Fandom Personan Rhapsody Campaign (Closed)

[NightMovez]

"Oops. Sorry little chick, I'll admit I'm not a bird expect." Kaaru said after Bug mentioned the bird was a she. The pink-haired girl then proceeded to talk about Kaito, who the redhead assumed was her step-dad. "Dang, that's rough. Hope I never run into him." He admitted honestly. Although Kaaru liked to think he was a nice enough guy, this Kaito fellow seemed like the type who would bark at him just for knocking on the door and asking to see his step-daughter. So he was very glad he hadn't run into him yet, though he didn't doubt that he would have to deal with it someday. That was if Bug decided to join the team and not abandon their friendship they had built in the past couple of weeks. Though he honestly wouldn't blame her if she did. The trailer from this morning was less than friendly looking. If she even saw it, with her dislike of tech he wouldn't be surprised if she didn't have a screen to watch it on.

He waited patiently as Bug stuttered and paused to make her decision, smiling once she began talking again. Though his expression became mixed with a bit of surprise when she mentioned that he could hold the bird. "Really? I'd love to hold Midori." He said with an excitemed smile before gently taking it in his palm. It was quite a bit bigger than the girl's, leaving the bird to look a bit smaller than before. A finger from his other hand tentatively moved closer to the bird's feathers, pausing once it was close enough. With no sign that the bird was going to take a bite out of him, he gently pet it with one finger, smiling with glee as he did so. "Thanks! Yeah I'll wait here and keep her company, take your time, though maybe not too much time? I'd hate to keep Ishida-kun waiting."

 

[the scourge]

The bird cooed at him, and Bug gave him a grin. "Aww, she likes you. Try scratching her right behind the head-no nail, though, be gentle. And I'll be quick!" She nodded. "But my hair is tangled and I was wearing this shirt yesterday so I should probably at least do the very basics."

She was quick to run to her room-the plan was change quickly, and at least get the knots out of her hair. Usually, she'd think to do it back in twintails, or at least straighten it out, because for some reason while her bangs stayed straight, the rest of her hair curled up. That was the only modern convenience she really enjoyed-being able to do stuff with her hair. She'd gotten her hands on her first thing of hair dye when she'd first moved and gone through several different colours since then. She settled on just tying it back in a short ponytail after tugging out the knots and changing into another shirt-all she really lived in was plain tshirts and jeans.

She was out in under ten minutes, hands on her hips and a wide grin. "Okey-doke, I gotta get Midori in her cage and then we can go! Hopefully Ishida-senpai won't be too upset if we do end up being late..." She extended her hands, trusting Kaaru to hand her the bird. "So, what exactly was in the trailer? I haven't seen it."

 

[NightMovez]

Kaaru tried the proposed bird petting strategy, gently rubbing the back of its neck with the nub of his finger. It cooed happily and the redhead gave a little laugh. "Alright, I'll be here." He said before Bug went off, continuing to pet the birds designated favorite spot. He'd never even touched a bird before, but this was proving to be a pleasant experience so far. Much better than Chui, who constantly tried to chomp off his fingers. Though the little guy was endearing in his own way, sometimes. Honestly as long as it made his brother happy, Kaaru wasn't one to complain too much. The amount of clothes it had chomped through in its short life time was unfortunate though.

With nothing to really focus on as he waited besides the bird, Kaaru's eyes wandered around uncomfortably. Just standing without any music was proving to be insufferable, which was pitiful really. Lately his intrusive thoughts had gotten so bad that he constantly needed something to distract him. It was embarrassing really, he thought, and was glad that he hadn't told anyone.

He shoved his hand into his pocket, taking it away from petting the bird for just a moment to grab his headphones; An action which it seemed slightly upset with, turning its head to look at Kaaru. There was a look in its small eyes, one that he swore said 'why would you stop?' "Hold on hold on. I'll continue in a sec." He said with a small laugh as he stuck a bud in his ear, letting whatever he had been playing previously play. He was about to put the other back in his pocket but suddenly stopped, looking at the bird. Well, worse that could happen was it ruined one of his earbuds, which truly wasn't a problem. He had so many of these things that it wasn't even funny.

"You like music, or are you like your owner?" Kaaru asked as if the bird would actually respond. He set the other bud on his palm with said bird, letting the music quietly play from it. Midori bobbed its head, checking out the foreign object. Though it became distracted when the redhead began to gently pet it again. He couldn't tell if the little bird was enjoying the music, but he liked to think she was.

A few songs passed before Bug appeared again. "Alright, we were just jamming out." He admitted without embarrassment, taking the bud from his hand and shoving it back into his pocket. He then reached out to Bug's outstretched hands, setting his one on top of hers, letting the bird cross over before taking it back. "I'm sure he won't be too bothered. He looks scary sometimes but he's actually really nice."

Kaaru had been wearing a smile, but it fell when she mentioned the trailer. "I figured...it was, uh, kind of graphic. Looked to be a church with a chained up angel. His wings were all bloody and...yeah it really wasn't a pleasant sight. Whoever's dungeon it is must be feeling pretty messed up..."

 

[the scourge]

Bug held Midori gently as she turned her head back to her room, listening to Kaaru talk before walking back without a word and letting Midori fly into her cage. She swung the door shut, clasped down the lock, and then closed her own door. "Okay, so I guess this'll be my first time ever in a church." She said, pulling on her boots and quickly lacing them. Kind of graphic, huh... Her own had been horrible, and she shuddered slightly thinking about it. Her own shadow had wanted to stay in the woods forever, and she had a feeling that chains couldn't signify anything better.

Bug stood up straight, and put her hands on her hips as she did, suddenly beaming at Kaaru. This was okay. She'd be okay. She was going with friends. "Alrighty, senpai, ready to go!" She smiled, practically tugging him out the door at that. She'd gotten into the habit of latching her arm into his, or grabbing his hand. Maybe it was because she had a crush on him. She was supposed to, right? Still, she wasn't quite sure... Oh, well.

