Noodle Incident II [Maria]

[Phoebe Minola]

When one is hungry and hasn't got nearly enough time and stamina to go home and cook a decent meal, Mosaic fortunately offers plenty of delicious and fairly wholesome alternatives for sustenance.

Phoebe walked into a restaurant specializing in noodles and light Chinese fusion cuisine. She was starving and had been running around all day doing errands. It was only a few days since the big fight down at the catacombs and she was still sore and stiff. Eating out would probably cheer her up. The ambiance of the place was quite nice too but holy hell it was packed.

She squeezed past some tables to the last available one, right up against the window and sat down with a sigh. It felt good to put one's ass on a chair after being on one's feet for so long. She put her hefty bag down between her feet and picked up one the menus on the table to study it. The table was for four but she was alone and she felt rather bad for any bigger parties that might enter. As a lot of people came in alone and ate at wall-mounted tables running along one side, she figured she could invite any such person to her table, given that even that little convenience was completely taken up.

Noodles seemed to be on very high demand today.

[Maria Stark]

Maria was so hungry she could eat a horse. Okay not literately a horse as that wouldn't be a balanced meal but you should get it. Maybe there was something to eat around the house. She went to the fridge and there was nothing at all to make a balanced meal with. Maria scratched her head and started to look in every corner of the cabinets in the kitchen. Nothing at all. ugh... well guess she had to go out to get food. She just hoped she could get a balanced meal. She went out of the apartment and left for some kind of random place to get food.

It eventually became a place in which they sold noodles and Chinese food. It would have to do. It was better then the alternative. She entered the place but saw that all small tables were already occupied. She just decided to look for a table which she could join. She saw a lone girl sitting at the last table. maria squeezed her way to the table. "Is it alright if I sit here?" Maria asked when she finally reached the table.

[Phoebe Minola]

Phoebe looked up from the menu to see a pretty-looking young woman with reddish hair asking if she might share tables with her. Phoebe smiled at the girl and nodded happily.

"Oh, absolutely! Please do," she said politely and gestured to one of the seats. "The place is practically heaving! It must mean the food here is real good."

She observed the girl while she got comfortable. She seemed like a rather nice person and Phoebe didn't regret letting her join her for lunch. The smell of cooking noodles and spiced dishes wafted through the air and just spurred her appetite on. Usually one could forge quite good conversations and even strike up friendships over good food. Always a bonus to dining out.

"I'm Phoebe, by the way. Nice to meet you."

[Maria Stark]

She was glad the woman was polite and friendly at her. She sat down on one of the seats to young woman gestured at. "I guess so. It's wonder, but there is only one way to find out." Maria told to young woman. It really smelled nice here, it wasn't that bad here. The girl in fornt of her didn't seem like a bad person either. Looks could be deceiving but Maria didn't care about that unless she had reason too. Which she didn't at the moment. She introduced herself as Phoebe. "I am Maria, a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Maria answered just as polite as Phoebe just did.

[Phoebe Minola]

Maria seemed really nice. Phoebe felt more comfortable with her already. With the two of them settled in the waiter came over for their order.

"Let's see... I'll have a chicken chow mein, please and some spring rolls," Phoebe said thoughtfully. "And a Zero Coke, please."

With her order placed, she thought the best thing to do was get into a bit of chatting with her table mate. "So... what do you do? I'm a sub teacher for English at the local high school. And, um, I work at a bookstore called Shakespeare & Co. on the evenings. How about you?"

[Maria Stark]

Maria waited till Phoebe made her order before making her own order. "the same she ordered, oh and water instead of coke zero." Maria answered. Maria was rather straight with her drink. Either full for taste or full for health. Water was tasted better anyhow then that Zero stuff, for Maria at least. Phoebe asked about Maria's work. She explained that she was a teacher in high school and worked at a book store. Maybe she should go around there once when she had the time. "I am a teacher too. Though I am working in the kindergarten. I also test games for my father sometimes but that's a volunteer Maria answered the young woman.

[Phoebe Minola]

Phoebe grinned happily. Another teacher! She always liked meeting other people in the same trade as her. She eyed the girl a little more carefully now. There was a certain... something in her look, something like weariness or as though she'd seen things. She had an air about her -- like a Persona user. Hmmm, perhaps.

"Fancy that! Two teachers at a table," she giggled. "Gotta give you props, I'm not sure I have the patience to deal with small children very much. I can barely deal with my older students. I love my kids to bits but sometimes I'm just straight up scared of facing them."

She cast her glance around the crowded restaurant and then sighed. "I'm worried about a lot of them, too. Some of the kids are... kind of affected by the whole perimeter deal," she grumbled. "Are the little ones the same? I'd like to hope they're faring better."

[Maria Stark]

That was surely a coincidence, two teachers at a single table. In this large town that was really not usual. she nodded at Phoebe's giggling comment, giggling a little herself. "You indeed need a lot of patience sometimes. I indeed love them too, but if we don't do it, who will?" Maria answered. Indeed she was afraid sometimes too, especially one time when she first enter the terminal.

She understood what Phoebe meant with the perimeter."My kids aren't that worried about it, but I think that is because they are not very aware yet of what's happening out there. I also think their parents keep them close these days. The children did sometimes talk about the perimeter, but their parents and teachers tried their best to keep them calm. Of course they didn't knew about the shadows, except for Maria. Who just had to keep telling the same lie over and over again. Thinking about that she looked down a little.

