Scene #8170: PNL: Kismet, Chained

Owner	Pose
Stanley Padgett	It's a quiet evening at the Happycade Game Junction. That is to say 'quiet' with a bunch of preteens running around the place, making a ruckus, and doing The Video Games and Prize Games. Wednesday nights also tended to be Scout nights, especially now that winter's here and all the major sports are over with. It is not a tournament night, which is probably good for those coming to Discuss Things with one Mr. Harrison Speck. Stanley is already here, nursing a can of Dr. Salt NEO and waiting for the rest of the crew to come along. His hair is a fantastic red color and he's poking at his phone. There's a bunch of sent text messages to his dad, all of them left on read. The other man of the hour, Mr. Speck, is on floor handling crane games.
John Doe	John's here, when he got here nobody can be exactly sure. However, he is here, and he's drinking a can of 1UP. Every now and again he straightens up and stretches out, favoring a shoulder. Likely the fight with Hibiki has still left some sore muscles. However, he's in his usual upbeat mood. "So did you talk to your pops yet, Stan?" he asks, casually making conversation. "If you need a few bucks I can always float you..." he says waiting to dramatically show off his El Dorado Black Card. It's going to be great, he thinks.
Charlotte Newman	A girl's hand with a collection of cheap prize machine bracelets sets a nacho plate down in front of Stanley. Charlotte, said hand's ower, takes a seat across from him. She pops the tab on her own cola with that distinctive hsst-pop. "Still nothing?" she finally asks, concern hanging in her tone. It's a sensation she can relate to, from what she's shared with her fellow teens, "Maybe checking with mister Sid would work better." She twists the tab over, then inserts a straw through it to drink rather than drink straight from the can. "Or...maybe that's a bad idea," she relents almost immediately.
Remee Halcyon	Arcades are not particularly known to Remee, between being homeschooled, rich (In a "We have video games at home" sense), and being pulled out into the wilderness too often to properly appreciate 'inside hobbies' anyway. Though while the appeal is lost on her, she's still found something to do while waiting, in terms of the hunting rifle game, which she has been cleaning up at. "Yeah - if you do need something, please say so," she remarks as she joins the group at the table, foregoing soda to have a bottle of water instead. "... Or if you need to talk, um, family things," she adds, carefully.
Timespace Riders	"Hi, everyone!" Sougo waves merrily as he passes arcade booths, calling over the din of prize bells, excited gamers and shouty eyecatch screens. Woz is with him, dressed in the same outfit he always seems to wear, the constant to Sougo's pastel vibrance. As he approaches, his eyes drift downwards to the phone on the table. He frowns, but doesn't say anything--instead, he puts on a warm smile. "I feel like it's been a while since the last time we spoke," he says, taking a seat wherever there's space. "How have you been?" asks Sougo.
Stanley Padgett	Stanley grumbles a bit at his phone, and then looks to John, and his Very Fancy Concord Card. "....I'll be okay for now, I gotta let Caelan know though so he's like... aware I'm broke. I don't want to get in trouble for not being able to help out." Char gets a grumble. "And the less I have to deal with Sid the better. that's the reason I left that apartment." He plants the phone face down, and then smiles up at Remee and Sougo. "Hey guys, nah, it'll be fine, don't worry about me, we've got business tonight." The presence of all these people HAS drawn the attention of staff. Some kid in a shirt with a smiling Pyro Jack on the front looks up from the counter and calls out. "Hey, guys, if this is like, a party, you need to call ahead and let Mr. Speck know, there's party rates and stuff. The words 'Mr. Speck' get the attention of said Harrison, who looks up at the crowd of Elites and... Well that's an odd face. Something between 'trapped' and 'panic' and 'be brave' flashes across his face a bit, as he yells back. "It's okay, Fred, these guys won't be a problem, I'll take this..." The gangly man disengages from the crane games to come over to the table and sort of just... look at everyone. "...Stanley, Miss Newman, you should have said that you were bringing... friends."
Remee Halcyon	"Oh dear, did we not call ahead?" says Remee to the staff member, breaking off to head over to him. "Well, I'm sure you can squeeze us in." She pulls out the Halcyon Vantablack Card, which is much more impressive than a plain old Dorado Black Card. "Let's see, get - oh, whatever the biggest party package is. Drinks, tokens, pizzas, whatever else - one of those pizzas extra pepperoni, extra sausage, no sauce, no cheese, no oil, no dough, thank you."