She was chatty about small things during the elevator ride up, but stopped and pulled her arm away once she saw Souta in the hall. He'd gotten a bit upset last time he'd seen her latched onto Kaaru... Bug couldn't help but wonder WHY that was the case, but maybe she could ask later. "Ishida-senpai!" She waved. "Sorry, I had to make sure my bird couldn't escape so we took a second getting here!"

 

[NightMovez]

Kaaru waited for Bug to come back again before commenting on her lack of church experience "Mine too. If I'm gonna be honest I'm a little nervous, I've never really gotten along with church types." The boy sighed. Not only did a lot of them think that a good amount of the music he played and listened to where of the devil, but he doubted they would be too happy with his sexuality. Hopefully this church would be nothing like an actual church.

As they took the short trip between Bug's place and his own, Kaaru couldn't help but shift his eyes to his arm. The pink-haired girl had grabbed onto it yet again and while he didn't particulary mind, he couldn't help but think about Bug's intentions. She seemed to do it innocently enough and at first, the redhead could see the logic behind it. The first time she latched onto him it was freezing outside, the second time there was a risk of her being swallowed by the crowd, but now? There was no reason for her to hold onto him except to show affection. Though was she simply doing so as a touchy feely friend, or was it something more?

"Probably just overthinking." Kaaru thought once they came to his floor and Bug let go. They walked out into a small waiting area of sorts; A couple cloth tan couches, vibrant green plants in white vases, and generic art covered the area, like a smaller version of the lobby on the first floor. There was even a receptionist desk, though there was no one and nothing to fill up the space, not even a computer.

"You also got here faster than I thought, sorry about that." He said to Souta with an apologetic smile as he walked over to the grey door that sat before them, the entrance to his family's apartment. There was a gold nameplate beside the door, inscribed with his last name. Below it sat a hybrid between a keybad and a scanner. He tapped a few of the keypad's buttons before placing his ARM in front of the scanner, a beep and green light indicating that the door was now unlocked.

Now that Kaaru was standing here at the door with his new friends so close to entering, he couldn't help but be a bit nervous. While there had hinting as to how much money his family had, what with the VIP tickets and mention to how the redhead did that kind of stuff all the time, he hadn't exactly told. He also hadn't gotten to telling them that his father was the CEO of KageCo, which he was sure would go over really well (sarcasm). Maybe they just wouldn't recognize him in the family pictures that hung from the wall? He knew he should have just told them earlier, but it had just never been the right time.

With a heavy sigh, Kaaru opened the door, immediately snatching up a white blur that tried to dash out the door; Chui. He walked inside with the animal, allowing his friends to follow in after him. He kicked off his shoes at the door before turning to them, extending his free arm to reference his home.

"Welcome to my aboad. It'll be just us and Chui here today, my parents probably won't be coming home any time soon and my little bro will be at a birthday party till late. So...yeah." He said, having prepared the little spiel earlier. It had taken him a while to come up with something easy. 'My parents probably won't be coming home any time soon' was much easier to understand and say than the complicated mess that the Katakiri family had gotten itself into lately.

The apartment was huge, which was expected considering Kaaru's family had the whole floor to themselves. It was an open floor plan with the entrance area leading directly into the living room, the kitchen and dining room branching off into an L shape. A comfortably looking white couch that could comfortably sit 12 people sat close to the opposite wall which was made completely out of windows. There was a pile of curtains on either end of the wall of windows, but they had been pulled to allow in bountiful amounts of natural lighting. Next to the couch and in front of an enourmous flat screen also sat a couple of bean bag chairs, each appearing to be made out of a fluffy white material.

There were more than a few doors on their left, leading up to the windows while exactly a few sat on their right, extending until the room opened up into the kitchen; The counter space laughable and appliances a glistening silver, as if they'd just been bought yesterday. A long breakfast bar seperated the kitchen and the living room, the granite top lined with a few bar stools while the dining room laid just behind a shorter counter, just beyond the kitchen. In it stood a long table, clean and decorated with a glass centerpiece, though the chairs were neatly pushed in as if it'd never seen use.

Lining the walls of the space was a plethora of generic art and decorative tables/bookcases that held expensive looking bobbles. Though among these items were family photos, some of Kaaru and his little brother smiling, Kaaru a bit more enthusiastically than the younger, others of the whole family; Two redheaded boys standing against a woman who looked exactly like them and a tall blonde man of whom they shared eyes with; A man who was easily recognizable if the two had spent any time looking at the news, articles, or the local paper. Which Kaaru hoped they hadn't. It wasn't like he had been trying to hide it honestly, probably, but he could see how his lack of communication could seem rather sketchy.

"Feel free to make yourself comfortable. I've got juice, soda, water, snacks. We'll enter from my computer in my room, but we should probably explain a few things to Bug first, a few of the ground rules I laid out when we first went in."

 

[Anne Boolean]

Souta had only been a little surprised when he stepped out of the elevator a lobby beyond the main lobby. Knowing that Kaaru lived in the penthouse wasn't as shocking after seeing how easily he was able to get to get VIP tickets to the concert of a popular idol, but being there, upclose and personal, was something else. He had rang the doorbell a few more times after getting no answer before sending a text saying that he had arrived, but as he waited the short while for the two to join him, he found his mind spinning with less than helpful thoughts. Was this appropriate for him to wear? Maybe they saw him through some security cameras and thought his attire was too casual. Perhaps the reason no one was answering was because Kaaru's parents were deliberating whether to just kick him out of the whole building. That thought was just the beginning of his spiral. What if they didn't approve of their son hanging out with him? His friend circle would literally be split in half, and he would be losing the half he knew better!

Or maybe he had taken too long to arrive. Maybe the run wasn't so intense because he had gone at a much slower pace. Maybe Kaaru and Bug just got tired of waiting and went in on there own. Maybe they'd rescue the person on without him and realize they didn't need him. Then, since they wouldn't have any reason to interact, along with Kaaru's parents' disapproval of him, they'd just stop hanging out in school and he'd once again have no friends and-

He jumped when he heard the elevator bell ding. The black-haired boy spun around to see the two. He let out a small, relieved sigh, but the relief was short-lived when he saw Bug once again latched onto Kaaru's arm. Even if she stepped away a moment later, the image stayed in his mind, and he once again had to fight his brow from deeply furrowing.

