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 Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 9:56 am
~Dojima Residence~
The Dojima Residence is a relatively humble home located in the Residential District near the Samegawa Flood Plain. Owned by detective Ryotaro Dojima, it houses his small family of three that includes himself, his daughter Nanako, his nephew Souji Seta, and Minori Koroko, who was taken in after her family was murdered last April.
Many gatherings of the Investigation Team happen here.
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Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 9:31 pm
Soji Seta, Investigation Team Leader
"Show me a hero, and I will write you a tragedy"Why did it have to be clowns?
It wasn't that he had anything against the bright-red honker-nosed buckets of terror and fun (doled out in equal measure to boys and girls of all ages), but really, this wasn't the time for the fat-footed glee-bandits to be dancing about like the Wild Things dance around the fireplace during the Wild Rumpus. If anything, this was precisely the sort of thing that he would prefer to remain relatively normal, if he had to choose just one thing in his life of absurdities that he wanted to remain relatively normal at all, but here he had been just on the cusp of something absolutely wonderful when the clowns crashed through the door and started squeezing those obnoxious horns, driving about in their tiny car, and generally making a calamity-sounding nuisance for him. His long fingers raked over the long expanse of his scarred face, clouded, ashen eyes woefully taking in this mad spectacle as it danced about his coffee table and past the couch by his window, circling by his bed and knocking off the models from his shelf as the annoying salesman on the television made his creepy, girl-voiced pitch to all of the boys out there so that they would buy his 'Great Fish', or whatever that meant. Amateur, really...if he wanted to convince the viewers that they needed to buy a fish he needed to assure them of the quality of the product, of the freshness, and then tell them why they couldn't live without that lovely fish inside of their homes...or their stomachs...not the hyperbolic rhetoric and vague insinuation that he kept going on and on about. But that was a digression...the point was that this hack on the television...and these, these...clowns!...were ruining what was an otherwise beautiful thing here.
I mean, come on, just now they had to come bursting into his room? Right when the red-haired lump in his bed was flashing him that beautiful smile and making those pouty kissable lips at him...and when a simple glance down revealed the trail of onyx hair down the curl of another's back, winding over smooth, porcelain skin towards the curved recesses of her...
"HONK!"
Stupid clowns, those...
"HONK! HONK!"
Every one of them should burn in...
"HONK HONK HONK!"
...
Soji's eyes shot open in an instant, the incessant beeping of his alarm clock finally calling him back from the world of dreams. Everything felt strangely heated in his room, though the early morning and the late-season month should have made it a lovely, moderate temperature. Idly, he shifted onto the flat of his back atop his futon and glanced at the ceiling...just what was that dream he was having, anyway? Why did he feel so...so...? "I'm tired..." the silver-haired senior mumbled as he smothered his pillow over his eyes and slapped the alarm off on his clock. What would a few more minutes of sleeping hurt, anyway? ...No, he knew he had to get up, no matter the case. Fingers peeled away the casing of white fluff from his eye to glance surreptitiously at the digital numbers upon the offending noise-maker that had pulled him out of his alluring...until those freaking clowns, at least...dreamworld. And it was... "Shi-" he bent swiftly at the waist and the soft covers fell away from his battle-scarred torso, each individual mark rippling with his long, toned stomach as gray eyes opened, legs slid away from his bed and feet landed upon the solid bottom of his room's wooden floor with all the haste of someone who was..."Late." He felt heavier than he remembered, perhaps because he hadn't had as much cause to work out and train lately as usual...or perhaps simply because the weight of his grogginess still lingered over his mind like a translucent veil. Padding across the floor towards his hamper, he remembered only vaguely which dresser he had placed his school uniforms in after the last day back in July...but in a matter of moments he had pulled out all he needed, his summer uniform, before long legs drew him towards the television set. One finger pressed the power and on it flipped, the weather channel reflecting what appeared to be a cloudy forecast for the day. Should he bring an umbrella, he wondered idly?
"No time," he mumbled to himself as he fastened the button of his pants and started to work on his white shirt, flying out of the door of his room in a moderate (but not too harried) haste towards the stairs leading towards the kitchen, fingers tucking the first button near the bottom through its hole, 'Is Nanako...?" His mind shifted to thoughts of his little sister as he reached the kitchen, wondering if she had gotten up herself or if she was running as late as he was...but a note and a plate left lightly on the small kitchen table was enough to pause him in his tracks and ease his mind all in one fell swoop. ...It was from Nanako, both the note and the lukewarm egg breakfast she had made for him...and just seeing them slowed his haste and warmed his heart just a little. She was already gone, that was good. And she had left him a little something to start his day, too? Well, how he could just leave it behind for her to find when she got back from school later? What kind of a brother would that make him, anyway? Sure, he was late for school, and he might get reamed out by the new teacher if he came in for the Entrance Ceremony a little after the bell. But what Big Bro worth his mettle would put that above finishing the meal that his Little Sis had so lovingly created for him while he slept like a log through the early hours of the morning?
It was with that thought that he finished buttoning his shirt and pulled out a chair, calmly settling in before the plate. The eggs looked delicious, and he was moderately sure the toast hadn't gone stale quite yet...she must have only left recently. Still, she would get to school on time...she was such a good girl, really. His lips curled into a small smile at the start, and a fork cut away a piece of the eggs before slowly lifting it towards his lips for the first, delicious bite. ...He had really taught her how to make these well, hadn't he? It made him proud to remember teaching his sister how to improve the eggs she made in the morning a few months back...and why shouldn't it? After all, breakfast was the most important meal of the day...more so as a gift straight from the heart of your sweet little sister to you.
School could wait a few extra minutes for that.
