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

[second_destiny]

"I came with the gun. I was a soldier back home. I bought the grenades and flashbangs here."

Asem shook his head. "No. Friends I made here. There's a lot of friendly people in Hinoto-Ri."

[eyewillprotect]

"A soldier?" Color her surprised. "But you look like you're close to my age!"

[second_destiny]

"I'm nineteen." That's all he says for now. He assumes that simply being over the age of eighteen is enough to count as a sufficient answer.

[eyewillprotect]

"...I see. I'm sorry, I thought you might have been a little younger." She tips her head in a small apologetic bow. And then, out of pure curiosity at this point: "...Was there a specific reason why you joined, Asuno?"

[second_destiny]

Asem nods. "Yeah. At first it was because my dad needed me -- he was the frontline commander in the war -- but I kept at it because I've got things important to me. People I'll protect."

[eyewillprotect]

That brings an understanding smile to her face. The need to protect people was certainly something she could relate to. However, when she speaks, she looks away.

"...I see. That's very brave of you, Asuno."

[second_destiny]

From watching her body language, Asem figured that Aoi had more to say on the subject than she was letting on. He wouldn't press too hard, but...

"Rough time, huh?"

He had to say something.

[eyewillprotect]

"...You could say that." Her smile is a little embarrassed now. She won't expand on the topic too much, but...

"I just think it's wonderful to be able to protect the people you care about."

[second_destiny]

"It'd be nicer if it wasn't necessary. But I've learned not to dwell on that."

[eyewillprotect]

"...Sometimes, it's not even a particular person's fault. But people still need to be protected."

Nobody had intended for that fire to occur that day...

[second_destiny]

It was definitely someone's fault in this case. The war was raging because Ezelcant had chosen to declare war on the Earth Federation.

"Yeah. Hopefully it won't last, though."

[eyewillprotect]

"...It would be wonderful if we could live peacefully. It may sound naive, but... I hope that one day, it might be possible." Life without the threat of demons hanging over their heads, and the deaths of the innocent people they had failed to save...

Of course, that would require them to find the true source of the demons first.

[second_destiny]

"Keep pushing, and it'll eventually happen." Asem had that faith in his own conflict back home. Sooner or later, the war had to come to an end. Whether it was from running out of resources and being forced to negotiate, or by his father succeeding his objective and wiping out all of Vagan.

[eyewillprotect]

She gives a nod and a wan smile.

"Definitely. We'll keep working hard." They had finally defeated Kozunu... Surely they would be able to get to the bottom of the attacks if they continued their efforts.