Stanley Padgett	The Vantablack Card gets Speck's eyes to widen a bit, until Remee puts in her order, and gets to the Pizzas... And Harrison points firmly at the sign that says 'NO PIZZA IN THE HAPPYCADE THIS MEANS YOU'
Kukuru	Kukuru's here, too! How she got here is unclear, but she arrives not long after Sougo and Woz do dressed in her usual white shirt and green dress combo with too many frills. Despite Stanley's affirmations to John that he's okay, she still practically shoves an entire backpack full of takeout containers filled with food into his arms. "You don't have to worry about washing those. Remember, though: They're recyclable." She affirms with a firm, if slightly forceful pat on the head as if trying to pre-emptively shoo away any attempts to refuse, then joins Remee in addressing Harrison with a friendly smile. "He-llo again, Harry~ Yeah, we gotta talk to him about some... Personal stuff." She taps on her nose as though that might actually mean something to him while being subtle. It is incredibly unsubtle.
John Doe	"Yeah, listen to your girlfriend," John says with a wry grin, obviously just messing with Remee and Stanley, because he's just that kinda guy. He snatches a nacho and munches on it while others gather up. He waves at Sougo. "Hey man, good to see you and Woz here." John's head turns back to Remee when she shows off her, somehow, fancier black card. "Oh man, how do I get one of those?" he asks, because that /is/ pretty swank. Though the mention of pizza gets him to snort a little. Especially when he realizes she just ordered meat. He also holds a hand out toward Harrison, "She doesn't know the story, give her a break," John says. Which is funny, because he's as much of a stranger as the out-of-towners.
Charlotte Newman	"Yeah," Charlotte almost seems to wilt, "I realized that almost as soon as I had said it, I'm sorry." She straightens her shoulders right away though, lifting her gaze to throw a Rich Girl Cold Stare at the teen calling them out. That expression warms considerably when Mr. Speck takes over, and she tips her head slightly, "Sorry, it started out as a little thing and just kinda..." She gestures, "Grew." Remee tries to take the party package route and the second she mentions pizza, Charlotte stifles a laugh of her own. She'll let the others explain that feud, though. She doesn't really get it herself. She lifts a hand to greet Sougo and Woz when they join the group's table, as well as the inflappable Kukuru, before returning her attention to the proprietor himself. "We did have something we wanted to ask you about though, Mister Speck," Charlotte addresses the arcade owner, "If you had a minute."
Timespace Riders	Sougo frowns at Mr. Speck--it's hard not to notice the clear apprehension from the Happycade owner. "Mr. Speck... is everything alright?" he asks, with genuine concern. "It's just us," he adds. Woz is notably less concerned and more direct. "Indeed we did, dear Charlotte. Based on his demanor, it is entirely likely that he knows why we're here, my Demon King," notes the retainer. Turning to Mr. Speck, he offers a catlike smile, and an open-palm hand flourish. "Now, then... Would you care to explain the nature of your involvement with the Reversal game? As head creative designer, there are certainly some interesting details I'm certain you could divulge." Woz 'sweetly' intones.
Stanley Padgett	Stanley is delivered food! He squawks a bit at the attention and the headpats, but doesn't refuse Kukuru's offer. He's not heartless. Harrison looks right at John, but doesn't seem to have to engage in the 'oh there's someone here' reflex. He just tries to remember who he is, fails, and grumbles. "It's the principle of the thing." Kukuru gets a smile at least, or something approaching a smile. It is hard to be mad at her. And then Woz drops the message that Speck was expecting... and he sort of deflates. "Hnnnn... right uh. I had some inklings this might happen... uh..." There's a moment's thought, and then he does in fact take both the Dorada and the Vantablack cards, and heads over to the register and counter. "Hey, everyone, we just had someone book out the Arcade for the night! Sorry, we are now in Private Party mode. I need everyone else out of the Happycade!" There is a chorus of little boos and whines from the stacks, but the kids are all eventually shooed out of the place... Leaving Harrison and the rest of the group there. He's still got the cards, and is tapping them in the palm of his hand. "....I suppose I have some of you to thank for the incident at NovaTech the other week? I heard that they ran into some trouble."
