Persona 2129 Quest #53

You are Takashi Wakui, a sixteen year old Japanese high school student. In your world, half of humanity possesses a Persona—the corporeal manifestation of one’s personality as a supernatural entity. You had been an unlucky ordinary at first, lacking the potential to summon your Persona. Then the application AETHER was forcibly installed on your smartphone. It sucked you into the nightmarish realm of the Blackened Void, where you fought monsters and awakened your Persona in the process.

You are now the Wild Card of the 22nd Century. You possess the Fool Arcana, giving you the power to draw strength from bonds and wield multiple Personas at once. Already this places you in great danger, as the Fool Arcana is seen as an impossibility by the common masses. Revealing your newfound power to the common world would immediately land your head on a dissection table. To make matters worse, you and several others have been cursed as the Void’s Chosen, fated to traverse the wastelands of the Blackened Void until the end of the game. For what purpose does AETHER exist, what mysteries lie within and how is victory achieved?

Previous Threads: suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Persona 2129 Quest
Twitter: twitter.com/TwilightThorn
Mechanics: pastebin.com/Eq9mum2X
Spell/Skill List: pastebin.com/5NYivMQd
Part One Recap: pastebin.com/i1VjfnyX

Character List: pastebin.com/96pubw7c
Persona List: pastebin.com/iVEmfuzq
Takashi's Stats: pastebin.com/DdwqTP0u
Blackened Void Info: pastebin.com/wLBjhqgf

Other urls found in this thread:

pastebin.com/gKkfYy5A
twitter.com/NSFWRedditGif

“Oh my, oh my. You seem rather shocked at this turn of events, guest. Are the consequences of your actions not obvious? Neglect a bond and it shall be strained. That is why cracks on the edges of the card represent. See how the image within has begun to fade into void? In the opening stages, the destruction is faint, but grant it time and the bond shall wither, shrivel up and ultimately perish.

“See the way you pick up the card, inspect it with the terror in your eyes and whisper the name of the girl under your breath. It is really quite picturesque. Alas, a capturing device is not present. Nii-san, the next time we travel to the human world, shall we acquire one? I believe it is a task we could accomplish without much difficulty, given the level of technology that exists in this guest’s home world.

“Ah, you seem rather perturbed. Furious, even. That glare of yours is terrifying. Please stop, guest! If you carry on, I won’t be able to contain my amusement!

“Who is to blame for the fracturing of your bond with the child of Death, Kozue Yusa? Have you put your intelligence to this rationally? Is it nii-san and I, for not warning you sooner? The girl, if one were to be inclined, for the difficulty that occurs when you attempt to search for her? Or is it you, for neglecting her in favour of your other commitments?

“In the end, I do not believe it matters at all. There is nothing you can do to change the past. Why not consider seeking the future?

“…you refuse to cease that black look of yours. Were the consequences not apparent from the beginning? Could you not sense the distance between the two of you devouring the bond, bit by bit? Well, in all honesty, I believe you deserve something of a reprieve this time. Little children are fickle creatures. They form attachments as quickly as they cast them aside. You may not have been aware of the dependency she placed on you. That should be something to be speedily rectified, is it not?

“Though their grudges are evidently childish, do not underestimate the impact they possess. Hee hee, another concept that you already understand, correct? All you have to do is ask your dear older sister.

“Aah…is that animosity I detect? It almost borders on the intent to kill. Oh dear me, I believe I am about to faint. Your older sister is a sore spot of yours? Duly noted, guest.

“Now for some good news, guest. The bond of Death has yet to reverse or break. There is still time for you to repair it with the girl. You had best hurry. What is the time in your world? Allow me to check…

“‘Thursday’, as you humans would call it. Well then, I predict before you have until ‘next Wednesday’. Further than that, and it is highly likely the bond shall reverse. When that occurs, all Personas of the corresponding Arcana shall lose their strength.

“Yes, you could reconcile with the girl after the bond reverses. The question that shall be asked is whether or not you have the capabilities to do so. Will you try your hand at fate? That would be a spectacle to watch, wouldn’t it nii-san?”

“Indeed, my dear little sister. But let us turn to a different matter altogether. Guest, I see you are about to guide your fellow Void’s Chosen into the Forlorn Abyss. A fascinating place, wouldn’t you agree? Instead of Shadows or Denizens, the dungeon is inhabited exclusively by demons.

“Curious as to the relation between demons and Personas? In the depths of humanity’s hearts, there is a domain where mythological archetypes dwell. It is created from the myths and legends formed by humans, yet simultaneously is their source. One could say that demons and gods live in neither Hell nor Heaven, but rather the hearts of man.

“So in that regard, demons and Personas are products of humanity itself. As long as man continues to thrive, so will they.

“Where do the demons in the Forlorn Abyss originate? From the Collective Unconsciousness, of course. Were you not listening, guest? Demons have their own wills and purposes. It may be in your best interest to understand them, if only because it shall make it easier to slay them.

