Asura

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

HOSHINO NORIAKI

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx D A T E April 10th 2018 L O C A T I O N The Hall of Mirrors T A G S @Hero@Scribe of Thoth@Lord Orgasmo@RiverMaiden

It was difficult to parse exactly what Noriaki felt in that moment. It was like a cold fury prickling up and down his spine, one which took a great deal of might to restrain? Animosity, perhaps? It didn't matter. He was never very good with synonyms, or classifying his emotions for that matter. All he knew that it was very, very potent, and directed almost entirely at this stupid cat-eared thing and her innocent act. That much was obvious from the wrath in his devilish eyes. "I fuckin wish it was, believe me," The teen spat, glowering at her as she decided to turn her back to him. It seemed as though addressing the lambs that had followed him into the slaughter was more important to her than continuing her charade with him. He had half a mind to address them as well—the little shit with the green hair had decided to deride his appearance of all things, as if she didn't look like a houseplant that had sprouted stumpy legs. Legendary in his restraint, the teen managed to keep himself from shouting her down as well, settling on a fang-filled snarl instead. Yelling at morons all day wasn't going to get them out of there, after all, and he needed to settle this business fast or risk losing his job opportunity. Luckily, the cat-girl's preamble came to a close soon enough, and he found himself filing in after the others as she led the charge through the doorway she had just been so insistent on him not going through. Hands stuffed into the pockets of his newly created jacket, Noriaki brooded quietly as the group made their way towards an eerily familiar looking curtain. Whoever was responsible for this bizarre world certainly had a very distinct set of aesthetics, and it certainly didn't appeal to Noriaki. Talk of dungeons and shadows didn't interest him very much, but what did manage to bring him out of his sulking was the appearance those ugly black blobs. "What a gentleman," He muttered bitterly in response to Mira's assertion as he muscled his way through the assembled students, pulling his hands free from their constraints, "Guess I don't have a choice—SWORD!" As his voice boomed, he outstretched a hand, half expecting nothing to happen. To his surprise, his command seemed to reach whatever ears it needed to reach; a blaze of azure exploded onto the scene just before his fingers, the radiant blue fire molding itself into suspiciously solid form. He grabbed at the ethereal display, and his digits found purchase, wrapping around the grip of a blade that rapidly appeared amidst the wispy curls of fading flame. He held the wicked looking weapon before him, placing his other hand on the lengthy hilt. As his purple spheres darted between the assembled monsters, there was a strange sense of strength that came along with holding the sword. A confidence in himself that felt as intoxicating as it was empowering. These things weren't half as terrifying as the demon he had faced off with before, and he had survived her just fine. That knowledge spurred him forward. Pushing off his back foot, the teen charged the nearest sphere, reeling his blade back and bringing down in a powerful overhand swing meant to cleave it in two.

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

HOSHINO NORIAKI

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx D A T E April 10th 2018 L O C A T I O N The Hall of Mirrors T A G S @Hero@Scribe of Thoth@Lord Orgasmo@RiverMaiden

