Disclaimer: None of the authors own any of the referenced properties.
[SMT IV]
Variant: APOCALYPSE – part 4
Author: me
After Dr. Matsuda's admittedly much-needed pep talk, Isabeau decided to take a more proactive role in keeping an eye on these kids. Fortunately, Fujiwara was always close by when one needed to ask questions.
So she asked him which area were those kids from. Even they had to return to the Hunter's Association once in a while. Kinshicho was a bit far from their base, but that was no problem for Isabeau.
And then the loop threw yet another curveball at her.
Someone had defeated Shesha again. Then Merkabah and Lucifer asked for another conference. It was impossible to hold back the shiver that crawled up her spine.
Instead of asking her to attend the meeting in person, Fujiwara took her to a corner and whispered a request in her ear.
Isabeau was out of the gates before she knew it, running through the trashed streets with one eye and ear out for any threats and another on her gauntlet.
The conference proved surprisingly interesting. According to the report, a group of Hunters and Samurai had cooperated to track down Shesha and then defeat it, followed an analysis on Shesha's attacks and skills. Apparently, Shesha would take ages to even get up before attacking.
The serpent sounded strangely… lethargic. Too easy. Isebeau did not like that at all. There had to be more to it, she just knew it. Things in their loop were never that easy. She was willing to bet all her money that they would fight Shesha again.
Her whole body was trembling as she dashed through the stairs leading underground.
The conference had just finished so they had to be leaving right now, she could not lose them!
She yelled at the top of her lungs, not caring who saw her. "Hold on!"
They heard her. She didn't know who to thank, but they heard her. They stopped just before the elevator.
"Miss Isabeau! It's me, Asahi!" Behind her, Nanashi was waving at her.
The girl's bright smile was enough to make her day. Isabeau came to a stop, trying to catch her breath. Good thing she had practiced so much. "Hello, Asahi. It's good to see you."
Isabeau took them in. The group that defeated Shesha. Astonishing.
Like all residents of Tokyo, Asahi, Nanashi and Nozomi were very pale, though Nanashi took that to a concerning level. Like before, she could sense some strange dark power coming from him, and now that she looked closer, those green eyes could not possibly be natural. Nozomi looked the same as always, but she had an air of confidence and maturity that she lacked before. The Ashura-kai boy that was with them had entirely unnatural colouring, with really yellow skin and grey hair, but otherwise he looked like any other teenager. Isabeau was also astonished to see a young man in a frilly white uniform with a fancy spear. That was probably Gaston. She could really see the resemblance, though Gaston was admittedly more handsome.
"I knew you'd pass this way. I'm glad I ran into you. You are setting out for Tsukiji Konganji, yes?" The question was mostly rhetorical. Fujiwara's orders stated exactly that. Where else would the group that defeated Shesha head to? That said, she was mildly surprised to see that they were using the terminals. "I cannot let you rescue Flynn alone. Permit me to join you?"
Please say yes, please say yes…
Asahi was astonished. "You want to come with us? Of course you can! Let's go!"
"Oh… uh… Thank you. I did not anticipate so much enthusiasm." Oh, did she come off as rude? She really hoped Asahi would not be offended.
Obviously it flew right over Asahi's head. "You're always welcome here, Miss Isabeau! I'd fight at your side all day, every day!"
Wow. Was this what having fans was like? Isabeau felt so awkward seeing Asahi smiling at her like she was the sun… But at the same time, it made her feel warm inside.
"I hope I never looked like this in front of Abe…"
Isabeau was suddenly hit with a mental image of the Ashura-kai boy acting like Asahi in front of some cold criminal in an expensive suit. It was so funny she almost missed Nozomi whispering to thin air.
What?
"So, um, introductions? You must be Gaston, correct?"
Gaston so far had said nothing. He only nodded rigidly, with an unreadable look on his face. Isabeau could not figure out if he was relieved, skeptical or disappointed.
"And your name is?"
"Oh, um, I'm Hallelujah." Now this was a strange name, but she did not comment on it. At least she had something other than "Ashura-kai boy" to call him by.
Isabeau had many questions about all of them, but they were running out of time. "Let's be off to Tsukiji Konganji."
"Right." Isabeau was astonished to see Nanashi talk. "Miss Isabeau, what exactly is your specialty?"
"There we go…"
The looper blinked at his question. Her specialty? How should she even start with that? She had looped countless times, learned more magic than her loop had to offer and just as much about the sciences, she could annihilate most enemies in seconds, and suddenly this boy was asking for her specialty?
"I… don't really specialize in something. I am very capable in every field of combat."
Asahi was in awe. "Really!?"
Nanashi ignored her. "Good. Then we split up. We have sev- um, six people here." What was that slip-up? "Miss Isebeau, please take Gaston and Miss Nozomi with you. The rest, with me."
Gaston looked like he was about to protest, but he threw a glance at her and said nothing. Isabeau was staring to grow worried. She hoped he would not cause any problems later down the line.
She was also worried that she would not be able to keep an eye on Nanashi and Asahi directly. Asahi obviously trusted her, and Nanashi probably did too, but she came here specifically to find them. After all, they were the ones involved in this whole "Divine Powers" thing since the start.
The other reason was that she was essentially leaving three kids alone in Ring of Gaia territory, and that was without counting the other unknown dangers they may face.
However, they were strong, They should be fine.
And besides, now they were en route to save Flynn, and she could not be happier.
[Persona 2]
Jun's Awakening – part 7
Author: me
This fight was a nightmare. Eriko was on the verge of collapsing, holding on by the last shreds of her will.
The moment she finished her phonecall, she was flung into the studio by the man who stalked her, chainsaw in the ready and screeching her name, waving around like the madman that he was.
Eriko had no idea where he came from but she did not have the time to consider it either. She casted all the magic that she could, using Garula over and over in an attempt to blow him away, or at least slow him down.
He was not slowing down. Instead, the pain seemed to spur him and motivate him even more. He was laughing and kept saying how happy he was that she was paying attention to him.
Eriko attempted to sever his knees with her rapier, but somehow that did nothing. How was that even possible!?
He lunged with the chainsaw again and she barely dodged. She was running out of energy. If she fell here, then… Then…
An explosion. Dust. Then light.
Never had she been more relieved to see Brown and his cocky grin.
"The cavalry is here!"
…
The moment Jun heard the explosion he realized that the plan they made had been blown out of the water.
