Ask to Join [WHISPERS OF THE NIGHT : MAIN THREAD]

[Banan-chan]

Kotori turned sharply at the booming voice that had very suddenly began to project through the street. Though she knew that what she was seeing and hearing wasn’t “real”, by instinct she crouched and partially hid herself. All of this, after all, was rather unnerving—Kotori was never the type to lucid dream—and she wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. She decided to just stay put and listen.

“…into a labyrinth of sounds and smells, misdirection and misfortune. A labyrinth with no exit, a maze with no prize. You have been called to the Hollow Night.”

Kotori could swear she’d heard those words before somewhere. In any case, these statements seemed rather flamboyant to her, and they begged more questions than they answered.

“…their objective is simple; to feed on your essence, the essence that makes up all living things, known as EXS.”

At this point, Kotori was beginning to feel that this whole thing was some sort of sadistic game. She wasn’t entirely opposed to it—games, after all, could be beaten.

“…Each of you has a unique ability, a gift, through which you can channel your EXS to defend yourselves—and others, should you wish to do so.”

The wording seemed intentional—implying, perhaps, that there was some benefit to not defending others. Kotori took note to keep her guard up.

“…In fact, I have a feeling you already know what each of your abilities are, don't you?”

Kotori took a moment to ponder this. Search as she could, she couldn’t feel any sort of power within herself.

But what was this…?

The scythe…she could feel it pulling, ever so slightly, so imperceptible she wasn’t quite sure if she was imagining it. Pulling, almost magnetically, towards those warm bodies out on the street.

“...profound haste.”

It was at that moment that Kotori realized, as she attempted to stand, how incredibly stiff her body had become. She felt as if her limbs had been wrapped in layers of duct tape. Her skin, she realized, was numb and cold as stone. It was as if she’d become a corpse.

Her expression barely changed—it couldn’t—but inside Kotori was panicking. She could barely move, and she needed to make a Pact with one of these other players fast. Her mouth opened in an attempt to speak, but not even a whisper escaped her lips.

A moment later, Kotori collapsed. The scythe clattered to the ground beside her.

 

[| Korutesu |]

Kinoko watched as the many billboards near the AMX flashed up, and a mysterious figure would appear front and center on them. He listened contentedly to its words, as many of the other "players" as he called them, either looked panicked, or even confused.

"You have all been called here, into a labyrinth of sounds and smells, misdirection and misfortune. A labyrinth with no exit, a maze with no prize. You have been called to the Hollow Night."

The mysterious figure spoke again,

"There are creatures named Noise that come in a plethora of different shapes and sizes, and their objective is simple; to feed on your essence, the essence that makes up all living things, known as EXS. But fear not, my young warriors. Each of you has a unique ability, a gift, through which you can channel your EXS to defend yourselves- and others, should you wish to do so."

Kinoko was confused. EXS? Channeling EXS and protecting others? Yeah, right. Like Kinoko was going to focus on helping others. Seeing as this place was some kind of distorted reality, there was too many variables for him to think about if he was even going to try and help others. Soon, the figure spoke again.

"Around you currently are your peers, other dreamers who find themselves beckoned to this realm. You may or may not recognize some of them as your contemporaries from your daily lives; I leave that to your discretion. You shall be collectively referred to as 'Players'. My first order is simple; each of you is to form a partnership with another player, known in this space as a 'Pact. You form Pacts simply by making physical contact with the target of choice; typically, a handshake or some other display of partnership; with both players thinking 'I'd like to form a Pact with this person'. Once that's done, you'll be bathed in a swathe of light, and you shall become partners henceforth."

A pact with someone else here? His mind raced with questions, although... problems would soon arise. His head started aching. It wasn't a natural headache, no. It felt like something here was doing this. There was no time to think. The man spoke once more, for the last time.

"Oh my, it seems I spent too long rambling. You see, Players cannot survive here for long without a Pact. Make haste, young warriors."

Once Kinoko heard these words, he tried to at least look for someone who looked normal, his head still aching, as he made his way to a female with red hair. He wasn't sure who she was, or if she was a dangerous individual, but the only thing that mattered was that he was safe and can at least make it through whatever this place was.

