Memories are blurred... A late intro!

[trainwrecking]

Who: Yuzuru Otonashi & OPEN to everyone!
Where: Aquarius -- not that he knows where he is, gosh.
Summary: Hi, Hinoto-ri! ... Otonashi's body hurts and what is this.
Warnings: Blood, injuries... and maybe swearing? Just to be safe on that last one.
__

Waking up in a new, strange location and being fed information in the form of an figurative text wall is not new to Otonashi. The only word that really sticks with him, of course, is Persona. What that word encompasses, what it actually means is lost on him right now, and the confusion is enough to make him bristle with frustration.

The first thing you might notice about him is the torn up uniform. Then maybe the blood, from a distance, or the hobble in his steps and the near-stumbling: he's wounded. Gunshot wounds are evident. Up close, panic is visible on his face.

[ a ] If you are wandering around the Aquarius region where he finds himself, you might face a confused redheaded teenager flagging you down. He might even be more brash than usual; he doesn't handle confusion and change too well.

-or-

[ b ] Maybe he has given up on moving for the time being. Instead, he's trying to catch his breath and get by with makeshift bandages, made with love from the remainder of his uniform. At least he seems to know what he's doing..?

(ooc: I'm pretty late to the party as usual, so I hope an intro post is okay!)

Comments

a

[halberdaxe]

Noda had been wandering around the city aimlessly, unsure what to do. He had resolved everything and left the Afterlife to start a new life, so his determination to help Yuri out was now gone. And as far as he could tell, Yuri didn't seem to be in this world as well.

Without any goals, what was there to do other than to wander around? All the while, though, there seemed like there was something important still left to do; otherwise, why would he still be himself?

He walked by, his usual halberd's pole resting against his shoulder as he carried his trusted weapon. Noda didn't notice the familiar redhead: he was that spaced out.

[trainwrecking]

Isn't it entirely possible that Otonashi is still out of it? There was quite a bit of blood loss he had to contend with. He hesitates, but that purple head of hair, telltale uniform and needlessly intense halberd are all unmistakable signs: Noda. Noda, someone from home who he knew had been killed.

It didn't matter how temporary death is there: it still has a profound enough effect. Stumbling his way over, he calls out to the other teenager.

"N-Noda..!"

This is... maaaybe the only time he will ever be genuinely ecstatic to see Noda. Let us see how long that lasts.

[halberdaxe]

That horrible SSS massacre was an older memory for this Noda, and with everything resolved, he didn't think much about it.

Since he didn't expect any of the SSS members to be here, Noda didn't register the familiar voice for a moment as he walked on... But he froze midstep before turning to look over at the redhead.

"...You? Why are you here?"

[trainwrecking]

Bloodloss be damned. That sure is Noda. And Noda, are you honestly asking him to know what's going on?

"I... I probably don't know much more than you do..." It's complicated, isn't it? Another new world... "Ah― Do you remember the word Persona? And Philemon?!" He hobbles closer. "Listen― what do you remember last?! It's important..!"

Uh-oh. Frantic Otonashi is being pushy.

[halberdaxe]

You were asking the wrong guy here, Otonashi. Noda gives a clearly confused look on his face as how frantic the other is... Until, that is, he hears those two words: Persona and Philemon. His dumbfounded look immediately disappears into a more serious, concerned look.

"...You have seen that dream as well?" He wasn't sure how to feel about this. Probably gay.

[trainwrecking]

"Ah... yeah, that's right." He remembers the dream, but never did he encounter Noda within that dream. "What did you see in―?"

Otonashi cuts himself off: talk of the dream can come later. "Noda, do you know what happened to... to Naoi? To Yuri? To us? I can't remember if―"

Oh. Right. Noda had already been... murdered when Otonashi got to Naoi. He casts his eyes down. As much as Noda and Otonashi clashed, the redhead felt absolutely sick at the thought of Noda's suffering. A quick, painless death is one thing― and even that bothered him more than their "class"mates― but a complete massacre cut him much more deeply.

It shows in the sweat on his brow and the tightness of his lips.

[halberdaxe]

Noda had no clue what you were talking about. The serious look turns back into the confused look he always has.

"Naoi? Yurippe? I thought you had everything under control?" The confused look slowly turns into his usual glare as he picks up his halberd up...

And points the blade at Otonashi. "What did you do to Yurippe!?"

[trainwrecking]

Easy come, easy go. His goodwill and concern for Noda both fly away like dust in the wind.

"Eh?! N-no! Why would I do anything to her?!" He has no motive to hurt Yuri ― or anyone, really ― so the assumption visibly catches him off-guard. "I was trying to have it under control! Everything was bad when I showed up..!"

This isn't getting better. Neither of them know what the other is talking about.

[halberdaxe]

The halberd blade comes closer to Otonashi's face.

"Everything was bad?! We have defeated the shadows and I disappeared from the Afterlife because I have accomplished my purpose! What happened after I disappeared?!"

