The Search for the Newcomers, November 2012 Edition.

[stringmods]

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

[tangentlion]

[Answers? Who needed them. This world was garbage, just like the one he'd just left. And to be perfectly honest Sho wasn't completely convinced that this WAS a different world. People lie. People always lie.

So after yelling at no one in particular for a few minutes about HOW DARE THEY TRANSPOSE HIS COORDINATES and WHY THE FACTOR AM I ISOLATED FROM THE UG AND THEREFORE MY POWERS AND WINGS AND NOISE ARGH other such nonsense, Sho does what he always does to make himself feel better.

Art.

Well.

If you can call it that.

The growing pile of junk in the middle of the street hardly looks like art, but there does seem to be some care given to it. Objects organized strangely, balanced precariously, at specific angles... And now, Sho is using a crowbar to pry a sign off its post.

What a strange boy.]

Come... off... you... factoring... SIGN! I need your beauty!!

[poweryetunknown]

[The pile he sees as he heads down the street looks familiar. Way too familiar.]

[... Crap. He spots Sho attempting to dislodge the sign and walks a little closer. Might as well... 'greet' him. Even if it's one of the last things he wants to do.]

Hey Pi-Face! Might wanna stop that. I don't think the police here would take that well.

[tangentlion]

[Sho spins around at the familiar-ish voice, nearly taking Neku's head off with the crowbar in the process. He looks around, then... oh. Down. Right.]

Well, well, well! If it isn't the biggest zero in the set. I knew this wasn't a different world. [he snorts, then goes back to prying the stop sign off] The cops don't scare me. My art is more important than their factoring law and order. I need this octogon!!

[poweryetunknown]

[Hey he's not that short. You're just a giant monkey.]

Yeah well you can't use your Reaper powers here, so it might be harder for you to fight them off. And they have powers that they're better than you at using.

[There's a brief blue glow, and then a lion-like Persona stands behind Neku.]

And so do I.

[... It's his way of being helpful, shh. He really doesn't like Sho, but he doesn't think that the asshole should be completely clueless.]

[Even if it would be really funny to watch him run from monsters.]

[tangentlion]

[Don't be jealous of his mad height. Also yes, you're short.]

I'm zetta good at hiding, zero.

[dasdklashdjasd. Neku, this is an expression you have never seen on Sho's face. And might not ever see again. It is one of unadulterated surprise... then... is that joy? Or something like it] Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally!!

[RUNNING OVER TO YOUR FIRE LION SNAKE MAN THING and making some sort of small noise of glee] You... are beautiful. You don't belong to this world. You... are living art. Such symmetry! Such ANGLES! Ohhhh... [he turns back to Neku and brandishes his crowbar at him]

You! You are now a partial fraction above zero. Tell me about your beautiful leonine familiar! Where'd you get him? Why does something so beautiful serve you? ... I want one. You have t=2 minutes to explain, yoctogram.

[poweryetunknown]

[What. The fuck. Sho what the hell. He did not expect him to have that kind of reaction. Then again Sho was never predictable. Ugh...]

Everyone that's brought here has this thing called a Persona. Supposedly it's got something to do with your true self or whatever. Narasimha's mine, I guess. First time you summon it... it's kind of a pain in the ass to summon at first and it's easier during the weird hour past midnight here.

It's got abilities kind of like pins. Like this.

[Have a Zionga, Sho. :| Lightning to the face.]

[tangentlion]

This beautiful creature is YOUR true self? Hah!! Yeah. Not in this dimension, yoctogram. Wait, wh-- WAGH!!

[good thing Reaper durability carries over to the RG. But that doesn't keep Sho from getting his hat knocked off and his hair going all frizzy from the electricity. He lets out a string of numbers under his breath as he collects himself (and his hat) and places it securely back on his head] Alright, alright, I get your point. [he is not keen on being attacked again, so he puts the crowbar through his belt-loop and under his coat as a sign of surrender. Sort of] Tell me how you summoned it the first time. Or I'll just ask someone else! There's infinite ways for me to derive the solution!

[poweryetunknown]

[That's better than he'd hoped for, and he lets Narasimha fade. Weird. He's a lot less threatening without Reaper powers, or his Noise form. Neku tucks his hands into his pockets.]

No idea why I'm helping you, but like I said - it's easier to summon in the hour after midnight. That's when there's a lot of monsters around. It's sorta weird to describe how to trigger it - but I guess it's sort of like using pins. Kind of a force of will thing.

[(... He was a Player too once. That's... weird to think about.)]

