Breaking News [CJ]

[Phoebe Minola]

Phoebe hadn't wandered into the western ruins in a while. She figured she might as well poke around a bit and investigate, possibly salvage any useful scrap she could find. She'd made a point to go look for a bit of a fight every now and then in order to get in better shape and be better prepared for the potential future battles. Everyone was fairly sure that the next full moon was gonna bring about something big and nasty and she was determined to be there this time.

She climbed over a small pile of rubble -- the entire side of a building that had collapsed into the street. This particular section of the city had taken quite the bad beating since the perimeter dropped. It was hard to even orient one's self using old landmarks.She'd come to rely mostly on a compass she'd bought to make sure she didn't get lost when she wandered out here.

Interestingly, often enough she'd run into other people doing the same as her. Other Users who came out here to test themselves, salvage scrap or whatever other reason brought them here. She rarely approached them even though she wanted to, too timid to really approach another User that might upbraid her for her appearance and approach to the whole situation.

[CJ Jackson (TechChris)]

Spent and battered, CJ dropped to his knees. The flying serpent hovered above him, as if ready to strike again, yet looking just as tired as he did.

"Persona..." he whispered, "Why did I say that?"

It was certainly an interesting creature... It had the body of a snake, the head of a dragon, and the wings of a bird. And as it floated there idly, it had its own tail in its mouth.

I am Uroboros Ophis! a voice in his head echoed.

CJ was taken by surprise! Was the serpent talking to him? In his head?

I am thou, and thou art I! Uroboros added.

He had a thousand questions to ask the serpent when it suddenly dissipated into specks of blue light, reforming as a tarot card with a soft blue glow. CJ watched, dumbfounded, as the card descended in front of him before it too faded away.

He should have been utterly bewildered by what had just happened, mad at the tail-munching snake for leaving before it could answer his questions... And yet he felt as if he had the answers already, as if Uroboros Ophis was still there... Something in his very being felt right.

He pondered on the word he had said before - Persona - the word that caused Uroboros to appear before him... The psychological term was all too familiar to him. A persona is the façade one presents to the world, the mask one hides one's true nature behind. CJ was all too versed in the employment of personas in that sense. But what if it was different? What if it was not hiding one's true nature, but representing it?

"Of course!" he thought out loud, "It's bloody obvious!"

[Phoebe Minola]

From her elevated observation point, Phoebe scanned the area as best she could. She'd made it a habit to use high ground to inspect territory every time she wandered out into the ruined perimeter, just to be on the safe side. While doing just that, she noticed something in the distance. Not too far away but enough that she wasn't sure what she was seeing in the gloom of the purple sky. She squinted and to her surprise, saw a person, kneeling in the middle of the ruined street.

Bloody fool, what are they doing in the middle of Shadow stomping grounds? she thought and hurried to climb down from her observatory.

She made her way towards them, dodging and weaving through rubble. As she came closer she could see them more clearly. It was a man, pretty tall from the looks of it, with a scruffy look and he was sitting there on his knees, looking dazed and thoughtful. He didn't seem to be hurt but at the same time he looked 'miles away'.

Is he... pondering? Phoebe thought, incredulous. We're in the middle of a Shadow-infested wasteland and he's just sitting--well, kneeling--there ,PONDERING!?

She hurried over to him before any Shadow had the chance to stumble in and eat him, just as he started talking to himself. Lovely, she hoped he hadn't lost it.

"Uh, exactly WHAT is obvious?"

[CJ Jackson (TechChris)]

"Χριστός τζαι Παναγία μου!" CJ cursed in utter shock.

He wasn't expecting to see anyone else out here. He certainly wasn't expecting to see a tall, chubby sheila in baggy casuals. The fact that she interrupted his train of thought annoyed him somewhat, now that the shock of being caught off guard had worn off.