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Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2012 2:14 pm
Soji Seta, Investigation Team Leader
"Show me a hero, and I will write you a tragedy"It wasn't an eventful day, and he was just fine with that. Rather, it would be more accurate to say that he as quite relieved by the lack of incidents between his leaving for school and returning from school sans the attacks of Messiahs, the schemes of Messengers, the interference of Strega, or the unexpected appearances of demons. He had become so used to those things that they were old hat, but as exciting as it was, in his heart he knew, that wasn't the life that he wanted to live. All he had wished for when he came to Inaba was a peaceful life with new friends, a place he could stay without having to move all over the country, and perhaps if he was lucky he might find a family that would stay around long enough for him to really call them his own. He had found that here, but it was oh-so-fleeting...peace never lasted, and at times he felt as though he brought more trouble to his family through staying than he might have if he had left. Enemies sought him out now, it wasn't just teams that they encountered and fought against to expunge the threat of the shadows, but enemies that had targeted him directly, made him their rivals, held grudges against him personally for the lengths he had gone to stop their plans. And until recently, they had made his life one incident after another, chipping away bits and pieces of his life in the process until for the briefest of instants there had been nothing left inside of him...nothing but his love for the people nearest to him, a powerless desire to keep them from harm. He had fallen and come back again now, helping in his own part to bring the town to another short time of peace of which they were now in the midst. But it was temporary, a calm before the storm, and he waited every day for the tipping point that would bring them back into the chaotic days of before. They were in peace, but he expected war...until then, all he could do was live his life and savor every moment.
But why did he feel so uneasy when he already knew...?
"I'm home," his calm voice sounded from the doorway of the Dojima Residence, the sun already going down beyond the windows of the back door and the noise about the house practically non-existent. His Uncle would be working and Nanako was spending time with a friend yet again with her father's blessing, a reminder of Dojima-san's pledge to ensure that Nanako did not spend more nights in that house lonely, scared, or wishing for someone to keep her company. If neither Soji nor Minori were set to come home right after school, she would almost always spend evenings at a friend's house now to prevent any incidents like what had happened last November. And for that they were all grateful, especially the little girl whose evenings at home were now filled with stories of her visits with friends, time at school, shows she had seen...with an older brother and sister now living in the house, a family that loved her and friends who cared, Nanako was finally turning the corner on her sadness and showing just how bright and cheerful she could be. It wasn't always as much, but it was an improvement...and every night he spent watching that smile was a night that made Soji feel as though his life was a little richer. Unfortunately, that didn't include tonight, but the solitude offered its own rewards...assuming he was really alone, that was. Their house tended to have more than its share of visitors, interesting characters that he had met and taken in at times during the chaos...the Devil Summoner Raidou with her lack of modesty and the android Sapphire with her strange programs...Zeo's occasional wild entrances, Mizore's skillful stalking...and Kisa, the Demi-Fiend who despite all the threats she faced in the world could call this place a haven...maybe even a home. It was quiet, but any one of them could have been lurking somewhere, waiting to crash through a window or pop out from behind the couch. It kept him on his toes, really. A good thing to keep him from going rusty during this time of peace, he supposed.
"Dinner, then..." he muttered to himself calmly as he moved towards the stove, noticing that the time was growing later and a certain hour was creeping upon them. With nobody around, he could eat early and relax on the couch until the lights went out and the ominous aura surrounded him...or something more interesting happened by. It was a good way to occupy himself in the end, and soon enough he had no doubt things were going to be getting very interesting, very soon. ...Just the thought made him want to call on Yukiko and see how she was doing at the Inn, or the Tofu Shop to see if Rise would like to swing by for a late dinner. When was it that he had begun to feel strange eating alone? He had always been alone, for the longest time...never felt at home. Now, with Nanako and Minori and Dojima gone, lacking the voices of the others, it felt oddly...quiet. Almost too much so? His lips curled in a fond half-smile and he let out a half-chuckle, setting a pan of water on the stove top to boil and prepare some rice. This was the life he had hoped for...the peaceful sort of days that he lived his life to protect. So why did he feel like...his purpose was something else? Like there was more to be done? Like he needed to be fighting? His fingers worked with practiced ease, stirring and whirring about the counter, dabbing some meat in oil to cook and go with the rice; yeah, there was something still nagging at him. And he knew exactly what it was...
...Those golden eyes upon his face, staring back at him from the abyss...
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Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2012 11:35 pm
'Who am I...?'
The mist drifting through the streets made the night all the more eerie , but at the same time the Dark Hour gave a calmness to the darkness that pervaded every corner of the town. It was a strange sense of calm that first washed through the heart of the boy who'd lost all feeling long ago; and as if he were just being born into this world it was that sense of loneliness, not of love, or of the brotherhood of humanity that defined him in that single moment. Gone were the memories of his loved ones, but lingering still were remnants of his emptiness, of the void that had been left inside him when that person had died. He walked across the streets, cold from the recent rains, and felt the tingle of the chill air along every bit of his skin that should have lost it's own warmth long ago. Was this world hell? Nearby was a familiar car, one that he had nearly been hit by once when he and his friends were goofing around too close to the street on the way to school. He couldn't remember their faces, but the way they had laughed at him as his heart had beat fast, and they way they had deserted him after she had died...he clutched at his chest, remembering the pain of being looked upon with icy, so-called sympathetic eyes. "Even Hell should have electricity." He jabbed as he looked up at the street lights, which seemed to be non-functioning. Just like that night. He remembered when he had first stumbled into this dark side of town, and had been hunted like an animal. He had never been particularly good at gym or sports, and his veins had screamed at him to keep taking in oxygen, even as his lungs gasped for a respite, and yet struggling with all he had the foot steps had continued to come closer and closer. He called out for the person he relied on most, but in the end he'd been completely abandoned. W-who was that? The person he wanted help from...wasn't it someone who'd opened up to him, first? He remembered, it was just after she had died. Everyone else gave him those pathetic eyes, looking at him like a degenerate, and he hated being forced into that club. But then he had walked in, and though he ignored him at first, when he looked up he saw eyes that looked at him as a person...not a victim. It was there he'd met his first friend, in the Health and Saf-
"A-aggh! What...what's happening...?" A scream punctuated the fearful statement as he fell to his knees, gripping at his face. His whole head felt like a storm was brewing within, and the images that he'd attempted to recall disappeared under a cloudy black veil as quickly as they'd come. H-he...had met him...met who? What was he doing here again? And then the stabbing memories came back to him worse than before, memories that were completely different, but his mind had already distorted them to a point he couldn't tell the difference. The person he relied on was...'G-get away from me!' Her screams had shook him to his core. When he returned home, he found out that everyone was gone. His entire family had picked up and left, abandoning him. His father, mother, and even his sister must have considered him too much of a burden now that he'd come back from the darkness, because when he'd went to their home everything was missing. As if his entire life was gone...'You're dead. Just give in to it.' The voice he'd been hearing for some time told him. A small laugh escaped his throat as he felt a warm sensation from it. Like a blanket, willing to protect him from the painful truths. "T-that's right...I just have to forget everything. I have to..." Another screech escaped him as if it were a primal, guttural yell. One that happened merely to prove he existed, to expel a small ounce of the pain that formed the core of his life now, the pain of being "alive". '...aoki? Get out! GET OUT OF HERE! You're not my son! My son is dead! What could an imposter like you gain from torturing my wife and I? We just want to start a new life.' The man had pulled a gun from his drawer. That's not right, he had always been against violence, why would his father have owned a gun now? Unless...some incident had forced him to protect his family. Unless he really was...'Get out now, or I'll call the cops! If you don't think I'll shoot you...I can't...I won't let my wife down, EVER AGAIN!' The declaration had certainly been something new. He use to only hear that tone when his father was talking to his sister. He'd found the deserted house, and he'd eventually found out his family moved. It was his only driving force, to find something to hold on to. The very act of living seemed like a pain, but if he could find a source of strength...
