[It takes a few days, both before Akira gets a phone and before he wanders in the direction of the bulletin board, but when he finally does...
It's full of notes, but one catches his eye. Several others are partially obscuring the view of it, probably because they were pinned up a lot more recently, but there's one very specific thing about this one that stands out.
Amongst the shadows, there is still the eternal power of glitter.
If someone were close enough they might hear a hard to place murmur of, "Why the hell is there glitter in this place," but hopefully. Hopefully what's spoken is between the boy and the board.
He has a more important text to send, after all.]
Hi, this is a message regarding your bulletin board message. Are the demons involved in the good time?
[He doubts that it's someone he knows going by an alias, but he can't just leave things alone if someone wrote "demons" on there, you know? This is obviously the best way to go about finding out.]
Well, I'm hoping it's nothing unsavory. I don't know how I'd feel about that. Some of them are pretty good at chess, if that's what you're looking for.
The ones that I'm more inclined to summon would be pixies, ogres, garms, jack frosts or pyro jacks, depending on your needs. I don't think I'd give anyone any demon too strong until I think they can be trusted for real.
It could just be a coincidence. Akira tries not to let himself become too worked up, because- he can't be sure yet. But now he knows, at least, that this wasn't a mistake.
His phrasing did cause a misconception, though, so time to address that first.]
Oh. No, nothing unsavory. No kissing until after the third date and all.
I haven't run into anyone else here that's heard of Jack Frosts or Pyro Jacks, though. Do you also have Jack Frost plushes where you're from?
It's funny you ask that, because I've definitely seen a few in arcades around Tokyo. Pretty funny for a demon, right? But then again, I'm pretty certain that it's peoples perception that shaped how it looks.
Never really thought about that until now, though.
[Yeah. This definitely isn't a coincidence, then.]
I'm guessing you're from Japan too, then. But most ordinary people don't know those are demons, or that perception would come into play for their appearance.
[ "Ordinary people don't know those are demons" is directly conflicting with "Or that perception would come into play for their appearance". It makes Kazuya stop. It makes him assess the conversation he's having a little more deeply.
Ordinary people don't know those are demons if they hadn't been caught in the lockdown. Most people don't know that perception makes the appearance of a demon what it is.]
You're pretty well-informed yourself. Don't suppose you know anything about a demon infestation in Tokyo, do you?
He can't be coy now. The use of "demons" instead of "shadows" is a little odd, but it's an inconsistency he isn't too caught up on at the moment; if someone didn't have Morgana to teach them, there's a decent chance they wouldn't know. More importantly, if there's an emergency back home, he needs to be direct.]
They were there while I was, but I wouldn't call it an infestation. That's definitely news.
[They were there while he was. But it wasn't an infestation. There's a possibility that this person is from before the lockdown, that they had the unfortunate chance to happen across a demon before things got really messed up.
The Bloodless Murders had predated the lockdown by almost six months. Maybe more, before it caught the news. Kudlak had been on the loose. Who's to say other demons couldn't have ended up roaming around too? After all, Naoya had ended up here, and they were from pretty succinctly different timelines...
And if he's from before the lockdown, asking about it really won't be of any use, will it?]
From what I understand, the barrier between our worlds ended up weakening due to some people trying to summon a new god.
A new god - who else could there be that knew about Yaldabaoth? Or what came after this summer? Someone that had the read the research, or was in the Conspiracy, or someone that has direct knowledge of the Metaverse- He could never think it was one of the Phantom Thieves, but who else would know-
But it could be worse, couldn't it?
If this person... If Kazuya is from another reality like Maruki, what if things have gone even further off script than he could've imagined?]
That world where the demons come from. Do you happen to know it by any particular name?
[Even if Kazuya doesn't know, or it's a different name, it's okay. He'll work with any information he can get.]
I do. It's just called the demon realm, generally. But it has other names, I guess it's a pretty apt name though. No mistaking what else it could be if everyone's calling it that.
[ But why ask that? Why not ask who would do such a thing? Though- maybe the Shomonkai simply weren't well known yet. Who knows what other cults out there might have also had interest. ]
August, 2011. Though reports of "demons" started about six months prior.
Hope that helps you, any.
[ Whether this person is from the same year or after, he's not quite sure yet. He's not even sure if they're from the same timeline as it stands. There's just enough to doubt, but not enough to throw things away entirely either. ]
Hopefully answers. The next of which being a demon named Belberith, though he ended up being beaten and consumed by another demon who was stronger. That demon ended up ruling instead.
