destinystrings | The Duel Must Go On!

The Duel Must Go On!

Who: Tournament Fighters and those who wish to watch them.
Where: Aries Arena & Televised
Summary: 10/10. A day of shooting and Persona battles.
Warnings: D-D-DUELS!

Cloudy days didn't deteriorate citizens of Hinoto-Ri to flock to the Arena that night. After all, there was a special treat promised to them, tickets at ten dollars off the usual price for a sight yet unseen!

The entire place was filled with cheering spectators and for those who missed out, the usual pay-per-view channels were going to post the entire thing live. Or you could go to your local pub. They had all come to see one thing: and it was to see how these newcomers from otherworlds fared in their favorite sport. In a way it was showing the natural pride to them, and watching how they did at it.

Gambling wasn't allowed publicly. So naturally it flourished underground. Odds today were 1:1, those looking to make a lot of money were simply out of luck. Today was a day for watching. And learning.

For those who had answered the call, prizes had been lined up. At best, it was a demonstration. As long as there was entertainment, the public really didn't care who lost or who won.

From the side ring "Jay Queen" and "Bob Sternhammer", the two ringside announcer, excitedly begin the pre-game talk.

"What a crowd today Jay! You can feel and hear the energy coming right off of 'em!"

"A stadium of Ten Thousand filled to the brim! And this ain't even the Grand Prix!"

"Can't blame 'em. Hell, if I wasn't announcing this, I'd be ringside looking at the newcomers. For those at home watching on Pay-Per-View, we're gonna remind you of the few ground rules."

"Tonight's matches are demonstration only. No returning champions, in fact, if you look to the left there, you'll see Seaside Dragoon waving at the ground. He's last year's reigning champ."

"Man they just love the guy."

"Names are drawn based on known skill. Randomization is under the supervision of the Hinoto-Ri Lotto Society."

"Contestants pick their own Evoker ten minutes before the duel, and are asked to fire a blank shot in the air to insure security before it is scanned. Contestants then are brought into their isolation zones and are kept there until they are ready to be brought up to the ring."

"Turns are taken, each allowed only one command from their Personas."

"As usual, Instant Death Spells are forbidden of usage. You may not kill your opponent. If your opponent is knocked unconscious, they have five seconds to get up. You are only allowed to attack your opponents Persona."

"Oh! Looks like the national anthem's gonna start."

There was some singing, as everyone stood up. After, the shouts became louder and louder, as a single man dressed in a tuxedo walked in, grabbing a futuristic microphone and speaking in it.

"LET'S GET IT ON!"

The crowed cheered, as a series of fireworks tore off into the sky.

"This is Bob live from the Outerworld Demo Tournament! Only on Pay-Per-View!"

[OOC- Minako vs Eikichi & Oersted vs Link will be posted as soon as both parties have submitted their titles and theme music.]

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Minako's head hurts. Even the Recarm spell wasn't enough to fully eliminate it, and there's a dull ache as the noise of the arena pounds against her ears. But she still hears Eikichi's voice and turns back to him, smiling despite the throbbing. "Mm, same to you, Michel-kun!" She'll keep using his preferred name, even if she knows his real one now. "Although I'm still not sure it's fair to call it more than a draw..."

"Wait...what'd you mean by that?" he says, just as a replay of the final moments of the battle is displayed behind him.

She just points at the board. Look for yourself...

...It looks a lot sadder from this angle.

And turn around he does, silently for a few seconds before he can find the proper words.

"...you mean it actually worked?"

Aww man-- wait wow he fell down with his butt sticking in the air....

"Seems that way...

....It was a pretty impressive KO!" A sad, but artful slump.

"Dunno how I feel about how I ended up..." Or the fact he could have won if he had just held on for a few more seconds. "If this is in the replays..."

What can he say, public image was important to him.

"You looked like you knew how to handle the gun.". Also very good at observing, you will quickly learn.

Or maybe listening to the announcer, who'd said the same thing.

"Everyone used them back home. It's not easy to just summon automatically, like here."

Hey, hey she wasn't able to listen to the two guys banter on pay per view okay, all he'd heard was the ~~large font~~ the screaming announcer's stuff. But maybe if he had turned on his Comp, he might have.

"Gotta admit I still ain't getting why that changed but..." he twirled the Evoker he was given. "...I can see why you guys made 'em. Sorta works like the first time we called our Persona back home. It's a bit faster then calling 'em forth normally too."

