2026-02-21: Eyes Upon Eyes
- Log: 2026-02-21 Eyes Upon Eyes
- Cast: Tatsuya Sudou, Jun Kashihara
- Where: Abandoned Apartment Building
- OOC Date: February 21, 2026
- IC Date: Saturday, September 29, 2012
- Summary: The Old Maid has been holding Jun captive in a supernatural space somewhere in Sumaru. Today, it's time for him to force Jun to play the Persona Game in the hopes that the Voices will awaken him to his "true" self as Master Joker.
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
It had been almost a week now since the Joker Killer had exchanged prisoners to take Jun off to who knows where. Who is to say what evils have been done, what sinister plots Tatsuya Sudou has attempted, what unspeakable torments have been unleashed...
The Old Maid walks through a door to an apartment, stuck in a semi-rundown apartment building in the metaverse. The real apartment building had been owned by some slumlord or something, but on this side it has been packed with Sudou's associates of demonkind. The collective unconscious of the tenants created an apartment building that was literally impossible for anyone to get out of on their own, needing outside help to escape the eternal lease. That pleased Sudou just fine, it was Jun's name forged on the lease after all.
"Hey Jun, I brought you some dinner. I also grabbed that movie I was telling you about the other day." The Old Maid says through his paperbag as he walks around the corner expecting to find his bestie to be...
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
Jun did try to escape at first--the first night after his capture, in fact. He waited patiently until Sudou had left, and then he prompted left the apartment... or tried to, anyway. On top of the fact that the apartment building is stuffed full of demons, the outer doors simply do not open. Jun had a harrowing night running, hiding, and desperately trying every floor and every window and every exit he could find. He managed to make it to the roof, and...
There simply wasn't anything beyond the building. Simply a dizzying, nauseating sort of... purplish... aura? Jun didn't, and doesn't, know how to describe it. He certainly didn't know how to penetrate it. He could barely comprehend it--especially with no Persona.
In the end, he was forced to retreat back to the apartment that Sudou had arranged for him. He passed out soon thereafter.
Now, he remains where he's been placed. The window drapes are shut. Jun's sitting on the couch, head bowed, when Sudou enters; he looks up, shoulders tensing, and forces a small, tight smile.
"Thank you, Sudou-san," he says politely, because he's well aware he's his prisoner and Jun does not want to test the limits of his patience. The mention of a movie gets a flicker in his one visible eye. "How... nice."
He's still waiting for the other shoe to drop. He knows the 'Old Maid' wants something from him--something he has no desire or intention to give. The waiting has been stressing him out.
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
Sudou sets the bag of food, a convenient store bento and a variety of drinks. Also a loose dvd disc, which looks like it is some bootleg copy of the movie Sudou mentioned. The only problem is of course, no dvd player, or tv. In the process Jun might be able to notice the bandages hidden under his sleeves, or the tenderness Sudou takes in bending over, working to bend at the hips.
"I am really glad you think so, and I look forward to watching it with you. However..." Sudou looks about for a moment as if it is a secret and leans in. " We have to play a game first. A very fun game with other people. " The smile on the paper bag gets wide as the Old Maid unblinking eyes stare at Jun...before he turns around. "Oh it will be great, and don't worry I already have the outfit you will want when this is all over. White, with black tips and the mask. Oh the mask, I asked a good friend of mine to help create it. " Sudou spins a little excited by the prospect that the Joker was coming.
A knock on the door interupts the crazy and Sudou looks up, "Oh they are here." Sudou moves to the door as mandrake demons begin to enter, large humanoids with purple skin and red leaves on their forehead. "Your entourage awaits, I believe you know the way to the roof."
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
Jun keeps his hands folded on his lap as Sudou unpacks his provisions and goods, but watches him with a careful, nervous eye. In doing so, he does note the bandages and the stiffness in his movements. That one uncovered eye furrows.
"Did something happen?" he wonders. However, Sudou leans in, and he holds still, catching his breath. That paper bag is so unsettling... to say nothing of what he actually says.
"A... game?" he replies, uncertain. He remains silent at the rest. Sudou tells him not to worry, but he's worrying quite a bit. He honestly doesn't know how to respond to this talk of his 'outfit' and 'mask.'
A knock sounds at the door; Jun flinches and shoots his head up. Sudou lets n a bunch of Mandrakes and essentially says they're moving to the roof.
"...." Slowly, with glacial grace, Jun stands. Arms stiff at his sides, he walks out to join the procession and let himself be guided to the roof.
The fear does not leave his gut, though, and he has to keep his gaze on the floor. The longer he's around these demons or this distorted dimension, the more he feels like he's going to lose his mind...
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
Sudou looks at the walking flowers, four of them to surround Jun and guide him to the roof as Sudou walks behind. " I appreciate the concern, but today is your big day. This is just a sign of over exercising. " Sudou whistles as they continue up stairs, fortunately its not like they are on the second floor and the trip to the roof won't be so long.
The Old Maid snaps his fingers, "Oh right! The rules. Let see we go up to the roof. I draw an eye..." For a moment there is hesitation in his voice and then some mumbling, "You sure? It will be you? Cause else ole butterfly boy is going to snitch to my partner in crime." Shaking his head and chuckles, "No no no, I could win. I just don't want to play tug a jun....Oh good good."
Speaking louder now for Jun to intentionally hear, "Ok, so I draw the eye, and you go to your corner. Then you and your 3 new buddies say, Persona, Persona, please come here, put some energy behind it please." Sudou counts off his fingers in the steps, " Then you rotate to the next corner. Repeat till you are back where you started. It's a silly game, simple enough for kids to do. Don't worry to much."
