Round 2 Test Drive Meme

[strangerpeople]

15 STRANGERS ROUND 2 TEST DRIVE There are 15 strangers in this place. Someone knows why. And its clear the odds are stacked against you. 1. ARRIVAL You're here, in the Mall. Wherever the Mall might be, right? And what happened to your powers? Your memories? Who else has been so unlucky as to be brought in with you? Also, why are the rules littered with emojis!? 2. POWER You have been, er, "blessed" with a power. Its not a power you want or care for, but its yours now. You might want to try an control it, lest you hurt someone else. That is...unless you want to. Just don't blow up any public property while you're at it! 3. HOME So now you live in a mall! All right! Modern conveniences galore! And hey, there's a cat cafe and a bar! Maybe living here forever won't be so bad. Unless you're looking for a way out, but surely, you wouldn't do that, right? 4. MINIGAME The Life Coach has decided to do 'games'. Those who win the games will get prizes, the Life Coach has promised. The Test Drive Meme's minigame: a costume contest! The best costume made in five hours wins! Work alone, or in teams - the Life Coach is ok with either~! 5. MOTIVE The Life Coach has announced the motive for the week. Clearly someone really wants to give you a reason to kill someone. How will you react? Will you stand against such an insult and help others to fight the temptation? Or perhaps, you yourself are tempted...? 6. DEATH One of your own has died - no, been killed. The Inquisition has started. The body lies before you, and now you must discern the truth from the clues before you. But can you when you mourn? Or, perhaps you don't mourn the dead. Perhaps you're only playing along because you know more than you let on. 7. TRIAL Well, it looks like the Life Coach wasn't kidding when they said there would be a trial. So now you're here, looking to condemn the responsible killer. If you do, they die. If you don't, you die. Whatever happens, you have to figure out what happened. Can you? 8. WILDCARD Anything not mentioned above. Go wild!

Comments

Goro Akechi | Persona 5 (Spoilers)

[foolishjustice]

[Arrival]

[It's not as if Akechi has never been to a mall before, but...usually? He knows how he got there. He also usually has his own cell phone, instead of a completely unfamiliar model that doesn't even have his apps on it. What it does have is profiles on himself and fourteen other people, and a list of rules that would look like they were written by a fourteen year old girl if not for...one particular thing. It figures. It always comes back to murder in his life, doesn't it?

Well, he's not about to let something so pedestrian as a kidnapper control his actions. Time to go look for a way out, as well as his fellow kidnapees. Surely they'll feel more comfortable knowing there's a detective among them, right? And a bunch of panicking idiots would only make getting his belongings back and punishing the person who abducted him harder.

Anyone else who happens to be looking around will be met with a young man who's...really, remarkably calm about the situation. He's hailing them by their surname, if they have one, in a highly professional tone for an eighteen year old.]

Do you have any memory of how you might have gotten here? Or, at the very least, been rendered unconscious for transport...

[Motive]

[To change your biggest regret, huh? Everything here seems unprofessional to an exceptional degree, but it seems they do know their victims. Except not well enough. All of his regrets, everything he wishes he hadn't done...they'd brought him too far to give up on. After a moment of quiet consideration, he shakes his head.]

Don't you think fourteen lives is too steep a price to pay for our own peace of mind? To say nothing of the fact that it would simply be trading one regret for another.

Besides, has anyone here ever heard of the butterfly effect? Even assuming it is possible to change the past, the full consequences of doing so would be impossible to predict.

[Wildcard-Regains]

[Gambling might be illegal in Japan, but Akechi can only ignore his curiosity for so long...despite not really trusting these vending machines. After trading in a bunch of his chips, he's ended up with a pile of random junk (that may or may not include someone else's random junk), along with a rather...loud, white and red outfit, complete with the beaked mask. The way he looks at it, it definitely seems familiar to him...though there's a perplexed look to his expression as he turns the mask over in his hands.]

It is quite the convincing likeness...

motive

[theirmagic]

[ Small laughter. Very awkward, anxious laughter. N-no one would... actually kill for a motive like this, right? At the same time... she can get the appeal... she has... so many regrets... she's going to pretend it's not bothering her, but she's definitely been acting a lot more jumpy since it came up, this motive. ]

I... yes, I suppose that is true. Changing the past is definitely one of the sins of magic. It's something you shouldn't do... and I think killing just to change one small thing that already happened... i-isn't that wrong?

[foolishjustice]

Definitely. Even if someone's regret cost people their lives, it would be wrong to sacrifice someone entirely unrelated to change it.

[theirmagic]

I mean... theoretically... if the event altered... lots of people...

[ She glances aside, but then she rubs the back of her neck. ]

T-there'd really be no predicting what might happen. The first thing they teach you in magic school is that you don't mess with stuff like that. Don't raise the undead... don't alter the past... those kinds of things... t-they're dangerous.

B-but, of course, I doubt anyone here will actually do it! I mean... right...?

[foolishjustice]

It's...hard to say. I want to believe that nobody here would kill for something that they can't even be certain would accomplish something good...but I've seen plenty of petty reasons for murder through my work as a detective. It would be best to hope nobody sinks that low, while also staying on our guard.