"It could be any number of reasons, I suppose. It seems like we don't know as much about Personas as we really thought." She doubts even Theo could answer that question. Maybe only Philemon himself could. "It's convenient not needing to carry an Evoker, but it still feels easier to me to use one."

"Probably. Personally, think I know more than enough, and I ain't in the mood to hear more from Philemon."

Yes, he was still bitter about the entire experience and it definitely shows in his voice. He sighs, and then concentrates for Hades to appear again, leaning on him. His mood shifts right back at his usual joyful demeanor.

"But enough about all of that, babe! This is your victory, so go out and enjoy it! Hades and I are gonna head off to the nearest Public Baths and relax. After a grueling fight, I need to clean off!"

Yes. Not just him. Him and his Persona.

Yeah, Eikichi, that's... special. You do that.

"Have fun, Michel-kun! I'm sure I'll see you again later."

Seeing Minako get knocked unconscious is not and never will be the highlight of his day. It was something he had seen before—you didn't make your way through Tartarus without getting knocked unconscious at least once or twice (those light and dark spells were notorious for that and he regarded them with a certain amount of understandable disdain)—but just because he was used to it didn't mean he liked it.

Didn't like to see anyone go down, but that's the way it was. At least the Hama and Mudo spells were instant. Once you got caught in one of those damn things, you were out. No chance of fighting back, but you were out. Not really much pain involved. Just because you were more resilient with a Persona didn't mean shit didn't hurt. Just meant your body could take more, and coupled with the mental and physical strain, they weren't a walk in the park.

He watches from the stands until the healers arrive and do their work. He can't be down there with her, but he can be up here. When he watches her rise to her feet, she seems all right. And her opponent, cheap of a note as he had ended on, seems to be the same. Not sure he should be walking, but whatever. He was a stubborn ass, apparently. Had shown that by refusing to go down and firing off that last shot when he should have taken the loss. There was something to respect in that, he supposes, having that kind of will, and for a guy with a thing for the color blue and no sense of fashion, he seemed decent, if eccentric. But that guy could do whatever he damn wanted. Shinjiro didn't care. He certainly wasn't here for him.

Now that she's up, though, he'll send a text message her way.

Good job.

It's not completely what he wants to say—you okay?—but rather what should be said first. This was a fight she chose to put herself in. She knew and had accepted the consequences of it. Congratulate first, everything else after. Even if he didn't enjoy much about this—not like Aki would; this sort of thing was made for him—he could at least support her in what she chose to do. And people had pride, didn't they?

Minako hears the beep of her COMP as she steps out of the arena to mingle back into the crowds. By now the headache is fading out and she thinks she probably won't need medicine for it. She stops out of the path of people walking and opens the message.

It's from Shinji. ...She can read all the other meanings into the phrase, even if he didn't write them there. And so she replies back quickly.

Thanks!

Where are you now?

The stands.

The others were close by. He had seen Miki and Hasegawa near where he was, and others were doubtless watching amongst the crowd somewhere—but in a crowd of ten thousand, some of them would be a little hard to spot, depending on what seats they had been able to claim for themselves.

He had seen her exit the arena, so he stands when he gets her message, walking out. The others will want to see her, but they can go back in, or wait for them to come out and find them. But for now, getting away from all the damn noise seems like a good idea to him.

Chariot section.

He'll meet her just outside of it, where the crowds are less. For now, anyway.

She slips away before a reporter decides she might be a good interview target. She doesn't feel like talking about the battle right now. Once she's in the crowds, no one seems to realize she was one of the people in the arena just now. There's a lot of fighters today, and even more spectators. One more person blends right in.

Someone who doesn't blend in is Shinji. When she reaches the Chariot section, there's an empty ring of at least twenty feet around the spot where he's standing. Whether it's because there are fewer people in general up here, or that those few are too intimidated to get close...

...Well, it's probably both. But whatever aura he gives off is completely ignored by Minako. Hopefully he doesn't mind some PDA, because she first thing she does is run in to hug him. He should be thankful she has enough propriety to not make it a kiss right away.

He's of half a mind on that issue. On the one hand, she's with him. There's a reason he had always spent more time with her than he had ever intended to back home. A half hour of time always seemed to turn into two. Then four. On the other, they are in a very public venue, and that twenty feet of breathing space is something hard-earned. Two years worth of pushing people away and constructing an image that was better for everyone involved.