"O-oh! It's no problem!" he said, giving a small smile. His mind ran wild of what the two were doing while spending time alone, and, as stupid as he felt for it, those thoughts were more painful than the ones of him ending up alone and friendless because he hadn't worn a suit and tie today.

He stepped aside to let the redhead let them in. As the door opened, he jumped when a white flash darted across his vision, blinking when Kaaru suddenly held... a goat? in his hands. Well, it might have been a strange choice as far as house pets go, but it did look cute, the way it stood with a content expression as it chewed on... was that... fabric?

"Oh, cool," he said after hearing Kaaru's words. His eyes went back down to the goat. "Uh... hi, Chui." He considered reaching out and petting it, but decided against it. Chui had already upgraded from mere leaves or vegetables to fabric, and Souta was unsure if the fingers of strangers might have been its next culinary venture.

After stepping into the large apartment, the feeling of being completely out of place intensified. Even if potentially judgmental parents wouldn't be around to disapprove of him, finding out that he could possibly get lost in his friend's house on the way to the bathroom was something Souta had never experienced before. "Wow... this place is really nice..." he commented, stepping around just slightly to look. He didn't dare touch anything, as everything looked to be worth more than he was. "I'm pretty sure my sister's place could fit into just one of the rooms here..." he commented, letting out an awkward chuckle and now feeling bad that Kaaru had to suffer being over a few times. And she made good money too, at least from his understanding. What exactly did Kaaru's parents do? His eyes fell on the pictures displayed around the house, but due to being new in town and just generally unaware of current events, the blond man didn't elicit any reactions.

Instead, he noticed the smaller redhead in the pictures alongside his senpai. That's right, Kaaru mentioned having a little brother. "I didn't know you had a brother," he commented. "Uh... well, before today, not... not just from the pictures. You mentioned him going out earlier. That's cool." Kaaru seemed to fit the older sibling role as well. He wondered if he and his brother ordered takeout and sat around watching TV in their pajamas on Sundays as well.

Despite the invitation to make himself comfortable, Souta still found himself reluctant to sit on the possibly designer furniture. Instead, his thoughts went to the rules Kaaru mentioned. What were they again? "Everything in Kage is not what it seems. Everything in Kage can and will kill you. No heroics, if things get tough, we head back out. And..." He instinctively crossed his fingers in his pocket. "If things get really tough, you'll be the decoy. We head out and don't come back later to look for you..." His tone expressed his unhappiness with that rule.

 

[the scourge]

"Oh, Chui, hello!" Her voice immediately went into a baby tone as Kaaru scooped up the goat, reaching out to gently pet the goat. Unlike Souta, she really had no sense of "animal is going to bite my fingers", despite growing up in a place where she often had to be worried about animals. Once she looked away from the animal, though, she brought her attention to the place around her, and was suddenly in awe.

"Your place is so big..." Bug commented, her eyes growing wide. She lived in the same building, but lord, this place was massive. Her own was big-her room had ended up being the size of her old place, back in the mountains-but this was huge. Her eyes went to the family photos after that. She didn't recognize the blonde man either-she was too tech averse to really consume the news, and she spent most of her time in a daydream when she was out in public. "And aww, your younger brother is cute."

Bug gave Souta a very, very worried look when he recited the rules. "I-is that... really what we're doing..?" She whimpered. "Leaving someone in as a decoy? I get it, but... Shouldn't we at least try and help one another if things go wrong?"

 

[NightMovez]

"Oh, watch out! He'll bi-" Kaaru began to warn as Bug reached out to pet Chui, but it was too late. He expected a scream and some blood depending on how hard the small goat chomped, which was usually pretty hard, but none of that ever happened. Instead, beyond belief of the redhead, the goat licked the pink-haired girl's fingers with its floppy tongue. "Uh, wow...that's a first. Usually he loves to chow down on some fingers, but I guess he likes you." He said with a chuckle as he wondered where the demon that had previously possessed the goat had gone.

He shut the door before putting Chui down. It immediately began to prance around Bug, hoping for some more attention from the girl. "Lemme know if he starts to annoy you and I can put him away." He offered, not wanting to make the girl feel like she had to give the pet attention.

As the other two began to look around, Kaaru couldn't help but feel a bit uncomfortable. He really didn't want to come across as a show off, at least when it came to something he had no control of. His guitar playing, that he'd happily show off, maybe. But his home, one supplied by his parent's money, wasn't something he wanted to be envied for. Though he was extremely grateful for it.

"Uh...yeah I think so." Kaaru said with a nervous laugh as Souta mentioned how his sister's place could fit in just one of the rooms. "I like your sister's place though, it's very homey. This place is a bit too flashy for my liking, but I'll admit it's really nice to live in. I'm very grateful for it." He said, carefully choosing his words so he didn't seem like a jackass who didn't appreciate what he had, though he wasn't sure if he succeeded.

He looked at a picture of him with his brother, of which the two had already seen and commented on. "Really, I never mentioned him?" Kaaru said as he looked to Souta, clearly surprised. "He's really great so I'm surprised, but guess I've just had a lot of stuff on my mind. He actually made me lunch today like the good little bro he is."

Kaaru looked at Souta, nodding as the boy recited all the rules he'd told him all those days ago. That is until he recited the last one. His eyes went wide, his head darting to look from Bug to Souta. "Th-that's not what I said at all!" Kaaru stuttered, trying to recover from the metaphorical hit to the face he'd just been given. "God if that's what you thought I can't believe you even came in with me..." He said with a sigh, putting a hand to his forehead as he shook his head.

"I said if you feel like you're in life threatening danger, you're to run and leave, even if it's without me" Kaaru said and while it didn't sound great, it was certainly better than what Souta had said, right? "And that if we get seperated, we're to meet back here and if I don't show up, you don't go back in to look for me."

