Subtle Artistry (OPEN~)

[Ayakura Alisa]

This park kinda reminded me of... Well, actual home in a way. I lived kinda near Yoyogi Park back in Japan, and I'd often go there to do... Well, what people normally do! It's only been a couple of days, but I already learned a lot... About the fog, about these 'Shadows'... Damn, I think maybe I should work on a painting? Yeah... I'll do it here in the park. I already carried a reasonable sized canvas with my easel, it was a long trek but really, it was nothing. I preferred to stand rather than sit on a stool when I painted outside; mainly because screw bringing a stool all the way from Red Sun Heights to this place. Anyway, I had an idea for what I was going to paint today. I think I'll paint what I saw outside. Maybe that'll strike some images. Once I get it processed and uploaded I'll save it and distributed and maybe I'll get some people biting the bait. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.

I prepared my paints (I preferred to go oil on canvas usually) and immediately started work. Such landscape paintings usually took in the realm of hours, because I like to take my time with these things. I first began with the ground before anything else. I saw rocks, the occasional skyscraper... A damn load of dirt too, so I went to try and incorporate what I saw there into this painting. I planned to nab people who were intimately familiar with this environment while at the same time eliciting curious responses from those not wary at all. Of course, things might be a bit complicated if someone actually saw me and asked me about it, but I doubt it, people here didn't care too much about someone painting, instead they cared slightly more about the finished product.

Immediate and instant gratification is something we all desire, after all. Hmm. Now I just wonder if this is about the time someone's going to show up... Or, it may be subverted... Yes, I think of strange things sometimes.

[Jonathon Montoya]

"Is that supposed to be the city." Jonathon said, he'd been in the park again. It was a nice place that he'd gotten into the habit of visiting often. "I mean, it's well done, but it seems a bit...dark. I know this quarantine isn't the greatest thing, but you don't have to be that miserable." He wasn't quite sure if the artist could see the fog or not. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying add a sun with a smiley face on it, but would a shot of color hurt to add?" Jonathon paused and walked towards her. "Unless the doom and gloom is what you were going for, then might I suggest a bit of fog to darken the mood of the piece. Just an idea."

[Ayakura Alisa]

Some guy behind me caught eye of what I was painting, and said I didn't have to be that miserable. Well, geez, Sherlock, y'don't say. Of course, at the time of painting, I hadn't quite gotten to the sky yet - the upper part of the canvas where the horizon was meant to be hadn't been painted yet, though I had just about finished the ground when this guy came over and suggested it to me. The mere fact he suggested the fog to match what I was painting in the first place told me he knew what was up. I decided to paint the purple sky I saw at the time, mixed with the faint trace of... Well, a kinda murky moon I suppose. It wasn't easy to paint fog, though it was much easier to digitally reproduce it. I could do that at home if I so desired. Of course, I had to indulge the young man standing nearby.

"Yes, I was going to get to the fog, in fact. You don't need to act innocent; I've already seen it in fact. It's given me a bit of inspiration, so to speak."

[Jonathon Montoya]

Jonathon just chuckled and shrugged. "I can never know out here and there tends to be a bit of shock if you mention the fog to people who don't know. I had to move out of my house because my parents were on the verge of shipping me to some asylum or something. So, you can see it too then? Glad to know there's more people like me out there. It gets kind of lonely when I have to go around all the time and not act like there's something terrible going on that could potentially kill us all in a matter of time." He stopped, realizing he'd kind of begun to ramble a bit. "Uh, hi. I'm Jonathon, nice to meet you." He held out his hand for a hand shake.

[Ayakura Alisa]

"It's not that I can see it, it's that I saw it. I've been out there," I said, putting down my paints and paintbrush and giving the young man, Jonathon, a firm handshake. "Name's Alisa, Ayakura Alisa. Owner of the Ayakura Information Network. Nice ta' meet'cha." I immediately went back to painting after indulging him, but I felt like I could get some more out of him - he seemed like the kind of person who seemed to take things easy, but had a sure damn streak when it came to certain things of importance, such as the matter of the 'outside,' in fact it was a fabrication by the dastardly shadows in an attempt to lull the city into a false sense of security, and then make their move. I knew the guy wasn't crazy, but he could stand to cut down on the theatrics. Continuing to paint the bleak, murky, purple sky I saw back there when I was with Luka, I mused along in my head for something to talk about. "You aren't the only one trying to figure out what's out there... But judging by how confident you seem talking about it, I can only surmise you're one of those Persona-users, eh? You have to be strong to make it out there confidently. I'm not like you people, I don't have such a power," Yet, I was thinking, I went back to what Luka said.