"Hey, do you mind making a pact with me? Looks like we might need it."

 

[=Nightshade=]

Miharu listened to the strange masked man on the billboards with slow, musing nods. She glanced around, wondering why some of the others seemed to be panicking so, then supposed it was her mind trying to make this dream as immersive as possible. This plot kept growing stranger by the minute!

However, at the mention of EXS — whatever that was — Miharu’s eyes unfocused for half a second. She knew what was coming. She didn’t know how she knew, but it was as certain as though it had been scripted. She knew— and then it was upon her.

Miharu gasped and clutched her chest, feeling as though her heart had suddenly transformed into the head of a mace, pulsing, contracting, tearing out of its cage of muscle and bone. She had known the pain was coming, but not that it would be like this. It was as if her skin was cracking apart along the thin red lines that were tracing themselves across it. She felt cold — so cold.

Something probably fell, Miharu reasoned through the pain. Or I rolled off the bed, and my body’s trying to wake me up. And Dad probably forgot to turn off the air conditioning— but then, why am I not awake? Come on, wake up, wake—

A voice cut through the pounding in her ears. Dimly, Miharu realized she’d expected it. “Who are—” she began, then shook her head, the words dying in her throat. “Doesn’t matter. Let’s just do it.” Make it stop. She stuck out a shaking hand, the other still in a tight fist over her traitorous heart.

 

[Gold The Dragonite]

Billboards Eiji would recognize for showing the same old advertisements near AMX had all been filled with the same image of a mysterious hooded figure. Silence fell on the nearby 'players', as they would be called, as they began to speak in an apathetic manner.

"You have all been called into a labyrinth of sounds and smells, misdirection and misfortune. A labyrinth with no exit, a maze with no prize. You have been called to the Hollow Night."

"Well this 'Hollow Night' sounds like a massive waste of time," What began as concern, confusion and partial intrigue turned into disappointment quickly for her. How- no, why bring them here for such a meaningless endeavor? It seemed pointless. What a lame dream, despite how lucid it was.

"You may wonder whether this is a dream or reality, and I assure you, what you experience here is no fantasy. While your physical bodies slumber peacefully under the covers of your beds, your spirits, if you will, are whisked away to this mirrored, distorted version of your home."

So they somehow took their spirits from their bodies - no point trying to make sense of that - and making them all play dress-up for... what? Entertainment? Survival? It hadn't even sounded like this was the first time this was explained, by the figure's spiritless tone. She looked towards the others for their reactions to all of this. Most were confused, some had stone faces, and few seemed almost amused.

"You will encounter many hardships, for you see, you are not alone during these nights. There are creatures named Noise that come in a plethora of different shapes and sizes, and their objective is simple; to feed on your essence, the essence that makes up all living things, known as EXS."

The fundamentals they had explained all lead to Eiji further believing this was some sort of game. It sounded like fiction, having a group of teenagers having to fight off monsters with supernatural powers. Even the name of this 'realm' sounded like a title of a game. Well, it at least explained what the hammer was for. She picked it off of the floor with a sense of retrospect.

"I have a feeling you already know what each of your abilities are, don't you?"

For once, something made sense. Better yet, it felt familiar, similar to the hammer. A strong remembrance washed over Eiji, as she felt her body become weightless, with a warmth in contrast to the cold of the Hollow Night, but only for a moment.

"For now, I simply ask you to trust me. A preposterous request given the circumstances, I know, though you'll soon find my only purpose here is to guide you through the trials of this place, so that you may survive what it has in store for you. My first order is simple; each of you is to form a partnership with another player, known in this space as a 'Pact."

The request for trust was laughable, as was this whole situation. But whatever train of thought Eiji had was interrupted- broken, more like, by a hideous shriek that could be heard from what should be Scramble Crossing, waking her up from the dull lullaby from their 'guide'. She turned her head towards the source of the cry, only to find her vision blackening, and struggling to breathe.

"Oh my, it seems I spent too long rambling. You see, Players cannot survive here for long without a Pact."

