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[personal profile] nyandereneko
Word Count: 2,245

Summary: Nova stumbles into the Metaverse, unaware of the danger that lurks within.

*Author’s Note* (Updated): Okay final one of these, I guess I lied :P I'm not going to update the original notes, so they'll make references to things like reblogs and stuff because everything was originally posted on Tumblr, but I don't see a reason to/have the energy to make them make sense now fjilesjges but I want to keep them because they are part of the original works.

*Author’s Note* (Previous): *EDITED* I reread this one shot a couple days ago and aside from loving it I realized it wasn’t really at it’s best. I went back and edited some aesthetic and grammar things and now I’m reblogging it as an updated piece. It’s still the same premise of a part 1 for Nova’s first meeting w/ Ren. The monster is supposed to be an ambiguous Shadow that was just there for me to play off of. The voice Nova hears is a good thing though. I hope you enjoy!

_____

The Metaverse is a strange, fantastical place. A parallel universe, a foundational building block within the framework of infinite interdimensional space. Nova didn’t have any experience with the Metaverse, nor would she have recognized the word if she casually heard it in passing. Well, that wasn’t entirely true, considering she had heard plenty of rumors about it back during the height of the Phantom Thieves drama. A group of mysterious, rebellious youths from Japan had somehow managed to refine a method of stealing the hearts of particularly nasty individuals who would subsequently repent and turn from their wicked ways. The Thieves unique actions ended up garnering international attention. Nova had been entranced by them at the time, inspired by their heroism and obsessed with learning everything she could about their ability to freely pass between the barrier separating reality from the unknown.

Enough time had passed now, though, that the events were tucked back in her mind like a distant dream; one that she had purposefully distanced herself from. She’d been dismissed by the people around her for getting swept up in the overly produced fad, whether it had any real substance or not. As a result, she’d done her best to move on from such silly fantasies. If she heard the word today, it might have sounded like any other nonsensical worldbuilding term she encountered in books and short stories.

But all her attempts to distance herself from it didn’t matter, because she was currently standing in it. There weren’t a lot of noticeable differences between this plane and the human one. Various surfaces and buildings sometimes gave off a shimmering effect at the right angle, characteristic of the greater instability of this reality. It was a place where dreams and nightmares could be born, and even take on a life of their own. It was a place that couldn’t just be stumbled into. But somehow, Nova had.

There were a few people mingling about, cognitive counterparts of the real, living people that occupied the human realm. Their distinctions were hard to discern, even for a keen eye, especially since the Metaverse had been re-established and revitalized a few years prior. Nova didn’t pay too much attention to her surroundings in the first place, but something in the air around her seemed to shift. It was a feeling different than the uncomfortable weight of humidity or someone’s presence, and the unfamiliar sensation sent a shiver down her spine.

She walked with her gaze focused on the street, intent to avoid the people around her as much as possible as she made her way through this large, foreign city. She had come to Tokyo on a recreational trip, something that she had been wanting to do for a long time. She checked her phone out of anxious habit, coming to a halt as she registered what was on the screen. An unusual bold, black emblem atop a striking red background filled the screen, leaving the device unresponsive. She tapped the screen and the few buttons the phone had a few times, even attempting to reset it, but her efforts yielded no results. She finally raised her head to observe her surroundings, but nothing seemed overtly out of the ordinary. That is, until she noticed the presence of a less than human creature standing down the sidewalk from her.

Nova froze, her heart hammering in her chest. Should she run? No, probably not, but where had this creature even come from in the first place? Was it simply a mascot or cosplay for advertisement or entertainment? It looked positively grotesque, but even if horror and truly terrifying monstrosities weren’t really her thing, Nova knew that there were whole industries dedicated to them; they were usually pretty successful with their intended audience. She considered crossing to the next block over so she wouldn’t have to get near it, but something kept her still. She really couldn’t move, not even a muscle, and that’s when panic started to set in.

She wanted to ask for help, but she couldn’t open her mouth, couldn’t get her vocal cords to respond. She simply tightened her already firm grip on her phone, swiveling her eyes around as much as she could to take in more of her surroundings. Her muscles started to unfreeze after a few moments, and she realized that her own fear had probably been the culprit of her sudden immobility. She mentally cursed herself for having such a silly episode and took off across the street to a square on the other side. She probably walked too quickly to seem normal, but she didn’t care; she just wanted to escape these weird feelings and the increasing paranoia that continued to bear down on her.

Halfway through the square she stopped again, close to collapsing as she realized the creature had moved. It was visible on the other side of the street, pacing idly, and Nova figured if she moved she’d definitely be seen. Her head began to ache and tears pooled in her eyes as she tried to figure out just what kind of an episode she was having now. None of her current health issues caused her to hallucinate, at least not while she was awake; her nightmares usually stayed in her sleep. Other people around her began to react to the large beast, pointing to it or running away from it, although it didn’t respond to any of them despite their commotion. If it hadn’t noticed them, there wasn’t any reason Nova could think of that it would pick her out. She started walking again, quickly transitioning to a jog that was almost a run as she headed for the nearest building.

The creature roared, and Nova practically threw herself across the pavement, scrambling to hide behind the nearest wall as she locked her arms around her torso, trembling with fear. How was she going to get out of this, to get away from this…she couldn’t even ask anyone for help. She rummaged in her bag for her translation guide, the glossy book slipping from her fingers as she turned her head and saw the creature staring directly at her. It licked its lips and snarled, and Nova knew there was no way she could outrun it. She was scared, truly horrified, petrified, and helpless.

