mythmaking | (no subject)

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[It's a cloudy mid-morning on THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, and the town is bustling as always. Many people are quite excited about the second batch of new arrivals; though they're not getting quite the celebration the first round got, they still might find themselves being greeted by bizarrely friendly folk.

Out of place is a number of geese scattered around town, each with their own little messenger bag packed full of rolled up parchment. They're putting the papers up all over, on fence posts and market stalls and storefronts, even stuffing them into mailboxes and leaving them on benches. Each paper is nearly identical, with large, blocky font and the occasional inky feather mark.

LOST
SEVERAL ITEMS OF GREAT IMPORT

SOMEONE HAS STOLEN FROM OUR HOMES THE FOLLOWING THINGS

ONE GOOSE-SIZED NIGHT CAP
THREE TEACUPS (PINK AND YELLOW FISH PRINT)
EXACTLY SEVEN AND A QUARTER LEFT SOCKS
AN APPLE CRUMBLE

IF FOUND PLEASE CONTACT
ADELICIA VON FARTHINGTON (THE FIFTH)
AT THE NORTH BANK OF THE LAKE

If stopped, the geese will be more than happy to talk at great length about how terrible this all is. Strangely, there appear to be a few other people and animals poking around as though looking for something, or acting a bit sullen for such an otherwise joyful day.]

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It's fine. I can't exactly explain my world in whole, either. [Have fun with 4 endings!]

[Sitting down, she considered where to begin.]

April 2011, a reporter by the name Mayumi Yamano, born in Yasoinaba, was discovered dead in her hometown. Autopsy reports found no physical trauma upon her person. Stranger still was where her body was found; dangling from a television antennae. What followed after was a series of events that could not be explained by conventional means; worse, the trouble was shaped further by the mystery surrounding it.

[Bringing her hands to rest in her lap, Naoto continued]

3rd Year Student, Saki Konishi, had found the first victim's body. It wasn't shortly after this that she too, was found deceased. No physical evidence, but she was hanging from a telephone pole and tangled in the wires. What I found out, is following her death, the real investigation started, lead by my Senpai and Yosuke-senpai. The details of what occurred, I don't know in full; however, what they found out would be key to stopping the incidents.

[...That doesn't sound happy.]

Did you all find the culprit? [Did demons do that?] Who would do that? ...Are entities involved?

We did, but you're getting ahead of my story.

[But she does take a moment to say 'We'll come back to that question' and 'Yes and no'.]

A world that laid parallel to our own; such idea could be seen as theory or myth. Either way, it wasn't able to be proven. However, that was the reality for us. My Senpai uncovered another world inside the television. It's a place shaped by the human subconscious and where Shadows dwell. Unless you can create an exit, there's no way to leave.

Fortunately, the Shadows are not hostile immediately. Until the fogs lifts, anyone stuck inside is relatively safe. That was not the case for Yamano-san or Konishi-san who were unable to be rescued.

[...Shadows. Okay then.] A parallel world... what 'fog', though?

Fog... on normal conditions, it's simply the weather phenomena. Within that world though, those who will not allow themselves to have their conscious clouded can see through the fog. Otherwise, you require unique glasses to see inside that realm. In other words, you can see the 'Truth'.

[She probably shouldn't leave out what Shadows are.] As humans, we're known to be fickle beings. We gossip, spread rumors, tell truths and lies... we hide ourselves from each other for various reasons, but are still curious about Others. Shadows are born from the negative emotions we hide, but most of them stay relatively weak. It's when we actually confront them and deny they're part of us in essence that they become violent. Excluding Senpai, seven of us had to face ourselves inside the other world, myself included as well as Beast who resides in the castle with me.

Shadows... so instead of facing others, you have to face yourself? [This reminds him... humans are weak.]

...Were the two victims killed by their own Shadows? [That sounds like a terrible way to go.]

Correct. However, in doing so, we gained the ability to summon Persona and fight back.

[She nodded, solemn.] Even if they weren't, they could have eventually succumbed to other physical limitations.

Summon Persona? [Persona meant a role. How do you summon a role to fight?] ...Other physical limitations...?

Yes. A Persona, in this case, is an entity from the soul. When a person can control their ego, they're capable of summoning them.

[Her brow rose] Starvation, dehydration, exhaustion, those sorts of limitations.

...I didn't expect that they could be trapped there for that long.

[W-well... a Persona is an entity from... the soul?] What are examples of Personas...?

We had until the fog returned to the city.

[She paused.] ... Well, mine was Sukuna-Hikona. With some help, he became Yamato-Takeru and then Yamato-Sumeragi. By legend, Sukuna Hikona was the deity of medicine. Yamato-Takeru was a legendary prince who wielded the Kusanagi against an army. It was also believed he could turn into a great white bird spirit. Finally, Yamato-Sumeragi is an epithet for various Emperors.

Yamato-Take-

[He knew that one. Didn't he? That's the one Walter fought.

Tayama... the fool who thought himself King of Tokyo...

Jonathan just barely scanned the entity before it turned into stone. Entity from the soul... Naoto has a demon from the soul...?]

...Yamato-Takeru. Isn't that a demon...?

Depends... he can fight like a demon. I guess you came across a more demonic version of him in your world then?

[...

He didn't really know. He can't say much.] I suppose so. My friend fought him. [And also murdered someone, but let's not go there.]

Are all Personas... entities, then? Not very different from before, but from the soul...? [Lilith said something like this before. The humans and demons are the same in essence.

He's still not gonna believe that.]

I see...

[Though, she doesn't stay on the subject.]

Some are. Others are figures of legends that align well with the person who calls upon them. The forms they assume are shaped around the person whose soul houses them.

[Align well... they're like entities, but not... solid? Not individuals, rather, personifications?]

How do you use Personas to fight? [If there's no Demon Summoning Program or Gauntlet and something sentient to command...]

[He's getting there.]

We have to call them from ourselves by sacrificing energy. They can be called without, but... it's not safe.

[Personifications... PERSONas! ...Something... like that?]

What do you mean, not safe...? [...does he want to know.]

[We'll keep working on it.]

Well, you're forcing your soul out of your body. It isn't comfortable either way, but it's more painful alone.

[OUCH]

That sounds... fatal.

I wouldn't know, but the pain I saw one man go through... I wouldn't try it.

[Perhaps she should sound more sympathetic, but it can almost be taken from her tone that they deserved it.]

[...Moving on]

So you bring out your... souls... which become Personas... to fight for you, like entities?

That's a rough way of summarizing it, but yes.

[If he's ready to move on with the story, but she had a feeling this would be the hardest part for him to grasp. Second... hardest. She didn't even mention her Senpai's ability to summon multiple ones.]

Alright, then... what happens next? [He wants to know that this got resolved!!! This seems like such a dangerous situation.]