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 Ayakura Alisa on Jan 14, 2014 2:42:27 GMT -5
I had a spare jacket back at home. Just... that my kimono's still ripped. Ugh. I really liked this kimono too... Maybe it means I'll need to get a wardrobe change. Yeah... That seems alright. Anyway, I found myself waiting in front of the terminal. I strung my bow and quiver along my back, and kept my knife secure. This time, I was going to drag somebody else along. I didn't want to do this alone anymore. Not after I got injured by those freaking hand things. I looked down and noticed my kimono had splotches of red down where my leg was, because I got jabbed there. Walking hurt and I was surprised I even managed to get my ass down here. I decided I'd give Seiji a ring. He seemed reliable enough, even if he did seem a bit scrawny. He'll surely do well for me, right? Yeah? Ah well, here goes nothing. I got my phone and typed in a message.
Yo, Seiji.
I'm going outside again. Bad run-ins with Shadows mean I'm not doing this stuff alone anymore, when you see me you'll know why. So, why don't you come with me? Might find something interesting. Meet me by the terminal. I'd ask you to go straight to the outer circle, but communication by phone is disabled in the outside. Try not to be too late. Thanks.
I stretched as I sent the message. I hope he'll turn up. His brother be damned, who I haven't actually met yet. Ah well. I'm sure he doesn't give a damn.
Post by Seiji Dalton on Jan 14, 2014 2:54:32 GMT -5
Lounging around at home and nibbling on leftover pizza from the night before, Seiji sat trying to get into one of his roleplaying games as Takeda had his fun at the bar. Right as he finished creating his character (which usually took him a while) in one of his post-apocalyptic roleplaying games, his smartphone buzzed and vibrated from its spot on the mini-fridge beside the the love seat. Picking it up and going to his messages, he saw that it was from Alisa. Alisa...he had a feeling he knew where this was going. Before he even read the message, he jumped up, rushing to the medicine cabinet as he carefully unscrewed it and took it down, retrieving the electric bastard sword, his usual jacket, and the scooter battery that powered the little gadget. Slipping them on and grabbing up his backpack, he finally took a moment to read the text as he was running out the door.
Yo, Seiji.
I'm going outside again. Bad run-ins with Shadows mean I'm not doing this stuff alone anymore, when you see me you'll know why. So, why don't you come with me? Might find something interesting. Meet me by the terminal. I'd ask you to go straight to the outer circle, but communication by phone is disabled in the outside. Try not to be too late. Thanks.
The terminal...that wasn't the usual way he went in. A smile crossed his face at the thought of finally putting his Persona's power to use for more than just practice fights. Pangs of concern welled up upon reading between the lines and realizing that Alisa had probably been injured. As he walked through the back alleys towards the Terminal, he swiftly began moving his fingers across his touch screen.
I'm on my way. I'll be there soon.
It was short and to the point. Seiji felt that neither he nor Alisa wanted to waste time on this. The game was afoot. People were still out at that hour, so Seiji had to be careful to avoid being seen with a bastard sword in a leather scabbard at his side. It took him a few minutes just to be safe, but he eventually made his way to Alisa. His murky eyes quickly noticed the splotches of red in her Kimono. "Hey there, Alisa. You ready?" He wasn't going to waste her time by asking anything silly like if she was really up for this. She was older than him and she probably knew her limits, so if she felt she was good to go, he wasn't going to question it.
It was time to do more than sit around sharpening his Persona's skills up.
"Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad."
"How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, or you wouldn’t have come here.”