'And was that it? Did you find what you were looking for? Humans claim that their lives are given purpose through bonds...but dear child, haven't you felt...only misery? Give yourself over to me.' The dual-toned voice spoke again, both maternal and at the same time one that resembled his own, and the memories vanished as quickly as they'd come. Once again, he'd forgotten everything, except that he had once been embittered. Except that once upon a time, he'd regretted life itself. He didn't know how, or why, but it seemed that in the time since he'd been standing in the street near his old home he'd come a good ways. The homes now were completely unrecognizable to him, and their occupants on any given day a mystery. He stumbled forward, awash in his misery, and yet he felt that it was important to keep himself alive. Even if the voice continued to prod him, he resisted, trying to recall everything about himself. He had come back from the grave, or so it felt, and for a time he had lived exactly as he always had, ignorant of reality. But one by one these memories had slowly crept into his soul, stirring him to remember the past. But once he had remembered, he realized that there was no meaning in him being here. He'd been living a false life, with false memories, and now that he remembered...he had no place to return to. That's when he first noticed the voice calling to him, to give in to temptation. To forget that he had ever existed, and give up on the new life at the same time. If there was salvation to be had for someone who had died once, it could only be in his eternal rest. He had only to forgo his humanity, and allow it free use of his soul...and using his body, it would bring that same peaceful feeling to the rest. Everyone would be purged of this exhausting denial of truth known as life...and they would learn the truth of their existence.
'N-no! I don't think that! If he were here I could...I have...' He fell to his knees again, but this time even that strength gave out, as he found himself laying upon the ground. The cement was cool, but the sky was foreboding. 'The moon I always loved was...' 'Ignorant fool! You think that holding on to HIM will save you? Don't you remember that HE was the cause of your greatest pain? If it wasn't for HIM, you might have never died at all! You should be making him SUFFER! Suffer for clinging to life, before you reveal to his the sweet nectar of death that he has so WRONGFULLY denied!' His hand stretched out towards the sky, remembering his beautiful silver moon, and the light blue tint. But when the voice spoke, the last of his strength faded, and his eyes closed...once again, blacked out. He was dashing through the streets again in his dreams, the faint sound of water splashing beneath his worn sneakers. Why did the town have to be filled with fog tonight? Why wasn't anyone coming to help him, even though there was a killer on the loose? He turned a corner, hit a garbage can; stupid, stupid! "Get up!", his mind had shouted, but before he could, the sound of metal crushing a can nearby had caused his entire system to freeze. He turned his eyes upwards, and stared into the metal mask covering the face of his pursuer, only a tuft of blond hair sticking out to show there was anything even human underneath that cybernetic suit. A katana flashed from it's sheath in an instant, and he knew that there was no more running to be done. All he could do now was cry out for the one who had saved him before, the only one who could save him. Why wasn't he helping him this time? After nearly forcing him to accept his life again, would he allow this man to throw it all away so easily? He called out his friend's name over and over again, but the katana had pierced his body mercilessly, and his blood had mingled with the stagnant juice of the trash. The gutters scabbed over with his blood, and he had done nothing, although he swore to help if they were ever in a pinch again.
'The memory haunts you doesn't it? For all of your days, you will relive that pain! Do you want to revile him? Or do you want the gentle respite of nothingness? ...then do it!' The voice commanded, as his eyes snapped open. The blond looked down to see a knife clutched in his hands, an unfamiliar home around him. How had he gotten in here? No, that was important. There was no reason for him to even be alive! If he were caught here, then just like everything else he'd done, it would cause others pain! It would cause him pain! If his second chance at life was going to be nothing but a cycle of endless suffering, then there was no reason for him to remain alive! He mind as well just end it! Deft hands twisted the knife, and placed the tip of the blade against his chest, pointing it inwards. A kitchen knife like this could it, as long as he pressed hard, or if he was a coward and stopped shallow then if he at least fell, it might drive the blade...'What are you waiting for? DO IT!' Tears pricked at his eyes, but his resolve was gone, giving anything the voice wanted, preparing to accept his end, even if he were cast into oblivion. "Stop pitying yourself! Saki's gone, but you and I are here right now. We're alive! If you don't want people pitying you, then hold your head up, and live on with everything you've got. No matter what, I will always be your friend. But you have to take the first step yourself if you want to find a reason for living, even if that means forcing your way through pain, or sorrow. The only one who decides whether you live or die is you!" The voice brought back memories in an instant, of silver haired, of shining blue eyes that looked like they could take on the world. Even though he'd almost given up on everything from the start, Soji Seta had always been there to pull him from the muck, and in a moment of weakness he'd almost thrown everything away. He...!
