Ad Visitatores

[animusmods]

Characters: anyone participating in the event
Setting: floor 56 and eventually other areas of the Tower
Format: either
Summary: Welcome to the Tower.
Warnings: horror/creepiness/potential danger/generally unfortunate things all possible
Notes: PLEASE GO HERE TO MAKE NEW POSTS.

A few minutes before anything happens, Ruana's voice rings out over the Tower's intercom--it manages to be louder than anything the residents happen to be doing. "Hey, everyone, there's something exciting going on at floor fifty-six! Go make sure they don't get themselves killed!"


You arrive, stepping or tumbling, in a surgical suite. It looks abandoned, with dust collecting on the table and floors. The lights flicker, and for a moment blood dripping off the table, puddling on the floor--but no, the lights are back, and surely that was your imagination. It's quiet, eerily so, but nothing hinders you, and you're free to spread out and explore. There are multiple rooms here, like in any hospital, and it's all a bit confusing. Occasionally the lights flicker, and it's a bit frightening as Things appear that shouldn't exist. Shadowy creatures stitched together and reaching for you, doctors brandishing phantom surgical tools, blood splattering the walls or floor or ceiling, how did it get there--but none are real, and all of them vanish when the lights return. Eventually you find the staircase, spiraling up and down into darkness. Approach it, though, and the thing glitters with a barrier that will push back any attempts at climbing the thing.

A girl, a teenager dressed in red and black, appears. And she does simply appear, inserting herself into the space, nearly pushing it aside to make room in it for where she is now. Her face beams with unconcealed excitement, and her words tumble out on top of themselves. "You can't go there! Yet, I mean. You'd all die!"

The girl steps onto the staircase, passing through the barrier as if it weren't there, and sits on the steps to address everyone. "Hi! I'm Ruana. You didn't show up the normal way, so the Tower can't support you yet. We got this one floor ready when I saw you were coming but, well, the Tower's kind've big, so getting all of them set up is taking a little longer than I thought." She smiles, sheepishly apologetic in a carefree sort of way. "I've got everyone coming here to visit you--or at least they know they can visit you--and I'll have someone bring food up for you. It'll be oatmeal, and oatmeal is super boring, but you have to eat it, okay? Then you can have whatever you want! The cafeteria's down on the first floor if you get hungry. We should have everything ready in a few hours. I've gotta go help with that, so you guys wait here.

"Don't worry, the monsters can't get to this floor as long as that barrier is up."

And then she's gone, blinking out of existence. The barrier will remain for three hours.

Comments

[detects]

[Everything hurt. She hadn't quite recovered from the Anoli attack though she was certainly better off than she had been at the hospital.

But her head is still spinning and her vision is kind of blurry. She feels on edge and, when trying to take a step forward, feels the world tilt sideways and quickly has to drop to one knee. Then both of them. Ugh...

What's going on?]

[drakenguard]

[A shadow will loom over Naoto...]

...do you require healing?

[Yamato had noticed the young woman collapse to her knees, and wondered if Philemon had pulled over yet another injured person from Hinoto-Ri's hospital. The man was more of a menace to them than any Crawling Chaos at this moment. May as well at least to try patch the injured ones up enough to survive a fight if one broke out]

[detects]

[Already on edge, the presences of another startles her. She whirls around in alarm, springing to her feet... but suffers a sharp pain and pales. She lifts her hand and presses her palm to her forehead when she realizes it's another person. What were those monsters she...?

Nothing. She must be imagining things...]

I'm all right. Just disoriented.

[drakenguard]

[Yamato's gaze shifted to somewhere behind Naoto, and he tutted. He too, could see the flickering visions, but merely took it all in bland stride.]

If you're certain. It will be no trouble for me to cast a quick Prayer for you, though.

[His gaze refocused on her]

Shirogane, yes?

[get_bent2]

[Well she wasn't the only one who was confused and dizzy about everything. It was everything Kanji hadn't wanted; a dream saying he was needed somewhere, getting stuck into an area that looked like all his worst fears about hospitals meshed together and Naoto nearby.

