Making new friends

[all_wound_up]

Who: Nano Shinonome and her Personas, Pinocchio and Chirashizushi.
Where: Out and about in town
When: The 13th hour between December 2nd and 3rd
Summary: Nano hasn't had much call to use either of her Personas, so she's taking each of them out for a spin.
Warnings: Nothing, really. She's not fighting terribly difficult demons here.  Open to all who want to help her fight things.

Nano hadn't managed to be very useful at all the last time something bad happened in Hinoto-Ri, and she's been feeling rather badly about it ever since.  After all, everyone in the town was in the same situation, being suddenly ripped away from their homes and loved ones, so there's no reason she shouldn't be trying just as hard as they are.  To that end, even though she's afraid, she's finally resolved to venture out during the 13th Hour to try to get stronger.  It's the only way she's ever going to be able to feel like she's earned the power she's been granted in this place, and certainly the only way she'd feel right going back home after meeting so many nice people.  To that end, she's out tonight in the streets immediately surrounding the Pisces District housing looking for demons to fight, but also hovering reasonably near the apartment building in case things get too dangerous.

"I hope we can get along and work well together, Pinocchio-san," Nano says with a smile, folding her hands in front of her and bowing her head politely to the smiling ethereal puppet-boy floating behind her.  The Persona smiles back, wordlessly nodding its head.

"Matarukaja!  Marakukaja!"

As Nano's words ring out through the air, Pinocchio performs a stringless dance behind her before holding its arms out.  Energy washes over Nano, bolstering her attack and defense against the demons she's about to fight.  Glancing back behind her, she gives a small smile and another nod before dismissing Pinocchio and calling out Chirashizushi, the new Persona she'd fused in the Velvet Room only a few days before.

"Let's be friends too, Chirashizushi!"  The little angel enthusiastically grins as it materializes into existence, looking happy as anything to be serving its new master.  And with that, Nano and her Personas venture out into the night to fight for the safety of the citizens of Hinoto-Ri.

Comments

[greatergone]

While Nano was having fun, Kais was treating this as seriously as possible. He refused to even use his persona, seeing it as a extension of the Chaos thing he had learned about back on Dolumar IV. He didn't want daemons and the mont'au in his mind, causing him problems. So it was only there for emergencies.

Besides, he was in a hurry. Kais wasn't fast but his short but powerful legs carried him along at a pretty good clip, his hooves noisily hitting the ground as he ran past Nano. Behind him followed something that looked like a tan colored dinner platter and it stuck with him fairly well and even seemed like it could move much faster.

Once he passed Nano, though, he dropped to one knee in an awkward pose that human anatomy might be pained to mimic and brought up long rifle up to his shoulder, using the scope to scan ahead for enemies.

[all_wound_up]

"Oh, Kais...!"

Nano scarcely has time to look behind her to see what all the noise is before he's already passed her by. Taking a few steps forward with Chirashizushi still floating protectively at her side, she walks up to stand next to him.

"Are you fighting demons tonight?"

[greatergone]

He didn't turn to look, mostly because he knew she was there. He didn't run past her blind like an idiot. Still, Kais waves at her to get down. No matter the enemy, digression should be the better part of valor.

"I always fight these daemons. They are a blight upon the world for everyone, Tau and gue'la included."

[all_wound_up]

Without even giving it a second thought, Nano crouches down, covering her head with her hands. She's pretty easy to influence, really.

"Aren't you using your Persona...?"

[greatergone]

Looking back at her, he was kind of incredulous. Of course he wasn't going to use his persona thing. Not unless he was in such an awful situation that was life or death.

"A soldier has to rely on himself before he can rely on other...beings. Especially ones that are dangerous."

[second_destiny]

Suddenly, from down the street came a shout.

"Cover your eyes!"

A small black canister flew through the air, and landed at the feet of two demons roughly thirty feet away from Nano's position. Then the canister burst, and a blinding light was unleashed. Once the light died down, two gunshots rang out, and the two demons collapsed and dissipated.

Looking toward the source would reveal one Asem Asuno, standing with feet apart and both hands holding a pistol in front of him, pointed where the two demons were.

[all_wound_up]

"Aaaaaah!"

Nano lets out a surprised yell, backing away quickly from the canister and closing her eyes. She wobbles backward, almost falling over but catching herself at the last moment, cradled in the arms of her Persona.

"W-whew..."

[second_destiny]

Asem lowered his gun, then looked over. "Hey, sorry about that. I just saw those demons come almost out of nowhere. You all right?"

[all_wound_up]

"I-I think so..."

Nano slowly exhales, placing a hand on her chest and coming down from the sudden fright.