"Yes...it sounds bad and hopefully it won't come to that, but I have to stick by it. I'm your senpai and as such I'm supposed to keep you both safe, alright?" He said this all with a firm and serious tone, only letting a slightly sad smile appear towards the end. "Sorry, I'm not saying all of this to be a jerk. I care about you both, a lot. We're not just friends anymore, we're teammates and I just want to be prepared in case things go really wrong. So please promise to follow the rules, okay?" He said with apologetic eyes flicking between Souta and Bug. He knew it wasn't an easy thing to promise, but he wasn't going to allow his kouhais to die, especially when he was the one who asked them to put themselves at risk in the first place. It was a bit sad, but he honestly felt that so many things were going wrong in his life at this point that he wasn't afraid to take one for the team if need be.

 

[Anne Boolean]

Well, Bug was able to pet Chui just fine, but seeing that didn't make Souta any more eager to after having heard Kaaru's warning about it. Maybe the girl just had a way with animals. It would make sense for someone so intune with nature.

"Oh, uh... well, thanks," the black-haired boy said with an awkward chuckle at Kaaru's compliment. It definitely seemed like something said to make him feel better, but truthfully, Souta agreed. Even if it lacked space, it had everything he needed, and it had good memories there. There was also much less risk of him getting lost. "You're welcome to come over anytime." He smiled contently for a moment before blinking at his own words. "Both of you are!" he quickly clarified, glancing between Kaaru and Bug.

The genuine smile returned when Souta heard about Kaaru's brother. "That's sweet of him. I'm glad you two get along. After being on Memorandum, I was beginning to worry having a good relationship with your sibling wasn't the norm." He let out a small chuckle.

Once Kaaru commented on his reiteration of the rules, Souta blinked. It was wrong? That's how he remembered it. When he saw Bug's look of concern, he only responded with a reluctant smile of his own. Upon hearing Kaaru's corrections though, he raised a brow. "That's... what I said..." Regardless of semantics, even from Kaaru's mouth, it still sounded pretty dour. He had quietly gone along with it (with crossed fingers) the last time, but maybe they wouldn't need to this time.

He glanced at Bug before speaking up. "Well... we're a whole team now," he said. "So I think we should have an equal say in how things work. Meaning, we should put this to a vote. Everyone against getting rid of that decoy rule..." He rose his hand and once again looked over to Bug.

 

[the scourge]

"I'd say you both can come over whenever too, but my mom's husband gets mad whenever I have people over." Bug reiterated for Souta, dropping into a slight crouch to pet the goat at her feet. Her tone was still a little worried, but she tried to keep her stress under wraps, especially as Souta proposed a rule change. She rose to her full height, looking up at her senpais, a sense of worry in her eyes.

"... Look, okay, I know I agreed to this and that means I should follow the rules but... I'm with Ishida-senpai." She said, conviction in her voice. "I refuse to leave either of you in there to die, okay? I can't do that! If you guys had panicked and just completely run out, I wouldn't be here, and maybe one of you wouldn't be either. I'm not gonna abandon you guys in there, no matter what."

 

[NightMovez]

Kaaru let out a deep sigh as the others vetoed his rule. "Fine, fine. I guess this isn't a dictatorship anymore." He said with a slightly sad chuckle. He didn't like removing the rule, but if the other two wanted to he supposed he would allow it; It wasn't like they were going to follow a rule they didn't like anyway. Still, the possibilities it brought up weren't great. If they weren't careful, not only one of them would die, but all of them would. "We'll remove the rule, but still I'd like you guys to remember that this isn't just a game. I don't think we re-spawn if we die, and I'm really not wanting to find out."

"Alright, well with that said, I guess we have time to talk about it in-game anyway. Since we're going in to gear up first." Kaaru said, transitioning his voice to a lighter tone. He walked over to where his room was, beckoning the others to follow.

He opened the door to reveal a room whose size matched the house, though its overall vibe didn't. There was room for a couch that could comfortably fit three people in front of a TV, a moderately sized desk with two monitors, and a king-sized bed. A portion of the opposite wall was lined with guitars of different types, shapes, and sizes while the rest of the room was almost completely covered with band posters, though there was a medium-sized Aoi-Hime one right above his bed. The bands ranged heavily in genre, popularity, and size, but what they shared in common was that there was not so much of a crinkle on any of them.

"And here's my room. This computer here will lead us right into Prithia."

 

[Anne Boolean]

At first, Souta was unsure of whether Bug would go along with him. Clearly she and Kaaru had become closer than he was with either of them in the short time they knew each other, so maybe she would have ended up siding with him. Then again, if they were indeed that close, she probably wouldn't have wanted her to be left for dead, so maybe there was hope after all.

Thankfully, the girl did side with him. It was a victory, but a bittersweet one at the realization of why. Either way, he followed along when led into one of the many rooms in the apartment. Kaaru's room, just like the rest of the abode, was impressive. It looked like its own studio flat with the square footage and furnishing, and it also had more personality than Souta's own room did even before he had moved. His own walls were completely bare, he had a twin bed which his feet often hung off of when he slept, and the only computer that could fit on his small desk was his laptop. His sister had bought a smaller TV and a stand for it where he hooked up his consoles, but it was only a little bigger than one of Kaaru's monitors.

"Huh... didn't know you played guitar..." Souta said, eyeing the ones on display. Or perhaps he didn't and they were souvenirs from one of the shows of the various bands whose posters were plastered on the walls. He squinted, seeing if he could find any signatures on them.

"Prithia?" he questioned. "How'd you manage to get connected th-" Wait. When they went in at Souta's place, they went to Slipfoot. That was the area that formed when he was pulled in. Did that mean...? "Your area is the whole of Prithia?!"

 

[NightMovez]

"Yeah I...even used to be in a band." Kaaru admitted with an uncomfortable smile. He'd hoped they wouldn't ask about the guitars, but knew that had been unrealistic, what with them covering more than half of his wall. "Haven't played much in a while though." He left what he said out in the open, not wanting to clarify the numerous reasons why he'd stopped his main passion.

