Rendezvous under Dawn (Lot)

[Ayakura Alisa]

A long length of gauze with dressing covered my head. It barely touched the region over the left part of my eye, so I was lucky that it didn't irritate my eye. I found myself sitting in a simple Western restaurant that seemed fairly cheap. I contacted the officer and told him to meet at this restaurant, called STELLA. I hoped he would make it. I didn't care if he was late this time. I slept so well, that the headache had for the most part resided. I still got strange looks from people probably curious about that patch of my head that looked mummified. STELLA itself from the outside easily gave the vibe that it was a bar. But I often frequented the place because the food and service were quite good for its cheaper-than-average cost. It only seemed unpopular because of the alternatives out there which had supposedly better food at a slightly higher cost. That didn't stop me from going to STELLA whenever I fancied eating out for a change. But I was hungry, so that's why I asked him to meet me here.

I rest my elbow on the table, clutching the bandage-covered wound.

If I have this much trouble with people, how will I be able to fight... Shadows? It was a concept that was hard to swallow. I needed help desperately. I'm glad I was able to get contact details from Luka and Jonathon. Their abilities with the Persona will greatly help me. I was also able to purchase some extra clothing to protect me better. I might be able to explore the safer parts of the Outer Circle on my own if I could get a better knife or find a way to improve Kaze-Shiki. After all, it was a keepsake from my grandmother, Ayakura Shiki. Shiki was... very youthful for her age, at least for the time I saw her. Dad told me she passed away peacefully of old age, without regret. Mother told me a story of when she and Grandma Shiki first met, they would often joke about the 'Art of Assassination.' Having been trained on how to fight, I kind of see the truth in that now.

...I was still waiting. He didn't seem like the type of guy to be late.

Sigh.

[Lot Perceval]

Lot strode into the restaurant, his head also bandaged. It was wrapped conservatively, basically forming a single solid line stretching around his head, making it look like he had a dorky headband. In addition to it, his cheek had bruised and was now a light purple color. It wasn't great. On his way here, he had been stopped by a former client who had gotten a kick out of it. He was a bit later than he would have liked. Normally he would have shown up 20 minutes early in the least, but the injury and the client had held him up considerably. Speaking of it, his head still hurt, and it was probably from the hangover. After he had bandaged his head, he had downed a few beers and went straight to sleep. The pain was definitely more manageable than the day before, but it still hurt. Nevertheless, Lot maintained a solid composure.

He glanced around briefly and saw Alisa. Shifting his way past the other tables, he sat down across from her. They had attracted looks. They must certainly look like a pair, both all bandaged up and bruised. That didn't matter now. He focused his gaze on to Alisa. "It's nice to see you again, and I'm not being sarcastic, despite the circumstances." He motioned to his bandage. "Before we begin, I'd like to clarify that I am not an actual officer. I'm not sure if this is what you were thinking, but I work in the Private Security Business, not Law Enforcement." His tone was much calmer than it had been during their previous meeting. He wouldn't hesitate to admit that she had won his respect during their spar.

[Ayakura Alisa]

"Private Security Business," I said calmly, taking care not to make it sound like I was being snarky or trying to offend. "...I see. So people hire you either as a bodyguard or as a provider of bodyguards. The former, I guess, garnering from... You know." I tried not to explicitly bring up the fight we had, but it seemed like a beating was what got him to simper down and talk as if we were equals this time. "Anyway, let bygones be bygones. Let's talk properly this time..." Of course, the way I said it made it look like we were a strange couple that got into fights, but whatever. I didn't give a damn about what anybody else thought. "I'd like to get this straight, you are skeptical about my claims, right? You do not necessarily believe the things I told you about the outside and the Terminal. It must sound rather crazy, actually. But I need to get this straight."

I think the first course of action was to make sure Mister Lot here was at ease and knew what was up. If he was still skeptical, I'd have to find a way to prove I wasn't talking bullcrap. Which might have been easier if I had taken photos during the time, but my camera's dead right now and I'm too poor to afford a new one. All I have are art pieces that may be treated more as a fabrication of my mind than any sort of legit claim that such a phenomenon actually exists. On a side note, I figured this guy was actually late because I saw him get held up by someone I didn't know. On retrospect, when he mentioned that he was in the private security business, I figured that might have been a former client making fun of him for getting beaten up somehow. His breath also reeked of alcohol.