Post by Ayakura Alisa on Jan 14, 2014 3:00:06 GMT -5
My phone buzzed and got a message from Seiji, mentioning that he was on his way and that he would be there fairly soon. Stepping forward made me wince a little, but I think I was still alright. I just wouldn't be able to run. Guh. Freakin' Shadows. Really a nuisance. Chidori and Ran both had healing magic... Did Seiji too? It would be nice if he did, but if he didn't... Beggars can't be choosers I thought to myself as I soon made my way past the police tape and by the stairwell into the terminal. "I'm ready. This is the path I take. Straight beeline. We'll take on any Shadows if we see them. Don't mind me if I can't run; I let myself get stabbed by one when I went to the Sewers. Come on, let's hustle." I forced myself to smile and hide the immense pain trying to walk brought upon me. Fortunately, I could still use my arms, so I could support Seiji with my bow if necessary. Close combat though... Probably not the smartest idea.
It was not until I looked closer at Seiji that he had a giant bastard sword on his person. "You can carry that thing?" I soon mentioned. "I'll be counting on you, then. I don't have the same power as you, but I've got my own weapons. I'll help you out as best as I can."
Post by Seiji Dalton on Jan 14, 2014 3:14:33 GMT -5
Concern was apparent from Seiji's expression as he looked at the wound again. "When we get back, I can get Takeda to have a look at you. He has a healing spell...wish he could've come along. But don't worry, if I have my way, you won't get hit. I'll take point since you're using your bow." Stepping in front of her, he gazed into the dimly lit depths of the terminal and didn't hesitate for a moment to start walking. His left hand rested on the grip of the bastard sword. Listening to Alisa's comment on his weapon of choice, he couldn't help but smile. He was a lot stronger than he looked, or so he liked to think. "I believe I mentioned being on the Kendo team...it transitions pretty good to actual swordplay. Don't worry about me."
Luckily for them both, the first stretch of the trek seemed to be uneventful. At the most, it was just like an excerpt from a cheesy paranormal movie rather than a tense run-in with shadows. An occasional growl would be heard in the darkness and Seiji would flash his light. By the time it got there, whatever had made the noise was long gone. If something was trying to scare them, they were failing magnificently with the fool. Off in the distance, the sound of a lonely train moving on its tracks could be heard. It was an eerie place.
Turning his head to Alisa as he walked, he asked, "How much furt-"
Literally mid-sentence, a slithering maya jumped from the depths, its form making a grab for the human that seemed to be the weakest. Unfortunately for the creature, Seiji was as good as his word and with remarkable speed he drew his bastard sword and slashed its mask clean in half. Electricity crackled, illuminating the terminal a stark electric shade of blue for a few moments. The shadow rolled on the ground a bit before finally stopping, its life snuffed out. His instincts had been heightened by weeks of fighting the shadows. At the beginning of his 'career', perhaps they'd have posed a challenge, but having a Persona and being in direct contact with creatures far stronger than the maya had ensured it stood no chance. Keeping the sword out in case something else came out at them, he looked back at Alisa and said, "Let's keep moving...they'll converge if we stay in one place too long."
"Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad."
"How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, or you wouldn’t have come here.”
Post by Ayakura Alisa on Jan 14, 2014 3:29:33 GMT -5
I limped as fast as I could along the way. Seiji mentioned the name 'Takeda,' that must be his brother. Apparently, he has a healing spell. Anyway, he expressed confidene in being able to make sure I don't get any more injured than I already am. I'll hold him to his word. These things hit like trucks. It might have more to do with the fact I have less power without a Persona, though. Or not. I really didn't know, but it was probably something worth investigating. Seiji mentioned being on the Kendo team as well, and saying that it was a fairly good tool to transition into actual swordplay. Well, I'd just hoped he backed up his bark with a strong bite. I heard a train move on its tracks, but decided to ignore it. Paranormal activity wasn't necessarily my area of expertise, though I'd hoped we didn't need to see it, or that we didn't see it at all. Seiji asked me how much further we needed to go, but before he could finish his question, he lunged at something next to me. Before I could turn and react to my assailant, Seiji had already struck it down with his blade, which I noticed was crackling with electricity.
