despite what you give, it's just never enough. (closed)

[trainwrecking]

Who: Aoi Misato (eyewillprotect) and Yuzuru Otonashi (trainwrecking)
Where: 13th hour patrol in the city
Summary: Otonashi and Aoi go together on a late-night patrol to protect the city only to be caught in a burning building, dredging up painful memories for Aoi and awful deja vu for Otonashi.
Warnings: (Burning, death, talk of death, possibly mild swearing. Will edit as needed!)

It seemed like the obvious choice to patrol together tonight. Both Aoi Misato and Yuzuru Otonashi insisted on serving the city, often separately or through different methods, but with the same end result in mind.

Protect people, serve people. Help those who cannot help themselves. Save them, even if the monster threatening to overtake them is a daunting one.

There is a moment here, in the heat of the moment, where Otonashi kicks himself for feeling even an ounce of regret for pursuing this endeavor. By now, she must be gone, that nameless girl: that native woman, the owner of this home who had beckoned to them for help in the throes of her own inebriated fright. She had stood outside of this aged home, her hands held to her chest as though this could hold back her fear as she recounted the story of her missed curfew and the demon's invasion of her home--the only thing she had left of her family, she thought, but sometimes second guessed after the city's well-known memory wipe.

It had spoken to Otonashi. He empathized, and that empathy and resolve keeps him firing off rounds into the demon who continuously pushes back at both Aoi and Otonashi, slinging enough fire attacks their way to damage some of the house and all of its' fragmented memory.

"Aoi! I'm going to try for its eyes next, can you cover? I can't see any other weak point yet!"

Comments

Catch-all: AFTERMATH.

[trainwrecking]

[This is for anyone who responded to the network post HERE, who may want to show up afterward to finish off the monster or just see the wreckage and ask WTF just happened.

Thanks guys! ♥]

Here comes the non-hero brigade?

[icanhearscreams]

Ushiro's not a hero. He's never thought of himself as one, even though he technically saved the world. He also murdered another world, even if it was needed.

But something about that desperate plea for help struck a chord with him - something about the pleading that reminded him of Kana. And so it was without real regard for his own safety that Ushiro rushed out, heading towards the scene.

... The sight of the demon made his stomach drop, but he had to do something.

"Zearth! Online!"

The robot appeared in front of him, and without a verbal command sent a Zionga racing right towards the demon.

Hey a fellow world-murdering non-hero what's up?

[echo_of_a_jedi]

Meetra had no particular conflicts about meddling in someone else's fight - not when it was clearly a matter of life and death.

A boy she didn't know was attacking the demon by the time she got there, even with Force-enhanced speed, so she tries to get between it and the smoking wreckage where she knew the COMP broadcast had come from first.

so sorry for late, wasn't sure who was up next!

[trainwrecking]

The heavily-wounded fire beast looms over the wreckage, hardly expecting to see more people arriving at the scene.

Before it has a chance to summon an attack, Zearth's Zionga crashes into the side of the demon, shuffling it nearly off-balance. Ragged from battle, full of debris, bullets, and weakened by Aoi's Persona already, its counterattack speed is abysmal -- but that doesn't stop the demon from sending a flame barrage at Zearth and its "pilot," if you will.

The beast must be on its last legs, but that also means that it has nothing to lose.

Meanwhile, Otonashi stands towards the back with Aoi, the two of them shying away from the scene for now. They have some... matters to discuss privately before they leave this awful mess behind them.

I vote we tag when we can because I have a really weird schedule

[echo_of_a_jedi]

Meetra senses the other people moving toward the wreckage, and sees quite clearly that this other Persona-user had the enemy's attention. That meant it was time to finish it.

"Persona!"

She focuses her mind on her new Persona and summons a large but weirdly cutesy robot, which delivers a powerful one-two punch to the face of the demon. Hopefully that's enough to put it down and protect the rest of the people here.

Works for me.

[icanhearscreams]

Ushiro takes the attack, gritting his teeth. Pain doesn't matter. Feelings don't matter right now either. Still, he'll feel that later.

Right now though it's time to finish this. The giant mech shoots forward once again to deliver a Zionga, the single light in its mask shining steadily.

"Again!"

[echo_of_a_jedi]

((Want to just say we got it?))

[trainwrecking]

((That's fair I think, Dani has to hiatus and I hate to continue skipping her/not involving her in a plot that she's a part of. I'm sure she'd let us handwave Aoi but I'd feel kinda bad about that, aha... ;A; I'm so sorry for the timing on this..! You both are fantastic though and I'd love to more with you ♥ ))

[echo_of_a_jedi]

((It's no problem at all! I figured this thread would be these two taking it down or driving it off while Otonashi and Aoi were escaping the fire/wreckage anyway.))

[icanhearscreams]

[[Works for me. We'll just continue our little log in your log if that's a thing that happens. /o/ ]]

[trainwrecking]

((Yes, by all means, feel free to use it to your hearts' content! \o/))

[icanhearscreams]

[[Works for me. /o/ Feel free to have Meetra talk to him or just head off if you prefer.]]

