(No) Country for Old Men (Nick)

[Phoebe Minola]

"Mazio!"

Antiope thrust her spear heavenwards, calling down bolts of lightning that struck all three Shadows surrounding her and Phoebe. The Hableries were struck and made ugly, frantic spasms from the hits and all of them went down like lead balloons. This particular batch really didn't like electric attacks. Phoebe took advantage of their stun and finished each one off with a hefty strike of her sledgehammer. When she was done with them, she let the head of her hammer rest on the ground and leaned on it like a cane.

Pheeww! Heavy work this, but I suppose it's the best workout! she thought.

Antiope dissipated gently, leaving her to stand in the middle of the ruined street and ponder her next move. She'd come out in the ruins looking for some stuff to scavenge and to poke around but now she wasn't completely sure which way to go. She'd been using a map of the city before the perimeter to try and navigate but so many landmarks were gone that it was pretty hard.

She stood straight, shouldered her sledgehammer again and carried on walking, wondering if anyone else was in the vicinity. She wasn't the only one who pottered on out here for fights, information, loot or all of the above.

[John Nicholson]

John was wandering through the outer circle. Blasting shadows as he went, He wasn't really doing it for any purpose, it just felt strangely natural. It was food for thought, why did it feel so normal to do in spite of is normal aversion to violence, It couldn't be because of their monstrous forms as even the humanoid shadows were blasted away without a second thought.

He was thinking about this psychologica conundrum when he heard a commotion not far from his location, Wodnering what it was, he went over to investigate. there, he saw a very uplifting sight, Another human being, standing here in this barren wasteland. Still, it could be a trap by these damned shadows. They had already proved on previous occasion to be capable of complex thought and lying in ambush with one of them in disguise didn't seem that much of a stretch. e briefly wondered what to do but decided to at least make his presence known, he could always run away when it became too suspicious. "Hello there, can you hear me?!you wouldn't believe how good it is to see someone else here for a change!"

[Phoebe Minola]

Phoebe turned around when someone called and squinted a bit, pushing her glasses further up her nose.

"Uh, hi there!" she called back.

It was an old man who frankly looked to her like he'd stepped out of one of those gritty, old school war-films her dad loved to watch. She sincerely hoped he hadn't wandered out here accidentally because he'd be dead meat. The Shadows around here were quite nasty little buggers. But then again, few people wandered into the outskirts unless they had a really good reason to... or a Persona. She kept her guard up for now to assess the situation.

"What are you doing all the way out here? It's very dangerous! Are you lost?"

He could say the same about you, Antiope sighed.

Shush.

[John Nicholson]

somewhat relieved at seeing someone else, John cautiously got closer to the lady. although he still held his shotgun at the ready just in case. After all, the fact she could talk still didn't conclusively prove her authenticity as an actual human."Well, I could ask you the same thing. And yes, I know it's dangerous out here. I noticed the shadow monsters. So, are you also out here to find out what is really happening?" He came to a halt not too far from her. Still holding his shotgun at the ready.

[Phoebe Minola]

Phoebe eyeballed the shotgun nervously. She didn't like the fidgety look of the man as he was brandishing that thing.

"Uhm... yes, more or less. The Shadows are pretty crazy. Say, could you please... please not point that boomstick at me," she said nervously. "Thanks. Anyway, I assume that since you're out here with impunity... you're a User?" she said bluntly.

If the man was, all was well. If not, she'd make up some random explanation. She was good at those. In the meantime...

"Have you seen anything suspicious? I believe I saw a fairly big Shadow lurking around. Oh and I'm Phoebe, by the way."

[John Nicholson]

John was starting to believe this Phoebe, as she called herself, was a human. He lowered his shotgun, although he remained wary, as was aways a good idea in a hostile enviroment like this. " Yes, I am an user, as you so put it. Although I stil have no idea just what happens when we 'use' this power of ours. I just go along with it." He asessed Phoebe from a closer distance, She didn't seem all that outfitted for battle, although he had long since stopped thinking about combat in conventional terms.