...not that he didn't want Naoto nearby, he just didn't want to see her like this! ...you know...]

Dammit, don't tell me we're in the TV world for some tournament again!

[Hit and miss. When he sees Naoto kneel, he runs over the few steps he needs to be closer, almost tripping on his own feet.]

Oh shit! Naoto! You alright?

[Hit and miss.]

A NEW CHALLENGER etc.

[celebrity_commentator]

This isn't the TV World...it was never this bad.

[She is starting to get sick of weird dreams that transport her places, though. She hurries over toward Naoto, but pauses to let Kanji pick her up.]

We might be in the Mictlan or something. Although I didn't think it'd have a cafeteria...

freshmen trio gooooo

[detects]

[She blinks a few spots from her eyes and glances up at her friends. She hadn't even seen them there. Maybe she mistook them for more monster illusions or...?]

I'm okay. [She reassures Kanji. She reaches up to grab his sleeve and uses it to help push herself to her feet. She still feels a little wobbly but she'll manage. She refuses to be a burden.]

Rise-san, can you use your Persona so tell us where we are? [though this isn't the TV world, apparently, so maybe not... but worth a shot?]

[detecting]

[Out of all the places she could be right now, out of all the floors she could be wandering -- and in this tower there were many -- this was the one floor she did want to be on. She hasn't been here more than a minute and her heart already feels like it's trying to escape. Her eyes fix themselves on the surgical tables, feeling her hands begin to shake.

She shouldn't be here. She didn't want to be here. Naoto wanted to help, but she did not want to be here.

Focus, Naoto! Focus! Don't look at the tables. Just ignore the tools, don't think about how sharp the blades are.

Doubles are not an uncommon occurrence here, but she's yet to see another version of herself. It's a little disconcerting to say the least. Still, she was here to help. One must first help themselves before helping others, right?]

Are you alright? Can you -- [whoah. sure did get incredibly dizzy.] can you stand?

[detects]

[The voice is her own. It registers immediately before she even understands what's happening. It spooks her and she springs to her feet despite her pain.]

Wha... [She starts but trails off. She's staring at herself, a perfect mirror image, though not for the first time. But she feels Yamato-Takeru buzzing in her head and knows it isn't her Shadow.

Then what the hell is going on?]

What... is this?

[detecting]

[Not quite a perfect image, no. The most obvious difference is the yellow collar around her neck. Everything else (other than her blatant discomfort) is far more subtle. Her posture isn't quite as straight as it should be and she just looks tired. She's been in the tower for over a year and it shows in her eyes -- this place has not been kind to her.]

You're in the Tower of Animus. Though I admit I'm not sure how you came to be here. To my knowledge this hasn't happened before.

[xroyal_bratx]

[ Somehow the young princess happened to be wondering what the hell was going on with the Tower again and to find someone on this floor was also surprising, even though she was quite used to this at this point.

She walked overt towards the person. ]

Hey are you okay?

[ Because they look like the could use some medical attention. ]

[detects]

[She winces a little as a twinge of pain causes her still recovering arm to ache. She glances up at the unfamiliar voice, jumping a bit. Her nerves are frayed and her mind still disorganized, making her that much more jumpy.]

Yes... [She isn't sure she should show her weaknesses in such a strange place among even stranger people... She takes a breath and stands, ignoring any aches and pains that protest the movement.]

Were you just brought here as well?

[xroyal_bratx]

[ Ishtar doesn't try to make the person feel anymore uncomfortable than they did. She is also certain that the person might be injured as well, considering the way they appeared to her. She doesn't make any more to step closer, giving the person the space they need and keeping her hands behind her back.

She's not sure what's going on but she can't leave people injured forever. She might be feeling a bit crappy but that doesn't change her morals. ]

I've been here for some time now. Are you new here then? Usually people who are new here usually ask that or something along those lines.

Are you alright though? You don't look good.

[imperialsun]

[A few minutes later, there is a young man close to her, studying her quietly before speaking. Thankfully by then, she had gotten attention from the others in regard to her injuries.]

