Mosaic City, located along China's coast, is quite large city sometimes called the Crossroads Between Nations due to its diverse population. While it was once a large tourist spot, the city was placed under a blockade as the military appeared claiming there was a radiation leak. The true hazard, however, is much more sinister.
Post by Keystone Shrine Maiden on Jan 1, 2014 23:25:25 GMT -5
Welcome to the Keystone Shrine! This is where you can leave an offering to the gods. You will also be supporting the shrine as well as me, its local shrine maiden! I would certainly appreciate the help. You may either leave offerings or gifts at the foot of the shrine or donate money (in the form of Fate Points) to the donation box!
Make an offering and receive your fortune! Remember, every bit counts!
Fate Points Donated So Far: 8,500
Next Goal: 1,000
Thank you for the generous donations everyone! I'd like to give everyone an update as to where the money for the first goal went. That being, food for the month! I was able to survive thanks to everyone! Yay, yay! This next goal will be a bit more ambitious though, so feel free to donate lots! I might be able to make some additions to the shrine if you all do well~
Next Goal: 3,500
Again, thank you everyone for donating to the shrine! With this donation goal reached, we were able to make long necessary repairs on the shrine itself along with food for the month! Yay! Again, I've raised the bar for the next donation goal. Be sure to donate lots to make this shrine even better!
Next Goal: 8,500
That was quick! As always, I will be reporting where the money went for this donation. This time. . . I was able to get my little sister back from child services! Yay! Just remember to keep donating or they'll take her away again!
Post by Akira Nakajima on Jan 4, 2014 20:35:11 GMT -5
It was some day in the middle of some week, but it was certainly a day of a week, that a young man made his way up the stairs leading to the shrine. Now, one thing should be said here and now. This young man was not religious in any way. Gods and goddesses and other inhuman entities? Great fap material, but nothing he'd cast his faith on. No, he was a very down-to-earth individual. Humans made their own paths, regardless of the whims of some spirit. So, really, one would have to question why the boy was heading up the stairs to the shrine above. Actually, one would have to question, specifically, why he planned on making a donation. Was it just custom? Was it simply a whim? Whatever the case, he made the visit.
Akira was dressed pretty casually. Tennis shoes, baggy blue jeans, loose (and overly long) T-shirt, and a snazzy leather jacket gave him an easy-going wardrobe. The only thing that could have been overly noticeable was his overly long hair, which was tied into a glorious ponytail. But, even then, Mosaic City had been a cultural stew. With all the Asian cultures around, it wasn't too odd for males with long hair to stroll about. He wasn't one to dress to impress, but he liked to look good, at the very least. Maintaining one's appearance was a good way to be taken seriously, after all.
And then, he took out his wallet. Took out a bit of money and put the wallet back, he did. Then, casually, he dropped it into the donation box. He raised his hands and clapped them together twice. Finally, he stood there, eyes closed.
So, again. What would a man with no faith pray for?
Post by Keystone Shrine Maiden on Jan 4, 2014 20:55:13 GMT -5
Ah! A donator! Welcome to the keystone shrine! Realizing this was her first donator, the young shrine maiden knew that it was her duty to thank her first donator since being passed down the reigns of the shrine.
Breezing over the donation box a bit, but not enough that she was really "looking" she could tell that a sizable amount was left. T-Thank you for the generous donation! Stuttering a bit, the young girl bowed to the girl in front of her. She was new to her job. It was reasonable to stumble over her words a bit. But now filled with a bit of hope for her shrine, she mentally wished for this girl's prayer to come true. For whatever that wish was! And hey, maybe that girl would tell other people about their quaint little shrine. She could only hope.
Post by David Moore on Jan 5, 2014 18:34:53 GMT -5
The shrine seemed to give off an air of peace. The tranquil sounds of birds chirping and the wind blowing through the trees was about as relaxing as one could hope to find anywhere. Dave had never much liked religion. Sure, he was religious, but did not belong to a religion. Like that makes any sense. He stepped up the final steps to the shrine. The place was obviously new and not well built. Dave briefly wondered if the shrine had received any sort of donation in the state it was in.