“Some aspects of the Collective Unconsciousness desire to influence the personalities of humanity. But the chosen individuals must strong in the body, the mind and the soul. Otherwise, control will be lost over the Persona. When that occurs to a great extent…well, I would not want to spoil it for you. This is one surprise that should not be ruined.

“Is all well over in your side? Your bonds other than Death are of adequate progress. How is your exploration of the Blackened Void? Are your fellow Void’s Chosen performing their assigned duties? Are you gaining sufficient strength? Do you believe that you have every facet of your trial beneath your control?

“That is enough chitchat for now. I think you would not want to keep your allies waiting, guest. Until next time, then…”

Not writefaggotry, list of Observer questions. Do with it as you will.

pastebin.com/gKkfYy5A

[4:44 pm, 9-Jun-2129 (THURSDAY)]

“So, Akikazu, you ended up buying stuff for me after all.”

“Shut the fuck up. Take the damn thing and go.” The blonde boy snarls, tossing you something, which you swiftly catch with a swing of your arm.

“What’s this?” You ask, pulling up the object towards eye level.

“What the hell does it look like, dumbass?” Akikazu growls. “It’s a golden key. Cost one hundred thousand Macca.”

“The hell? That’s like a third of my entire account! Goddammit Akikazu, I didn’t ask you to spend that much!”

He scoffs, putting on a nasty smirk. “Quit complaining. Do you know how annoying it was to negotiate with a guy who can’t speak? Besides, ain’t the golden key useful to us? It can open gold locks and shit.”

You have to concede his point, with no small amount of agitation. “Damn it, I still never letting you buy stuff for me again.” You say.

He glowers at you like an overheating sun lamp. “You pushed the job onto me, Takashi. Don’t you act like you’re entirely innocent here!”

“Geez man, don’t you have any restraint?”

“I have the restraint to not complain my sorry ass off when it’s all my fault!”

This confrontation would have no doubt led to several minutes of screaming, perhaps with thrown punches and practices savate kicks in between, if it wasn't for the orb of fire that sizzles through the air in front of you and Takashi, grinding the argument to a screeching halt.

“Focus, you two!” Celeste barks. “Akikazu, stop shouting, you’re making a huge racket. Takashi-kun, aren’t we supposed to be doing something right now?”

“There’s literally no-one but us in this empty city!” Akikazu shouts, jabbing a sizeable finger at your best friend, that thankfully isn’t the one positioned in the middle of his hand. “Plus, this doesn’t concern you, Tachibana.”

Celeste gives him an unimpressed look. Dull eyes, slanted mouth, all the shine and sparkle vanishing from her expression like mosquitoes near a lit campfire. It’s frosty enough to chill a soda can. You imagine this is the type of look she gives to unhelpful customers in the Lovely Eight maid café.

“Oh, please.” She says. “You boys weren’t talking about anything important. I could turn on my headphones and I wouldn’t miss a single thing worth caring about.”

You wince. Somehow, that hurts. You step back from Akikazu and put up your hands. He glances over and you and sighs, sounding like an irritated horse. “Okay Celeste, point taken. We should really get going. That part of the Forlorn Abyss isn’t going to complete himself.”

“Thank you.” She nods, turns on her heel and walks over to Fumika squatting near the bonfire. Through the still air, untouched scant for the dances of the flames and the wind whistling through broken windows, you hear her mutter the word ‘Men’ beneath her breath. You decide not to comment. Akikazu surges past you, his sledgehammer balanced on his shoulder. On a non-awakened, that would have dislocated bone.

You walk over to Fumika. She has a synthetic nylon sack hung around her shoulder and is inspecting something on her phone.

“Everything ready?” You ask.

“Ammo replenished, weapons ready, mana stored. Almost, Takashi.” Fumika replies. “I need to ensure the cameras observing the subject are working.”

She taps on her phone and one of the cameras, colored black and placed on a thin tripod, whirs to life. Satisfied, Fumika puts her phone back in her pocket.

“Complete.” She states, looking at you. “Let us be off.”

“Do you even watch all that footage?”

“Of course not.” Fumika replies, nothing in her tone to suggest that she is in any way slighted, “I have written a program to detect anomalies in the footage. I only monitor the sections where the anomalies have occurred. That should be obvious, Takashi.”

“Well excuse me for not being a computer nerd…” You grumble, internally whacking yourself across the forehead. Really, what had you been expecting? “Hey, why did you think that was obvious to me?”

“You are aware of my computing prowess, are you not?”

You stare at her. “What is that supposed to mean?”

She does not respond. You guess that’s the end of this conversation and join up with Celeste, who is standing near the end of the safehouse courtyard. Her rapier sheath is balanced at her hip, the steel-grey hilt clashing with the vibrant reds and oranges of her skirt. Her trademark headphones are off her ears and into her backpack. Her fingers intertwine and dig in and out in the sections between them; a sure sign of a busy mind.

“What’s up?”

“I’m just hoping if we’ll get this all done by seven.” She sighs. “I have work today.”