John Doe	John stands up and walks up to Harrison after the place is cleaned out. Right after he spoke of the NovaTech incident. "Yeah, the Concord and I went out there to 'meet' with them. Obviously, now, we have some questions for you, Harrison." "Like what your involvement is. How close are you to this? Because the person that was sent to clean up...is the very reason you're struggling to remember my name." He is a bit more intense now, less relaxed, and more coiled. Like a spring ready to release...especially if the wrong thing is said.
Remee Halcyon	Remee doesn't understand the pizza thing, but she gets feuds. "Oh, I see... um, okay! Do you have anything more substantial than nachos here, at least?" The entire arcade empties out. Remee's ears wriggle. It's gone from being too loud to eerily quiet. She doesn't have much to add right now... aside from if the guy does decide to run, Remee's ready to catch him, and hold him still for John.
Timespace Riders	Woz isn't among those who take credit for being at NovaTech, turning up his chin and looking away coyly. So, yes, he was almost definitely there too. "Did you have anything to do with the supernatural elements of the game, Mr. Speck?" asks Sougo. "This might sound strange, but..." Sougo's brow furrows in thought as he searches for how to phrase it, fingers interlaced atop the table. "I think, working on the game, you or someone who worked with you stumbled into something real. A lot of what's happened in Lampport recently is related to the Reversal." Pausing to make eye contact, he adds, one palm upraised to allay concern, "This isn't an accusation, or some kind of trial. We only want to help, and we need to know what you know."
Charlotte Newman	Speck's response to being asked so directly by Woz prompts confusion from Charlotte. He shouts about private party mode-- and the displeasure shared by the younger kids turns her cheeks red with embarassment. She sinks down in her seat a bit, "I hope we can make it up to them later..." Now she just feels greedy. "I wasn't involved in anything like that," she states once things have calmed down, "But learning more about the ... game, would be very helpful." The girl nods once, moving right past that stumble, "It's been...something of a hot topic in our group for a while now. And if you're going to this length for a private chat, I can't help but wonder just how much you're holding on to."
Stanley Padgett	Stanley blinks a bit as Harrison empties the place out, but then his phone vibrates, and he glares at it, and starts texting. Uh oh. Harrison sighs, and starts puttering around. He pockets both of the cards, apparently for insurance, and actually DOES start getting out snacks for the group. Bottled water and sodas, chips and nachos, popcorn, things that are easily swept up. "I guess I have to ask uh.... which parts do you want me to start with? I can tell you Mr. Uhhhhhhh..." He looks at John and tries to place the face again, and fails. "...I haven't been with the company for almost 6 years. That was before they were even NovaTech, before they moved their headquarters out here to Ste- Lampport." Once the food is delivered, he drags a folding chair over to the table, and sits. Or more like, collapses a bit. "That was back when they were just Suisei Industries." He lifts a hand and does a little shooting motion in the air. "'Aim for the stars, with Suisei...'" A grumble. "Tell me where you want to start."
Kukuru	Charlotte's wave gets a return wave from Kukuru as well, followed by a pat on the head. This may or may not involve Kukuru leaning across the table just to do it, and it definitely involves climbing across people, personal space be damned. Harrison's smile gets one from Kukuru as well, although she does stop short of actually patting him on the head like she had with the youngsters. The boos and jeers gets her to stand up and offer apologetic smiles and waves to those leaving, although it's hard to tell if she genuinely feels bad about it considering the subject matter. Once everyone's cleared out, she sits back down, and does that secretive nose tap thing again.. Followed by affirming it with a nod. "There might have been some... Stuff happening there that we can't disclose. It's all real... Above-board stuff, you know? Like in a spy movie, but le-gal." She speaks in a low tone, roughening her voice a bit to try and sound tougher and grittier in the process and failing terribly at it. "It could get even more... Legal soon, too, so somebody'll appreciate your cooperation in all of this."
John Doe	John relaxes when he mentions he hasn't been with the company for six years. "One year before it happened to me...so these were the end of the Steelport days, right?" John sits back down, taking some snacks. He's sure now that Harrison isn't someone he needs to worry about...after all if he was with the company why work here? "I'd start at the beginning of what'd become 'The Reversal'. How did a computer game and the other side come to become linked? Was it just simple 'old wives tales' that you looked into and happened to be real...or is it actually connected..." "Basically, we need to know more about what we're dealing with exactly. If any of us are going to be able to get our futures back."