As if on cue, Eiji's vision began to get blurry for only a moment, stumbling as she tried to regain her balance. The desolate world of a mirrored Shibuya began to get darker and darker, as she collapsed, gasping for air. Failing to get up again and again, Eiji began to crawl towards one of the few silhouettes she could make out in the darkness, knelt over and suffering akin to herself and everyone else. She couldn't muster words, let alone thoughts; only being able to stretch her arm towards them in a plea of aid.

 

[D34N.U5R]

Obviously a little uncomfortable, Daisuke accepted the handshake. That is when he realised what was happening. "So if the pact was formed even the slightest bit too late, both members would die?" Daisuke said quietly, "That's pretty dark, even for me." Daisuke was smiling for once, but the smile was twisted. You could even say it was a little demonic. "And terrifying people is kinda my thing," he said, "So don't be surprised if people piss their pants in my presence, alright?"

Daisuke didn't notice the light enveloping him or the other guy. All he was focused on was thinking about what his power could be. Anything to do with fear? As long as it involved fear, Daisuke was OK with it.

 

[Void_Nugget]

Arthur listened to the person with intrigue, "I guess that explains some things" he muttered with a little shrug. At the mention of abilities he cooked his head slightly before he felt a knowing feeling within him and what felt like a growl forming in his chest. When pacts were brought up he glanced around, nobody seemed to be his age so he figured he'd just have to ask someone, as his thoughts raced through his head his body suddenly felt like it was on fire and he couldn't seem to form any words properly, he doubled over looking to the nearest person hoping they hadn't formed a pact yet, it was a girl, he vaguely remembered her face, she must go to his school, he held a hand out to her trying to convey his request while unable to verbalise it.
@Cmeriwether

 

[| Korutesu |]

Once Kinoko held her hand, his vision soon became clear. It was a female with hed rair, with long ears, resembling an elf. Other than that, Kinoko felt... weird, somehow. He didn't know how, or what was different, but something was there. He regained his posture soon after, looking just as he was when he entered the world called "Hollow Night".

"What's your name?" Kinoko asked his new companion, his voice almost a complete opposite of his voice during the day, as he spoke in a more annoyed tone.

According to that masked weirdo, they probably already knew each other, or at least have a sense of familiarity, so Kinoko wasn't all up for introducing his name, especially because if people found out what kind of person he really was, he'd lose everything he'd worked for since he first entered the school. He couldn't just lose it in whatever this place is.

Kinoko remembered the questions in his mind during the morning, it was about the Y2K Syndrome. Of course, there wasn't really anything connecting that to whatever is going on here, except for the fact that the Y2K Syndrome seemingly happens at night. There wasn't much to go off of anyway, and there was probably more to come.

 

[=Nightshade=]

Miharu straightened up with a start as the intense pain in her chest fragmented and vanished like a spark sizzling out. She realized she was still holding the guy’s hand and let go quickly, straightening herself out and dusting herself off. “Red,” she replied automatically, using the name of the character she’d contrived. A faint glimmering of the color dissipated just above her eye level, as if there had been something there just a moment before.

The girl cleared her throat and set her shoulders back slightly. That flash of agony had been strange to say the least, but the memory of it was already fading, leaving behind an excitement that she could now explore this dream. Miharu didn’t feel anxious at all; in fact, she felt positively confident talking to an NPC. She flashed a quick smile. “Call me Red. And what should I call you?”

[Partner]: Cordyceps

Miharu’s gaze flicked upward slightly as the letters appeared in glowing red. Parts of the shimmering message were unclear, garbled, as if shifting through a series of possible ways to frame the one word that stayed clear. Miharu struggled mentally with the syllables for a moment, but didn’t say a word. It didn’t seem like the message was visible to anyone else, but the girl had begun to glow a faint crimson.

Weird… could this be the… EXS?

 

[RhythmThief]

The world was still spinning as Akio felt his strength dwindling bit by bit. The masked figure had stopped speaking by now; the low rumble of their voice was completely absent.

His senses were weak, his eyes barely being able to make out the plethora of hurried movements in front of him. The other players- his comrades- were forming partnerships, if the bright pockets of light scattered across his vision were any indication. Pacts, as the enigma had remarked.