"So, Phoebe was it? I haven't been out here for that long so far, and if I had seen anything suspicious I would probably have bolted by now." Just as he finished the sentence, a large gigas charged into sight behind Phoebe, as if it had lied in wait just for John to say something like that. "Heads up, looks like that shadow you were talking about loves ironic appearances." He took position besides phoebe, taking aim at the shadow.

[Phoebe Minola]

Ah, another new user. Phoebe was half-glad to know there was one more to fill their ranks, but she was a bit concerned that he appeared to be quite old -- even if he did wield a shotgun.

She whipped around though when the Gigas made its appearance. "Yup, that'd be what I think I saw. Damn bugger's a big customer. We're gonna have to take him down. Please be ready to back me up!"

She tapped the floating card that she willed into existence, with her hammer, and Antiope rushed forward. The Gigas attacked, pulling back its massive arm in preparation for a powerful lariat strike of some kind, but Antiope - and Phoebe - both evaded it. The Amazon charged the Gigas as it whirled around and delivered a barrage of rapid spear thrusts straight at its chest, ending with a final, powerful strike that knocked it flat on its ass.

"Heads up, get it while it's down!"

[John Nicholson]

John looked with interest as the woman's persona utterly trashed the shadow. Being commanded to finish it off, John happily complied, blasting the gigas as it tried to get up. It didn't appear to be down for the count yet, so he decided to step up his game, the familiar card materialized, as John shattered it with the stock of his gun, he just remembered the proper name of the power he was about to use.

"Mudo!"

The familiar figure of Ippon-Datara appeared before him, striking the gigas down with a blast of unnatural darkness. John was quite sure it wasn't really necesarry to shout the name of the technique at the top of his lungs, although he had to admit it would significantly simplify any teamwork that had to be done. Either now or in the future.

As the destroyed shadow and the personas faded away, John pumped his shotgun, then turned to Phoebe. "Well, that went a smoother than what I usually achieve on my own. On another note, I have yet to introduce myself. the name's John, John Nicholson. Now, I think you'll agree this isn't the best place for small talk. So I suggest we meet up in the inner circle later." Taking a moment to envision how his week usually went he quickly continued "I'm available all throughout the week. Just tell me when and where I can meet you."

[Phoebe Minola]

Phoebe was happy that big Shadow went down easily between them. It'd been a big beast and it might've been a challenge with just her. Fortunately, Antiope seemed to get stronger with every scrap and fight they got into, and she felt more confident after every victory.

"Nice work!" she said when it was blown away. She approached her new acquaintance and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Nicholson. Always good to meet another Persona user. The more of us there are to fight these things, the better. You've got a point about the locale though. Tell you what, I work at a bookstore in Golden Alice District, called Shakespeare & Co. Come on by anytime of the week in the evening and I'll buy you the best cup of coffee you've ever had at the bookstore's cafe." 

[John Nicholson]

A bookstore called Shakespeare & Co? John made a mental note of the name. It was about time he got back home. Some days he could curse his stamina not bieng what it used to be. "Well then, Phoebe, I think I'll be seeing you later then. If you'll excuse me, I think I'll be heading home now. I'm starting to get tired and all. But before I go, What is your last name? You never told me." He said as he tried to remember the fastest route back to the terminal and into the city.

[Phoebe Minola]

Phoebe smiled at him. "Well I think I'll tell you sir when you pay me a visit," she said cheekily. "Right now I think we could both of us do worse than head on back. I'll go with you. Better not have anything jump us on the way back, don't you think?"

She'd learned to keep her cards close to her chest, so to speak, until she knew people better. She was happy to escort the old man back to the safe zone if need be, and having two heads, Personas and weapons would definitely help.

[John Nicholson]

She wanted to accompany John to the safe zone? He was more than happy to accept the offer. "Yes, let's best stay together. Who knows wether or not that gigas had any friends nearby."



The journey back to the inner circle was mostly uneventful, after they passed through the gap and back into the city, John said his goodbye and returned to his little apartment in red sun heights.