[tangentlion]

[WAY less threatening. He's still sharp as a tack, and more durable and strong than any normal human. But without his powers and Taboo Noise at his beck and call... well... The lion is little more than a housecat today. Housecat still has claws, but... ]

Heh. I guess we'll never know. [Sho still doesn't know Neku comes from AFTER he does... or else Sho would know that he's pretty much the perfect Player. A self-absorbed little git transformed into a genuinely decent guy with incredible refined Imagination? He would be a gift to Shibuya.

He frowns, tapping his boot on the concrete with a distinct rhythm. He flips out his phone to check the time] ... So there's +1 hour in the day here. Is that what you're saying? And during that extra 60 minutes, there are monsters. Heh.... Heheheh!! Hahaaaahahah! Well!! If it has to do with Imagination, I've got that in zetta spades!! I'll summon my familiar in 0 time!

[poweryetunknown]

Pretty much.

[... Okay, he can't resist a jab at Sho. The guy did cause significant hell for him.]

Just don't get squashed by a vending machine this time.

[tangentlion]

[he tilts his head] What? What about vending machines?

[poweryetunknown]

[(... Oh. Crap. He really is from before that. I thought maybe something happened to you if you die in a Taboo Noise form or something. The hell if I know anything about that stuff.)]

... Consider it a word of warning.

[He smirks slightly and turns to leave.]

[tangentlion]

[Sho scratches his head under his hat and watches Neku walk off. Well, that was weird. Whatever. Back to what he was doing]

[shibuyasmusic]

[Joshua was just passing by, on his way to find his apartment and get off of these strange streets so he could try to contact Hanekoma as soon as possible to get him out of this strange world, when he noticed the junk pile. Oh... oh no, what was that doing here....

The color drains from his face as he hears Sho's very loud voice coming from just down the block. Unfortunately in the direction that Joshua needed to go.

So... Sho doesn't know that he doesn't have his powers, and Sho himself couldn't have any of his own either. He could still bluff his way out of this, and defend himself with Hachiko in the worst case. Putting his hands in his pockets casually, Joshua approaches slowly.]

Well, I certainly didn't expect to see you here.

[tangentlion]

[Sho is really focused on that stop sign. Ugh, this would be so much easier with a psych, or a well-aimed kick from Leo Cantus...

He almost doesn't hear Josh. But that voice. That annoying, irritating, voice. He turns around to see the Composer, in the flesh. Literally. With his vibe so low, the Composer was just a kid who called himself Josh. Sho grins a horrible, fangy grin, and swings his crowbar over his shoulder]

Well FOIL my quadratic. Look who it is. So eager to exchange your coordinates as Composer? I'll happily oblige!

[shibuyasmusic]

Ah ah ah, I wouldn't try doing that if I were you~ Don't you remember what happened the last time you came after me, Sho? [Joshua makes a finger gun and aims it at Sho tauntingly, before putting both hands on his hips with confidence.

The Composer glances back at Sho's trash heap and then back to the sign he was evidently trying to rip out of the ground.] I really can't have you off of a leash can I, Minamimoto? You're here for maybe half a day before you start tearing things up and making a mess. Do I have to remind you that we're not in the Underground anymore? If you're caught, you're going to have to face the consequences of the Realground's forces.

[tangentlion]

Yeah, I remember. You cheated. [he growls and taps the crowbar against his shoulder] A mess? You call this a mess? This is art, yoctogram. This place is garbage. I made it better! Hehehe... I'm not worried about cops. I have zetta distance/time, and I am a master of hiding. Plus, what are they gonna book me for? Vandalism? Ha! It's a shame there's no UG to hide in, or else they might be getting me for murder instead.

[he points the crowbar at Josh, threateningly] Then again, jail won't matter even a fraction if I get to beat your pretty skull in. I could die happy!! [a bluff, of course. Sho REALLY doesn't want to go to jail. That would put a major cramp in his style]

But I'm busy. Go away.

[shibuyasmusic]

[Joshua just furrows a brow at him. It looks like Sho wasn't going to be immediately hostile, that was at least promising.]

After you're done with your cute little junk pile, what are you planning on doing? Are you even aware that we're in another world? [As one of his Reapers, even as a rogue Reaper, Joshua feels he has to keep an eye on this guy... Even without his powers Sho is still dangerous.]

[tangentlion]

[he growls again] What part of "go away" is your microscopic brain unable to compute?! It's not a difficult equation! Elementary! You remove yourself from my area and I don't beat you bloody.

