Shin Megami Tensei Persona: Dissonant Strain (Private RP)

[Rosen2012]

Takuya and Styx stood in awe as the second shadow crumbled. He wouldn't lie, they felt winded. Even Styx's breath was more haggard than usual. This was harder than they had originally anticipated, but they felt so ALIVE.

"Heh," He shook his head, "Heh-heh," He threw his head back, "Heh-ha-Hahahahahahahah!" Takuya threw open his arms and laughed. Styx mimicked his actions but she leaned forward and let out a mangled trilling howl- one could guess it was a sign of happiness or perhaps heartburn. They stopped laughing when Seiya spoke. They turned to her, Takuya's eyes were wide.

As wide as they were the Styx broke out of her cage. But the rest of his expression was that of a smile, instead of intense rage. He practically smiled from ear to ear, almost like a child on their birthday after opening their gifts. But this smile did not radiate warmth. Whatever cold chill Styx contained within herself extended and poured out through Takuya. Through his eyes and his smile.

"We are fine, Hikaru," He ran his fingers through his hair, "Quite fine. The finest we have ever been. Wonderful. Exuberant." He took a step toward her and falters a bit, however Styx remained still, looking back down the bath they had come from. "A little winded. Drained. Fatigued." His words were dripping with Styx's cold echo. He wavered as he stopped in front of her.

"Someone is coming down the path..." Takuya raised his head the same direction as his Persona. "Someone we hate."

 

[PresqueVu]

Satoshi kept running forward, giving a short shout when something grabbed for him. He stumbled into view, moments later, breathing harshly, and looking up to see where he was heading, coming into direct eye contact with Takuya Mori. He just stared wide-eyed at him, terrified of any reaction and then to Hikaru, almost more afraid of her at this point out of respect alone. He backed up a step or two, only now considering running, but thinking better of it, hoping maybe this was a good thing or Hikaru didn't see him and Mori would play it off...No. His luck just wasn't that good.

He shuddered a bit under the scrutiny and felt that same cold, restless fury that he'd experienced in the halls, his whole body going stiff with it. He wanted to say something, but wasn't sure what. They were both impressive in their own ways and now he could see what sort of powers he may grow into from what he saw of them up head when he was near enough. He just stood there a moment and held tightly to his swords. "Um... It's nice to meet you both." He bowed to them as if this was a completely normal situation and thought it soon may be just that.

 

[Rosen2012]

Takuya watched Tsukiyomi bow, and the moment he thought of a reaction, Styx was acting it out. She jumped forward and snagged the younger student by the scruff of his shirt.

"Well, well, well!" That eerie echo over Takuya's words grew. "What have we here? You're not a Shadow! But you certainly are a peon! Tsukiyomi Satoshi! Freshman! Library staff! Little comic book Idiot! Repulsive! Sniveling! Useless!" Takuya started shouting off adjectives, but it was more like Styx did the talking. She held him up in the air, higher and higher. She opened her ripped and jagged mouth and breathed in his face. The air smelled rotten and damp.

"Why are you here, Tsukiyomi!"

 

[Cinnonym]

"Mori-sama! Put him down, please! Can't you see he's frightened?!"

 

[Rosen2012]

Takuya twitched, and Styx turned and hissed at Seiya, but she set Tsukiyomi down. However the moment the other student was on the ground, she retreated back into the student council president. Takuya touched the side of his head and muttered, "..We need to ...sit..." He slowly sat on the ground, but continued to talk to Tsukiyomi.

"Tsukiyomi-kohai! Answer our question...why are you here?"

 

[PresqueVu]

Satoshi went quite still, very nearly playing possum, body rigid and terrified, but he tried to get control of himself, calm down in front of these two crazy faces. He shook his head trying to reorient himself so he wouldn't see the second horribly contorted face. He went sort of slack in the grip, hoping they would lose interest.

Finally he answered once he was firmly footed on the ground. "I f-Followed you here. I heard you talking about the dreams and wanted to know more." He had a hard time believing Mori was a hero and tried to place him precisely. Hikaru was nice to worry about him. He was glad that he seemed to have garnered some sort of favor with the boss.

 

[Rosen2012]

Takuya let out a sound that sounded like he was choking. "You! You've had the dreams!" His fist hit the brick floor. If it weren't for the fact the whole place was enchanted- they probably would have broken. "If anything you could have died down here! Having a dream does not make you capable of handling it!" He started to stand up again, and stumbled a bit. Styx was restless within him. They were so angry! Someone like Tsukiyomi had a persona waiting inside them!