The knife clattered to the ground as his body rolled over the counter, knocking all manner of dishes to the ground as he clutched at his chest, now alight like a fire. "Th...that's right, I can't give up. I am...Naoki Konishi. I won't...give in..." His head began to pulsate violently as wave after chaotic wave attempted to force him to forget everything, but this time he refused to let his memories ebb away. Of his sister, of his family...and standing there, in the middle of it all like a pillar of strength, the silver haired senior who was the only person he could ever call a true friend. "I won't give up...even if you ARE me!" He shouted, his eyes glazing over in an instant as he let out a roar that would awaken anyone nearby, even if the calamitous noise from before hadn't. He might not be as great as the others, and he couldn't admit to being someone like Soji, even if he strove to better himself for a thousand years. But now that he remembered who he was, he wouldn't give it up for anything! Death wasn't an escape, it was an excuse...so he would force it, even if Hell objected, to go on living! "I AM Naoki Konishi! And I'm RIGHT here!" He shouted, reaffirming that he was alive. That he had left a mark on this world, even if no one was willing to remember.
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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 3:01 pm
Soji Seta, Investigation Team Leader
"Show me a hero, and I will write you a tragedy"It was quiet when the Dark Hour hit, the powerless television reflecting his own visage back at him in the dimly lit room bathed in the halo of street lights behind his silver-crowned head. This was how he always tended to spend the hour, watching at first to see if there would be any new messages for them, any indication that their enemies were finally on the move. Night after night for nearly two months there had been nothing...no indication of their enemy, no movement from Messiah nor Messenger...two months he had been waiting for the flicker of a dimly-lit television beneath a green sky and a golden moon. But unlike the month prior and many days before that, the strange sense of deflation that filled him when the screen did not blink or show an image did not come, replaced with a mixture of excitement (not of a pleasant nature) and nervous tension, a golden glow filling the room for just a moment before everything went dim...the shuffling of strange forms across the screen, down streets that looked so very familiar to him. His clouded eyes peered into the depths of the image and he could have sworn he recognized a car in the background...heard the voices and swore he could make out a single word over the din of the moans and slouching shuffles: "Tower". And that he did not need any time to remember, the spire into the heavens that his darker half had raised from the ruins of Tartarus, nor the dark plan to rise above all humanity and set himself upon the seat of God. If they were shuffling towards the tower then he knew that somehow they had to be linked, his Shadow and these wraiths, which meant that he had to see where they were leading...he had to see what was calling them. Standing in a flash from in front of his television he reached to the side and grabbed at his jacket, pulling it over the white shirt that he was wearing...his pants still on from the day, which was never complete these days until he had watched the broadcast and been set at ease...his momentum carried him towards the door, twin swords coming to rest upon his waist just as the entrance flew open and he reached the top of the stairs...
...And that was when he received the call via Minori's persona, that desperate warning that something was happening at the house of the smooth-fighting heir of the Amagai. Something big, and he did not need her help to sense the dread, feel the ominous powers in the distance that cried out with vengeful pain. He was not a sensor, nor could he read powers, resistances, but long ago he had begun to feel the danger around him, the supernatural...this was unlike almost anything he had felt before. In an instant he was taking the steps two at a time, turning the corner towards his front door in a rush when a sight inside of his own kitchen sent a bolt of pain and nostalgic disbelief rifling through his heart and pinning him where he stood. There...before his eyes...stood a friend that he had been sure was dead, that he had seen die...whose funeral he had been to and whom he missed so much when he passed by that club room where they had met, when he passed by the Liquor Store Downtown. In his hands rested a knife that was aimed at his heart and in his eyes were tears, his lips screaming for an affirmation of his own identity. Could he really be...the same person that he had met last year, helped overcome his pain following his sister's death, taught the importance of living and that there were people who still wanted him to live? For a moment he was silent, as if a breath away from moving forward or speaking out at the ghost before his eyes...but only when the knife clattered to the ground and he slammed into the counter top in pain did the silver-haired teen maneuver around the living room into the kitchen and catch him by the shoulders, helping him back to his feet with a steady hand.
"Naoki...is that you?" were the tentative first words that passed his lips, not the ghostly whisper that might have been expected but a steady voice, strong...if he couldn't remember who he was then without question Soji knew exactly who he had been, "Stand up...you're going to be all right." He knew somewhere in the back of his mind that there was a very high chance this was a deception or a trap of some sort, a ploy by one of his enemies to play on his heart, but there was a part of him that screamed he had seen much stranger things than this one. It reminded him that if this was Naoki Konishi, that he wasn't the first person in this town who had managed to come back from the dead. He told himself these little inklings of a shaky belief in miracles in hope that they might make them true, but in the end...even if he didn't want to admit it...maybe he wanted to believe because he just missed his friend. 'But I still need to go to the team,' he reminded himself once, barely recalling the desperation of moments before in lieu of this miraculous appearance before him...perhaps he could bring him with him, keep him at a distance, or at least, maybe he could calm him and let him stay in the empty house until he could return and figure things out. ...All he knew for certain was that strange things were happening and he had to move quickly.
But no matter what else happened, he couldn't abandon the tear-streaked face of one of his closest friends until he knew that he would be all right without him...
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Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 12:00 am
'Who am I...?' "Soji, i-it's...it's me!! It's-" A hand shot out to grip Soji's arm, as if pleading for help. Although his face was turned down, the gesture was apparent, but at the same time whatever had seized him before, had caused him to throw himself through Soji's home, was still ailing the thought-dead student. "Yes...it's me. Naoki Konishi...the same Naoki who relied on you to save me, to not pity me. And on that night, when the fog set in, it was your name I thought of as my blood pooled onto the street, and my life came to an end." Suddenly the grip on Soji's arm became inhuman. Before he could react the hand twisted around his forearm, and with torque reaching past what Soji could have anticipated he was pulled overhead and then brought down with a heavy slam into the ground...which repeated, as if in reverse, several times before the vice grip released, leaving Soji in a crater of his own body's making. Darkness wrapped under Soji's body, like bindings, and lifted it from the ground...turning, the tendrils snapped like a slingshot, and Soji's body vaulted through the front door, taking it off it's hinges, and leaving him on the city streets.
