COUNTDOWN: THE SMALL VOICE THAT RINGS OUT

[cordibus]

Seven days remain. Or so it would seem. Somehow you might not still be convinced. This is all just a strange coincidence, but to go as far as to claim that you have other memories... can it?

But things have already been set alight inside the hearts of those chosen few who have received the app on their phones. For some, it's just the first bite of the apple. For others, it's been like shaking down an entire tree. Things are beginning to look... strange. Surely there are more burning questions on their minds by now.

The warning bells of the Nightly Curfew ring across the city. There's a faint hum from the phone this time before the icon appears. This time it displays a time: 1:00AM

The rest of the night is normal. Perhaps you've cuddled up with family, or you've gone to bed early to wait, but sure enough, time tick by right until 1 in the morning when...

You're back into that application again. A single question before you're even permitted to type anything else. And while it seems to be overwritten by something inside of you, it feels a lot more natural than before. Which is, truthfully... troubling.

WELCOME TO THE FINAL QUIZ!
Answer from the heart, the part of you that has been denied for far too long.

Do you want to remember?
Yes | Hell Yes| Definitely | Of course I do!

And yet, a tiny little font at the bottom. A bit hard to miss but if you hover your finger over it will answer for you...

No. Not yet...
Once you are done, you are tossed once more into the main chatroom. Now your user names are the names that you wrote down in the last survey, but with all those questions it's... hard not to think of them as your own. Maybe you'll be cursing at this device, but it looks like you're already deep down the rabbit hole by now.

[OOC: This is the final network post before Awakening. Users will now be able to speak of who they are in their AU life without the information being blocked by the application.

As a note! Characters who select "no" will not need to Awaken next week and will be able to delay to later. Instead, the character will be able to proceed with logs as a Pre-Awakened, be aware of certain issues happening in the city, however their memories will not be complete and they will be unable to fight back (apart from their own weapons). Note that they will be unable to use a Persona until they fully Awaken. There will be more details to follow, if you pick this option.

As always, while they will not get any new on their own, speaking with Luci might grant the Awakened more memories... be careful that they don't get more than they bargained for.]

Comments

Hiei ⚔ Andras

[blacktemper]

[there's one benefit to having taken up residence in Kit's dorm - when the app decides to trouble its users once more, he has someone he can immediately start bitching to. instead of turning in to sleep he remains up, fiddling idly with his guitar on the couch until the appointed hour; there's no way his companion won't want to discuss this, so he may as well remain within easy access away from his bedroom.

when Vincent's phone buzzes, it's with the most put-upon look that he sets aside his instrument to pick it up. although he's still resisting with all his might, there's something that's become routine about these check-ins. it's irritating.

he knows exactly what he wants to answer. but the force guiding his hand isn't Vincent Kurobuchi, it's Hiei. and there's nothing in any world, not even himself, that could contain that demon for long.]

Hell Yes

[...ugh. he allows a brief spurt of obscenities under his breath before typing his own reply.]

yes or no
its not rocket science
whats the gimmick supposed to be this time
or have they just stopped trying

Shirou Fubuki ⚔ Marchosias

[touketsu]

I don't know how it happened the first time, but I don't think they got the chance to say no. And last time there was a breach on the app itself...so my group didn't get any choice at all in what answer was given.

You don't think it would be nicer not to Awaken...?

Hiei ⚔ Andras

[blacktemper]

sounds like too much effort to just add three words to the damn thing

i dont have any interest in anything thats happening here
awakening included
but thats not my answer

Shirou Fubuki ⚔ Marchosias

[touketsu]

What would your answer be, then?

Hiei ⚔ Andras

[blacktemper]

not now
not ever
not even if the only other option was death
i am me
thats the one thing i wont ever let anyone take away

Shirou Fubuki ⚔ Marchosias

[touketsu]

[...as much as Fubuki can't stand this person, he really relates to that sentiment. He'd been the same way at this stage, forcefully declaring that he was 'Kouyuki' and that all the memories and feelings that came from 'Shirou' were false. Back then, if he'd been given the same choice as this group, he knows what he would have answered.

Or what Kouyuki would have answered, anyway.

Himself...

He stares at the minuscule button again, that option to say 'no' to all of this, and he wonders...would he? If he'd never Awakened, he wouldn't have really lost Kidou. They'd be brothers now, as if nothing had ever happened, happy and living normal lives.]

