Randomguy

Persona: Black Crown

I was thinking we were in the same rooftop because there was a rooftop mentioned on the opening post

There was even a newer attraction here too, a rooftop view of the Scramble that can be accessed from the same aforementioned building.

So originally, I thought we were just in THE rooftop. Anyway, I think if I get this right, currently Hikari, Toma, and Shirona is on the same rooftop, Osamu is on another rooftop, Ayo is below, near the building Osamu was on, Kauro just arrived on the Metaverse, and Seiji just crashed from above with the train

Persona: Black Crown

I thought Osamu was on another roof, but I thought Shirona was on the same roof as Hikari and Toma.

"Is the name of our mutual acquintance Senji? Or did I lure his enemies?" Shirona's voice asked the newcomer in a sing song voice. She is confident that regardless of what happens she could find a way to get out relatively unscathed.

I assume this was in response to Hikari's question

"Are you perhaps...summoned here by a certain mutual acquaintance of ours, by any chance?" she asked carefully.

@Aurkanthis

Persona: Black Crown

---

Thespian…

Hikari remembered that Seiji had said something to the effect of ‘pick a codename’. Her original idea was to use Duchess, referencing the peerage rank of her persona, Lucrezia. It seemed a simple enough idea.

Though after Seiji then mentioned in passing that one of the members had picked ‘Baron’ as a codename, Hikari reconsidered and ultimately did not end up using Duchess as her codename.

She might have decided to stop ‘willingly backing down’ to please others. But there was a line between that and potentially needlessly inviting scorn from a possible ally. After all, a Duchess would be explicitly above a Baron in the peerage. In fact, Baron was the lowest rank and Duchess the highest, just below the King or Emperor. That was not to say that the ‘Baron’ would fly off the handle over something so petty, but she tended to invite undue jealousy and unjustified misrepresentation.



Hikari realised that such statements could be construed as quite arrogant, but they were validated by her own personal experience. Thus, call it trauma or prudence or being practical, however, she went with Signora instead, the common form of address for women of status during Lucrezia’s time.



“He is our mutual acquaintance, yes. I think we are here for the same reason. Because of the message he sent. You can call me Signora, then. Nice to meet you, Thespian.”

It was then that, almost as if waiting for a cue, a screeching sound echoed through the Metaverse. It was an unfamiliar sound to Hikari’s ears, which took her a few seconds to place the sound. The sound of a train’s whistle, though not one she had heard outside of some movies coming out of Hollywood.

Then, as the sky shattered and a steam train emerged from the hole it created, Hikari could only watch in astonishment—fortunately recognising Seiji even in his Black Regalia form—as it crashed nearby, killing the shadows latching on to it. Only a single shadow survived the fall, prompting Hikari, who had already drawn her weapon, to aim it at the shadow, only for Seiji to dispatch of it quicker than she could draw her arrows.

…Such was the difference between those who had experience and herself, she supposed.



She sighed, “Well, to be fair, you didn’t designate a specific time. Only ‘afternoon’, so you’re not late, no. And even if you were, I can only imagine that whatever trouble you ran into securing this train is more than enough justification. You said ‘our ride’ but what is this thing, exactly?”

@Aurkanthis@Digmata

Kimetsu no Yaiba AU: Temen-ni-Guru (Arc 2)

TENKO MARIA THOMPSON

---

"...Anyway, don't hesitate to assign me some patrols, I'm still fit for dut—"

Tenko stopped mid-sentence, as she visibly tensed. A familiar, prickling sensation as if her skin were pierced by needles ran through her body. A sensation that she started feeling after moving to Japan in certain areas. One that she finally associated with the presence of a demon.

Tenko’s hands reached for her hairband, before shifting its position so that the ribbon moved from the left side of her head to the right side. Almost like a switch, her eyes narrowed, all trace of cheerfulness and warmth people would associate with her vanish, as her expression became taut.

Tenko Thompson did not have the natural disposition to be a demon slayer. She was too soft, too liable to feel sympathy for the demons she had to slay, giving rise to moments of hesitation that would prove fatal.

In fact, on her first assignment to slay a demon, such a thing almost happened. Something that almost made her to be taken off the corps entirely—her presence in the corps already being met with staunch refusal by the Rengoku Clan—which forced her to seek a solution. If she were to take up her mother’s proverbial sword, and continue where she left off to be the light that defend humanity against the darkness of demons, then she needed to harden her heard.

And thus, she found her answer in ‘anchoring action’. A solution befitting of a psychology major university student. A ‘psychological trick’ that conditioned a specific state of mind when the action was made. In Tenko’s case, ‘shifting one’s hairband to the right’ became the signal to ‘be Tenko the demon slayer’ and cease ‘being Tenko the University Student’.

"Is Yanagi-chan, Chozen-san, or any other demons affiliated with the Corps here? Because a demon is around," she said to the rest of the group.

Persona: Black Crown

@Randomguy

Osamu and Ayo aren't on the same roof as Shirona, they aren't all together yet.

