazards and an almost entirely empty park, that would be pretty huge, honestly.]
no subject
( not that it's too great to think about. small blessings, as she and shiemi had agreed... but they're still trapped here. )
The nurse's station... the last time I went there, it was practically empty. I haven't seen anyone working in it, but there is supplies locked away inside a cabinet. We couldn't get it open, though. But there's at least a cot.
( another small blessing, given that you can't get back into your cabin during the 'day'. )
no subject
[He twists his wrist to look at it again. Unlike Mafuyu's, his is still dark. He hasn't paid it much mind until now, but... Maybe he should have.
When did this get on his wrist?]
Might be worth having a look then, even if it's just to lay down. I guess trying to find a person that works here is probably too much to hope for, though...
[Hold on, though. Akira thinks back through the conversation. Frowns slightly.]
You said since August, right? Have you been here for two months already?
[Unfortunately, Akira doesn't know that his two months is probably different from everyone else's.]
no subject
( but she's not going any further into that because i don't actually have the rest of the lore yet. )
I haven't seen anyone else yet. But yes, that's right. ... I've tried to pass through the fog at the gates, but...
( well. she's still here. )
It's not something I'd recommend.
no subject
Should've gotten to me before with that warning. That's where I was before... this. [He waves at it with a hand.] Did you come out of it feeling like you were drowning after, or did I just get special treatment?
no subject
prize alley
Have I fished before?
[ He hums in thought of how to answer, smirking a bit. ]
In a manner of speaking, yeah~. Why?
no subject
He nods, something that's almost a smile pulling at his lips.]
Good. If you'd like, I could use a hand. [His middle-most fingers reach to adjust his glasses out of habit. And he remembers, hand left to hover in a space of awkwardness and small loss.] I want to gather as many tokens as possible to get us a decent supply of food and water.
no subject
Ohhh, work together to get snacks, huh? Maybe, maybe~. Are we just gettin' 'em for you and me? I dunno who else is here, so their loss.
no subject
There's some people I met earlier that I'd like to stock some up for, too, but I don't mind taking it out of my portion if you'd rather have it for yourself.
[Maybe that being his go-to response isn't great, but... Well. If Akira wants enough too, that just means he has to work hard, right?]
no subject
[ Floyd sounds perfectly fine with that outcome. He picks up one of the fishing rods, raring to go! ]
Shall we?
no subject
[It's a little bit of an adjustment, doesn't quite feel the same as the fishing hole he's gotten used to back in Tokyo, but he can do this. He nods to himself.]
Mm. Not half bad. [He glances over at his companion.] Do you know which snack you'll try first yet?
no subject
[ Floyd scans all the options. Man, he likes junk food, but this much? And for water to be so expensive? Yikes. This place could give Azul a run for his money. He thinks, keeping a steady hand on his fishing pole. ]
Maybe the shrimp corn dogs to start? They're on the cheaper side, but I'll take that gamble, ehe. You'd think with all the deep-fried stuff, they'd have takoyaki here or something.