Then he realized that he'd been a complete idiot. It was only moments ago that he'd been attacked, on this very spot and instead of doing the sensible thing of heading to safety, he sat--knelt, actually--in the middle of the street, pondering terminologies and talking to himself, like a half-crazed git!

Well done, CJ, bravo, he thought, what a way to make a first impression!

It was clear to him, from her expression, that she thought he had a few screws loose. However, there was also genuine concern there, as if she was here to protect him. He noted uncertainty, too, as if she wasn't confident at all in her ability to protect him. There was one more thing, though: recognition. There was a chance she knew what he had just been through, and maybe even about this whole "Persona" business. Perhaps it was another bit of good luck.

"G'day, miss," he said, putting on his winning smile, "A lot of strange things just happened to me. A bit too much to take in, if I'm honest..."

He tried to offer his hand for a shake. It felt much too heavy to lift. It took him a few seconds before he gave up.

"Introductions don't really work without a handshake, do they?" he added, with a little chuckle, "Oh, well. We'll make do without... Name's Christopher Jackson, but you can call me CJ."

[Phoebe Minola]

Phoebe sort of stared when he blurted out that Greek. In fact, she knew that dialect. She blinked.

Did he just blurt Cypriot at me?

"Dude, are you alright?" she said, staring at him in confusion.

She rather recognized that sort of weakness and befuddlement. She'd had the same symptoms after awakening to her Persona. Fortunately he didn't seem to be very hurt, just exhausted. It'd be easy to get him out. By all accounts, it looked as if he'd just awakened to his power. Still, very interesting reaction. He appeared to be quite alright with the whole ordeal (power to him, actually; she'd just gone and utterly lost the plot when she got home) and didn't look like he was very distressed, which was good news. She'd met quite a few wonky people around Mosaic and the more sensible people she could meet, the better.

"Lots of strange things, eh?" she responded, noting his Australian accent. "Did it maybe have anything to do with something called Persona, perhaps?"

She blushed a little at his big, winning smile while bending down to help him to his feet. "...Are you hitting on me? Now? In the middle of this wasteland? Did you bonk your head while getting your Persona, mister CJ?" she said sheepishly, but then smirked. "I'm Phoebe, by the way. Phoebe Minola. Feebs, if you like."

[CJ Jackson (TechChris)]

CJ laughed heartily at that. Flirting was the last thing he had on his mind. Not that Phoebe Minola was not someone he'd try to flirt with--

Enough of that! he thought, She was just kidding! Stop thinking like a horny dingo!

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Feebs," he said to her, "And yeah, that's what it's about! A Persona! What exactly is a Persona? Some kind of manifestation of one's psyche? Some inner strength of sorts? Dunno about you, but mine's some big flying reptile eating its own tail! Called itself 'Uroboros Ophis.'"

He felt his exhaustion had somewhat dissipated. He groaned as he put weight on his right leg and attempted to stand. It was far more difficult than he thought, and both his legs threatened to give out at any moment. They did give out, actually. It took a few tries before he was finally up, and it left him breathing heavily. Then he discovered that as difficult as it was to get up, it was going to be far more difficult to walk back to the hotel. The wobble from that first step he took almost made him collapse again.

"Oh, this is going to be tough..." he stated the obvious.

[Phoebe Minola]

She grinned at him. "Well, I don't think anyone can really tell you exactly what it is, but all you really need to know is that it's your best bet for survival against the Shadows. A manifestation of our psyche might be a good way to put it. Why don't you come with me, I'll fill you in on what I know."

She watched him wobble, trying to get up and shook her head. "Don't sweat it. It's like this for everyone. The first awakening of a Persona can be a rather traumatic experience for anybody. The first few times you summon it, it'll drain you a bit. It'll take a few times before you're really used to it."

She sighed and grabbed his arm, passing it over her shoulders. "And you better get used to that. Because there's lots more of those Shadows around. We think some are making it into the city. Me and other Users, I mean."