@TruthHurts

Oh, my bad, I misunderstood, I'll edit it then

Kimetsu no Yaiba AU: Temen-ni-Guru (Arc 2)

TENKO MARIA THOMPSON

---

Tenko let out a sigh of relief as they reached the hotspring. Miyuki may look like an adorable girl to her eyes at first—which she was, even now—but she was a total slave driver during training. Her legs felt sore all over after all the kicking drills. Still...having caught a glimpse of the result when it was demonstrated on Kenzo, she didn't mind the pain. It would be worth it.

Besides, a certain prolific Christian writer once wrote that 'climbing into the bed with a soreness in one's legs from a good day of walking is pleasurable'. She certainly agreed with the sentiment, only it was 'going into an onsen' rather than 'climbing into the bed' and a 'good day of kicking drills' rather than a 'good day of walking'. Either way, she could only imagine how heavenly it would feel to soak in the hot water of the onsen all the while feeling sore in the legs.

She then turned her attention to Miyuki, which seemed much more cheerful than before. She had some rough edges, so to speak, but Tenko hoped that after spending time with them, Miyuki had become more relaxed in their presence.

"You know, I don't mind helping with patrols to if needed. I think my ability to sense demons can come in handy."

Persona: Black Crown

---

Hikari felt the world shift as the bustling streets of the Shibuya Scramble gave way to the strange world of the Metaverse, an almost distorted mirror of the place they were just standing in before. As they reached the roof access, she saw Toma reaching for his phone. Nodding, Hikari did the same before accessing the Black Crown App to transform into her Black Regalia.



"I suppose we might as well manifest our Black Regalia," she said to Touma, before turning her attention to the door that led to the roof.

She opened the door, only to be greeted with the sight of a girl in Chinese robes wearing a fox mask, surrounded by black flames.

Immediately, a black bow manifested in Hikari's right hand, as her left hand held her phone, ready to access the Black Crown app once more to summon Lucrezia. She would not aim her bow at the girl on the roof just yet, but given she had no idea of her allegiance, it seemed wise to keep her weapon on the ready.



"Are you perhaps...summoned here by a certain mutual acquaintance of ours, by any chance?" she asked carefully.

@Aurkanthis@TruthHurts@Digmata@Bacon

The Curse of Strahd

@CajunRobinHood I'm really sorry, but after thinking about it, I don't think I can join this one. Time/schedule aside, I had this original concept of a paladin who abandoned his god and made a pact with questionable entity to better hunt vampires (basically just paladin and warlock multiclass), but the more I think about it, the more it feels like too 'stereotypically edgy' so to speak, for my taste.

Persona: Black Crown

---

Hikari considered the best place for them to transition to Metaverse for a bit, before answering,



“Well, contrary to the real-life Shibuya Scramble, where it is bustling with people. In the Metaverse version, humans would be easily spottable in the midst of the distorted landscapes and shadows roaming around. So we don’t have to worry about picking a specific place since Minamoto-kun said to ‘Enter Metaverse in Shibuya Scramble’, so wherever we end up in the Metaverse, we should be able to find others relatively easily as long as it’s still within the vicinity of the Scramble.”

Not to mention, given what her Black Regalia look like, assuming the others were of similar design, then they would make a stark contrast to the surroundings in the Metaverse.

She continued, pointing to a building with a rooftop access that can oversee the Scramble,

“How about in that building? We can enter and shift inside, before heading to its rooftop. That way, we can spot other people in the Metaverse even better afterward.”

@Aurkanthis

Persona: Black Crown

---

"Philosophy...that's not a common field of study. Not that there is anything wrong with it. I wouldn't go as far as calling myself a student of philosophy, but I like reading in general, so on occasion, I do encounter texts or references to philosophy. I watched an interesting video on Cicero recently. Though I suppose we can talk more about it another time—only if you wanted to, Senpai—when we’re ‘off-duty’ so to speak,” Hikari replied, as she pondered Toma’s words.

‘Most people study to find answers. They don’t usually seek the right questions first…’

She supposed there was some truth in that. There was a reason why, for so many people—even herself, as much as she tried not to—ended up treating academics only as rote memorisation, something forgotten after all the tests and graduation. It was probably because they weren’t ‘asking the right question’ as in a focused and practical question regarding the subject, of what, beyond all the formulas, dates, terminologies, and other trivia lay at the core of it.

Or something along those lines.

Her train of thought was interrupted as Toma said that he would follow her lead on how long they would wait.



“Eh? My lead…? Well, if you’re sure, Senpai,”

Hikari resisted frowning. She was used to being the one who followed the lead of others, befitting of a consummate people pleaser and all. Still…she supposed, since she had resolved herself to stop being such a people pleaser, taking the lead would probably be something she should start doing more often.

And so, when Toma asked if they should take a stroll, Hikari nodded,



“That sounds about right. While we’re on it…perhaps we should also shift to the Metarealm during the stroll. The others could have gone directly there without having the chance to pass by.”

@Aurkanthis