Akio wanted to run, walk, crawl, anything to get closer to them and stop this floaty feeling pervading his body. This was no dream- it can't have been. This feeling of being whisked away bit by bit was the realest, most unpleasant sensation the young man had felt in a long, long time, perhaps ever. As his eyes were beginning to droop into darkness now, finally putting an end to his suffering, he saw something.

The hand. which was stretched out toward him in desperation, wasn't what had really shocked him, but rather who it belonged to. The familiar sensation that had washed over him the first time he looked on at the other players made sense now.

He wasn't entirely sure why she, of all people, was called into this sick game, but before he could even speak in surprise or shock, his hand found Eiji's and almost instantly, a bright light engulfed the two of them, so luminous that Akio had to close his eyes.

By the time he had opened them back up, he was in the same position physically, but his breathing had come back- labored, and staggered, but the sensation of the cold night air entering and leaving his lungs drowned his traumatized body with relief.

To say he felt better would be a gross understatement; he felt alive, his muscles feeling freer and senses sharpened much more than usual.

He looked on at Eiji now, his confusion slowly overtaking his wonder, but his hand still gripping hers tightly. Why was she in his dream? And yes, while he had likely established by now that this was no ordinary fabrication of his mind, the question of her presence here remained the same.

He peered just over her shoulder, seeing past her bright blonde locks to a familiar looking figure with green hair and blueish-violet eyes, standing next to another familiar-looking girl that Akio could've swore was glowing crimson.

Akio didn't know what it was- whether it was the guy's authoritative and confident body language, or the way his eyes seemed to hide something intense and unforgiving behind them, but it sort of reminded him of-

At the realization, he gasped audibly, remembering what the masked man had said about other players being "contemporaries". His suspicions were correct. This group wasn't randomly picked, no- these were all his classmates at Tensei. Some faces he knew better than others, but the presence of Eiji and 2nd Year Rep all but confirmed it.

Akio didn't know why they had been called to this nightmarish land, nor did he know what challenges or tribulations lay before them all.

What he did know, however, was that he would give it everything he had, and more, to make it out of this alive, with all of these guys in tow.

These weren't just fantastical constructs, or fictitious amalgamations of people he knew in real life- no, these were those actual people. People with friends, parents, plans for the future. People he went to class with, or joked about on the rooftop with his pals. He couldn't bear the thought of walking by their empty, abandoned lockers or chairs, hearing their names emotionlessly read out on a news report because he didn't look out for them like he should have.

With a new level of resolve in his heart, he rose, helping up his new partner, and looking her tenderly in the eye whilst steadily channeling his EXS, should she require it anywhere.

"Listen, I'm still not 100% sure whether this is a dream or not, or if you're even the real Hoshino," he began softly. "...but if there's even a chance that this is really you I'm talking to, Eiji, know that we're gonna make it out alive. All of us, together."

He smiled at the sincerity (and cheesiness) of the words coming out of his mouth. If Ryota saw the two of them like this, Akio would never hear the end of it.

"I'm not sure what kind of effect yelling each other's names in this place may have, so we'd better just be careful, I think. How about codenames?" He suggested.

"While we're in here, you can call me... Solace."

 

[DevVoid]

As his hand was about to clasp around the stranger's, who had told Liu all but his own name, he couldn't help but internally cringe at the prospect that he was considering making buddies with this guy. Already, he was starting to get on his nerves with all this idle chatter. Honestly, with all that edginess laced into the latter part of this one-sided conversation, Katoru was surprised he didn't end up cutting his hand into pieces on contact, so there's at least one plus so far. What's up with him always getting paired up with the weirdos, anyway?

Once he grabbed this guy's hand and went on to form a pact with this blubbering fool, he could see these strange flames and black, slimy masses falling off of him start to subside and quickly fade away.. though strangely, he could still feel warmth in his hand, as likely did the guy shaking his hand. Liu would just end up quickly letting go, not wanting this gesture to go on longer than it needed to, as something else required his attention. Behind him, with a slight tilt of his head, he could just barely catch the view of something forming up from the discarded darkened ooze.