Was it a modified weapon? It seemed to be. Modified the same way I could modify my gear with the trinket I bought from Ran. It turns out Seiji struck down a masked shadow, similar to the ones I battled at the executive building. "Thanks," I said to Seiji quietly as I winced, continuing to limp. "We're not too far from our destination. At our pace we'll reach the end in about five to ten minutes. I'm going as fast as I can." I nodded as Seiji commented on the Shadows soon converging if we didn't make haste. Well, I didn't get asked to have my leg crippled by demonic hands from another world. Anyway. Seiji continued to go forward, though I knew the direction better than he did. As we continued forth, I noticed a strange pair of red eyes in the distance creep from the side up on Seiji.
"Tch, just as we're almost there," I called out. "Watch out!"
I strung my bow and shot an arrow seemingly into the darkness, but if you shined a light in the general area, you would definitely see the arrow imprint itself into something. I could see in the dark and clearly saw the outline of yet another masked shadow as it was about to try and ambush Seiji. In the distance, I could see a faint light that signified the exit. "There! Exit! Take care of that thing I shot!"
Post by Seiji Dalton on Jan 14, 2014 3:42:06 GMT -5
"This certainly beats the sewers." Whether or not Seiji was serious with that statement was up for debate. Regardless, he kept pace with Alisa to make sure that she was protected by his body at least on one side. Gripping his sword, he heard Alisa scream watch out as she strung an arrow and shot it towards the all-encompassing darkness. At first, he thought she had just wasted an arrow on empty space, but turning his flashlight towards where she shot the arrow revealed a terror. It was another mask wearing shadow, smiling up at him from beneath its veneer. The thing had been trying to sneak up on him and damn well would have done so if Alisa hadn't saved his skin. Waving his sword menacingly at the shadow, he hoped that it would leave them alone for just a bit long as Alisa advanced past it. The exit was just ahead.
Not wanting to waste any more time, he lunged forward again, feinting and slashing at the air just behind the shadow. Just as he predicted, it backed away, right into the path of his powerful attack. This one wasn't quite as affected as the last Maya, probably because it didn't have a weakness to electricity. That was fine, the night was young and he had a full stomach. These shadows seemed like the foreplay for the main event waiting for them beyond the exit. The shadow tried to launch an elemental attack at them. Fearing the worst, Seiji blocked the wind spell with his body, being forced back but not falling down. It hurt, but it didn't hurt enough to get him down.
Compared to the punch the Gigas had given him the other night, it felt like a kid was hitting him with a flyswatter.
Once again, he slashed at the shadow. Electricity spread throughout its body, sending the shadow into convulsions as he attacked it again and again until it stopped moving. Staying in pace with Maya, Seiji said little now, his eyes peeled for more shadows as they drew close enough to the exit to see the purple tinted sky that waited beyond there. They had made it past the first leg.
"Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad."
"How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, or you wouldn’t have come here.”
Post by Ayakura Alisa on Jan 14, 2014 3:49:39 GMT -5
"Well, I think we are home free," I mentioned idly as Seiji put down the shadowed mask that attempted to attack him. "Let's keep on going." Seiji and I had quickly made our way to the outside. Well, the terminal I think was a much faster way to get to the outside than making use of the sewers. Judging from the boy's quip on how that beats the sewers, I think my assessment was partly correct. It was a lot safer too, and on top of that you didn't risk falling into literally shitty water. I guess what you DID have to worry about was the possibility of a rogue train, and I flashed back to what Ran said - functional vehicles weren't at all what they seemed to be. It was safe to assume then that such vehicles were actually Shadows in disguise, and that train I heard earlier might either be a Shadow or a train operated by one. That was something I did NOT want to investigate. Some things are much better off left unknown.
Anyway, we had reached the outside and I took some breaths for a bit as I limped. "This is the path I usually take to the outer circle. I entered the executive building myself but I had to leave as I got into a run-in with some shadows and was beat up pretty bad. Lacking a Persona might be my biggest liability yet. Anyway, shall we start our search? Hopefully, something interesting could be found."