Timespace Riders	Woz side-eyes Kukuru severely, but keeps his thoughts to himself for the moment. "For instance, Delilah," says the retainer matter-of-factly, chiming in after John's mention of old legends. "We know that she was inspired by a figure from local folklore. We know, as well, that you studied the occult in college," he adds nonchalantly. "Not I, nor my Demon King," says Woz, gesturing with a flourish towards Sougo, "Have installed this game or played it--but we have both been to a dimension known as the Reversal, and spoken with an entity named Delilah. Your expertise in this matter would be greatly appreciated by my lord." Sougo nods brightly. "Did you include any features, or any kind of... lore," he says, taking a moment to find the word, "About things that could grant wishes?"
Charlotte Newman	Patting Charlotte's head has her recoil a bit, "H-hey, aren't I a little old for that?" But her tone is pleasant enough. It really is hard to be mad at someone as genuine as Kukuru, after all. Mister Speck being aware of the Reversal does connect a few dots, though. "So that's why you didn't raise any questions that day," she thinks out loud about when she first met Stanley. When she proved she wasn't fooling around by just dragging Stanley into the Reversal suddenly. Which she learned later apparently terrified him for slightly unrelated reasons. She does unfasten her purse, producing her phone. She unlocks it, launches the game, and holds it out so Harrison can see Delilah's artistic rendition on the shop screen when Sougo asks about her, "This is apparently her. I haven't met her, but the others have."
Stanley Padgett	John gets a look, and then Harrison pulls his phone out. "This is going to take some explaining but uh... a few years back in Japan, there were some major incidents involving... extra-natural phenomena. Several of them, in fact. Suisei Tech was trying to find ways to capitalize on that, though... I didn't know that at the time. They found me through some headhunters who knew I did some work at The Ohio State with the local... well. Spooky Groups. Worked to research and track ley lines in and around the campus, trangulated a bunch of... anyways, they found out I did spookystuff but also game design and asked me to come here to Steelport and work at their new research team to make a game to match CaptchaCat World, the big AR game that had everyone actually going outside for a while?"
Stanley Padgett	He takes a drink of water, and then looks to Charlotte. "Yeah, Delilah. Though, I'm not sure where I heard that one. Delilah was of course the temptress of Samson from the Old Testament, and convinced him to disobey Yahweh and... well, you know the rest of that one. Actually, I think her design of her came from a dream of mine..." He rubs his chin and then shakes his head. "But yeah, she's in there, there's a bunch of other mythological and historical references I've made, we got some stuff from the team in Japan who were doing research on those incidents over there..." A blink. "Like, there was some weird shit happening in Tokyo and other places, I'm not joking, but it all got covered up real well..." And then Woz mentions that they've been over to the other side, and asks about Wishes. "Oh. Well. You're just getting right to it, huh? Okay. So..."
Stanley Padgett	"I was the first person to make a Wish in Lampport." Harrison says the words, and then all of the tension floats out of him a bit. "And I didn't even realize it until after it had happened." He leans forward and take a nacho and chews on it, for courage. "...I made a Wish, and it came true, and it kept coming true. It's still working, in fact. I figured one of you might have noticed?" He looks up and around at the place. "...I wished that the kids who came to my Arcade would be safe. Just... while I was coding one night. Made a wish. And I woke up the next day and it started coming true."
Kukuru	While John asks about the starting history of the Reversal, Kukuru closes her eyes as she considers how to best 'solve' the problem laid out here. Unfortunately, she's not the brains of any operation, so it takes her a while to come up with anything worthwhile. In the meantime, she eats. She isn't gorging herself, at least, but she's sampling a bit of everything to know how each thing compares to the other so she knows what to get more of later. It's efficient! Woz's side-eyeing, meanwhile, gets misconstrued entirely, and Kukuru jumps a bit in her seat before smiling and waving at him before breaking eye contact quickly. She does consider where to angle next after the questions about Delilah, though, as well as Harrison's answers about his early days as a new game designer, Delilah, and his connection to the Reversal and wishes. When he reveals what the wish was, Kukuru's expression softens considerably. "Aw... That's so nice! That's a really good wish, Ha-rry." She reassures him with a bright smile, then pauses to eat, yawn, drink, and eat a bit more before finally speaking up again. "How'd you know it worked, though? Were the kids here not safe before?" There's another long pause, and then she continues. "... How'd you make the wish, anyway? Was there a... Um. Thing you had to do? Or somewhere you had to do it?"