They ambled down the wrecked street and right on cue, two Shadows like floating fish made of strips of ribbon popped up and 'swam' towards them.

"Well howdy. Don't worry CJ, I've got this. I've fought these little buggers before."

She willed a glowing azure card into existence and tapped it gently with her sledgehammer. It shattered and in a wash of azure light, Antiope materialized and charged forward, spear and shield at the ready.

"Antiope, Agilao."

The blast of fire sent one of the Pesce flying backwards while the other charged them and then suddenly swept upwards, using its tail to attack. Phoebe willed Antiope into defense and the attack crashed on the Persona's shield with a clang. Phoebe blurted a little groan but she shook the attack off. Blades didn't hurt that much. The Amazon Persona surged forward again and stabbed away at the Pesce, sending it flying against the ground, then she turned and at Phoebe's command, dropped a bunch of thunderbolts on both Shadows, causing them to dissolve.

"Pesky bastards. I swear they're getting stronger every day."

[CJ Jackson (TechChris)]

"Thanks," he told her as she helped him along, "I guess my... awakening took more out of me than I thought."

There wasn't much CJ could do besides think. Phoebe was basically his legs and, given the fact that she had a compass and seemed to know which way to go, his navigation. Confidence bred from experience, he assumed. He realized he should probably tell her where she lives.

"I'm staying at the Mosaic Grand Hotel, by the way. I hope that's not too far out of your way. I'd hate to be a burden. ... Well, more of a burden."

CJ pondered on in silence. It stood to reason that 'Shadows' were the creatures that attacked him, and given Uroboros' effectiveness against them, it was a safe bet that fighting these 'Shadows' was the primary purpose of a Persona. He couldn't help but grin at the simile between this and psychoanalysis, how similar this was to fighting one's own demons.

Whoever came up with this terminology put a lot of thought into it.

His thoughts were interrupted when more shadows showed up. Again, CJ had to rely on Feebs to do the heavy lifting. He wanted to join in the fight, especially now that he knew he could fight these things, but his fatigue prevented him from doing much besides watching the battle.

It was over in a flash. The battle didn't offer CJ much in terms of a learning experience. If anything, it only made him a bit jealous of Phoebe's skill and Persona. When Phoebe picked him up again, he said to her:

"A hoplite? You get a hoplite and I get a ruddy flying snake eating its own tail? I feel cheated..."

[Phoebe Minola]

Phoebe chuckled, putting his arm over her shoulders to help him along. "Oh, I know where that is. Don't worry, I've got my car parked just inside the safe zone. I'll give you a lift. I'll fill you in on some details, as well. It'll be easier for you if you get up to speed from the get-go rather than grope in the dark like I did. It might feel like it's all too much, mind you."

She was a bit flattered at his comment about her Persona. "Ahaha, well, I have had a bit more time to get experienced. Don't let that bother you. As we understand it, every Persona is different. Frankly speaking, I have no idea why mine is an Amazon lady. I'm a bonna fide coward of the first degree. From what I've seen in others', Personas seem to reflect our inner selves and manifest as archetypical figures. We have no idea why this is, but... you could say we're rolling with it."

As they ambled along, Antiope remained beside Phoebe, hovering over them just in case more Shadows made their appearance.

"I wouldn't be so disappointed if I were you," she giggled. "Yours sounds like it's Uroboros. It's an interesting choice, constantly referred to in alchemical, metaphysical and Gnostic and Hermetic texts. You can infer a lot from a Persona's form. Mine's obviously somewhat defense and physically oriented, so it's pretty safe to assume that Uroboros will likely prove to be a magic-based Persona. You should note any differences in effectiveness of different spells -- as well as what seems to hurt more or less. All Personas have weaknesses. Oh and using skills will take a toll on you. You'll feel more tired, physically and mentally, if you abuse them. Anyway, Uroboros usually stands for eternity and hidden, self-perpetuating knowledge, so it was used a lot as a protective symbol in magic through the ages. Middle ages alchemy used it as a sigil in the description of processes -- which Carl Jung saw as an archetype for alchemy itself," she prattled on and then stopped. "I've gone and rambled again. So sorry, I do that when I'm nervous."