He walked over to his computer that he'd turned on earlier this morning and clicked a few things on the screen, opening Kage. The redhead sighed at Souta's next question. He knew it was coming and didn't mind it, having already told the boy earlier that he would be willing to talk about his place, but he couldn't help it. Thinking about it brought back terrible memories, ones associated with horrible feelings that were only amplified by everything else that had happened to him lately.

"Yep, Prithia is mine. Though it used to be really different so not exactly. During the beta I think they called it 'The Fragmented Kingdom' or something. But it used to be a pretty bad place, filled with monsters and falling apart. Much darker than how it looks now. Maybe I'll uh, tell you more about it later or you can look it up. Pretty sure my trailer video is still out in the patch notes somewhere..." He said, though his expression was dodgy, as if he kinda wished they wouldn't look it up. It was embarrassing really, edgier than most songs he wrote. "Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't guess already, looking at King Karl is like looking into a mirror if I was a few years older. It's actually really creepy."

"Anyway, we can talk more about stuff when we're inside. Are we ready?" Kaaru asked, partially because he wanted to save the person in the new area as soon as possible and partially to get away from both topics at hand. Though he waited until everyone confirmed before placing his hand on his mouse and willing himself inside of the game.

When he opened his eyes, he'd arrived directly behind the throne in Prithia's throne room. The room was extremely large and extravagant, walls white covered in gold detailing and a red carpet that ran straight down the middle. "The guards think I'm like the King's cousin or something. So we shouldn't get in trouble if we're found, but the market is straight out those doors and down a bit a ways." Kaaru said as he pointed towards the large doors at the end of the carpet. "Does anyone need any gold? I farmed some up the last time I was on."

 

[the scourge]

Bug was oddly quiet as Kaaru talked, just giving a nod when he asked if they were ready. Her eyes were shut tightly as she transferred, and she couldn't help but be a tiny bit disappointed when she formed and looked down at her outfit. It really WAS her avatar's outfit, boots going up to her thighs and a bastardized kimono. It was evident that her avatar had a wholly different body type than her just from looking at how it, the obi, open top and short skirt obviously supposed to highlight a figure Bug didn't have. Still, she was evidently in good shape, even if she hadn't developed much yet, somewhat lean but rather strong looking. The strangest part that transferred over from her avatar, though, were the ears and tail. A pair of fox ears sat on top of her head, matching her bubblegum pink hair and moving as though they were attached, a fluffy tail the same colour hanging to her knees. It moved slightly, almost as if she was nervous. She'd become even more of an open book in game.

"I... Kinda do. I'm super low level and I don't have much for money." Bug admitted, as the team started out of the palace. "Thanks, senpai."

-

The cathedral towered above them, and Bug couldn't help but be nervous staring at the doors. Her tail was twitching once more. This wasn't the woods, but the thought of entering made her stomach churn slightly, as the team approached. "... I don't think I've ever been in a place like this in the real word either..." She muttered, as the team approached and the doors opened before them, as though they were waiting for new players, new blood.



Soft piano filled the space, an almost somber, haunting feel passing over the team as they looked over row and row of pew, with what looked like people in almost every single one, but each had something wrong. Limbs a little too long, faces without enough features, chunks of their torsos missing, yet none seemed bothered by anything.

Except the group.

A judgemental stare turned from each of the figures in the room, and Bug found herself feeling like she most definitely did not belong. Her eyes darted around the room, looking for something, anything, and suddenly fell on a raised platform with a pathway leading further into the cathedral. She tugged Kaaru's arm, suddenly pointing upwards.

There was the source of the piano, and the shadow, a small statured young man with a torso covered in scars, the same one as in the trailer. It was tricky to see from a distance, but he looked as though he was in pain, as though playing for the crowd hurt him. But still, he played, shackles still on his body, even if his arms were freed, bloodsoaked wings extended slightly. Once the song had finished, and he stood, there was silence from the audience as a cloaked figure stepped out, taking his hands and practically dragging him back. The shadow accepted it without a struggle, folding angel wings back against his body.

The whispers from the crowd were harsh as their attention turned from the group, about the boy, about his playing. Words about a fall from grace, an unholy saint that couldn't hold the second title anymore. Bug couldn't help but feel relieved, though, that the eyes weren't on her and her friends anymore.

 

[Anne Boolean]

"Really? A band?" Souta questioned, obviously missing Kaaru's discomfort. Hina had been surprisingly on the mark. "That's so cool. I don't really have much musical talent, except maybe some dancing. As for not practicing, I guess it's understandable. I'm sure this keeps you busy." He'd also been dancing less, but that was more so due to him finally getting a social life. He imagined the time spent on it would only decrease as he got more involved with Kage.

He gave a nod at the redhead's explanation. "I see..." That probably meant his own trailer was floating around out there somewhere on the Internet. Part of him wanted to hunt it down, but the other part of him of wanted to pretend it never existed in fear of whatever embarrassing things his other self did or said. His gaze fell on Kaaru once again.

In terms of his, Souta would have been lying if he said he wasn't curious. It seemed somewhat invasive, though. Granted, there was that time he asked the guy about his sexual preferences under the guise of being a stranger on the Internet, but that was different! It came directly from his mouth. ... well, that applied to what Shadows say in trailers too, but it was still different!

"King Karl...?" An inquisitive look appeared on Souta's face. He did think there was a striking resemblance, but he had just assumed it was a coincidence. Then again, that was before he knew that the Shadows hung around the game as NPCs. After reading someone bring up his own in the game's world chat, he had to go see it himself. Describing it as unsettling would be an understatement. He just prayed that they wouldn't run into him while actually in the game. "Yeah... I can imagine how creepy that must be..."

He gave a nod at Kaaru's request for confirmation. The same cold rushed over him as when they stepped out upon once again entering. Where they emerged in the game couldn't be more different from the previous excursion's forest, though. "Wow..." he mumbled as he eyed their lavish surroundings. "Oh. Well, that's good... and a little weird..." he responded to Kaaru.