Post by Seiji Dalton on Jan 14, 2014 3:59:15 GMT -5
Listening to Alisa's words even as he focused his attention elsewhere, he gazed up at the executive building. The angle was totally different. They'd exited in a totally different part of the western ruins than he was used to, but he quickly mapped out the area in his head using the angle of the building above. The bit about the Executive Building intrigued him considering his own experiences within the building. Sticking close as he set off down a fog-addled street, he finally spoke up after maintaining a watchful silence for some time. "A few days ago, Takeda, myself, and a third boy I didn't know encountered a particularly strong shadow within the building. It gave us all quite the bruising. We defeated it in the end though, thankfully. If I hadn't explored the building thoroughly up to the barriers, I'd suggest we head there, but...no. Where would you suggest we look?"
He was curious to hear what she would say. He knew the places he would look and why he'd look there, but he wanted to get a feel for how Alisa handled herself out 'in the field', per se. Of course, he was ready to attack anything that looked at her the wrong way at a moment's notice. The shattered remains of buildings surrounded them, some standing out as noteworthy, some tucked away, and some looming no matter where they were like the executive building. The red mist that surrounded them always made Seiji uneasy. With two people wandering the streets, he felt the a malevolent presence lurking beyond their sight more clearly than he ever had. Either there was a large number of shadows or something particularly nasty had taken an interest in them. As if preparing for another fight, he began flexing his right arm as he waited to see where Alisa would take them.
"Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad."
"How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, or you wouldn’t have come here.”
Post by Ayakura Alisa on Jan 14, 2014 4:20:53 GMT -5
Seiji recounted his last experiences here in the area, mentioning how he, his brother, and another stranger encountered an unusually powerful Shadow inside the building. Had that shadow found me all alone, judging from his comment, I might have been dead by now. Instead, I was thinking about surveying the area outside the buildings. I hadn't actually done so, I had opted to, at the time, rush in to the building because it seemed safer to be inside alone rather than be alone outside. He suggested he wanted to explore some of the buildings but retracted his statement, perhaps thinking I would be a liability in the search due to my lack of capabilities in battle compared to other Persona-users. Well, he's fine to think what he wants. I decide to take him further on ahead.
"We're surveying the outer areas of this part of the circle. I'm sure there are things in the wreckages, rubble or debris that might prove to be useful. I may also be able to find clues regarding the current situation. If we explore a building, we might bite off more than we can chew, especially since I realize I'm a liability with my current injury. Anyhow. Let's get a move on." I gestured for Seiji to stay nearby, taking him to the outskirts of the building area, towards where I reckoned there would be the invisible barrier. In this part of the outer circle were many destroyed houses with destroyed furniture inside, though in the case of the odd occasionally untouched house, everything inside it was wrecked and very little was kept in-tact, though drawers and such could be easily opened and closed.
"Let's take a look at the wrecked buildings first. We might find things left behind by the former residents or workers here."
Post by Seiji Dalton on Jan 14, 2014 16:57:12 GMT -5
The tension in the air was palpable as they explored the destroyed streets scattered throughout the area. The destruction certainly didn't look like it was caused by a radiation leak. He never ventured far from Alisa, staying by her side like a knight protecting his charge. "What d'you think happened here? Well, besides the shadows." If all the damage done to the area was inflicted by the raw destructive power of the shadows, Seiji suddenly found himself very worried at the prospect of fighting them. His senses were always keen and alert as he scanned the fog. There weren't any shadows worth mentioning nearby, just little scamps and weaklings that wouldn't attack unless they had numbers on their side.
Seeing some houses be in tact proved stranger for Seiji than seeing homes destroyed at this point. Scratching his head, he felt drawn towards one such two-story home. It was a foreign style, distinctly European with a balcony with a dim light glowing from inside. Call it a hunch, but Seiji had a feeling about that house. "Here's as good a place to start as any. I don't sense any shadows, so I think we'll be alright to head inside." Assuming she didn't protest, he opened the door and stepped inside after finding it unlocked. Stepping inside, he made sure not to wander far from Alisa. Despite the home obviously being abandoned since the beginning of the blockade, it had a certain lived in feel lingering. It was the strangest thing, and Seiji couldn't quite put his finger on the source of the feeling.