It seemed as though, on that day, Noriaki could do no right. The little bitch had gone through the trouble of luring him and his classmates to this godforsaken place to fight some monster or another, yet when he tried to go do just that so he could go home, she seemed intent on stopping him. If she was so worried about him and his safety, why the hell did she decide he needed to be brought against his will to another mirror?! Had she not warned him to stay away from them the time before? The irate teen yanked his hand from the now cat-eared pest, turning on his heel so he could affix her with another glare. "If a dumb ass like you can kill one of them hundreds of times, I think I can manage once. Besides, who else is gonna do it? That one," He thrust a finger out towards Daigo, the very reason the lot of them had ended up tumbling through the mirror in the face place, "Is seeing things, for fuck's sake. Probably hit his head coming in. I do not have a... tail?" As he berated the girl, the occasional flicker in his peripheral vision had grown more and more noticeable. Only when he bothered to lower his gaze from her face to see what it was did it finally occur to him—a long, slender, spade-tipped tail whipped to-and-fro to his side. One which seemed to lead all the way behind him as he traced its origin with his eyes. "What the fuck are you?!" He exclaimed with wide eyes, grabbing at it as it only continued whipping about in his shock. It took quite a while for him to get a hold on the newly discovered appendage of his, which seemed to have a mind of its own, and even when he did manage to grab it and give it a hard tug, the resulting pain radiating from his tailbone only caused his panic to grow. Why the fuck did he have a tail? Did she think this was some kind of funny joke? Call him a devil and then give him a little cartoon devil tail? What next, a little pair of horns to go with it?! "Do not tell me—God DAMMIT!" The moments that followed a cursory touch to his forehead were spent spitting a string of profanities, as he reckoned absurdity of these new acquisitions with the dire situation he found himself in. There was vague recognition that their gracious host had been waffling on about something or another to the handful of students who had accompanied him, Daigo among them, but he was too caught up searching his body for any other unwelcome additions to his physiology. He had just finished checking for little wings when the girl spun back around to confront him about obligation. "Responsibility? My fuckin' responsibility is to go to school, go to work, and not break my paro... parent's expectations! I don't owe you anything! Hell, you should be the one owing me! If I hadn't gotten grabbed a few days ago, you'd be a fuckin' corpse by now!"

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

HOSHINO NORIAKI

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx D A T E April 10th 2018 L O C A T I O N The Hall of Mirrors T A G S @Hero@Scribe of Thoth@Lord Orgasmo@RiverMaiden

"There isn't a we. There's a you and there's a me, and neither are going in the same direction on this!" Noriaki practically snarled his response to the annoying cat girl and her bold claims. It may have been that he was overreacting, but in the bizarre situation he found himself in, it was impossible to remain calm and collected. It didn't help that every word he spoke seemed to bounce off entirely, as if her nonsensical logic made perfect sense and he was the only one who couldn't see. "I don't know who you—No, no! Do not do that! Do not make me glow!" The teen battered away her hand as she prodded at him, dispelling whatever weird fiery mage she decided to call forth. He was at the end of his rope at that point, especially with her deciding to play dumb about their previous encounter. He fucking wished they hadn't seen each other before. He extended a finger of his own, jabbing it into her collarbone to put the point across. "Y'know what? Good. You don't know me. I don't know you. We're going to keep it that way, and after this, you're not coming to my school to bother me. I'm going to go figure out a way out of this place, because apparently," He paused, to jerk a finger over his shoulder at the mirror that had brought them, "That one isn't going to take us back. Because of course it isn't. That would be too fuckin' easy to be the case." With that, the devil-tailed lad brushed his way past the mystery girl who had been the source of so much of his anger, and started off towards the door at the end of the hallway. He had done his part in trying to rescue Hinari, and if the girl was so insistent on dragging the others into this, she could take care of protecting them from Miss Handsy. The hallway they were in did resemble the one from Sunday night, so wherever it led couldn't have been that much different from the stage he ended up on before. He just had to go in, find another mirror, and step through it. Hopefully he wouldn't run into any demons on the way, but if he did, well... he was sure that smug little angel brat would come back to snap their swords. Probably.

Heiseina: Memories Long Forgotten (CLOSED)

SEIMEI KEIKO

_{tags - @Hero}

---

Keiko couldn't help but grin a little deviously as she watched Tsubasa jump at her little prank. It was a good reminder for why she bothered to come out this way as often as she did. He was as gullible as any of the yokels laboring out in the rice paddies, but a heck of a lot nicer when he found out he was being had. In spite of her antics, she had been as well received as she ever was at the blacksmith's forge. There was the matter of that obnoxious nickname Tsubasa had always used for her, as if she were some kind of child, but she had never managed to get him to stop for more than a day or two at a time. Another reason for her to continue picking on him whenever she had the opportunity.