“Couldn’t you ask for a day off? Or haven’t you clocked up enough hours to ask for one?”

“The latter, Takashi-kun. I don’t want to make Lucianne mad, so I’m hoping that Act 2 isn’t going to take very long.”

“Lucianne’s the boss, if I remember correctly.” You mumble. “What, is she scary when angered?”

“Yeah.”

“She looks like a nice lady to me.”

“That’s the problem.” Celeste shudders. “When Lucianne gets angry, she doesn’t yell or scream or anything. Instead, she voice becomes soft, she acts politer than usual and she stares at the offending party. It’s somehow enough to make anybody bow before her. There are troublemakers among my co-workers and if Lucianne uses that polite voice on them they’ll shut up immediately.”

It’s hard to imagine the woman like that, or doing much of anything given that you’ve only met her thrice. Still, you sort of understand what Celeste is saying. Domination via sheer presence springs to mind. Some famous duels were won that way.

“She’s reasonable most of the time, right?”

“Yeah. That sort of anger is rare for her.” Celeste muses. “Still, I wonder where her augs came from.”

“Maybe she was part of the Anti-Shadow Operatives?”

“I don’t think so. None of the androids that come in or work there remember her. Besides, she’s from France.”

“I’m sure there’s an equivalent over there.”

“Fighting Shadows pays more than running a maid café.”

“I think you told me she has a son. Maybe she wanted to settle down?”

“Could be…”

“She could have gotten in an accident.”

“Lucianne’s always careful about everything…”

“Fashion statement?”

“Takashi-kun, don’t even joke about that.”

The conversation ends there. Akikazu and Fumika rejoin the two of you. Their stern faces and equipped weapons remind you that the time for dilly-dallying about should come to an end. With everyone present, you point towards the darkened streets of the dead city, giving the signal for everyone to move out. They do.

The walk towards your destination is quiet. The team bunches up, weapons sheathed but with hands on their handles. Winds whistle like out of tune flutes through the desolate grounds. Tiny stones crack like eggshells beneath your mighty boots, scattering into particles of gravel. All chit-chat has been reduced to singular words and grunts, to warn of incoming enemies and to make snide comments on features of the wasteland. Together, they form a familiar symphony, filtered through rising adrenaline and high-strung tension. You have heard it before through the countless passages of your time within the Blackened Void.

In all truth, it is the sound of young, inexperienced warriors heading to battle. Similar to your predecessors in the very first skirmishes against the Shadows, except those guys were about a thousand different ways of terrified. You wonder how they would react to the current generation, in which a group of kids would actually anticipate exploring a dungeon brimming with hostile non-human entities.

“We’re here.”

The entrance to the Forlorn Abyss is the gaping maw of an undead beast. Its chill, the type that strikes the heart more than the body, can be felt from all the way where you are, outside the entrance, staring into its pitch blackness as if inviting it to devour you whole. You take a step forward and enter through the hallway. Together, you and your team descend the stairs in silence, lest any comment spark off a sudden movement, dragging everyone to an untimely, jagged and neatly arranged fate.

An elevator waits at the bottom. You and your team pile into it. Akikazu slams the button and the machine rumbles. It falls, shaking in its socket and grinding against the walls. The tremors come precariously close to rattling your teeth. Celeste shifts in her spot, playing with a wad of fire in her fingers. Akikazu impatiently stamps his foot against the rusting metal floor. Fumika checks something on her phone.

The intermission is brief and the elevator slides to a halt, the echoes of screeching metal bouncing off the four walls. No bell is rung; the double doors argue their way past the decay and force themselves open. You now find yourself in a slightly larger, but nonetheless small, room. It is where the team ended up after conquering Act 1 of the Forlorn Abyss. To your left is the passage to the Observer’s room. Formerly, anyway. The computer had exploded in your face, after all.

To your right is a whirling mass of fog. Everyone is staring at it, including you. The next stage of the Abyss lies behind it. A vast unknown land, of danger and treasure. You meet the eyes of your friends.

“Ready when you are, Takashi-kun!”

“What are you standing around for?”

“Let us begin.”

There is nothing much that needs to be said. You inhale, close your eyes and step towards the fog door.

>>Act 2: Coexistence.

The air is bitter and cold. It tastes of winter mornings and frost on the grass. It is also rather fresh, lacking the dust of the Forgotten City. You breathe in and lick your lips, savoring it.

Behind you, your friends emerge. They stop and see what you have already seen. The Forlorn Abyss has deposited you in front of a massive stone arch, tall enough to rival the skyscrapers in Tokyo. Whatever inscription or carving that has adorned the pillars and crest of the arch has fallen victim to the scourge of time. The dastard has struck elsewhere, eating away at the walls like a mouse with a block of a cheese.