His expertise with looking for things in the outer circle had so far involved finding good loot valuable looking things, so he followed Alisa's lead considering she was probably a better investigator than he was.
"Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad."
"How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, or you wouldn’t have come here.”
Post by Ayakura Alisa on Jan 14, 2014 20:14:58 GMT -5
Yep. Everything here was veritably destroyed. Seiji had stayed close to me it seemed, I guess he was taking the whole 'help me out and keep me alive' thing rather seriously. That's good. Taking one's job seriously is a good habit to have. Anyway, I was thinking about it when Seiji asked if anything had actually happened to cause this. Well, aside from obviously the sudden influx of Shadows. It was hard to say, honestly. "Could there have been a bombing of some sort? ...Hm, no, that wouldn't make too much sense. Some Shadows could have been affected as well if that were the case." I thought out loud as Seiji decided it would be a good idea to head inside a strange two-story home that was distinctly European in design. Huh. Okay, I suppose we can start there. I entered the building that seemed to be reasonably in better shape than its other... housey brethren, and found it wasn't that dark inside. Hmm.
Looking around, there were papers strewn everywhere and upon further inspection, I had noticed that these were all reports about... things. Hmm. Reading the reports quickly I realized that some of them had a familiar handwriting. "Hmm... Wait a minute..." Continuing to skim and read and look through reports, I discovered that some were actually left behind by mother! Yes, this was unmistakenly her handwriting. Mom and dad must have stayed here for shelter whenever they were tired. That must have meant that they survived out here for some good deal of time. "There are reports here on the general area and the Shadow population written by my parents here," I said. "I'm going to take some of them back home when we're done here. Shall we go up to the second floor then?"
I think we hit something big. Well I did, anyway. I don't know about Seiji.
Post by Seiji Dalton on Jan 14, 2014 21:18:33 GMT -5
The papers that Alisa found were of...great interest to Seiji. "Your parents?" He asked, trying to remember if she ever talked about them in her blog. "Well...let's keep looking. If you don't mind, could you e-mail me copies of those reports once you've sorted them out later?" He certainly hoped that he wasn't being too pushy, but if her parents had made any headway concerning what was going on, he wanted to know. Quiet as a mouse, he climbed up the stairs with his bastard sword out. He still didn't sense anything within the house but he had to be careful.
Unfortunately, the area was about to become a whole lot less safe. A deep ominous feeling welled up in the pit of Seiji's gut. At least whatever was going to show up did so before they explored the second floor of the home. Looking back at Alisa, he motioned for her to follow him and made towards the balcony. The glass doorway was closed, but outside he could see several figures moving down below, lurking around the house. Suddenly deadly serious, he turned to Alisa and whispered, "I'm going to open this door and get their attention. After they're focused on me, it'll be safe for you to move to the balcony and cover me with arrow fire."
Before moving out, he gave Alisa a moment in case she wanted to protest or suggest an alternative. Considering the street below them seemed to be the only way out, he seemed to thinking fighting would be their only option. Plus...he wanted to stretch his Persona 'muscles' again.
"Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad."
"How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, or you wouldn’t have come here.”
Post by Ayakura Alisa on Jan 14, 2014 21:28:29 GMT -5
The balcony? Well... O-- Hmm. Well, that's going to be a problem. Looking down from the balcony I saw a few strange figures lurking around below... I didn't know what the figures were, they were too fast for my eyes to keep track of. But they were prowling and they probably wanted to get us. I sighed. Just great. The only way out was below. There was no backdoor in this freakin' antiquated house. Seiji suggested he would fight them from below and I would shoot at them from up here. Okay, sounds like a fair plan. It's not like there was any other alternative. And it was then I realized they probably went INSIDE the house. "Fine, I'll stay here and cover you. But don't do anything reckless. Swinging that thing around in close quarters is going to wreck a thing or two," I said as I put down the stack of papers I was holding, preparing my bow again. "Be careful, and you'd better not treat this as a work out. That'll just make you overconfident." I sighed, almost in a lecturing manner.