The original plan was as following: they would damage the recording equipment – which Lisa did with a mighty roar reminiscent of her old self – and then they would wait for the filming crew to arrive, at which point the girls would give an excuse about damaging the equipment by accident while practicing. Jun would use the delay to corner Wang Long Chizuru.
Instead, he felt a Persona resonance he didn't recognize at the place where he abandoned the Shiki and Kirishima-san. Surely, Wand Long Chizuru would go to investigate.
On the one hand, that would surely keep her away from the broadcast, and hopefully keep his own – admittedly minimal – involvement a secret.
On the other hand, could he really leave it to chance?
"Jun!? What was that!?"
The girls.
Forget about Chizuru.
Jun rushed straight back into the recording studio. "Change of plans."
He had to calm down. He the explosion, the personnel and the police outside would evacuate the building, and Jun was not supposed to be here. Oh sure, he had given an excuse about going in to see his mother, but he hadn't and if the stories didn't line up…
There was no way Miyashiro-san would be able to cover for him.
Jun grabbed all three of them and pulled them close. He could already hear the shouting and yelling from the floors below.
"Listen. We are going outside. When the cops ask you, say that you ran when you heard the explosion, and ran into me on the hallway."
"And what about the equipment?"
Crap, he almost forgot about that. "Okay, then… How about this? Same excuse as before, you were practicing and accidentally damaged the equipment, went to look for someone to help you fix it before the broadcast, heard the explosion, ran downstairs, and ran into me. We'll go downstairs together."
"Wait, Jun."
Lisa. "…Yes?"
"What about Wang Long Chizuru?"
He sighed in resignation. "If I attack her, it'll raise suspicion. It might even work in her favour…"
The other girls were shocked. "Attack her!?"
"I'll cover for you."
Lisa's declaration stunned them. She looked at him straight in the eye. In that moment, Jun could see the fire she had on the Other Side. "We'll say that we found Wang Long Chizuru collapsed and injured, and the two of us stopped to help her."
"Lisa, you want to help him!?"
"He's working alone, isn't he!? I'm going!"
Her friends were still protesting. "But Lisa, that's crazy! And I still don't believe him about her being evil or whatever!"
It was no use. Lisa's will was as unmovable as the Earth. Behind them, the voices were getting closer.
A second explosion. There was a fight.
"Alright. Lisa, with me. You two, as we discussed. Practice, damaged equipment, left the studio, explosion, we found Chizuru and split up."
"O-okay…"
The girls ran, and only Lisa remained. "Can you fight?"
"I-I'm not sure… But I'm coming with you." The steel was back.
"You'll be fine. But I'm warning you, she's a witch so keep your wits together."
The two of them starting running too. Jun spread his senses through the building trying to track her through resonance. She was still here. Good.
"A witch, huh? Sounds like a long story. I guess you can use magic too?"
No point in hiding it anymore. "Yeah. Wind based. Bit of healing."
"I would like to see that."
As if answering her prayers, a demon jumped in front of them. "Wow, what's that!?"
Instead of replying, Jun blasted it away with Garudyne. Its body dissolved. He turned to her. "Gone."
Lisa just stared. "Well, I got my wish. But the next one is mine!"
Her enthusiasm was infectious. "Alright."
It was good to have her back.
…
Back in the laboratory, Tatsuya's progress was going smoothly. He had already disabled most gates, activated the elevator with the key he had stolen from Rasputin in a previous loop, reached the secret floor, destroyed the X-00 mecha that was in the way, kicked the scientists out of the lab and with a well-placed Nova Kaiser, he blew up the equipment.
Unfortunately, it was too late for Sugimoto. He had already been turned into a demon. Not that Tatsuya felt particularly sorry for him. There weren't many people in the world who were beyond saving, but Sugimoto was definitely one of them. Hopefully Eikichi wouldn't take it too badly.
A well-placed Agidyne was enough to render the demonic Sugimoto unconscious. He would have to carry him up top, but that wouldn't be too much of a problem.
His phone buzzed. It was a text from Yoshizaka.
"Your brother and some other people just came. They brought a truck."
Crap. He hoped he'd be done before they arrived. "Did they see you?"
"No"
Tatsuya ransacked his brain for a plan. "If they see you, just tell them you heard about the rumours and decided to check it out. They already know you're involved with the case, they won't question it."
"Much"
Tatsuya amended the point. His brother was always a mood swinger when it came to interrogations; either he let the subject go or drilled them to the ground, no in-betweens. Perhaps it'd be safer for everyone if he pumped Sugimoto with tranquilizer and stuffed him somewhere where Eikichi or the others could find him.
After that… "Change of plans. Leave the JOKERS to my brother and the others. You stay hidden even after they leave. If I don't text you in the hour after they leave, get out."
Yoshizaka's text came almost immediately afterwards. "What you planning to do"
Get to the source of this. Kandori. "Find the guy in charge. He's here."
"You SURE you can fight him?"
Yoshizaka had seen his strength before. When he stopped Shiori from making that call to end her own life. When he saved Noriko from herself before the Triads could kidnap her again. Little stuff all over the city. Of course, he had never truly gone all out. No looper ever did. Even with his baseline-only abilities, he was more than strong enough to handle anything his native loop could throw at him.
When he had started looping, Nyarlathotep for the very first time took him seriously. The games were over – the Eldritch Abomination had nothing more to hide from Tatsuya, who knew his true form and purpose, and no reason. So instead of playing games with him like he did in baseline, he threw as many of his minions at him as possible to wear him down. Entities that Tatsuya had no means of describing, that defied all logic and comprehension.
Tatsuya made quick work out of every single one of them.
So He found other ways to screw with him and slow him down. Messing with his friends, his allies and random people, forcing him into an impossible balancing act because no matter how powerful he grew he could not be in two places at once. Things were always easier when the St. Hermellin grads were also Awake, even if Todou-san, Inaba-san and Ayase-san seemed to be AWOL most of the time, and Kido-san had issues, but it was still a stretch.
Kandori was Nyarlathotep's other favourite pawn.
The man who had everything and nothing, and seemed to know far more than he had in any right to. In baseline, the man was strong enough to screw around with him. Hell, even in the loops Kandori was giving him trouble. Then the man just… stopped fighting him and the St. Hermellin grads started telling tales about increasingly nightmarish and impossible fights.
In other words…
"I can try"
"DONT DIE"
He had no such plans.
