015 | ❝A cold wind blows away...❞

[pitiedthefool]

Characters: Yu and You
Setting: Floor 48, 100, 96 ('cept not really), 84, 78, & 81
Format: I'll follow you
Summary: Time to explore the new floors, and come across new and old faces + memories. And to remember ones that disappeared.
Warnings: Possible P4 spoilers in comments. Also the fact feels are often a thing.

Floor 48

After stringing together Reno and Elena's wedding present, Yu had realized that there were still two left over. Maybe it was a good thing then, that he'd kept them in his trunk. Because when he woke up one morning, when he was listening to the voice at the back of his mind going through his social links... he noticed something.

Alice didn't feel as strong.

Before he realized it, he was heading down in the elevator (it was a longer ride than usual; he'd have to check the new floors later), and then the stairs to the graveyard. Soon he stopped at the long string of "Arisato" tombstones and noticed one in particular.

"...So you went back, after all."

His voice didn't really betray much, if anyone did hear him. Instead he merely stared down at the name and likely whispered a prayer of well-wishes and luck, however meaningless it may be, before silently placing a blue origami crane at the base of the stone.

'...I'm sorry, Thanatos. I couldn't help him like I promised you.'

It takes a moment, but eventually he pulls himself away to look for another name.

'...Legion.'

Floor 100

So it had been a few days, and he'd decided to explore some of the new floors instead of simply taking the elevator down to a floor close to his usual hangouts. So when he decided to simply take the stairs after the first dorm floor, he couldn't help but stop himself when he saw what Floor 100 became. It was...

Home...

Not just any part of Inaba, but the Dojima's living area. The shoe area, the small kitchen, the small dining table that ended up mostly used for either cooking or work Dojima-san brought home from work, and the little table and futon they'd sit at to watch TV together in the evenings when he and Nanako didn't have homework. It was all there, even down to the exact pattern on the floor cushions.

Yu stared at it in stunned silence for a moment, before he realized his hand went right through what, if this place were really the Dojima residence, would be a wall.

... After standing there for a few more moments to take the facts in, he simply turned and walked away. At least, if he wasn't approached.

Floor 96 (Not really an option, buuuut...)
He kept climbing down and, okay. Even at that blinding white he had to shield his eyes. Wha-?

...Oh. It's an empty room.

...

> You decide to leave it be.

Floor 84
...Oh, he loves this floor. He loves it so much that if he could stay the night in here without worrying the rest of his team, he probably would. You see, he found a camera while he was looking around. And it's kind of in his bag right now as he seems to be building something. And that something seems... kind of tall.

...Why does some of it look like legs with stitching on it? Well, you'll likely find out if you keep watching or ask while he climbs back down the ladder to get more materials. (Spoilers: It's likely someone most of the Tower hates.)

Floor 78

...Well, this is interesting. After all the madness of going through, trying to get gifts to people... now they think of adding a mail room? Well, it makes sense, but he's almost worried if he ends up receiving one and the "letters" begin anew.

Okay, maybe he'll stop being paranoid with Nanako and Adachi in the same helltower when pigs fly. Until then, he may just linger here for a moment.

Floor 81
So Yu stopped on the beginning of the fifth block before heading up again, deciding to be a bit more on the adventurous side to see just what was below. ...Damn, that's pretty high up and a lot of fog down below.

Yes, he can be someone to point out the obvious in a ridiculously dry humor sort of manner. He's just going to stare down and then above at the stars with his max courage stat... like a boss.

Comments

[bloodyashes]

[ - SPEAKING OF FONON PAINS.

It's a good thing he already pulled the beanbag over, because Asch is now going to kind of crumple into it, clutching his head in pain. Damnit, this is getting more frequent...]

[pitiedthefool]

...Asch? [Oh that did not look pleasant, and he knows how much a migraine sucked, but for some reason...] What's wrong?

[Did not seem like the same, and likely wasn't due to the sudden nature of it.]

[bloodyashes]

[Give him a minute here, Narukami, he can't use his brain until it stops hurting. Asch rubs at his temple for a moment as the pain goes away before sinking properly into the beanbag.]

I'm fine. Just passing pain.

[Yeah good luck with that bullshitting to Narukami, grumpybutt.]

[pitiedthefool]

[Oh, he'll give him a minute alright. He'll also be kneeling close by instead of simply leaning back like he was before he noticed that look and reaction.]

...Idiot. [Yeah, dude? Lying right in the face of a truth bowlcut is not a good plan.] Sorry, but I'm going to have to call BS.

[bloodyashes]

...Hmph.

[Yeah, being pretty obvious about not wanting to tell you this. Asch pulls back a bit and folds his arms.]

My internal fonons are separating. The pain is a side effect.

[pitiedthefool]

[Okay, he has been hearing that word a lot recently and Luke sucks at explaining anything. So while it sounds painful as all hell, he has to ask.]

...Fonons?

[bloodyashes]

[Yeah he should've realized that, when is Luke competent in anything, much less physics.]

Particles of energy, essentially. They're ambient in just about everything, but especially living creatures. Except for the Seventh Fonon, they're only really useful for artes.

[He shrugs slightly; surely Narukami's seen that application of them by now.]

The Seventh Fonon can imitate the others, as well as solid elements. It has a natural frequency like every other fonon, but it can be tuned to any other frequency. That's the basic concept behind the creation of replicas. My natural frequency is identical to that of the Seventh Fonon, which is what enables me to use hyperresonance, and enables Luke to use it by extension, since he also possesses that frequency.

[Enough infodump?]