Sudou grins as they get to the roof and three other humans are standing with more mandrake guards hovering around them. They look teeenager esque. Sudou walks to the center and produces a piece of chalk as he begins to draw a very large eye as if it was a giant magic circle to encompass the entire roof. When he is done Sudou looks at the eye and shrudders, "Are you sure that is you behind it? How many fingers am I imagining holding up?" Sudou asks thin air as he looks at Jun. "Time to play the game that will fix your life."
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
His 'big day.' Jun hates the sound of that, but he doesn't know what else he can do besides go along with it. If someone attacked Sudou--maybe to try to force him to release Jun, even--it hasn't changed Jun's situation any. He swallows hard as he walks with his escort.
He shoots him a confused look when he starts going over 'rules,' only to start mumbling to himself. The latter is a fairly frequent occurrence with him, but once again, Jun doesn't understand anything he's talking about. That's especially bad when he can at least tell it directly relates to him.
But the explanation of the 'rules' continues. Jun doesn't respond, though the trepidatious look in his eye does make it clear he understands the instructions, at least. They reach the roof, and Jun sucks in a sharp gasp; there's three other teenagers there. "What--who are these people? You were only supposed to bring me here!" he protests.
Sudou draws that eye in chalk. Jun looks in dismay at the other kids, then down at the massive eye. He stares for a moment, thinking desperately of some way, any way, to delay whatever this is. Whatever fix Sudou wants for his life, Jun wants nothing to do with it.
"...Which corner am I supposed to go to?" he soon asks carefully.
You know.
Which corner of the circle the Old Maid just drew.
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
Standing back up and stretching as he winces, the paper bag making a poor wincing emoji as Sudou looks at Jun, "Oh over there. " Sudou points to a spot and then decides to help as he throws the chalk to put a scratch mark on the circle. Maybe it will hurt the whole game, maybe not, it's a kid's game after all. Kids, and Sudou, are messy.
The other teenagers look scared as hell as each of there mandrake guard keep them in their spot. One tries to speak up but Sudou throws another piece of chalk at the kid, and it strikes the mandrake guard sending the guard off the roof, "Oh damn it. I am sorry. Sorry people, my bad. It's fine though, we still have the humans!" The teen no longer has an urge to speak.
Sudou looks at the group and then pulls out a microphone and speaks up to everyone, "Welcome humans and non humans. In a moment I am going to begin and the game shall begin. Remember if you do this and your name doesn't start with Jun, you can go home after this. I even promise to not send you home by throwing you off the roof. " Sudou laughs before lowering the microphone and looking at Jun. "I am a monster of my word. "
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
Sudou points to a spot. Jun looks at it. It's still not a corner--until it sort of is after Sudou throws some chalk to create a mark. Jun is about to argue the matter--and another one of the kids looks to have the same idea--until Sudou ejects a Mandrake off the roof with another, more viciously thrown chalk.
"....." Jun grimaces, looking away for a moment. This... is really happening, isn't it? No one is coming to rescue him. Maybe no one can.
At least Sudou is making promises of what is probably safety. Jun looks up back at him. "...As long as you're letting them return home unharmed," he murmurs. He shoots the other teenagers a helpless look of regret, then slowly takes up his position.
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
Sudou holds his hand up and raises two fingers, a pinkie and the middle finger, "Scouts honor," is said in response to Jun's question. Looking about Sudou rubs his hands together for a moment before he shouts to them, "Everyone begin!"
None of the other teens move or speak after seeing what Sudou did before Sudou clears his throat again, "I said begin!" A stomp and some flames erupt out around the edge of the roof for a moment before the head tilts and Sudou adds, "Please."
A woman begins first, as she says Persona, Persona.." When someone starts the others slowly joins in.
It is a bit disorganized but eventually the three teenagers at least have begun and are mid there first rotation, the one coming up to Jun looking at him expectantly to get on with it. Sudou watches with gleee.
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
Jun can't really say anything. All he can do is take a serial killer at his word that he won't kill anyone else. He flinches when Sudou loses his temper for a second; fortunately, he gets it back under control. Even says please. How kind of him.
Soon, one of the kids comes up to Jun, completing their part of the circuit. Jun takes a deep breath and steps down the line. "Persona, Persona, please come here," he says in a clear voice as he goes. Now, if he lacks enthusiasm, perhaps he might be forgiven. At least he has volume to stand in for the energy Sudou requested.
Soon enough, all four teenagers have completed the circuit. Jun looks around at them, then cautiously at Sudou. Nothing seems to be happening, but he can't rule anything out.
"...Is that it? Are we done?"
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
Sudou watches and when he is asked if they are done, Sudou looks away for a moment and mumbles again, "You sure? Really really sure? Ok, you would never lie to me." The Old Maid turns back and looks at the everyone else before looking at Jun, "Yep all done. Let's go eat." Sudou doesn't say another word, he simply moves towards the door from the roof.
Stopping for a moment he glances at Jun, "That is unless you feel like you have some super hidden power suddenly bubbling up inside of you that makes you think you could fight me in an epic battle for the throne." The paper bag's eyes stares at Jun for a moment before the smile grins.
Then Sudou bursts into laughter, "Nah, I have to keep my word its going to take me a little bit to drop the play group off, so don't wait up. I am just gonna go get my keys." Sudou then begins to descend downstairs whistling to himself.