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.
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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

[trainwrecking]

"Trust him...? How?! There's― there's no reason he had to take me right then! If they disappear..."

He trails off. There had been a time when he could have accepted this twist of fate with relative ease: maybe even welcomed it. Once upon a time, it would not have mattered and her words would reach him. Otonashi never imagined he would want to stand with the SSS― his friends― the way he does now.

Cold dread washes over him. His chance to help them, help Naoi even― gone. He looks to her, clearly dissatisfied. But, here she is, trying to explain. He can at least learn about the world if he is indeed stuck with it. Though he keeps his voice low and vaguely distant, he speaks again.

"... Protect themselves... From what? This... looks just like a normal city."

[eyewillprotect]

"...I'm sorry. There's only so much we know, so I can't explain everything... But I will do what I can." Her words sound painfully hollow to herself, but she does mean every single bit of it.

"...This is the last remaining city in this world. Everything outside of Hinoto-Ri was destroyed. And even in the city itself, there are demons that would attack humans during the night. But... almost worse than that..." Her eyes narrow here; it pains her to even think of it. "...There are people who believe it would be better to throw off the government, even if it means ruthlessly massacring innocents."

She takes a breath before she continues, but the compassion in her voice remains no matter how much she tries to keep her calm composure. "The people who are brought here - for some reason, all of us have the ability to summon a Persona. With this power, we might just be able to save the people here..."

[trainwrecking]

He takes everything with a grain of salt; this new world is no different. But Otonashi is nothing if not humane, and even with the poor state of affairs back home, he cannot find it in himself to brush the girl off.

"The... last remaining city?" Naturally, he wonders: what happened to the others? Aoi is gracious enough to provide more information before his imagination is allowed to wander too far. Well done.

"... Monsters. Rebellions against the government..." Surely she means an actual government and not the school hierarchy he's accustomed to. Doesn't she?

"A-ano... I have something... important I have to ask."

[eyewillprotect]

She gives a single nod."Go ahead. I might not know the answer, but I'm willing to try to answer any questions you might have."

[trainwrecking]

He is absolutely convinced she's going to start looking at him as if he had three heads. His hesitation is a testament to that concern.

"Ahh... Are we... dead by any chance?" Otonashi tries to make it sound like a hypothetical question. Better to approach the subject gently than plunge the poor girl right in. It's not like he took the whole "congratulations, you're dead, welcome to the afterlife, look at my huge gun and perpetually friendzoned co-leader" approach very well.

[eyewillprotect]

If she hadn't already had a conversation with somebody who was dead, she might have done just that. But as it is, there is only a flicker of confusion on her face before she puts two and two together.

"Not everyone here is dead, but I once spoke to another person who came from an afterlife. I think for the most part the people who are brought here are alive."

...If only she knew, but what she doesn't won't hurt her. At any rate, his question does cause her some concern, and she quickly poses a question of her own. "Since you are asking, does that mean you are...?"

[trainwrecking]

He looks up, eyes alight with interest.

"Someone else from an afterlife? Do you remember what they look like?" It's entirely possible ― even probable ― that this person isn't someone he knows. Still, there is no harm in asking. His expression softens, turning sheepish under the weight of her deduction.

"... Nn. I am," Otonashi chimes in, filling the gap in her thought. "Or... was, I guess."

It's a good thing he wasn't the type to think, 'oh! I should just off myself! I'll wake back up and be fine!'

[eyewillprotect]

She shakes her head. "It was an audio post, so I never saw his face. He sounded like a teenager, and his name is Neku Sakuraba. Maybe you will be able to find him with that?"

Her worry only deepens when he confirms it. "Was it... like a game for you, too? Sakuraba described it to me as one. A game to earn back your life."

[trainwrecking]

Neku Sakuraba..?

"I've never heard that name before, but... I'll try. Thank you." It occurs to him that he hasn't even asked for this girl's name; he opens his mouth to do so, but her question strikes him. He swallows his words for now.

"It was... a little. We used gamer terms to describe the world. Like NPC ― ah, Non-Player-Character ― for non-sentient students... In some ways it was laid out like a game. But―" He adjusts his tattered coat, still disoriented.

[eyewillprotect]

"Gamer terms?" Sorry Otonashi, you are talking to a very traditional girl here. "The way Sakuraba described it, it seems there were... Game Masters? And he needed to do what they asked of him." There's quite a bit of uncertainty to her voice; she is by no means talking about something she knows much about.

But if the two are different, then...

"Are there... different afterlives, perhaps?"