[pitiedthefool]

[When he's getting his ass handed to him on a silver platter, which is getting harder and harder to do recently. Yes, it is that noticeable.]

...I see. So it's akin to cells and magic for us...?

[Edogawa would get a kick out of that. He has seen it, and Luke's epic failure at matching the frequency when his own Shadow tried to keep Luke and everyone else away from him. One thing he has kept from Asch, probably for good reason, too.]

Is there any way to reverse the separation?

[bloodyashes]

We still have cells. I'm fairly sure the biological structure is the same, but that's hardly my specialty.

[Meaning, he doesn't know much more than that. Most of his knowledge of biology actually pertains to replicas, given how they keep causing him problems.]

...There is, but it's not going to happen.

[pitiedthefool]

Not mine, either.

[Obviously. He's more a detective than anything else with some basic knowledge of medical treatments due to listening at the hospital when he was a janitor (like he'd try to do much with that, though). He raises an eyebrow at that, but, considering the month...]

...Let me guess, it ties in with how Luke isn't automatically falling on his ass when I actually try to block?

[bloodyashes]

[Most of the anatomy he knows is for the purposes of killing people. What a great team they'd make.

...A pause, then a nod.]

The fonons I'm losing are travelling to him. As I get weaker, he gets stronger.

[pitiedthefool]

[Well, if anyone was in need of a good cop/bad cop style of torture...

... He knows that reaction too well, and those words-]

Well, that doesn't sound familiar at all. [Liar, but he is incredibly concerned.]

[bloodyashes]

[Luckily Asch doesn't really care if it's a lie or not.]

Eventually, it will kill me. Which, I suppose, gives coming here a silver lining.

[Yay for death not sticking.]

[pitiedthefool]

[...Okay, considering he has died two painful ways and then had the pleasure of the first experience causing him to relive and experience his worst fear, and the second time woke up as some abomination of his other self, this is likely justified in just barely controlling himself from punching the idiot redhead (and he called Luke one? because Yu's beginning to suspect moments of stupidity runs in the "family" so to speak).]

Oh really.

[Just go ahead and ask him why his voice sounds so dry when he says it.]

[bloodyashes]

[At least yours was quick, Narukami. Dying by inches, especially when you can feel every bit of yourself slipping away? REALLY SUCKS. And it shows all over Asch's face.]

Then again, at least back home it would be over.

[Maybe he'll cut it quick when he starts to get too weak. Lots of interesting ways to die around here, after all.]

[pitiedthefool]

[Do not talk to him about quick when he-

...Maybe one day he'll apologize for the black eye, but today was not that day. You know the type of person who is slow to anger, but when it does, it's the silent kind that is the most dangerous?

That's this Hope representative. Who felt his body be dissolved into flickering static at least once. Want to talk about painful deaths? Go right ahead. Slow, quick, or in between... it doesn't matter.

You're kind of implying suicide in front of someone who has a god of life as a main piece of his soul. OOPS?]

[bloodyashes]

[holy okay shit it's a good thing he's in a beanbag because that would've knocked him to the floor otherwise. Asch spends a good several seconds sprawled and blinking before pressing a hand over the injury.]

And why the hell do you care?

[pitiedthefool]

[He brings his fist back, bringing it closer to his chest as a blue card fell; the Fool, which he catches with ease. It's okay, foolbro. He's got this.]

...Because my true self, my mask, is a god of life and creation from my world.

[He doubts Asch has any idea about the tale of Izanagi and Izanami, considering Luke didn't even know what a god was. Still.]

Believe it or not, some actually do care whether someone lives or dies, and while this place is hell, dying isn't pleasant no matter how you go.

[bloodyashes]

[Yeah, he has basically no idea what you mean, Narukami, but he does remember that weird incident on the network that one time. Why the fuck are you holding a playing card suddenly what even]

Living isn't exactly a party, either.

1/2

[pitiedthefool]

Neither is dying, which is why I hate seeing my friends in that spiral.

[The Fool suddenly turns into the World as it basically shatters in his hand. The thing that appears and is three times Yu's height? Well...

Thumbpoint.]

Just ask his wife and sister.

[kotodo]

[...Yes, it is rather complicated and gods don't have the same morals humans do. He's just going to stare down, and- was that concern in those red eyes?]

Verily... for we hath been in that cycle, ourselves.

[... WELP.]

[bloodyashes]

[There's a long pause, filled mostly with staring and a what the shit expression, before Asch turns his head away.]

Spare me the sympathy. If you actually care, then give me a reason.

[Because in the end, sympathy doesn't actually help.]

[kotodo]

Reanimation ist as painful as a slow demise. Death may be a reset button, but wouldst thou wish to be in Jason's care until thou awakes on the morrow?

[The response is immediate, even if accidental dual voice. Oops, speaking in tandem with your other self?]

[bloodyashes]

[He's only a little bit disturbed by it. Ultimately, it's actually very much his kind of weird, isofon of Lorelei shit and all. he's kind of glad Lorelei never tried speaking through him like that though]

That's not a reason to live, it's a reason to not die.

[Yeah, kind of an important difference.]

[pitiedthefool]

[...Ow, sudden headache again. You lucky son of a gun, because he is partly glaring at his headgod.]

--People do care and want you to succeed.

[He even smirks a bit, despite his head killing him. Like there's a private joke not being said, though it... isn't a joke at all, considering what is muttered when he stands.]

I don't understand why those who can keep living despite the pain it brings choose not to when those who can't would.

[Izanagi disappears,and he half turns.]

...Pick a third option if you have to.