His eyes fell to Bug, who looked to be wearing a kimono top that was a few sizes too big for her. He imagined it was designed for the bustier female character model and couldn't help but just envision her as a girl playing adult by wearing her mom's clothing. The family wasn't cute human though, at least if the cat ears and tail were anything to go off of. She fit right in to the party of horned tieflings, though. His next thought was probably not any more polite, as he wondered whether he fashion it into a men's top and pull it off better while in here. "Is that top gender-locked? What are the stats on it?" That was more important than if it was cute, but the realization that equipping it meant less eye candy for him while he played was a little disappointing. Oh well, stats trumped that as well.

His eyes then drifted down to see his own outfit had changed as well. It was the same gear he wore previously. Although he had been trying to eat less and exercise more, he still felt self-conscious with all this skin showing. He shot a glance at Kaaru, both hoping he wouldn't look yet also praying he took notice.

"No, I think I'll be good for gold," he responded. "I... kind of have a habit of stockpiling all my items for a truly dire situation and then never using them." He let out a small chuckle. "I can just sell them at the market and use what I get from that." He turned to Bug as well once she mentioned needing some. "I can help you out too. If you need suggestions for equipment too, I can help you optimize. I'm not as familiar with Druids, but I know the general stat spread for magic classes."

---

After their trip to the market, Souta approached the cathedral with his companions. "Hm... me neither," he responded to Bug, eyeing the formidable structure. Hina certainly wasn't religious, and even if his parents were, they obviously hadn't cared enough to bring either of their children into the faith. "I don't think this will be a true equivalent, though..."

He took a defensive posture as the doors automatically opened, expecting monsters to be standing on the other side. That didn't mean they were alone, though. It seemed many people had gathered here. They didn't look like player characters, or even NPCs, though. They looked more like glitched out models, rendered without eyes or with arms too long, or even a piece of their chest missing. Souta jumped slightly as their gazes fell on them. The ambient piano in the background only seemed to make the situation even more eerie. He held his spear close, expecting the crowd to pounce at any point as they kept walking.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Bug's arm raise, and his gaze followed to where she pointed. That was him. That was the Shadow. Apparently he was the one filling the room with the haunting tune. Despite the distance, the angel looked worse for wear in person than he did in the trailer. The scars on his chest and blood-soaked wings were even more apparent. His hands were the only things left free from the shackles that held him.

The melody stopped. Once he stood, Souta expected a bow and then applause. Instead, a cloaked figure took a hold of his hands and pulled him away. Then the audience started to speak. Whispers and murmurs filled the room. The amount of voices were innumerable, and yet they all seemed to be voicing the same thing: criticism. "I guess it's good they're at least not attacking us...?"

 

[NightMovez]

"I have, a while ago though. It wasn't too bad, maybe this won't be either?" Kaaru proposed, though his tone of voice suggested that he didn't really believe that was the case. There was always an extremely small chance that this dungeon wasn't as bad as the last four he'd been to, but that sort of optimism had left him months ago.

When the doors welcomed him in, his hand hovered near the hilt of the sword he'd bought on their little shopping excursion. It was more of a katana, much thinner and lighter than the one that was still strapped to his back. He still preferred the larger one for its damage numbers and superior defensive capabilities, but this new one would be useful in tighter spaces and wouldn't tire him out as quickly. He'd learned a few things from their time in the forest.

Although he was used to having eyes on him, he couldn't say he felt comfortable with the ones currently pointed at the team. He found the incomplete and incorrect beings unsettling, like they would attack at any time. Though he became preoccupied by Bug's tug on his arm and subsequent pointing. His eyes roamed to where she was pointing, the boy. He looked more worse for wear than the trailer had suggested.

"I guess." He responded to Souta, though he sounded slightly peeved. "It's pretty messed up to talk crap about people behind their back when they've just played something nice for you though." He hadn't even bothered lowering his voice to say this, hoping that at least some of these things had ears. He knew they weren't real people and that there was no reason to be upset, but it was hard for him not to be. The piano had sounded so beautiful, yet none of these things had appreciated it in the slightest.

"Looks like there's no way to go but forward, but try and stay on guard. Who knows if these things will attack or not." Kaaru said as he took the initiative and began to walk along the aisle in between the pews, hid hand still hovering near the hilt of his blade.

 

[the scourge]

Bug nervously clutched the druid staff she'd acquired on their trip close to her chest, moving forward through the pews. The girl kept her eyes on the platform, looking for a way to reach up to it, noting a staircase further in, one that looked like it would lead further in. It was more cramped, than a cathedral should be, high ceiling sacrificed for upper floors, turning it into a suffocating place.

She pointed out the stairs, keeping her voice to a whisper as she did. "Y'think it'll be safe to go up em?" She asked, before pausing. "Guess we don't have a choice, unless we wanna try and shake these things down..."

With that, she darted to the staircase, almost on impulse, easily making her way up them. The scenery changed to a dimly lit set of halls with stained glass lining the windows, most of it broken, and cracked. Shadows shaped into nuns and monks seemed to police the force, and Bug hung by the stairs, hesitant to fight. Once the entire team was up, a voice seemed to ring in their ears, stopping everyone in their tracks.

"Aoi, sweetheart, you couldn't cut your hair. Especially not to something so short." An older woman's voice, disagreeable, shocked, as though the Aoi in question had asked to cut off their own arm. "Look at it! You should love it! The colour is so pretty, it's so soft even after it's been dyed... You need to keep it long, okay? Don't make your poor mother sad."

A sighed, from another voice, who then spoke begrudgingly. Familiarly. One they'd never held a conversation with, but that even bug could recognize after a moment. "... Okay, mom. I'll leave it."

A gust of wind broke through a window after that, the voices fading like they were never there. Bug looked up to her teammates in surprise, and confusion. "What... what was that..?"

 

[Anne Boolean]

Souta just gave a doubtful shrug to Kaaru's hopeful assumption. It could be, but the previous places, his own included, were meant to torment, if not the invaders than the one imprisoned. Even if they had an easy time getting in, getting whoever this area formed around would certainly be anything but.

He blinked slightly at the stern tone the redhead took at the chattering around them. Kaaru wasn't wrong, but the reaction seemed to come from a personal place. He had been in a band, as Souta had found out not long ago, so he assumed the other had gone through something similar during his time as a performer.

