[Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne] "We Are Each Our Own Devil"
...AKA ganking the 1sentence themes without actually claiming them, again. I've actually got three of these sets done for Christmas in some of my tiny fandoms that need love, and the first of these is for Nocturne because it needs the most love.
Lots of spoilers, because the timeline jumps all over the place. No real pairings, and lots of characters. No attempt at timeline or ending consistency. My demi-fiend's name is Shin, and I use that instead of Naoki because I like it better. So there. :p
Merry Christmas!
"We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell."
--Oscar Wilde
01. ring
Isamu lost most of his rings and necklaces before he even got out of the medical center.
02. hero
Killing her first demon had been an accident, but all the ones that followed were intentional.
03. memory
Hijiri couldn't shake the lingering feeling that something was wrong with him.
04. box
"Here you are, doll-face," the Manikin said with a wink, taking the lucky ticket out of a box on the table.
05. run
Running was the only thing Isamu could do-- although not very well-- until he figured out that the Amala Network didn't care if you were a demon or a human.
06. hurricane
There was a poster detailing storm evacuation procedures still on the wall, and Chiaki laughed at how useless emergency procedures had been for them.
07. wings
Angel giggled and kissed Dante on the cheek, her wings fluttering even though there was no wind.
08. cold
"Why should I believe you're going to help me this time?" Isamu snarled, and he almost regretted it until he looked at Shin again and remembered how much power he had (and hadn't used on helping his friends).
09. red
His tattoos were magatsuhi-red when he stumbled out of the Amala Temple to watch Isamu summon his god.
10. drink
"You think I have money for drinks? You paid me one lousy macca," Dante said (as if he hadn't set that bet in the first place) as he sliced the top off the vending machine.
11. midnight
"Hello," the businessman in the neat suit said to the boy dressed as if he'd come from a club. "You're out late, aren't you?"
12. temptation
"I really wonder what that guy wants with us," Dante said, and it takes all of Shin's willpower and remaining humanity not to tell him what he knows.
13. view
Yuko looked out the window of her hospital room, committing the skyline to memory because she didn't know if it would be there tomorrow.
14. music
It was the batteries dying in his MP3 player that finally made him realize how alone he really was here, because he couldn't hear anyone else anymore.
15. silk
Chiaki liked Shibuya, all of the display cases shattered and the clothes shredded into tiny pieces on the floor.
16. cover
He could have probably found a shirt in Shibuya or Ginza to cover up with, but he didn't really feel the need to.
17. promise
"We'll find out more about Kagutsuchi, even with Futomimi dead."
18. dream
There are no dreams for those who follow Shijima.
19. candle
When he placed the final (first) candelabra on the altar, Shin knew he was beyond changing his mind.
20. talent
Yuko had a talent for believing lies, and that was what drew both Hikawa and Aradia to her.
21. silence
"You will not interfere with the world of Shijima."
22. journey
At first it sounded tempting, but the more he thought about it the more he realized that removing all traces of the Conception was impossible.
23. fire
He flinched reflexively the first time he stood his ground against a fire spell, and he could feel Gehenna railing at him for it.
24. strength
"I will create the world of Yosuga."
25. mask
"What, you don't think I'm beautiful now?" Chiaki sneered at him. "Would you rather I kept my pretty human face like the others?"
26. ice
Hijiri ignored him, so intent on studying the terminal that he seemed a statue except for the small movements of his hands.
27. fall
"Oh, I am so not jumping off here," Dante said as the stood looking out over Ikebukuro.
28. forgotten
It was in Kabukicho Prison that he realized Shin and Chiaki and Yuko had all forgotten about him; forgotten, because he didn't want to think about the alternative yet.
29. dance
He wasn't sure why he'd let Chiaki and Isamu drag him out to a club, because he couldn't dance like they could.
30. body
"Man, that fountain chick is totally hot!"
31. sacred
Between Angel, Parvati, and Cu Chulainn, Shin was pretty sure nothing anyone had believed before was actually sacred.