A door is present in front, rotting, smashed and already open. Behind it, you catch a glimpse of a vast room, sunlight filtering in through glassless windows, its state of disrepair comparable to the outside. You take a step forward and feel grass collapse between your feet. The shrubbery is everywhere. Ivies strangle the pillars, weeds flourish in once beautiful gardens and moss dampens the stone tiles. The stench of uncontrolled growth is unmistakable. It is one of vengeful nature. You hear Celeste attempting to cover up her sneezes.

A clattering sound, of metal scraping against stone. You turn around to see that Akikazu has just kicked a helmet lying on the ground. It bounces across the ruined castle courtyard, before coming to rest in a pile of various armor parts. They are iron and empty. Akikazu withdraws his foot, looking disturbed.

“Hmm, a sky.” Fumika muses. “I guess we can rule out the possibility of the Forlorn Abyss being entirely underground.”

It’s red. Red as the blood that flows within humanity, as if a corpse of a great deity had been left to bleed out in the heavens above. The surrounding four great walls seem to grow arms and reach for it, forming the world’s largest well.

“If we were underground before, and now we’re clearly not…” Celeste gasps. “Hey, does that mean we’re in an alternate dimension?”

“Probably.” You mutter. “It wouldn’t be out of the question. The Blackened Void is already one.”

“Maybe it’s a fake sky.” Akikazu suggests. “Sounds like the kind of bullshit trick AETHER would pull.”

“It’s cold in here. I should’ve brought a jumper…” Celeste shivers. “A castle, eh? I used to read stories about them as a kid. Maybe I should have continued into my adolescence…”

“I do not think it is relevant as of yet.” Fumika’s eyes narrow at the entrance to the castle. “I sense adversaries. We should move out soon.”

“Right.”

You stand in unfamiliar territory. Demons lurk behind every corner and beneath every stone, their bloodlust visible even from where you are standing. Your magic is struggling against its restraints, reacting against the danger ahead. The thought of treasure fails to not cross your mind. There are as many boons in this realm as there are ways to get killed.

In short, it’s a fine day to fight demons, bleed crimson and avoid schoolwork at the same time.

Now then, Leader of the Void’s Chosen, how shall this Act commence?

>A single Olive Branch is being used. The risk of invasion has been decreased by 60%.
>Current Personas: Karasu Tengu, Matador, Saravasti, Makami
>Loadout: Combat Gloves, Simple Merc Outfit, Ring of Remedy

[Movement]
>Go through the dungeon as quickly as possible.
>Take the time to explore.
>Move at your standard pace.
>Be cautious above all else.
>Wait for the demons to come to you.
>Custom option.

[Priorities]
>Treasure and loot.
>Fighting monsters and gaining experience.
>Gathering intel from the demons.
>Saving vitality and mana for the dungeon boss.
>Custom option.

[Companions]
>Summon Ruvyn of the Hazebound Woodlands.
>Summon Knight Laurence of Pyre Ruin Valley.
>Summon 114 of Area 019.
>Don’t summon anyone at all.

[Invade?]
>Yes. (Consumes 1 Burnt Idol)
>No.

No, you prick, we're upset because we already knew this! We were going to see her tonight, after the dungeon-delving! Stop reminding us of things we already know. I thought Takashi was supposed to be able to talk back at them now.

>Be cautious above all else.
>Saving vitality and mana for the dungeon boss.
>Don’t summon anyone at all.
>No.

>>Move at your standard pace.
>Gathering intel from the demons.
>Saving vitality and mana for the dungeon boss.
>Don’t summon anyone at all.
>No.

>Be cautious above all else.
>Saving vitality and mana for the dungeon boss.
>Don’t summon anyone at all.
>No.

Could swear we already had some of these answered, but thanks Bird. Also the pastebin link for Fool and magician part 6 is broken. More fights writing soon?

Seriously, can we have a standing "tell the squatters to shut up when they lecture us about something we already knew" vote? I know they're supposed to be as annoying as possible, but come on.

>Be cautious above all else.
>Treasure and loot.
>Don’t summon anyone at all.
>No.

Maximum exploring, conserve summons for endboss.

Remember that this is a Chaos Thread.

I'll get it done, and I'm working on it.

Standard pace, treasure and loot, don't summon, no. Also, Jesus, that might be the longest opening post yet.

It would have been shorter if Thorn didn't feel the need to bitch at us.

>Be cautious above all else.
>Fighting monsters and gaining experience.
>Don’t summon anyone at all.
>No

Yeah, that seemed like a waste of time to just have two massive posts telling us shit we already knew and was about to fix.

Thorn has a massive problem with purple prose.

these are great characters for hating.

>Take the time to explore.
I don't suppose the smithing twins would pay very much for that rusted armor?
>Treasure and loot.
>Gathering intel from the demons.
if we wanted xp, shadows are the way to go. There are tarot cards and meta info in here.

As long as it is, I hope you enjoyed it.

>purple prose
I'll keep that criticism in mind.

Writing now...

Some of these are already answered.

But I wonder if it's better to ask about what Alpha features we can still access rather than the Alpha itself, before they get patched out.

We should probably also ask what the Blue Juice is.