[theirmagic]

Oh, you're a detective, that's right... you must see crimes like this all the time, then!

[ And just like that she instantly has faith in you, Akechi. ]

I'm... simply a teacher. I can't say our school has had many... unpleasant things like this. Well, there's the festival where we have the human sacrifice...

[ She taps her chin. ]

Either way, surely no one would be foolish enough to try something with a competent investigator like you here?

[steelmagnolias]

[He'd say that outfit was fucking ridiculous, but then again, so was half the stuff he wore in his coordinator days. Instead, his eyes drift towards a small red and white ball that Akechi's also got in his stash.]

Could I see that for a moment?

[foolishjustice]

[Excuse u, say that to his face! Okay, no, he knows it looks ridiculous. He'd never have the guts to wear it outside the Metaverse, even if he does secretly love it.

He glances over at the newcomer and takes a moment to follow his eyes before picking up the strange ball. Hey look, it matches that ridiculous outfit perfectly!]

Is this something you recognize? It's from that strange vending machine.

[steelmagnolias]

Yeah.

[He takes the Pokeball from Akechi's hand, then throws it at the ground AND A MAJESTIC METAL BIRD COMES OUT-]

...shit. So they brought Yuriko to this cesspit?

The bastards.

[foolishjustice]

[Wait is that a Shadow? No, it doesn't have quite the same look to it...he's not quite sure what it is. On the bright side, his surprise keeps him from possibly giving something away by twitching at hearing a remark he so resembles being used as an insult.]

I'm...not certain which question to ask first.

[steelmagnolias]

[If he unlocked any amount of backstory at all, Akechi, he wouldn't, but unfortunately he hasn't and he really does not mean it that way-

Still. It should be fortunate that this is the first Skarmory Akechi has ever seen in his life, because Yuriko's feathers are beautiful and meticulously polished, while also probably being sharp enough to make a world-class shank once she sheds them.

The noise she makes is, appropriately, mostly like the cry of a large bird of prey, but with a distinctly... mechanical-sounding edge.]

Ask away.

Arrival

[byanyother_name]

[And he happens to encounter a similarly unusually calm teenager. Calm but definitely displeased, particularly since his profile lists him as Minamino 'Kurama' Shuuichi. There's an almost eerie maturity to him as he shakes his head.]

None at all, unfortunately. In fact, the last thing I remember, I was with friends who would not take any such kidnapping attempt lightly.

[foolishjustice]

That's...quite disconcerting. Would it be appropriate to assume that the friends in question would also be capable of effectively countering the said attempt, under ordinary circumstances?

[byanyother_name]

Ordinary circumstances and a number of less ordinary ones, yes. I won't say I'm not concerned by it myself. I must admit, I'm almost hoping for memory alteration or teleportation. As disturbing as that would be, I still find it preferable to the prospect of my friends having been...removed from the picture.

[His tone is thoughtful but almost casual as he brings up the possibility, however obliquely, of their deaths. The glitter of anger in his eyes for a moment shows the tone for the lie it is.]

[foolishjustice]

The former is a distinct possibility.

[He pulls the phone that's replaced his own out of his pocket and opens up his profile, to where it calls him a student, detective, and Phantom Thief.]

There's what appears to be a large error on my profile. I don't see how I could be honestly mistaken for a member of the group I oppose, so either they're deliberately lying in an effort to confuse me...or there's a gap in my memory during which I, for some reason, change my stance and join them.

[byanyother_name]

That is curious... What would our abductors have to gain from this? Forgetting our capture robs us of any insight to their methods, but any loss beyond that...

A side effect?

[Kurama takes out his own phone, bringing up the profiles. He shakes his head a little at his own; student, spirit detective, demon thief.]

I also wonder where they get their information. If they are toying with our memories, however, their source could well be our own minds.

re: motive

[caineraisingproject]

There's also the fact that my regrets are my own damn fault, and maybe I deserve what happened to me.

(It's a matter of fact statement.

He's reclining on a chair with his hands curled around a mug of sweetened coffee.)

Just, you know, to remind me to do better.

[foolishjustice]

[He has his own cup of coffee, though he doesn't seem to be particularly enjoying it. In fact, he makes an expression of distaste as he drinks from it.

...Deserve, huh? At least the subpar (by his standards) coffee masks his discomfort at that comment.]

Some people might consider that a motivating factor. Escaping guilt by undoing the mistake that caused it...

[caineraisingproject]

That's it's own special kind of stupid.

Lotta overlap with stupid enough to go for it, though. Damn.

...and my regrets aren't that huge, and I KNOW they're my fault. There's that.

[foolishjustice]

Doesn't it? Even if we see the flaws in the idea, we should still be on our guard. For that matter, it's not as though we know the histories of everyone here...some of our number might have regrets so great that they do consider them worth killing over.

come on detective... put those skills to use and guess which prompt i chose

[beguiledcard]

[ Goodness... so polite, as always, detective.

He's been going around asking people what they know, as well; there's nothing okay about this situation, and he's determined to get to the bottom of this. No way in hell is he going to just stand idly by and accept this whole thing as is.

