#001 - Dictated & Action

[allthelinks]

[There's a newcomer, although likely not a fresh face to many, down in the lobby. He's got his journal with him, he's been reading and listening to it, and besides thinking it's weird that a book is making sounds, he's slowly coming to terms with the facts of life concerning Paradisa. This is definitely not where he expected to be when Izanami, well, cast him down to Hell. Beside him, there is a pile of random objects he's wished up to test that, yes, you can wish for things. There are several cans of soda, random food items, a shovel, a bunch of plastic model robots, and exactly one hundred paper cranes.]

Huh...

[Okay, he's convinced that works. Now, how about communication? The journals don't come with instructions, so he just picks his up, flips to a blank page, and starts talking.]

Does this work? Oh, there's letters.

[Let's think of a good word to react to that with. Astounding? Impossible?]

Neat.

Comments

First!

[pint_sized_carnivore]

[Yep, she'd recognize that deadpan voice anywhere]

Souji-kun?

First is the worst! (except not really)

[allthelinks]

Is that- Chie?

[He didn't know if he dared to hope to hear a friendly voice, and having Chie there in this... magic castle place is a much larger relief than his voice lets on.]

Am I glad to hear you. Where are you? Are you hurt?

[pint_sized_carnivore]

I'm in my room in the castle. Oh my god, I can't believe it's really you! Last time I saw you was you was at the train station!

[allthelinks]

Train station...?

[Not sure what she means there, but that's a secondary concern right now.]

Does everyone get a room, here? And which one is yours?

[He has to go meet her now- but, oh no, what about his pile of stuff he wished up?]

[pint_sized_carnivore]

Yeah, everyone gets a room once they arrive at the castle. Mine is high up, it's in one of the castle's towers. It would be easier that I to come to you. What's your room number?

[allthelinks]

High up... [At least she's Chie, all the exercise from going up and down stairs won't faze her.] I'm not sure, where do I find that out?

[It happens to be 1606, but he doesn't know that.]

[pint_sized_carnivore]

The door on your room should have it.

[allthelinks]

I don't know which one that is... I just found myself down in what I guess is a lobby.

[Does this mean he needs to search the whole place to find his room?]

[pint_sized_carnivore]

Oh, right. I forgot not everyone starts up in their own rooms... The lobby is pretty close to where I am, I just need to take the elevator. I'll meet you there!

[solowingpixy]

[Pixy was just minding his own business while passing through the lobby on his crutch with shiba inu puppy in tow until he hears Souji's voice. Which will make him doubletake, but when he just sees that kid with the bowlcut, he'll relax a little. Okay. It's not PJ. Good. Geez, that was twice he had that brief 'scare'.

...but then raise he'll an eyebrow at all the stuff laying in that pile.]

Got enough junk sitting around the place, kid?

[allthelinks]

[...What the heck, whoever this guy is, he sounds like an older, grouchier Yosuke. That's kind of weird. But it would be impolite to say anything, so, time to address the stuff at hand!]

I was testing the wishing thing. Don't worry, I'll clean it all up.

[solowingpixy]

[He'll just give a shrug and shake his head.]

I don't care if it's cleaned up or not. Even if you didn't, I'm sure those ghosts would do it for you.

But I'm going to assume you're new here if you were 'testing' that.

[allthelinks]

Ghosts? There are ghosts?

[After a year of dealing with demons, some of which were pretty ghostly, he's not so freaked out about this as he could be.]

Ah, that's right. I just woke up here, and I've been reading this thing [A nod to his journal.] to figure it out.

[solowingpixy]

They act as servants here for some reason. They'll do just about whatever you ask 'em to.

[He really hates explaining things here, given that it took him months to acknowledge it all himself.]

Good luck figuring out anything beyond the basics. The place does a good job of hiding important information.

[allthelinks]

...That sounds useful.

[Yup, that's all he has to say. He's kind of concise, this guy, and it's true. Helpful ghosts going around picking things up is pretty easy to understand and definitely a good thing.]

As long as they aren't being bothered.

[But he has to be conscientious.]

There's information hidden around the place somewhere, there? It just needs to be dug up?

[solowingpixy]

Bothered? I don't think those things can be. I doubt they're even capable of emotion at all.

[He only assumes, of course, which is easy to do when they don't speak and have no faces. He tries to avoid interacting with them as much as possible, anyway. ... gotta admit, those ghosts have the ultimate poker face though.]

I wouldn't know. But before you go getting any ideas in your head about finding any leads, you better talk to the guys who claim to have been here for years. I doubt you'll find anything that they haven't.

[Get a load of all the optimism that's coming out of this one.]

[allthelinks]

...That's too bad.

[He wouldn't have minded befriending ghosts. Maybe they could even provide some stimulating conversation. But, if it's a no-go, then a no-go it is. No sense putting too much effort into trying to figure them out, in that case.]

Years? People have been taken here for years?

[Slight incredulousness now, borne out of mild panic. Souji's got a fantastic poker face, but the prospect of being stuck in this place for years on end is... troublesome.]

I'll talk with them, as soon as I can.

[Dictated]

[therealrisette]

[Oh! This is a familiar voice!]

Senpai?!

[She sounds super excited at first! But she's also had plenty of experience with people who sound familiar, so she follows up sounding a bit more questioning.]

Is it really you...?

[Dictated]

[allthelinks]

[Oh! Is that... why yes, yes it is.]

