Free Battle: Capricorn

[otakuro]

Who: Atsuro Kihara, Open
Where: Leo -> Capricorn District, night
Summary: Skill cracking, magnetite-farming, and leveling up. Atsuro's no stranger to training...
Warnings: None

[private, voice to Ludwig Beilschmidt]
Hey, ah... Ludwig. ...Do you mind if I call you that?

We're getting close to another full moon. ...That's when they said the demons came out in full force, right? I think we should try and get a handle on summoning our Personas before we have to face something else like last time. I've tried to call Enki a few more times; I don't think it's possible just to do it for fun - it might not work unless we're really in danger.

Can we meet tonight by the town hall in Leo? Let's say... about 11:30. I saw you were asking about Personas; I can fill you in on what Enki can do then before we head out.

[public text]
Hey! I'm heading out to do some training tonight. Free Battles are a free action, right? Don't wait up; I won't be getting back until after that 13th Hour.

Feel free to join me if you want.  I'll be outside Capricorn.

[action, town hall]
Half an hour to go.

Atsuro shuffles nervously in front of the hall, his fingers toying with the adjustable strap on his bag.  The text had essentially been spam; he wasn't sure why he'd felt the urge to announce his plans to the whole city.  He'd met maybe ten people here.  Probably three or four of them actually cared.  Naoya, of course, would want to keep tabs on him, but Naoya kept tabs on everything without anyone needing to check in, anyway.

The real reason, of course, was so that someone would come looking if he ended up dead or unconscious somewhere.  He wasn't afraid of the demons... Not really.  A pack of Waira were nothing in comparison to Belberith or Babel.  But he'd been shaken; the idea of being plucked from the verge of defeat by what was essentially a happy coincidence didn't sit well with him.  What if it'd been a one-time deal?  What if his Persona just... never came out again?

Thou art I and I am thou.  He'd never thought of himself as a great fighter.  All he'd ever wanted to do was survive.  No one had asked him to join a team or become a part of something greater - He, along with the rest of Tokyo, had simply been thrust into a situation where they had to pull out all stops if they wanted to live to see the next sunrise.  Of course, he'd given it his all.  But after living through those seven days of terror and panic, these three weeks of leisure had reminded him...  This was what he'd been fighting for.  So that the world would go back to normal and he could resume his normal life.  Did he really want to stay here and keep on fighting?  For some purpose he didn't even fully understand?  Yeah, it was neat and exciting and novel.  But so was the thought of playing an MMO with his forum buddies again, cramming for placement exams, and hanging out with Yuzu and Kazuya at the mall.

...He sighs slightly and shakes himself out of his thoughts.  The important thing at the moment was to gain control of this power he didn't understand.  Making a decision when he still felt lost and confused... Probably wasn't the best idea.

Atsuro finally stops fidgeting and seats himself on the steps of the building, watching the nightlife die down as the 13th Hour rapidly approaches.  Ludwig ought to show up soon.  ...Maybe some others would too.  He finds himself scanning the faces of those passing by, hoping to find someone familiar.

Comments

[drakenguard]

Yamato had intended to simply dismiss the text - it seemed rather spammish to him, and he had no obligations to stay atop of what shenanigans Atsuro got up to in his spare time. However, ever since arriving in this world, Yamato had been slacking somewhat on his training.

...it would be best to catch up on it with a semi-ally, just to get a feel of the enemies in the area.

So here comes Yamato, striding up towards Atsuro with a somewhat bored expression on his face. He stopped before him, crossing his arms over his chest and looking down at Atsuro coldly. He didn't mean to be intimidating...he just naturally came across as that.

"Atsuro. I do hope the offer of training is still open."

[otakuro]

Somehow, he'd missed the man - the boy - in the black coat, despite the thinning trickle of people on the streets. Atsuro's voice catches momentarily in his throat as he turns his head in surprise. The guy bore a strong resemblance to Naoya. Less smug than simply aloof, but both carried themselves with a certain presence that was impossible to ignore.

Of course, Naoya had the excuse of being a gazillion years old.

"Ah... Hey! I hadn't been expecting you."

...Not entirely true. Yamato was the one person he'd met besides Ludwig who was likely to be diligent about the idea of 'training'. But it was unexpected in that, well... the guy didn't seem like the kind of person who liked spending time with others. He was surprised Yamato didn't spend his nights training alone.

"But sure, of course. ...I just thought I should get a better handle on this Persona stuff before anything major happens again."