It was very quickly revealed just what the slime was turning into - a discolored and significantly darker version of himself. Strange. Very strange. So what, did he get a servant look-alike now? Neat. Or.. wait. Was this the voice in his head, possibly? Is that what it meant by 'explaining everything', though it sure had a strange way of explaining anything, given that all it just seemed to do was steal his looks, a sure wonder to him why anyone would even bother with that in the first place.

' I'm you, dumbass. Specifically, I'm that bottled up hatred in you. The more you culminate, the more powerful I become. '

Yep, that sounds just about right. That'd be exactly what he said if he was the embodiment of another guy's spite and general sense of resentment. Because why bother being polite and proper when you are literally made out of hatred? Katoru still found this all so unreal that all he could do was just.. stare at his dark doppelganger. Most would have probably freaked by now, or at least felt strange, but he.. was just perplexed. It felt alien to him, yet, it was so familiar. Probably because it was like staring at his own evil reflection. Well, okay, it was exactly like that now wasn't it?

' Just because I'm made of your own spite doesn't mean I'm evil, you personified appendix. Hey, try focusing some of that hate into your gloves, too. You'll see why. '

You know, even with all that, it was still strange. Here, this dark figure stood, looking exactly like him and creating a reverberating voice in his head despite not physically making any sound or movement with its mouth whatsoever. And now he was told to channel his negativity into his gloves. So what, was he supposed to start dissing these things? Should he just rattle off any insults he can find, or what? Well.. maybe he could first try just focusing on them and hating on something.. hm, what could he hate on.. oh, that's right, THIS DAMN PLACE IN ITS ENTIRETY!

And just as Liu had started mentally listing off all the reasons he very much disliked just being here to begin with, the very same gloves he focused on would tint into a charred black and light ablaze with the same black and purple flames that he was scorched with just moments ago. So, he can now also spontaneously combust his hands into some kind of alien fire. As bizarre and alien as this all truly sounded, felt and especially looked, Katoru was completely fine with this.

More than that, he noticed that this fire could not burn him, making him wonder if it gave him an immunity to flames in general, or just this variant. Either way, it was nice to finally be the one wielding the heat in the first place, as opposed to being the target being struck with them. Maybe he would finally use this moment as an opportunity to finally let out some of that pent up stress on some poor, unsuspecting noise. Or some of these other guys, if they ended up being too annoying for their own good.

 

[Cmeriwether]

Yuki no Yurei

Mizuko started stumbling over towards the sound of a Scythe falling. She saw a Collapsed Person next to the scythe. As she stumbled over, she tried to speak.

"A-are y-y-you o-okay?" Mizuko tried to get out, but between her shyness and the ever increasingly worse condition she was getting, "A-apparently, w-we need t-to form a p-pact w-with s-someone, q-quickly."

Mizuko was running out of options, and time. She hoped that this person would hear her plea.

@Banan-chan

Kumo

Junko had been trying to figure out what was going arm when she Saw an arm stick out. She recognized the person vaguely, mainly from having heard of the person from Mizuko. She was remembering what was said earlier, and why a hand was out. She knew she needed to make a pact, and hopefully he did too.

"Do you need a Pact," Junko asked, but weakly, "I'm in need of one myself."

Junko looked around to see others doing things. Just then, she suddenly started having pains across her body.

"Now i know what Mizuko feels when she does too much activity." Junko whispered under her breath.

If The boy caught on to what she said, it would be almost impossible to fully discern what she said.

@Void_Nugget

 

[Gold The Dragonite]

(OOC: Don't mind me just switchin' codenames)

Was this how they would die?

The moment she stretched out her arm, if felt as if time froze. The figure disappeared from her sight at this point, leaving Eiji unsure whether she hallucinated or not, as her body grew more and more stiff. Light had occasionally emerged from afar, signs of others successfully forming a Pact, yet here she was, powerless on the ground. It must've been such a pathetic sight...

Salvation came in the form of a bright light and as her vision was restored, deep, distressed, yet grateful breaths ensued. She hadn't even registered her liberator, as there was only one thing stirring in her mind.

Fear, of how fragile their lives were within this plight.

To think their lives could end so easily in this nightmarish reality... If there was any doubt lingering in her mind, Eiji was now convinced this was real. Her breathing still remained heavy, despite the weight of not being in a partnership, whatever that mastermind called it, being lifted. Was... was it always this cold, or was it just her? Did it not work properly?