"That makes one of us." She answered his pleasantries nonchalantly, dangling her feet off the side of his workshop as she did. For all his politeness, the blacksmith's apprentice seemed usually vigilant in his appraisal of her. She couldn't understand why—she dressed more or less the same way every time they saw each other, and it wasn't like she prettied herself up before leaving home like a lot of the girls in town. Her natural curiosity caused her to trace the line of his eyes, just a few moments before he hastily looked away. Her eyebrows rose as she glanced down and found the source of his fascination.

It seemed as though there had been a misunderstanding. One which was terribly exploitable. Would that she could force a flush into her cheeks.

"I was wondering when you'd notice, honestly. It's kind of flattering that you did. Not many people pay that much attention to me..."" Like flicking a switch, the smug little grin that constantly adorned her features had been replaced with something more... flirtatious.

She fluttered her eyelashes just a little, like half the village girls did when they talked to Tsubasa. In truth, she didn't think he would think much of it. He always seemed a little oblivious to their gazes and flirtations, but that didn't matter. He would surely pay attention to the finger she trailed along the hem of her kimono, tugging enticingly on it as she continued.

"They just came in this spring. Bigger than I could have ever hoped, although I guess you've already noticed that," A giggle followed that one, airy and soft as she could make it, "Would you like to see them? I'd let you if you wanted. I'd even let you taste them before anyone else has the chance to."

She bit her lower lip at that point, excitement burning in her eyes as the incessant tugging she had been doing on her garment bore fruit. It began to pull away, the outer layer giving way for the cold air outside. She pulled and pulled until it all came spilling out for him, what Tsubasa's gaze had been on in since he first laid eyes on her—a couple of oranges, which proceeded to roll down her chest and into her lap. Her expression returned to its vague disinterest just as they did, abandoning all pretense of seduction as slid her kimono back into its proper position. With her other hand, she seized one of the fruits and tossed it towards him.

"Itadakimasu."

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

HOSHINO NORIAKI

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx D A T E April 10th 2018 L O C A T I O N The Hall of Mirrors T A G S @Hero@Scribe of Thoth@Lord Orgasmo@RiverMaiden

There was an inevitability to their fate that lingered in the back of Noriaki's mind, even as additional bodies piled onto the ginger to keep him from being dragged into the mirror. When the hands had come for him, he had significantly better leverage and traction to fight against them with. He was taller, stronger, and the mirror was a hell of a lot smaller, yet his handhold snapped before he could wrench himself free. The source of the hands seemed to want Daigo just as much as she had wanted him. It probably would have been smart to just let him go. The ghost girl masquerading as a cat could go in after him, seeing as though she was so very acquainted with fighting demons. It was her fault the lot of them had been brought into this. But he had always been obstinate when he set his mind to something. There was a small, stubborn part of him that refused to allow him to walk that path, just as it had refused to allow him to flee the night that demon decided to attack. Noriaki stubbornly clung to Daigo's hand as the group was slowly but surely pulled through the surface of the mirror, and only blackness remained. It was a little different from his first journey through. Maybe it was because he had been on his ass when they were forced through the mirror, but the darkness gave way to light just as Noriaki landed with a thump against the floor of... wherever the hell they had been brought. It was all vaguely familiar, but familiarity with this place was not something Noriaki wanted to cultivate. A cursory inspection seemed to imply the others had been brought along with him just fine, including the one who had been snared. Who was still snared. The teen stared at the hand—which had been so kind as to pause its endless tug-of-war—and released Daigo's arm. He had been here before. That little shit on an angel had helped him. He even had a sword! One which was now suspiciously absent from his hand. If he could just get it back, he could try severing the damned thing. Yet he would not have the opportunity. No sooner than he raised his hand and tried to call the weapon into existence, did an unfortunately familiar voice hit his ear. It hit the hand with something equally unpleasant soon thereafter. With slit-eyes, Noriaki watched the inhuman appendage squirmed its way across the floor in retreat, all the way down the blank hallway until it disappeared entirely into what looked to be an ominous doorway. Most people, in that scenario, would probably have felt relief. Freed from the grasp of something horrible, safe for the time being, able to collect themselves and tend to their peers without fear. That was not the case for Noriaki. He could feel a heat building up inside of him, roiling just below the surface. A tail he had scarcely acknowledged since arrival flicked to-and-fro irately. When he heard it again—that fucking voice—the heat boiled over. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" His voice seemed to echo off the narrow hall as he boomed at the ghostly visage behind him, the aforementioned tail whipping against the ground to punctuate each word of his. The classmate he had labored so hard to rescue went by the wayside entirely as he stomped his way over to the girl, now sporting cat-ears and a tail like she had started part timing at a cosplay cafe. "What part of 'I don't want to do this again' do you not understand?! I'm not getting involved with you or that half-naked demon bitch! Which should have been clear about two minutes ago when I told you I wasn't going to do it! And who do you think you're calling a devil?! Or yours, for that matter?! I don't see a collar on my neck, do you?! If anything, you should be wearing one!" His tirade was only matched in its intensity by its volume, and paused only so he could seize the girl by one of the fluffy feline ears atop her head. "Look at these things! You seriously thought this was gonna work?! Lure me in with another fuckin' cat?! Fool me once!"