I hope you can stay sleeping.

Hiei ⚔ Andras

[blacktemper]

[Fubuki's trials remain completely hidden to Vincent. he couldn't see into people's minds the way that his other self could, and when it came to this particular boy he didn't much care to.

in the end it's likely fine. that knowledge wouldn't have changed his answer one bit.]

ill crush anyone who gets in my way

Kurama ☸ Eligor

[whitefox]

[The clock counts down, 1:00AM practically sneaking up on those distracted or unsuspecting.

Kit was neither. He was tired but unwilling to sleep, cooped up in his bedroom to avoid disturbing the guest he had staying with him at his dorm, but very aware of what day it was. If the app stuck to the pattern of behavior it had displayed already, becoming active at 21 days and then again at 14, then tonight they were due for another questionnaire or something.

And there it was, right on schedule, but the question asked of them this time was simpler than before. There was little pageantry to its presentation, no squawking from the infamous Luci, and most noteworthy of all, no provoking of horrid memories.

Kit wasn't sure if he liked that or not, but as he read the question over again, he supposed it didn't matter.

It came as no surprise to him that the answer inevitably pulled from his heart was the answer he would have picked on his own...]

Do you want to remember?
Yes

[There was no hesitation in his response. He wanted to remember.

He'd wanted that from the moment that he'd been able to confirm this life of his wasn't real. He just wished he had the option to embrace 'Awakening' now rather than wait. Seven days wasn't so far away, but it was seven days more of being imprisoned in the wrong life, of not having all the answers, and worst of all, having someone else decide for him if he was ready or not.]

I want to speak with Luci.

Hiei ⚔ Andras

[blacktemper]

take a fucking number

[is he still sassing Kit here? more importantly, is he texting him while literally sitting in the other room?

...the answer to both questions seems to be 'yes'. at least some things never change.]

Kurama ☸ Eligor

[whitefox]

I have taken different numbers already. We all have.

21.
14.
7.

I'm tired of waiting. It serves no purpose at this point except to delay the inevitable.

Hiei ⚔ Andras

[blacktemper]

if youre so pissy about waiting youve got enough kitchen knives
i might even clean up when youre done

Kurama ☸ Eligor

[whitefox]

Fool.

Hiei ⚔ Andras

[blacktemper]

says the one yelling at nothing on the internet

Kurama ☸ Eligor

[whitefox]

Your assessment of my 'tone' is incorrect.

More importantly, if you know of a better way to secure an interview with Luci, I am all ears.

Reimi Sugimoto ☸ Orias;; continues replacing the finished threads

[failedhandjob]

[...]

are you alright?

Kurama ☸ Eligor

[whitefox]

Of course. Why wouldn't I be?

Reimi Sugimoto ☸ Orias

[failedhandjob]

you know why.

Kurama ☸ Eligor

[whitefox]

I'm really not sure why you're so worried. I told you before that I would be ready when the time came. Didn't you believe me?

Reimi Sugimoto ☸ Orias

[failedhandjob]

but it's not seven days from now that i'm worried about, it's the present. and you never gave me any promises about the time before awakening.

[lightmischief]

Normally I'd just ignore you until you ask for me again, but I'm feeling generous. What do you want?

[whitefox]

I want to know if there's a way to Awaken now instead of one week from now.

[lightmischief]

Wow! You sound pretty excited!

Well that depends...honestly every time I've tried it earlier, people's brains nearly exploded. I don't know if it would do that now, mind you, everything's kinda changed.

[whitefox]

Forgive me, but you said nearly?

Did they or did they not explode?

[lightmischief]

Well the first one might have. But that was just the first one! The others had other effects, you know?

Like going insane and the like...

I just told everyone their heads would explode cause that shuts them up pretty fast. I've seen it happen! Just not as often!

Vermouth ⚔ Malphas

[secretmakesawoman]

[Christina's finger hovers over the question much longer than the other times the app activated.(Not that she had much time to consider during those instances.) Eventually it drifts down to tap on an answer.]

Yes

[She bites her lip as she stares at the word. This app had seemed unusual but harmless at first. But combined with the disturbing dreams and visions she keeps having this month, Christina has grown slightly unnerved. However, her restless nerves might also have something to do with the increasingly insistent voice telling her to hurry before the damage is too great.]

I'm not sure of this