[ Hi. It's him. He's the demon. ]
I've answered a lot of questions for you, so I hope you don't mind me asking some of my own.
Are you familiar with either of the following:
The bloodless murders, or the war for the throne of Bel?
[The question, was the demon named Yaldabaoth, itches terribly at his fingers, but it's only fair if Akira returns the same. They already know a lot about what the other knows, so there's no point in hiding anything about the Metaverse, he thinks. He can still talk about this without discussing the Phantom Thieves.]
Your assumption is correct. I've never heard of the murders or the throne, unless they were known by other names. But I also didn't learn about what I know until years after 2011, so I may not have been talking to the right people.
["Until after 2011", he reads. And he frowns. He truthfully doesn't know what his future holds, which means-
All of this could still make sense.
People forget.
It was a terribly localized event.
Many who had been part of the lockdown had either been murdered by their fellow humans, or eaten by demons. And how quickly would people move on with their daily lives? What if he had chosen to simply stay in the demon realm, away from the human world where his power might cause problems? Would he be able to hide in the shadows and live a relatively normal life?
It's hard to say.
He doesn't have enough information. And even if he did, would it matter? What if this person is from a reality just different enough, that no matter what he did, he'd never achieve what happened there? Is it worth thinking and worrying about?
His fingers itch to ask more questions. He has to exhale to calm himself.]
I can't say what happens after 2011, since I'm clearly still from then and there. It makes sense that the government might sweep up what happened and pretend it never did. I wouldn't be surprised.
There's also the possibility that we may be from just separate enough realities that the events that happened for me didn't happen for you in the same way.
A government coverup, or our realities being different... Both sound pretty likely to me. I'm pretty sure the government covered up some of what I know, too, so we may never be completely sure.
[Some things Akira hid away himself, of course. If just anyone got ahold of that power... There's no telling what could happen.
But it sounds like in one reality... something terrible has already happened, hasn't it?]
Aside from some friends back home, you're the first I've met that knows Jack Frost is a demon, though. I think that points to our realities being similar, if not the same.
I wouldn't be surprised if the government hid things in both our realities. Not to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but they're pretty self serving, aren't they? And the few people trying to do good are kept on a leash.
[He hates it. Hates that Fushimi and Izuna tried to do the right thing, and were reprimanded by the government. Had their promises turned into lies at its behest.
It makes him want to crush those in power for that, among many other reasons.]
I suppose I should also ask: Jack Frost looks like a little snowman with a blue hat, right? Just to be sure of the similarities.
As long as it's convenient for them, they'll really just do whatever they want, huh. If only that was different, too.
[Akira knows that all too well, up close and personal. The Conspiracy and all of its branches spread throughout all of Tokyo like a poisoned plant, and his own murder intended to be covered up so one man could get into power.]
But yep, that's a Jack Frost, 100%. Does something called "Bufu" sound familiar, by any chance?
They have to take the "Right Position" to save their own skins and not make a choice until they're sure their on the winning side.
[ It's deplorable. It makes his skin itch, knowing that they'd been willing to kill so many people. The good of the many may outweigh the few, but in the situation they'd been put in... Humans were never going to have won. With the angels or the demons.
That's why he'd stepped in, wasn't it? ]
And yeah. It's ice magic. I'm familiar with it. Same with the rest of those elemental spells like Agi and Zio. I'm guessing that Dia might be a healing spell for you as well, right?
That part really is the same, then. People in charge are good at misusing their power.
[It's disappointing, but it's not a surprise. It'll probably be the same across every reality he encounters, because it's something deeper than a world that's shared. It's human nature.
Akira's seen the gross underbelly of it all... and it sounds like this person has seen a lot of it, too.]
Our magic is the same as well, though, even down to the spell types. Were you able to use all of it freely?
[ The people in charge are good at misusing their power, huh? He's not sure that will be him too, but perhaps he hasn't seen enough yet. Isn't the phrase absolute power corrupts absolutely? To say nothing of a demons inclinations and propensity towards chaos and destruction.
The future is ever uncertain, isn't it? ]
you couldn't be from somewhere where the people who are supposed to look after you didn't. Hopefully you can catch at least a slight break here.
[ He can't help the next part, when this guy asks him if he can use his powers freely.
