Digital Devil Worlds [D&D 4e Game Thread]

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Plutonis: Mar 25, 2011

Tsukiyo - Student Council

"Humiliating him? That's nice and all, but as satisfying as it would be personally, I'm still not convinced how that would help us." Tsuki said with a shrug, looking a bit annoyed as well as how Akio was acting coy... Ugh, then again, she is one to talk. She won't press him at all, but it seems that this will end up this whole reunion on an awkward note.

---

Ugh, going home... Yeah, that's going to be a hard choice, it seems. Guess... She'll have to crash somewhere, well, Shiokaze was helping Itsumi and Akio earlier, so she'll see if she can crash with the Yokai for tonight.

...Ack, wait, what the heck is she even thinking? Ugh, her whole life is so weird now!

# ? Jun 28, 2023 01:32

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# ? Apr 24, 2024 11:24

Doomykins: Jun 28, 2008; Didn't you mean to ask about flowers?

Music(Persona 4 - Heartbreak, Heartbreak)

(Gonna try something new for narrative flow and catch up, feel free to be as thorough or brief as you want so long as you answer the questions asked. Dialogue optional!)

Akio: Your earlier planning serves you well and you take a walk to clear your head, trying to fight back a multitude of anxious omens of doom.

: Kunio will offer you a helping hand whenever you ask, so getting him to sync up with the tale is easy. His mother serves a dinner that puts that restaurant to shame, the genuine concern and warm reception of the two a heart-rending contrast, sunlight rising after darkest night. A futon is provided in Kunio's room and although the Igarashi household is a truly enigma with its lack of internet you can still enjoy some modest television, an over the top game show and a cool police thriller providing relief to the stressed mind. As you and your friend chat before sleep wins out, it occurs to you... could you confide in Kunio? You're not entirely sure what, as he's not even in the game. You helped him rescue Shiokaze, saw him in Fenrir's Mindscape, but he didn't seem to perceive the supernatural. What could you ask him to do? Would you?

: Once you sleep you experience a brief dream of the safe space within your mind, the endless violet fog beyond it pressing in against your mental barriers. A figure joins you, a towering red shade that has agreed to grow as a part of you, the blessing of the red oni Kyoutaro. Would you accept his suggestions and guidance in the coming trials? The oni siblings would face any situation with unending, infinite confidence. They might embody the worst of humanity when provoked... rage, violence, indulgence... but tempered he offered assertiveness and confidence you always associated with fictional heroes.

: And finally you're faced with the decision of how to infiltrate Thaddeus' lair. There is one option, a forbidden power that Noriko and Akane helped you unearth. Will you summon Ambrosia for your online persona? (Or otherwise choose some other approach?) ... If you've already embraced Kyoutaro's aspect then it seems an easy decision. Onis would fight naked without shame, so long as their bravado claimed victory!

Noriko: You return home and get ready to bow your head when you're surprised by your mother and grandmother sharing toasts of sake in ochoko cups, looking to be in good spirits despite your obvious shenanigans.

: They tell you that Rei(Mother) is being interviewed for a prospective transfer to a new school and government office opening with a significant pay raise. You may need to move within the next month if she is accepted... ! The two are overcome with joy and seem oblivious to your late arrival, confiding in you that things will be easier, you can live in a bigger, nicer place soon... but all you can see is the counterpart to Itsumi's woes, the violet talons of Isabelle entering your life. The timing seems to be staggered... you could finish your battle with Thaddeus beforehand and... and... with that witch too, right after. How do you react to your family? Can you hide how you feel about a potential move, away from Naoki High?

: However you handle it you'll eventually be sent to bed, for it is late. You may be evading discipline but little relief follows you to your room. Instead you feel the start of sleep come on and a haze of blue solidifying into the judgemental form of a titan, anchored to your soul, sworn to help you become as the blue oni Yuzuki is. Would you accept her suggestions and guidance in the coming trials? To empower your sense of self and very ego would feel good about now, especially in standing against the two tyrants ahead of you. You can't imagine that the wretched, sexist behavior of the modern world can even register in the eyes of your boon patron, every bit the equal of her formidable brother.

: For you've already been targeted by Thaddeus and his perverted infatuation with you. It's something you could abuse and turn on him, but it's clear that abuse is a tool he reaches for far too eagerly. How will you approach the lair of the little dragon? A cunning disguise, to see if he's every bit the greedy slavering pig he was last time... or as yourself, knowing he'd welcome you if he thought you might show any positive reception to him? Either way, your retribution will find him.

Tsukiyo: Having been helped out by her already and having saved her prior, Shiokaze is all too eager to hook you up with a room! A brief sub-sonic flight takes you to the beachside cavern she calls home, a place ridiculously primitive yet supernaturally comfortable all the same.

: With no need to hide her appearance at home the tengu welcomes you in, gathering a random assortment of mercifully clean but old mattresses, quilts and pillows to make two gracious piles in her abode. She has the meat of a hunt roasting on a fire already, the smoke contained by her totems, and offers you feasting on the deer meat and your choice of convenience store beverages or even beer. Shio doesn't know what drinking ages are. Removed from the trappings of society and cultural expectations there's something quite refreshing here. Could you confide in the weird bird lady? You don't think she'd understand a description of a computer past "magic lightning box", but maybe she knew about the troubles you're having being manipulated, contending with your brother, feeling cut off from home and grandmother.. and the monsters ahead of you, far worse than the literal yokai sitting with you.