You have yet to awaken…but it’s only a matter of time. A womanly voice soothed her, speaking through Nova’s subconscious as she stared at the beast. She knew the voice didn’t belong to the beast, though…somehow, she recognized the voice as a sentient part of her consciousness that dwelled within her. You may not yet have the strength or the ability to face your demons, but the day of reckoning draws near. You have arrived. The catalyst must be set…don’t keep me waiting too long, Master.

“Stop it, leave me alone!” Nova shouted, banging her fists against her temples in an attempt to shut the voice out.

That was the wrong response, though, and Nova knew it before she’d even had a chance to open her eyes. She stared at the ground between her feet, not daring to glance at the monster she knew must have noticed her now. It was hungry for her, eager to hunt and consume. Was she going to die in her own outlandish hallucination without even getting to experience this place she’d been hoping to for so long?

The beast thundered towards her, and Nova could hear the wails and screams of the other citizens as they panicked around her. She finally started to register the things that were slightly off about the situation, like the fact that no one had approached her or responded to her, that there was no way this creature could exist in the real world, and that it only seemed to notice her. Did any of these abnormalities even matter if she was about to be devoured? She figured not.

“Joker, stop!”

“You won’t make it!”

Voices yelling words she clearly understood…what was happening? Nova kept her head buried in her hands, chalking them up to just another facet of this illusion. She was starting to hope it was just a hyper realistic delusion, considering she wouldn’t make it out alive if it wasn’t. Some voices of the crowd seemed to respond to the other voices Nova had heard, and she wondered how anyone could possibly be having a hallucination that seemed this real. For a moment, she appreciated how truly magnificent an organ the brain is.

The sound of boots scraping against the pavement echoed near her, near enough that she felt the vibration of their movement. She squeezed her eyes tighter, flinching at the bang of gunshots that seemed to fire from directly above her. She smushed her hands against her ears, a few tears leaking down her cheeks as she braced herself for whatever horrible fate was coming. Quite contrarily, the next thing she felt was arms wrapping around her shoulders and knees. Someone lifted her from the ground, cradling her against their chest, which felt stiff with thick material.

She opened her eyes reflexively, taking in the profile of the man that had literally just swept her off her feet. His gaze was preoccupied with something, and without looking at the carnage Nova realized that he was the one who had just fired the gun. He’d probably shot the creature that was threatening her. And he felt…so real. Suddenly, he felt like one of the only real things around her.

Apparently satisfied with his handwork, he shifted his gaze from the monster to her. Dark grey eyes stared at her from behind a striking black and white mask; his outfit made him look like a performer or an actor. He examined her face with an expression she couldn’t read, reaching up and brushing some of her hair to the side. His hand was also wrapped in smooth leather, this time dyed a striking red.

“Are you alright?” he asked, and although Nova wanted to say something she realized her voice wouldn’t come. Instead, her body started to respond to the shock she’d just experienced, making her shiver as she clung tighter to him. “You’re safe now, you don’t have to be afraid. Although, I am a little curious as to how you got here…”

Nova nodded as if to say ‘me too’ before tears started streaming uninhibited from her eyes. She shoved her face into her hands, embarrassed and confused and wondering just when this otherworldly hallucination was going to end.

“What a shot,” one of the voices Nova had heard a few moments before spoke, the sound coming from behind the stranger that held her. “Although we’d expect nothing less from you. Is she alright? If you went out of your way to save her, I presume she isn’t a Shadow.”

“She’s definitely not,” another voice, which sounded shorter than the rest, chimed in. “She smells just like us, like another person from the real world. But she also smells…just like us. You know. In that other way.”

“I thought you said there wouldn’t be any more people like us because of circumstances and rules and all that complicated stuff.”

“Hey, guys,” the man holding her intervened before an argument could ensue. “Let’s continue this conversation back at base. Right now, we need to focus on finding the vulnerability she came in through and make sure she gets back safe.”

Vulnerability, get back…to where? Was she not in the real world right now? Was this all a dream, or was she walking through a dream in the real world…her head started to hurt. At least she was intrigued enough to stop crying. The man holding her gave a few more orders to the others that seemed to work with him before turning his attention back to her.

“Can you tell me where you’re from, what you’re doing here, and where you need to be?” he asked, his tone both direct and polite, almost concerned. Now Nova felt self-conscious enough to blush. “I was just trying to get back to my hotel. I was walking back, I don’t know…I don’t know what’s happening to me. Am I going crazy? Am I dying? Am I already dead?”

The man chuckled. “Is this the kind of place you imagine yourself going when you die?”

Nova thought about that for a moment. “Well, I’d prefer to go somewhere with less monsters…but I don’t think I’d have a problem with it if I always got saved by someone like you.”

The man couldn’t keep himself from laughing at such a response, and Nova’s blush deepened in embarrassment. Pulling himself together, the man continued, “I’m honored to hear something like that, but you’re not dead, and it’s not anywhere near time for you to die. Tell me the name of your hotel and I’ll make sure you get back safe and sound, with no monsters following you.”

Nova rested her head against the man’s shoulder, staring at her knees. She was a little too enamored by his looks and embarrassed by her own social flub to meet his eyes anymore. “Alright, I’ll trust you to do it. But if I wake up tomorrow and there’s something waiting to eat me at the foot of my bed or something, you’d better be there to get rid of it.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Nova noticed the man smile. “It’s a promise.”


July 2020

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