i will burn my dread

[miseris_socios]

Who: Everyone!
What: Welcome to the Dark Hour!
Where: In the Strega warehouse.
Warnings: Possible blood and gore, Persona 3/general SMT-level disturbing topics, possible violence (knowing this group). Will edit if needed.


[When he first wakes up, Ken finds himself lying on a bed. That in itself isn't so unfamiliar, but this one has dents where it should, the shape of a small body pressed into it over weeks and months, and the sheets are soft and scratchy in just the right places and -]

[Oh no. He sits up and pulls himself out of bed, reaching almost automatically for Koromaru but... he's not there. Of course not. He'd been expecting the Tower, but this is worse, because they're not here because this is his Heart, not theirs, and because -]

[No. He has to think of what to do. He grabs the dangpa that Shinjiro made him and the copy of Gae Buidhe that Diarmuid gave him, strapping them onto his back. He needs to stay defended in this place, no matter what - the last Heart taught him that much.]

[The familiar pressure of the Dark Hour doesn't bother him, but it's worrying. It should be gone now. They won. It's over. Even in his Heart, it shouldn't be around. But it is, and there's a brief flare of panic before -]

[No. He needs to get going. The puzzles aren't going to find themselves.]

Comments

ART GALLERY

[worldkeys]

[ A lone vending machine sits at the beginning of this floor after the arduous treck through the three floors of Arqa, infested by Shadows. It has various settings for foods and drinks that, frankly, a vending machine has no business having on it.

The Art Gallery itself seems fairly normal at first glance, but continue onward through it (you have no choice, really), and... well. You might regret looking too closely. The further in one goes, the creepier it gets. Eventually, the paintings will ooze blood, show realistic gore, hideous nightmare-like landscapes, and so forth. Ken, especially, will not like what he sees here.

And... did one of those paintings just... speak? ... No, it was your imagination. But it sounded an awful lot like, "one of one and three inside".

The longer one stays in this floor, the more one begins to suspect they hear voices of people they knew speaking to them, distantly. ]

[hopedout]

[ Hinata 'master of vending machines' decides to go and get something. Maybe he'll be lucky and get two somethings from it instead of the usual one that drops? (At least it isn't the Monomono Machine, Hinata, you'll be there for days...)

Regardless of that, he can't help but look at the paintings but... not feel much of anything towards them. Maybe it's because he's getting drained, or perhaps something else entirely, but he does stop at the paining that may or may not have talked. ]

Who's there?

[worldkeys]

[ A voice can be heard, as if to call him further into the art gallery. This will continue constantly on this floor. Voices of people he knows calling his name, whispering quietly, almost in his ear as he passes by certain paintings. But if he turns to look at them, he will see nothing to indicate anything of the sort. ]

[hopedout]

[ He hears the familiar voices and decides to go pursue them further into it, not caring what happens to him. Although Hinata knows that they're phantoms, and not the real thing, he can't help but be compelled by it nevertheless.

Is there anything besides the paintings further down? ]

[worldkeys]

[ There is, indeed, something further down, but for now, all he will find is a Sheet of Paper attached under one of the paintings, written in grey ink:

This isn't for you. Sorry about that. I'd appreciate if you could take this to my good friend, and someone I forged a close bond with. He's important to me. This is only for him. Since you're here, though... I think one of these paintings might be a fake. I'm not sure. And be careful with the nutrition bars. They're kind of... disgusting, but it's all we've got.

He's watching.

He's always watching.

That's all it says. The paper cannot be destroyed or torn apart. If lost, it will return to its original place here. ]

[hopedout]

[ How interesting. He'll keep it in mind and hold it close. He'll have to give this to Ken when he runs into him. At least Hinata will eat the nutrition bars when he gets some. It's better than starving to death. Or worse.

But one of these paintings might be a fake? Time to go investigate! Is there anything significantly off about any of the paintings in general? Or perhaps is there a painting that looks like a mock up of an actual painting you'd see in real life? ]

[800isenough]

One of one and three inside... [The phrase is muttered under his breath as he walks through the gallery. The disturbing images causes a grimace or two, but otherwise he's not too perturbed; no image can ever compare to the reality of war.

He's more concerned about the next puzzle. A whisper from behind him caused him to whip around, one hand gripping the handle of the hand-axe he'd picked up from the lower levels. But there's no one there and he's only given that cryptic clue. And frankly speaking it's frustrating, because they've really been in this world for ages (the concept of time in the Hearts was strange because there was no day or night, and hunger came and went at odd hours, but it certainly feels very long). Having to deal with cryptic puzzles and aimless wandering doesn't sit well for a man of action, but he knows he can't get impatient. Still, hopefully if he explores quick enough he'll find the next puzzle soon.]

[worldkeys]

[ Seeing as Hinata already found what little there was to find that wasn't a vending machine, all he will find in the art gallery are increasingly grotesque or disturbing works of art.

Some of them of people he has killed in the past, or knew.

As he walks, he will hear voices calling to him, saying various things in varying directions, like a whisper on the wind, but no one else is around to indicate anyone. ]

[800isenough]

Hmm?

[Did he just hear something behind him? Liao turns around, eyes scanning for any person. But there's none.

Hmm. Well, at least the pictures were getting more familiar. He's killed so many in the past; he can't remember all of them. But he remembers the expression that some of these paintings are carrying; it's the expression of a person who realises that they are about to die.

And then there are faces he does remember, and although he knows they're not being tortured or hurt (some of them because they're already dead) it's still not very comfortable to see them trapped in such disturbing art.

But art is art, and it's not real life. Ultimately he sees no reason to feel anything more than a little grossed out. He'll just continue down his path.]

