could it be just a dream?

[meaningdies]

Who: Naoya and Agatha
Where: Pisces 7-05
Summary: Naoya has quickly figured out whom he's swapped with. It turns out they're related. This will be fun.
Warnings: Frank discussion of murder, death, and gore.


[Naoya isn't quite sure why this is happening. There are tangled strings, yes, but would that cause them? It might have something to do with some kind of connection with their souls… ugh.]

[He rubs his forehead and looks over towards the door, awaiting the girl's - Agatha's - appearance. Her family is descended from him… well. Many people are, but sometimes there's a family where it seems they're more connected than most…]

[No matter. His questions can wait for her.]

Comments

[meaningdies]

I know. Still.

[He's quiet for a few moments, before speaking up again.]

... What do you remember?

[The 'from me' is implied.]

[badluckhealer]

[Ah, there we go. Time to be the most awkward turtle.]

...A lot of things. [Resisting the urge to put a hand to her forehead.] Things from many time periods, many - lives? Things no one human should logically be able to see. ...there's a lot of violence, and a lot of death.

[Tea, tea, tea is actually pretty good I've never had this before but it's okay but it's familiar but]

...It's confusing. I'm sorry.

[meaningdies]

... Yes. There is. It was... not something that was ever meant to be shared with anyone else. That's the cause of most of the headaches - too many memories stuffed in one mind.

I know it's confusing. Hopefully you won't have to endure it much longer.

[badluckhealer]

That would explain it. My family, we - we have other issues, but not being prone to headaches.

[At least, she's pretty sure they aren't. Then again, "don't complain" is kind of a rule, so who knows.]

...Likewise. At least it doesn't seem to be a curse, though. ...or if it is, it's a widespread one.

[meaningdies]

It's not too much trouble for me. Another lifetime's memories... it's not too hard to integrate them, considering I've had experience.

[He nods at her words.]

This place does tend to... ah. Decide to mess with us at times. Or draw us into various events.

[badluckhealer]

Even so.

[...Aaaand there's a scowl at that little revelation.]

How very, very kind of this place. Free housing and free curses, all in one package.

[meaningdies]

Mm. Correct. It should hopefully be sorted out soon... I don't know how quickly, however.

[badluckhealer]

[Another sip of the tea, as much because she doesn't know what to say next as anything. Under most other circumstances, this might be okay, but...somehow, she has the feeling that she should be saying something. Words. Maybe.

...How do you shot socializing.

...She sighs.]

I - apologize. ... I'm not good at socializing.

[meaningdies]

It's fine. I imagine this is all very sudden.

Though... heh. If you're in need of aid, I suppose I can be of assistance. That ability of yours takes a toll on you. I can heal you when you need it. I have a strong healing spell. Even if you're close to death, I can heal you - or at least hold you together long enough to get to a hospital.

[badluckhealer]

[She nods to acknowledge the first part of that speech, but the rest...That actually makes her look up from the tea at him, pale eyes wide. That was unexpected.

Aren't we supposed to endure--?

She looks back down at the tea, eyes still wide.]

I...thank you for the offer...but I am used to treating these wounds and - I do not wish to be an inconvenience.

[It's a bit of brutal honesty - brutal as far as her badass stoic facade goes, anyway - but there you go.]

[meaningdies]

Oh, stop being so dramatic. 'This pain is my own, I have to bear it.' I've been through that before. Take it from an old man - if you can ease the pain, do it.

You might be used to treating your own wounds, but I can close them. As for being an inconvenience...

[He sets his tea down and leans forward a bit.]

Aside from my... search for a solution to my curse... there is nothing more important than family. And like it or not, you're in my line. More than most people, I mean. So let an old man take care of his descendents, hm?

[badluckhealer]

Wait - Dramatic?! I'm not--! I'm just doing what Mother said--!

[There is an open look of "what" on her face. Congratulations, Naoya. Now stop being nice to her, she is the night!

After a moment of silent freakout, she hangs her head.]

I - would be rude t - to not - um - [oh right.] Thank you.

