DUNGEON - BELLMARE ENCLAVE (BELLMARE MOUNTAINS, PT 2)

[phantasmods]

The shadows are starting to grow very long as you crest his particular ridge - it's not night yet, but it will be soon. In the shadows of the afternoon, with a tall mountain already blocking the sun, lies a snow-covered valley that is different from the ones you've come across thus far in your investigation.

This valley is home to a town, and unlike all the settlements you've seen so far - Incendia, the Telovia mining town, and the manor - it's very much active. There are actual people in the streets, visible from above, going through their days on snow-free streets, bundled up against the cold.

Those of you who asked were told of the handful of people who didn't go into the slumber of stasis as the Fissure conditions of the world grew worse and worse, instead isolating themselves and trying to continue living their lives as they could. Now, it seems, you've found exactly such a group.

Welcome to the Bellmare Enclave, and enjoy your stay.

[[OOC: Welcome to part 2 of the dungeon! For the most part, interaction with the town's NPCs can be handwaved as described on the main information post. Worth noting are the following major things: The Bellmare Enclave isn't expecting visitors, though the people are generally friendly to the new arrivals. They don't know about the time dilation effect of their Fissure - to them, it's only been about eighteen years since the Slumber Plan was put in place and they withdrew from the world. And finally, by a similar token, they have no idea how far the Fissures outside of their own have grown - while it's not uncommon for them to find odd objects from time to time, they'll assume that the characters are just arrivals from other places within their own world, rather than outsiders, until told otherwise.]]

Comments

[hairpincurves]

... Then I hope she'll at least hear you out. [...] Provided you give her context that doesn't accentuate the negative about yourself.

[foolishjustice]

I...do have a difficult time explaining things without my guilt influencing what seems important enough to say.

[hairpincurves]

Even if your guilt says it shouldn't be important enough, people do need certain details if they want the clearest picture.

[That gets punctuated with her reaching up and poking at his cheek.]

[foolishjustice]

[He swats at that hand, then sighs.]

I'll...do my best to be thorough.

[hairpincurves]

[She puffs her cheeks out a bit.]

You'd better.

[foolishjustice]

R-right, right.

[He holds his hands up placatingly.]

[hairpincurves]

Promise me you will. Please?

[foolishjustice]

...I promise. When I talk to Sae-san, I'll tell her the full circumstances.

[hairpincurves]

... Good. Thank you.

[And with that, she pulls him into another hug.]

[foolishjustice]

[...Well, who is he to turn down a hug?]

[hairpincurves]

[She pulls back a bit to smile at him, before her attention is torn away by another vision.

It starts out with Akira, cornered by Shadows--notably, while the surroundings are definitely Okumura's Palace, Akira's in her school uniform. There's alarmed shouting from the other Phantom Thieves--which in this vision include Panther, Skull, Crow, Fox, Noir, all in slightly different outfits (Panther in something more practical, notably, and Crow looking more highwayman than prince), a short boy with bright blue eyes, and what appears to be a mouse with Futaba's goggles--in various states of injury. Akira's not actually in a much better state herself. As the Shadows close in, her eyes suddenly turn yellow, as Arsene's voice goes on a spiel about Akira taking action. With a scream, Akira rips the mask off, and is engulfed by the tell-tale blue fire. When it's vanished, Arsene looking... almost the same as ever, floats behind her, Akira herself in what appears to be a men's suit, with the jacket worn like a cape. She looks down at her outfit, adjusts her gloves, then looks back up, with a serene smile on her face. "Ah, this is wonderful... now then, shall we put them in their place, Arsene?" Her tone is perfectly even despite having only just Awakened, and she leaps into action.

... Particularly observant will note that the vision's version of Crow has a look on his face that can, even with the mask, only be interpreted as "shit, that's hot."]

... holy shit.

[foolishjustice]

[...Let's be honest, this version of Crow isn't any less impressed. But he also looks...confused.]

That was...President Okumura's Palace.

[hairpincurves]

Well, I guess that's one way of getting a preview of the place... but what am I doing Awakening there...?

[... That's not the only confusing thing, but, you know what, it's the most obvious thing, from her perspective.]

[foolishjustice]

I'm not sure. And...while I did follow the Phantom Thieves into that Palace, I didn't let them know I was there until after it had already collapsed.

[hairpincurves]

... Your Metaverse outfit looked pretty different, too...

[foolishjustice]

That's not...entirely shocking. I already have two, all it would really take is a difference in what that version of me considers an icon of his rebellious desires.

[hairpincurves]

Well, no, it was just...

[...]

... You kinda rock the highwayman look, though, I have to say.

[AKIRA]

And I think I can guess at that other me's way of thinking with her outfit...

[foolishjustice]

I'll have to keep that in mind.

Though...if that version of you was just Awakening then, I wonder who the leader of the Phantom Thieves was.

[hairpincurves]

Too bad we couldn't really get a good look at who may have been leading the charge with the others scattered like that...

[foolishjustice]

And there are enough differences that we can't be certain what we know of their skills still apply. We can't even be sure those versions of us are still the Wildcards.

[hairpincurves]

And since that's the one we're most curious about, we're not going to see any more from it, I can almost guarantee it.

[foolishjustice]

That would be how our luck tends to work, wouldn't it?

[hairpincurves]

Exactly how it does, yes. Man, now that question's gonna haunt me for ages, I just know it.

[foolishjustice]

And with my luck, I won't even run into that timeline while traveling worlds.

[hairpincurves]

Boo... then we really will be left wondering about it.