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

HOSHINO NORIAKI

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx D A T E April 10th 2018 L O C A T I O N Hinotori Highschool T A G S @Hero@Scribe of Thoth@Lord Orgasmo@RiverMaiden

He didn't think it was somehow possible, but the atmosphere which hung so oppressively over the gym managed to put Noriaki on edge more than any dumb, ghostly girl's antics. It was exactly like the night he had been dragged by who-knew-what into that other world, right down to the gentle plodding of a pale cat towards a seemingly innocuous mirror. Only, unlike that time, he wasn't alone. All three of his classmates had apparently come after him into the gym, completely unaware of the danger they had put themselves in with their curiosity. He had to warn them, no matter how crazy he might have sounded. If this was going to go down again, he could at least prevent other people from getting wrapped up in it. He jerked his head to the side as cool azure seemed to overtake the ambient light. "God dammit! You guys need to get the fuck out of here, now, before—" His warning seemed to come just a few seconds too late. Blue faded to black, and darkness overtook the interior of the gym. His eyes instinctively snapped back to the mirror the feline had been toying with, and surely enough it appeared. A shadowy mass, morphing itself into the vaguest of hand shapes. There was a split second, a single beat, as it seemed to contemplate its victims. In that heartbeat, Noriaki's feet pushed off the ground. It was going to grab someone. He just needed to get to them first. The most likely victim would be the one closest, which meant... "Hinari!" But again he wasn't fast enough. By the time the word left his mouth, the grasping hands had already gotten a hold on the ginger's legs and pulled him to the floor. A thousand swears ran through his mind as he watched the boy skidding across polished wood, no handholds in sight to try and keep him from being dragged in. In their absence, he resolved to act in their place. His mad dash across the gym culminated in a dive, the teen sliding across the well-kept floor as he had done in so many home games, managing to just barely reach his one-time companion and grip his hand around one of those so desperately outstretched. As he clung onto Daigo, the heels of his feet pressed hard into the gymnasium's floor, and Noriaki pulled with all the might such a position could afford him. Which, unfortunately, wasn't as much as he wanted, the traction of school issued slippers being what it was. "You hold on for your life! I fuckin' knew this was going to happen! Every fuckin' time I follow a cat to a mirror!"

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

HOSHINO NORIAKI

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx D A T E April 10th 2018 L O C A T I O N Hinotori Highschool T A G S @Hero@Scribe of Thoth@Lord Orgasmo@RiverMaiden

