The Search for the Newcomers, December 2012 Edition.

[stringmods]

Who: Open to Everyone, but only Newly Accepted Characters can start threads.
Where: All around the city! They appear where you want them to appear.
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.

Last month's initial testing of the HORUS system had worked really well. The device which allowed everyone to spot abnormalities; and now even more refined, they could hone in on newcomers at a much faster pace. The leftover energy from the travel (commonly called Magatama Residue) gave them a few minutes to find them before it would flicker out.

Combined with 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 own radar function, it was also nice enough to calculate for you the best transport and destination routes to take to get there. Speed was of the essence, after all.

[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

[eyewillprotect]

She bites her lip, looking at the ground. Was there truly no other way...?

"What would you suggest I do in the meantime, then?"

[drakenguard]

Yamato gave a small snort. "Why should I tell you? Do as you please. There is plenty to do around the city. But, if you do wish for some advice, I suggest awakening your Persona."

[eyewillprotect]

Well that's certainly an unfamiliar word. "Persona?"

[drakenguard]

Damn it.

"A Persona is a physical manifestation of your soul. It first appears when you are under great stress - let us say in the middle of a battle - and can learn a myriad of abilities and spells. You have two types: Support and Combat Persona. I'm sure you can figure out what that means without an explanation."

[eyewillprotect]

"A physical manifestation of my... soul?" It's such an odd concept, she can't help but repeat the words back to him.

"If it appears in times of stress... would that make it like a guardian? And how do you know I have one?"

[drakenguard]

"All those that arrive here from other worlds carry the ability to summon a Persona," Yamato said slowly. "And I suppose, yes, you can say it is a guardian. It's still a rather mysterious phenomenon."

[eyewillprotect]

"...Even if we didn't have a power like that in our own world?" At least, she's fairly certain it was different. "But... how?"

[drakenguard]

"The being that took you to this world, Philemon, gave it to you," Yamato said. "That is my understanding, anyway."

[eyewillprotect]

"...I still don't understand." Why was she brought here? And apparently given yet another power, much less. But...

"...If he chose us, he must have a reason for it... Right?"

[drakenguard]

"Obviously," Yamato's tone became a bit disdainful then. "I highly doubt he brought us here to simply play 'House' with us."

[eyewillprotect]

"And we don't have a single hint what that could be?"

[drakenguard]

"No. But isn't that par for the course with entities like that? They enjoy keeping their cards to their chest, and revealing their plots and schemes when it's too late," Yamato muttered, now sounding irritated. Obviously he had experience with this...

[eyewillprotect]

"...I'm afraid I wouldn't know. I've never dealt with a god before now." Demons, yes. Necromancy, also yes. But not gods.

"Have you... encountered gods before, then?"

[drakenguard]

Yamato actually laughed - it was a dark, unamused sounding thing, but probably surprising to hear from a cold looking individual.

"Haha...!! Yes, I have," Yamato said, a wry smile on his lips, "Well, a being that may as well be God, and he turned out to be nothing more than an ugly monster."

Warning, warning, entering touchy and dangerous waters!!

[eyewillprotect]

Well that sure was a thing. Unaware of the murky waters ahead, Aoi goes on and plunges right in.

"What do you mean by that?"

[drakenguard]

"Nothing."

Yamato froze over, his expression and voice now at subzero. There was a certain stiffness in his body language now, his eyebrows furrowed into a bitter looking frown. "It is nothing important. Change the subject."

[eyewillprotect]

She's curious of course, but... It's also not a topic that involves her in any way, so she'll let it drop for now.

"...Is there anything else about this place I should know?"

[drakenguard]

"There are plenty of demons that appear in the evenings, usually during the full moon," Yamato said, thawing almost as rapidly as he froze up. He was still cold, but it wasn't as severe as before. "There is also something called a 13th Hour where demons are also numerous."

[eyewillprotect]

And now it's her turn to react.

"Wait-- There are demons here, too-?" The words slip out of her mouth before she can quite stop them.

[drakenguard]

Okay, that snags Yamato's attention.

"Too? Heheh, do you come from a world with them as well?" Yamato asked, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. "But yes, they do exist here. Quite numerously, and as part of the native population, so don't attack every single demon that you see. Some of them are innocent inhabitants of the city."

[eyewillprotect]

She bites her lip for a moment after that. With everything going on, she's really relaxed her guard... She needs to be more careful.

Still, perhaps it's a good thing she had said as much. His explanation is definitely not what she would have expected. "...They live here in peace, you mean." It's a relief to hear, after the destruction her own city has gone through thanks to frequent attacks. The tension in her shoulders from her slip-up leaves almost entirely at that particular bit of news.

"What about the ones who don't? Is there any way to tell them apart?"

[drakenguard]

"Yes. Them trying to rip your face off is usually a good indication," Yamato said. Judging by his even tone and straight face, it was uncertain if he was cracking a joke or not.

[eyewillprotect]

"..."

Right.

"I'll just have to be on my guard, I suppose." She wishes there was an easier way of course, but she also has no intention at all of attacking demons at random now that she knows they are capable of being peaceable. Who is she to try to harm the innocent, demon or not?

"Still, I'm... glad. It's good to hear that not all demons are evil here."

[drakenguard]

"It's foolish to place human morality on demons."

What was evil to humans, was not evil to demons. Truthfully, Yamato understood demons better than humans, as during his childhood he had only ever socialised with demons and a living star.

Yeah.

"But yes. Aside from the violent ones during the 13th Hour, they are peaceful. Usually."

[eyewillprotect]

"...You're right. 'Evil' is probably a harsh word - not all demons even mean to kill, I'm sure." That must definitely be the situation here, right? Right. And Aoi is nothing if not idealistic, after all.

"Could you tell me a little more about this 13th hour?"