☆ 001 : DEBUT ☆ "Apparently there is nothing that cannot happen today."

[idol_support]

Characters: Rise (idol_support) and YOU! :D
Setting: Starting in Room 2-01, then WHEREVER SHE HAS TO GO TO FIND HER FRIENDS, K (i.e. feel free to choose if you'd like!); morning of the 12th
Format: Posting with prose because I can't help it, sob; no preference for the comments, I will happily follow your lead!
Summary: Rise wakes up (in her Halloween costume, lol) and goes lookin' for trouble her peeps!
Warnings: Uh...the usual Intro Post Semi-Ramble, and possible spoilers for the True End of Persona 4 (...does that even count any more...), but otherwise nothing so far!



It could have been worse. Waking up in a strange place and then experiencing a short period of sleep paralysis were far from Rise's idea of fun, but while it had been a little scary, she wasn't the type to let something like that get her down or frighten her into inaction; not any more. After all, she'd experienced things tons scarier than that since she'd moved to Inaba and gotten her Persona--it wasn't like it was the end of the world or anything!

...The end of the world...a terrible concept, and one that was vividly real to her now, but also less terrifying at the same time, all things considered. She'd read that your world has been destroyed letter, yeah, sure, but it wasn't the first totally B.S. letter left by some huge creep that Rise had seen this year. Plus she'd received enough iffy fanmail during her career as an idol to know that people could write whatever the heck they wanted, but that didn't make any of it true. She would have to see for herself that the world was destroyed before she'd even begin to believe it! There was really just no way it could be destroyed--she and Senpai and all their friends (but especially Senpai) had just saved it.

More than likely this was the TV World, and some jerk had kidnapped her (ugh, again! That was twice in one year! Twice!) and dumped her here. At least, that's what she'd thought at first...but this place just didn't feel right somehow. Not that the TV World had, but that had been a different sort of Not Right. This was...this was...augh, she didn't even know what this was! It had to be somewhere kinda like the TV World, though, another place that existed outside (or was it more like inside?) of the Real World, because she could summon Kanzeon here with no problem. That had been the first thing she'd done, in fact; the ceiling had looked a little low to try it here, but she had no idea where she was or what to expect when she went through the room's solitary door, and "kinda cramped quarters" was still better than "totally dangerous open area". Anyways, she could always do a more intensive scan later on, when she had a better idea of where she was and what was going on.

What she'd found on doing that initial scan had both reassured and confused her, because ooh, some of her friends were close by! ...But wait, there were a looot of people here, and it looked like there were more--way more--Persona users than just the Investigation Team, whatever that meant... She didn't know anything about them, so Rise couldn't get a solid feel on how many, or exactly where they were, but there were definitely others like them here.

Still, that wasn't the most pressing thing on her mind just now, because in addition to this being a super-weird place...there was also the costume.

Rise hadn't wanted to stay here in this room any longer than it took Kanzeon to run a quick scan of the place and give her a general heads up, but she'd still stopped long enough to change...or she'd tried to, anyway. The outfit she'd found herself wearing on waking up had to go.

It wasn't that she didn't look good in it, and she'd worn a lot less than that on national television, so it could've been way worse, but still! Whoever had kidnapped her this time was a real weirdo (and the idea that someone had changed her clothes while she was unconscious was creepy on a whole new level that Rise decided was best not to think about for now). Fortunately, among other things, she'd found some of her normal clothes in the storage trunk at the end of the bed (which, she'd been interested to note, Kanzeon's scan had designated a Treasure Chest). She'd felt a little unsure about changing when she didn't know whether or not there were any hidden cameras--an idol couldn't be too careful after all, even a former-but-hopefully-returning-to-showbiz-soon one--but she pushed that concern aside as well. Their school uniforms were essentially Full Battle Dress for the Investigation Team, and this place felt strange enough that Rise wanted that extra jolt of confidence from the familiar. That had led to a brief (and utterly hopeless) struggle with the weird collar around her neck (it fit snugly enough that she wasn't sure if she'd still be able to wear her usual white turtleneck), but no amount of tugging, pulling, or twisting could get it off, so she'd conceded defeat for now, and just left off wearing the turtleneck this time.