'Puny God...'
"You are the string that binds him to this world. I shall sever the last tie, and be free of this shell." The frame of the door groaned as the creature, growing and now barely small enough to pass through it, forced it's way outside. Even as it took a single step, it grew larger, and had already passed his front yard. Darkness continued to enfold it's arms and body, growing and writhing as if it were alive, until at last it stood taller than the home from whence they'd come. "He is merely a reflection of the past, a man who has died while wishing for death's embrace. Together, you shall both receive your sweet repose." Feet no longer touched the ground, and even the light of the green moon above did little to show the true visage of the creature. As if it were made of smoke, the darkness fulminated around it's main body, obscuring and yet revealing it's every intention with sheer form. Like a true child of Nyx, it's very form spoke of death, and the absolution Soji would find if he simply gave in. It didn't hate Soji, nor was it judging him. It simply wanted to deliver unto the world that which it held most dear...and to do so, it would allow the one who hated it the most, to embrace it first and foremost. "I am the Shadow...the true self." Arms spread wide to embrace the long night, as theatric as it was melancholic. "The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed...The silent voice within one's heart whispers the most profound wisdom."  ~::Orochi Priestess::~ I am...Nobody.
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Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 12:47 am
Soji Seta, Investigation Team Leader
"Show me a hero, and I will write you a tragedy"There was a moment that felt like a mixture of relief and disbelief as the familiar voice said his name, the hand gripping his arm in desperation, and for that fleeting instant it felt as though the impossible had really come to pass...his friend coming back from beyond to stand right beside him in the kitchen of his own home. His clouded eyes sprung to life, the panic residing within them fading for just a moment...until that voice changed, until it became different, deeper, tinged with a familiar two-toned sound that set off alarm bells inside of him and adrenaline pumping throughout all of his veins. Was it a trick, or...?! He couldn't help the feeling that he was being fooled, that it had all been a trick, but something in the expression of the boy and the relief in his voice as he had called out to him told him that it wasn't quite that, either...no, he couldn't believe that it meant nothing! But even as he tried to reason it out, tried to free his arm from the suddenly vice-like grip of the smaller form in front of him, his moment of disbelief had lowered his guard and made him vulnerable. ...And what followed in his vulnerability was a jarring, sense-shaking assault of one slam after another, wrecking him and sending his equilibrium into a spiral that made it impossible to tell quite certainly what was up, down, and each smash of his body against the floor was enough to set a thick bruise into his side and remind him just how much their house could use a carpet or some other softer padding that could make such an assault a little less...painful. Alas, that thought left him about the time his brain felt like it was spinning, a sudden lurching of his aching body sending him smashing through the front door of his home, bursting it off the hinges to skid beneath him and into the yard as he rolled unceremoniously off his improvised body-board into the cold blacktop of the street where he lived. Coming up to a sudden stop on a knee, his body flashed at the sound of that voice again and the sight of his change, shifting and squeezing through the front door as he grew to an impossible size, pitch black and terrible in this new form, his own body coating in a white armor and silver mask to play the opposite number to this fiend that had worn his friend's skin...even if he wasn't sure it was all a simple act just yet.
He stood to his full height as the being announced itself as a Shadow, reciting an epithet of the Arcana as his own hand filled with the familiar blue wand of his Persona Fusions most natural weapon. At his hips his swords remained ready if he needed them, beneath the durable fabric of his jacket. This thing had gotten the drop on him and given him a Hell of a thrashing, but now that he could stand on his own two feet again he could face this thing with his full power...a power that would be a tough time for any deadly baddie looking for a fun night.
"I am Izanagi (Reborn); no soul passes from the realm of the dead so simply," a voice spoke but it seemed not his own, the two-toned sound echoing in its own way...intimidating but not so evil or menacing as that of the shadow...and when he spoke again his voice was different, his own again taking the lead in the strange sound, "What are you? Why did you look like Naoki...?" These questions, spoken much more naturally, reflected the true desire of Izanagi's Chosen. No matter what the reasoning, no matter what this thing was, what hurt the most and troubled him more than the impending fight was the pain in the eyes of his friend just moments before. Was this thing somehow inheriting his soul? Had it devoured his body when he died, or...no, but he had seen the casket, hadn't he? He had seen the body within. Was it merely something that could steal the face of a friend? Or was it...? His expression darkened beneath the mask as his blue wand glowed, a power flowing through his body and making him stronger, bringing him to full capacity just in time for the show to begin. "Tell me what I want to know, and..." the voice changed again, a sympathetic look still somehow remaining in the clouded eyes of the Investigation Team's hero, "I'll end your suffering, somehow..."Quote: Luster Candy - Boost all stats for 3 turns
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Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 1:12 pm
 KisaVroom-vrooooooom! A line of blue fire lit up the night as a motorcycle shot through the streets at speeds that would have been insane for any human to try and keep up with. Riding atop it, two blood-red eyes stared outward. Things had been quiet in Inaba for quite a long time now, and she'd been hoping for some peace while she worked to get stronger... but apparently out of nowhere, a number of trouble spots and disturbances had all appeared. It was too strange for all of them to take place at once by chance, and so she'd been forced into a decision of where to investigate... and her heart had led her here, to where a monster had come to confront Soji. But there was absolutely no reason for him to fight alone... and the girl pressed down on the accelerator, heading for a makeshift ramp before launching herself into the air and towards the monster that was attacking one of her only friends. She flipped off of the motorcycle part of the way through the jump, and the vehicle vanished into a tunnel of hellfire as it landed without her. Anybody who'd been watching that would have missed the rest of the show, though, as the girl back-flipped and dropped towards the Shadow, a shimmering blade leading the way. A bright flash of light erupted from it as she closed in on her target, the exorcising power of light reaching out to try and banish this darkness. A new tool, apparently, with which to tear apart her foes... "Soji! Are you all right!?"Quote: Kisa's Actions:Gungnir: Increase Attack Speed Action: Normal Attack (Using Ascalon; Moderate Phys + Heavy Light Damage)
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Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 1:57 pm
'Who am I...?' ~::Orochi Priestess::~"The shadow of a man named Naoki once resided in this vessel." Arms spread wide as the Shadows stretched across the pavement to either side[, spreading like a wave as they wrapped around anything that sat in their way, gripping tightly at last to a car parked on either side. Then up the darkness shot in binding cords, holding the cars high atop pillars forged of these black wires strung tightly together until they stood like mighty, living oaks towering above the rest."However, he was too weak. Now it is mine to do with as I see fit. To eradicate his soul, and give him true comfort. To bless humanity with death's absolute respite." As Kisa leaped overhead, the two pillars slammed together, the girl trapped in the middle as they brought her down before him. And although there was nothing quite so concrete as to be called a 'face', a smile would have spread none the less, if they could understand that from it's dark expression. The creature took two steps forward and it's foot shot upwards, connecting with the girl's midsection and-
oh, and launching her clear over Babel it seemed. Nearby a small gloopy shadow appeared, a striped referee's shirt adorning it alongside the telltale whistle and cap, the former of which it brought to the mouth of it's mask, blowing enthusiastically. The Shadow's power seemed quite intense from the beginning, but now it had shown Soji on just what level it truly lay. "If you seek the truth, then only force may part my lips. I shall finish you, and put the disturbance his faith in you caused this body to rest once and for all." The Shadow slowly moved forward towards Soji, darkness edging closer along side it's every action. If it intended to allow him to prepare and then strike him however, or if it was merely biding it's time, was something that Soji could only speculate on at this point. The time for talk had passed, and what he faced was an incarnation of Death itself, the very motion of time given form to stand before him now.