[Persona 3]
Another Wild Card Enters The Fray (Elizabeth's Awakening)
Author: Venku
In retrospect, Elizabeth should have known something was amiss when she woke up back in the Velvet Room. The very last thing she remembered was this quaint little side trip to the Inaba region. She just loved sampling the local delicacies. The sights! The smell! While she had to help her former guest deal with a rather troublesome individual in a silly tournament, overall Elizabeth had viewed her time at Inaba to be a pleasant detour from her task.
So why is it that she woke up back in the Elevator, like nothing had ever happened?
Feeling a bit vexed and curious, she approached one corner of the Velvet Room. The Room itself would always shape the interior to match whatever the needs of the Guest require. That being said, there were some things to let the Attendants know basics, like time and date.
Her lips purse in a small thin line as she shook her head. Something seemed way off. Time itself seemed to reset itself. "Wonder what this could be?" she commented idly. Then another thing stood out. She rubbed her eyes before looking at the date again. Surely it couldn't be correct. Surely she read the date wrong.
Nope. In clear script, the time itself read: April 8th, 2009
Well. Damn.
Elizabeth stared mutely at the calendar before heading off to prepare for what she assumed would be the guest arriving.
Unbeknownst to Elizabeth, she was being watched. Igor, the Master of the Velvet Room, had noted her strange reaction and had surreptitiously turned his seat to where she would remain in his line of sight. "How curious" the man commented to himself. "Has the Tree decided to act? Has another unlocked their Potential?"
…
Though the guest would never know it, Elizabeth had mixed emotions when he arrived later in the day. It had hurt her heart when he showed. His short, cropped blue hair and crystal blue eyes framed against a sleepy demeanor had haunted her dreams ever since the fated event. She wanted to warn him. To tell him of what was going to happen. And of how she felt about him.
Instead, her lips refused to work when her Master spoke: "Welcome to the Velvet Room, my dear young man. My name is Igor. I am delighted to make your acquaintance"
And when she was introduced, all she could say was "Pleased to meet you."
She wanted to scream in anguish. In agony. Just why could she not warn him. And what was going on with her reliving this fated year? Was she being punished for some sin she unknowingly did?
When the young man left the Velvet Room, Elizabeth excused herself and went to her area. As soon as she left, Igor let loose a long suffering sigh. "Her actions indeed speak of her awakening. But I must not tell her. Not until it is confirmed."
Curious about his next step, Igor cleared his mind. He pulled out a deck of Tarot cards and began to perform a reading. Of course, the Fool was in the upright position. The next card drawn was the Tower, signifying the start of a conflict. What was drawn next was something which caused the man, the Anchor of the Persona branch, to blink.
Staring as a bright warning klaxon, the Inverted Judgement card was placed between the Fool and the Tower.
"Curious" Igor murmured. "Very curious indeed.
…
Summer. Normally a time where children celebrated their break from school. Adults planned vacation time with their families. The young man and his colleagues went to Mitusur Kirijo's summer vacation home.
And Elizabeth was doing her absolute best to try to find out what was going on.
Conversations with her siblings bore no fruit. Margaret, while the eldest, was also apparently deep in thought regarding her own concerns. She did not view Theodore's input as something to pursue, and was grateful that he steered clear of her path. Lavenza, the sweet girl that she was, also stayed out of her way.
Elizabeth was, without a doubt, frustrated.
"Why is this happening?" she almost shouted.
Her actions were noted, and were being closely monitored. Outside of Elizabeth's line of sight, a blue butterfly floated near Igor. It hovered at eye level and pulsed briefly, glowing bright blue.
"Yes. I am aware of the dangers involved. However it appears that she might yet indeed be Aware" Igor murmured to the butterfly. As it pulsed for a few minutes more, Igor nodded his head. "Yes. Stability will be maintained. But as soon as I can, I will let her know. That I assure you."
Satisfied, the butterfly flew away as Igor sighed.
…
The loop itself was approaching it's conclusion.
The Guest, amazing man that he was, had recovered admirably from two separate attacks which would cripple most people. Betrayal from a trusted adult, and from finding out that the World was slated to end. Itkutski very likely did not expect the blonde haired robot to countermand the orders given, showing signs indeed of a bond of friendship the young man had formed.
The world's fall was handled with grace as he had led his friends to gather their courage and to remember why they fought. As a Persona was a manifestation of a person's will, their ability to handle what life threw at them, the metamorphosis of his ally's Persona to another form spoke well of his ability to nurture and help his teammates with their personal growth.
Nyx Avatar, the herald of the End, was defeated by this young man's party at great cost. Fate had indeed shown its ugly head as the party's reserve was drained. Not surprisingly, the guest had decided to rise and meet Nyx head on.
Igor had opened access via the Velvet Room one last time. "I never dreamed of seeing this card with my own eyes" he had begun, pulling the World Tarot card from his deck. "This is indeed a surprise!". Explaining that the power of social bonds was what had allowed for the young man to rise against the oncoming fate and meet it head on, he dismissed the youth with the standard perfunctory phrase. "Our contract has been fulfilled. I have completed my role as well. You were truly a remarkable guest."
The young man had left and Elizabeth had moved to join him. Damn the consequences, he would not have to sacrifice himself on her watch! As she stepped forward, Igor cleared his throat.
"Pray listen to me before you take another step".
Surprised, as Elizabeth had never heard that phrase before from Igor, she turned around. And was reminded as to why he was the Master of the Velvet Room.
A glowing corona of power enveloped Igor as he held his own book in his hands. His eyes had taken on a somber, yet resolved gaze as he looked at her. "You have truly shown a remarkable potential, Elizabeth" he spoke, voice echoing through the Velvet Room. "And I will be willing to explain what's going on. But if you interrupt what must be, I will be forced to act."
Elizabeth paused, and did the most prudent thing.
Walking over to the chair in front of his table, Elizabeth spoke.
"What is going on?"
…
A few hours passed and Elizabeth cleared her throat. Igor nodded his head, indicating that he would accept questions.
"So to be clear" she replied as she pulled out her notebook from her Mysterious Satchel(™). "The collective unconsciousness on Multiple Realms is in flux. Our administrator, an avatar of the Persona Taira no Masakado, is the one assigned to fix our branch."
"Correct" Igor replied.
"You, as both Master of the Velvet Room as well as Anchor of the Persona Branch will always be 'Awake' for when time resets. It will be the luck of Fate if I am or others. And my siblings are not 'Awake'?" she added. Seeing his nod of agreement, Elizabeth sighed.