All the sad yowling in the world wasn't going to get Noriaki to follow that little hellion. Honestly, taking the form of his favorite animal to try and guilt him? What did she take him for, some kind of bleeding heart who was that easily lured in? He would have given her a piece of his mind, if he intended on ever engaging with her again. Yet no sooner than the rubber soles of his sneakers clattered against the floor did his resolve falter—the little shit had taken off with his shoes! "Get back here with those, you little bitch!" He yelled after the supposed feline, who only seemed to stare him down as if challenging him to come and take them. He practically snarled as he slammed his locker door shut, jamming his foot back into the one slipper he had managed to shed before her little stunt. Those were his favorite pair—never mind his only pair—and he wasn't going to let her hold them hostage for whatever spooky, mirror-related bullshit she wanted to drag him into this time! The teen muscled his way past Hinari and Mori as he began his pursuit, which predictably caused his quarry to skitter off in the opposite direction, his footwear clattering across the ground as she took flight. Fast as he was, he wasn't quite fast enough to reach her before she rammed her way through the gymnasium doors, albeit with one fewer of his sneakers in her grubby little mouth. He snatched it off the ground as he barreled through the doors himself, wielding it above his head like a projectile-to-be for the second he laid eyes on the little thief. He might have pegged her with it, had the atmosphere in the gym not immediately taken him back to the chilly April night they had first crossed paths. In lieu of a shoe to the face, he instead laid a dagger-like glare upon her from across the court. "Not this shit again. I am not doing this shit again!"

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

HOSHINO NORIAKI

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx D A T E April 10th 2018 L O C A T I O N Hinotori Highschool T A G S @Hero@Scribe of Thoth@Lord Orgasmo@RiverMaiden

It didn't come as much of a surprise that the cat brought a collection of Noriaki's peers along with her. She had managed to gather quite the number of errant students beforehand, after all. Unlike them, however, the teen actually knew at least the first one to approach. Hinari put forth a theory about kittens, and for all his love of felines, he couldn't offer a rebuttal of worth for that. Maybe she was just looking for a lost kitten that managed to find its way into the school. Certainly didn't explain why she was so affection with him, but maybe his uniform picked up some kind of smell from his own cat earlier in the morning. He didn't have too much time to ruminate on it, as others quickly began to assemble around the mystery animal. One of them, the next tallest kid in his class, expressed shock there really was a cat after all. Noriaki had heard the rumblings too, during lunch. Apparently they blamed the shattering of one of the gym's mirrors on the poor little thing, as if something her size had the strength or leverage to pry one off the wall. Not that he especially minded the loss of gaudy, polished glass. He had been wary of mirrors ever since the night he rescued his own mouser from the burnt out ruins near his home, ever since that girl—imagined or not—warned him about straying too close. It was in that moment, the vague acknowledgment of memories he had spent the better part of two days trying to bury, that it clicked for Noriaki. That was where he had seen the bewitching eyes this little kitty possessed. On the back of his sudden realization, he recalled another phantom from his hours spent dozing. "The previous denizen of the stage has made it to your world," His expression immediately soured. This was not what he came to Kyoto for. He was here for a new start. New school, new friends, new job, good grades and a pleased parole officer. No weird, mysteriously regeneration houses down the street. No creepy mirrors full of grasping hands. No bloodcurdling demons trying to stab him in the chest and no god damn ghost girls pretending to be cats. He didn't have a choice that first time—hell, up until that very moment, he had been content to consider everything that happened that night a stress-induced nightmare. But now other people could confirm the weirdness was real. Mirrors were exploding, cats with mystical eyes were wandering the halls, and it all managed to find its way back to him. "I told you last time I wasn't doing that shit again," He hissed under his breath, using the fingers that had so gingerly been searching for a good spot to scratch to force the little imposter's gaze up to meet his own. "I don't want a damn thing to do with you, or your house, or your immortal demon bitch." It might have occurred to him how crazy he sounded to the others assembled, but he didn't care. He wasn't going to stick around long enough for the girl crazy enough to go back into the viper's pit to do more of her spooky magic and end up dragging him into who knew what. He stood up from his crouch and turned back to his locker, pulling out his sneakers and dropping them to the floor so he could change and get the hell out of there. Whatever soul-eating kitten she wanted him to find could be someone else's problem.