Does Takashi possess the same soul before and after the accident?

That's not to say that most of it isn't enjoyable, It's just that these threads tend move at a snails pace plot-wise, and when your entire post could be summarized as 'Takeshi ate a burger', then you're starting to have problems.

It's not a huge problem, for the most part it's actually pretty fun. We like your writing, so you doing these big posts is enjoyable. But sometimes, like this, you don't have to take two posts (three if you count the one at the end of last thread) to tell us about it. You could have gotten the same information across much more succinctly and lost nothing except our increased hatred for the squatters. Like, say something along the lines of

>"As the male twin shuffles the cards back together, you notice that the Death Arcana is looking frayed and worn-out. Perhaps it would be a good idea for you to visit Kozue again soon."

And then convey the "this is how long you have left" part be an out of character note like you do for other notifications. It's admirable that you tried to convey the information to us in character, but in this case it took so long compared to an OOC comment that it kind of fell flat.

You give your orders.

“Guys, we should be really careful about everything in here. There’s no telling what might jump out at us behind the next corner. Take your weapons out and don’t touch anything suspicious by yourself. Also, there’s apparently a boss at the end, so we should conserve our mana and health for that. Don’t be afraid to heal yourself if you’re injured though.”

There’s a round of nods from everyone. This is basically common sense. It’s nothing to argue against. Fumika then raises her hand.

“I would appreciate the chance to interrogate the demons.” Fumika adds.

“When you say interrogate it sounds kinda unpleasant. Okay, why?”

“Information.” She replies.

“Of what?”

“Their existence, their reasons for coming here and the circumstances surrounding this Act 2.”

“That sounds like it’ll take a while.” You respond.

She tilts her head. “I can be quick.”

It seems that she is determined to follow up on her words. You sigh. When Fumika gets like this there’s very little that can stop her. “Don’t take too long.” You say and turn towards the door. “Alright everybody, let’s get—”

“You have forgotten something, Takashi.” Fumika then adds.

Everyone turns to look at her. “What is it?” You ask.

She reaches into her sack and withdraws a rubbery, black doll. It’s the Burnt Idol. Your stomach shrinks at the sight of it. “Are you not going to invade?”

“What? No!” You shout.

“Why not?”

>[CHARISMA] “It’s beneath me.”
>[UNDERSTANDING] “I’m not a psychopath!”
>[INTELLIGENCE] “Too risky and it’s a waste of time.”
>[WILLPOWER] “Why should I explain this to you? You already know.”
>Custom option.

>[INTELLIGENCE] “Too risky and it’s a waste of time.”
We're here for information from the big bad computer, not killing alternate dimension who may not have any good loot anyways.

>[INTELLIGENCE] “Too risky and it’s a waste of time.”

>[INTELLIGENCE] “Too risky and it’s a waste of time.”
Fumika, I'm starting to think you have some deeply-buried suicidal tendencies. Becoming a mercenary instead of safer work, refusing to see the value of relationships, wanting to travel to another universe and fight people to the death when we're already in a dungeon...

As an aside, anyone else having trouble with the captchas?

>>[INTELLIGENCE] “Too risky and it’s a waste of time.”
When trying to gain information, you isolate the variables you're studying to avoid contamination.

where would using genre saviness to predict low benefit compared to projected risks fall under?

>>[UNDERSTANDING] “I’m not a psychopath!”

yup. I can barely get it working.

>[CHARISMA] “It’s beneath me.”

>[INTELLIGENCE] “Too risky and it’s a waste of time.”

>[UNDERSTANDING] “I’m not a psychopath!”

>>[CHARISMA] “It’s beneath me.”

I hope a high level demon puts Fumika in her place.

Try interrogating Thor.

>What do you think of ICBMs?

I'd elect Thorman for president.

Trump/Thorman 20XX
We're going to build a wall around the Expanse and make the demons pay for it!

Why do you think that the Japanese switched their currency to the Macca?

“I remember what the Observer said. It’s too risky and it’s a waste of time. We’re in the middle of a dungeon right now, you know.” You state. You look across your teammates. “None of us are doing any invading, alright? That includes you, Fumika.”

No emotion flickers across her face. She merely puts the Burnt Idol back in its bag. “Very well.” She says. “Let us be off, then.”

“We’re not all sociopaths like you, Shibuya.” Akikazu grumbles, as you lead your team up the steps towards the large ornate door. “Seriously, what the fuck goes through that robot mind of yours…”

“Shhh!” Celeste suddenly speaks. “Do you guys hear that?”

“Heart what?”

“There are people talking in there!”

Indeed, there are voices coming from the gap in the door. You and Celeste look at each other, then creep towards the door and press your backs against it. Akikazu and Fumika take the other side. Together, you and your team lean your heads towards the direction of the voices and listen.

“Get up, get up, hee-ho! I smell humans!”

“Oh, piss off, Jack. I told you, didn’t I? Your stories are pure horse manure and I’m not listening to them again.”

