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[Action/Video]

[Some nights, the Dark Hour is noisier than others.]

[While the shadows normally remain silent unless actively attacking those able to wander the dark hour, on this night the port area all but resounds with the shrieks of an all-too familiar shadow. A Visceral Maya, bane of those who find themselves new to Prospero.]

[What's peculiar is that the vocalizations almost sound frustrated or scared, as much as a Shadow can emote such things.]

[And unfortunately for anyone with their phone on-hand, the source of the noise just started getting broadcast over the network. The camera, activated via falling-to-the-ground judging from the angle, shows a man pinning a very displeased Visceral Maya to a building with a stopsign while muttering to himself.]

-n't even die right when I kill 'em, huh? Bah, not like it's the weirdest thi- eh? What's this?

[He keeps the shadow pinned against the building, reaching down to pick up and subsequently peer into the phone as a lazy smile crosses his features.]

Yo. Anyone there?

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I'm afraid not. But I happen to have a reasonably secure hotel room that's fairly well stocked if you're looking for a drink.

[He's not flirting. Just excited.]

[At least he's pretty sure he's not flirting.]

[Two Irishmen boozin' and chatting. Nothing to wonder about there.]

[Flirting's a second-duel thing anyway, right? Look at you and Seiiiiba.]

Works for me. Don't think I've even had a seat since I found myself here, come to think of it...

Having a drink with Culann's Hound is a higher honor than nearly any I could imagine. You're more than welcome to join me.

Heh, the way you're talking you make it sound like sharing a drink with a Knight of the Fianna is just an everyday occurrence.

[He pauses, then laughs.] ...Which it probably was, for you. Anyway, I can't say I'm inclined to turn down your offer.

You flatter me, truly. Fortunately, it's not too far off--if you'll follow me, we should be able to get there momentarily.

Sounds good to me. Lead on, Diarmuid.

[And may God help any Shadows that exist between their current location and their destination.]

[After what I'm sure can only be called 'Shadow genocide', Lancer has a murderhound in his hotel room. Double Lancer all the way across the sky, etc. etc.]

I don't suppose you have any particular preference of what to drink, at this point?

[The streets needed more coffins. For the shadows. It was amazing.]

Nah. Surprise me.

[Damn right. How do I hold all these curbstomped Shadows.]

Gladly.

[While Lancer rummaged around the drinks, the murderhound found himself a seat.]

Guess I'll get the annoying questions outta the way before they can spoil a good drink: and all of 'em kinda come back to, "what the hell happens when the world goes green at night?"

That's an excellent question, one I can only answer so much. I could say 'this place is unusual', but that would be stating the obvious.

Covering the basics; this city is called Prospero, somewhere in America. I don't know who or what could be behind for the Second and Third Magic I assume is at work here, but I'm sure you've noticed even Servants like us have been downgraded to human forms.

Secondly, the Dark Hour and the Shadows. As the name suggests, it lasts for an hour starting at midnight. Any other time, this is in all appearances a normal city, but in that hour those creatures roam the streets mostly unchecked, varying in number and strength.

[He walked over, setting down two glasses as well as a bad decision in a bottle before sitting down and pouring both drinks.]

Which, er...brings us to the subject of the power used to fight them. You saw that much for yourself.

[And now there was some kinda confusing crisis regarding that.]

They take many different forms and have many different names--some more unusual than others--but the power of a Persona itself is generally the same: summon, attack, disappear.

Forgive me, I'm sure that was a lot at once. Do you have any questions?

Edited 2011-10-21 19:47 (UTC)

The short story would be that it's a Holy Grail War without a Holy Grail, and where the heroes - now normal people, as well as normal people - are summoned to fight a common enemy instead of each other?

[Question asked, he'll reach for his terrible idea in-a-glass and raise it. Cheers.]

[He laughed quietly, raising his own as well.]

I can't say you're necessarily wrong, no. Though continuing with that line of thought, it's impossible to say who or what our theoretical summoner is.

Or how we can summon a Persona at all. Or, for that matter, what exactly a Persona even is.

I wish I could be of more help, but there's far too much we simply don't comprehend about this place.

[Klink.]

Nah, something tells me that this is the kind of thing that'll make sense eventually. Until that time, there's no use worrying about the small stuff. Might as well just do what you'd naturally do, yaknow?

Reasonable enough. That's more or less how I've been thinking of the more obvious questions here, at least--no reason to concern yourself too much with what you can't explain.

Right. Leave that to the worriers and those depressing people obsessed with needing to know everything.

[Because taking life in stride is the murderhound way.]

And leave it to people like us to fight when the Shadows decide to act up. Right?

Exactly! Nice to see there's at least one person around who understands, this time.

[The 5th grail war was full of squares, bro. You don't even know.]

Likewise. Especially considering I've the good fortune now to speak to someone so highly respected.

[bro you don't even know. i've seen some shit, man.]

[e-rank luck, mirite?]

Heh, well, here's to hoping I don't smash that respect into a whole lot of nothing. Or better yet, to new comrades.

[Farewell, bad ideas. We hardly sampled your flavor.]

I seriously doubt you could, but that sounds good to me regardless.

[Here's to one hell of a hangover tomorrow.]

[It's cool, we're Irish.]

So, how long've you been here for? Sounds like you're pretty well-adapted to the place - Prospero, right?

Since...June? I think it was either June or July, and I believe it to be October now. As far as I know, I was among the first newcomers to arrive in the city.

Sheesh. You beat me to the grail war, you beat me to this place... next you're gonna say you trained under Scathach before I had my stay in the Land of Shadows, right?

[Is he joking around? Obviously. The question is punctuated with a chuckle.]

O-of course not, no. I certainly never meant to insinuate I had more experience than you in any respect.

[However...]

There is one thing I feel I should bring up, however.

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