Battle 1

[princeandwizard]

[When Ohjiro left the Layer after his defeat to Misaki, he was on his way to the video room of the stadium- after all, he had his brother and former crush to face after he lost the battle. When he'd seen the door swish open in front of him, he'd expected to see the dim light of the video room to greet him and the stare of his older step brother...

He wasn't expecting to end up staring at a Game Room instead.]

What?

[He looked around, stepping into the room with a blue doll resting in his right hand. This was certainly perplexing to say the least. There wasn't a room like this in the stadium that he knew of... did he take a wrong turn somewhere when he was lost in thought? He gives a quiet chuckle.]

Has my big brother been remodeling without my knowing?

[He takes a few more steps in the room, unaware of that strange open journal laying on a nearby arcade cabinet that happens to be picking up everything. Not seeing anyone immediately, he decides to call out.]

Hello! Is there anybody here?

Comments

[pint_sized_carnivore]

[Chie was playing a fighting game with a serious look on her face. She couldn't sleep. After that island, it's not very easy. Mashing the buttons and grinding her teeth, she jumped when she hears someone's voice in the dark game room.

It was passed midnight, and she's all by herself. She feels the hair on her arms stand as a cold chill run down her spine. But it sounds harmless, she thought so might as well try and call out]

Uhm, hey! I- uh, can you hear me?

[Chie cringed a bit. Duh! Of course he could hear you.]

[princeandwizard]

[Oh hey, he did get a response. He almost didn't expect one, given that the room seemed pretty empty. He followed the girl's voice and peeked around one of the cabinets, spotting the short-haired girl at the fighting game.]

Oh, there you are.

[He steps out fully and gives a small, embarassed smile.]

I'm sorry for bothering you, but it seems... I may have taken a wrong turn somehow. Could you perhaps tell me where in the stadium this room is, exactly?

[pint_sized_carnivore]

[Chie almost breaths a sigh of relief when she saw a teenage boy come out from the shadows. But she didn't, because that might come across the wrong way somehow. She steps back from the fighting game machine and gives him a curious wave when she hears his question]

Stadium? Oh wait, you must be new here!

[Chie gives an embarrassed chuckle, lightly scratching her head. Really, castle? You dragged someone here at this late at night?]

[princeandwizard]

[Shhh. Ohjiro has no idea how late it is here. As far as he's concerned, it's still early evening.]

New? What do you mean?

[Granted, in this fancy game room, he WAS technically new... geez, Ichiro, you could have at least introduced it to him yourself.]

[pint_sized_carnivore]

Uhm... This may be hard to believe. But.

[Chie sighs]

You're not on Earth anymore.

[princeandwizard]

[...yep, that's pretty hard to believe, alright. But he'll play along. This must be some kinda ploy by Ichiro to help him take his mind off of losing in the semi-finals.]

Really? May I inquire where I am now then?

[pint_sized_carnivore]

You're in a castle called Paradisa. It's in some magical dimension.

[Chie shrugged again. She's at a loss on how to convince this fellow, even though he sounds pretty reasonable]

Oh, try this. Wish for something! Like an object. But you have to be specific.

[delincuente]

[Oh hello there, have a half-asleep teenage girl suddenly jolting up from where she'd conked out on the couch. Wearing pajamas and clutching an empty popcorn bowl, she'd fallen asleep partway through a Lizardzilla vs. Toxic Goo Monster Thingie movie marathon, and is a bit disoriented when she wakes up another voice in the room.]

Whassa-

[She blinks and rubs at her eyes, then clears her throat.]

You looking for something?

[princeandwizard]

[He'll see her jolting up, taking particular note of her pajama'd state. What a curious place for a nap.]

Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you.

[If he knew there was someone asleep in here, he certainly wouldn't have yelled.]

This is a little embarassing, but... I'm afraid I'm a little bit lost. I thought I had the stadium's layout down by memory by now, but it seems I was mistaken. Could you perhaps tell me where I am?

[delincuente]

[She checks to make sure she wasn't drooling, and that it's not too obvious that she's not wearing a bra. Then she leans up over the side of the couch and offers out a weak handshake. He's definitely not hard to figure out, from his confused words.]