[YATTA! The sign comes loose! And Sho rubs his face against his precious octogon affectionately] Finally. You stubborn little guy... [Hmm.. what IS he going to do] Well... I'll probably derive myself some grub, then make another one! Then find some good coordinates to crash. [Sho sniffs at the air, looking around the unfamiliar city] ... Well, it's not Shibuya. But you bought that story about it not being the same world? Tch. People lie, yoctogram. You lie most of all. I'll believe it when someone gives me the proof. [walking past you with his prize, now, and over to his heap]

[shibuyasmusic]

[Joshua watches him, folding his arms over his chest with amusement. So Sho hasn't heard yet?]

They've assigned us apartments to stay in, though I'm sure you'd prefer to stay in a dump, but whatever suits your fancy. You want proof that this is another world, though?

This place is barren of an Underground Plane. It's barren of Noise. Or haven't you noticed that you're trapped in the Realground? The evidence is staring you in the face, perhaps you should be putting two and two together and finding a solution to get home, rather than wasting your time with this pointless exercise. [As dangerous as this Reaper was, Joshua would rather have him in his city than another, unsuspecting one.]

[tangentlion]

Oh really? Zetta gracious of our captors. [so much sarcasm. But despite appearances, Sho DOES like a nice bed. Even if that bed is surrounded with junk.]

I noticed. Instantly. Just like I noticed it wasn't Shibuya! But I calculated that my powers may actually be linked to those specific coordinates, ie, not in Shibuya, therefore, no powers. [then again, he'd never been out of Shibuya. Not really. He never bothered to check if other towns even HAD UGs. Maybe they didn't! Maybe every Composer did things a little different] REGARDLESS. This isn't a pointless exercise. It's not my fault if you don't understand my methodology. [caaarefully balancing the stop sign. PERFECT! Wait... Sho pulls a sharpie out of his pocket and scrawls some equations on the back of the sign]

Though I'm all ears, yoctogram. Do you have some other idea besides standin' there being all high and mighty at me? Your slope is so steep, be careful not to fall.

[shibuyasmusic]

Captors? [Thinking about it, that strange man in the butterfly mask that had talked to him before he woke up here did seem responsible for his sudden appearance here. Joshua just shrugs and decides that the reason they were there didn't matter so much at the moment.]

Ironic that you're warning me to watch my step when you're the one perched precariously on a scrap heap. Well, Mr. I-Can-Drop-The-Moon, it likely seems our best bet to finding a way home is to learn more about how we came here. For me that means using my clever wit and worming the information out of those with the intelligence. For you, I'm sure this means beating people senseless until they talk.

For the time being, however, I would consider it more constructive if you kept the destruction to a minimum. If necessary, I can and will subdue you myself if you get out of hand. However, I hold no ill intent against you.

I hope you'll put your violent desire to end my life on suspension until we can get back to Shibuya?

[tangentlion]

Of course. [Because if Sho wakes up somewhere weird, the only solution is that he's been kidnapped. No other way!]

My balance is perfect! There's a reason my Noise form is a zetta graceful cat, yoctogram. [he climbs to the top of the rather unstable heap (thankfully, this one is only about three feet high) and repositions a piece of a car bumper just so, measuring the angle with a small protractor. All in all, it's very therapeutic for him, and he's much calmer than when he arrived. Plus, now this particular block was beautiful. He hops down and dusts his hands off]

Hehehe! So you want to work together? SOHCAHTOA. I suspect that killing you here would not give me my desired solution. You're not even a Composer, here. [he takes his Level i Flare pin out of his pocket. Not that he could activate it anyway... He huffs and pockets it again] So I guess iterating you can wait until we get back. Can't blow my chance again by messing you up in another plane.

[shibuyasmusic]

For someone so graceful, you're certainly a brute~ [Joshua just waves his hand dismissively.]

Killing me here would have no affects on the Reapers' Game, you're correct. To be frank, I'm not sure what Shibuya is going to do without me for a while. Though I'm severely impressed that you'd try to use that pin against me. I wouldn't suggest trying it here anytime in the near future, unless you'd like to fry yourself~?

[Now that he thinks about it... this Sho wasn't covered in Taboo Noise refinery sigils. In fact, this Sho looked entirely too much like he was in one piece...

With a suspicious look, Joshua voices his concern:] Sho, what do you remember last before arriving here?

[tangentlion]

Cats are one of the only animals that play with their prey. It's fitting.

Hehehehe! I have a contingency plan! But all the factors are back in Shibuya... I won't use this pin here, not unless I can.... ha. [he puts a finger over his lips. Josh can't know his cunning plan!!]

[blink. Hm... what WAS he doing?] Nothing special. [he shrugs] I positioned myself at a point on top of Pork City to survey my soon-to-be domain! Why?