Stanley Padgett	Kukuru gets a wane smile. "There hasn't been a violent crime within a block of this place since I made that wish. You can check. Property crime, sure. But nothing against other people." The question of 'how' gets a frown though. "...That's why I got fired."
John Doe	"Came to you in a dream huh? So why is she also a real being in the reversal?" John asks, something about the Delilah part wasn't fitting together. Why is she both on the other side, but also able to interact with them via the game? "Let me guess, the things that happened in Japan were connected to 'Persona's'? Also, it might help us to know what spooky stuff you delve into. There are a lot of spooky things. Too many spooky things if you look hard and long enough." He also awaits the explanation of a wish, but...it does make some sense that this place is safe.
Stanley Padgett	Remee, now that it's mentioned.... Yeah, that narrative sense is here. It's faint. It's a ~suggestion~ but it's there. This place is Protected.
Remee Halcyon	Remee purses her lips. So he made the first wish... "... Now that you mention it... yeah, I feel... something." "I was gonna pick out someone here to punch to try it, but don't think I need to. I can feel it." "So-" She addresses the group. "I thought we thought that all Wishes ended badly? This one seems pretty... safe, at worst?"
Timespace Riders	"But of course," says Woz to Mr. Speck, when asked about his bluntness and that of his king's. "My Demon King has expressed an interest in the well-being of this place. It is best to be direct in matters of steadily rising danger, lest it boil over into crisis." "That's a good wish, I think," says Sougo reassuringly to Speck. "I guess now we have proof that they don't all end badly, Remee. But, you know, Mr. Speck... there are some wishes people in Lampport have made that... aren't good. Sometimes they're bad for that person," he continues, "Sometimes they're bad for everyone. We've found a way to free people from the bad wishes. But, it would really help if you knew a way to stop them from being made. At least... until people are ready for something like that, anyway."
Stanley Padgett	John mentions 'Persona' and Harrison blinks. "No, just.... stuff about a Shadow World or a Metaverse or a Midnight Channel. A lot of disjointed stuff that Suisei had to piece together from redacted public documents and police reports." Another nacho. "As to what sort of spooky shit? Uh.... First Nations legends, mostly? That was my other major, histories of First Nations spiritual practices. I'm ALSO an archaeologist." He seems to puff up at that. "But Lampport doesn't have any of those. Not any more. All that stuff was dug up and carted off when the first White folks colonized this place. I think the native stuff is all at the state historical society if you want to look at it?"
John Doe	John listens for a moment. The First Nations..? Oh right, Native Americans. He seems to think about that, and when he mentions the state's historical society, he shrugs. "Guess we can look into that. Not really my thing to do research." On the other hand, stealing items is definitely in his wheelhouse. The other locations, Metaverse...Midnight Channel. "So their own Reversals?" However, when it's mentioned the wish is 'good'...he wonders. Standing up he moves towards the node for the Reversal here and opens it with his phone. He just steps through in front of the guy. There should be a tyrant, right?
Stanley Padgett	The Other Wishes question from Woz gets a major frown from Harrison. "And that's where my knowledge is going to trail off, sadly. I got fired. I got fired because like a dolt I reported my results and told corporate about the Wish. They tried to get me to reproduce it, and I couldn't. And they fired me." A breath. "I know about the Incidents. I know about that because I can-" And then John dives into the Reversal. Stanley yelps, and ends his texting by doing the same, leaving a portal long enough for other people to do so as well. Harrison... does not step into the Reversal. He does finish his statement. "...because I can peek into the Reversal." He holds up his phone, and... he's got an AR program up in the screen. The camera shows.... Well, the Reversal version of the Happycade the others have seen, and those who are now on the other side can see in person. The HAPPYCADE is much much larger here, a large arena with high walls. There are 'video games' but they're monolithic slabs of concrete with flashing images in front of them, and vague ghostly wisps of argon mist are 'playing' them. The whole place has the feeling of the training yard of a keep... and then another familiar form shuffles into view. A 9-foot-tall Sengoku-era samurai, clad in HEAVY GREEN ARMOR, carrying a naginata. There is also a floating.... screen, the size of a old CRT TV, hovering in place. On it, those inside the Reversal can see back into the Happycade, and vis versa, through Harrison's phone. "...Hello..."