Inconceivable! Why was it that the most disgusting people seemed to have this ability?

"Turn around, Tsukiyomi-kohai! Before I make you turn around. You will end up like the rest of those mangled students. Shadow food! Murdered! Dismembered! Disgraced!" He held his head again and stood next to Seiya, he puts his hand on her shoulder, almost tempted to lean on her but does not. He just uses her to keep balance. "This isn't one of your stupid comic books- this is real."

 

[PresqueVu]

"And that is why I'm not going anywhere! This is the first time something this real has- No! It doesn't matter why. I'm staying to fight. I have as much right to my powers as you do to yours and I trust that I can use them just as well." His voice is much firmer than he's sure it has ever been before, but he didn't yell showing this wasn't just a tantrum, this was something he believed in, a part of him.

He had never gotten a chance like this and he wasn't going to let this giant bully rip it out from under him. You can't turn your back on destiny and he wasn't about to. He knew he could handle this. It was something he had wanted his entire life, striven for. He could do this, and he was going to. This was just the first hurdle on his path but he knew even if he couldn't jump it, he'd find a way around it. He was going to prove to himself that he could do this more than anyone else. He felt something stirring up within him. It felt almost musty, strong, sure, reserved, but Ready and that same emotion showed strongly in his eyes. His hands were in tight fists at his side, nearly shaking.

 

[Rosen2012]

At the end of Tsukiyomi's little speech, Takuya twitched. He let go of Seiya and started to walk forward. "You think you have a right to your powers?" He turned his head, looking at the underclass men out the corners of his eyes. "You think you can...handle it?" His lips kept twitching as he spoke. He flexed his fingers with every step.

"You think you're something special don't you? Power is something people earn!" Takuya raised his hand and sneered. "Let us help you earn it!"

At once Styx was back in sight and together she and Takuya rushed forward and slammed their fist into Tsukiyomi's chest. Laughing all the while.

 

[PresqueVu]

Satoshi gave a loud, startled, shriek and fell back hard to the floating bricks, head bouncing with the strong impact. He screwed his face up and concentrated. He knew if he accepted the power, if he tapped into what he felt, let it become him completely he would be allowed to use it. It was about both strength and respect, but something in him told him this was something he had to do for himself too. He pulled himself up with much difficulty and pulls his copied swords out, feeling much like a hero now, more than ever.

He ran forward with a loud scream and barreled right for him. He had never wanted to fight one of his own, but if this was what he had to do to prove his worth to himself he was going to. All heroes went through trials like this. Instead of stabbing for Takuya he stabbed straight at Styx, seeing her clear as anything, wanting to hit them where it hurts most or what will catch them off guard the longest.

 

[Cinnonym]

"Takuya! Takuya, stop it! He can't even summon!"

Hikaru clutched at the other senior to block him off from advancing.

 

[Rosen2012]

Takuya turned his head to Seiya ready to tell her to butt out of his fights, when he felt a sharp pain in his arm. He held up and clutched it, screaming. Styx did as well. They swung out their other arm and knocked Tsukiyomi back again.

"Peasant!" Styx reached out and grabbed him tossing him back down the path. "We'll teach you to damage us!"

 

[PresqueVu]

Satoshi tumbled and got close to falling off the edge, arms flailing and feeling so many shapeless shadows desperate to drag him down with them. He shouted louder than he'd ever had the need to as he started to topple over the edge a name he had ever heard, but knew in an instant. "NABU!!"

There was a flash of light and strong arms in front of him, hands grasping at his from the edge and tugging him back. Satoshi turned in complete tandem with his newly received Persona, facing him and giving what he thought was the most dramatic pose ever. "Knock me down as much as you want, but know that you will Never keep me from getting up!" He pointed at the president, so confident only here, only in these tunnels, finding them strangely comforting, that link to the side of himself he'd always prayed was there. "You are nothing to me!"

 

[Rosen2012]

Takuya walked forward to stand next to Styx. They smiled and pointed at the two. "So here it is! Your power! You should be thank us for dragging it out. Let us show you how to use it!

Takuya and Styx strike at Tsukiyomi and Nabu with their Maragi spell. Their movements together are perfectly synchronized. Not like a persona commanding a persona but like a reflection moving in a mirror.

 

[PresqueVu]

Already functioning almost entirely on adrenaline Satoshi's stance wavered even before the fire collided. When it did though he barely felt it, Nabu blocking the brunt of the attack for him. He stumbled backward some and breathed heavily, not even shouting back, but glaring daggers at the president. He didn't think for a moment over the consequences this interaction may have later.