Rise.

[Wow, listen to that relief in Leader-kun's voice. He's so glad to hear her voice, he's even going to say so.]

Am I glad to hear you. Are you alright?

[therealrisette]

[It's really him this time!!! There's way more than a trace of both relief and excitement in her voice when she responds.]

Yeah, I'm fine!

[Well, more or less, she is. "Okay" is relative in a place like this.]

How long have you been here? Oh, and what's the last thing you remember? Sometimes the castle takes people from different times...

[She fires the questions at him in a frenzied rush, completely forgetting that he probably has no clue where he is or why...]

Oh! Do you know where you are? I could find you with my Persona!

[Rise, give the poor guy a chance to answer before you ask another question...]

[allthelinks]

[Wow, mistaking him for someone else, Rise? He'd be so saddened... nah, not really, but he might troll her a little by saying so.]

Good.

[More relief! Not as much as she's got going, he's a lot better at keeping emotions bottled up, but it's unmistakably there.]

I just arrived, maybe... fifteen minutes ago? [Urk. That's a bad question, that next one.] The last thing I remember was... fighting Izanami.

[And, uh, everyone just got killified by her, and he was next. Needless to say, he's still not entirely positive this isn't the afterlife and that they failed.]

I'm down in... I guess this is the lobby?

[Oh, no, he's used to rapid-fire Rise. He'd be disturbed if she wasn't a little on the hyperactive, emotional, and giddy side, and he's ready for his big hug and the most squealingest "Senpai!" ever.]

[therealrisette]

[Meanwhile Rise totally misses that and assumes he means after they won. Oops.]

Oh, okay! I'll be right there!

[And to the lobby she goes! In a few minutes, the perky little idol is in front of him with a broad grin and sparkly eyes. For a brief second before she does, indeed, attack him with a hug.]

Senpai~!!! I missed you so much!

[There's definitely something different about her. She's excited and giddy and super happy to see him, but it's not quite the same. There was adoration in her eyes, but not the same either. In fact, everything about the way she's acting is just... not quite. She's not even as squealy and giggly as he probably thinks she should be. And her hugging definitely isn't as possessive and snuggly, even if it is just as enthusiastic and forward.]

I was alone here for so long! Not really alone, but the only one from our world...

[Except Adachi, but forget him. She means out of her friends.]

And then Yukiko-chan showed up and then Chie-chan but then Yukiko-chan disappeared and it's just been us. Except I think Nanako-chan is still here! She doesn't live in the castle though, so I don't see her as much...

[She pauses to take a breath. Now would be a good time to get a word in...]

[allthelinks]

[The fact that they're alive (probably) and well (probably) is a pretty good indicator they won. And that he's really missed some things.]

I'll be here.

[And so he will, standing next to his giant pile of random crap, waiting for his #1 fangirl to arrive! He knows Rise, and he knows she's going to be a big ball of energy when she shows up and slams into him. Heck, he's halfway-expecting tears of joy and having her sobbingly tell him to never leave her again.

...He doesn't get that, to his mild disappointment, but a big smile, happy eyes, and a good old Rise hug do a good job.]

I didn't know I was gone for so long. Sorry.

[It's only been a couple minutes since he last saw her, and in all that time, it somehow feels like she's changed. It's a little... well, he can't really call it disappointing, not after he made the very difficult decision to keep her and the rest of his harem potential dating prospects just out of reach, but it does feel odd. She doesn't feel as warm and squeezing as she should, there isn't as much of that Rise spunk he likes in her, even the look in her eyes was a tad different from what he was used to.]

Really? That's terrible, I'm sorry you had to put up with that.

[And that's a genuine sorry, right there. He's even got the gentle concern thing in his voice and a furrow on his brow. But anyway, she's gonna keep talking, and talking, and wow that's a lot of words for one breath, Rise-chan.]

I'm... well, I'm glad you aren't alone anymore. And that Chie and... and Nanako are still here.

[Ah, actually, no. Nanako being here? That ain't cool. Not at all, especially if her dad ain't here. He's going to need to have some words with babby cousin to make sure she's okay, pronto.]

[therealrisette]

[Aw, same old Senpai! He's a bit quiet and reserved, yeah, but he really cares about his friends. She gives him another quick little squeeze, resting her head on his chest for a brief moment. The 'sorry' was really sweet... even if being separated from him hasn't exactly been her biggest worry since coming here.]

I'm just glad you're here now...

[And, she's a little sad for him, too. She has no idea what the castle will end up putting him through, after all. But she'd like to focus on the positive for now.]

You don't have to worry so much about Nanako-chan, either! She has a lot of friends here to keep an eye on her. But I'm sure she missed her Big Bro lots!

[And there's the patented Risette teasing wink!]

[allthelinks]

[His care level for his friends will always be the highest! Even if he isn't so good at expressing it, he's been around all of them to know that they know that he's always thinking about them. All these investigators, they're tight.]

Thanks, Rise. It's nice to feel welcome.

[Smiles, smiles. Real ones! This is a weird place to be, and he's only beginning to understand it, but not having to go through it alone makes everything worlds easier. He has her, Chie, and Nanako, as soon as he can find her, to thank for that.]

I'm sure you guys have been keeping her company, she can't feel too lonely. Still... I hope she's been okay without her dad.

[Ahh, there we go. That wink is the kind of thing he likes to see, it reminds him this is definitely the Rise he knows.]