[trainwrecking]

"Yeah... NPCs. Hinata used the term respawn sometimes..." More so in passing did the two throw around that kind of lingo. Still, he'll try not to lay on the terms too thick.

"Game masters..? No... I don't think we had that. We had Angel. But that isn't the same." At least, not as far as Otonashi knew. Certainly she was strange, but that powerful? Doubtful.

"I could understand different afterlives. Er... at least I can now." He manages a sheepish smile. "All of the dead from mine were school-age. There has to be somewhere for those who aren't..."

[eyewillprotect]

"School age?" She thinks on it for a moment before shaking her head. "Afterlives must be... interesting where you come from. But then again, I am not even sure what the afterlife is like in my own world." What with... not being dead and all. "I know that spirits can be brought back with the Dark Arts, but other than that..."

Ah, that's not a pleasant memory. Her forehead wrinkles for a second at the thought, but she quickly smooths her expression. "At any rate... As long as you are here, you are alive again. I suppose in a way, it could be considered something like a... second chance, maybe?"

[trainwrecking]

"Ah. That's... one way to put it." His following smile is delicate and not to last as long as the serious subject matter prevails. "Dark Arts..? Like some―" Something out of a JRPG? Like the term NPC? Luckily, he restrains himself. Aoi might not be as understanding as Yuri was. "―some...thing Angel might program."

It's a quick save and the best he could come up with on the spot.

"... Alive again?" He really doesn't want to test that theory. Not again. On the other hand, it makes him all the more grateful that she showed up when he did. A living person can only bleed for so long before... well. Before death strikes. "Y-yeah... maybe it is. A third chance, even..."

He really has to get her name. Oh, and thank her profusely again.

[eyewillprotect]

She appears to think on it for a moment before realizing where exactly they are. "I'm sorry, there will be time for this later. For now, we should get you to shelter - do you think you can make it to the City Hall? We can get you your ID, as well as your apartment number."

[trainwrecking]

ID? Apartment number? The idea of just showing up and obtaining an apartment ― not a dorm ― sounds awfully strange.

"Ahh, yeah, but― I haven't even gotten your name and you've been... really helpful."

[eyewillprotect]

"Oh, I'm sorry-- I probably should have introduced myself earlier." She looks genuinely apologetic before giving a small smile. "My name is Aoi Misato. I'm originally from Tokyo if you are familiar with it, but..."

After staying here for a while, you get used to the fact that people are not necessarily from the same world, much less one that actually resembles your own in terms of geography.

[trainwrecking]

"Ahh, Tokyo?" His smile is weak, as to be expected. Too much is going on -- and too much bloodloss -- for him to be completely at ease. "I've... uh, I've heard of it..!"

Otonashi's tone turns more sheepish. "I can't remember if I've ever been there myself, though... Maybe. Oh-- do you prefer Misato or Aoi?"

[eyewillprotect]

"Misato is fine." She doesn't exactly mind people calling her by her first name here, but if this boy is from Japan as well, he would understand the strangeness of being referred to by one's given name right from the start. "And what should I call you?"

As she talks, she begins walking slowly in the direction of the nearest tram station. If he follows, she'll increase her speed to a normal pace - they really ought to get him indoors.

[trainwrecking]

He nods. A lot of the girls he knew immediately introduced themselves on a solely first-name basis, so he figured it was polite to ask. "Ahh... I, uh... Otonashi is fine." Even in this new place, he doesn't recall his given name.

Dutifully, he follows, staying consistently behind her and occasionally stumbling. His stride is imperfect, with good reason, but he manages to not fall too far behind. "So... ah. Do I have to... pay for my ID?"

[eyewillprotect]

"No. Your starting expenses are paid for, and you will receive a stipend so that you can live here for a month to settle in. But after that point, you will probably need to get a job to support yourself." She rattles off the information calmly, clearly quite used to this sort of thing.

[trainwrecking]

"That's thoughtful, but a little strange..." He forces a sheepish smile. "I don't remember the real world being so forgiving." Then again, he doesn't really remember anything. Otonashi shakes his head and looks around as he follows, not entirely sure what City Hall looks like.

"So, you must have... been here a long time now?" Given how she talks, anyway.

[eyewillprotect]

"I haven't been here very long compared to some, but it's been a few months now. It seems that after getting so many people like us, they've had time to put a system in place so that we don't need to worry about shelter and food from the start."

As they walk, a tram station comes into view, and she holds a hand out rather like a tour guide. "That is one of the tram stations. We'll be using this to get to the City Hall. There are a couple that don't, but most of the tram lines will take you to the Leo Ward, where the government buildings are located."