redstringtheories

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!tdm

TDM #1

➥ Arrival

(cw: potential for severe disorientation/vertigo, claustrophobia, arachnophobia, body horror)

It happens in the blink of an eye. You may have been asleep. You may not have. You may have stepped through a door or turned a corner. You may have seen a flicker of something at the corner of your vision and turned to look. Or maybe you didn't.

It doesn't matter. What matters is that you find yourself somewhere entirely new and entirely unfamiliar. The arrival point is not always the same. (If you're lucky, it might be a canteen or an open office. If you're not, well... you aren't claustrophobic, are you? Or arachnophobic. These ducts do seem to be a bit cobwebby.) There is no one waiting for you but you don’t seem to be alone, either. Even in a janitor’s closet or the bathroom, you’ll find at least one person who seems to be just as out of place as you are.

If characters have arrived in a location devoid of NPCs, they may want to work together to figure out what is going on... or to avoid their 'kidnappers.' If you’ve arrived in the middle of the entry foyer or the gym, there may well be a few people who startle a bit at your arrival and try to approach (or discreetly leave the room... where are they going?). Will you cooperate or fight? Do you even understand what they're saying? You might need to find a translator, if you’re not immediately willing to follow a stranger.

After characters follow their new hosts (or are forcibly taken in) there will be a limited tour and the chance to settle in at the ADI-provided housing. (Do you enjoy living with strangers? Well. It's a new situation to navigate, anyway.)

➥ Sticks and Stones

(cw: hallucination, potential mind-control)

Weird things happen in Dogtown, everyone knows it. The Apocalypse Disruption Initiative (ADI) is not above taking advantage of that to test out the waters for its newest arrivals. They're not looking to send anyone to their death, though. That's far too much paperwork, you'd been assured with a wink from the employee who'd directed you to the park trailhead. You've been left with another person. Maybe they're a new arrival, as well, or a more seasoned 'veteran.' Either way, you're together for the next while and you've been asked to find and record any paranormal activity in the park. You have your phones and any other equipment you might have brought with you. Those who succeed in documenting anything peculiar will receive a $100 reward to be used as they see fit.

This month, there seems to be something odd afoot with the stones around the park. Instead of the questionably useful advice they offer, there is, instead, something embarrassingly or horrifically true about you carved into the stone. Trying to show your companion or gauge their reaction will net nothing; they will simply see their own truth. It's only when you admit to what's on the stone that it seems to become visible to others or any camera in your possession.

Take a picture. The least you deserve for the trouble is some money.

➥ I Will Survive

"We'll have others with you, but all of you will be out on your own for missions, so to speak," the ADI employee who had led you down to the underground training facility explained. "You'll need to have some basic skills. Even if you're not going out soon or ever… it's safer to know these things."

Basic skills, in this case, appear to mean survival and weapons training. The room you've been brought to on Floor B3 below ADI Headquarters is a massive, underground gym, and there are sections set up for various skills practice. One side of the gym is dedicated to fighting: bare-knuckles, wrestling, knives, and tasers are all out on display. There are also a few guns, but those are reserved for people who can prove they can manage the other weapons first. The other side has areas for fire-making, building a shelter, navigating without a phone, supply preparation, cooking, and basic first-aid. Through a side door, there's also a small pool where people are being taught the basics of swimming.

Any or all of these skills would be useful in a dangerous situation, and there aren't enough native ADI employees to cover training for all of them. If you show that you're proficient with something, you'll be asked to man one of the areas to assist in training others. If you're at a loss and looking lost, you will be pushed toward whatever skills practice area is physically closest to you, whether you wanted to learn anything about that or not. Best make the most of it… and try not to kill anyone or burn anything down.

Even those who have refused ADI Housing and taken themselves to Bonnie's Flophouse will find that they're welcome for this training under the strict understanding that no supernatural abilities will be used. Bonnie will have informed them of it and helped them get to ADI to ensure they learn some of the things they might need to survive... and also just to bond with the people they'll be working with for the foreseeable future.

➥ Shifting Perspective

(cw: body horror, implication of near-drowning, violence, potential for blood, gore, drowning, death)

The beaches around Gloucester are numerous and varied with reported supernatural activity at many, if not most of them. For those working with ADI, they'll receive the direction in a mass email from Reyes Amador, the assistant to the Head of ADI. For those not technically working at ADI, Bonnie will provide the same information.

All,

We have received reports of strange noises and sightings at Coffin Beach. Please take at least one other person and investigate. A $300 bonus will be offered to those who bring back evidence of the source of these reports.

Take Care of Yourselves,
Reyes

Those who head to Coffin Beach will find that the sand beneath their feet squeaks softly with each step, like the faint sound of a poorly-maintained hinge protesting their movements. It makes stealth especially difficult, and those who wish to maintain their cover would do well to stay farther up into the vegetation and off the beach, itself. There aren't any houses out this way, just coastal marshes, the beach, and some higher ground with low-growing shrubs, tall grasses, and thin trees.

