agogelogs | open | i'm the conscience clear

WHO? akira! and you!! (+ some closed prompts)
WHAT? dreamland
WHEN? whenever the characters meet in said dreams
ANYTHING ELSE? persona 5 spoilers, potential violence and horror

DREAM I.

[the first thing heard is a train.

it stands out like a sore thumb, a glowing red train pausing only to let nonresponsive, wobbling, quiet people board on before taking off. it's obviously a subway, dark and filled with whispers from places no one can see. it looks normal now, on a small floor with nothing but a rest stop, but go down the escalator... and things look instantly worse.

skeletal arches make up the walls and train tracks, veins stick to the brick and pulses as if it's alive. heavy smoke hangs in the air, the whispers and groans are louder, but there is still no one in sight. the tracks go in any which way and no sense seems to be made by whoever created it. but that large creature does notices an intruder after a turn into a hall.

it hurries in a faster pace than someone could expect, immediately splitting into two enemies that are already on the attack.

good thing akira followed the noise, already running forward.]

Who are— get back! Attack Moloch's head! [which one is moloch!?]

DREAM II.

[the teacher tells you to quiet down because everyone's taking their exam. she hopes you studied.

so what can you answer: what event did emperor nero add to the olympics so he could participate? who do you think is the origin of the term "magistrate's patronage"? what is the origin of the English word "talent"? what's the least number of colors needed to paint japan so no two adjacent areas are the same color? what is said to be the reason why people began dreaming in color?

you name it, as you scan over the test: math, history, science, japanese...

akira pokes with a pen, quiet, since he's probably in the same boat.]

What's the answer to number two? [whispers.............]

DREAM III.

[come on, we're being paid by commission, or that's what your boss says at the flower shop. a customer steps forward, nervously asking for a bouqet that means he wants to stay friends with an ex. why is he gifting an ex with flowers?

the manager turns around, requesting an arrangement that symbolizes friendship. hopefully someone else has a clue on flower meanings, because akira definitely doesn't.]

Wasn't friendship a yellow flower? What kind of... [mumbled to himself, instead tying a lot of red roses together, because he obviously does not care.]

WILDCARD.
[hit me up!]

CLOSED TO RYUJI.

[looks down at his plate of assorted food he just got from the buffet, apparently ready for more. why is he ready for more...? he didn't even touch his plate—

looks over to ryuji, right beside him, and whatever questions he had bubbling to the surface disappear. right, they came here together to celebrate. ann's on the way, just late. it happens.]

... Ryuji, too much meat. Let's find you some edamame. [already reaching for the bin to drop some onto ryuji's plate, not taking any protests.

— but he pauses, looking past ryuji and his gaze focus on kamoshida in line, grabbing food, and he's left speechless as his eyes widen.]

CLOSED TO NOCTIS.

[he's used to whispers as he passes trough the hallways, rough as usual and the students don't mind giving him space as he walks to class. he knows it's because they're cautious about him, and he wishes that wasn't the case, but he knows what a possibly worse decision to fix it could do. best just to be hated for a year, then get it over with.

what does make him stop is when he hears a student whisper: "think that prince's dad will give kurusu a pardon or something?" it sounds pretty great, getting a royal guy's blessing, but he starts to question what the hell's going on as he hears more of it.

and more of it. why?]

— Noctlight? [finds him in the middle of a crowd of students, the whispers only getting louder.]

CLOSED TO HEI.

[he's a veteran on waking up in the velvet room, at this point. it's happened so many times that he feels nothing, just a roll of his eyes as he sits up, gazing at the velvet walls of his cell and letting the heavy metal weigh on his wrists. it's actually comforting, considering everything— thrown from home, expected to fight with people he's never met before, separated from most of his friends, his personal mission put on hold... but this is welcome, this can help.

if only the twins and igor were here. — why aren't they?

sees the empty desk in the middle of the room, standing and gripping the bars that have never opened for him. no one's there. where'd they go...?

hears rustling in the cell beside him, and that's what causes him to jerk in surprise. it's always just been him, stilling to hear any further sounds. a grunt, probably in surprise, the rattle of chains...]

Hello?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[This is the meat dimension. There's no other word to possibly describe the heaven that he's in right now, gorging his way through an entire ensemble of dinners that would feed a family for an entire week. At home, he's relegated to a lower level of the fine culinary arts; mom's usually out working her second job so some nights he's the one trying to make a hamburg dish, and praying that it comes out anywhere near close to what they get at a local restaurant. There's something about this food that never seems to actually make him feel full though, and he's trying to get that satiated feeling that he knows he can achieve at this highly cultured establishment- to the point of needing to barf- but it's just... emptiness. So fucking frustrating.

So when Akira offers to get some Healthy Life Choices into him, he just looks up from his plate with the most malicious glare he could muster, and goes to scold him bitterly for that until he catches the sight of disbelief that he's in.]

Beans!? You're gonna tell me to eat--- huh? What's goin' on?

[... nudges at ryuji's chin to forcefully help turn his head, eyes not leaving kamoshida as the man laughs along with the other guests. he's not crying, he's not on his knees, he looks normal, and it's the worst thing akira has ever seen.

he doesn't focus on the words but it suddenly becomes clear cut, and all he hears is ann. that dumb blonde, do you think she's as easy as the kids say, her best friend isn't as hot but when you need to go down the list—

shock doesn't describe it.]

I thought we—

[This isn't heaven, it's hell. When Akira forces him to turn and look Kamoshida's way, the only word that can even begin to describe what Ryuji feels is a pang of absolute vengeance. Jaw dropping, he stands up, glaring. He wants the first shot. The last shot. All the shots, honestly, because he catches word of Ann's name cascading out of his lips like she's some piece of property for him to lord over.]

That... fucking ASSHOLE.

[No one seems to notice him screaming a vulgarity in the middle of a crowded hotel buffet, and no one seems to find it out of place that Ryuji lunges from the couch behind him, and straight towards Kamoshida, trying to tackle him down at the waist---

And goes right through him, hitting his frame up, painfully against a buffet table that hurts him, but doesn't budge an inch.

What the fuck?!

Even worse, he looks up to see Kaneshiro, a visage that was occluded by the crowd a few moments ago, agreeing with him, telling the volleyball coach that he has blackmail on her, and how easy it would be to get her in bed if he wanted to. Ryuji chokes back, horrified by what he's seeing.]

No. No, no, no. How is this possible!?

[kaneshiro isn't the only other that akira notices. madarame, okumura, shido— laughing together like they've done everyday. like they've known each other for years. what the fuck?

first instinct tells him they haven't seen them, maybe they could take cover somewhere and figure this out, but ryuji acts before he's able to see anything. and that's enough of an answer all on its own.

drops the plate to stop by ryuji's side, checking to see if he's okay, but the look in his eyes sets off akira in his own way.]

... Calm down. Somebody must be playing a trick. [he hopes to god, anyway.]

It just isn't funny.

[Calm down? Calm down. Ryuji is so pissed that it's just about the last thing in the world that he wants to do right now, his fists clenched so hard that his knuckles itch and burn to connect to something. But Akira does that thing to Ryuji that his friendship has always done for him- centers him, keeps him from losing his shit, and carefully reels him back in for a few moments. Like he was a beast being led in by the chains.

Getting up, even though the rage in his heart hasn't quite settled down, he tries swatting at the visage of Kaneshiro- as his gaze brings into full view the entirety of those palace owners they had worked so hard to dismantle.

It's creepy to see all of them together.]

Is this forreal? Are we in Mementos or something? This ain't fuckin' right.

open | i'm the conscience clear

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