[drakenguard]

Yamato nodded at the explanation. His first impression of Atsuro was somewhat positive. He was a young man with good initiative and intelligence - perfect qualities for the world Yamato had once envisioned for the world. Oh, he still believed that meritocracy was the best way to lead the world, but he had lost, and the rules had been that those who lost were to bow out of the competition.

That and if he lost, how could Yamato continue to champion a world for the strong?

He pushed those thoughts aside. "Yes, that is a wise decision. It would be best to do it with a partner as well, in case things go sour."

The buddy-system never fails.

[otakuro]

Positive first impressions were a good thing. Long association with Naoya meant that Atsuro had learned to take a lack of criticism as a compliment. Though he couldn't be sure of Yamato's motivations, he took his attempts to be friendly at face value; the guy probably wouldn't even bother if he didn't think this association was worth his time.

...Alternatively, Atsuro was already setting himself up to be manipulated. But he wasn't cynical enough to give this possibility much thought.

"Hah, yeah. I guess that's why I sent that message out earlier. In hindsight, it was a little... desperate, huh? ...Thanks for coming."

[zero_to_herooo]

"Yep; just about that time." Eiji stashed the small paper bag he'd been holding under a convenient bench. There was a little red robotic bird following him around, flapping its wings intermittently as it hovered in the air behind him.

"Could you keep an eye on this for me?" he asked of it. The answer, apparently, was yes; the bird set down on the edge of the bench in a waiting posture as Eiji stretched, looked around, then danced a little from foot to foot, trying to limber himself up.

He spotted Atsuro sitting nearby and waved. "Hey, it's getting pretty late. Are you okay being out?"

[otakuro]

"Huh?"

He'd been watching the man and what appeared to be his pet since they entered his field of vision; upon being addressed, Atsuro naturally assumes an air of complete surprise. He certainly hadn't been staring and eavesdropping for the last five minutes, no sirree.

"Ah - Yeah, it's not a problem. ...I'm actually waiting for it to get past midnight."

And because he had seen the man engaging in warm-up exercises, after all...

"You, too?"

[zero_to_herooo]

"Yeah, me too. I figured I should take the time to get used to fighting those Shadow guys, you know? Since they're all over the place. I don't want to get caught flat-footed when someone's in trouble."

Plus, it gave him an opportunity to try out the whole Persona deal a little. Since they went to the trouble of giving him new powers, he might as well spend the time to get used to them. He was better at learning through doing, anyway.

"I'm Eiji. Hino Eiji. Nice to meet you."

[otakuro]

"Atsuro Kihara."

Something about the man's words strikes him as odd, but the niceties of introducing himself takes precedence for the moment. Atsuro raises himself from the steps and holds out a hand.

"It's nice to meet you, too. I guess I mostly had the same idea - The full moon's coming up again next week... It's hard to believe it's almost been a full month since we got here."

[sky_child]

Capricorn. That's where the park was, wasn't it? And some kid was going to casually stroll in there to do some training. Not that it was any of his business, but it didn't quite sit right with him. But it wasn't any of his business.

None of that stops him from dressing in his uniform and making his way to Capricorn in time for the 13th Hour. He gave up; a knight was always a knight no matter where he went, and he couldn't just ignore that instinct because he didn't know the kid in question.

As he steps into the park, looking about for stragglers, he wonders to himself: why doesn't he just see if he can make this his job?

[otakuro]

Only a few minutes to midnight and Link will come across a disturbing sight. The 13th Hour hadn't arrived and there were already demons in sight. Powerful ones, too, from the looks of it - a bipedal simian in red robes and a lion-like creature layered in gold ornamentation idly wandered around the outskirts of the Capricorn District. No kids were to be seen anywhere nearby.

The moment Link blinks, the monkey will vanish and reappear barely five paces away from him. A leer is spread across its features as it shakes its head in mirth.

"Hahaha! You got balls, kid, wandering around here with nothing but that sword. What're you, some European knight from the feudal age?"

[sky_child]

wat

"I have a shield," he says, blinking furiously. In truth, he has more than a shield (he's a Link; he's got a damned arsenal on him, even if you can't see it). But, well. A strange creature in red robes just appeared in front of him and made fun of his clothes.

He doesn't know what to think right now.

[otakuro]

"Ah, ah. A shield. Sorry 'bout that, my mistake. I'm sure a shield'll do ya lots of good when your fancy duds're set on fire."