She'd had to concede defeat again just a few seconds later, when she found that the devil costume wouldn't come off, and then a third and final time when she tried wearing her uniform on top of the costume. It had been a little tricky, what with those wings and all, but she'd managed...only to find that somehow, when she'd briefly turned her attention back to the second (much longer) of those two letters she'd found on waking up, the devil costume had somehow ended up on top of her uniform. Which didn't make ANY sense, and looked a whole lot worse than just wearing the costume on its own had. Ugh! If that was how things were gonna be, then fine! She'd just wear the stupid costume already! She had more important things to worry about anyways--namely, finding her friends and figuring out what was going on here!

Getting the uniform off again was more of a struggle than getting it on had been, but she managed it eventually; by then, she was more than ready to get out of here.

"All right!" she said to herself--hearing the cheery sound of her own voice in her ears was oddly comforting. "Time to find everyone and figure this place out!"

Snatching up the two letters and totally ignoring the plastic pumpkin and the attached note that had been sitting on her trunk, Rise headed out to face the Tower and (hopefully) find her friends.

Comments

[culbutiri]

"Well not all of them, I do no be having enough time to be looking in them all. But I do be kicking most of them, they do be sounding empty." She shrugged, one day she might get round to checking them all.

[idol_support]

The gym and the lounge on the two floors that followed seemed nice enough, and mostly safe.

The floor after those two, however (Floor Thirty-Seven, Rise took care to note) was decidedly unsettling. As if being totally dark wasn't enough, there were eerie noises: some unknown liquid slowly drip...drip...dripping, the ragged husk and snuffle of breath being drawn, the click of claws on tile.

Rise stayed close to Nesir, and was careful to stay on the stairs as well, waiting to hear the other girl's comment about this floor. On impulse, she put on her Teddie glasses (ty hammerspace~), just to test if they could make any sort of dent in the darkness...and nope, nothing. Just as utterly, inky black as before.

[culbutiri]

"I do no be knowing what is in here," Nesir's pace had quickened through this room, "And I do no be thinking that I do no be wanting to know..."

She led the girl quickly to the next empty room where the spiral staircase stopped and led her to the door in the wall. "It do just be getting weirder from here."

[idol_support]

"Weirder than that? Ugh!"

But...Nesir was right, she soon found out. For starters, the stairs were less than safe, with gaps to jump over and uneven bumps that could cause someone to twist their ankle if they weren't paying attention.

Thankfully, though, there was only an empty floor when the stairs led them back inside. Still...totally empty was kinda weird in and of itself, wasn't it... And as for the next floor--

"Whoa! It's an indoor lake!"

[culbutiri]

"I do be thinking we do be outdoors." Nesir said pointing to the tower at their side. Though this far up it was hard to believe they actually were outside, high in the air. "Do no be asking how this lake do be floating, I would no be swimming in it is all I do be saying."

[idol_support]

"...Yeah, it doesn't look all that tempting, to be honest." Anyway, who would want to go swimming here, at at time like this? It would just be like giving their kidnappers a show! Gross!

The next level, the island, isn't tempting to Rise either, though the level after that, the farmland, is curious.

"...Does anyone actually grow stuff here? And is it...safe? As much as anything here can be safe, I mean..."

[culbutiri]

Nesir nodded, "I do be seeing a few people so I do be guessing it do be safe. You would have to be asking someone who knew though. I do no be knowing much about farming."

[idol_support]

"Me neither," Rise said with a shake of her head, followed by a sheepish little laugh. "I probably wouldn't be very good at it. I had trouble just keeping my morning glory alive for my summer homework." She'd fussed over it too much, over-watering it and such instead of just letting it grow...but she'd wanted so much to really take care of it, for her project to be the best...

All that's forgotten as they reach the next floor: the forest.

"...W-wow..." A place like that is definitely full of monsters. Rise decides to steer clear of this floor, too, unless she's got some serious backup, just in case.

[culbutiri]

She had had to keep a plant alive for homework? It actually sounded a bit like the temple lessons for magic users, the sort of thing they would be given to do.