[Phoebe Minola]

While they waited for their lunch, Phoebe eased into the conversation. "That's the hardest part, establishing a connection with the kids. It's kind of hard reaching out and just being met by reluctance. It's probably easier with little ones. Teenagers have their own problems to stew in and they won't let you in so easily."

She wondered; how many of her students were Persona Users? How many knew? She knew that some students were Users, she'd seen and fought beside some but still. Wondering which kid might be getting out there to risk their neck fighting Shadows depressed her.

She envied those little ones. Ignorance is bliss but then again, that never sat well with her. After all, truth may never be pretty but at least it's a certainty. It lets you decide what to do next with clear eyes. She noticed Maria look down and something clicked. They were teachers. Kids inevitably turned to them when parents wouldn't answer their questions. Lots of kids asked about the perimeter. Perhaps...

"...They ask you about the perimeter too, don't they?" she whispered. 

[Maria Stark]

She knew what Phoebe meant. Teenagers would notice earlier that something was amiss and that the adults were trying to hide something. They are almost grown up too. Hell, she even met students that were persona users. Maria was pretty sure that none of her class were persona users, but the thought would be unbearable. If she knew that one of her children was a persona user she would immediately contact their parents. Luckily she never had to deal with something until now. She only realized this possibility until now. Eventually Phoebe whispered something in her ear. About that they asked her about the perimeter too. "Of course they do, they wonder just as anyone else why nobody can go to the was part of town or why they can't leave the city. That said... I feel terrible to lie to them any time." she whispered back, the last part so silent that only Phoebe could hear it.

[Phoebe Minola]

She knew! Phoebe was sure of it now. Maria must know the truth about the real condition of the perimeter. That meant she was very likely a Persona user.

"Lying to them is all we can do to protect them from what's really happening," Phoebe said equally quietly. "What's going on out there is too much for anyone to digest. All we have are imaginary means of coping. It's a war against shadows."

It was a fairly inconspicuous way of wording it, she hoped. Maria should be able to pick up the little hints about Personas and Shadows... assuming she was in the know. If not... water off the duck's back. Phoebe secretly hoped she did because that'd mean one more ally for them all.

Meanwhile, the waiter arrived with their orders and with practiced ease served the scrumptious-looking dishes before them. Phoebe sheepishly picked up her chopsticks and snapped them apart, while staring at her big bowl of chow mein. Yikes, they really didn't skimp out on portion sizes in Mosaic. Maybe she shouldn't have had the spring-rolls after all...

[Maria Stark]

Maria knew that lying was the best way to protect the children form what was really happening. "I know that, but that doesn't mean I feel good with it" Maria replied on the same tone. If they knew the truth they would panic. Panic was to be avoided at all costs. Indeed it was to much for anyone who didn't saw it themselves to understand. Who said that they were imaginary. Maybe they were there all the time, but they couldn't come out much. "Yea, but what are they up to? I bet they plan more then just roaming around in abandoned places."  She reacted, thinking up loud. She was really thinking what, but couldn't figure anything directly.

[Phoebe Minola]

Yup. She knew. Phoebe was almost certain it was safe to drop the P-word.

"Indeed. They're up to something," Phoebe said sagely and the nibbled on a spring-roll thoughtfully. "I'm afraid they might be getting into the city. Nobody seems to know what they want or what they're up to. Just that they're more or less the reason for the perimeter and the destruction of the outskirts."

"Were you present at the last full moon event?" she asked somewhat casually but still quietly enough. "I... kind of missed it. Didn't even know it happened," she groaned. "I was still new at the whole Persona thing... I heard it was quite bad."

[Maria Stark]

Maria listened to Phoebes tale about how they are up to something. "Yea, but since we don't know we can't do more then defeat them whenever they appear." Maria reacted on Phoebe explanation. She then said something about the full moon. She heard something happened but she didn't knew much about it. "I am afraid not, I awakened the day after the previous full moon. I also don't actually knew what happened with full moon. Anything you tell me will help me a lot." She told the other teacher. She did knew however that shadows were getting stronger and stronger. Was that because the moon became fuller every night or was there another reason for that?

[Phoebe Minola]

"You too? Oh gosh," Phoebe sighed. "There's a lot of us popping up all over the place. I can't decide if that's good or bad, but the more of us, the merrier."

She fiddled with her chopsticks and then took a big gulp of her cola. "Well, from what I gathered from everyone else's explanations, during both full moons in the last two months, a particularly big and powerful Shadow cropped up somewhere in the city, within the safe zone. The first one was apparently at the catacombs in the old cemetery and the second one at the school. They're apparently so powerful, it takes multiple Users to defeat them and even then it's no small chore."

She ate another spring roll. "And everyone suspects that it's no coincidence that they appeared during the full moon. That's why we're all waiting for the next full moon, to see if the theory holds. I think it's going to be pretty definitive; my dad always said 'once is happenstance, twice is coincidence and three times is enemy action'. It's almost upon us, so... we're trying to get ready, I guess. At least, I am. This time, I intend to be there to help out."

She stared at her plate quietly. "...Even though I'm scared stiff of the idea."