Amidst the darkness, there seemed little to give away it's intentions, or it's actions. The first thing that did however, turned out to be it's voice. Whether it was merely babble that the creature muttered due to some issue in it's formation however, or whether the words that it muttered in a low tone, almost like it was talking to itself (though with it's booming voice there was no way Soji would not notice), were some part of it's strategy was as much guesswork as attempting to surmise it's true form. "Agidyne...that is your intent." The shadow stretched out once more on all sides, and then shot forward like lightening along the ground, the buildings, and everything, zeroing in on Soji from all angles and passing over him. Or rather, beneath him...into his own shadow, which seemed to be completely unchanged, even as the darkness dissipated and he stood unharmed in all manners. Perhaps it was the power that he drew from Izanagi, or perhaps it was the light born from their fusion, but it looked like he must have escaped completely unharmed. Or was it so? As if to respond the creature crossed it's two arms over the front of it's body, a dim red ball of light forming in it's hands, a move that seemed entirely defensive in nature, as if it feared Soji's retaliation. I am...Nobody. Quote: Hallowed Kick: Boots ya really freaking far. Like, out of the battle far. High Damage. Echoing Darkness: Forces a party member to use the move from their list mentioned on their immediate next turn. Red Decadence: Reflects Fire with Amplified (Amp) damage.
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Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 2:41 pm
Soji Seta, Investigation Team Leader
"Show me a hero, and I will write you a tragedy"Its words were plain, but the speech of the shadow was still something of a mystery; once it contained a person named Naoki, somehow preserving a portion of his spirit inside of itself that had come to the surface before to lure him in...only it was too weak, it was in pain because of him, and now the shadow had taken control to exorcise that pain? It all seemed impossible, only impossible had long ago become a word that the silver-haired teen grew increasingly less familiar with. That which seemed impossible to him inevitably became real, and that which he hoped to achieve or make possible remained beyond his grasp. Amongst all things, what seemed most impossible in these days was a lasting peace. His lips curled downward as the shadow declared its intent to finish him, shaking away the darker thoughts that filled his mind at the final straw that broke and set the world back into the chaotic din that was as familiar to him as a world without now. If he ever wanted to change that, to make this world decent again, he would have to do it with his own two hands. That began now. ...And he wasn't alone in that quest, a thought that didn't have to be spoken to be confirmed by a streak of blue flame and a shining blade that crashed down at the monstrosity before him, only to have itself caught and kicked far into the distance with an unforgiving taunt. ...And watching all this, the hero seemed to be condemned to stand still, unmoving through the kick that sent his friend soaring away, through a speech and declaration that he was going to use a Fire spell against it first. That...wasn't his intention at all, actually. Rather, there was a reason his magic was charging, a path that he had decided to take in attacking this monster if it wouldn't speak to him.
Somehow, though, this monster thought it could tell him exactly how it would attack...which meant that was probably exactly what it wanted him to do. Still, best to confirm now and let his smooth reactions take care of the consequences. And as he summoned his card before him, the blue slip of metaphysical power shimmering in his clouded gaze, he crushed it without hesitation...unsure if it was his own choice to attack with this spell as a test or if he had been properly goaded.
...It didn't matter, the strange skill the monster had reflecting it back at him the moment that he unleashed fire upon it. He had barely half an instant to respond to the surprise reflection, but that was all that he needed, heightened reaction time allowing him to hurl his body to the side and land with a thump on his bruised ribs upon the blacktop, rolling back up to his feet with his eyes focused upon the enemy...renewed determination within. Manipulating the shadows within, manipulating its enemies with its words, it was a monster that reveled in playing with the lives and hearts of others, which meant that he could not allow this monster to live any longer. He had to put it out of its misery...out of respect for Naoki's memory and so that he could finally rest in true peace as well. "Izanagi...let's do this," he muttered under his breath, card already beginning to reform within his hands...idly, he hoped that his friend had landed safely, though he knew that she was more sturdy than to be truly crippled by something like that. ...Which was probably saying a lot, considering the trajectory of that kick, but well, what more could he say?