Nesir nodded, "Everywhere do be full of monsters, this one do be having animals as well." She led the way down to the next cobble stoned floor and paused before they continued down. "I would be running through here if I did be you. I do be hearing that the stairs sometimes do be falling apart."

[idol_support]

"You mean like normal animals? Like deer and birds and stuff?"

Rise shot a quick look at Nesir as the other girl paused, as if trying to make sure she was serious about the stairs collapsing. But then again, the rest of this place was so crazy, why wouldn't she be serious about that?

The former idol gave a determined nod. "All right then, let's go!"

[culbutiri]

Nesir nodded, "Yes, mostly rabbits from what I did be seeing." She nodded and then ran, being as careful as she could be not to slip and fall whilst being as quick as she could. She paused as she got out of danger to the next floor. "This do be a hedge maze, I did be getting lost here and do not be sure what do be beyond it."

[idol_support]

Honestly? It was getting to the point that Rise felt like nothing was gonna surprise her any more. After that weird lake and the bug room and empty boxes forever and a whole (relatively small, but still) forest on one floor...sure, why not have a hedge maze?

"Let's...save exploring this one for another day, okay?" Anything could be lurking in a maze like that, and she didn't want to see the rest of the floor that badly.

Onward to the next floor!

Which was...a lot less ominous, even if that huge organ occupying the center of the room overshadowed just about everything else.

"Hey, they have keyboards and guitars and everything!"

Rise couldn't resist plunking a few keys on the nearest keyboard, and smiled at the familiar sound. She'd have to come back to this floor later on for sure.

[culbutiri]

Nesir tilted her head, "You do be knowing how to be playing these?" Music was not something that had had a place in Nesir's life. She had heard the odd traveling musician in her childhood and she knew of the great courts where music was considered a great art. But in the temple it wasn't taught, not to warrior trainees anyways.

[idol_support]

Rise nodded and hit a few more keys, the first part of a scale. "Well, I am an idol back home, and one of the things idols do is perform for huge crowds of fans! I'm not an expert musician or anything, but it'd be pretty silly for a professional singer to know nothing at all about music!"

She looked over at the other girl with a smile. "How about you? Do you play?"

[culbutiri]

"What do an idol be?" Nesir asked, she no longer felt stupid or annoyed when she had to ask about terms she didn't understand, she doubted half these people would understand things if she used words from her own world either.

"No I do no be playing, I do no be knowing how."

[idol_support]

"An idol is a celebrity--a famous entertainer! Most of us sing and dance, and a lot of us act in movies and TV shows, all that kinda stuff! You know...make commercials, do photo shoots, appear on silly variety or quiz shows, things like that!"

Rise played part of the rest of the scale, then stopped, pulling her hand back and tucking them both behind her.

"Well, I'd offer to teach you if you want, but I don't think I'm really good enough to do that. Still, I guess I could show you a little sometime..." She was waaaay uncertain about that offer, though, and it showed in her openly sheepish smile. There were probably a lot of people stuck here who would make much better instructors...but if Nesir really wanted to learn, Rise wouldn't say no. Maybe they could both learn and improve together.

"Anyways! That'd be something for later, for now we've gotta finish the tour! Right, Nesir-san?"

[culbutiri]

"No I do no be knowing. What do a movie be? And a TV show, it do be lots of words I do no be knowing." Her tone was blunt because she hated not knowing things but she made sure to grin to take any sting out of her words.

She thought about the offer of teaching, she had never really seen the point in music, but all knowledge was power and being taught by Rise would give her an excuse to be with her longer, to learn more. She nodded, "That would be very kind of you Rise." She nodded because they did indeed have a long way to go. She led the way down the staircase to the laboratory.

[idol_support]

If Rise knew about the Media Room already, all of those questions could be answered pretty easily just by showing Nesir everything. As things are, the former idol just does her best to explain.

"A movie is like...it's a story that people act out, kinda like a play, but recorded with cameras and put on something called a DVD. That way, you can put it into your TV or computer--machines with screens that you do a lot of neat stuff--and watch it whenever you want! And a TV show is kinda the same thing, only they're not nearly as long as movies, they're available on the TV at the same time every week, and they're not always stories. Sometimes it's just people being themselves and talking about all sorts of different things."