"Is there a problem? To be perfectly honest, this can be viewed as an extension of your duties here in the Velvet Room. Even before you began your Quest and achieved your own Wild Card status" Igor commented, as he began to shuffle his Tarot Deck.
"Let's say that I am filled with perdify and sloth. What would happen to me?" Elizabeth asked. Not that she would be against this adventure, but one must consider all opportunities!
Igor flipped over the first card. Death Inverted. The Fool inverted was placed on top of the card as well as the Inverted Devil card. "Must I elaborate?" he asked. Elizabeth paled and shook her head.
"I should also advise that if you seek to crash these loops, the Administrators would do their best to discipline you for it. One of their favorite examples is a loop of boredom." Igor shuddered as he had his own recollection of that loop.
Elizabeth nodded once, thinking. "Alright. So I suppose as you know how this will play out, what lessons must I learn?"
Igor smiled. "Come. Let your training begin. And Elizabeth…?"
Elizabeth paused, her eyebrow cocked in curiosity.
"Welcome to the Looping Velvet Room. I am Igor, it's Proprietor. I am pleased to make your acquaintance."
This brought a small blush and smile to her face as they began her needed lessons.
[SMT I]
The Edit – Genesis Brane #1
Author: Venku
There was nothing else which could be said. Regardless of the fact that time itself was looping, Futuso was vexed. If pressed, he would admit that he was more depressed than vexed. The reason why was simple. No matter the cause, no matter the reason, certain actions remained the same. Actions which always resulted in someone close to him perishing.
Yoshio, or Yuji depending on the loop, would always fall under the Messiah Church's dogma and become their new Messiah. Depending on the course of the loops, he would either be slain by Waruo, sometimes called Takeshi or Tetsuo depending on the loop itself, as the new Chaos Hero and live with YVHW in Heaven or be slain by Futsuo. Only when Futsuo followed the teachings of Tai Shang Lao Jun, the old man in the parkway who first hinted to Futsuo of the upcoming conflict, that Yoshio realized he was set up to fail.
Waruo was a separate matter. Always the one seeking to better himself due to being the proverbial underdog, Futsuo had to admit that there were quite a few times that baseline always led to a conflict due to his arrogance and anger. A prime example would be after the Great Cataclysm and Waruo's demand to fuse with one of Futsuo's base demons. His fate would wind up being the same as well. He would die when the Devil Ring's power was greater than what he could handle, or die at the hands of Futsuo.
Both the death of Waruo and Yoshi paled in response to his mother. Her death would almost always be the same: slain at the hands of a small Oni demon. Yes, he and his friends Yoshio and Waruo avenged his mother by slaying the demon. What normal or sane person would not try to stop the death of his relative, if he knew it was coming?
This was one of numerous questions he had for Stephen. During a recent loop, while Waruo and Yoshio were allowing him some time to grieve the death of his mother, he sought the Anchor out for some questions.
"What seems to be the problem?" Stephen asked, seeing the puzzled look on the other man's face.
"Walk with me?" Futsuo asked. "I'll meet Waruo and Yoshio later but right now I want to stretch my legs to the park where the Old Man was at."
Understanding the landmark in question, Stephen nodded. Both men had their own Comps out to handle any wayward demons along the trek. The walk was in silence, with both men enjoying the beauty of the pre-destroyed world. Suddenly Futsuo stopped and asked a basic question.
"Why do we bother?"
Stephen paused and turned his gaze to the other man. "What do you mean?" he asked. "Why do we bother what?"
"Why do we bother repeating existence?" Futsuo asked. There was a strange look on his face that Stephen never saw before. A look of frustration and confusion.
"I mean, regardless of what we do, nothing changes. My mother..dead by that Oni" he continued, anger growing in his voice. "Waruo and Yoshio falling prey to their manipulations and being pawns of the Gaeans or Messiah Church. Their blood on my hands. About the only benefit to all of this is Aoi being with me, and.." Futsuo paused. "And she's not even looping!"
"I see. It sounds as if you're facing what could be soul shattering decisions by yourself. Is that it?"
"Precisely" Futsuo responded. "What's the fuckin' purpose if nothing we do changes? Why go through this if time itself is going to continually screw me over?"
"Careful!" Stephen warned. "What you're referencing sounds dangerously close to Sakura Syndrome."
"I'm aware, thanks." Futusuo responded. "And while I don't think that's quite it.." he paused with Stephen's level look. "I am also aware that I'm ill equipped to diagnose it. What the issue is, in my opinion…"
"..is depression. I'd wager there's also guilt with your actions gnawing at your conscious" the other man finished. "I am aware. For the moment though I have no answers to give you."
Futsuo sighed, disappointed that there seemed to be no answer.
[Digital Devil Saga]
The Edit – Samsara Brane #1
Author: me
In this world, the rain was unceasing. Silver. Dry. Heavy. It carried the weight of sins unacknowledged by the static mind, of screams that went unheeded as they escaped the owners' lips. The rain went unnoticed, as permanent a fixture in this world as the air itself, an element that faded in the useless background. Its waters travelled through thin crevices and artificial channels, never pooling but disappearing into places unknown.
Nobody cared for the rain. It was simply another fixed statistic among the many fixed statistics. A tiny bit of data that was quickly analyzed and tucked in as the background for the grander strategy, of the ever present mission. The significance of the rain paled in comparison to the placement of the rocks and the debris, the measurements between them, the slopes and the cracks. How much punishment each material could take before inertia failed it and it gave way to whatever force was trying to move it or pierce through it.
And yet, all those data paled in comparison to how many bullets were left in the cartridge. Their size, shape, specialization and piercing capabilities.
For this was their Mission. Their Goal. Their War.
Everything faded before the War. Everything faded before the Church. The Tower that reached and surpassed the heavens.
Everything paled before Nirvana.
Even the Hunger.
The Hunger was sudden. The screams no longer went unheeded. They had a deeper meaning that just "injury" now.
The screams meant Hunger. Hunger meant Atma. Atma meant "demon". "Demon" meant new forms. New forms meant altered conditions. And altered conditions meant that all the data that were previously used were now useless.
Gone were the statics and the fixtures. Atma came with many variables, even its only static – the Hunger – being unpredictable and thus unreliable.
Atma brought a whole torrent of new data. The dead bodies mattered now; instead of being washed away by the rain, they were taken by those sharp fangs and those tongues that cherished the rich and warm blood dripping for the lips.
Existence now had a static other than the War, found in the tearing of flesh, the taste of salt and copper in the crimson liquid that flowed through everybody's veins, what was previously a need that needed to be covered now become a desire and a motive.