For the patient, those who wait for night to fall, they will be rewarded when they hear the sound of someone crying. Searching the beach, they will be able to spot a young person who appears to have washed up in a kayak on the beach. The young person is visibly injured in some way with blood coming out of them. Those who approach cautiously may get the sense that there is something not quite right about this person. Man or woman, their face is too long, their angles too sharp.

There is something wrong. It's not the injury.

There is something very wrong with what this person is.

They will not respond to any calls or move from where they lie, half-submerged in the surf. Anyone who approaches within a few feet will discover they're not nearly as helpless as they seem to be, though. The person will burst from the water with a powerful thrust, attempting to tackle anyone nearby and bite them. The person's face transforms into a long, fanged maw, trying to rip and tear and drag their prey into the ocean with them, away from any safety.

➥ Mod Notes

ARRIVAL: Two people will always arrive in the same general location together. Arrivals occur throughout the early month, not all on the same day or in the same place. Arrivals are not naturally fluent in English/other languages immediately upon arrival. Characters may attempt to evade capture, but they will eventually be snagged before they can leave the building. Please refer to the Arrival page for details regarding the arrival and onboarding process.
STICKS AND STONES: If so desired, to facilitate CR, characters may feel themselves compelled to ask about the stones when they see their truth written on it. Resisting the compulsion will become more and more difficult as time goes on.
I WILL SURVIVE: Characters may be students or trainers in this scenario. They might be able to get away with small displays of supernatural abilities if they want to risk it and if they find themselves with the necessary reserves of power. Anything significant will have them immediately removed and asked not to return to ADI for a few days.
SHIFTING PERSPECTIVE: Characters may fight off, capture, or kill the creature. If they successfully capture it and bring it back to ADI (or call for someone to come and do that for them), they will receive a significant monetary bonus beyond the promised $300 for their work. If characters successfully kill and document the kill, they will also receive the bonus and instructions to push the body out to sea. If a character is taken by the creature, they will be killed. Please bear in mind that if a character dies in the TDM prompt, they are dead. A different version who doesn't have TDM memories may be apped in their place.
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How tactful.

[He doesn't bother to hide the thin veil of sarcasm covering the words. "Gone," doesn't necessarily mean "dead," but he can't prove either thing.

A beat, then he sighs, closing his eyes for a moment before stopping and searching Ren's face carefully, trying to discern just how, exactly, he's feeling. The silence stretches just long enough to be uncomfortable before he presses, more insistently,]

Do you remember dying?

(What Ren's feeling is a mix of confusion and relief. He never thought he'd be able to see Akechi, much less hold a conversation again looking straight into reddish eyes. Regardless of the situation, it just feels good to see the man he's fought alongside.

And meanwhile, everything else is a tsunami of questions and doubts, of second guessing and double takes upon everything they've been explained.)

No, but neither do I remember it being July.

Weren't you the one who said "different Earth?" And I certainly don't remember dying.

[Akechi flicks a gloved hand dismissively and turns to keep walking, unwilling to stay in one spot too long when he doesn't know where, if anywhere, is safe.]

If there's one thing I've learned, it's not to assume you're dead until I've disposed of your corpse personally. So stop trying to write yourself off and wipe that look off your face. Maudlin is a terrible look for you.

That's exactly my point.

(If only Akechi listened, he'd get it that Ren believes in both! Maybe it's a strange afterlife, the fuck does he even know.

It's the second part of what Akechi says that makes Ren's eyes burn with intensity behind the pair of glasses that attempt to soften it. "Maudlin", seriously?)

You cannot be serious.

(Can't Ren have a single moment to process this?)

[He catches Ren's eye, and if anything, there's a hint of an approving smirk at the fire burning within.]

That's a better look already. Try to keep it.

[It smells like salt water. With that in mind, he turns the corner of the next block, headed in the direction of the docks.

In spite of it all, he's just as tense as Ren is, though it's difficult to tell with his usual ramrod-straight posture. None of this makes any sense. None of the other Thieves seem to be here, and honestly? For once, Akechi almost regrets their absence, if only to give Ren something positive to focus on.]

If you intend to mope, [he continues,] Save it for later and don't waste my time with it. We have some decisions to make, no?

Nobody here is moping.

(Let's start there. Even while still in the process of convincing himself that he isn't dead, he's not there feeling sorry for himself. His tone expresses as much, firm and unwavering as he follows the man.

Akechi's right. Ren can yap at him about Akechi being dead and Ren's mourning that he most certainly isn't being entirely comprehensive towards.)

If we want our abilities, we have to get acquainted with those things. Are you going to do it?

