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

[genkigal]

"[insert year here idk]." Ah... He doesn't know how to say the rest of this. His fingers drum on the table for a time. "They're saying this might be all that's left."

Of everything. He really can't forget what Shion told him. That Hong Kong no longer existed in his time... But he wants to keep his shit together. He wants to be strong. He won't let this defeat him. "A lot of the world was devastated."

[fourseasons]

Japan grows quiet at that. He knows what Hong Kong must be thinking. He's thinking it a bit himself... He's heard from others in Zodion that the world didn't end up so great. But Japan was included, so what does this mean? Even if he explains it away with different universes or timelines...

Hong Kong is Hong Kong.

"How could that be?" He's already mentally scolding himself for how unhelpful that is.

[genkigal]

"No one seems to know." He'd heard a lot of 'theories', but it all basically came to things just being this way one day. "As countries it's like our job to do something though, don't you think?"

...He doesn't want to mess around anymore in other worlds and other places. Even if this isn't his own time, might not even be his own timeline, this is Earth. And he wants to do something here, something now, for this place.

[fourseasons]

"Yes, of course." He says that genuinely, sitting up a bit more in his chair as he looks to Hong Kong. Though... he's wondering what they can do. He supposes he doesn't know the whole situation enough to tell yet but he's hoping he will.

"Did Hong Kong have something specific in mind?"

[genkigal]

Did he? Ah... Does he really sound like he knows what he's doing that much? ...He can't bring himself to say that he doesn't though. Is he supposed to depend on Japan to do everything? Ho cruel would that be...

"I want to help the people here first. Only when like we know more of what's going on here and about everything can we think about helping other places. You know? Like maybe." He pauses. "I signed up for the police force."

One of the things he did while he was out...

[fourseasons]

Japan's at a loss of words honestly. Hong Kong was out doing all of this? ...He's not sure what to think about it. He feels that he should be proud. And he is, in some ways. But in others he feels lacking himself. Why... Isn't this what Hong Kong wanted?

Agh, he doesn't know. It's just new all around and he's honestly not sure how to deal with it. He's worried. He feels like he shouldn't be, though. He wants to be supportive. Not overprotective...

"It is true that it would be good to learn more of what is going on. Ah... The moment anything is discovered, please realize I would be willing to go with Hong Kong anywhere." A pause, and he glances down. "I will have to go out on my own and see where I can sign up for my own assistance towards this."

[genkigal]

He looks at Japan. He just... "Are you mad?" That he did all this? He's not certain... how Japan's feeling.

[fourseasons]

He's not sure how to word how he is feeling, but he knows it's not anger, so immediately he shakes his head. Still his glance down to the table is silent for a moment as he gets words together. "Of course not."

The rest of the words catch in his throat for some reason, so he makes up for his silence by extending a hand over the table towards Hong Kong. Looking for his. Lonely...? Afraid. Guilty. Sad. These are such pathetic feelings.

"All I could do was wait for Hong Kong. For a small moment before he texted me, I wondered if I had left Hong Kong behind."

[genkigal]

Hong Kong stares for a moment before slowly stretching out his hand to let his fingers touch Japan's. Japan... He'd had that thought too. But he'd made himself look first before he jumped to any conclusions. It wasn't the same for Japan though.

"...Wherever I go I'll wait for you." Does Japan understand? He's not just... going to forget. Or stop loving him. Or... anything. Strange for him to say, he knows, uncharacteristic. But it's how he feels.

[fourseasons]

Ah... What a touching thing to hear, really. He grips at those fingers, holding onto them. "Thank you. ...I feel the same." Hong Kong knows that, right? He's still staring at their hands, running his thumb slowly over one of Hong Kong's fingers.

"Forgive me for my reaction this time around." He's really not coming off as stable, is he... Maybe it's because it feels less like Hong Kong needs him to be.

[genkigal]

Hong Kong watches Japan, fingers curling slightly against the other country's. "...Would you like to sleep with me?" Real sleep. Not like last time. He had planned to go back out, get a better understanding of the city. But time between them, a nap. In eachother's arms...

Maybe that was necessary. For both of them. It's funny how secretly panicked he'd felt until he talked to Japan...

[fourseasons]

Japan doesn't have to think twice about the suggestion. He stands from his chair still holding Hong Kong's hand and nods. "Let's rest together." He really does want to. So if Hong Kong goes along with him he'll crawl right into the bed and wrap his arms around him. Usually he's not so clingy in sleep, but today he wants to curl up close and not let go.

He's tired of this scare...

[genkigal]

Hong Kong follows Japan, leaning back against the other country as they lounge on the bed. He wants to make this better...

"You know I'm yours?" He just wants to make sure.

[fourseasons]

"I do." He presses his face into the back of Hong Kong's shoulder or whatever's closest, relaxing into this position. He's... really off isn't he. No matter how much he realizes it it doesn't seem to be getting better. Is it good that he's this open with Hong Kong?

"I do not want to let you down."

[genkigal]

Hong Kong raises his hand, pressing it against Japan's cheek. ...Aren't those words familiar. "You won't." There's a pause and then he adds: "I don't want to be a person who's so weak Nihon can feel he let me down."

Does that make sense? Even if this is so different... He wants to keep going to be responsible.

[fourseasons]

He leans into that hand, taking comfort in it. "I do not think Hong Kong is weak." A pause, and he covers that hand with one of his own. "But I will remember that, then." What he feels. What he's doing.

[genkigal]

There's a long pause from Hong Kong. It's so funny to be in this situation... Strange.

"I'll take care of you."

He means it.

[fourseasons]

It causes such mixed feelings to hear that. Is it good? Bad? Something in between? He's been thinking on this for a long while and the more they go through the more he finds himself thinking about it.

But Hong Kong is here. And that means a lot. So Japan just drops his hand again and stays close there, ready to sleep. "Thank you."

[genkigal]

They're words of gratitude, but somehow Hong Kong feels rejected more than he ever has. After a moment he lets his hand drop as well, studying the coverlet idly. ...He wants things to be as they were before. But he knows he'll get hurt again that way.

It's hard not to notice the lack of weight dangling from his ear.