Not much. And he was never much for a whole lot of talk, anyway.Quote: Agidyne - High Fire Damage [Target: Orochi Priestess F*** Venosaur Self]
Angelic Grace - Doubles evasion to magic attacks, excepting Light, Dark, and Almighty. [Innate]
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Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2012 5:46 am
KisaA small figure flew through the air as a result of the kick, and quickly became little more than a speck moving through the sky... at least until it was close to the tower, when a tiny flicker of red seemed to come out from it somewhere, and its course changed radically, heading straight for the side of the tower. Only a moment later, a line of blue fire shot down the tower at speeds that would have been monstrously unsafe for any human. The forces, however, were far less trouble to the body of just about any demon you cared to name. They were built tough, and a distance that would have made most others unable to return in time for help was child's play at the speeds the girl could go... It was, in fact, possible to hear her before she arrived, but not by much. Slowing down could take just a moment, though, which might have explained why she called out her magic as she moved and, without having slowed, simply pulled the massive column of ice along with her as she shot past the Orochi Priestess. No need to swing wide at this speed, when forward momentum was all that was necessary to bring the hit home. It's not like though she was trying to get a little revenge for being flung so far by attacking at such a high speed, though, right...? Right? Quote: Kisa's Actions:Kisa has rejoined the battle! Gungnir: Increase Attack Speed Action: Mabufudyne (High Ice Damage to All Enemies)
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Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2012 2:30 pm
'Who am I...?' ~::Orochi Priestess::~"Naive." A black hand shot out to catch Kisa just as she was about to streak past the creature, tossing her into the house to the side, and out the other side as concrete and wood chips flew all about her. If the first strike hadn't gotten her attention, that one certainly would...followed close behind, of course, by the other hand that had caught her ice in that second, tossing it behind her and thus striking her with the large frozen chunk. Though it had no magical properties, it was still really big, courtesy of her own active imagination. "Did you really expect to catch me off guard with such blunt frontal attacks? I can read every move in your muscles." The creature's black pillar slowly receded, standing erect again on either side, clearly not there for show any longer. It's entire body seemed an extension, a weaving web of the core figure that stood amidst it all, and trying to simply ignore it's broad and ghastly form was a key path to failure. "You, who use the Magatama, the cursed beings. You deny death, but it is written in your very nature. That is what it means to be a Demi-Fiend." It had no eyes to gauge it's attention, but with it's size it was obvious that it didn't need to turn it's head to look at either of them, anyways. To try and strike at it was barely to scrape at it's knees, and though they could jump and struggle, it would only leave them more vulnerable to their surroundings.
"I am not unwanted. Because of you, Naoki forsook life. Because of you his soul still thrives, hanging on to a single thread of hope known as 'friendship'." The creature raised it's right arm, and a whip formed at the end of it's disjointed limb. In a snap (puns) it's arm swung the whip around, snapping at Soji and Kisa with the cable of darkness and unleashing a calm fury upon those whom it had chosen to die. "Accept my offer, and renew our friendship in the sea of collective unconsciousness." The offer seemed too good to be true...or at least, it would have, if it didn't come with the added bonus of being dead. Leaving your body to waste in this world might not have been the most comfortable of ideas to imagine, but it was one that a creature born of Nyx, and swathed in the desire to end life would see as perfectly reasonable. All things lived and all things ended. What point was there in denying a hand extended to him, a hand that allowed him peace? Whether he saved his friends or not, they would all come to the same ultimate conclusion. It was a fate that human turned a blind eye too, but their own destiny was written in the cards. They would never stray from it's path, from beginning to end...
I am...Nobody. Quote: BossShadow: Has ridiculously high stats. (I.E., I'm just not going to put any 'kajas' or anything. xD We should assume it's a boss, and this is a fun battle, and move forward with our thinking. o wo b) Hallowed Dunk: Slams you through a nearby house. High Phys damage. Navas Nebula: Medium Phys Damage on whole party; may cause Exhaustion.
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Rednal rolled 2 100-sided dice:
21, 57
Total: 78 (2-200)
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Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2012 4:47 pm
KisaThe girl wasn't quite able to get her arms around in time to properly counter. Yet that was hardly the only layer of her defenses, and the ice shattered as the girl broke it to get it out of the way. This monster hit pretty darn hard, a testament to its power... but the Demi-Fiend was so resistant to physical blows at the moment that barely a quarter of the damage was done. Which wasn't to say that it didn't seem to have a dark fate on its side, though, as a draining aura settled over the girl and began to sap her magical reservoirs. Against anyone who had an emphasis on needing to cast magic, this ailment could have been devastating... as it was, it was going to require her to be much more careful about how she expended her power. But she'd never have survived this long if a little thing like needing to limit her power usage was going to be enough to stop her. "Death comes to all things." the girl said, holding out her hands. A slender, shining blade appeared in it, along with all the knowledge of how to use the weapon properly. "And you're no exception." Despite the injuries the girl had sustained thus far, she darted across the battlefield, Ascalon flashing brilliantly as she slashed at this monster. It had no right to be speaking of any Fiend... as if something like this, which didn't even qualify as a demon, could ever truly understand what it meant to be known as an incarnation of death itself. Death sought the Fiends out, challenging them constantly, testing their mettle... and the Fiends, in turn, brought death to those who stood before them. Powerful as the creature was (that is, very), the girl could hardly decide to back down... especially when she'd come to protect someone else. Quote: Kisa's Actions:Counter roll for Hallowed Dunk (1-15 = Success): Fail Counter roll for Navas Nebula (1-15 = Success): Fail Roll for Exhaustion (1 = Success): Success -Exhausted (1/3 - Reduce SP each turn) -Resist Physical (Phys -50%) -Divine Pillar (Damage -50%; Cannot Evade) -Pierce (Bypass Physical Guards) -Gungnir: Increase Attack Speed -Deathstone (15% chance of countering Physical attacks) Action: Normal Attack (Target: Orochi Priestess) [W/ Ascalon: Medium Phys + Heavy Light damage] (Pierce) (Gungnir)
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Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2012 6:00 pm
Soji Seta, Investigation Team Leader
"Show me a hero, and I will write you a tragedy"This monster liked to talk, he couldn't deny that much. Nonetheless, while much of its prattle about death fell on deaf ears, each mention of his friends' name brought a pang of guilt and pain to his heart in spite of the obvious attempts at manipulating his emotions. However, just because he felt something did not mean he was going to act rashly upon those feelings. This shadow was as foolish as it was dangerous and powerful if it believed he could be swayed into giving up after all that he had been through...that did not make the prospect of fighting it directly any more appealing. Especially if he was going to have to deal with it alone...which was how he anticipated the battle after Kisa's rejection, only to see her come roaring back out of the sky like a blue streak and slam...directly into the creature's arm, sending her hurtling back into the house near his own in a world of pain. Wood exploded from the back of the house in a cloud of dust, and he nearly winced at the impact that she had to endure. Thankfully, the ice tossed in behind her shattered and the Demi-Fiend emerged in no less of a fighting mood. Curling his lips into a grin, he was thankful for the durability that his comrade had about her. If it had been him taking a shot like that, even Izanagi-no-Okami wouldn't have dulled the impact enough to allow him to get up without a few displaced joints and some significant bruising. Or worse. Clouded eyes flashed for a moment as the demon girl went back into the battle, and he needed no prompting to take his own direct action. His power was charged, magic coursing through his veins, and even as he moved to the left to avoid the Navas Nebula and found himself lashed in spite of it, impacting a nearby car hard enough to shatter the side windshield before pulling himself out of the dent, his determination shone through like the shimmering blue at the end of his wand.