Desires then evolved beyond mere hunger; there was a desire for calm, and friendship and love and those came with things such as sadness and rage and dreams. Even old terms had their meanings changed, for War was something more than just a means to an end, there were those who sought out battles, those who betrayed and those who stayed loyal and those who no longer cared, and everyone sought satisfaction.
The Dreamers screamed and cried and whimpered, terrified of the Sun.
The rain grew lighter.
And yet all of this paled before Nirvana.
The name of this world was "The Junkyard". The people of this world were divided into tribes. All tribes desired Nirvana.
Only one of them had reached it.
But for the Embryon, the War never ended.
…
They had seen wonders and terrors beyond what the mind – any mind – could grasp. They had touched the sun with their feet and they had smelled the sweet scent of the flowers. They had seen worlds far away from this one, wars without war, without missions, without suffering.
The Hunger was ever present.
The War always returned.
Their loved ones died.
That was their fixed data.
…
A young woman was laying in a pool of her own blood. She must have been beautiful once.
…
The young man who had the form of Metatron was clutching the corpse of a beautiful woman in his arms.
…
There was a report from some soldiers sent to scan the sewers. Someone who took the form of multi-headed giant snake and someone who took the form of an angel with metal wings had devoured each other.
A beautiful woman was found dead further in.
…
It was said that the Brutes started executing people to make an example out of them.
A beautiful woman was the first to be executed. A young man soon followed, but not before assuming his Atma form of a metal-winged angel and wrecking half their base.
…
"Unfortunately, while we do have a description for the beautiful woman, learning her name was impossible and thus we cannot identify her."
…
Naoki was in the same room as always, snarling like a beast in a cage, clawing at the walls, his nails dripping blood. He lunged at them and his eyes flash crimson, and they slammed the door behind as they ran.
His screams echoed through the depths of the Citadel.
Jinana died again that day, and Argilla screamed at the world for its unfairness.
The beast that was Naoki was silenced for a moment. He screamed back at the world and the cries echoed.
…
Sera rushed to the battlefield to cease Jinana's hunger-fueled rampage with her singing, but Bat captured her before she could get her song out.
…
"It is with great regret that we inform you that the Leader or the Maribel Tribe Jinana has been devoured by…"
…
"I'll hold it off!"
"Jinana, you can't do that!"
"Just go!"
"You can't fight it by yourself, it's too much for you!"
"I can buy you time!"
"But what about you!? We can leave you here, please!"
She smiled. "I'll see you later, okay? Don't worry about me."
"JINANA!"
…
"Jinana won't listen. We told her a million times that the blood capsules won't return someone who already lost control of their Atma but she's still trying to save her people! Sir, I know it's not my place to say this, but at this point she is becoming a liability."
"We'll save her."
"Sir?"
"We have to."
"R-right."
…
Sera couldn't make it in time.
…
""Viking Funeral"? I assume you found a ship?"
"Yes, it is a few miles away from Coordinate 136."
"Good. But I suggest you don't spread that name. Varin would understand your intentions immediately."
Gale appreciated Lupa's advice. "That is true."
…
Lupa of the Wolves and the Embryon traded through the Samsara tunnels once more, slowly making their way to the base of the Brutes.
Lupa looked wary, but also curious. "Surprisingly low numbers of guards. I was certain the Brutes had far more members than this."
Serph answered his unasked question.
"Operation "Viking Funeral"."
He let Lupa to process the statement for a few moments. The large man came to a halt, his brow furrowed, lost deep in thought.
"If I recall correctly, that is when… when a …Viking died… they set his body in a …ship, set in on fire and let it …sail… That was it?"
Serph nodded.
Lupa laughed. "That's quite a way to go."
"How do you want to go?"
Lupa stopped laughing and looked at Gale puzzled. "I want to be in Nirvana with my son, obviously."
…
"How did my dad die?"
Gale was silent. Fred had every right to know how his father's second life ended. In every single loop, he would always die, and Gale would tell him the story because Fred deserved to know.
"We were on an infiltration mission in the Brutes' base, by using the underground sewers as a path. However, the leader of the Brutes, Colonel Beck had detected our approach and ordered his troops to attack us en masse. Lupa offered to hold them back by himself, but…"
"But what? What happened!?"
Gale sighed heavily. "Your father always refused to devour other people. He was weak from hunger, and lost control of his Atma…"
Fred didn't need to be told where this was going.
"You killed him, didn't you?"
"…"
"Wh-What… What did you do with the body?"
"…In the Junkyard, the data of the dead turn into rain, and are absorbed in the Samsara sewer system, until they end up beneath the Karma Temple where they are reborn."
"What, so you LEFT him there!?"
"No. We built a boat out of scrap metal, placed his body in it, set it on fire and let it into the sewers."
Fred blinked in bafflement. "Isn't that some kind of ancient funeral?"
"It is."
"…Huh. That's pretty cool, actually. Thanks."
…
"Operation "Viking Funeral"?"
Gale could not fault Lupa for being confused. The name of the operation only made sense if someone had data from the real world; and on top of that, the name was based on obscure knowledge concerning ancient traditions and customs. Even if someone had access to the real world, this particular information would be of very low priority. The current world had no need or time for such things.
Therefore, he explained.
"There is a large ship several kilometers away from Coordinate 136. The operation involves rigging the ship with explosives and then trapping inside as many members of an opposing tribe as possible."
"Thus taking out a large part of their force at once." Lupa nodded in approval. "It is smart of you to use such a name. It makes it impossible for the enemy to know your intentions."
Gale wanted to scream. He really did. Because the name couldn't be more obvious.
…
In this world, the sunlight was unceasing. Black. Scorching. Heavy. It carried the weight of lives forgotten by the minds of the few, of screams that went unheeded as they escaped the owners' lips. The sun was their God, as permanent a fixture in this world as the air itself, an element that dominated in the background. The sun's rays travelled through thin cracks and windows, never granting any comfort.
Everybody was terrified of the sun. It was far more than another statistic among the many statistics. All their data was for the sake of avoiding the sun. The significance of the placement of the rocks and the debris, the measurements between them, the slopes and the cracks, the windows in the buildings and how well they were sealed. How much punishment each material could take before inertia failed it and it gave way to whatever force was trying to move it or pierce through it.
All of this was for the sake of avoiding the sun.
Everything faded before the sun.
Even the demons. Even the hunger. Even their dead. Even the Karma Society.
