find yourself in the debris, feed your anger like fire

[nomorules]

Who: Ryuji Sakamoto (nomorules) and Minato Arisato (jivitadana).
Where: Hedge maze.
When: May 9th, at Dark Hour midnight.
Rating: PG-13 on account of Vulgar Boy.
Summary: A day in the life of Wonderland's hedge maze: taking abuse from Persona users. Ryuji arrives and shit is on fire, why is it always on fire.
The Story:



<sub>[For some little boys and girls, the Dark Hour is a time for covert operations in the dead of night. For others like Ryuji, it's a time to toss the comic book you'd been reading aside and flop back on your bedspread to dream of the covert operations you'd once had. I'm just closing my eyes for a sec, I'll get my pjs out soon, mom...

God, but when did it get so damn cold in here?

For the life of him Ryuji can't figure out when his bedroom got so nippy, or his bed so hard. And the moonlight... It's like the moon is right on top of him. Did his curtains fall of the rod or something?

Opening his eyes and sitting up is a study in confusion the progressively longer he has to take in his surroundings. It's not his comfortable, soda-stained bed he's laying on, it's a dirt path, and it's cold because he's in the middle of the fucking outdoors. On either side, leafy hedge walls tower above him, condensing the starry night sky framed by greenery.

What.]</sub>

What the shi-- ahhh!

_{[The exclamation ready to blast from his mouth abruptly turns into a yowl as a jet of flame roars over the hedge walls he'd just been looking at, obliterating them into ash. Fire safety, kids. Stop, drop, and roll if you think you're about to be incinerated. Already on his back, Ryuji does the next best thing and balls up with his hands over head.]}

I don't wanna die like this!

_{[More importantly, what did the hedge maze ever do to deserve this abuse.]}

Comments

[jivitadana]

[If Ryuji did have a Persona, which by now, Minato had figured that he did, then he might have known the group that arrived before he did. If that were true though, it was just even more confirmation that there was so much more going on at home in the future that he would never have known about and could never know.]

There are some others from Japan here too, around our age. You might know them when you see them.

[Maybe not tonight but who knows. If they were anything like Minato or Souji, they stayed up late or all night and were used to it.]

[nomorules]

_{[Hold up. That... raises a possibility Ryuji hadn't considered until this very moment.]}

Uh... there are people here who aren't from Japan?

<sub>[They're speaking in Japanese. Minato being the only other person he's seen hide or hair of since stumbling out of the smoldering hedge maze, it'd seemed natural to presume this was another problem affecting people in Tokyo.

If not... If this isn't restricted just to Japan... It's a surprise Ryuji's head hasn't swelled to the size of a beach ball to accommodate all this new information.]</sub>

[jivitadana]

Mn, from other worlds and different time periods. Some aren't human either.

[Minato didn't go into the details of who else might be here because that would be another day or two of explanation, and right now might not be the best time for it.

But at least in this way, the general pieces of information about Wonderland were out there.]

[nomorules]

_{[Not human? Does he mean like Morgana? And... other worlds...]}

You know what, I'm just gonna let that be and not ask. If it makes sense me to down the line, it makes sense. If not, no big loss! _{[You don't get to be as poor a student as Ryuji without learning to embrace ignorance.]} You lost me right around the time you said this place is Wonderland.

_{[Meaning it might take another day or two just for the bare bones to sink in. Taking the path of least resistance and declaring hakuna matata before his brain starts on fire seems like the safest bet for all parties.]}

These kids from Japan--they can use Personas like you?

_{[He almost adds us. He doesn't know if there is an us to speak of. So far it feels more like him vs. everything else.]}

[jivitadana]

[Whatever suited Ryuji's needs right now since he seemed overwhelmed. Or in denial. Sort of. One of those. Minato would answer any questions Ryuji might have at a later time too.

But that question Ryuji asked was an easy one to answer. Minato nodded.]

About seven more of us? Something like that.

[That was... actually a lot, compared to what it was a couple of weeks ago.]

[nomorules]

Seven what? Seven people from Japan?

_{[It dawns on Ryuji what he could be saying. The glow of the candlelight reflects in his wide eyes.]}

Wait, seven people who can use Personas?

_{[Whoa... Could some of those be the Phantom Thieves? They have to be... don't they? How many Persona users could there be in the world? Then again, if Akechi and Minato are any indication, they might not be as rare as Ryuji once thought.]}

[jivitadana]

Both. Seven Persona users from Japan.

[Or that's what Minato had gathered so far. There might be more? Minato wasn't quite sure yet as he didn't have exact confirmation.]

You sound surprised that there are that many.

[nomorules]

<sub>[A grunt--dissatisfied, puzzled. The math doesn't pass muster. Eight thieves plus Minato and the others he's mentioned equals up to not seven.

Why shouldn't he be surprised? This is the first Ryuji's hearing about the existence of others with Personas outside of Akechi--and with the unusual ability to hold more than one at a time, to boot.]</sub>

I'm a bit surprised by everythin' right now.

[jivitadana]

Just sleep on it, and we can talk again when you're ready?

[It was late and tomorrow was always another day. There was a lot of information to process, not just about Wonderland, but about everyone who was here too.
Maybe he could wake up tomorrow and have time to go find his friends. Minato was positive that they were here.]

[nomorules]

You're serious about me staying in this joint, huh...

<sub>[A mansion is the coolest place he's ever had a sleepover, that much is true. Although he's more keyed up than tired, he also understands that if he keeps on trying to get a grip on this in one go all he's going to do is give himself a massive migraine--and probably Minato, too.

He looks around, thumbs hooked in his pants pockets.]</sub>

You're right, guess I gotta take this like a marathon, not a sprint. Thanks for stickin' with me this long, even if I think I only got half of what you were sayin'.

How does this work? You just... pick any room?

[jivitadana]

[Well, Minato was serious in that Wonderland was dead serious about keeping Ryuji here until it decided one day to send him back, whenever that was. For now then, Minato thought Ryuji should consider that he wasn't going home any time soon.]

Mn, any room. It'll change to whatever you need it to be.

[He knew that was still information overload even for now, but he thought he may as well warn Ryuji now since the empty room would transform without much warning.

And then they're off to take a mini tour of the mansion before calling it a night.]