 

[Rosen2012]

Takuya on the other hand did not stop charging. The moment the flames died down, they were in their opponents faces. Styx grabbed hold of Nobu and Takuya grabbed Tsukiyomi. He reeled back his fist and slammed into the boys face.

Stxy sunk her jagged nails into Nobu.

"You think you're fucking special! Do you! DO YOU! I will DRAG YOU TO HELL!!"

 

[Cinnonym]

"TAKUYA!"

She'd been trying to get between them peacefully--now Menaka forced the two apart. The Light blinded and burned, affecting both badly but Takuya by far the worst. It was obvious that Satoshi couldn't hope to combat a user with an AMP, regardless of his preexisting wear. Hikaru cradled the boy's shoulders in her arms.

"Tsukiyomi-san! Tsukiyomi-san, are you all right?!"

 

[PresqueVu]

Satoshi shrieked as he fell back. He scrambled for a momet, fighting to try and get back up, even though he knew he wouldn't win. He wanted to prove himself, prove he deserved this power, that he's part of something bigger and has something to contribute to it. That fight went out ofhim when he felt Hikaru around him. He'd never felt comfort like this from anyone but his mother. He was warmed and felt himself starting to calm. He wondered in that moment how long she'd been doing this. How much of her life was made up of this, these tunnels, this violence.

He wasn't sure if it had been the fist colliding with his face, the pain of the whole interaction, or that blinding, searing light, but he couldn't open his eyes for anything. He wanted to look up at her, or to see what Takuya was doing. Would he come back for more? Rip him right out of Hikaru's arms? He didn't put much past their student council president, but he doubted he would go against Hikaru so directly so soon.

"Nabu?" His voice was cracked, but after that disgusting, raging thing had grabbed onto Nabu, the thing he now knew made him whole he'd felt this insane terror wash through him. Was so scared he would lose that part of himself that was strong, that made him special, but he felt that dull beating inside him that let him know he was alive and a wavery sort of smile set over his beaten face. He wasn't sure he had many more words or would know how to chose them so he just nodded, to signify that he was fine.

He had to harness these powers, get stronger. As afraid and hurt as he was because of Takuya he felt this admiration start to sort of fester inside him. He didn't want to look up to the man, but his skill was undeniable. The way he and Styx were so bonded, so in control in their fearsome, out of control kind of way. If he had heard correctly this was Takuya's first night down her just as it was his own.

He was used to feeling inadequate, but this was an almost crushing weight. Knowing he failed at something he felt he was born to. He had these powers, but had failed at using them right. Had failed at combating someone with just as much experience as him. Still he wasn't going to give up, couldn't let this go for anything. He would find a way to get better and to come back to these tunnels.

Finally he tried to sit up, rubbing at his eyes ad finding his voice. "I'll be fine." What kind of a hero would he be if he just stayed down?

 

[Rosen2012]

The moment Menaka and Styx touched, the rotting persona let go in and a horrified scream filled the air. The light of Seiya's persona revealed to much and she recoiled in horror of herself. The light caused to much pain. For both of them. Takuya let out a strangled cry of his own, stumbling backward as Seiya rushed forward. It hurt to much to enrage him. His hands covered his eyes and groaned and hissed.

Why Menaka and Seiya? Why does her persona hurt so much!

Takuya stumbled back until his body assured him he was fully out of the light. His eyes burned. His skin felt like it was on fire. And Styx was gone. Hiding within him, she did not want to come back out. He watched as Seiya comforted the fallen freshmen. They hadn't lost. In fact they would have won and then some if not for Menaka.

"...wretched...burning..." Takuya clutched his chest and shook his head. "...it is...time for us..." He never took his eyes off of Tsukiyomi and Seiya, but he said nothing as he turned down the path and back to the entrance. His breath was leaving him. His mind was tired. And everything still felt like it was on fire...

They did not enjoy it very much.

 

[NeoAC]

Shiori finally made it back to the dorm, it seemed to take forever. She was barely able to fish her key card out of her pocket, she was that tired. Almost crawling up the steps, as she finally entered her room, she dropped her bat on the floor and collapsed on her bed. She was dog tired.

Well, at least I finally figured out what all that was for. Ma'at. She saved me down there. She was looking over me. She......she was me. That trip....was totally....worth it.

Despite the relatively early time, Shiori fell right asleep.