[CJ Jackson (TechChris)]

"Thanks, Feebs," CJ said with a smile, "As soon as we're in your car, I want you to tell me as much as you can. I can keep pace notes." He patted his jacket lightly. "That's what the mighty tablet's for."

He nodded from what she said about the nature of Personas. "Makes a lot of sense... They are called Personas, after all."

He was somewhat dumbfounded by Phoebe's ramble. He caught a few bits of it, like the one about the history of Uroboros (made him feel a little more proud of his Persona) and the one about the Personas having weaknesses. The rest sailed over his head.

"Crikey!" he exclaimed at the end of her rumble, "I wish I was keeping pace notes for that bit! You are one nerdy sheila, Feebs. I like that."

[Phoebe Minola]

Phoebe blushed a little bit and chuckled. "Ahaha, no worries. I'll try and break things down for you. I am a bit of a nerd -- sort of my job to do so, I'm an English teacher. Substitute, but still a teacher. It's actually easier to understand when you describe these things using video game terms. That's usually how everyone goes about it."

After crossing into the safe zone, whereupon Phoebe dismissed Antiope, she helped him down an empty street to her car, a slightly battered Toyota Yaris.

"You're probably gonna feel all this in the morning, by the way so if you're expected anywhere, I'd call up and cancel all appointments," she said as she helped him in the passenger seat. "You eaten anything yet? We can stop for take-away. Bit of food in your system should get you going."

[CJ Jackson (TechChris)]

"A beef steak would be nice," he said, "I'm hungry enough to eat a whole cow."

Somewhere to be... Now there's a joke at his expense.

"I haven't got anywhere to be," he admitted, "You're lucky to be a school teacher, even if you're just a sub. I'm a journalist for some freaky tabloid-blog hybrid in Australia. I was only supposed to stay here for a week. I'm lucky the hotel hasn't thrown me out yet. And I don't even know if I'm still employed! I haven't been able to contact the office ever since Mosaic was cut off from the rest of the world."

[Phoebe Minola]

"You're in luck, then," she chuckled. "Mosaic's such a crossroads of cuisine that you can find everything. Between you and me? I even found a souvlaki joint..."

She quirked an eyebrow at his circumstances. He really was in everyone else's shoes-- and probably a wee bit worse off. Who knows how long the hotel would tolerate him until his money ran out. "Good grief, you've really drawn the short stick. A journalist, huh..." she muttered, getting into the driver's seat.

She sighed. "Given how nobody's managed to make contact with the outside world, we can't be sure what's going on. There's conflicting rumors. Some say the outside world's dead but we tend to dismiss those. We're sure that the world is carrying on as normal and we're just... isolated. Like that Dome novel of Stephen King's. We have no idea what the rest of the world knows about what's going on here but we figure... not much. This military that established the perimeter? Yeah we... don't think they're real. People believe the perimeter is simply deserted but... you saw how it is. We have no idea what's going on. All we can really do is try to fight our way out." 

She started the engine. "So... welcome to the war, I guess. I'm so sorry."

[CJ Jackson (TechChris)]

"Souvlaki, eh? I tend to cook those myself. I've got a barbecue grill back in Brisbane. Anytime you find yourself in Australia, you can pay me a visit, and I'll cook us some nice souvlaki."

CJ nodded at Phoebe's hypothesis on the outside world and making contact. It would make more sense if the outside world was still going. Maybe the outside world was at least aware of the situation and staging rescue operations. He'd already had suspicions about the military that cordoned the entire city off.

"The war, eh? I'll do my best to help," he promised.

If anything, this war on the shadows is one step closer to the truth, he added in thought, And whatever the truth may be... it'll make a great story.