[...HOW DO I SHOT SOMETHING REMOTELY RESEMBLING A FUNCTIONAL FAMILIAL KINSHIP.]

[meaningdies]

[He'll just sit here while she has her freakout.]

I don't fully understand your situation. I can't. That's impossible. But I suspect that your time to choose what you think you should do in the world is near. It's your choice whether to follow the exact line that you've been fed for years.

[badluckhealer]

[At that, she looks back up, small freakout over.]

My apologies - I may not have been clear. I've already decided on my own path. I was just... [Mumble.] I thought I was projecting an air of being serious, not being dramatic.

[meaningdies]

I understand. But you should choose what to do with your own emotions. Don't let someone else tell you what to do.

... You were being quite dramatic, though. Even if your family is cursed... well. There's humor in all things. Try to find it.

[badluckhealer]

[...She looks pretty thoughtful, right now. Hi, suddenly questioning some things. Perhaps some day there will be a chance of her evolving into a happier dorf!]

...Neither of those things had occurred to me.

[meaningdies]

I figured. But... heh. When you hang around a god of mischief for a long time, things tend to rub off on you.

[badluckhealer]

A...god of...

[Right, right, trickster archetypes. Those were real. Trickster spirits were real, though the existence of trickster gods was still up for debate.]

...Things are very strange here.

[It's stating the obvious, but - she probably wouldn't have before. It would sound too much like a complaint, after all.]

[meaningdies]

Well. He's not a god anymore, not since he was cast down with the others. And yes, they are. The persona didn't tip you off?

[The driest of sarcasm here.]

[badluckhealer]

[Erp. Is this a reprimand...?]

I - apologize - for not having done research on Personas yet.

[Not being able to use one until, uh, NOW probably had something to do with it.]

[meaningdies]

It's fine.

[He waves the apology off. No big deal.]

The general weirdness of this place is still unusual, though. We've been given very little information about what happened to cause this.

[badluckhealer]

No information, that - that is unfortunate.

[Information is power and thumbing one's nose at The Man, man. She takes another sip of tea.]

What - is known about what happened, may I ask? And are there any ways of finding out more?

[She doesn't exactly want to get involved - neutrality is a big thing with her family, after all. Still...there may not be a choice.]

[meaningdies]

About this whole situation in general... I know that we were brought here by a being named Philemon. I believe he's been engaging in a... competition or bet of sorts with an entity named Nyarlathotep. In theory Philemon would be the 'good' and Nyarlathotep would be the 'evil', but such things rarely are simple.

[Air quotes included, yes.]

In addition, there's a group here called the 'Anoli', who claim to be for the freedom of people here. They claim that the government is hiding information from everyone, which... is likely, to be honest, but not unusual for a government.

As for the reason we have Persona in the first place... my guess is that it's some kind of side-effect of being brought here from different realities in addition to being a 'gift' bestowed on us from Philemon.

[badluckhealer]

[There's a long pause as she takes this in. It is a lot of information, especially with the migraine.

... Okay yeah this is information overload.] I - apologize, I may need to revisit that later.

[That is not a facepalm. Really. (Okay it totally is.)]

[meaningdies]

Not a problem.

[... Maybe he should make more tea.]

[badluckhealer]

[Might not hurt. That being said...well.]

...what happens now?

[She doesn't like this feeling, being lost and not knowing how to handle a situation. Surprises and sudden shakeups aren't things she was raised to handle.

She knows asking for help isn't good, but...well, if it's from a technically-relative...? Uncle said it was okay, too, so...]

[meaningdies]

These things usually tend to pass with time, I've noticed. That said... there's a few things we might be able to do for your headache. We can go out and find some herbs for it - they might be sold in the shopping district.

[badluckhealer]

[Completely misunderstood. Eh, well, that's what comes of not socializing. Good job, Aggie.

(She really meant, "what do about suddenly relatives", but. Well. Nope not gonna question ancestor. This is all way too weird as it is.

Also there's the migraine.)]

I...if you insist.

[This is never going to be something she is used to.]