When Bug pointed out the staircase at the end of the hall, he gave it a discerning look. "I don't know," he said, before going on to agree, "but what choice do we ha-" He was cut off by the pink-haired girl running ahead. "H-hey!" he called, looking to Kaaru and then the figures surrounding them before starting to chase after her. He followed her up to the next floor, only stopping when he caught up with her. Guess all that running was good for something.

"What are you do-" He once again stopped when he caught sight of the various Shadows dressed as clergy roaming the halls up ahead. He opened his mouth to chastise his companion in a whisper, but before he could, another voice rang out.

The first was unfamiliar, but it was something Souta could sympathize with. His parents were never around long enough to show disappointment in his decision, but it was apparent whenever they responded to his pleas for affection. He blinked his dark eyes when the second voice rang out, before a gust of wind blew and overtook both until there was no trace left of either.

"No way..." he responded, looking to the others for confirmation. "Was that...?"

 

[NightMovez]

"Bug!" Kaaru called out to the pink-haired girl when she darted, though it appeared to fall on deaf ears. He shook his head incredulously when Souta looked towards him. "She's crazy but we gotta go after her." He said before they gave chase, fortunately not having to run for long to find the girl.

The redhead pushed his way in front one they reached the top of the stairs, standing between the shadows and his team. "It's like you've never played this game before, you're not the right class to be pulling that." He whispered before the voices started. He was still at first, watching the monsters and listening to the scene play out, until he heard a voice that he instantly recognized and flinched. It didn't matter if the girl was singing or simply speaking, he knew.

"It was." He stated with confidence, letting out a sigh. The sound of her voice rang through his mind, knowing that it couldn't be anyone else.

"God dammit, this is totally Aoi-Hime's dungeon, isn't it?" Kaaru asked, though he clearly already knew. "Crap, I probably shouldn't use His name like that in a church, but damn this really sucks." He sighed, trying not to think about how the life of one of his idol's was partially in his hands. Though that didn't seem to work very well, his hands shaking ever so slightly. "Anyone got any ideas for how to handle this? Looks like we might have to just cut our way through."

 

[the scourge]

"S-sorry..." Bug apologized, after the voices had stopped, looking ashamedly up at Kaaru and Souta. "I really don't play much, and I really didn't like those things on the first floor..."

Upon hearing they might just have to cut their way through, the small girl nodded at her peers, before holding her staff out. Okay, maybe she wasn't the strongest player here, figuratively and literally, but she could at least try something. One of the clergy suddenly caught eyes on them, but Bug's persona appeared behind her, and the spell was cast. A harsh blade of wind whipped through the room, much like it had the stained glass window, and knocked the nun to her knees.

She backed off after that, trusting Kaaru or Souta would step in and finish the shadow off.

 

[the scourge]

"Touya, get out of my room."

Aoi's voice was highly recognizable, but the next voice, that of a young man, wasn't nearly as much. "Mom's pissed at you."

"She's always mad about something, stop smoking in my room. It's disgusting. Fuck off, and don't come back unless you're ready to half a decent fucking conversation!" This was a more blunt side to the girl, more harsh. As a sigh sounded, another precious glass window shattered, leaving the team to flinch.

-

"Aoi, shut the fuck up!"

Another girl's voice rang out as the team next made substantial progress. "Ruby, I didn't--"

"All you care about is your stupid music! You're selfish! This is why you don't have any fucking friends! Go cry to your mom about it! We're fucking DONE, Akiyama Aoi!"

The shadows after that point seemed to grow more violent after that point, Bug at least struggling to keep up against the increased violence. But the team finally made their way to the stairs leading up to the bell tower, if a little worse for wear and having to heal up.

-

"Sometimes I just think there's something wrong with me." The ruler's voice rang out as they climbed the winding stairs up to the bell, though she sounded somewhat younger. "But maybe that's just what being a girl is like, y'know? Just all around bad. I really do wish I'd been born a guy... Or at least that I was allowed to have shorter hair."

"I mean, being a guy's alright, I guess. I don't have anything to compare it to." Came the response, a friendlier sounding boy than whoever Touya has been. "Maybe being a girl would be fun though! I wish we could just switch, you know? To try it out!"

The palace ruler gave a good natured laugh, sighing lightly. "You're at least nice about it, Pasc..."

That was when Bug lightly opened the door, and the figure chained to the bell came into full view. From the front, his entire torso exposed, he looked destroyed. His chest was bloodied, and a long scar ran right through his pecs, as though his chest had been cut open and hastily stitched back together. His voice came out smooth when he talked, though, distorted and low.

"So you came for her. What a surprise." It said, it's visible yellow eye streaked with tears of blood as it gestured it's head to a girl up against the wall near the door. There was the idol, her face bruised. A simple blue dress and slippers comprised her outfit, her hair down and looking almost tangled, and her legs were covered in scars similar to those on the chest of her shadow, gashes that looked almost self inflicted.

"Or should I say him?"

"Please, please no."

But the shadow continued, as the girl shook at it's voice. "Oh, how I hate this misery I've brought upon myself. I chose this path! I chose this life I hate! To be worshiped by the crowd until I couldn't take it and fell, to be beloved while I couldn't even look in the mirror! I pushed everyone away but the one person who kept accidentally seeing me. I kept listening to the people who just wanted that pretty face, that good little girl that I got so good at playing! You know I am?"

Aoi hid her face, and the shadow spoke again.

"Just a miserable little boy trying to act like he's okay. And you know what?"

She flinched.

"You hate this too, Aoi, because we're one in the same. I'm you, aren't I? But you can't accept that. Can't accept you're just some stupid, broken boy trying his hardest to make it--"

"Shut UP!" Aoi finally snapped, tears streaming down her face. "Shut up! I'm not! I'm not some stupid little boy-shut your goddamn mouth! You're not-"

The shadow seemed to grin with anticipation as she yelled her next words.

"You're not me!"