...Yeah, once she learns about the Media Room, she will totes be dragging you down to there for some Quality TV Time, Nesir. With popcorn and soda, if she can find a way to get those here.

By the time Rise finished explaining all that, they were leaving the lab behind--it wasn't anything Rise was at all interested in. It just gave her the creeps. And the morgue below that was even worse; Rise hurried past that one as well.

...So after those floors, the peaceful and perfect meadow comes as quite a shock. Rise can only stand and stare, obviously suspicious and semi-disbelieving.

[culbutiri]

Stories acted out... like traveling performers but on your command? That sounded interesting and Nesir would be very happy to be dragged to the Media room; she's been wondering about that room.

She was glad they skipped the Morgue, Nesir still couldn't quite deal with the fact that they put bodies in caves and left them... Nesir might not care one jot for the light gods, but she still found the idea of leaving bodies to rot horrific.

She smiled at the meadow, "It do be always like this... It do just be.... here and warm." Nesir continued down to the empty room below, she had never seen anything in here. The usual jolt of memory and then they were two floors below in the art gallery.

[idol_support]

Rise actually felt a little reluctant to leave the meadow. It was easily the nicest, most peaceful place she'd seen in the Tower so far, and knowing that there was a place like that here was...almost a bit comforting, somehow. She'd have to go back later, for sure.

The empty room was weird but apparently nothing to worry about, and they...sort of seemed to skip a floor somehow...? Nesir doesn't seem worried about it though, so Rise doesn't let it get to her either.

Then, the art gallery. Well, it was interesting, sorta, but...Rise wasn't really in the mood to look at a bunch of paintings right now, even if a few had caught her eye as being familiar.

And finally, they reached Floor Twenty-One, the Restaurant, which...looked sorta closed at the moment, and yeah, the sign there said as much.

"Whew! That's a lot of stairs!" Rise said, all but dropping to the floor, leaning her back up against the wall. She was in great shape, but even so, by now she was 'feeling the burn', so it was definitely time for a break. "You know...I know there's still more Tower left, but...I think I'm gonna have to stop the tour here for now." She'd finish looking around another day and, as it turns out, with another person dragging her through those floors, TY, Rei |D;; .

The former idol had noticed that there was an elevator on this floor, and Nesir had said way back at the beginning of their tour that the cafeteria was all the way at the bottom, so...

"I vote we take the elevator--either all the way back to the top, or down to the bottom!"

[culbutiri]

Nesir blinked in surprise; she was incredibly fit herself having been dragged out of bed at ridiculous times of the morning to run laps and do drills until she felt like her arms and legs were going to fall off since she was twelve, and even before that she had always led an active life.

"Oh you mean the moving box? Yes we can be taking that. Do you want to be going and getting food?"

[idol_support]

"Ooh, yeah, that sounds really good! I don't remember when I last ate..."

It had been dinner with her grandma last night, hadn't it? Funny, that seemed so long ago already...

Rise bounced back up to her feet, all smiles as she headed for the elevator. "Let's go! You're coming too, right? We can eat together!"

('Cause after all, eating with friends was important, okay?)

[culbutiri]

Nesir blinked in confusion, she had never really... had people respond positively to her before and so she found herself struggling to react properly. "Of course I do be coming, unfortunately you must be eating oatmeal... it do no be too bad but lots of people do be complaining. Once you do be eating one bowl though you can be eating whatever you do be wanting."

[idol_support]

It was Rise's turn to give a confused blink.

"Oatmeal, huh?" she said as she pressed the button for the elevator. "That's not so bad. We eat a lot of tofu at my grandma's house, and it can be pretty plain if it's not prepared just right, so oatmeal's no big deal!"

And really, she was probably hungry enough that she wouldn't care about the oatmeal think even if she wasn't used to tofu 24-7.

"But...you just said I have to eat the oatmeal. What would happen if I didn't?"

[culbutiri]

"You would be being sick, very badly until you did be eating it." Luckily Nesir was used to being told what to eat so hadn't questioned the oatmeal, but she had seen the affects on someone who had refused to eat it.

"What do tofu be being? I do no be minding oatmeal but here they do be giving it plain, it do be better with honey."

Everything was better with honey...