[echo_of_a_jedi]

The barrage from both robotic Personas finally finishes off the wounded demon, leaving only the burning remains of the house and the two rescuees, as well as the person who'd arrived to talk to them. Meetra had a feeling she shouldn't butt into that conversation just now...

Breathing only a little more rapid than usual, Meetra turns to the other person who'd attacked the demon. "Nice job," she said. "Looks like you took a pretty good hit, though. Do you need some healing?"

[icanhearscreams]

"... Yeah. I'm not - I can't heal." It was still strange to think that healing could be that easy... but there was really no room for him to question strange things anymore. Zearth disappeared, and as the adrenaline faded Ushiro started to feel worn out.

[echo_of_a_jedi]

"Easy, kid."

Meetra quickly walked up and put a hand on Jun's shoulder to steady him, letting the Force flow around her and into him to patch up the burns. Not much she could do for exhaustion or the shock that comes after a fight with a demon, but it should prevent any permanent damage from that fire.

[icanhearscreams]

"I -"

Whatever. He wasn't going to protest at the moment.

"... Thanks." He stuck his hands into his pockets, looking down a bit. It was still really strange to fight with Zearth like that.

"... I'm Ushiro, by the way."

[echo_of_a_jedi]

"Meetra," she said, taking her hand away and bowing slightly. He should at least be in a fair bit less pain now. "And I can promise not to call you kid again if it's going to be a problem."

After the monster's taken care of

[halberdaxe]

Noda was also someone whom you would not consider a hero. He only acted based off of his own feelings and was inconsiderate...most of the time. But after seeing that network post, despite how he responded to it, he was genuinely worried about the safety.

It took a little too long for Noda to arrive at the scene, for the monster was already dealt with by the time he got there. All he could do was stand in his spot, staring at the wreckage before him as he felt what the end of the video implied sink into his head.

Did... Did that stupid wuss die for real? No, no that can't be right. With how badly the building collapsed and how the video showed the redhead inside... A cold chill went down his back.

Wasn't he sprouting nonsense about Aoi? Where was she? Was she also somewhere buried beneath the wreckage?

"Tch...!" Without a moment to lose, Noda started climbing into the remains of the building, starting to move the debris out of the way, part of his mind hoping that he wouldn't find either of the two. They can't die, he didn't allow this!

[trainwrecking]

Naturally, the hospital is his next destination. Part of it, of course, is to dispel suspicion, but another piece of it is legitimate health concerns and the lingering cough. Smoke inhalation will do that.

When he catches Noda out of the corner of his eye, he swallows harshly, audibly, until summoning the strength to call out.

It's raspy and hoarse, but the sentiment remains.

"N-No--" Cough. "Noda!"

[halberdaxe]

Noda abruptly stopped trying to dig his way in when he heard that irritating but the familiar voice behind him. He whirled around, a hint of fear appearing in his expression before swiftly returning to his usual glare as he growled under his breath, and stomped his way back out into the streets.

"YOU!!" He yelled, pointing his finger at the redhead as he approached, "Did you even attempt to contact the other members before it was too late?!"

What a hypocrite, for a loner like Noda to be speaking of such things.

He then took a moment to realize the other person he was concerned of hadn't been seen yet.

"...Where is that woman? Is she safe?" By 'that woman,' he totally meant Aoi.

[eyewillprotect]

"That woman?"

Aoi's voice is similarly rough, and she seems to be in pain as well. One hand is held over her right eye as she walks, and she seems to be using her naginata as a sort of cane to keep herself upright.

"Contact...? Yuzuru, did you...?"

She doesn't quite get the entire sentence out, her words dissolving into a small flurry of coughs. Otonashi had the advantage of having been completely healed by her power; at this point, she's inhaled far more than he.

[trainwrecking]

"W-what was I supposed to...?" Supposed to do? The implication hangs heavy even without the spoken words. He turns aside to cough into his arm, concealing it as though he's contagious. It's a reflexive behavior, but an unnecessary one.

"She needs to--to be taken to a hospital." He has no time for banter. Not now. If Noda's anger emerges as a result of this, so be it. "Smoke inhalation..."

He plans to go too, of course, but Noda would be a better escort considering her more dire condition.

"Can you... can you take--" Again with the coughing, though this time he pinches his eyes closed. "--t-take her, Noda?"

[halberdaxe]

As Aoi came into the scene, Noda turned his attention over to her, shoulders relaxing a bit from relief of actually seeing her alive and well. When he hears Otonashi's request, he turns back to the redhead.

"You are not any better yourself." Which meant he was totally going to make you come along too.

[eyewillprotect]

"Yuzuru needs to--" Coughing. Her lungs feel raw... "--He needs to go too."

Even though she can hardly stand, she manages to sound firm on this point. He was the one who had died - although she won't say that aloud. Her concern for him is greater than her own state.

[trainwrecking]

"Eh...?" Noda was the last person he would expect any smidge of concern from. But there it was, in its own twisted little way.

"Right... Noda--" He covers his mouth with his arm, muffling the ragged coughs. "Let her lean on you. Please. I-I'll get on the other side..." The more support for Aoi, the better, and the last thing he wants to do is let on that anything might be amiss besides the obvious. Forcing himself to stand up straight, he holds out an arm to Aoi, ready to brace her between them.

If she'll allow it, of course.