: As you go to rest in the surprisingly cozy bed nest you find your thoughts drifting to unfinished business. Jun and Manami were stalking the sidelines, looking for a way to strike out at Isabelle and her goons. You'd turned the tables on and forced Redd Hot/Eri to become a triple agent for you, possibly against the weird middle-aged creep Kogatana that was trying to keep a leash on you. It was inevitable he would come calling and try to sabotage you... what will you do about your "Team Dark" friends, or this looming problem? Or will you? They seemed like small fry now with the two head honchos looming ahead of you. Cut down Thaddeus, cut down Isabelle. If they tried to ruin your life, would it matter if they lose and you win? ... If they're dead and you're alive?

: ... Then it hits you. You need a way to get online! You could always sneak home and use your set up and hope Grandmother Clara doesn't pull the router out.. or maybe Jun and Manami could help you, they seem content to do hobo-rigging on the streets. There's also Shiokaze, who you assume would be a willing accomplice to stealing some stuff. You're certainly empowered enough to get away with crimes in real life. How will you arrange your computer setup, and how will you present and disguise your online persona?

# ? Jul 18, 2023 01:37

thin wafer cookie: Mar 17, 2023

Noriko

"...Move, huh...?" Noriko is quiet for a moment, a cold feeling in the pit of her stomach. Despite this, she manages to look up and smile. "That's great. You've been working so hard, mom!" Mom deserves this. I can't let myself spoil it, no matter what.

Noriko heads off to bed as soon as it seems polite. Stretching out on her futon, she drifts off into the world of dreams, holding onto a thread of conciousness as she drifts through the strange vistas of the spaces between. When she feels Yuzuki's presence, she stops, bowing her head and looking sheepish at the judgemental stare. "Well, I couldn't exactly give my mom a hard time... this apartment was only meant for one person..." she crosses her arms. "Akio can take the train if he has to." Sitting up, she is more Mori than Noriko in this place. She looks to the Oni, and after a moment, she works up the courage to ask. "I need to nail a twerp to the wall. Just absolutely ruin his life and take away everything he has. But that's not exactly been my style up until now, haha..." she scratches her head, shrugging. "The point is... I could use your help figuring this out, big sis."

# ? Jul 22, 2023 05:04

Plutonis: Mar 25, 2011

Tsukiyo - Student Council

Yeah, a cave definitely was uh, an okay place to stay right now, Tsukiyo thought to herself rather glumly. Ugh, this is where she was now, it seemed, with several negative thoughts swirling inside of her head, the reality of her situation now being drilled inside of her with a grim reminder of what is going on at the moment. And yet... Well, the stark reality of her situation mean t that she would need to accept any help she could, and honestly, Shio did take her in and after their first scuffles, they in fact had a good relation, so in fact she would trust the Tengu, accepting that uh, strange deermeat meal but trying to avoid any alcohol while telling her about what happened so far.

...As for Manami and Jun... Yeah, Tsukiyo needed all the help she could get, and maybe working with them will serve on that purpose. Still, she won't condone Jun's attempts to bring his revenge to fruit, even if... If it would be convenient. She can't do that, not with her sense of justice. But...

Going back home, though, definitely not a good idea. She already feels bad enough for leaving Grandma like that, and returning would be... Something that Tsukiyo couldn't bear to do. And stealing was definitely not a good idea, powers or not, at least for her looming conscience... So maybe she could borrow something from Jun, if anything, he probably would be smart enough to get a good machine that can hide her tracks, right?

# ? Jul 23, 2023 19:49

Sockerbagarn: Sep 8, 2007; All makt �t Tengil, v�r befriare.

Akio

The lack of Internet access in the Igarashi household suited Akio just fine, he appreciated the chance to disconnect for one night almost as much as the warm hospitality at this dark moment of his life.

As he's lying down on the futon before they go to sleep, Akio looks up at the ceiling and ponders the mystery that is Kunio. He wasn't in the game, but he'd somehow avoided being placed in a coffin in the Other City, and he'd embodied a persona at Twin River park. Other than Kunio, the only ones he knew that could do that were yōkai, but he seriously didn't think Kunio of all people was harboring some dark secret. Isabelle may have damaged his ability to trust his fellow man, but no way. The game was a contest of wills. Maybe Kunio's will was just so strong, so true to himself, that he didn't have to be a contestant in the game to be able to act in it. Either way, he felt that he could trust what technically was his oldest friend (if only by like an hour or so) implicitly.

"...Hey, Kunio? Remember that night when you first saw Shio- Hayate in that karaoke bar outside Nekketsu? And when we threw down in the park to free her? Did anything ever seem... otherworldly to you? If you could have anything, what would you wish for?" Akio sits up on an elbow and looks over at Kunio. "Sorry for the weird sudden questions, but there's something very weird going on I'd like to clue you in on..."

---

In his dreams, Akio stares silently out into the violet fog for a good long while before addressing the red shade by his side. Safe space or not, the fog surrounding him made it clear he was being kept captive here in his own mind. Somehow he had to break free, but first...

"I'm going to war," he finally says without turning his gaze.

"There's someone I need to destroy. I have a plan in mind, but to pull it off I have to muster a degree of confidence that I could never manage on my own." He looks up at Kyoutaro. "I need your guidance, and your help to squash any doubts or hesitations in my mind. I need to be a conqueror."

He would not resort to catfishing Thaddeus as Ambrosia, even if he could stomach it with Kyoutaro's assistance. Instead, he would utterly and unrepentantly embody Ambrose, high elven royalty. And he would dominate the creep.

# ? Jul 28, 2023 22:30