Remee Halcyon	"Oh - don't just run off-" Remee says, going to hurry on through after John. Yep, this is a Reversal. Remee's nose wriggles. "... This is... new?" she says, looking at the others through the screen, and waving.
John Doe	John, or rather, Mystique as he calls himself on this side steps into the HAPPYCADE of the other side. So this place is represented very strongly here...no it's like a fort or a castle..? Then, of course, is the Reversal's version of Harrison. He tilts his head to the side as if trying to puzzle out what he's seeing. "So there is a Tyrant on this side..." he says, with a frown. "So you are both aware of each other, huh?" "Though...you don't feel like a Tyrant I've encountered before..."
Charlotte Newman	"A shadow world," Charlotte considers this for a moment, "I'd say that describes it. It's the Other Side. Things are still there, but changed. Different. And it's filled with shadows. So it is something of a reflection..." John stands up, her eyes following him. Once she realizes what he's doing, she pushes her seat out and stands up. Her bag is shouldered, her phone tucked away. Harrison mentions that he's been aware of the shenanigans in the Reversal, though, which stops her from following her friends, throwing a quizzical look at the arcade owner. When he shows his phone, her eyes widen in surprise. So he really did know and see them that day she met Stanley face to face. Her eyes lift to his face, "So you and your Shadow are linked?" It almost feels like a Persona, but she can tell it's different on a fundamental level. It might be closer to the idea of a Tyrant. But if he hasn't been corrupting the Reversal around him, is it really the same? "...There's a lot more to you than I thought, mister Speck."
Kukuru	Kukuru is rather slow to get up and into the Reversal, caught off guard by John's unexpected calling of the entrance. She doesn't head in right away, either, as she stays on the regular side of the Happycade to look over at Harrison. "Do you wanna come in with us? We can make sure you're safe in there." She reassures him with a gentle smile. "If you're worried about what's in there... Well, you don't have to be. You'll live, even if you die~" Ominous words aside, she loiters a little longer to see if Harrison needs a little extra push to get in. She won't stay out there forever, though, and she'll eventually join her companions inside to check out the Reversal HAPPYCADE and Reversal!Harrison. Immediately, she brings her hand up in a friendly wave to the armored giant. "He-llo there~ You don't get guests here often, do you? It's nice and quiet here, though... Good place for a nap." She nods slowly before starting to take a look around, taking particular note of spots that might look like a nice, high place to nap. "So... What do you do here, anyway? Do you keep things safe here, too?"
Stanley Padgett	The helmet of the WARLORD is impassive and intricate and confounding. Until a cheery smiley face projects over the top of it in simple emotions. It turns specifically to look at Stanley and Joh- uh, Msytique. "Brave Fencer Padgett RETURNS with MORE FRIENDS. JOLLY GOOD. BANZAI even! Harrison, you should have SAID there were people coming!" The voice, even digitally masked through the haze of the Reversal, is clearly 'what if Harrison Speck took Theatre and was projecting his voice too much'. The Samurai looks down to John, and then the :) returns. "Tyrant? My dear BOY I am no TYRANT. I am a GUARDIAN. Of FUN. And Enjoyment!" Stanley vaguely waves at everyone through the screen. "Yeah, uh, he's a good Shadow?" Harrison sighs, and looks to Charlotte. "This is what I'm working with. Not a Tyrant. A Guardian, I guess. That's what he likes to call himself. Also the Green Knight, even though you CLEARLY AREN'T A KNIGHT." The Guardian shakes a fist at the screen. "I am your better, Speck, and you know it! A personification of what you COULD have been, had you simply put in the work!" Though Kukuru gets a <3_<3 smile and a chuff. "For you, dear maid, I am sorry, but no. I work with the spirits of this plane to improve them, better them. Make them more than simple wisps of aether! And those on the other side will feel the difference, one day!"
