The Search for the Newcomers, November 2012 Edition.

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Who: Open to Everyone, but only Newly Accepted Characters can start threads.
Where: All around the city, anywhere from the 5th to the 20th.
Summary: Newcomers arrive and by now the Government is more ready and sends everyone out to go people hunting.
Warnings: ARRIVALS. Also assume the first thread is the ones who tell you about the city, and the other tags for the character can be talking with others in the city and learning more about it.

[FOR THOSE IN THE CITY:]
They were getting much better at this, it was for certain.

The COMPS had been upgraded with a new program, HORUS which allowed them to spot abnormalities; if something or someone showed up suddenly in a city that was constantly scanned, then there was a high probability it was a newcomer. There was also a sort of left energy from the travel; the Wise Men called it leftover Magatama Residue, where the magical energy used to pull them to this world and keep the String intact was still faintly present around them. It wouldn't last more than a few minutes, however, and due to the fact they could appear in most parts of the city, it made finding the newcomers was both easy yet frustratingly difficult. As the blips appear on your radar function, they were nice enough to calculate for you the best transport and destination routes to take to get there.

Now it was just left up to chance and make sure you got there fast enough that you were still able to find them relatively easily. For the most part, the fact they stuck out would most certainly help...

[FOR THOSE WHO JUST ARRIVED:]
You're not in your homeworld anymore. That much is evident. So how do you feel? Happy? Sad? Troubled? A little of all three? No matter what, the memories of a butterfly man named Philemon are fading like a dream; you'll remember the details, but perhaps not everything he has said.

There is one word that stays with you, however.

Persona.

So...here to save the city, huh? First you'll need to find out more information. And who knows, maybe a familiar face or two...

[OOC: As stated above, only new characters can start a thread, but feel free to jump in any of them. characters arrive with their clothing and whatever items they had on them the moment they were taken; the remaining items will be later found in their apartments.]

Comments

[not_a_leviathan]

He doesn't shake Guybrush's hand. In fact, he starts taking a few steps backwards, eyes wide, before realizing he's hit a wall. He drops into what he hopes is a good approximation of a fighting stance, fists up. He doesn't have any kind of bat or stick to fight with... and if he's anything like the other ones, he's definitely got a gun.

"No way I'm going anywhere with someone like you. You're not going to unwind me."

[a_pirate_meant_to_be]

He blinks. Wow, that's... the first time he's actually seen someone react to a pirate like one SHOULD react to a pirate. Although that unwinding thing is just weird. "Hey, I know I have an intimidating stature and a legendary list of exploits, but no need to get so defensive, kid! I'm just another Persona user like the rest of us here in ol' Hinoto-Ri. Albeit a chronically unemployed one." He looks sheepish.

[not_a_leviathan]

"Uh-huh. The last time I believed what a parts pirate said I ended up unconscious in the back of a car. I'm not exactly jumping at the chance to do that again, thanks. I'm keeping my organs." His eyes darted back and forth, looking for a way out. Maybe if he could duck into the alley again he could find something to defend himself with.

[a_pirate_meant_to_be]

"A what's pirate? Wait, ORGANS? Ew. I don't know what kinda pirates YOU'RE dealing with, kid, but they give me the creeps." Geez louise. "Only organs I've ever seen pirates worry about are their own. Especially if they're undead or something." He scratches his head. "Well okay, maybe the voodoo lady's got some parts or something..."

[not_a_leviathan]

... He relaxes a hair. He's still very wary... but this guy honestly looks confused.

"So you're... not going to drag me off to a chop shop?" A part of him facepalms mentally at using the slang name for it, but he pushes that aside. He's not the same person who would have willingly walked in there so long ago.

[a_pirate_meant_to_be]

"It wasn't really on my 'to-do' list, no." Geez, what kinda dark creepy world does this kid come from? As far as Guybrush is concerned, pirate are all about adventure, carousing, and questionable hygiene habits.

[not_a_leviathan]

His expression softens slightly. He's still wary of this guy, but at least it seems like he's going to be okay for now.

"... I'm Lev."

[a_pirate_meant_to_be]

Guybrush rubs the back of his neck. Geez, whereever this kid from must've been a pretty grim sort of place. Who on Earth couldn't trust a pirate? ...don't answer that.

"Nice to meet you Lev. Hey... uh, you wouldn't want some octopus balls or something would you? I think I got a few left over still." One nice thing about inventory space is that foods seem to keep remarkably well there, except when they don't. It's kind of arbitrary.

[not_a_leviathan]

... Yeah he doesn't get your adventure game logic. And octopus balls sound really gross... but he can't afford to be picky.

"Uh... sure."

[a_pirate_meant_to_be]

You don't see exactly where he pulls it out from -- possibly for the sake of your own sanity, or for convenience -- but he now has some takoyaki, which he passes along to Lev. "Here you go. Can't seem to get into them myself. Probably better served on your end or something."

They're not exactly warm anymore, but they're servicable, at least.

[not_a_leviathan]

He takes a bite. It's... not too weird. It tastes kind of like sushi. Probably because of the octopus.

"... What is this place, anyway?"

[a_pirate_meant_to_be]

"You're standing in Hinoto-Ri, a last bastion of humanity, technology, and lots of weird food." He nods. "I dunno, they seem to be grabbing people from all sorts of different worlds 'cause of this 'Persona' stuff. Say they need us to help with demons and terrorists and the like. I think they're just throwing darts on a dartboard personally."

[not_a_leviathan]

He chokes a tiny bit, and coughs, before swallowing the bite he was working on.

"They're asking someone like me to help with terrorists? I'm already paying my 'debt to society' for that."

And yes, he does the air quotes with his free hand.

[a_pirate_meant_to_be]

He rubs the back of his neck. "Well, to be fair, it's a little easier once you figure out how to make gigantic representations of some element of your psyche come out of your head and smack things for you. Honestly, I'm not even sure HOW obligated we are to it. It's just kinda one of those implied things."

Implied like a brick to the head, but implied regardless.

[not_a_leviathan]

Back up a minute there.

"How to make what now?"

[a_pirate_meant_to_be]

He frowns. "Didn't you get the pep talk from the weird guy in the butterfly mask about this stuff?" he asks.

[not_a_leviathan]

"I kind of got tranquilized before I got here..."

So weird dreams and all are not out of the question.

[a_pirate_meant_to_be]

"Oh that's okay. He shows up in your sleep." He pauses. "Which is actually kinda creepy now that I say it out loud."

[not_a_leviathan]

"... Yeah. Yeah it is."

Stop that.

[a_pirate_meant_to_be]

"Sorry." He scratches his head. "Anyway, they'll get you sorted out. I kinda get the feeling you weren't exactly in the best place before you showed up here anyway."

[not_a_leviathan]

"No. That's putting it mildly." Stuck in the back of a car with someone who likely wants him dead? Not idea to say the least.