[greyerrant]

Loken doesn't bother with adorable personas. Loken just straight up leaps on the demons from about midway up the side of a building, landing with all the force of a meteor slamming into the ground, standing from the cracked pavement crater he has made and laying about him with a combat knife that would serve anyone else as a broadsword. He hasn't even drawn his bolter or chainsword yet, the only sounds the wheeze of the air exchangers on his armor, the whistle of his knife as he fights, and the deep purr of his armor's servomotors.

[all_wound_up]

Now that is impressive. It's even more amazing than the sentai shows she's watched on television! Nano watches the tall armored man raptly, eyes bouncing back and forth as she tries to follow the action.

"W-wow...!"

[greyerrant]

He does in fact move as though several frames of animation are missing, his transhuman biology making him an utterly brutal combatant against the demon as the blade in his hand dances like a flame on the edge of a log. His left hand, open, grasps another of the foes and hurls him against a wall, which bulges inward from the impact. The Demon doesn't rise, and he finishes dispatching the first target. He turns to nano, the breathing of his huge lungs indicated by the labored sounds of the air rebreather working overtime to feed more fresh air into the armor.

"Are you all right?"

[all_wound_up]

It takes Nano a moment to remember her words, she's so stunned from the display of combat prowess.

"Yes, I'm fine...! That was incredible!"

[celebrity_commentator]

Rise had been carefully and quietly - I know, right? - observing the demons messing around so late at night. This strange 13th Hour felt very different from the TV World, but it did have one thing in common: Kanzeon was almost singing inside her head, telling her there were people in danger. Now that she had a combat Persona too, she had ventured out to check on one of the disturbances near the other apartments*, only to find one of her new friends flailing away at some of the crazy demons with her own Personas.

"Nano-chan?" she called out from under a nearby awning when Nano was between fights.

*Rise may live in Libra, but like hell she wasn't going to take an excuse to use the teleporters on "official business".

[all_wound_up]

Rise catches up to Nano just as she's dispatching her very first demon - a low-level imp. Nothing special, of course, but it's a big step for the nervous little robot. It isn't often that she does things entirely on her own without the support of at least one friend, so she feels very accomplished. Chirashizushi seems to be echoing her enthusiasm, happily floating up and down as her wings flap behind her. At the sound of Rise's voice, Nano pauses in her celebration to look toward her friend.

"Rise-san...?"

[celebrity_commentator]

"Good job!" Rise smiles and congratulates her. She holds off on actual applause, since people who didn't know her already might think that was a little much. "And cute Persona, too!"

[all_wound_up]

"Thank you!"

Nano smiles back, rubbing the back of her neck and looking pleased but also a little embarrassed. She isn't quite used to that level of praise yet, so she's a little sheepish, but she does seem pretty happy with herself all the same.

[otakuro]

Rounding a corner, Nano and her Personas will run, almost literally, into a tall demon wearing a floppy white hat. Clearly a mark of demonic superiority. The enemy staggers back in the darkness and instinctively thrusts out a hand as he spots the three obviously extremely dangerous small children/angels/puppets floating before him.

"Enki!"

A perhaps familiar Persona will materialize... A young man wreathed in streams of water, holding a long staff in his hand.

[all_wound_up]

Nano hadn't expected to run into such a powerful-looking demon on her first night out, and especially not so close to the apartments. Her surprise causes her to hesitate for a moment, but the voice she hears is immediately comforting.

"Atsuro-san! Please help!"

[otakuro]

".........Huh?"

Alright, so the dreadful enemy was screaming his name. Atsuro squints a little closer in the darkness and blinks.

"Oh! ...Hey, er. Nano, right?"

Enki stares placidly at Atsuro for a few moments before vanishing. Atsuro appreciates the restraint his Persona shows in not rolling its eyes.

"...Sorry about that."

[all_wound_up]

Nano lets out a breath, slumping up against the building they're standing next to. She hadn't realized at first that she was looking at Atsuro's Persona, but it's quite a relief to find out that she wasn't about to be destroyed utterly by some roving king of demons stalking around the Pisces Ward.

"Atsuro-san... you scared me."

[dame_tsuna]

[Hmm, isn't that the girl from before? The one that was covered in scorpions?]

Hey, you're pretty good with your persona. I wish I could get mine to cooperate that easily.

[all_wound_up]

[The very same! Nano smiles, recognizing her savior from before.]

Really? What's yours like?

[dame_tsuna]

My regular one is okay. I'm not very good at using it, but I guess it could be worse.

I just got a new one in the velvet room, but I haven't tried it yet....

[all_wound_up]

Maybe you should try that one, then.