[video | open]

[ex_outofcontrol435]

[Video: start. Unimpressed teenager with slicked-back hair and a cranky expression: appear.]

Okay, so either the Professor is pulling a huge fuck you on me for leaving, everyone in this town is sharing some kind of mass delusion, or I actually got kidnapped to a Japanese city in another world to fight monsters.

Someone remind me why I'm believing the third one?

[He rubs at his eyes, then looks a bit more cheerful as he keeps speaking.]

Free room and board just for beating shit up, though. The place I came from could learn from this Philemon guy. All I wanna know is if there's any other mutants around - that's Homo Superior, the evolution beyond humans, not whatever you might call mutants in some other world. As good as this all sounds, I'm not sticking around if demons are my only alternative to humans.

[And he's done.]

((ooc: rather pertinent rewrite after he got the details about the place and actually kind of liked them. facepalm.))

Comments

[trainwrecking]

Yeah, it comes from within. The more humanoid ones even talk to you...

[ex_outofcontrol435]

I still don't get the deal with this. We had this mu - this ability all along and just couldn't use it until we came here?

[trainwrecking]

Ahh, no... Not exactly. You were always you before you came here, but it was that "dream" that gave you your Soul Persona.

Uh, how do I say this... [Especially to a guy who seems to have a serious vendetta against humans.] You, ah... agreed to it.

[ex_outofcontrol435]

What?

[That's one part of the dream that he doesn't remember.]

You couldn't ever get how little I care about the fate of humanity. Why would I agree to that?

[trainwrecking]

I, ah, really can't answer that one for you...

[And he's not sure he wants to speculate on your psyche there, friend. But he'll try his best to avoid landmines.]

Philemon is one of the gods here. Maybe he appealed to some... ah, small part of you?

[ex_outofcontrol435]

[He shakes his head irritably.]

Dreams are a shitty way of giving people information, and an even worse way of recruiting. Who the hell knows why you do what you do in dreams?

[He's starting to get pissed off at this place again.]

[trainwrecking]

Everyone says it's a "dream" because it feels like one, but it's not exactly like that. You're conscious throughout...

[This weird, suspension-of-disbelief stuff gets to him sometimes. He lingers, visibly battling with himself, like he wants to mention something else.]

[ex_outofcontrol435]

... and?

Seriously, man, spit it out.

[trainwrecking]

That "dream" is-- it's one of the least confusing things about Hinoto-Ri.

[No, there's more to it than that. He's been so passionate about researching this, but it feels so much harder to tell a newcomer...]

This world has had a lot of... mind-altering. At least it has since I've been here.

[ex_outofcontrol435]

[Nope, that's not enough either.]

I need to know what you mean by that. Right now.

[trainwrecking]

[At least this guy is listening to him. The more people he can educate, the better, really.]

There was a memory swap instance recently. People would start remembering other people's pasts and acting... strangely. I don't understand why...

[Deep breath.]

And there have been two events where people of certain birth signs... lose control of themselves completely.

[ex_outofcontrol435]

Someone's playing with our heads, in other words. [For the first time, he looks so intensely serious that his expression is almost grim.] And here I thought I wouldn't see that again.

[trainwrecking]

I know it's a lot to take at once, but I'm trying to... help anyone I can.

[Even if they're enemies at the end of it all.]

Haha... It's almost pitiful! This is all a game between two gods here...

[ex_outofcontrol435]

That's actually something I needed to know.

{There's all the thanks you're ever going to get.]

Who's the other god, though? I only heard about Philemon the butterfly guy and his quest to save humanity.

[trainwrecking]

Nyarlathotep is the second god. I don't hear about him as a figurehead as much, but if Philemon exists, I'm sure he does too.

[Probably because Nyarlathotep with his ridiculous name is the token "bad guy."]

[ex_outofcontrol435]

Oh god, the names around here. [He rolls his eyes.] So he's second in command? Or is he on the other side?

[trainwrecking]

They're not all that bad. [But that one doesn't exactly roll off the tongue.]

He's on the other side. His role is to see everything destroyed, and ours is to fight.

[ex_outofcontrol435]

What's his damage? He just likes chaos?

[Pyro can relate, really. He really is feeling like he's on the wrong side here.]

[trainwrecking]

Supposedly, he's a representation of mankind's evil, so... it seems that way. I don't know what he would gain from ruining the city other than bragging rights.

[Human or not, the city isn't all that bad, minus the events and probable government dishonesty. Why ruin it?]

[ex_outofcontrol435]

What do humans ever gain by destroying each other? But they still do, when they don't have another target.

[trainwrecking]

Not all of us want that, though. [Otherwise, though? Point. He can't argue.]

I think we all just try to live the best we can. It's not perfect, but...

[ex_outofcontrol435]

Optimist, huh?

[His tone flattens, edged with anger.]

No. Most people only want to fuck things up for others. They'll make laws to single people out and target them, they'll hunt down people just for what they are; they'll even murder or try outright genocide. You can try your very best - [His voice takes on a childish lilt at that, then drops again.] - but you'll never make the majority.

[trainwrecking]

That's--that's not true. Do you think we're out to hurt you? That I'm out to hurt you?

[He caught that little snipe and grits his teeth in response.]

What else should I do? Nothing?

[ex_outofcontrol435]

If you mean do I trust you? No. Trust's a luxury I had to give up, and a weakness in the end.

Oh, you keep believing life is sunshine and rainbows if you wanna. Just don't be surprised when reality finally hits.

[trainwrecking]

I won't ask you to trust me. I--I don't know that I could trust you right now.

[But--]

That doesn't mean I'd ever want to hurt you. Obviously you've lived an unjust life too, so... why would I want to add to it? Your pain is as real as mine or anyone else's.