Good.

[And that's that. He never asked Ren to mourn for him. Even back in November, all he'd asked was for Ren to change Shido's heart -- a deal he'd upheld. He'd helped him take down Maruki, and that was that deal fulfilled.

The priority right now is deciding on a course of action. There will be time to process feelings later.]

As for getting acquainted... I'm not certain how much choice we'll have. Simply possessing a Persona may be a... magnet, of sorts.

[His lips curve down in a pensive frown as he stares straight ahead, not truly seeing the quaint Massachusetts town around them. Their Personas are, indelibly, a part of them. They are them, by and large, the parts of them that they've dredged up from the depths and accepted into themselves. However,]

These people -- ADI -- seem to think that people could be murdered through use of our abilities. Is that something you can live with, Ren?

... I don't think so.

(But as Akechi said, he feels cornered. There isn't much of a choice, and if he's going to help others without fail, he's going to need his skills.

It just feels like he's going to be digging a hole he isn't going to climb out of. Two contradictions just clashing on one another.)

I thought not.

[Akechi nods, just once. For as much as he mocked the Phantom Thieves' naive idea of justice, it's also one of the parts of Ren that he respects the most. The ability to hold firm to his beliefs, to power through... well.

Akechi's hands are already dripping with blood. No need for Ren to know what that's like.]

Then I suggest, for the moment, we take them at their word and refrain from using our Personas until we have more concrete information. [A sideways glance.] I'd advise you not to mention it to anyone, either. There's no need for anyone other than us to know what we're capable of, don't you agree?

Edited 2021-07-12 17:13 (UTC)

(No other choice but to agree. He will find a way to protect others, even if he doesn't summon his Personas for it. After all, there are several incredible people in the world who can make a difference without one.

He might have to be that person again.)

If I want to tell anyone, I'll tell you.

(Needless to say, he expects the courtesy back.)

I can agree to that.

[He glances up to a sign pointing toward the docks, marveling once again that it's not in Japanese and yet he can read it, easily, and turns in that direction.]

Now, several other orders of business. [He looks back to Ren again as they walk, once again trying to read his face.] Are we going to work with ADI?

Until we know better.

(Simply because, they need information to survive it. ADI seems to have it. Once at the docks, Ren finds a place to sit near the water, watching the waves crash against the rocks.)

[He just nods. It's the smart thing to do; it's what he'd do if he were on his own, anyway.

Ren takes a seat, and Akechi remains standing, setting his briefcase down and leaning against the rocky outcropping close by. For a long few minutes, he's reasonably content to wait there in silence, watching the waves alongside the younger boy.]

I intend to get to the bottom of whatever's going on here, [he says finally, still staring out over the ocean, watching the ebb and flow of the waves.] Our... partnership was rather beneficial in Maruki's Palace. For now, I think it would be best if we were to work together.

(Ren won't speak during this period of peace that they're experiencing. It's surprisingly comfortable, and he'll allow himself to enjoy it while it lasts. He won't be the first one to break it, but it eventually came with Akechi's own attempt to offer him a hand.

Instead, as per usual, Ren got stuck on a single thing.)

Do you really think you have to ask?

[He snorts through his nose and doesn't justify that with an answer. Yes, he absolutely does have to ask; after everything Ren's done for him, and everything Akechi's done to him, their partnership is hardly a given. It's a shame they won't be able to activate that... what had he called it? Showtime? but in spite of the rush, the way they simply seem to connect when fighting, he can never take it for granted.

He still owes a great debt to him, after all.]

Very well then.

[He doesn't let any of that contemplation enter his voice, instead reaching into his jacket pocket and drawing out a small notebook and pen. He flicks to a clean page and starts writing a list.]

First, I intend to see if I can find a bank to exchange yen into dollars. Barring that, best to see if ADI has any jobs that need to be done for cash. None of us have papers... unless ADI intends to forge documents for us, which I highly doubt would be in their best interest, it may prove difficult to get a... legitimate job elsewhere. I'd like to get a new sim card for our phones as well. ADI was so kind as to give us phones, but, well.

[The smile he flashes Ren is all teeth.]

I'm sure you're familiar with how easy it is to plant listening devices on those.

(If Akechi wasn't so deep inside his own head, he'd see that Ren is someone who can forgive unspeakable things from the people he cares about. As it turns out, he cares about this boy more than the other would ever be able to accept. Ren knows it, from his disbelief and denial about it in that damned engine room.

For a second, Ren's not there. He's reliving it, Akechi's shrieks ringing in his ears and he looks spaced out, glazed eyes until the movement next to him reawakens him back to reality - especially that last remark, to which he squints. If he hadn't, they wouldn't be having this conversation.)

We'll only speak of important things face-to-face.