They had a War. A Mission. A fight to reclaim their lives, and save their children, to make their future better. Therefore, every single bullet, its width, its caliber, its shape, its piercing capabilities and the abilities of the magic crystals sealed in them were all important to know, data that was to be collected and processed.
The rays grew heavier, the weight of stone, and everything living either withered or turned into stone at its touch.
Those who dreamed of the past craved for the rain and the cleansing, hoping for the clouds to obscure the sky again.
Everything died before the sun.
Everything died before Nirvana.
[Devil Survivor 2]
The Edit – Samsarana Brane #1 – Tell me why
Author: Venku
Time itself was a mystery, worthy to be experienced and treasured. That was something Al Sadiq, otherwise known as Alcor or the Anguished One, personally believed. It did not matter if he was acting on behalf of the Shining One, this Hibiki Kuze, or his friends, or with the reset of time and of other branches, as the Anchor of his branch.
It was at the beginning of this loop, however, that Al Sadiq noticed something out of the ordinary. There were only two other pings in response to his own. That was not something which bothered him, as there weren't that many who had shown signs as himself of being Aware of the ebb and flow of Time.
What was unique was who was waiting for him when he descended near the Shibuya 108 building.
"Miss Nitta" Al Saqiq commented with a small dip of his head, addressing her. He was prepared for her normal blush or any other variants to let him know she was not Awake this go round. Having already discussed with the Shining One and the other Loopers the preferred passphrase when they were Awake, he was also awaiting her response as well.
"It is amazing how everything is interconnected" Io began, her normally shy and bashful demeanor missing. Instead her eyes were red rimmed, and showed that she was shedding tears. "And how people can help anchor and steady others. Yes, Al Sadiq I am awake."
The other man nodded his head. Though normally his eyes remained half lidded, they opened wider upon seeing her tears. "Miss Nitta" Al Sadiq commented. "You are crying. Has something so horribly affected you this early in the Loop?"
Io paused before opening a bottle of water. Still early enough that not too much damage had happened, she had already handled the first Septentrione of the batch. With history repeating, and her own Spiritual Energy growing with each press of the reset button, Dubhe and Merak were easy enough to resolve.
Yamato Hotsuin, he of the JPs branch and also Awake upon verification, had run into her with Merak's passing. A brief discussion and verification of needs met was performed, and Hotsuin asked for her to meet him later on in the day. Supplies were exchanged before he headed off to the Tsutenkaku, claiming he had some business to resolve.
This was explained to Al Sadiq, in between gulps of water. "That does not explain your tears though" he commented, nodding his head in understanding.
"I was getting there," Io almost snapped as she took a small sigh. "Look. The purpose of the timeline is for the healing of records greater than ours. A super Akashic Record, yes?"
Al Sadiq nodded his head. "That was made clear by the manifestation of a being called Slepnir. He recognized the facsimile of Loki in the Nicaea Application and had elaborated other truths." Primarily that his was but one of multiple branches, and that it was his duty to shepherd his branch to completion without causing damage. On occasion one of the Administrators would reach out to him for special issues and those would be considered Top Priority.
"If that's the case" Io began. "Why is it that we have to go through the death of everyone close to us?"
Ah. There we go.
Before Al Sadiq could comment, Io continued her line of thought. "It's not right, and it's not fair" she began, venom starting to creep into her voice. "We have been doing this for an amazingly long time and always the same thing happened." Eyes beginning to glow green as she waved her hand. "If it isn't some awful variation where Ronaldo or an un-Awake Yamato decided to end problems early with an assault, it's variations where the Septentriones work faster than anticipated."
Her hair started to stand on end as she began to levitate. "Hibiki has already had the same issues we have. There have been times where it was him and you, and his hands still dripped blood from the deaths caused. I ran into him when we both were Awake and he was still crying. And you know the worst? The absolute WORST?" she almost shouted. "IS that I STILL CANNOT SAVE MY PARENTS!"
"That is enough, Ms. Nitta!"
Io paused as she heard something rarely heard from the Anchor: a direct promise of violence. The air crackled as an aura enveloped the white haired man before he looked at her for a moment longer. Finally, the aura vanished and Al Sadiq resumed his sleepy-eyed expression.
"I am sorry for losing my temper like this," the man replied softly. "But you were showing signs of allowing Lugh..and I am surprised you have already summoned him this early..to completely possess you." He paused as she began to speak, only for him to hold up his hand. "Let me finish."
"You are right, that things are not fair. The torment given to you, Hotsuin, and the Shining One is something I wish truly I could take on myself. But that would deprive you of your freedoms and your chance to grow." Upon seeing the skeptical look on her face, Al Sadiq commented briefly. "You must not forget that is why I rebelled against Polaris's order to wipe out your planet. To give humanity a chance to fight back."
"Now.." he added. "Asking as someone who is hopefully your friend and asking on behalf of the authority as Anchor, I need you to do me a huge favor."
"What is it?" Io asked. While subdued, the grief and frustration she felt still creeped across her voice.
"I need you and Master Hotsuin to allow this loop to play out normally. Assist your colleagues in destroying the Septentriones. Allow the Shining One to choose how this loop will play out. Do not crash the loop."
"And what will you be doing?" Io asked.
"I will be removing Polaris and obtaining access to the Akashic Records. While the ability to edit the records is only for this Loop, the safety of the Throne will permit me to try to send a message to our Administrator. You may have a valid point. And.."
"..by the proverbial word of" and Io finished this with fingerquotes "'God', if he tells me to deal then I'll have to. It's not right nor fair, but it is something. It's just I feel fatigued, Al Sadiq."
"I understand, Io. I really do. Can you do this for me though?"
A small nod before Io slowly sighed and walked away, silently agreeing to his request. Al Sadiq watched her leave. While having no particular close bond with her, he knew that the Shining One cared for her.
Al Sadiq started his path to the Akashic Stratum. It seemed he had a lot to do, and he hoped that he would be able to provide Miss Nitto her answers.
[SMT I]
The Edit – Genesis Brane #2 – Patterns Emerge
Author: Venku
One of the benefits, Steven thought, about how time reset was that it gave him the chance to do things he never could do before. While being confined in the wheelchair due to the demon attack, that did not stop his mind from wandering and exploring. After having his life forever changed by first the Demon attacks then the fact Time was resetting, he made it a personal goal to learn something new every loop. After all, it was said that 'The Mind, once enlightened, cannot again become dark.'