“I’m serious, ho! They’re right outside the castle doors!”

“Laa laa laa, I can’t hear you. I’m going straight back to sleep.”

“Listen to me, you hee-ho! I’m not lying this time, I swear! Go and see for yourself. If they’re not there, I swear to the Abyss that you hee-ho me any way you like!”

“Ugh, this is such a waste of my precious time. You're lucky we're friends. Fine, where are they?”

“Over there!”

“If this turns out to be false I swear to…oh.”

“What did I tell you, hee-ho?”

“You’re right. By Oberon, you’re right!”

“Hee ho hee ho! I told you so!”

“Quick, what do we do? Should we tell the others? What if they don’t believe us? What if—”

“None of that! Listen, I’ve got a plan!”

“All of your plans are terrible.”

“But this one is actually good, you hee! What if, what if we just took the humans for ourselves?”

“What?”

“Think about it, hee-ho! Why should we share it with the others? It means less Magatsuhi for ourselves.”

“Yeah, but won’t the others kill us for that?”

“That won’t be a problem stupid, because by the time we’ve finished devouring the humans we’ll be strong enough to take them all on by ourselves. We’ll eat them, move on to the rest of the demons and become kings of the castle. Doesn't that sound wonderful, hee-ho?”

“I can’t believe it! Jack, you actually thought up a good idea for once!”

“I know, ho!”

“So what do we do?”

“The humans don’t know we’re here, so we’ve got the advantage of surprise. You go out and lure them into here. I’ll surprise them with a trap.”

“Why me?”

“Because you’re a cute little demon girl, ho! Humans lap that stuff up!”

“Fine, but you owe me for this!”

“Do you want that sweet, delicious Magatsuhi or not, hee-ho?”

It's the Jack Brothers! Oh, please let them be willing to negotiate peacefully.

A few moments pass without much happening at all. Then you see a figure emerge from the doorway. A tiny creature, with a navy bodysuit, fiery red hair and wings like a hummingbird’s. There is no mistake about it. This is a Pixie, one of the more common types of Personas in your world. The one hovering in front of you doesn’t seem to be bound to any particular owner, however.

“Hi there, good humans! Are you all lost?” The Pixie speaks. Her voice is cute. It’s so cute and saccharine you can imagine rainbows pouring out of her tiny nostrils. It’s bad enough to make Akikazu gag and Celeste wince. Even Fumika looks a tad irritated.

“Golly, you must all be so confused! Don’t worry. I’m your friendly neighborhood fairy and I’m here to help. Welcome to…” The Pixie glances over her shoulder to the inscription of the castle. She fails because there isn’t one. It doesn’t stop her. “…the castle of my people! Yeah!”

She does a twirl in the air. A full revolution. “You all look so tired! Why don’t you step inside? We’re always like guests. Come in, sit down and have a nice meal with us. You’ll definitely enjoy it!”

She bows and directs her hand towards the insides of the castle.

“Go on, don’t be shy!”

>Attack her.
>Ask where her friend is.
>Play along to reverse the ambush.
>Question the facilities of the castle.
>Custom option.

one of them said by Oberon, so there's a pixie in there too. Also one is a cute girl.

>>Play along to reverse the ambush.

>>Custom option.
I'll give you Macca if you join my party

>Custom option
"Did you really just say 'golly'?"

>Play along to reverse the ambush.
>Question the facilities of the castle.

>Custom option.
"Pixie if you want to ambush people you can't be so damn loud the victims can hear what your plan is. Also I think you are underestimating us."

Summon Matador.

"So how bout you and Jack come on out and we can talk."

>Custom option.
Propose that instead of them eating us and using the strength they get from it to eat the other demons, they just follow along after us and eat the demons we kill.

>Play along to reverse the ambush.
>Question the facilities of the castle.

I like this, seconding.

Lets do it

>Let them have their fill.
>Come back and this place is ruled by Queen Mab and Black Frost.

This is just going to have them backstab and try to eat us when we beat the boss. Stop being idiots because the demons in the dungeon that want to kill us are cute.

>Play along to reverse the ambush.
>Question the facilities of the castle.

More xp for us

>not King Frost
You had one job user

Fine murderhobo it is. Gotta get dat sweet exp.

Grab her

>>Play along to reverse the ambush.

Making super strong demons by having them eat all sorts of other demons directly alongside... How could that possibly go wrong?

>Play along to reverse the ambush.
>Question the facilities of the castle.

“Alright, we’ll go in.” This is most definitely an idiotic statement from your friends’ point of view and they respond in turn. Celeste’s jaw drops, Akikazu glares and twists his face into a grimace and Fumika…she doesn’t do anything. In fact, she looks okay with the command. Knowing her high intellect, she has already guessed your intentions. To the rest of your friends, you give them a wink. You hope it’s the ‘don’t worry I’ve got this all under control’ kind of wink instead of the ‘I have no clue what I am doing’ kind.