Getting drunk was not the kind of way I'd get back from an injury like that, but I'm afraid I don't completely understand the male mentality. Hum. That's worth investigating after this mess.

[Lot Perceval]

"Right. Right. You're fine. I more or less believe your story now. Most people that talk about stuff like this wimp out after the first blow. Since you stood up for yourself, I'm more inclined to believe that what you're saying is true; or at least you believe it is true." He didn't mean that as a jibe. He was more or less believing her on her merit at this point. And that was blind trust. He glanced down at his menu and quickly perused the items. Most of it was foreign to him, but restaurants always had something a person could be comfortable eating. BLT Rissoto... thing caught his eye. A basic BLT, albeit with fancier food types, that came in addition to a sirloin in the sandwich. Seemed fine enough. He signaled over to the waitress and placed his order. "...And a glass of water." Yeah. Water was best.

He saw the woman staring at him intently. If she was an investigator, she would be sizing up his behavior right about now. He sighed. "This time, I'd like to ask that you tell me everything about what's going on and I'll try to be more... receptive this time."

[Ayakura Alisa]

The waitress was one I wasn't entirely intimately familiar yet despite my regularity at this establishment, she was probably new. Before she left I placed my order by asking her for 'the usual.' She looked at me like I was crazy. I simply told her that if she told the folks that 'Alisa asked for the usual,' they would understand. I too, also asked for water. However, I could tell that Lot wanted water because... Well, he wasted his butt off after the fight. Anyway. Alright. So he was skeptical because he thought I was a wimp. Fair enough. Common, but disgusting notions of gender roles as they stood in modern society were always reprehensible - making the assumption that women were not always necessarily tough and were subservient in nature. The only 'subserviency' I wouldn't mind seeing was in a mutual relationship of... Wait, my mind shouldn't be drifting to that subject. I digress. Anyhow, he seemed to order one of STELLA's best-sellers. That's cool. Most people and newcomers have that at least once. It's usually what determines whether they come back or not. Maybe he'll come back more often. It seems though, that from his much calmer demeanor, he's either eaten his initial thoughts about my spouting bullcrap (Personally, I think it's because I must have injured him harder than almost everyone he's fought in his life, judging from how he was the one who broke off the fight) OR... A good blow to the head set him straight. I'm hoping for the former, because I try not to kill people who at least show an interest in my work, even if it did end up in a scrappy fight.

This time, he was much more polite about asking me about what's going on. "Alright, let's try this again. So, you may or may not have seen strange black... things, I don't know if you have. But those are what we call 'Shadows.' Probably named as such because they look like solidified shadows. What lurks behind places like the cordoned Hiroshige Terminal? Mostly those things. There's a path to the outside circle through the terminal, where you will see nothing but a purple skyline and a ruined cityscape. I posted some art on it on my website too, I've no clue if you saw it. But I did," I took a sip of water as my glass came around. "I spoke with some people more knowledgeable on the environment. People who have experienced encounters with these 'Shadows.' One of them mentioned that the so-called law enforcement themselves were 'Shadows.' I didn't believe it at first, but after seeing what was outside, I was starting to suspect that was the case."

I rubbed my forehead and took another breath. "I mentioned going to the conclusion that there must be at least intelligent shadow lifeforms out there because the Shadows I saw looked... Savage. They didn't look capable of being able to orchestrate something like this, and I couldn't think of a single human being who could cooperate with these things. Then again, I could be wrong, which is of course the whole reason why I'm attempting to investigate this in the first place. My website has a post that asks people for help for a reason. Anyway, that's what I've gathered so far. I plan on going back to the outer circle sometime soon to do some more field work. I might be able to save up on a sharper knife, but at least I've gotten enough to get extra protection..."

[Lot Perceval]

Lot nodded as she spoke. Her story more or less matched with what she had said the night before, so she was at least consistent. She offered more detail this time, however. He took a second to process the information with the little he already knew. Whatever he had had seen had probably been one of those 'Shadows' she was speaking of. He had seen the art on her website, but he had assumed that it was some sort of impressionist painting of some kind. If that wa show things really were outside, then things had gotten pretty shitty.