[trainwrecking]

Of course, of course he's on-edge and frustrated all at once, and of course it culminates in the form of a startled, squeaky gasp when that halberd sits about an inch away from his face.

He wisely backs up. Otonashi has basic survival instinct and likes being alive, thanks.

"Wh― Shadows? W-what are you talking about?! I don't remember anything about that..!" This is crazy... This is completely crazy!

[halberdaxe]

"Ah?" Noda raises a brow, finally starting to see that they were not on the same page. "What are you talking about?"

If he didn't know any better, he would have stepped in to jab the halberd blade at Otonashi some more. Instead, he pulls away and relaxes a little.

"...Tell me everything you know."

[trainwrecking]

Always a pleasure, Noda. Otonashi relaxes his shoulders and lets out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding.

"... Naoi, the replacement class president. He hypnotized the NPCs... remember? There were no shadows, but... most of you were down..."

[halberdaxe]

No memories about shadows, but knew well enough about the incident with the class vice president. If Noda was able to use his head a little more, he would have thought of the possibility of different time dimensions...

But instead he gives an apathetic look at Otonashi.

"That happened a while ago. After the incident calmed down, that class vice president started sticking around you and then the shadow beings appeared. Last time I saw you, you were leading the combat group to lure the shadows away from Yurippe so she could investigate."

[trainwrecking]

Always a pleasure, Noda. The redhead listens to the explanation, but none of it strikes a chord with him. Shadow beings? If nothing else, he can glean something crucial from this predictably bad encounter with Noda.

"So... the... the issue is resolved?" Noda is an idiot: he couldn't possibly imagine it himself, right? Too hard.

"That's all I wanted to know... if you remembered and if I needed to get back. I, uh... I don't know anything about this combat group―" Because honestly, him? A combat leader? "― or these shadow creatures."

[halberdaxe]

"What's there to know? We move to fight for Yurippe, that's all there is." Noda replied, raising his halberd again. "Don't tell me you are doing the memory loss excuse again."

Never acceptable in Noda's eyes, even if that were the reason why Otonashi had made such a bad impression.

[trainwrecking]

"E-excuse?! It was never an excuse! Why would I―?!" Why would he choose not to remember things as basic as his own name? The accusation has him mildly affronted.

"... And... we fight with Yuri, not just for her. Everyone is supposed to have their own motivation..."

[halberdaxe]

"Fighting for Yuri was my motivation." He really didn't care much about what other people thought. He gave a sigh, scratching his head; after all that happened, he actually felt kind of bad to get into the arguments again.

"...But what you said is true." H-he's not admitting you're a decent guy, okay?? /tsun

[trainwrecking]

"... There has to be more than that, Noda." He looks up at the taller boy, very aware that he is treading on very dangerous ground. "Ano..., you said you, ah... disappeared?" Noda found peace?

[halberdaxe]

Noda went quiet at Otonashi's words. It was true that he had found peace, that was why he disappeared after the fight against the Shadows. But he didn't want to openly admit it to this wuss guy.

"Nevermind that." Noda responded instead. "We're still here, which means there must be something we need to do."

Otherwise, they wouldn't still be in their past lives' form, would they?

[trainwrecking]

The dismissal is all Otonashi could have expected. Though he sighs, he doesn't press the other teenager any further.

"... Persona. If we find out more about that, maybe... we can understand this new world." He ruffles his own hair. "Wait― are you the only other one of us here..?"

[halberdaxe]

Oh, right, he almost forgot about that, this Persona deal. And what that Philemon guy was talking about...although he couldn't exactly remember the entire conversation.

"As far as I'm concerned." Or minded, actually. But Yuri wasn't here, therefore there were no one he cared to bring up.

[trainwrecking]

"... You should be concerned about your companions," Otonashi mutters, barely above a whisper. "You... never know when they might come back, or..."

He hesitates. Or disappear.

"... Ah, we should find out."

..fslkf i left out words in last tag woops.. also weeehh idk what else to write

[halberdaxe]

Noda didn't reply to the first part as he stayed quiet once more, and looked away from Otonashi to view the area. What the redhead said was true, whether he agreed with it or not. He decided to answer after Otonashi finished speaking.

"...Perhaps."

There weren't much else to say at the moment.

that's okayyyy, noda isn't talkative |D

[trainwrecking]

"Maybe this will be... another chance for you." Well. A third chance, if what Noda says about peace is indeed true.

Otonashi kneels down on the pavement, clearly shaky and out of sorts. Noda is going to have to work with him a little here. That, or ditch him. With Noda, you never know. "Do you... remember anything else about your dream?"

[halberdaxe]

After all that they've been through, Noda wasn't going to just ditch Otonashi by himself without saying anything. He stays in his spot as he sets his halberd down; it was looking like they weren't going anywhere any time soon.

"Other than that... Philemon and Persona? Nothing."

Did you expect him to remember all the smallest details, Otonashi?