He snaps a picture of Orthrus and sends it to Akira, conked out on the floor. One head with its tongue loling out, drooling, and the other resting on a paw far more politely. ]
Yeah, I can use my abilities freely after getting them back. Not sure how good of a guard dog this one is being, though.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
text; un: personyaa, whatever day akira has a phone idk
It's full of notes, but one catches his eye. Several others are partially obscuring the view of it, probably because they were pinned up a lot more recently, but there's one very specific thing about this one that stands out.
Amongst the shadows, there is still the eternal power of glitter.
If someone were close enough they might hear a hard to place murmur of, "Why the hell is there glitter in this place," but hopefully. Hopefully what's spoken is between the boy and the board.
He has a more important text to send, after all.]
Hi, this is a message regarding your bulletin board message. Are the demons involved in the good time?
[He doubts that it's someone he knows going by an alias, but he can't just leave things alone if someone wrote "demons" on there, you know? This is obviously the best way to go about finding out.]
text; un: u"\U0001F408"u"\U0001F408"u"\U0001F408"
It's a little funny, the message, but not unexpected considering how he phrased it. ]
They could be, depends on what kind of a good time you're looking for.
[ Hopefully ge doesn't mean the "good time" in a salacious manner... ]
no subject
Depends on what kind of good time is being offered.
What kinds of demons are we talking about?
dont judge his username
The ones that I'm more inclined to summon would be pixies, ogres, garms, jack frosts or pyro jacks, depending on your needs. I don't think I'd give anyone any demon too strong until I think they can be trusted for real.
he doesn't know what it means yet!!!
It could just be a coincidence. Akira tries not to let himself become too worked up, because- he can't be sure yet. But now he knows, at least, that this wasn't a mistake.
His phrasing did cause a misconception, though, so time to address that first.]
Oh. No, nothing unsavory. No kissing until after the third date and all.
I haven't run into anyone else here that's heard of Jack Frosts or Pyro Jacks, though. Do you also have Jack Frost plushes where you're from?
fuck it they're a staple, why not
It's funny you ask that, because I've definitely seen a few in arcades around Tokyo. Pretty funny for a demon, right? But then again, I'm pretty certain that it's peoples perception that shaped how it looks.
Never really thought about that until now, though.
it's the staple that we need, honestly
I'm guessing you're from Japan too, then. But most ordinary people don't know those are demons, or that perception would come into play for their appearance.
You're pretty well-informed.
one day i'll have one myself
Ordinary people don't know those are demons if they hadn't been caught in the lockdown. Most people don't know that perception makes the appearance of a demon what it is.]
You're pretty well-informed yourself. Don't suppose you know anything about a demon infestation in Tokyo, do you?
we DESERVE them
He can't be coy now. The use of "demons" instead of "shadows" is a little odd, but it's an inconsistency he isn't too caught up on at the moment; if someone didn't have Morgana to teach them, there's a decent chance they wouldn't know. More importantly, if there's an emergency back home, he needs to be direct.]
They were there while I was, but I wouldn't call it an infestation. That's definitely news.
Do you know what might've caused it?
the people need the jack frost plush...
The Bloodless Murders had predated the lockdown by almost six months. Maybe more, before it caught the news. Kudlak had been on the loose. Who's to say other demons couldn't have ended up roaming around too? After all, Naoya had ended up here, and they were from pretty succinctly different timelines...
And if he's from before the lockdown, asking about it really won't be of any use, will it?]
From what I understand, the barrier between our worlds ended up weakening due to some people trying to summon a new god.
jack frost save us......
A new god - who else could there be that knew about Yaldabaoth? Or what came after this summer? Someone that had the read the research, or was in the Conspiracy, or someone that has direct knowledge of the Metaverse- He could never think it was one of the Phantom Thieves, but who else would know-
But it could be worse, couldn't it?
If this person... If Kazuya is from another reality like Maruki, what if things have gone even further off script than he could've imagined?]
That world where the demons come from. Do you happen to know it by any particular name?
[Even if Kazuya doesn't know, or it's a different name, it's okay. He'll work with any information he can get.]
jack frost youre my only he-hope
[ But why ask that? Why not ask who would do such a thing? Though- maybe the Shomonkai simply weren't well known yet. Who knows what other cults out there might have also had interest. ]
HE-HOPE... IM LOSING IT
[It's a very obvious name, but... Regular people would just call it what they've seen, right? It's still too much of a coincidence to ignore, so...]