"Megidolaon!"
From the center of his wand a mass of blue, almighty power formed and launched with earth-shaking force directly into the stomach of the gargantuan fiend before him. Physical attacks were likely going to be of little use...at least for now...so that meant he needed to stay at range and attack this thing with some of his more diverse and powerful magics if he wanted to bring it down to size. Still, he had no illusions of breaking through this thing in a single attack...its aura was monstrous and even with his lack of a sensor to support him he didn't need Rise to know he was in for a Hell of a fight. And as the blue power crashed home he shrugged off a bit of the busted glass from the shoulder of his white jacket and peered through the silver plate over the upper portion of his face with an analyzing gaze. He couldn't use Myriad Truths or his newest skill, the one that had felled the Demon King, on this thing unless he had beaten it down into range, so it was going to take them some time before he could exorcise this thing properly. How would they survive until then? He wasn't so sure, but he had no doubts of his own skill...and watching his new partner, he was fairly sure she would be able to survive what it threw at her. What was the plan of attack, then?
"Kisa, keep your eyes on the pillars on either side of it. They're moving suspiciously," he noted calmly, power already regathering for another assault in the middle of the street. He knew that standing in one place would likely only get them in trouble, but there wasn't a lot of room to maneuver between the narrow street, the houses, and the towering behemoth in front of them. They were going to have to play it by ear for now...but then, adaptation was one of his specialties, wasn't it? "My friends are counting on me...I can't stay here forever and deal with you..." the silverette hero muttered under his breath, before deciding to address the creature a second time, "What are you...? Who sent you to kill me...? And why do you have Naoki's shadow inside of you? Since you like to talk so much, tell me...before this battle ends." One way or another, he thought, but did not add in lieu of putting his confidence on display. He believed that he would win, but he was always conscious of the danger his foes presented. It was the only way to stay alive in a world like this...to be driven by determination and confidence, but also, by fear. Fear for his friends, for what would happen if he were to lose. To reject it made you weak, prevented you from taking hold of one of humanity's greatest motivators and strengths. To embrace it without allowing it to control you, however, could make you stronger...it could give you that extra boost to do what could not be done.
And on a night like tonight, he needed that boost as much as ever.Quote: Megidolaon - Heavy Almighty Damage to all. [Target: Orochi Priestess]
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Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2012 7:46 pm
'Who am I...?' ~::Orochi Priestess::~"There is no reason for me to answer you." Kisa lunged forward again, blade in hand, light shining to keep the darkness at bay...right until she was swallowed up by the darkness, as both palms covered her top and bottom, once again. "And you have even less right to demand of me. You, who fail to understand, that while you are it's harbinger, I am the thing you visit upon your enemies." A crushing force bore down on Kisa for a few moments, before the hands drew back together, throwing her like a basketball...at Babel. And if one thought that the next couple seconds were going to be a repeat of just moments ago, they were wrong. Instead, the powerful blue wave of Soji crashed against the beast, and the darkness cracked all around from it's attacks, pillars on either side wriggling in pain as the main body let out a venomous shrill to punctuate the moment. "Why do you continue to persist? You should realize that I am a Shadow, great beacon of an Arcana. I was born because your friend's shadow, like all of humanity's, resided within the tower. Even after his soul parted his body, his resentment, his entanglements, kept his shadow bound to this world. By consuming his shadow I grew in strength...yes...when a great number of Shadows gather..."
Although it looked like Soji was about to stumble upon a great truth, it was cut off just a moment too soon as the creature recovered, arm crossed over it's chest to shield from another swift assault, though on either side the pillars had been severely damaged. They were already nearly half of what they were before, or less...but the creature itself recovered, and with it's diminished spreading and it's growing arrogance the Shadow's strength seemed to have become more menacing in just a second. It's body rushed forward, lowering a shoulder as it forced it's way down the narrow street, crushing walls protecting front yards and upturning vehicles as it pulled the equivalent of a full court press on Soji. "Someone chose to bind that boy's soul to a living vessel, and in doing so an abomination was born. A new life, who's body resembled that of the Shadow inhabiting it, but who lacked the memories of it's former self. But a Shadow yearns for it's true self, just as your kind have so optimistically pointed out time and again. As a result, his memories began to return. And what was born out of the suffering of the one who was sacrificed...and the one whose Shadow the Tower enslaved for eternity is..." In front of it's core body the two pillars on either side extended and entwined, forming a barrier that looked impervious to attack, and it's haste to crush them didn't seem soon to stop as polls were knocked over and fell towards them, and once and anon a car would kick up under it's feet, flying overhead with threat of clattering down on the blue haired savior. "Me!" I am...Nobody. Quote: Hallowed Curveball: Threw Kisa at Babel. High Phys Damage.
The pillars are damaged!Eclipse Charge: The Shadow charges down the street at you with it's immense size and power. The arms pillars are stretched in front of it to create a bulldozer-esque form.
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