His knowledge had already paid off in dividends. The COMP program, which was used to harness the Demons and allowed for the young man known as Futsuo and his friends to have a chance of survival, had improved each Loop. Of course, considering that Futsuo was the only one who was looping, he was the only one who had access to it. Still, the ability to store eight demons from the start and an improved Devil Scanner was not something to sneeze at!
Although he would love to work with the Magnetite and reduce the amount needed for summoning and consumption, he knew full well that it was a part of the world itself and something which could not be tampered with. Great mind that he was, Steven knew there were some things he could not change.
With all that being said, Stephen was also keen to notice when certain patterns would repeat themselves in the loops.
One such pattern would be the sheer ferocity of the forces of Law. While Law did it's best in baseline to recruit Futsuo, and he was aware that the man's name changed depending on the loop, it never resorted to some of some of the tactics which were becoming more militant. A prime example of this would be Ambassador Thorman, or the Deity Thor.
Baseline, the manifestation of Thor in this branch, as Steven was made aware of the 'real deal who wasn't amused' by Masakado, would ask Futsuo and Aoi a basic question. Primarily, would they be so kind as to head to the local Japanese Self Defense Force building and deal with Commander Gotou. Privately, Futuso told Stephen he was surprised Thor didn't go "Just kill the fool". Normally after Gotou's destruction, Thor's destruction or the destruction of both, the ICBM's would rain from the sky and start the apocalypse. Before that would happen, Futsuo, and his friends Yuji and Takeshi would be sent to the Diamond Realm by Aoi for their own safety.
What concerned Stephen, however, were some reports of deviations from Baseline.
…
As Futsuo would relay later, the first time upon entrance to the American Embassy, Thor would unmask from his human persona and start swinging his hammer. Futuso later would add that Thorman commented only the following: "Death to those who do not follow His way! Glory to the Thousand Year Kingdom!". Sparks would fly from his hammer Mjolnir, and before Aoi could feasibly trap Thor into a corner so he could be handled, Thor would snap his fingers. An antimagic field would envelop the party, and while Aoi, and Futsuo via the demons he would summon, could handle the magic they were at the end human. A Divine Hammer and both were removed from the Loop.
The second time Futuso noticed something odd and could record it to relay to Stephen, he was surprised at the level of ferocity shown by the forces of Law. After rescuing Aoi from the public auto de fe, or public burning orchestrated by Gotou but engineered by Lillith and the Gaean Church, Futsuo and company were about to go their separate ways when a warning klaxon broke through the quiet afternoon. Looking up, Futsuo could only utter an "Oh Shiiii…" while Yuji was praying and Takeshi was comforting Aoi. The ICBMs from 'Thor's Hammer' would then land and jump start the apocalypse without Futsuo as a fulcrum.
Each separate reportable incident made one thing clear to Stephen's mind. Primarily that the forces of Law, or YHWH's personal armada, were doing the absolute best to remove Futsuo from the game early. Stephen was unsure why that was happening. Normally it was around the time of the Great Flood that Futsuo's selected path was made clear. So why was this happening near the beginning of the loop?
There was one other thing which was concerning Stephen.
When he Awoke, he would have faint memories. Of another man who's path was similar to Futsuo's. A genetically modified human, this man would have to make the same amount of moral choices that Futsuo had to. The world itself was in a worse shape than the world currently. He saw a visual image of a golden pyramid and of others professing a "Millennium Kingdom of God."
Weird. Stephen thought that the Messian Churches were pushing for the Millennium Kingdom in his branch. Was this some sort of future which was to be? Or, and even more concerning, was there a problem with his Branch itself?
These questions were outside of his scope of knowledge. They were also evidence of a pattern forming. Pulling out a notebook, Stephen began to record what Futsuo had told him.
Pausing for a moment longer, he had heard of 'another' who was a Daemon here but had a 'true form' similiar to Masakado. God of Wisdom and Intelligence, Lord of Science and Arts and the Remover of Obstacles, the Lord Ganesha was one whom Stephen had a brief encounter with when he was in a world similar to this.
Recording his patterns and placing the notebook in his Pocket, he pulled out another Notebook and began to write.
To the Honorable Lord Ganehsha.
My apologies for reaching out to you like this. I am Stephen, anchor of the main branch within the Amala branches. Recently I had been noticing a few events which seemed to strike me as out of the ordinary for our baseline. Is there a way you could inform Masakado that I would need to speak with him at his earliest please?
As evidence of situations out of the ordinary, please inform him that Ambassador Thorman has made a minimum of two separate attempts against the other Looper of this branch well before baseline. Baseline would require the Looper to either accept Thorman's proposal or reject his Proposal. Instead, before the option could be made, Thorman does his absolute best to remove the Looper and his colleagues.
Thank you for your time in this matter. I look forward to hearing from you or Masakado soon.
Stephen
Anchor of the Main Branch
Amala Branches
Pocketing the notebook, Stephen sighed. "I hope this reaches him.."
…
Little did Stephen know his would be one of multiple messages sent.
[Persona 3]
A Wondrous Power Within – Theodore's Awakening
Author: Venku
There were things that Theodore knew for certain. Dog food, regardless of what Elizabeth or Margaret stated, was downright nasty. Lavenza always looked up to him as the kinder big brother, even if she sometimes split into two precious and precocious brats. He was also always amazed at the potential that humanity had within it's grasp. That's one of the things that would always be the same, and something he could bank on.
What he couldn't bank on was this strange sensation of Time stuck in a loop.
The last thing, the very last thing, that he remembered was the trip to Inaba. His older sister Elizabeth had left the Velvet Room, the place between the collective unconscious and mankind. That was something which was forbidden, as an Assistant to the Velvet Room was not ever allowed to leave. This concerned Theodore greatly. Upon addressing this with Margaret, his eldest sister, she had advised him to do something peculiar: Collect one hundred cans of soda.
During this collection, he stumbled across other Persona users as well. A white haired mechanical girl and a boy with his dog discussing personal resolve. Other users, including some which had jogged his memory of a school festival. Each had shown a measure of resolve while trying to handle the situation before them. Of the white haired girl and her separate shadow and how this abused male Sho Minazuki was being used by something else. Someone else.
Still bound by the rules of the Velvet Room where they can only offer assistance to a degree, Theodore popped out of a coffin where the nexus of power was combined. Offering the coffin door as a connection point between where they were and the top of the building. The last person he would see, though he knew it not at the time, was the white hared robot known as Labrys. He thanked her for showing him there was something he needed to find, and not just his sister.