John Doe	John considers the WARLORD, as well as the conversation between the two, trying to make sense of what he's seeing. Thinking on this for a while he pauses, and then takes a breath. "So you are a GUARDIAN and not a Tyrant. It makes some sense...you don't have the aura of one of those..." a pause, "Maybe it's something to do with the nature of the wish..?" he considers. He summons the Man in the Iron Mask, but not to attack anything, but to just float behind him. "So you knew the word Persona..." He tries to think about how to phrase the question. "Stanley, Charlotte...can you remember what caused your personas to awaken? What you were feeling when it happened?"
Charlotte Newman	What caused your Persona to awaken? Charlotte, having dipped her head respectfully to Mr. Speck before joining the rest of the party in the Reversal, pauses when John asks that question. She glances down, her brow furrowing in thought, "I agreed to the EULA for the game and got pulled in. An enormous shadow told me to embrace the self that I already had...and Galatea formed." She shakes her head, "It wasn't... It wasn't as dramatic as when Mister Stuart called out his." She glances aside. At the same moment, her silhouette separates from herself, twisting into the floating Living Statue, Galatea, who hovers beside her, "...She just appeared, just like that." Her gaze shifts, locking onto John, "Like I'd always had her." She pauses, before volunteering, "Like I just... forgot about her."
Kukuru	The WARLORD proves to be far friendlier than the Tyrants the group has faced before, and Kukuru's all too eager to greet her new armored friend. She circles around him a few times, then pats his giant armored arm (since she can't come anywhere close to his head). His disagreements with Speck aside, she giggles softly before finally settling on just squatting beside the Guardian to see what he looks like from that close to the ground. It's not for any research reasons. She's just naturally curious. "Aw, that's lovely~ Helping other people to improve is great. Humans, spirits, whatever... It's not something everyone can do, so it's nice to see someone that can and does." She pauses to yawn into her hand, then stands back up. "I gotta wonder, though... Have you ever seen anyone cause trouble in other places? There's..." She pauses again, clearly trying to figure out how to word the half-formed question in her own head. "... Well, the Tyrants, you know? They hurt a lot of people, and we want to keep them from doing all of that to more people that don't deserve it."
Timespace Riders	Crossing into the Reversal is something both the king and the retainer have done before. Speck being able to see them--anyone at all being able to stand on the other side looking in, really--is a new facet of the experience. "Hi again, Sengoku Speck! Try not to be so hard on the other you," he says, patting the immense samurai. Given the guardian's immense height, all he can manage is the upper arm, rather than the shoulder. "The world out there is shaped in a way that makes it hard for people to put in all the work they'd need for their dreams. I think he's done a really good job with the arcade!" Sougo beams brightly at the guardian. "But, I do want to ask..." He frowns thoughtfully. "You mentioned helping spirits be the best them they can be. And that people on the other side will feel that, one day..." Sougo procures one of his futuristic pocketwatches, but this one is different. Two halves--one silver and pink, the other black and gold. Staring down at it briefly, he looks back up at the emoticon-faced guardian to pose a question. "Do you think, if you're not to busy... you could help me with that, too?"
Stanley Padgett	>What you were feeling when it happened? Attilla the Hun, astride a skeletal rotting horse made of scrap metal, dot matrix text sheets, and exposed cables, leans down to sneer at Stanley Padgett, lying in a pile against a wall of the 'Principal's office', his school uniform tattered and torn in places. "Just give up, Mr. Padgett. That will make it easier for both of us." A firing squad of robotic archers all raise their bows at the same time, aiming for Stanley.... "Fear. Fear and hopelessness, and the certainty that my fate was sealed. And then Mercutio came to me..."
John Doe	John sighs, relating more to Stanley's story than Charlotte's. In fact, thinking about it...Charlotte's was the outlier. "It was similar to me, and I think the cop would also say the same thing," he comments. John faces down faceless men, trapped in an ally way. He's wearing tattered clothing that is closer to bedtime gear than a normal outfit. He's scared, alone, and hungry...and now bad men are trying to hurt him. He was trapped in a weird place, where the buildings were scary... He wanted safety...freedom...he had the wish to try and change what had happened to him, even though at the time he barely understood what was going on. One of them grabbed him by the shirt. Trench coat and hat, face completely gone...a pencil and a notepad in a pocket. There was...a spark, some transfer... "And you..?" he asks the Happycade owner. "What did you feel when all of this happened?" Though he also gives Charlotte a look...why was hers different? There is something of a puzzle missing a critical piece he feels.