Her breathing and heart rate finally started to slowly calm down, the hand that received hers helping her up. She still found herself staggering to get back up to her feet, but was able to successfully stand up. Finally, she noticed who had answered her prayers.

...

Akio Furusawa?

Why was he here? The host mentioned that others would be recognizable from their daily lives, but why? Were the other players people she would know as well? But, before those thoughts could even manifest, he began to speak in a soft tone that began to calm her down.

"Listen, I'm still not 100% sure whether this is a dream or not, or if you're even the real Hoshino,"

He was questioning if she was real? It sounded like they were in the same boat, and if that's so, then it should be the same with everyone else. Kidnapped in their dreams... Although she hadn't realised it, her breathing became natural once more as he continued.

"...but if there's even a chance that this is really you I'm talking to, Eiji, know that we're gonna make it out alive. All of us, together."

He was right. Whether this was the most bizarre dream she's experienced or it was truly reality, it didn't matter. They were called for a game, and games could be beaten. Eiji would do everything in her power to ensure the two's safety.

But everyone? Was it even possible? What if they hadn't shared the same perspective and didn't understand what was at risk? If they weren't to give it their all, they would be a liability - not only to themselves, but their partner, and everybody else. A person's behavior and their true intentions were two very different things - so what were to happen if they were whisked away to another... world, with no clear consequences to their regular lives? Eiji hoped for the best, of course - but chances are, she would only be able to rely on Akio here.

"I'm not sure what kind of effect yelling each other's names in this place may have, so we'd better just be careful, how about codenames? While we're in here, you can call me... Solace."

Quick thinking. Any sign of fear or doubt clouding her mind had faded away as she reciprocated her new partner's smile, his alacrity infectious. She prepared to speak the first words she would say aloud in this dark reality.

"Then you'll refer to me as Resolution." She said it confidently, her eyes locking onto his with unwavering tenacity. "Furusawa - no, Solace. I promise that whatever they throw at us, we'll get past it. I'll make sure of it."

Wait, were they holding hands the whole time!? She released her grip from their handshake, eye contact broken alongside a clearing of the throat. She turned away, taking another look towards Scramble Crossing. "So, any idea what made that ghastly scream, then?" It was still on her mind, and that hooded figure seemed to turn awfully quiet ever since everyone was met with such sudden torment...

 

[Void_Nugget]

Reaching out Arthur took the girls hand, upon making contact with her he found his condition improving, though he still felt hot and strange inside, "thanks, I was worried for a moment there, I'm..." as he went to introduce himself he paused hearing others opt for codenames he figured he wouldn't confirm his actual name just yet "Call me Butler" he stated as he let go of her hand and did a little mock bow, "at your service, and what should I call you" he asked feeling the sensation in his chest getting fiercer "damn I thought I was supposed to get better after making a pact" he muttered to himself, his heart was beating fast and something in his soul felt like it wanted to tear free, he ignored it the best he could to focus on talking to his new ally.
@Cmeriwether

 

[Banan-chan]

Kotori continued to lay on the ground in silence--she had no choice, after all. She could scarcely move a single muscle. The masked man had mentioned that players like her would die if they didn’t make a Pact quickly enough, and now, it seemed like there was little chance of that happening. Was this how she was going to meet her untimely end? Laying there pathetically, her mind and soul trapped within a husk of a body? All that could be done now was wait for it to be over.

“Maybe… maybe it won’t be so bad.”

“Maybe it’s nicer on the other side.”

Suddenly, a voice cut through the silence. It was right in front of her--a player! What had the masked man said before? Ah, yes. Physical contact. All Kotori had to do was make physical contact, and she would live. With every ounce of will that she could muster, Kotori focused on raising a single arm towards the other player. It felt like she was grasping through a sea of hardening concrete, but salvation was so near that she found the strength to push through. Several agonizing seconds passed, until finally, Kotori’s cold, numb fingertips met warmth. The mysterious pressure lifted in an instant, and Kotori stumbled to her feet, back turned to player now bound to her by Pact.