The shadow let out a low chuckle, and suddenly the chains snapped. It rose to it's feet, bloodstained wings suddenly snapping outward-two pairs turned to six, glowing rings of eyes circled the shadow's head and wrists, and power seemed to surge through that.

"Well, if you say so."

"... This is bad, right?" Bug finally asked, meekly.

 

[Anne Boolean]

Well, if nothing else, the voice decrying Aoi-hime's full name confirmed it. This really was the idol's area. Souta found it surprising that he would have something in common with a celebrity like that. Despite having been in the front row of her concert, it really felt like he was now closer to a famous person than ever before. With all the very personal thoughts and experiences that were being echoed through the Church walls though, that probably was the case. It certainly was also a violation of the star's privacy.

Eventually they found her, and the angel, her Shadow, as well. The mangled state of his body, the blood covering him, the gashes across his chest... Souta found himself having to look away. He turned to address the group directly. That's when the monologuing began. Like with Bug, his own, and presumably Kaaru's Shadow before, the angel was now airing out all the private thoughts the idol held. But... boy? Now wasn't the time to think of that. He eyed Aoi. The Shadow wanted a reaction from her, but perhaps they could clue her in and calm her down.

The bard kept his eyes on the angel but slowly started to inch over. She responded. Not good. But she didn't deny. No, there was still a chance. He tried to move a little faster. Unfortunately, the next bit the Shadow said was too much. And there was the reaction it wanted.

"Shit..." Souta said, watching the angel leave its battered state and turn into a monster. "Not at all..." he responded to Bug before rushing over to Aoi. "Ao- er... Akiyama-san- Akiyama-sama...? Please stay behind us!" He turned his attention back to the Angel and readied his spear, but soon his gaze fell on his companion. Eyeing the redhead, he spun his spear in his hands as if part of a ritualistic dance. A red aura glowed around his companion for a moment, giving him a boost in strength.

 

[NightMovez]

Kaaru managed to take the brunt of most of the fights, protectively placing himself at the front; Partly because he was the best equipped for it, and partly because he wanted to keep his companions safe more than anything. He grew a bit sloppier as the group progressed, taking more hits and starting to pant towards the end, even though he'd been using his lighter sword the entire time. His mind wasn't fully focused on fighting, causing him to make more mistakes and be less efficient. It couldn't help but wander, what with where they were and the scenes they'd had to hear, likely Aoi-Hime's memories. The artist had been suffering so much, and he'd hardly had an idea. He felt horrible for her and there was also a nagging feeling, a twisted guilt that sat in his stomach. How could he have called himself a hardcore fan when he hadn't even noticed all this pain?

He was grateful for the slight break as the Shadow began to monologue, sheathing his sword as he took the time to recover just a bit. He'd been through enough Dungeons already to know that the creature always had to monologue first. Sure he could have gone to Aoi-Hime and warned her of what would happen if she gave the being a reaction, but it seemed like Souta was already on that, even if he hadn't managed to get there in time.

The redhead slowly pulled his obsidian greatsword from his back, figuring he'd need the power if they were going to defeat this thing. "Yeah, no, this isn't great. Just try and stay behind me." He said quietly to Bug just before moving so he was in-between the shadow and his companions- Bug hopefully having moved with him.

He gave a half-growl half-sigh when Souta did something to empower him, every muscle in his body tensing as he felt stronger than ever before. "Well, that's new." He mumbled quietly to himself before shooting the boy a small smile and a thanks before his eyes bore straight into their opponent, giving the Shadow one of his rare glares.

"Hey," he readied his sword in front of him, holding its crude hilt with both hands, "trying your best doesn't make you stupid. At least she- he- you...? God it doesn't matter...what does matter is that you're trying." He said to the Shadow, his eyebrows furrowed with slight anger. He lunged after that, large sword aimed a for the creature's chest.

 

[the scourge]

The shadow easily blocked the physical attack as it hit, the scars marring it not seeming to give the best indication of it's physical strength-it was far, far stronger than one would assume. The gash didn't hit it's chest, but it's arms were dripping with blood as it threw Kaaru back-he'd done damage, but not enough.

Something clicked in Bug's brain, and she suddenly raised her staff. After a second of concentration, her persona appeared behind her, and she grinned, slamming the staff down. A harsh gust of wind hit the shadow, and she backed up slightly from the recoil, looking expectantly for the damage she'd done.

None whatsoever.

She let out a sound of confusion, before suddenly, a spear of light slammed into her shoulder, and a second into her chest. They seemed to beam through her, but the damage was evident as she cried out in pain, and then dropped to the floor, unconscious.

"Was that second one meant to hurt?" The shadow asked, raising another spear of light at the two boys left standing. "I mean, bravo on the first hit, you did quite well~but that second? A light breeze?" It shook it's head, and then slammed the spear down at Kaaru.

 

[Anne Boolean]

Souta blinked at the smile his senpai gave. Probably not the best time to get flustered, but the grateful gesture left him feeling bashful. Seeing how hard his companion hit their opponent also left him feeling proud, both of Kaaru and his own hand in the outcome. The feeling of pride lingered a little while longer as Bug cast a wind spell on the angel but disappeared when he noticed it seemed to have no effect. He returned to his familiar panicked state upon seeing the Shadow retaliate, its attack being strong enough to knock out the girl.

His eyes darted from their opponent to his fallen companion as he tried to figure out what to do. He let out a small whimper as another spear of light was raised against them, bracing himself for the next attack. It thankfully wasn't directed at him, but he knew his role would be healer once more in this fight.

"H-hang in there!" he called to Kaaru as he summoned his Persona once again to cast a healing spell. He then rushed over to the unconscious Bug. A few touches on the HUD that appeared in front of him, and in his hand was a tuft of feathers in a variety of reds, oranges, and yellows. Aside from its color palette, it also seemed to radiate warmth in the air around it. "Good thinking on Senpai's part for buying these beforehand..." he muttered as he scattered them over Bug, knowing full well he would have rushed in unprepared if he had been left in charge. The disappeared into faint glows of light as they hit the girl's body, passing on their invigorating energy into her.