Stanley Padgett	The GREEN SAMURAI chuffs at the attention, and then sighs. "I am aware, I am, of the fight outside the walls of demesnes. Of the battle for the soul of Steelport. I shall NAY use that other CURSED name." He stamps the end of his naginata into the obsidian floor, which rattles the whole place like a shrine's bell. "So I again apologize, Madame Kukuru, that I cannot assist directly out in the fight against the Tyrants. I am tied to this place by GEAS, and must needs PROTECT THIS PLACE." He does, however, CLASP HANDS WITH SOUGO (and Woz). "MY BOY I WOULD BE GLAD TO." Harrison looks at John through the screen. "I've never... what? He's just been there, since I made that Wish."
Timespace Riders	"Really?!" Sougo asks elatedly, eyes aglow. "That's great! You won't even have to leave here to do it, I promise. I just need help unlocking this," he says, holding up the pocket watch with his free hand, before putting it back into his pocket. "Rather," explains Woz, gently withdrawing his hand, "There is something within my Demon King which he has yet to come to terms with, which prevents him from taking the next step of his coronation." Offering a bow at the waist, one hand over his heart, "Your assistance is greatly appreciated." Sougo nods brightly. "It really is! For now... if you can't help directly against the Tyrants... well, I'm sure you see a lot of spirits besides just Delilah. Do you know any who aren't bound by that same 'geas?'"
John Doe	Hm. So he didn't have an awakening...this feels closer to Charlotte than himself or Stanley. He looks towards Charlotte thinking about it. No, it couldn't be...she doesn't have a tyrant, right? It might be related in a different way... Iron Mask disappears after a moment, as John seems to be thinking about what they've learned. "So, you worked for Nova, found how to make a wish...could not replicate it, and was fired..." "So how did you make the wish? Just thought about it very hard, or was there a ritual or something..?" he asks. Thinking about it, it not working for him a second time makes sense...you likely only ever get one wish, right? That seemed to be how that works. "I ask because Nova is making wishes happen, and the last one nearly killed the one who made it by rotting his brain out. It did brain damage to him already, to the point that the memory of the process of how he did it, besides scanning a QR code..." "Also, it makes me wonder what their endgame is.."
Stanley Padgett	"So I say to you, young Demon King, that what holds you back is.... well." The Green Knight clamps a hand on the young man's shoulder, and then the face goes all -_- in concentration. "There are steps you are unwilling to take, that seem outside of your path. Many paths lie to the top of the mountain, boy, and you need to know what lies on all of those paths..." It leans down. "You must needs be able to show others which paths are safe and which lead to ruin..." And then the Knight stands up again, and sighs. "I know the hour draws near, and I know SEVERAL people here have TESTS in the morning, thus I must entreat all of you back to Reality and make sure that Certain People are ready to further their educations." Stanley blinks. "...fuck, stats final." And then he's immediately opening a portal back. "Fuck fuck fuck fuck."
Charlotte Newman	When John looks at Charlotte, she blinks. She glances towards Stanley, then back to him, "W-well I was scared and confused..!" Her voice lowers when her gaze drops, "Though I don't think it really compares to what you two shared. I didn't...really feel like I was in terrible danger. That shadow felt... familiar. Comforting. Somehow." She shakes her head, "I don't really get it." The Guardian Samurai brings up tests though. Stanley panics. Charlotte sighs with her eyes closed. The subject that was upsetting her is dropped and she follows him, "Here, I can help you cram for it, I still have all my notes."
Kukuru	Sougo asks the Guardian for assistance in improving himself, and the Guardian obliges. That's enough to keep Kukuru smiling pleasantly even though he reveals the limitations of what he can do in the fight against the Tyrants, and she simply waves a hand dismissively in response. "Ah, that's okay. Just knowing you're willing to keep things safe here makes things a lot easier for us. We can't be here to make sure Harry and everyone else here's safe all the time, you know?" There's a small pause, and then she turns to Stanley with a curious look in her eyes. "Say... Stan-ley. What if you...?" She gets right up in his face, then whispers from way too close. "What if you stayed in the Happycade with Harry? You could do... Um. Maybe you could work there in exchange for a place to put your stuff and stay thenight. If it's safe from violent stuff, you wouldn't have to worry about those investigatory people doing... Stuff to you?"