Naoto Shirogane, I presume.

[Her Persona felt different too...]

[detects]

[Her head is still aching but it isn't severe enough to hinder her. The surroundings are though and she glances around warily. Where even was this...?

She turns around when someone calls out to her and is greeted with an unfamiliar face.]

Yes. [Though he didn't phrase it as a question...] Do I know you?

[imperialsun]

[He shakes his head, moving the sword from his side and adjusting the sub machine gun attached to his arm.]

No, but I know of another you who is in this tower.

[He takes a small, polite bow as is a proper greeting. He might have been here for quite some time, but Naoya never forgot his manners.]

Naoya Toudou, I'm a persona user like you...well I suppose right now that's not much of a difference, but I'm from 1997. I lead a team much like Yu did in his time.

[pitiedthefool]

[Of all the floors Ruana had to tell them about, it just had to be the surgical ward. He does his best to ignore the tables, and the surgical equipment, and basically everything else aside from the people who arrived here by uncommon ways. Specifically, he felt and heard Norn, Ishtar, and Odin grow louder as he looked around.

It was obvious to see why when he spotted one of the reasons falling to their knees.]

Naoto-kun-!

[He didn't even think when he walked over, kneeling beside her. ...Wait, no collar? Was this another her?]

Are you alright? [In other words, "What happened?"]

[detects]

[Now that's a voice she does recognize and she's on her feet quickly. A little too quickly when a wave of dizziness washes over her. She stumbles a bit but is able to blink and focus on Yu.]

Senpai...?

[Wait. He didn't look injured at all. Actually, he looked fine in comparison to when she had seen him last, laid up in the hospital. That wasn't right... Something was way off here.]

I'm fine... What about you?

[pitiedthefool]

[Not only not injured, but older. His gaze was a little more...empty? no, distant. Though thanks to the reset he was through last, his hair was only half-way down his neck rather than the bowlcut he always sported. You don't trust just anyone for a haircut in Helltower. Not to mention, his shirt makes the blue collar around his neck obvious.

He nods.]

...I've been better. [Which was honest, but... Why did they have to arrive during a Ruana month?] Though I'd be a little more concerned with where you are than how I or any me is.

[Oh, the pluses of Margaret and Igor mentioning that there were multiple hims going through the same journey...]

[fuhgeddaboudit]

Naoto--!

[Right at her side in a second is one Labrys, metal hands around her arm to try and support her.]

Hey, you alright? You ain't lookin' so great.

[detects]

[Whoa, she came out of nowhere. And unfortunately for Labyrs, Naoto doesn't recognize her. She tenses a little at the contact but appreciates it as the support helps her get back to her feet. She looks a bit pale but otherwise unharmed.]

Yes, I'm fine. Thank you... [Her head aches a little still, but... She pauses and focuses on Labyrs.] I apologize, do I... know you?

[fuhgeddaboudit]

...you ain't really met me yet either, huh?

[Fortunately, Labrys was quite used to this reaction.]

Sorry--my name's Labrys.

[justiceinheaven]

[Oh, look who's sneaking around to the other floors without her big brother knowing again. She's probably going to end up grounded at this rate, but she can't help but be curious, and it turns out to be a good thing.]

Naoto?

[She hurried over to her. Her big brother wouldn't be too upset if she was with a friend, right?]

What are you doing in here?

[detects]

[Well that certainly isn't a voice she expected to here. Coupled with the atmosphere and her own nervousness, an instant sense of dread washes over her.]

Nanako-chan...? [Not good at all. Nanako shouldn't be here. This place... No, she definitely shouldn't be.

Naoto rose uneasily to her feet, wanting to step forward to meet her halfway but failing to do so due the pain in her head and arm.]

I... Unfortunately, I'm not sure. I had a strange dream and then... [She trails off. Wait, that didn't matter.] What about you? This place seems too dangerous for you.

[justiceinheaven]

Hunh?

[Nanako gave her a curious look, before pulling down the collar of her dress, so Naoto could see the orange collar around her neck.]

I've been here, along with onii-chan and everyone.