32. farewells
"I have to create the world of Musubi."
33. world
"No, Dante. There is no sushi in the vortex world, unless you want to find Forneus and make some yourself," Shin said, deadpan.
34. formal
"Fie on thee for turning thy back on me," the demon thundered, and Dante stared at it as if it were speaking Chinese.
35. fever
He really regretted not grabbing a bottle of aspirin from the medical center, but of course you never think of things like that until you're actually sick in the basement of some group calling themselves the Mantra.
36. laugh
"I swear that guy tried to sell my dad a used car once," Isamu said, raising an eyebrow, and Chiaki covered her laugh with her hand.
37. lies
"I am Aradia."
38. forever
Hijiri wanted the Amala Network because it promised power and eternity.
39. overwhelmed
"I-- if I'm not strong enough to do this, I don't deserve to," Chiaki told herself, pulling herself up from the floor and pressing onward.
40. whisper
"I want you to have this," the little demon told him shyly, and she blushed when he took the light ball from her.
41. wait
"Took you long enough," Isamu said, because he was obviously anxious to get into their attractive teacher's good graces.
42. talk
"My master is resting right now. Is there anything I can help you with?"
43. search
He couldn't find Isamu, Chiaki, or Ms. Takao anywhere in the medical center, and he didn't know why that fact didn't panic him.
44. hope
Aradia was a goddess of lies, and that was what made her so fiercely attractive to follow.
45. eclipse
"Did you hear the news report about that cult starting trouble in Yoyogi Park because of the eclipse?"
46. gravity
"I can't believe we jumped off that," Dante said, looking back up at the Mantra building from on the ground in Ikebukuro.
47. highway
He doesn't know which is worse, the ever-present dimness of the tunnels or the cycle of blinding bright and pitch dark on the open highways.
48. unknown
"It seems something went wrong in the fusion."
49. lock
The door was locked and Dante was closing in on him fast, so Shin gave up on trying to open it and bolted around the corner.
50. breathe
The only thing he still seemed to need like a human was to breathe.
Lots of spoilers, because the timeline jumps all over the place. No real pairings, and lots of characters. No attempt at timeline or ending consistency. My demi-fiend's name is Shin, and I use that instead of Naoki because I like it better. So there. :p
Merry Christmas!
"We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell."
--Oscar Wilde
01. ring
Isamu lost most of his rings and necklaces before he even got out of the medical center.
02. hero
Killing her first demon had been an accident, but all the ones that followed were intentional.
03. memory
Hijiri couldn't shake the lingering feeling that something was wrong with him.
04. box
"Here you are, doll-face," the Manikin said with a wink, taking the lucky ticket out of a box on the table.
05. run
Running was the only thing Isamu could do-- although not very well-- until he figured out that the Amala Network didn't care if you were a demon or a human.
06. hurricane
There was a poster detailing storm evacuation procedures still on the wall, and Chiaki laughed at how useless emergency procedures had been for them.
07. wings
Angel giggled and kissed Dante on the cheek, her wings fluttering even though there was no wind.
08. cold
"Why should I believe you're going to help me this time?" Isamu snarled, and he almost regretted it until he looked at Shin again and remembered how much power he had (and hadn't used on helping his friends).
09. red
His tattoos were magatsuhi-red when he stumbled out of the Amala Temple to watch Isamu summon his god.
10. drink
"You think I have money for drinks? You paid me one lousy macca," Dante said (as if he hadn't set that bet in the first place) as he sliced the top off the vending machine.
11. midnight
"Hello," the businessman in the neat suit said to the boy dressed as if he'd come from a club. "You're out late, aren't you?"
12. temptation
"I really wonder what that guy wants with us," Dante said, and it takes all of Shin's willpower and remaining humanity not to tell him what he knows.
13. view
Yuko looked out the window of her hospital room, committing the skyline to memory because she didn't know if it would be there tomorrow.