Post by Seiji Dalton on Jan 14, 2014 22:14:15 GMT -5
With the shadows fast approaching, there was no time to waste. Rushing off down the stairs, Seiji saw a few of the cute looking cherub shadows flying about in the house. Slashing at one of them with his sword, he soon got their attention and the attention of the other shadows that had already gone into the house. Holding the sword loosely in his right hand, he pursed his lips and brought his left hand up to give a high whistle that certainly got the attention of the shadows in the area. None of the creatures advancing on Seiji as he moved out into the street seemed particularly strong. As predicted though, they had numbers on their side. Looking up at the balcony, he drew into the his resolve to protect others and drew forth power from the sea of his soul. Floating above his hand, a blue card floated down like a falling leaf.
With a savage blow from his sword, the card shattered and a sound like wine glass breaking resounded down the street. In a massive gush of blue light, Sir Gareth came forth, floating just above the ground and holding his greatsword in both hands. The knight's brilliant armor shined bright against the darkness. Holding the weapon aloft, a great bright light covered the area and focused on the shadows. Almost all of them got pushed back with a few dying just from the first blow. "Persona!" Seiji felt compelled to say as both he and his Persona dove into the crowd of shadows with their weapons. An overly eager Maya rushed him, ready to devour a soul that the shadows probably found irresistible. Dealing a deft blow, he hacked through its mask as several of its brethren rushed Seiji to take the place of their fallen comrade. Sensing that its master was in danger, his Persona jumped between him and the shadows. The unlucky cherub in front found itself on the receiving end of a slashing attack that only seemed more powerful with the moon shining so brilliant in the sky.
Turning towards the balcony, Sir Gareth focused his energy and used Tarukaja, imbuing all three of them with increased attack power. Seiji's muscles felt empowered by his Persona's strength. Finding himself momentarily distracted, he turned and saw another Maya lunging at him.
"Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad."
"How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, or you wouldn’t have come here.”
Post by Ayakura Alisa on Jan 14, 2014 22:23:19 GMT -5
Strength in numbers, huh? Well, whatever. It appears that there are two methods to invoking one's Persona - the first, is to utilize a gun implement that worked by pretending to shoot yourself in the head with it, assumedly it would induce trauma or a psychological shock that forces one to tap into themselves to call their Persona. The second, as how Seiji would demonstrate it, is through the use of a card, either cracking it or calling it forth directly from one's inner self to draw it out. I see. This would be interesting. Anyway, Seiji just dove forth with seemingly reckless abandon, probably relying on his Persona to give him the strength to tank through it. As he hacked and slashed his way through the group of Shadows that rapidly approached, I saw him, or rather, his Persona utilize some sort of magical enchantment on us that seemed to... almost make us feel stronger. I could feel my arms start to throb a bit, a newfound power surging in me.
Was this the power?
Trying not to mull over the implications of this magical ability, I saw a masked Shadow appear, from the reports I read before this encounter, this particular Shadow was called a Maya. From the moment of weakness Seiji displayed as he attempted to buff us up, a Maya had snuck up on him... Taking aim, I shot the Maya straight in between the eyes, causing the mask to crack cleanly before breaking apart and dissipating. Bull's eye. A Shadow shaped like a little cherub entered from the window nearby; finding confidence in myself from the spell of Seiji's Persona, I jammed my knife into the Shadow without so much as even looking at it.
This power was amazing.
I could hear a thud as it fell; while it was still alive, I stomped on it for good measure, into black dust. "How many of these things are there?!"