Your team follows the Pixie into the inner sanctum of the castle. It’s damp and smell of moss. The roof is cracked and vines creep up and alongside walls. You head towards a set of stairs leading to an upper balcony. Then Pixie stops mid-flight and lays still.

“What are you doing?” Fumika asks, sounding bored.

“Yeah, where’s the meal?” You ask, trying to contain your giggles.

“Oh the meal…” The Pixie replies, her voice now increasingly more sinister than before. “Yeah, the meal is coming up soon…”

“And that would be because…”

“The meal is you!” The Pixie whirls around, expression full of malice, sparks popping off her miniscule fingernails. “Stupid humans! You fell right into our trap!”

“That’s right, hee-ho!” Something jumps off the balcony. It lands flat on its face. You all give it a moment to regain its senses, which it does by climbing to its feet, rubbing its snow-white cheeks with its stubby little fingers and doing a pose consisting of one arm in the air and the other by the side.

“Hook, line and sinker!”

Poor Jack. He tries so hard, and it never works. Well, time to beat them into submission and then interrogate them.

Yup, that is definitely Jack Frost. The high-pitched squeal and the little blue cap with the yellow bells is unmistakable. He’s quite possibly the most popular Persona in the world. You’ve seen the snow gremlin all across the city, in vending machines, billboards and animated children’s television series. All the kids want a Jack Frost when they grow up. It’s surreal to see a living, breathing and walking one strutting in front of you, speaking in a voice that is uncomfortably accurate to the portrayals in your world.

“You thought that there was actually a party waiting for you in here?” Jack Frost crows, pointing towards your chest. “Stupid, stupid, stupid, hee-ho! You humans are so gullible! There’s no-one in here except me and Pixie!”

“And me!”

Another figure leaps off the balcony. This one lands on its buttocks, a failure that is impressive considering that it is floating off the ground. The look on Jack Frost face tells you that this newcomer is unexpected.

“Don’t forget the star of the show. Pyro Jack, at your service!” The jack’o latern spirit shouts. The brother to Jack Frost and a somewhat less popular Persona in your world. He’s often sought after by hipsters and Halloween fanatics.

“Hey, what the hell are you doing here?” Pixie yells, glaring at Pyro Jack.

“Yeah! Hands off, bro!” Jack Frost shouts. “These humans are ours. Go and find your own!”

“And let all that delicious Magatsuhi go to waste? Not on your life, ho!” Pyro Jack shoots back. “Listen you two, I ain’t leaving here until I get your share.”

“You wanna die, pumpkin head?” Pixie growls, snapping her fingers and forming lightning.

“Think you can take me? You won’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell. I’ll burn your face off!” Pyro Jack pauses. “Now that I think about it, I’d be doing you a favour, ho!”

Please, can we keep them? I know they'll just eat us once they grow up, but for now they're so cute.

I agree user we could use some team mascots

Find us a demon summoning program and you can have as many as you want. Until then, it's hard to keep their loyalty unless you really make an impression I'd wager.

“Oh, you did not just say that.” Pixie gasps. “That’s it. You just crossed the line, buddy.”

“Hey, listen you three!” Akikazu snarls, “Are you going to try and kill us or not?”

The three demons look at each other. A conclusion is thus reached. Jack Frost conjures ice in his hands.

“Kill the humans, hee-ho! We can decide shares later!”

With that, the trio of demons scream and charge forward, respective elemental spells at the ready.

Several things then happen at once. Celeste summons Sati and commands an Agilao towards Jack Frost, sending him tumbling across the dirt, his snowy body beginning to melt away. Akikazu swings his hammer towards Pixie, smashing her into the ground. You summon Saravasti and form a Bufula. It hits Jack Frost solidifying him into a big block. Fumika checks her phone and does nothing at all.

>Victory achieved.
>You gained. 1.00 C. EXP.
>Your WILLPOWER has increased by 0 points.

They groan in the dirt. “Impossible…” Pyro Frost gasps. “How are they so strong, ho…”

“We didn’t even last a second. This is just like my dramas, hee-ho…”

“Damn it, Jack!” Pixie moans. “You never told us these humans were demon tamers!”

“How was I supposed to know?” Jack Frost howls. “They didn’t smell like demon tamers, ho…”

“You don’t smell anything except for ice, you imbecile!”

“Oh yeah…”

“Now they’re going to kill us and it’s all your fault.”

“You’re the one who agreed to the plan, hee-ho!”

“If there’s an afterlife for demons, I’m going to rip your head off!”

“There’s no heaven for demons, Pixie, hee-ho.” Pyro Jack mutters. "It's because..."

“Whatever!”

[Give them…]
>Mercy
>Murder

[Additional command]
>Fundraise.
>Negotiate.
>Plead.
>Trade.
>Chitchat
>[LOCKED] Scout (Demon Summoning Program Required).
>Custom option.

No user. What if they shit the carpet? Demon shit takes ages to get out.

>>Mercy

>>Chitchat

>Mercy
>Negotiate.

There too cute to not take care of

>Mercy
>Negotiate.