(Seriously, though, why the hell do those rules have it looking like they've been kidnapped by some kid...?)

There's a slight tilt of his head as he briefly studies the detective. So... he's here with at least one person he knows... Though, why are his memories of him so broken up? And he's... listed as a Phantom Thief?? How... the hell is that even possible? Ugh... Trying to force the memories isn't working, and the last thing he needs is a headache on top of all this. Best to focus on what he does know for now.

The last encounter he recalls is they'd been talking in Leblanc... The man (from the... elevator, right?) had been talking on the TV. He remembers a number of things after that point, but only with the other Phantom Thieves...

In any case, he's shaking his head. ]

Nothing, so far... [ He gestures to the side a bit, vaguely. ] What about you?

It is a mystery.

[foolishjustice]

[Of course, he'd already known Akira was here from the profiles...along with apparent confirmation of what he'd suspected about the young man. Assuming the profiles are telling the truth, that is. There are distinct gaps in his memory, but he can't imagine why he would join the Phantom Thieves himself...still, that's not the focus right now. Right now, he's just glad to have his friend around.]

Not as of yet, no. That doesn't necessarily mean much, however...some of my memories don't follow properly, so it's entirely possible we were administered some sort of drug to suppress our recollection of recent events.

truly the deepest of mysteries. however will you manage to solve it

[beguiledcard]

[ The profile is a lie. He is a perfectly normal, innocent high school student who's never done anything wrong, ever. ]

... [ Hmmm...

It's the mention of the drug that has him frowning ever-so-slightly, gaze lowering in consideration. Well, it would make sense, wouldn't it? The more information this group has, the more they'd have to work with in getting out of there. He'd consider it being something to do with the Metaverse, but...

... there's nothing -- only silence.

If this were the Metaverse, it would be as though he's been completely reset. Right back to before he ever even awakened... ]

I'm having the same issue with my memories...

[ While his tone might be calm, there's a lot of frustration resting beneath the surface here. Regardless of the determination to focus on what he knows for now, he can't exactly ignore the anger. The feelings that comes with the thought of this group having been drugged on top of the kidnapping...

His thoughts shift to his friends once again... He can only hope they're all okay -- safe and sound in their homes...

Suddenly, his brow tenses... ] Hm...

[ He narrows his eyes just a bit at the other young man. ] We should find out if there's something that connects everyone...

[ If there is something, maybe that'll bring them one step closer to getting out of here. And... naturally, he doesn't expect it to be anything listed on the profiles. If the kidnapper -- no... he's sure it's kidnappers -- went so far as to affect their memories, they wouldn't just... shove clues right into their faces, right? Granted... there's just as much of a chance they're confident enough they just... won't be able to escape.

Though... an entire mall? ... somehow gives him an even worse feeling about all this. What kind of people could they be, to have access to a place like this... How long do they plan on keeping them? Malls typically... do open back up at some point... ]

It shall take some serious sleuthing.

[foolishjustice]

[His guess is someone with lots of money, who can afford to just buy an entire mall to do with as they please.]

And here I thought I was the detective here.

[Despite the offended words, his tone is entertained, and he gives Akira a playful wink.]

If it was only us, or if I recognized the other names here, I might consider the possibility that this was related to the Phantom Thieves case. But seeing as none of the other profiles are familiar, and it seems unlikely that they've managed to make me forget thirteen people involved in the case, I believe we'll have to look elsewhere for the connection.

We should gather our fellow victims for questioning about their backgrounds. Any common thread might give us insight into our kidnappers' motivations, and possibly their identities. Of course, we should also be prepared for the possibility that we've all forgotten whatever it was that caused us to be targeted, but it certainly won't hurt to check.

[If only because knowing a thing or two about their new roommates will be useful if things do turn murdery in here. He's seen too much of the worst of humanity to assume they won't.]

he believes in you

[beguiledcard]

[ And, quite frankly, he wouldn't feel inclined to shove that consideration aside... even if something about that idea still wouldn't sit right with him. ]

If I recall correctly, your preferred title is Psychic Rookie Detective...

[ There's a hint of teasing to his tone that matches the brief glint in his eyes.

Ah...

Just going to oh-so-casually toss that out there, huh? Well, this particular detective-in-training hadn't exactly hesitated to state how suspicious he and his friends were to him; Akira actually has to suppress a faint smirk at that. All things considered, he hadn't just been deflecting the good detective's suspicion during that particular encounter... Granted, he can't exactly recall where said suspicion had stemmed from, exactly.

Is it the smile that seems to be hiding something? Heh, not likely. There had been something else to it, right? Still, it can't hurt to work with this person... At the very least, Goro Akechi, in whole, doesn't feel quite like a threat -- he never has felt like an actual threat to him as a person, has he? Mm... anyway.

He's nodding to the suggestion. ] If anything, it won't hurt to learn what we can about them as people.

[ For a number of reasons; even if he doesn't know it's a similar reason (even if he suspects it could be the case), one does happen to be similar to his confidant's. Learning everything about these people for the sake of an unfortunately needed just in case safety net is a good idea. ]