This led him back onto the tangent of why he was here in the first place. Maybe it was because of all the weird things going on. Personas and Shadows were clearly not meant for humans to just pick up and deal with. Divine help might be useful. He sighed and wandered over to the donation box, taking in the scenery. He rummaged in his pocket and produced a neat stack of bills. He was giving a lot, more than he should, but something was urging him onwards. Maybe something would happen if he donated enough. He closed his eyes and said a prayer. The same prayer for the last several years. When he was finished, he wordlessly turned and went back the way he had come.
Amount Donated: 300
Last Edit: Jan 5, 2014 18:41:48 GMT -5 by David Moore: I'm an idiot
Profile|Home 18 years, the boy no longer
waits for love to fall from somewhere
remembering hazy figures always
fading in a heartbeat
Post by Akira Nakajima on Jan 6, 2014 2:15:03 GMT -5
Another trip up the mountain, and to the shrine, and a young man stared at an offertory box. More money to toss away to some god he didn't truly believe in. Whatever the case, he had plenty of things to worry about, so why not cast some worries over to someone or something that might be a help? If nothing else, maybe that sorely confused shrine maiden could do something. Whatever the case, the ponytailed boy, wearing casual pants and jacket, let out a breath and dropped a bill into the offertory box. Pretty big amount. Bigger than before. But that was cool. It'd all come back to him in some shape or another later. He clapped his hands together twice. Then he closed his eyes.
Post by Keystone Shrine Maiden on Jan 6, 2014 12:57:42 GMT -5
The local Shrine Maiden was busy sweeping the side of the building when she heard a slight *ching* near the front. Could it be? Quickly she raced around to find the girl from before; her first donator. She came again? And by the sound of the money, she had left quite a bit more than last time. Before she could think this over, she knew she had to thank the girl for her support. Bowing, she spoke. Thank you for the donation! And with that, she let out a sigh. Just what was this girl wishing for? Was it something so unreasonable that the God wouldn't accept it? Or perhaps, she wanted the Shrine Maiden to fulfill her wish hence it had not been fulfilled yet! That made her quite worried. What if it was out of her capability? Well, it was thoughts for another time.
Post by Akira Nakajima on Jan 23, 2014 23:47:34 GMT -5
Things had been going pretty well for a while now. Akira and the other Persona-users fought off the Grim Squeaker. Furthermore, he fixed Luka's mentality, or at least played a part in turning her towards a brighter path, and both he and she had awakened to new levels of power. For the most part, no damage had been done, outside of some asshole Shadows trying to fistpump through his chest. That wasn't exactly enjoyable, but he'd live. Regardless, they were indeed all safe. While he still refused to believe in the grace of gods or saints, he did not mind giving thanks for this fact, and, in addition, hoping for future safety for himself and his allies. That was why he had come back to the shrine again.
Of course, he wasn't in his usual clothes for a shrine visit. No, he came in drag. A singular black bow adorned his otherwise free hair. His face was framed by glasses. His white blouse was framed by a black jacket that day. The skirt was white with red trim near the bottom. Of course, thigh-highs were included- it was almost a law by that point- and his shoes were simple black pumps. By all means, that day he did look like a girl. And so, the boy in drag made his way to the offertory box. With a sum larger than his last visit, he dropped it in the box, closing his eyes and clapping his hands together twice.
Greater requests required greater offerings, after all.
Post by Keystone Shrine Maiden on Jan 24, 2014 0:04:04 GMT -5
The shrine was peaceful for a time. No visitors, in other words. Luckily the girl running the shrine was able to live off of the donations she had received in the weeks prior. She spent most of her time drinking tea, sweeping the grounds, and sleeping. Such is the life of a Shrine Maiden in Paradise. But today something out of the ordinary happened. A girl showed up. That girl from before it seemed. Oh, and she wore a skirt this time. The shrine maiden couldn't help but think she looked especially cute today. But aside from ogling the "girl" giving a donation, the shrine maiden was focus on something else. The fact that she got an -actual- donation. She was filled with excitement realizing that she may live to see next month with these newly gotten donations. Ah! Thank you for your donation! Please tell others to come visit too! She called out to the girl who seemed to "frequent" her shrine. Just what did she keep coming back to wish for? It seemed that the amount she put in doubled each time as well. Was she getting desperate, perhaps?
