[OPEN INTRO] Lost and confused

[dragon_ken]

The last thing Ken Amada remembered was going to his dorm room after a normal day of school. There had been nothing unusual at all that day, nothing strange going on. Just a strikingly normal school day, almost boring in its ordinary nature.

But now, there was nothing ordinary at all with the sight before him: a room all in blue, a man with a long nose, several doors, music, and the lack of any clue about how he had ended up here.

"Welcome," said the strange man, "to the Velvet Room. I am Igor, the master of this place. It is always a pleasure for me to meet a new guest."

The Velvet Room? What was that? Why was he there?

"This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter," pursued Igor. "If you have any concerns about the world from which you have come, you can rest assured that you are not truly absent while you stay here. Still, you should use your time wisely, and form bonds with the others you find in a similar situation to yourself, as you never know where they might lead you! So please, feel free to explore."

Ken took a deep breath. "So this is... another world?"

"Correct."

"And I'm... just living here now? Until I'm sent back home?"

"That is also correct," answered Igor, his smile unflinching.

"...Aren't you going to explain anything else?"

"It is up to the guest to find their own answers," continued Igor, his smile being almost creepy with how static it was. "But I believe one of our residents has compiled information that many have found useful," he added while gesturing to the conspiracy board.

Ken approached it and diligently read it. It was all... dizzying.

And then it really hit him, all at once. He was far from home, in this strange land where worlds collide, populated with vampires, demons, worlds inside TVs, strange things called "Personas", and more. He was there, and he had nothing, he had no one, he didn't even have any idea of what was going on or any skill of value. He was there, and he was nothing.

Ken felt himself starting to shake. He felt the tears starting to form themselves. He felt the panic rapidly settling inside.

Come on, hold yourself together, don't be a little kid about this...

He had to hold on. He had to be strong, for...

For what, really? The only reason he kept going was to bring justice to his mother's death. But this place, vast, unknown, and full of magic, made him understand how insignificant he really was. What was he thinking, really? That an ordinary kid like him could track down and confront someone who had a terrifying monster under their command?

Maybe that was why he was brought here. To bring him to his important realization. He was insignificant. He didn't matter. He should stop holding onto delusions of being able to change things.

He fell on his knees. If he didn't have his revenge, what was the point then?? What was he living for...?

Other people may:

A. Find him in front of the conspiracy board, on his knees, shaking, softly crying, his gaze empty.

B. Find him several hours later, after he calmed down, praying at the shrine.

Regardless of how they find him, for those of them who know other Ken Amadas, this one seems to be the youngest of them, around 10 years old.

Comments

[dragonprincegoro]

Oh this was going to be so much harder than it looks. "Yes, you should." He sighed. Fuck him.

"Is there anything at all that stands out to you?"

[dragon_ken]

Ken thought for a moment.

"Well, I have this weird feeling that you should be familiar... somehow. Did we meet before or something?"

[dragonprincegoro]

He shook his head. "No, but that's good." He tapped his tail on the ground again. "You probably feel like that because we are quite similar. I can't tell you what exactly you are detecting you'll have to focus on it."

[dragon_ken]

"Okay..." he said, clearly not convinced but obeying anyway.

He closed his eyes and focused on the feeling. There were several seconds of silence.

"Woah, there's actually something! It feels like... I should recognize you as something, but you're a little different than the usual thing I should recognize... this is muddling the feeling, sorry. But it also feels like I should... be wary? About something? Like there might be a dispute? I feel like there could be a dispute. Again, it's all muddy..."

He opened his eyes again.

"You were right!" he said, excitation piercing through his previous fear. "What is going on? Are you the one who did that?"

[dragonprincegoro]

He huffed, proud. "No, I haven't done anything, but what you are feeling is stepping in a dragon's territory. Kids normally get passes, but some times they will get scared off in an effort to teach them. Adults are very territorial unless you are family." or something else, but the kid didn't need to know that yet, those relationships were a bit more complex. Hoarding didn't stop at things after all.

"I feel different, which is probably because we stem from different worlds, which means our customs might differ slightly, but our instincts should remain the same more or less."

"What you feel is recognizing your own kind, being muddy means you aren't used to it."

[dragon_ken]

At first, Ken looked... kinda happy! He felt proud for getting it right, and while the stranger's complete change in demeanor was a bit perturbing, he no longer felt threatening, which was great.

He basked in that newfound feeling for a moment before realization came crashing down.

"Wait. Are you saying I'm a dragon? ...This is a joke, right?"