>Mercy
>Negotiate.
Their lives in exchange for information on the castle's layout and the other demons here.

>Mercy
>Custom option
>Akikazu

>Fumika checks her phone and does nothing at all.

>>Murder
>Negotiate.

>Mercy
>Negotiate.
>Chitchat

>Negotiating with a corpse

>Mercy
>Negotiate.

>Mercy
>Negotiate.

>Your WILLPOWER has increased by 0 points.
Yeah, we don't deserve to get a stat increase from that fight.

>Mercy
>Chitchat
>[LOCKED] Scout (Demon Summoning Program Required). DO IT ANYWAY WE CAN DO THIS SHIT

>>Mercy
>custom
Allow Fumika to interrogate them. I admit that was pretty funny.

>Mercy
>Negotiate

You wonder what you should do with the demons. They did just try to kill you and your friends, but the attempt was so pathetic any distaste you may have had for them has transformed into raw pity. It’d be like kicking a rabid puppy that happened to be blind and unable to properly walk.

“I think we should let them live.” Celeste says. “Getting rid them feels wrong, y’know?”

“Do what you want, I don’t give a shit.” Akikazu grunts. “If that little fairy bitch tries to attack us again, then…”

You really aren’t mad at them. You decide to grant them mercy. Now then...

>>Void’s Chosen: Negotiate.

“What do you humans want?” Pixie asks, gagging and spitting out blood onto the ground. Her eyes are full of defiance. “You already beat us up. Do you want our money or our stuff? Or…”

A thought strikes her with the force of a thousand falling anvils. She backs away from you, hand across mouth, finger trembling. “Unless, you humans want to…oh no…oh nooo….”

Whatever this is, the Jack brothers have caught on. They are now cowering behind Pixie, hugging each other. You look at them and they shriek like mewling babies.

“H-humans are scary, ho! I want my mommy!”

“We don’t have mommies, bro!”

“It’s the thought that counts, hee!”

You have no idea what they are talking about. “We’re not going to do that.” You attempt to placate them. “We just want information about this castle.”

“The castle?” Pixie questions.

“You guys live in here, right? We want to explore this place. There’s obviously going to be lots of enemies and traps here and we’d like to know all about them.”

“Well, yeah, duh.” Pixie says. “I’ve been here for a while. I know the layout of the castle pretty well. Not everything, mind. What are you humans planning to do, though?”

“That’s none of your business.” Fumika says. “Our patience is limited. Hurry up and give us the information.”

Jack Frost raises a trembling hand. A nervous smile is plastered on his ice-cold mouth. “If we do that, we'll be killed, hee-ho.”

“By whom?"

"The king and queen, of course!"

"I see..."

"Does that mean you'll let us go, ho?"

Fumika takes out her pistol and points it at Jack Frost's forehead.

“…knew it, ho.”

“Bro, you are so stupid, hee.”

“Shut up! It’s not like you can talk, hee-ho!”

>The demons have shared their information of the castle.
>DCs for successful exploration rolls have been decreased.

“Hey, do you think we can take them with us?” Celeste asks, suddenly.

“What for?”

She shrugs her shoulders. “Maybe they can help out. It’d be nice to have a tour guide.”

>Agree. They can be meatshields as well.
>Agree. Let them lead the way to the boss.
>Agree. But they have to stay in front at all times.
>Disagree. They are likely to backstab the team.
>Disagree. You don’t feel like dealing with them anymore.
>Disagree. They would be dead weight.
>Custom option.

Remember in Persona 2 where one of the Demon Negotiation options you could learn was just telling them scary stories? Their fear reminds me of that. Demons are kind of wussy once they no longer feel in control of the situation.

>Custom option.
Let them lead us but make sure to keep them safe

>>Agree. But they have to stay in front at all times.

Hmm are we in the fairy kingdom? Oberon and Titania would probably kill us at our level.

>>Agree. But they have to stay in front at all times.
They're weak enough that they're not a threat.

>>Agree. But they have to stay in front at all times.
>They get too far ahead they get shot.

Naw, Jack frost isn't a Pixie, neither is pyro. My guess just a strong demon and demoness. Prolly a succubus and incubus

>Disagree. They are likely to backstab the team.
Celeste, they wanted to eat us. And remember that bit about them getting stronger as they ate more? If they follow us around, they'll eat the demons that we kill, and eventually they'll get strong enough that they'll try to get us again.

>Custom option
Let them come with if they want to.

>Disagree. They would be dead weight.

>Agree. Let them lead the way to the boss.
>Agree. But they have to stay in front at all times

Could be that this is a Magician dungeon. Pixie and the Jack Brothers are all Magician Arcana when they're Personas. Fits with this being the second Abyss layer and with Celeste's comments that the aesthetic is the sort of thing she liked as a child. Also kind of works with the first Abyss layer being Fool-aligned, given the blank walls and the assumption that Mou-Ryo would be a Fool Arcana if it was a Persona given its status as sort of a blank spirit.