It's possible for anyone to acquire it, I think.

Yes. Maybe I could obtain the power too. But again, I can't think too much of it. It almost sounds like an old wives' tale. "So what I do is try to inform, you know? And to be informed, as well. But try not to get in my way, eh? I tend to be a bit nasty when people get in my way. I've gotten into fights over it." I continued to paint throughout this monologue, and I think things were starting to come through.

[Jonathon Montoya]

"Wow, you're good." Jonathon said, summoning his persona card to prove her point. "I mean, I'm not totally surprised or impressed with it seeing as you told me about your information net work." He let the card disappear and shoved his hands into his pockets, walking around to stand next to her. "Well, from what I've gathered from you, you can see the fog yet you don't have a persona, and you aren't the first one I've met...I think..." Jonathon thought of that guy he met at school and shrugged. "I'm also going to guess that this Information Network of yours is, well, just you. Though I will say I am interested in joining."

[Ayakura Alisa]

"Yeah, it's just me... I worked with my parents, but they're gone. They went to the outside and then promptly disappeared. Though if you are interested in working with me. We can talk business. It would be good to get the backup of more people to solve this problem." I said, continuing to paint. I was almost done. "I don't think I could pay you for your service if I did let you in, though... I already have a difficult time as it is trying to pay for myself, eh?" He seemed surprised that I didn't have a Persona. I couldn't blame him - Shadows lurked out there, it would probably be suicide for a civilian to get in there alone. At least my parents stuck together. That might have been what let them get around for so long. On top of that... I was with someone with a Persona all the times I had explored the terminal and outer areas. I think I was fine.

"The aim of the network, as you might know, is to gather information. Any reason why you find yourself drawn to it? I am just quite curious."

Yes, this young man... He randomly mentions wanting to work with me.

I can't complain. But it seemed out of the blue...

[Jonathon Montoya]

"Don't worry about paying for me. I don't really need the money. I'm still a student and all." He said, admiring the artwork. "I just want to join because I want to know what's going on. Something happened here and now the world is slowly coming to an end. I don't want to just sit by and watch it get consumed by the fog. I want to get to the bottom of things and do something to try and fix things!" Jonathon stopped, though it had been an incredibly short speech, it had left him quite riled up. "So...please, let me join. Two heads are better then one they always say. And I want to do something to help. Please..."

[Ayakura Alisa]

Wow, are you okay young man. Geez. Don't cry on me.

"Yeah, you and me, buddy. Alright, let's work together on this. The more people we can get to help us investigate this, the better, right?" I guess I was going to accept him. By this point I was just putting the finishing touches to the painting. "Let's exchange contact information. For now, I won't give you my address just yet... It's too early for that right now, you know what I mean? And furthermore, you're still a student. Take care not to slack off while trying to solve the mystery." I thought of it as a mystery, alright. I knew what was going on, but I didn't know how to fight it, because I was still weak. That is why I feel it's in my best interest to befriend and work with Persona-users who are stronger than me. Yes... That's the best option right now. At this point, I put down my paints and paintbrush to step back and look at the finished painting.

"Hmm. Well, I think this is done. I'm going to bring it back to my place and process it for uploading, once I'm done here. I'm probably going to relax here for a bit longer."

[Jonathon Montoya]

Jonathon nodded at her stay in school lecture as he dug out her phone and put in her contact information. Giving her his he returned his phone to his pocket and watched her go. "See you around Alisa...er...Ayukara...mam..." Despite his time spent in the city, names still mildly confused him in regards to which was the first and which was the last. Shrugging he headed back to the school, smiling at the prospects of the future. He had a partner now, someone that he could rely on to help in this messed up world he was in now. He wasn't alone anymore, he'd met someone that not only saw the fog, but was willing to accept his help in combating it.