The tower collapsed and Theodore met his sister Margaret. After explaining how he filled the soda machines with Yen after obtaining the cans, he offered one to her in an attempt to forge a bond. While she was pleased with the lesson learned, she refused to accept the soda for now, encouraging him to return with her to the Velvet Room. Though disappointed for the moment, he did take heart her words and her lack of what could be charitably called vicious teasing.
All this he knew.
So why was it when he Awoke in his room, he checked his personal time clock and it showed the year as 2009 instead of 2012-2013?
"This is confusing" the man replied before he slowly woke. Knowing that he was not yet allowed to leave the Velvet Room, he went to one of the areas cordoned off as he began to think about what might have been.
Unknown to Theodore, there was someone else aware of his situation and his confusion. His sister Elizabeth was what was known as 'Awake' during this time. The only other Ping she felt was that of Igor, the Anchor of this branch. She was currently speaking with him about Theodore's situation.
"Theodore is showing same signs as I am" she replied with a gentle whisper, not wanting to let him know what happened if he wasn't Awake.
"Mm. Be mindful. This is almost the same rules and stipulations placed on us by Philemon. We cannot interfere unless more is known" Igor responded as he pulled out his tarot deck, beginning the reading. The Fool was face up, indicating someone was on a long and perilous journey. The High Priestess was laid out in an inverted manner over the fool. Finally the Tower was lain over the inverted High Priestess.
"Was that a warning?" Elizabeth asked softly.
"You yourself know the dangers of interference. Though I ask you this. Theodore was the brunt of jokes, as was I. Lavenza as well. To what cost did it do to you and Margaret?" Igor asked in a quiet tone, the cards shuffled and placed to the side. He rose before walking to the door, the flashing lights indicating the Guest was arriving. "This is a variant where Minako is the Guest" he informed before walking out the door. "Do think about the reasoning for the Inverted High Priestess?" he asked, leaving Elizabeth alone to think.
…
While Igor and Elizabeth were discussing how much Theodore knew, or did not know, Theodore was currently doing his best to assist the guest. As his Master had already introduced the Velvet Room and the reason behind it, Theodore could do his best to actually look at the young woman. Copper Red hair cut in a very short, almost pixie like cut. A very cheerful personality. Eager to get to know him.
Later visits would allow for them to bond even more as he had made some requests of his own to test her resolve. To test how well her spiritual essence had grown as a Wild Card user. To him, a Wild Card was a special type of person. Everyone had the potential to tap into the collective Sea of Souls. The psyche where gods and devils, angels and demons of every faith manifested to protect the person from things mankind has not handled yet. From Destroyers and others who viewed Humanity as a mere pestilence to eradicate.
It also reflected who that person was, in a way. Almost all of the populace had one such mask. Either of the inner self tamed and accepting of who they were, or the Shadow where they denied their inner nature. There were precious few people who had the ability to have multiple masks.
One such person was his guest before him. And it was a sheer absolute delight to be with her again. To assist her in training for what was to come.
And that was the problem. He knew what was to come. The sacrifices she had to make. And how she would just be the Door to stop the manifestation of Nyx to end the planet.
As she disappeared from the Velvet Room, he watched. Biding his time. With the passing of the seasons he knew when he would have to say something. When he would need to let her know the horrible fate which was to befall her. And what he could do to stop it.
With the arrival of the new year, he saw the flashing lights to indicate her return. Today. Today was the day he would tell her. Today he would...
"Dear Brother we must talk" Elizabeth's voice pierced through his thoughts in a sharp, hot manner.
…
"..I don't believe you."
Theodore and Elizabeth were standing in the middle of the Velvet Room. The room was shaped like an elevator as it was a reflection of the Guest and her journey. And Elizabeth, according to Theodore, was spouting the most maddening nonsense!
"I'm hurt..woe is.." Elizabeth started her dramatic response.
"Save it. Unless you give me one CONCRETE" and he emphasized that word harshly "reason why I should believe your far fetched story about our world being a part of some super tree computer and how Taira no Masakado is the one responsible for our existence not going belly up, I will summon Beelzebulb and we will fight! This is one time your prank was not and will not be encouraged!" The man's grey hair started to stand on end as an aura of power was building around him.
"That. Is. Enough!" a voice interrupted the rising argument
The clear controlling voice cut through the potentially brewing battle as both Elizabeth and Theodore turned their gaze to the speaker of said voice. Igor was sitting alone in his chair. While his hands were steeped before him, his gaze was on the two siblings, and there was a look of sheer annoyance on his face.
"While I can understand your frustrations.." Igor began, as he waved a hand to cut off Elizabeth's protests. "Do you not think it rude for you to destroy our home in your fit of pique?" he added. Looking at the man for a moment longer, Igor continued. "Elizabeth was telling you the truth. Though he is but a Persona in this branch, all Persona are based on what was believed. And whom was deified, yes?"
Theodore nodded his head in brief agreement, unsure where Igor was going.
"Then whom is to say there is not a real Taira no Masakado." Igor continued. "And whom is to say that he is not responsible for keeping reality together?"
Theodore could not argue the point. He looked at Elizabeth for a moment longer then as the power around him vanished, he commented. "I am sorry sister. I should have believed you."
"No.." Elizabeth spoke quietly for a moment. "No. Master raised a point. Our teasing may have eroded your faith in us." She smiled a bit sadly at Theodore. "Go speak with him. I will handle your guest for the night if she needs something." And with that Elizabeth went to greet the young woman who was calling to see if anyone was there.
Theodore paused, a bit touched by Elizabeth's reaction as he sat down in front of Igor. "I am sorry.." the man spoke contritely.
"All is forgiven" Igor commented. "There are lessons you need to learn. And there are things I will teach you which will bring down Masakado's wrath. And before you ask..Philemon is not looping though he is aware of them.."
"..and a part of our duties if we are awake is to make sure the loop plays out and does not crash" Theodore replied, earning a nod and a grin from Igor.
"Very good. Very good. Indeed.." Igor replied as he held out the card for the Fool. Placing it on the table as he turned his gaze to Theodore. "You are about to see the potential. For an amazing power sleeps within you Theodore. A power the Loops will allow to awaken. Though before we begin.."
Theodore paused, confusion on his face.
"Welcome to the Looping Velvet Room, Theodore. You have the potential to be an amazing guest."
Later Elizabeth would report that his guest did ask one question. "What is the cause of that amazing laugh? It's both warm and joyful."