"You said that we would have no chance against an ordinary shadow by ourselves," Lot said, recalling the previous night. He looked her dead in the eye. "So I'm going to guess you think modding yourself up is going to give yu a better chance, and it probably will. But if we're dealing with supernatural forces, you can't venture out there alone, not without someone to watch your back." He figured she had already anticipated that she would need someone to assist her. His proposal would be forward, but he didn't see a problem with it. "If that's the case, let me accompany you to the outer areas. I'm sure that with the skill between the two of us, we'd be able to make it against a few of them."

[Ayakura Alisa]

"I don't think so. Not with what we have right now," I mentioned idly and briefly as the food started coming in. My usual order was angelhair pasta with seafood. I loved that stuff, and it was reasonably cheap to come by here for food of that quality. Anyway, Lot seemed a lot calmer and more receptive to my story this time. Good. He was pretty mad about SOMETHING last night, but I'm glad to see that's fixed itself. Anyway, he mentioned that he would like to cooperate with me on the front. Well, I wouldn't mind having someone watch my back. Especially someone with a gun. I didn't use firearms and preferred to get up close and personal with my adversaries, so I don't think it would be too bad to have this guy on my side. He seemed fairly reliable to have in a fight. "Yeah, I think so too. If we can find people to work together with and form a bigger investigation crew that would also be quite nice. But that's for the long-term agenda. Besides, if you joined me, you would get to see for yourself just how bad things have become outside, right?" I asked as I started eating my food. Mmm. Just how I like it. It's why I love this place so much. "The people I was with back there were much stronger than I was, actually. If only because they had special powers of their own... I don't know if I should talk about that here though. I think it's better if we actually encountered it again firsthand. Then you'll see what I mean. Or you could find them yourself like what I did."

[Lot Perceval]

Lot smiled. She was easier to get along with than he thought. She was highly practical, not at all the psycho he had assumed she was the night before. "You keep talking like that and we might end up forming some kind of Specialized Excellent Execution Squad like in those TV shows." Lot joked. He was still coming to terms with the gravity of the situation. Humorously playing it off usually eased the tension slightly. "I suppose I should propose a toast to trying not to punch each other anymore." He began to inspect his sandwich. It did appear to be exactly what it had said in the menu. He noticed some leeks on the plate and other miscellaneous vegetables he would never eat. The bacon looked a bit weird too. He shrugged and raised it too his mouth to chew.

Definitely something weird about the bacon. Was that... cheese or something? He stopped chewing for a second to process the taste. It wasn't terrible, but he would have preferred regular bacon instead of the fancy shit. He resumed eating normally. He had paid for the thing, might as well eat it. Steak was goof though. The sandwich was easy to finish off and Lot felt re-energized by the meal. His hangover had faded a bit till he was barely aware it was there. "So when do you want to visit the outside?" He asked, taking a drink of water.

[Ayakura Alisa]

I shrugged. It was just natural to talk about something like this cautiously and making sure that things would turn out alright. After all, I don't want to end up dead. I still haven't found out if my parents have died or if they got taken away to some other strange place. Eh. I guess I can be more amiable when it comes down to the fact that, you know, I wasn't wanting to punch someone's face in. The food was good too. Just like it usually is. I ignored his random quip but I suppose I couldn't ignore it for too long, I must have found myself stifling a laugh there. Just like in those TV shows, huh? When was the last time I watched TV? I don't even remember. I think I was very young. Mother was strict about the television, so I had little idea what was on it aside from the gossip and chatter I hear about reality TV and such from impressionable kids back when I was younger. Eventually, as he drank some water( incidentally, I ended up taking a swig too) he asked me when I was going to the outside, probably with him. I had to think about that for a moment. I needed to do some surveillance and recon first before taking Lot out anywhere. Mapping out the area would be good, and I... This wound.

"Hmm... For the two of us, let's arrange a time next week, I guess. We still need to rest our heads. My head's probably still got dabbles of blood leaking out for all I know." I rapped my fingers on the table in thought. I'm not sure if I was lying or not, to be honest. I might have been, I might have not. It depends. I can be moody sometimes. And heavily impulsive. I might end up going out without him sooner or later. Or I might contact someone like Luka or Jonathon. Hmm. We'll have to see how that works out. "Are you alright with that?"