You don't have to answer, but I'd like to ask another question. It might seem a little weird, though.
Do you remember what year it was while you were in Tokyo?
sometimes the jokes are right there...
Hope that helps you, any.
[ Whether this person is from the same year or after, he's not quite sure yet. He's not even sure if they're from the same timeline as it stands. There's just enough to doubt, but not enough to throw things away entirely either. ]
they're little gifts that are waiting for us
2011, though... That's... Akira wasn't even in junior high yet.]
You've either given me a lot of questions or a lot of answers. It's hard to be sure.
[He's either dealing with someone who knows who summoned Yaldabaoth, or he's dealing with another reality entirely.]
Which god did they summon?
no subject
[ Hi. It's him. He's the demon. ]
I've answered a lot of questions for you, so I hope you don't mind me asking some of my own.
Are you familiar with either of the following:
The bloodless murders, or the war for the throne of Bel?
My assumption is not.
no subject
Your assumption is correct. I've never heard of the murders or the throne, unless they were known by other names. But I also didn't learn about what I know until years after 2011, so I may not have been talking to the right people.
cw: vore, murder
All of this could still make sense.
People forget.
It was a terribly localized event.
Many who had been part of the lockdown had either been murdered by their fellow humans, or eaten by demons. And how quickly would people move on with their daily lives? What if he had chosen to simply stay in the demon realm, away from the human world where his power might cause problems? Would he be able to hide in the shadows and live a relatively normal life?
It's hard to say.
He doesn't have enough information. And even if he did, would it matter? What if this person is from a reality just different enough, that no matter what he did, he'd never achieve what happened there? Is it worth thinking and worrying about?
His fingers itch to ask more questions. He has to exhale to calm himself.]
I can't say what happens after 2011, since I'm clearly still from then and there. It makes sense that the government might sweep up what happened and pretend it never did. I wouldn't be surprised.
There's also the possibility that we may be from just separate enough realities that the events that happened for me didn't happen for you in the same way.
no subject
[Some things Akira hid away himself, of course. If just anyone got ahold of that power... There's no telling what could happen.
But it sounds like in one reality... something terrible has already happened, hasn't it?]
Aside from some friends back home, you're the first I've met that knows Jack Frost is a demon, though. I think that points to our realities being similar, if not the same.
no subject
[He hates it. Hates that Fushimi and Izuna tried to do the right thing, and were reprimanded by the government. Had their promises turned into lies at its behest.
It makes him want to crush those in power for that, among many other reasons.]
I suppose I should also ask: Jack Frost looks like a little snowman with a blue hat, right? Just to be sure of the similarities.
no subject
[Akira knows that all too well, up close and personal. The Conspiracy and all of its branches spread throughout all of Tokyo like a poisoned plant, and his own murder intended to be covered up so one man could get into power.]
But yep, that's a Jack Frost, 100%. Does something called "Bufu" sound familiar, by any chance?
no subject
[ It's deplorable. It makes his skin itch, knowing that they'd been willing to kill so many people. The good of the many may outweigh the few, but in the situation they'd been put in... Humans were never going to have won. With the angels or the demons.
That's why he'd stepped in, wasn't it? ]
And yeah. It's ice magic. I'm familiar with it. Same with the rest of those elemental spells like Agi and Zio. I'm guessing that Dia might be a healing spell for you as well, right?
no subject
[It's disappointing, but it's not a surprise. It'll probably be the same across every reality he encounters, because it's something deeper than a world that's shared. It's human nature.
Akira's seen the gross underbelly of it all... and it sounds like this person has seen a lot of it, too.]
Our magic is the same as well, though, even down to the spell types. Were you able to use all of it freely?
no subject
The future is ever uncertain, isn't it? ]
you couldn't be from somewhere where the people who are supposed to look after you didn't. Hopefully you can catch at least a slight break here.
[ He can't help the next part, when this guy asks him if he can use his powers freely.
He snaps a picture of Orthrus and sends it to Akira, conked out on the floor. One head with its tongue loling out, drooling, and the other resting on a paw far more politely. ]
Yeah, I can use my abilities freely after getting them back. Not sure how good of a guard dog this one is being, though.
no subject
Feels like I haven't seen Orthrus in ages. Maybe this is that slight break after all.
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wrap from me :3