[worldkeys]

[ As time goes on, the paintings will grow more and more realistically grotesque and openly violent in nature. All of them will smell of what they contain when he passes by, as well. Gunpowder, rotting flesh, blood, opened wounds, festering disease.

The voices will continue, from no specific direction. ]

[800isenough]

[...he has to remind himself that as real as all this appears to be, he's not in a real place. He's in Ken's heart, and everything he sees here is just a manifestation of Ken's soul. He ignores the sights, the smells, the sounds as best as he can, and continues to search for any clues.

Though Ken's Heart really begs the question on what kind of life Ken has had. It's certainly not one for an ordinary child.]

[soloactor]

[Wandering may not be any job for a warrior of Liao's caliber, but it suits Lalli much better. However, it seems that this maze is slowly starting to wear on him. Not because of the voices -- they're easy enough to ignore, since no one important was speaking them -- but because of the difficulty he was having in mapping this damned place. Lalli doesn't even look up when he rounds the corner that leads to Liao's hallway; he's too busy scowling at the mess he's made of these notes.]

[If Liao doesn't stop him, Lalli will honestly bump right into him.]

[800isenough]

[Lalli's not the only one with the grace of the cat. Liao easily side-steps him, avoiding a collision between them.]

Scout. [He greets Lalli politely. After their last scuffle, Liao's made it a point to avoid Lalli unless Lalli came to him. Liao's already found it difficult to work together with others; it'll be even harder with someone that doesn't want to cooperate with him in the first place.]

[soloactor]

[YEAH... sorry about that...]

[Honestly, though. Part of him is pleased, because finally everyone is leaving him alone, but there's also this mysterious stabbing pain that he gets whenever he thinks about it. He was actually kind of tentatively starting to get a tiny bit attached to some of you people. So for quite possibly the first time ever, people choosing to ignore him actually kind of stings.]

...Sir?

[And at this very moment, that stabbing pain is happening again.]

Let's look at this vending machine!

[hesmypuddin]

[Harley wastes no time at all hustling out of the infirmary, and does her share on the venture through Arqa and up the three additional levels until they reach the art gallery. Harley's sweating and a bit winded as they enter the room, but if not for the Cat having been stolen her happiness, she'd actually be looking to have a good time.

She looks around the room, eyes widening a touch and mallet lifted to rest on her shoulder as moves to look around. She brightens a bit, spying the vending machine, and makes her way over to it before moving further into the gallery.]

[worldkeys]

[ It's just a normal vending machine, it seems. ...A normal vending machine that, regardless of which option is chosen, will spit out a nutrition bar for food or a bottle of (clean and not bloody, thankfully) water for drink. ]

[hesmypuddin]

[Well, Harley isn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. So, if the munchies are free, then she's going to punch in a selection for a water and a nutrition bar.

If it's not that easy, she'll just... kinda... smash the machine with her mallet to knock stuff loose or possibly break the front open. But only if the stuff doesn't drop down when selected.]

[worldkeys]

[ There are no prices listed, so just punching the buttons will deliver the nutrition bar and bottled water. ]

[not_that_sasuke]

[Lovely.

Sasuke wanders into the art gallery, eyes only glancing over the images for anything that stands out aside from the detailed gore before moving on. The voices are easy enough to ignore - for now, at least.

There's got to be an exit somewhere in here... right?]

[worldkeys]

[ There would be, but unfortunately, it seems Hinata pocketed your only clue to it already. Sorry, Sasuke!

You're fairly likely to eventually bump into him, at least. The entire time you are here, you will notice a disturbing sense, as though someone is watching you through the paintings, but there is never anyone there. ]

[miseris_socios]

[Ken sighs and grabs some water and a nutrition bar. He knows what's in them, but he doesn't have much of a choice at this point. Wandering through the paintings, he tries to ignore the voices, but eventually he just sits down, staring at a gore-filled painting until it doesn't even seem to register as a picture anymore.]

[He knows the voices aren't real. He knows that he has to keep going. But he misses some of those people. It can't be so bad that he can't hear some old friends, right?]

[worldkeys]

[ One of the voices in particular seems to focus in on him, coming from deeper into the Gallery. It might sound like the leader of a certain group of Persona users he got acquainted with during his time in the Tower. A certain Fool. ]

Why are you doing this? What's the point?

[miseris_socios]

[That makes him sit up. ... The voice sounds like Yu, but the words...]

Because we have to. Because I have to.

[Psychoradiation. It's that, or it's something close to that, and he pulls himself to his feet, raising his voice.]

Don't listen to them!

[hesmypuddin]

[Harley doesn't look at Sasuke, though his reassurance helps a little only in that they might all be going crazy instead of just her. Still, she half turns, dropping her nutrition bars and water bottle and ignoring as it rolls across the floor, because that last voice...]

Mistah J? [Only this isn't her Heart, so why?? She shifts her weight from foot to foot, looking increasingly uncomfortable with this situation. Her gaze darts to Ken as he speaks, just as another familiar voice...] Pammy? [... whispers to her from everywhere and nowhere. She tries to focus on Ken, a round of all too familiar, spine tingling laughter echoing around her.]

How is this possible? This is yer heart, not mine... [Seriously, wtf?! She wasn't expecting to hear them... to hear him.]

[worldkeys]

[ Maybe, maybe not. There's a pause. ]

What I'm saying is, there's nothing to fight for here. You just need to get home. You just have to get through this. Just... hang on. Please.

[ Another voice. This one sounds like a young woman's. Very familiar to him as well. It sounds... strained. Tired. Exhausted. Worried. All of those things. ]

Ken... I don't want you to be the one that ends up in this situation again. I have failed. I'm always failing. ... I'm sorry. How much time have you... spent here? How much time will be spent here? I miss you. And I hate this place. The smell. The feeling... please. Come back home. I would rather... disappear, then...

[ It cuts off, echoing away. ]