 

[RhythmThief]

Eiji had reacted just as he expected - cool, calm, as resolute as her intimidating codename suggested. If she was worried, she was hiding it very well.

He looked around to his peers. It seemed everyone had followed the announcer's instructions to form a Pact, and were wondering what their next move would be.

Akio took them all in- despite some familiar faces here and there, they all looked like fantasy characters out of a novel! A tall, broad young man dressed in a butler's outfit with no shoes or gloves, a striking red-haired girl with a claymore in tow, among others brandishing different kinds of styles and weaponry.

He didn't know exactly what it was that drew him to this person in particular, but his eyes drifted nevertheless to a menacing cloaked figure brandishing a huge, probably heavy scythe, which presented an edge so sharp the young man felt he'd been cut just by looking at it.

Of all the players, they easily looked the most terrifying.

Thankfully, his new partner snapped him out of thoughts with a question, about the bone-chilling scream they had heard earlier. He paused before answering.

"If I had to guess..." he began in a grave tone. "I think it may be those monsters that guy mentioned earlier- noise, I think."

As if on cue, the screens all across Center Street began sputtering and spurting back to life, before settling on the familiar image of the masked figure from earlier. It was about time.

"Well done, young ones." they congratulated. "Your pacts will be instrumental in your survival of the Hollow Night. Should you ever find yourself alone in this game again due to, well, unforeseen circumstances, or disagreements, you will have a very short time to find another partner before...."

The figure trailed off, allowing the player's recent trauma to fill in the gaps.

"As you progress through this maze of misdirection, you may or may not find that your partner is the only person you can truly rely on."

A pause.

"Cherish that bond, that trust, my warriors. It may be all you have left..."

Akio felt as though a lot of words were being left unsaid, hanging heavy in the night breeze, choking the atmosphere into a deafening silence. Suddenly, another scream just like the one earlier rang out across the air. It was louder than before, which meant that whoever, or whatever had made it, was inching nearer.

"...I suppose that's my cue to get you started, then." the figure began. "Each night, I shall give the lot of you, as a collective, a mission. These are particular tasks or objectives that I wish for you to fulfill. All the tools you require for such tasks, you shall surely find within this realm. The night will end, and you will be thus returned back to the waking world, once the mission has been completed."

"Missions...?" Akio whispered to nobody in particular. "He's making us do his dirty work? Is there something he's after?"

The enigma continued.

"That said, all players do not necessarily have to participate in the mission's completion. So long as somebody completes it, the night will end, and not a moment sooner. Missions can and will require you to visit different areas of this place, some more... arduous than others." they explained.

"Previously, I ofte- ahem. I was contemplating unlocking the areas of this place as you progressed through your tasks, but in truth, I've opted to leave the entire Hollow Night open for you to explore at your leisure," they spoke, a hint of worry now infiltrating their usually monotone expression.

"Previously...?!" the young man exclaimed. They had let something slip. This was getting worse and worse. He wished dearly to be back in reality where his greatest crisis were midterm examinations. Ignorant to the boy's plight, the man continued.

"Even so, proceed with caution. Just because you can explore every inch of this plane does not mean you necessarily should. After all, you may...encounter, so to speak, something you may wish you hadn't. Something you may not be able to escape from."

Another ominous pause.

"Well, there's plenty more to discuss, but I'm wary of keeping you in one place too long. The Night, as I'm sure you'll come to find, is home to much, much more than just yourselves. With that, I, Juno, bestow upon you, my young warriors, your first quest."

MISSION 1: Light The Way

Juno, the adolescent thought to himself. Was that their name? Juno.

"Your first mission will be to light the 3 golden lamp posts in the neighboring areas."

As if in response to Juno's declaration, a golden lamppost that stood in front of Hong Kong Star flared to life, the bright blue flame within providing a splash of colour against the otherwise dilapidated backdrop.

"These are special flames that ward off Noise, " Juno explained. "And by lighting these torches, you effectively create 'safe zones' where you can congregate, rest, plan, and what have you. You're free to expand your domain as you see fit, but I will have you create at least 3 this night."