Seiten Taisei snorts and adjusts the tasseled cap on its head before it throws itself backwards in a sudden motion. Right before it strikes the ground, a thick fog gathers together and cushions its landing. The monkey king yawns as it reclines back on its portable cloud.

"You humans're a lot of fun. Going up against demons with those bits of iron and steel you call weapons. Demons've gotta fight demons. It's the only way."

[Private Voice]

[blitzkriegzwei]

I was originally planning to train during the full moon for the sake of having more demons available to battle, but perhaps you're right about it being safer to practice before such an event occurs. I will meet you outside the town hall in Leo at 11:30, as you said.

[otakuro]

M-More demons to -- I'm... not sure that's a great idea. We don't even know if the ones wandering outside are weaker or stronger than the ones the Anoli can command.

[blitzkriegzwei]

This is true. I suppose the level of demons prior to the full moon will be enough. Shall I meet you?

[otakuro]

A-Ah, yeah.

...Sorry about the short notice. I thought... well, if their strength is correlated with the phase of the moon, it's already at half today. I don't know how far I want to stretch it.

[second_destiny]

Off in the distance, visible across the field, the shape of a giant, humanoid robot was just barely visible through the darkness, its white paint making it easier to see. However, its owner wasn't in it or even over by it; he was walking in from the rest of the city.

"Looks like I came to the right place." Asem drops down onto a step to sit. He's wearing his flight suit, and he has a gun holstered on his belt. Also attached is...something, though what isn't all that discernible at first glance.

[otakuro]

"Huh?!"

Atsuro had been examining the shape in fascinated horror for the last few moments, wondering what sort of monstrous demon had managed to manifest a good fifteen minutes before the Dark Hour even started. The appearance of the mech pilot explains the phenomena, slightly to his relief. The horror changes to an expression of astonishment.

"Are -- Are you fighting demons with your mech? ...That's cheating, right? ...Do you even need a Persona when you have a ten-story-tall crushing machine that probably shoots rockets?"

[second_destiny]

Nope. No rockets. Now, if it were equipped with the Double Bullet parts, that would be another story.

"I'd rather not if I can avoid it." Too much potential for damage; both to the Gundam and to the surrounding area. "It's a last resort. An insurance policy, sort of."

[misery_hates_company]

"A boy of much knowledge, but few battle talents, I see. I wonder what he might be doing, coming out in these dangerous hours?"

A familiar figure of blue appears near Atsuro. "You certainly believe in a trial by fire method of training! I do hope you don't get burned," she says, her standard smirk on her face.

[otakuro]

Atsuro takes a moment or two to recover his dignity after he falls off his step in surprise.

"F-Few battle talents? You haven't even seen me fight anything yet!" He assumes a slightly petulant expression. "I said before that I'm used to fighting demons, didn't I?"

[misery_hates_company]

"Please. You look positively lost. Still, perhaps you'll surprise me. I've been surprised before, after all!" She sets down on the ground. "I think I should like to watch you on this endeavor! It might be good for a few laughs. Anyway, I would like to seem some of the beasts of this world myself." She leans on her staff casually.

[endears]

A chance to train... This is an undeniably valuable opportunity, right? He needs to adjust to his life here as soon as possible if he wants to get by, and having someone he can expect (not trust; Aoba's never been one for trust) not to turn on him to practice with will help him adjust all the faster.

So, after a little searching, up turns Aoba, a light smile on his face.

"Yo, Kihara-kun. Am I late?"

[otakuro]

"Ah...?" Atsuro turns towards the familiar voice with an expression of surprise; Aoba had probably been the last of his new acquaintances he'd expect to be interested in this kind of thing. ...Actually, he wasn't sure it was a good idea to let him come along at all.

"Hey! ...Ah, no, there's still a little while before midnight. We've got some time to get ready." He scootches over slightly to allow the younger student a seat. "You... know what I meant by the text, right? ...You want to go fight demons?"

[endears]

"Eh..." He brings a hand to his forehead, giving a nervous chuckle before taking his seat next to Atsuro. He'll just need to do his best to convince him, right? Piece of cake.

"I'm not sure if want is the right word, but I want to... become stronger, if that makes sense?" He shakes his head, as though he's having trouble putting his feelings into words. "If I'm going to be of use here, I'll probably need experience with this sort of thing, right? And while I know it's dangerous, doing this with someone I know seemed like a good idea."

"... That all sounds a little naive now that I think about it, huh."