Investigation

[echo_of_a_jedi]

Who: Meetra "The Exile" Surik and OPEN to any night owls or demons out there.
Where: Pisces and Gemini Districts
Summary: Meetra meets and greets the demonic populace of the city and maybe finds some trouble checking out the Mictlan.
Warnings: Even on a New Moon, risk of demonic violence.
[Pisces District, 11 pm]

One rumor Meetra had picked up that actually sounded consistent was...well, it was that one about the new book that she'd picked up earlier in the day and stashed in her room for recreational reading later. But more importantly, she'd heard that on the night of the New Moon (a local darkening of most of the reflected light from the local, large, tidally-locked and brightly reflective satellite), the local demons were more docile and conversational than normal. Thus, late at night, she headed out of the apartments to find trouble. Well, hopefully not trouble, but rather demons to chat with. They couldn't be any more hostile than, say, anyone else she'd met in the last few months, and she was interested in the perspective of the local aliens.

She'd heard one more thing, though, which is why her course wandered in a particular direction...

[Gemini District, 13th Hour]

"That's certainly something," said the slightly awestruck Exile on seeing the huge convoluted bloody pile that had replaced the mountain that presided over the city up close. And she had thought Malachor V looked awful...this was as if someone had thrown it, Korriban, and Nar Shadaa in a mixer...without removing the people from the latter. After a moment to appraise it, she heads toward the border of 'Mictlan', lightsaber in hand but unlit. Maybe the demons there would be chatty tonight, too...or maybe she'd just be doing some recon in force around the edges. Either way, she was prepared.

Comments

Gemini

[meaningdies]

From ahead, there's the sounds of fighting, and as she approaches she'll see a white-haired man summoning a woman before him, sending her forward to attack some demons. Once the few in front of him fall, he steps back, summoning something else.

... He turns and stares at the Exile, smirking slightly. "Hello there."

[echo_of_a_jedi]

If this had been the creepiest greeting Meetra had ever gotten from an ostensible ally, she estimated that she would be a much happier individual.

"Good evening. I guess this is still evening, right?" she said in a friendly tone...without putting her lightsaber away. "You're one of the other Guests, right? I hadn't realized some of us could have two Personas."

[Gemini District, 13th Hour]

[greyerrant]

"War calls."

Rumbles a huge, armored figure, for the moment not bothering with his boltgun or chainsword, just holding a combat knife that for anyone else would probably be a broadsword, stalking forward, his armor disturbingly quiet in the strange night. His other weapons are stored at his hip, mag-clamped for the moment, but he's heading towards Mictlan with singular purpose.

[echo_of_a_jedi]

Meetra put aside the idea that 'Cerberus' there was stalking her. She was well aware that soldiers always ended up looking for trouble...or at least Jedi and whatever kind of pseudo-Mandalorian honor guard he belonged to did. Regardless, it made sense that they're be running toward the same trouble.

Wordlessly, she followed a few paces behind Cerberus, far enough back to not imply that she was joining him just yet and obviously enough that she clearly wasn't just tailing him. Instead, she was interested in seeing what kind of trouble he stirs up. And having a giant armored guy with a vibroblade nearby who was hypothetically on your side was never a bad idea.

[greyerrant]

The space marine is remarkably stealthy for a man of his bulk and armoring. He appears to have chosen his combat knife for a reason, as it is not nearly as loud or noticeable as his bolter or chainsword. He seems to be practicing infiltration tactics as he scales Mictlan, occasionally taking a knife to a demon or monster if he can dispose of it in an opportune manner, but he is primarily concentrating on stealth discipline.

Amazingly, it more or less works, though it seems he is keeping himself silent and unseen by sheer force of will and effort. There is nothing naturally sneaky or subtle about the mountain-like warrior, and it is obvious he doesn't relish this duty, but he is clearly doing his best to seek out the heart of whatever corruption he believes exists in this place.

[meaningdies]

"It counts as evening, I think." He eyed the lightsaber, before looking back up at her. "And yes, you can. You need to see someone in the Velvet Room... however, the door to the place seems to appear only occasionally. I picked up a combat Persona to augment my support one."

As useful as Coyote was... he wasn't much of a team player, and so he needed something for his own defense aside from his demons and the handgun he had been given.

[demifemme]

Meetra was not alone at the foot of the mountain/abomination. A silhouette of glowing abstract green lines was sitting along the edge of the pat, surrounded by flat, human shaped and round shaped green demons that appeared to be made of paper. Floating, green paper.

[echo_of_a_jedi]

How did someone that big and that metallic move that quietly? Stealth units were one thing; this man didn't even appear to be using one.

Meetra followed him quietly, gently using the Force - her reflected connection to it came easily here - to help her follow the course of someone whose limbs totaled about a foot longer than hers. She wanted to know what he would find.

Of course, while her robes served as respectable camouflage in any setting in the dark and she's light on her feet, she was not trained in actual stealth and had to pause and wait quite a few times to avoid the wandering monsters. Lightsabers were not stealthy weapons, and she wanted to avoid giving away someone else's position with flashy combat.