Akio had so many questions, and imagined the faces of others were equally puzzled, which he would confirm if he could pry his eyes from the billboard screen.

"You may come across some of those very same Noise on your way to those locations, in which case, you are to make quick work of them."

Shit. Akio knew all these weapons being thrown around weren't just for show, but the prospect of being in an actual, real fight, something he had never done, terrified him.

As if reading his mind, Juno made an addendum.

"...do not hesitate when fighting these monsters, young ones. To them, you are not people, you are just their next meal. Show them no mercy, for they certainly won't return the favor."

This was getting too much now. Akio's breath began getting more and more labored and heavy.

"Now, in order to complete this mission, I shall provide you with two vital pieces of equipment," Juno explained. "First, a special lighter, called an EXS Burner. This lighter will produce the special flame you need to ward off Noise. I've also been told it has another purpose, though I'm yet to discover that myself."

Juno paused as if contemplating something, before continuing.

"By flicking the Burner's flame, and exposing it in the open air, the flame will lean toward the nearest unlit lamp, guiding you to the next destination. The Burner's flame alone will not be sufficient to light the lamppost, thus, you shall also receive a special torch to help kindle and strengthen the Burner's flame before finally lighting the lamppost."

Juno then made a slight sound of exertion, as if performing an action.

"Finally, while there is no strict time limit, I would not dilly-dally here, my young ones. Endeavor to light all the lamps in good time, before the Noise realize what you're trying to do." Juno warned.

"I've selected two among you to receive each item, though it is ultimately up to you who is in possession of what. The two I've selected should find the objects within their possession now."

Akio looked down at his hands and patted himself down. Nothing. Looks like someone else has it.

"For now, I bid you farewell. In case you are not familiar with your home's layout, there will be a map and mission summary displayed on all screens you pass by. I will be watching over you, my children, and will communicate with you from time to time to ensure you're on the right track. Until then, best of luck."

And with that, the Juno's image blinked, and was replaced with a map of Shibuya and a summary of the mission as promised. Akio noticed that the routes between areas were colored strangely- green, yellow, and red individually, but he didn't know what it meant.

He was worried. Very worried. It was easy to talk a big game in front of Hoshino, but he found his legs shaking and breathing growing increasingly erratic by the second. He took a deep breath, trying his best to suck in the panic before addressing his peers.

"H-Hey guys! Pretty freaky stuff, huh?" he began awkwardly. "Well, we'd best just do what he says, right? Who's got what?"

 

[Void_Nugget]

Arthur watched the billboard with great intrigue the pain in his chest refusing to subside, he took some deep breaths and tried to clear his mind a bit while still focusing on what this Juno person said, as he calmed himself he felt the pain in his chest begin to subside, what he didn't process was that his body was slowly shifting into that of a large wolf man, luckily his attire seemed to shift in size to accommodate the shift in form. Arthur continued to listen oblivious to the changes that had occurred but relieved the pain had now stopped, he turned when one of the others spoke and shrugged, "things just keep getting stranger and stranger he stated before patting his pockets, I don't have anything, guess I wasn't picked he stated as he stood waiting to see what would happen next.

 

[=Nightshade=]

Miharu frowned. This was sounding more and more like a video game rather than a dream. Then did that make her an NPC? Or was she a player? The player? One of many? One of two? There was a nagging feeling at the back of her mind that there was something more to this than a game or a dream, and the uneasiness was like a living being, curling and uncurling in her stomach like a snake. But that was fine, she supposed— it was like how a really good book stirs one’s own emotions, how an expert screenplay paired with an excellent soundtrack moved one’s soul. Miharu still didn’t feel quite like she was in it; rather, she was watching from the sidelines. Or perhaps closer than that, from backstage.

As the strange person on the screens finished his speech, bequeathing some sort of mission upon those gathered — an interesting plot line, thought Miharu, interested — another one of those strange messages appeared just above her line of sight.

[Red] acquires an object
(EXS Burner drops from catwalk)

Before Miharu could finish reading the odd red words, their prediction had come true; from above, where a catwalk might have been had this strange dream been a stage production, a lighter dropped into her hands. Miharu jumped slightly, surprised. “Hey! I’ve… I’ve got something!”