He's not sure how good he is for her image, either. She projects an aura entirely different from his. Hers is entirely approachable. His is not. And now he's just a bit flustered—not much outwardly, but for him, even a slight loss of composure is more than enough. He's getting better at appearing to be indifferent, but his muscles still stiffen in response, because why here of all places? Restraint isn't a bad thing, he'll have her know. Though this is probably her definition of restraint.

Hell. Probably thinks she's being clever, because she knows exactly what she's doing, because she's like that.

He supposes this means she's completely fine though, if she's acting like this. Answers some unsaid questions he can at least somewhat confirm by looking at her. He'll return the embrace, briefly, in a, "it's nice to see you too but use your goddamn eyes for a minute and look around" kind of way. One of those sincere if awkward things.

"Guess you're set for the second round."

She doesn't care about her image... Well, saying that wouldn't be entirely true. Some people will whisper and point no matter what you do, and those cruel types she ignores completely, even when it does sometimes hurt. Others will see past perceptions and look for the truth. It's these latter people whose opinions she really cares about. She works hard to be admirable and dependable to the people she cares for most.

She lives the way she likes, tries to impress who she likes, and everyone else can make their own judgements. And, well... trying to fluster Shinjiro is part of 'living the way she likes.'

She pulls back, grinning cheekily. "I hope so. That was harder than I'd thought, actually. I wish I could change Personas..."

Of course it is.

"Well, now you're stuck with one like the rest of us. I sure you'll manage."

It wasn't entirely true now, of course, but it's still a small, harmless jab in her direction while his eyebrows arch in response. Hard, huh? Seemed like they were all on an equal playing field here, but that's how it had been back home. The rest of them had been stuck with one, while Minako had run around with as many as her mind would allow. Maybe most of them would continue to keep it that way—stay with the familiar and not make room for more. Shinjiro didn't care to have another. Not sure he'd want to see what he'd find anyway. Castor is and always had been more than enough.

"You'll do fine."

And she will. Win or lose. She could think quick on her feet and adapt even if she weren't allowed to change her Persona. The true strength she had didn't come from the amount of Pesonas she had at her disposal. It was an aspect that gave her a clear advantage, but it wasn't the core.

It was probably best that she wasn't allowed to pick and choose at will—for her opponents, at any rate. He'd almost feel bad for the poor bastards she went up against otherwise. Wouldn't stand much of a chance, unless they got a lucky shot or had an army up their metaphorical sleeve.

And of course, she'd say he's still too hard on Castor and yourself over a tragic accident. But that's not an issue for today's conversation. She scrunches up her nose at his jab. "Mudo and Hama are all luck! I don't like having to depend on that."

She'd used both types of skills herself, of course; Thanatos, one of her favored Personas, had them. But it was never the staple of her strategy. "But - thanks, Senpai."

Shinji's approval was always worth something.

He'd have to agree with her on that one; luck wasn't something he liked to depend on either. "I'm surprised they're not banned."

Not to say that a user of those particular elements weren't skilled; even so, those spells didn't necessarily represent the talent of the user: it was just an all-or-nothing gamble. The Persona could be inferior by a long shot, start the battle off with one of those spells, and claim victory in less than a split minute, without giving their opponent a chance to prove their worth. There was a time and place for such things—they had a use—but not in a tournament, not in his opinion.

"Not like you didn't have him beat anyway." Mishina's the one who had needed luck, and Shinjiro can't say he particularly liked the last roll of the die.

Edited 2012-10-19 01:21 (UTC)

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greatseal - 2012-10-19 21:51 (UTC) - Expand

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themortalhalf - 2012-10-28 00:31 (UTC) - Expand

Guess who is struggling to reach the two stars. This girl! Hey, if you just saw your BFF knocked out, revived, and a winner all in one, you'd want to get to her ASAP. So she shouts, as loud as she can, trying to be heard over everyone else.

"Minako-chan! Minako-chan! Are you alright?!"

It's hard to hear, but Minako eventually does, and looks out over the crowds to see Saori waving. Minako waves back, and heads over as quickly as she can.

"Hey, Saori-chan! I'm fine!"

She's so relieved, you have no idea.

"Thank goodness."

"You did wonderful out there. Congratulations!"

When they reach each other, Saori is giving her friend a big hug.

Minako hugs her happily in return. "Thanks, Saori-chan! It was really close in the end, huh?"

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The Duel Must Go On!

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