Congratulations. Looks like you just got trapped in a pocket universe. The kitchen's that way. Breakfast's at whenever o' clock.

[princeandwizard]

[He'll stare at her in bewilderment before reaching out and shaking her hand.]

I... I see. A pocket universe? Does that perhaps mean I'm not in Tokyo anymore?

[Oh man Ichiro, what have you set up here?]

[delincuente]

Yep, sorry Toto.

[She turns herself back around to get the TV and DVD player turned off.]

Kansas is so far away most people here don't even know what it is.

[princeandwizard]

[He lightly chuckles.]

I can't say I've ever had a trip to America.

But if this is a pocket universe... would you happen to know how I ended up here?

[Dictated]

[therealrisette]

[Rise's always willing to help out a new arrival, and this entry is setting off her newbie radar like crazy! Buuut, she's also kind of bored, and giving the same old introduction every time wasn't really any fun...]

Hello? Can you hear me?

[Waiting for him to notice a book is talking to him...]

[Dictated forever]

[princeandwizard]

[That was a response alright! He'll be looking around, but not seeing anyone was confusing.]

I can hear you, but-- where are you?

[therealrisette]

[She would giggle to herself, but... she's in character.]

Can you see a book anywhere?!

[princeandwizard]

A book?

[He'll go looking around, but soon enough, comes across a certain journal. Which he notices has written what was just said. Wha?]

The journal?

[therealrisette]

Oh, you found it?!

Can you tell me what kind of room we're in right now?

[She can't pretend to know where he is - there's a chance he's not in his own room, and she doesn't know anything about him yet, so she can't detect him with her Persona...]

[princeandwizard]

['We're in'? What is this, a talking book?]

It... looks to be an arcade.

Assumption he has come out into the hallway?

[wishmadeinfire]

<sub>[ Ashura chose to dress today in robes of pale, icy blues, always lined with some type of gold, a white obi-like sash around his waist, with golden rope knotted into the shapes of flowers or sigils. Hair the color of ink was held in a neat tail behind his head, seemingly held up with a pin of gold and frosty diamods.

He paused when the door to the Arcade came open and he found himself looking down at a boy, golden eyes blinking down at him. ]</sub>

Well, hello there.

_{[ His gaze flicked to the doll, wondering a moment, but he did not spend much concern on it. ]}

Lucky we managed to avoid each other.

Suits me fine!

[princeandwizard]

[He startled, stopping himself before he stepped out and bumped into the taller man. He stared at the man for a moment, looking a little amazed by the way he was dressed. He was almost like something he'd see on the Layer.

He catches himself staring (which is totes rude), and smiles nervously.]

Ah- hello. I apologize, I wasn't quite expecting to meet anyone out here so soon.

Re: Suits me fine!

[wishmadeinfire]

_{[ Ashura smiled softly, soft lips turning up at the corners.}

He waved his hand idly, a ring of gold and emerald flashing on his finger in the form of a dragon. ]

It is of no matter, such things happen. I have not seen you about the Castle before, though.

[princeandwizard]

[His eye briefly caught the dragon, almost mesmerized for the moment. Pay attention, Ohjiro. You're talking to someone.]

It... would seem that I'm new here. It's a bit of a surprise, seeing that I was in a stadium a few minutes ago.

[He'd at least gotten the rundown of 'yep, it's Paradisa, welcome to another world' part of the routine, and it was still, y'know, really odd to think about. Even moreso now with this mystical-looking gent in front of him.]

[wishmadeinfire]

Well, at least your transition seems to have been gentler than some.

_{[ He motioned down the hallway. ]}

Come, you can walk with me and I can give you a little tour of our Castle. It will help later, since this place can be a bit labyrinth like until you learn it.

[princeandwizard]

Gentler? There are others who didn't just appear like this?

[This whole thing was incredibly confusing. Even with this new-found information. After being motioned along, he'll hesitate, then start after Ashura.]

Thank you, I appreciate the assistance, but I hope I'm not intruding.