I'd still prefer we had our own direct method of communication, should anything important come up when we aren't together.

[He taps his pen gently against the notebook, voice still carefully neutral. He has no way of knowing what Ren is thinking, but he can make some guesses as to his mental state. Ren isn't like Akechi; Ren has bonds, people he cares about and people who are certain to miss him. If nothing else, he's certain the police will be reluctant to let the former leader of the Phantom Thieves live a peaceful life without constant scrutiny.]

I'm certain your absence will cause quite the stir, [he remarks, voice still as steady as if they were talking about the weather (sunny, pleasantly warm, a marked change from early February).] As long as their minds are still their own, I assume your friends will be looking for you.

If time here equals time there, I'm sure they'll come looking for us.

(Because they don't know that for sure. It is July here, after all. To Ren, it was March. To Akechi, it was even earlier. What if time is wobbly and divergent between worlds?

He does say 'us', because the Phantom Thieves would never leave Akechi behind - albeit, in all sincerity, their guess was as to what happened to Akechi was as good as Ren's.

If he was alive, he could have damn called. His eyebrows frown to indicate what's on his mind, even if his lips remain sealed.)

[Unsurprisingly, Akechi can't read his mind; Ren says "us," and Akechi audibly snorts with derision once again.]

Even if they weren't convinced I'm a dead man, your friends wouldn't have any interest in finding me as anything other than incidental on their way to finding you. But that does bring up an interesting question about time. You noticed there were medical facilities in that building, yes?

[He taps his notebook one more time before slipping it away.]

Curious that I didn't wake up there, nor was I suffering from any injuries. Only the normal fatigue I would expect from fighting a delusional fool hellbent on reshaping reality.

[He can't quite keep the note of wry humor out of his voice. When it's put that way... well. Aren't they impressive. It fades just as quickly as it appeared, smothered beneath another cloak of derision.] I don't suppose you had the chance to ask Maruki for details about my actualization in the month and a half since that battle?

They'd make a point to bring you with us.

(Listen, everything they've done is absurdly impressive, even the lunacy Akechi is able to create in someone else's psyche is incredible on its own. Ren's own place as the trickster is impressive, considering he's got to shoot God on its head.

It's with a shake of his head that he lets the subject slide. In Ren's head, the fact that he had no injuries doesn't say much. Ren is as pristine as he was in the train.)

I don't know what to think yet. I think I'll just ask.

Edited 2021-07-12 22:33 (UTC)

And so we return to the matter of investigation.

[He closes his eyes briefly, taking just a moment to rest, before pushing off the rock and picking up his briefcase once again. No rest for the wicked, so they say. In another life, he'd have said it aloud, paired with a one of his cutesy smiles. With Ren, there's no longer any need to bother.]

I suppose we'd best find accommodation for now.

Sit for a moment.

(Let's first put their heads in place, enjoy the salty smell that gently tickles his nostrils, the sound of the water and the droplets that land on his glasses. It's nice. It's a moment of peace, and they don't know when that will happen again.

Give themselves a minute. Ren'll even take off the glasses to take in his surroundings without any reflex on his sight.)

[He'd turned to leave already. He's already picked up his briefcase, Ren!!

But he's so deeply weary. It feels like he hasn't had a decent night's sleep since -- well. Since before Shujin's school festival, to tell the truth. Even Maruki's reality, crafted in all its subtle and unsubtle ways to make everyone happier hadn't eased enough of his stressors.

He closes his eyes, and, against his better judgement, takes the few steps closer to crouch next to Ren with a sigh.]

The docks are filthy, you realize.

[His trousers are dark, sure, but that doesn't mean he plans to get them dirty by just sitting. This will have to do.]

(Regardless of the awkwardness that surrounds them, Ren knows that there's strength in bonding, in being together when things get tough, and enjoying and cherishing even the smallest moments that they get. It's with that thought in mind that finally, for the first time since they've arrived, Ren's smile graces his lips, teeth and all, beaming through the adversity of their situation and the dirtiness of the deck.

With a single hand, he waves to dismiss the comment.)

Clothes can be washed.

[He rolls his eyes and sighs again, perhaps more exaggerated than he really feels. Setting aside the fact that, unless he finds a sink to wash his clothes in, or money to put them in a washing machine, he still needs to buy a change of clothes to wear while washing the dirty one. He can't imagine Ren's thought that far ahead, though. For all his brilliant action as the leader of the Phantom Thieves, planning ahead never seemed to be his strong suit.

Still. Ren being here is... reassuring. There's something funny about how tightly their fates seem to be woven together. But that isn't something he thinks he'll ever be able to vocalize out loud, so he doesn't. He simply closes his eyes, enjoying a few moments' rest with the one person on this, or any planet, he can trust.]

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forethinking - 2021-07-12 23:57 (UTC) - Expand

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