Heiseina: Memories Long Forgotten (CLOSED)

SEIMEI KEIKO

_{tags - @Hero}

---

The trip from the tower to the village proper wasn't long, but it was just scenic enough that Keiko sometimes wished it was—never mind that she didn't tend to enjoy her time in town to begin with. Even from her place at the outskirts she could see folks bustling back and forth, partaking in the aforementioned lantern hanging and bean scattering and all manner of festivity. She tried her best not to look sour about it, as if any of them particularly cared. After all, it was a bright, crisp morning. She had enough fruit to sate her all through the afternoon, and she had all the time in the world to do as she wished. It was just finding what she wanted to do with all of it that was the problem. Luckily enough, as she wandered the streets and pondered the issue, a distinct sound managed to snap her out of her contemplation.

Ting! Ting! Ting!

It was one relatively familiar to her. To everyone, in truth, as few in the valley knew how to work their own metal. They all inevitably ended up at the town's smithy for all their needs, although ironwork was scarcely what brought Keiko to the humble little forge. The proprietor's nephew, Tsubasa, was something of an acquaintance of hers. She had been picking on him since his folks sent him waddling up the hill to learn how to Sign, and long after his time at the tower ended after an especially amusing incident involving an old tome and her mother's enduring wrath. To the lad's credit—if she even had the right to call him a lad—he had always taken her teasing in stride. An unfortunate thing, as it only encouraged her to keep doing it.

Before she knew it her feet had taken her towards the market square, and ever closer to the source of the sound. As she caught sight of the young man hard at work, she grinned wickedly. She had always prided herself on her light-footed nature, but it was so rare she even needed to sneak up on him. He always got so absorbed in his craft that she probably could have walked right on into the work area and he'd be none the wiser. It still didn't stop her from meticulously toeing her way towards the forge, careful to avoid his peripheral vision as approached from behind.

Only once she was within striking distance did she make her move. A quick pair of fingers reached up high to tap him on his right shoulder, just enough to get his attention. Then, nimble as could be, Keiko ducked to his left and hopped up onto the table besides his workspace, careful not to land her behind on any of the cooling works in the process.

"You lookin' for someone, pretty boy?" She asked cheekily as she kicked her legs back and forth, nonchalant as could be.

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

HOSHINO NORIAKI

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx D A T E April 10th 2018 L O C A T I O N Hinotori Highschool T A G S @Hero@Scribe of Thoth

It became apparent to Noriaki that even the other grades had been struck with the same lethargy the 2nd years had been hit with—the first floor lockers were surprisingly underpopulated. Usually there was a rush of students looking to free themselves from academia, or at least find respite in their clubs. The drive to escape the building certainly wasn't lost on him, though. Showing up early for work based appointments made a good impression, and after his little spat with the school's council president the day prior, he was sorely in need of them. Such was his rush that he scarcely noticed the cluster of boys and girls around one locker in particular. It undoubtedly contributed to the expediency with which he arrived at his own, and that concerned him more than whatever they were gawking at. Until the source of their excitement made itself his problem. A loud mrrrow not unlike the ones that woke him up that morning caught his attention, and he peered away from his shoes just in time to see a feline hurriedly making its way towards him. At first he was almost impressed, having thought it was his own, but the little guy back home was a mite bit whiter than this one and a little bigger to boot. Stranger or not, it seemed to like him quite a bit, as he soon found it winding itself around his legs in its attempts to rub up against him. "I'm really popular with you guys lately, huh?," He asked rhetorically as he bent down to get a better look at it, "Not that I mind. Always liked cats." It certainly didn't look like any stray he had ever seen—it was too clean on closer inspection, with its soft yellow coat being the result of pigment rather than stains. He also couldn't help but notice its eyes. He was pretty sure having different colored eyes was common among some dog breeds, but he had never seen them on a cat before. What was worse, they seemed weirdly familiar to him, but he couldn't quite place it. He extended a hand, figuring it wanted to give him a good sniff before he tried making contact. If all went well, a good chin scratching would follow. "What's a pretty lil' thing like you doing in a place like this? You don't have a collar, but you look too well fed to be from the streets."