That probably meant she would end up losing him, eventually, but she keeps all her senses alert for how far ahead of her he was getting.

Pisces => Gemini?

[pistolsakimbo]

Rune was hanging outside of the apartment building she was assigned to... almost literally. She was draping over the stairs, upside down, legs crossed. Her higher leg was swinging back and forth lazily, looking rather bored as she played around on her COMP. After a moment she tilted her head back, looking curiously out into the night, spotting someone walking around...

"Hey!" she called out. Hey, she was bored; someone else to talk to would be fun. "Are you waiting for the Thirteenth Hour too?"

[echo_of_a_jedi]

Well that was new. It certainly looked ominous, although not nearly so ominous as the Mictlan.

Meetra approached the...person? Well, it looked like a group of demons, really, so she kept her saber unignited in the interest of talking to them.

[demifemme]

In getting closer, though, she'll be able to ear a familiar voice.

"... and then the Shikigami fell apart!"

"Really? From a critical Garu? That's awesome! You're really strong." Shura applauded a little.

One of the humanoid paper shapes spun on itself. "Yep! The next Shikigami better think twice before making fun of me! Even if they're still a little scary..."

[echo_of_a_jedi]

"I am," Meetra said, looking up and nodding her head in the girl's direction, unaffected by her inverted state. It's not like little kids doing weird acrobatics weren't the bulk of her childhood memories.

"Having fun there?"

[pistolsakimbo]

"Not really. Hours are annoying, because they take so long."

She closed her COMP, before pushing herself up, managing to use the position to jump the rest of the way to her feet. Afterwards she took the steps down two at a time, anxious to have someone to talk to.

[echo_of_a_jedi]

"Evening," Meetra said to the human(-oid) girl in the middle of the group, recognizing her easily from the video conversation they'd had. "Are you doing some scouting yourself?"

[echo_of_a_jedi]

"I was going to go talk to some demons to pass the time," she explained. "I hear they're friendlier at this time of the month. Did you want to come along?"

[pistolsakimbo]

"Whoa, for real?"

Seriously, she was going to try talking to demons? This woman seriously has to be some kind of badass...

"...s-sure! But uh... I'm not going to be useless, am I?"

[echo_of_a_jedi]

Velvet Room, huh? If the Exile was a different kind of hero, she'd have probably said that out loud.

"I'm still working on the one Persona, I think I can wait a little bit on picking up another," she said.

"My name is Meetra. Were those demons you were fighting?"

[echo_of_a_jedi]

"That probably depends on what you can do. Besides, I was just going to talk to them," she said. Besides, if a kid was going to hang around a city full of demons at night, she wanted that kid within easily-defended range.

"So what's got you hanging out outside so late?" she asked.

[pistolsakimbo]

"I wanted to see how bad the Shadows were, and if I could handle them without those Persona things," Rune admitted, crossing her arms behind her head. "Mine... isn't talking to me."

...which obviously wasn't the truth, not that the guilty look wasn't enough of a clue.

[echo_of_a_jedi]

"You've summoned your Persona but it isn't answering now?" Meetra guessed. "I haven't brought mine out, or summoned it or whatever exactly happens yet. I was hoping I'd be able to figure it out tonight, but if not I think I can handle most monsters. Do you fight?"

She looked around old enough to be a padawan. Maybe. If she was short for her age.

[greyerrant]

He pauses, briefly, hunched over as he drags his latest kill into the darkness. He waits for Meetra there, on his haunches, almost like a wolf hovering over slain meat. His helm's red eye sockets blaze as he stays still, the only sound the recycled air exhaled by his helmet, and a very low buzz of the power pack. He is clearly inviting her to talk at length, taking a moment away from his upward climb to speak with her, even as the combat knife is held in an overhand, slasher's grip.

[pistolsakimbo]

"No, I... haven't at all," Rune replied. That at least was true. "I read around the COMP that they come out best when you're in trouble... A-anyway, I don't need it. I can handle myself."

She pulled one of her guns from her holsters, spinning it on her finger.

"I'm a pretty good fighter."

[meaningdies]

"That's right. These are extremely low-level demons - not enough to waste attacks from my own demons on them. Still, it's better to try a punching bag before I go after something that might actually have a risk of harming me."

He wasn't afraid of death, after all... but it would be unpleasant.

"My name is Naoya, by the way."

[demifemme]

Shura chuckled as the demons hid behind her with much shuffling noises. "You could say that. I'm just catching up on things with my new friends here. I gotta admit I feel a kinship with demons."

"It's normal, you're one of us!" said one of the round ones while waving its arms.

[Pisces district] YOU ASKED FOR DEMONS, YOU GOT DEMONS

[blackcountnebiros]

There was a thrum of activity in Pisces, concentrated by the area around the Narumi Detective Agency. It wouldn't take anyone too long to find out why- there was almost a procession of demons, trailing along behind a much taller, and much more haughty one. He held his cloak close to him as he walked away from the agency, lingering only to meet the eyes of any humans who walked past.

It almost seemed like he was looking for someone.