14. music
It was the batteries dying in his MP3 player that finally made him realize how alone he really was here, because he couldn't hear anyone else anymore.
15. silk
Chiaki liked Shibuya, all of the display cases shattered and the clothes shredded into tiny pieces on the floor.
16. cover
He could have probably found a shirt in Shibuya or Ginza to cover up with, but he didn't really feel the need to.
17. promise
"We'll find out more about Kagutsuchi, even with Futomimi dead."
18. dream
There are no dreams for those who follow Shijima.
19. candle
When he placed the final (first) candelabra on the altar, Shin knew he was beyond changing his mind.
20. talent
Yuko had a talent for believing lies, and that was what drew both Hikawa and Aradia to her.
21. silence
"You will not interfere with the world of Shijima."
22. journey
At first it sounded tempting, but the more he thought about it the more he realized that removing all traces of the Conception was impossible.
23. fire
He flinched reflexively the first time he stood his ground against a fire spell, and he could feel Gehenna railing at him for it.
24. strength
"I will create the world of Yosuga."
25. mask
"What, you don't think I'm beautiful now?" Chiaki sneered at him. "Would you rather I kept my pretty human face like the others?"
26. ice
Hijiri ignored him, so intent on studying the terminal that he seemed a statue except for the small movements of his hands.
27. fall
"Oh, I am so not jumping off here," Dante said as the stood looking out over Ikebukuro.
28. forgotten
It was in Kabukicho Prison that he realized Shin and Chiaki and Yuko had all forgotten about him; forgotten, because he didn't want to think about the alternative yet.
29. dance
He wasn't sure why he'd let Chiaki and Isamu drag him out to a club, because he couldn't dance like they could.
30. body
"Man, that fountain chick is totally hot!"
31. sacred
Between Angel, Parvati, and Cu Chulainn, Shin was pretty sure nothing anyone had believed before was actually sacred.
32. farewells
"I have to create the world of Musubi."
33. world
"No, Dante. There is no sushi in the vortex world, unless you want to find Forneus and make some yourself," Shin said, deadpan.
34. formal
"Fie on thee for turning thy back on me," the demon thundered, and Dante stared at it as if it were speaking Chinese.
35. fever
He really regretted not grabbing a bottle of aspirin from the medical center, but of course you never think of things like that until you're actually sick in the basement of some group calling themselves the Mantra.
36. laugh
"I swear that guy tried to sell my dad a used car once," Isamu said, raising an eyebrow, and Chiaki covered her laugh with her hand.
37. lies
"I am Aradia."
38. forever
Hijiri wanted the Amala Network because it promised power and eternity.
39. overwhelmed
"I-- if I'm not strong enough to do this, I don't deserve to," Chiaki told herself, pulling herself up from the floor and pressing onward.
40. whisper
"I want you to have this," the little demon told him shyly, and she blushed when he took the light ball from her.
41. wait
"Took you long enough," Isamu said, because he was obviously anxious to get into their attractive teacher's good graces.
42. talk
"My master is resting right now. Is there anything I can help you with?"
43. search
He couldn't find Isamu, Chiaki, or Ms. Takao anywhere in the medical center, and he didn't know why that fact didn't panic him.
44. hope
Aradia was a goddess of lies, and that was what made her so fiercely attractive to follow.
45. eclipse
"Did you hear the news report about that cult starting trouble in Yoyogi Park because of the eclipse?"
46. gravity
"I can't believe we jumped off that," Dante said, looking back up at the Mantra building from on the ground in Ikebukuro.
47. highway
He doesn't know which is worse, the ever-present dimness of the tunnels or the cycle of blinding bright and pitch dark on the open highways.
48. unknown
"It seems something went wrong in the fusion."
49. lock
The door was locked and Dante was closing in on him fast, so Shin gave up on trying to open it and bolted around the corner.
50. breathe
The only thing he still seemed to need like a human was to breathe.