[dragonprincegoro]

"Where would you get that I joke about this?" He huffed. He wasn't one for making those kinds of jokes after all.

[dragon_ken]

"I mean, I'm not saying you couldn't be a dragon, but... I'm pretty sure dragons don't exist in my homeworld."

The stranger had to be mistaken. There was no way this could be true... right?

[dragonprincegoro]

He shook his head. "If you've never seen them that doesn't mean they don't exist. This isn't my only form after all." He grinned.

[dragon_ken]

"But they would have needed to hide from everyone for hundreds of-"

He stopped his outburst. It felt impossible, but... he himself saw a monster that apparently no one else noticed. Things were actually slipping through the cracks. And if dragons could really change form...

Plus, this very place showed how little he knew.

[dragonprincegoro]

There was the click in the child's head. He kneeled down, on the kid's level now. "You've seen something, or heard something, out of the corner of your eye, just barely that you can. In anyway, this is a safe place to practice what you grow into."

[dragon_ken]

The stranger was being so nice to him. It was... comforting, in the turmoil of his thoughts.

"This... this can't be right. I'm just an ordinary kid. After all, if I really was something else... if I really was a dragon- I'd know about it, right? I couldn't have spent 10 whole years ignoring it, right?"

[dragonprincegoro]

"I don't know what you could have been doing." He shrugged. "I don't know how your world does it."

[dragon_ken]

"You're right... I shouldn't expect you to have all the answers, sorry. But it feels so... impossible."

A pause.

"You're saying dragons can feel other dragons, right? So that's probably how you knew. But you also said things are differents between worlds, right? Are you sure it's not, like, that humans from my world feel super weird? I'm really, positively a dragon?"

[dragonprincegoro]

"Dragons can feel each other yes, scent is a major factor for me." he said tilting his head. "Trust me, you smell nothing like a human."

[dragon_ken]

"...I see. It's still hard to believe, but at the same time..."

He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts.

He then refocused on that feeling from earlier, now keeping in mind the explanations he was given.

...Yes, there was that feeling from belonging to the same broad kind, although it still was weird, like something was wrong (maybe because they were different kinds of dragons, from different worlds?). There was that feeling of some kind of otherness uniting them, elevating them.

"At the same time, your explanation feels right somehow. It may take me some time to adjust to it... but I guess I really am a dragon. Or at least, not human."

[dragonprincegoro]

He nods, proud once again. "It seems to be just a little bit that needs to be focused. I can help you with that. I've been a dragon all my life after all." he winked.

[dragon_ken]

"That would be really nice, uh..."

A realization dawned on him.

"Oh, we never introduced ourselves! I'm Ken Amada. And you are?"

[dragonprincegoro]

"Goro Akechi." he nodded. Oh dear, he really was responsible for this kid now wasn't he? well, could be worse.

[dragon_ken]

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Akechi-senpai. And thank you so much for your offer! I'm not sure I could manage to figure things out on my own."

[dragonprincegoro]

"Well, things are complicated." He shrugged, "If this place proves anything, it's that."

[dragon_ken]

"That's true."

A moment of silence, while Ken gathered his thoughts once again.

"So... what should I do to get started? Should I try to focus inside, like I did earlier?"

Actually, scratch that, he had a better idea.

"Oh, could you tell me more about dragons? Because, the second time I looked inside, when I knew what I was looking for, it was much easier. So, I think knowing more could be helpful."

[dragonprincegoro]

Things he could explain. Where to start? He tapped his tail again. "Alright. This might be a little advanced, but we will try it."

He took a breath. "You remember how I said this isn't my only form?" He took a step back and stretched up.

He closed his eyes as he shifted into his dragon form. Long and lanky, a mixture of fur and scales.

The transformation was pretty quick, so it wasn't very unsightly. As he peered down at the boy.

[dragon_ken]

"Woah..."

He took a few steps back. Not really because he was scared, but because of how much of the place Akechi-senpai now filled. He now had to crane up his neck to see his head, and he just was so long!

The look Ken gave the older dragon was... well, that starry-eyed look when kids find something really cool.

"That's awesome! I mean, huh..." he stalled while trying to calm down. "It's pretty impressive. Is this your true form?"

[dragonprincegoro]

He lowered himself to the ground. Then huffed a nod. "Yes, it is." He tried figuring out where his tail should go between things as he laid down, to not make him uncomfortable. Ken was so amazed with him being able to look like this and it made him be a bit prideful.