[Lot Perceval]

"Really?" Lot asked, putting his hand up to his head. "It's not like we hit each other that hard." He could barely even feel any pain from the wound on the back of his head. He'd probably be ready to take it off in a day or two. "Alright, I guess. Better safe than sorry, I suppose." He paused for a second, before realizing something he had forgotten. "We never really introduced ourselves last night. Lot Perceval, call me Lot. It's a pleasure to be doing business with you." He stretched out his hand for her to shake on their agreement. This was supposed to be the proper way to handle it. He always did it with his clients. But then again, this was a whole lot bigger than some measly street punk out to get a bureaucrat for outlawing... demon worship or something like that.

[Ayakura Alisa]

"You knocked me in the temple, sir. I think that classifies as 'painful.' Plus, my body structure is significantly more fragile than yours." I quipped as I took his hand and responded to his introduction in kind. "...Alisa. Ayakura Alisa. I can be rough when I'm angry. Sorry 'bout that." My handshake was firm, as it was with everyone who wished to engage in discussion with me. Actually, I figured this head wound would be throbbing still (maybe I should get that checked... I heard a crack) so I'll just keep this on for now. I've got painkillers at home anyway. Lot did seem very hardy, but I couldn't be sure. Taking a fall like that must have at least elicited an 'ouch' of some sort. If he didn't, he was probably nuts. Then again, he was probably almost twice my size, so I can't knock that crap. Anyway...

"You enjoying the food? I like this place. Hope you don't mind that I asked you to come out here."

[Lot Perceval]

Lot was a bit surprised at the sudden switch to small talk. He wasn't really expecting it, but this was a lunch get together. He briefly considered the food. He wasn't used to eating finer foods. A simple meal was all he ever really cared about getting. Whenever he went to a finer dining restaurant, he usually didn't know what flavors it was that he was supposed to be tasting. "I'm a man of simple tastes. A burger usually satisfies me. And don't think about it. I didn't eat anything last night anyways." He took another drink. He didn't know why, but he wanted to remain relevant to the discussion about the quarantine. "Why are you so interested in what's going on anyways? You mentioned something about losing something." That wasn't the most elegant way to put it, but it would get the job done. He took another drink. Damn he was thirsty.

[Ayakura Alisa]

It didn't take me too long to have to think about whether I wanted to answer that. I have a need to discuss it with people so they can think about whether I'm a selfish git for having a vested interest in this situation, or if they think I actually care about people. I took another swig of my water, asked the nearby waitress for some more, and then cleared my throat. "My parents went outside to investigate as well, but they never came back. So I'm trying to find them. They're probably dead, but if they're dead, I want to find out what killed them. I want to see if they left anything out there. In the process, I found out more about the 'Shadow' situation and learned that there's more to this than meets the eye. The city is in imminent danger. I can't just sit around and let it happen. My parents wouldn't approve of that; they knew there was something fishy going on with the lockdown. In fact that lockdown was a lie in and of itself, it was a way to placate the general populace with a false sense of security, when in fact, the outside world had been totally demolished..."

[Lot Perceval]

Lot had gotten the wrong impression before. She said she had lost something. He had figured she was just letting her emotions get the best of her. Her intention seemed much more methodical. Find out if they're still alive, or find out what killed them. It was a natural goal. He would have still disapproved if she had confirmed that she just wanted to get back at whatever hurt her. He nodded. "Those are good reasons. I definitely misjudged you before. I'm sorry." He paused for a moment. "I think this whole situation is really shitty. It's... not right to deny all these people their freedom just so you can... prey on them. It's dehumanizing. It's sick." He said this calmly, with only a note of irritation in his voice. He looked around the restaurant, as if cataloguing each person he would have to rescue from whatever was happening. "How does something like this even happen? Isn't this kind of stuff supposed to stay in those old fairy tales?"

[Ayakura Alisa]

I shrugged to his seemingly aimless quip. "I don't know, man. That's why I want to get to the bottom of this. It could be something serious; if we're being put on lockdown here by things we can't even begin to understand. But I feel it's going to be very difficult. That's why it's good to stick together. Well, I'm relieved you understand my position now. Things were quite different before, huh?" I said plainly, having just finished my food. I drank some more water and stretched. I just hoped that he wouldn't get himself into something stupid as well, like I might possibly do in the future when my desperation ends up kicking in. "So, you need anything else answered, or are we done talking for now? We can always contact each other through other means as well if necessary."