Post by Ringo Shiro on Jan 24, 2014 11:31:41 GMT -5
Ringo was surprised to find a Japanese style shrine. Then again, given the fact that it was on the coast of China and not too far from Japan, it shouldn't be too much of a surprise. Ringo finally finished healing off the hits he took off that Grim Reaper like shadow. He still had a few questions but he already had a pile of mysteries in his mind. Ringo walked up the shrine and looked around. He dug through his pocket and lamented his lack of funds so to speak. He spent quite amount buying his sword and armor.
Ringo looked at the donation box as he continued to dig for a decent donation. He wasn't exactly religious but he did have some belief in luck. Not to mention the appearance of Personas has convinced Ringo that they're some divine forces at work in this world. He took out his donation and placed them into the donation box before clapping his hands twice to pray.
"I'll try donating more next time." Ringo silently said to himself as he turned around to head off. He had to head off to one of those dangerous shadow filled areas today now that he found out about more of them.
Standing there, his face slightly settling into a frown, Vice wondered just why he was here. In front of a japanese styled shrine that had been asking for Donations for some deity or another, it wasn't really something that the newly minted User ever believed in. Even when the whole lock down had happened, with the appearances of not only those shadows but the personas as well, Vice was still rather confident on the whole not believing of a higher power that created them all. Sure the manifestations of such figures in history and lore were things that did appear from time to time but they seemed to stem more so from how man themselves see them to be.
Shaking his head, the slight frown on his face slowly melting into a rueful smile, the young man pulled out a couple of coins before gently sliding them into the donation area. It wasn't much, like the amount of stock he placed into these kinds of things, but it didn't hurt to try and be helpful for once in a while. Lingering there for a moment more, his red eyes looking at the structure of the shrine, the young man then gave a small bow of his head to pay his respects before turning around and heading towards his motorcycle.
He doubted Arondight would appreciate the gesture, but every bit helps supposedly.
And once more, the engine of his vehicle roared back to life and the biker sped down the roads and back into civilisation.
Donated Amount: FP400
Last Edit: Feb 8, 2014 23:52:30 GMT -5 by Vice Ysal
Post by Akira Nakajima on Feb 10, 2014 23:20:46 GMT -5
The boy had had a sneaking suspicion that something bad would be occurring again soon. It had been nearly a month since the Grim Squeaker appeared and was subsequently reaped. Something like that happening was not just random. It was the first of many events, he was sure. The longer they went without it occurring, the more uneasy he felt. Would it be that evening? Tomorrow? Next week? Next month? All he could do was prepare for it, and he knew he was much stronger then than he had been against the Grim Squeaker. Stronger, more experienced, and more capable. He lagged behind in the last fight. He was useful only because he could strike the enemy's weakness after buffing defenses. This time, that might not have been enough. This time, the enemy might have nullified fire- or even absorbed it. However, now he could match any of the healers. He could heal a group. He could heal status ailments. He even had the lurking suspicion that his newest power could heal those near death. So, while he was doing his best in terms of training, the boy did desire something else.
He wanted assurance.
Again, the boy did not believe in gods or goddesses. The only doctrine he could wholeheartedly accept was his own and Murphy's Law. Despite that, he was approaching the shrine yet again. The first time, he had come dressed normally. The second, normally. The third time, he was in drag. This time, the fourth? Also in drag. Granted, he was also casually in drag, as opposed to eye-catchingly so. A black pleated skirt reached his knees. Simple white ankle-high socks and flat pumps were his choice of footwear. This meant the majority of his legs were free to be seen, not that they suggested the truth of his gender. For his choice of top, he wore a maroon T-shirt with black crosses on either side of the piece. Over it was a simply gray jacket, left unzipped. Glasses framed his girlish face, and his hair was left untamed, swishing across his neck every other step. He was the icon of casual dress. Outside of him, of course, being in drag.
He reached the offertory box and dropped in another decent sum of money inside. Then, clapping his hands together, he closed his eyes. Regardless of whether or not there were gods to assist them, he could at least continue to hope for everyone's good health. It hadn't hurt them so far.
Amount Donated: 900 FP, for the sake of finishing off this rank.
Post by Keystone Shrine Maiden on Feb 12, 2014 14:37:23 GMT -5
A few more visitors had shown up over the course of the past few weeks. While the Shrine Maiden that ran the shrine had hoped for a bit more activity here, she was satisfied with what she was getting. She could live off of what donations she had. Maybe she could even bring her sister back to the shrine? Maybe. She couldn't say for certain right now. They would likely need to get more money.
Her first visitor came, dropping a bit of money into the box. Seemed that he planned on visiting a bit more in the near future. She waved at the boy with a smile, then bowed. Thank you! I look forward to it!
Her second visitor was another unfamiliar face. He seemed a bit older than her usual donators as well. Which, now that she noticed it, all seemed to be within her age range. This man seemed to be considerably older though. He didn't say anything to her directly. He simply left a donation, probably made a small wish or prayer or something, and left. This didn't stop the caretaker of the shrine from thanking him though. Thank you for donating sir! She bowed to him as he left. From there, the girl could here a motorcycle start up and drive off.
And finally, she came across a familiar, regular face. The girl who had donated quite a bit of money to her already. She hadn't seen her in some time, but was happy nonetheless to see her. Smiling, she bowed to the girl. Thank you for your continued generosity. She still wondered what this girl was donating all of this money for; what she was hoping to get. Maybe she would ask her one day?
Post by Akira Nakajima on Mar 4, 2014 0:42:12 GMT -5
What had happened since his last visit? A lot, really. Another successful battle during the full moon, new allies, stronger existing allies, stronger bonds- all sorts of things. Of course, their continued safety was one thing he hoped never changed. That was one reason, despite his sincere disbelief in higher powers, he continued to come to the shrine, if only for the flavor. The boy strolled up the steps. When was the last time he had come? Wasn't it around the time of the Valentine's festival? That was a fun time. He felt that Luka had grown a bit from it. He hoped she learned plenty, too.
The boy was in his usual combination of blouse, jacket, skirt, and thigh-highs. The color scheme? Reds and blacks with an overlaying gray. Shoes, naturally, were black. And, like usual, he had a sizable donation prepared for the shrine. The boy walked up to the offertory box and produced several paper bills, as well as some coins, before dropping them in the box. He clapped his hands together, closed his eyes, and began to sincerely hope- pray, even- that their continued fortune and safety would persist to the next major battle.
It was a small, simple desire, but, given their circumstances, it was heavy despite the size.
Post by Keystone Shrine Maiden on Mar 4, 2014 13:59:35 GMT -5
The Shrine Maiden was simply sitting in front of the shrine, sipping some tea while enjoying some bread that she had just bought from one of the nearby stores down in the town. She was simply gazing out into the sky until she heard some footsteps from the front of the shrine. Footsteps from the shrine stairs were just hard to miss given how quiet it was up there. So when the girl looked out towards the noise, she simply smiled. It was that girl from before.
She watched her as she left a donation, nodding as she neared. She certainly had a lot of wishes, didn't she? Just how much did she plan on lea- . . . E-Eh. The shrine maiden simply froze as she watched the girl make the donation. Paper money. More paper money. Ah, she was still going. How much was she trying to donate!? Just what was she trying to wish for? Her had froze, unable to make any more sips from her tea. She simply watched the girl make a small wish and leave. Ehhhhhh? The response finally came a little bit after the girl had left the shrine. Meanwhile, the Shrine Maiden would have to think what had just happened over a little bit.