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

[otakuro]

Where before the Incubus had displayed a loathsome glee, its features take on a more austere malevolence as it watches Misery swap Personas. The atmosphere of the fight had changed. His opponent was stepping it up a level; it would have to do so in turn if it wished to come out the better in this fight.

"Changing strategies...? Hahaha! I'll drain your spirit before this hour has passed!" The devil shrieks as it opens its mouth and spews a miasma from its mouth, a Poison Mist attack that does nothing to prevent it from being roundly smashed by the Kill Rush. The Incubus bounces backwards a few steps and growls.

HP: 189/341

"Persona!" With a sound like shattering glass, Atsuro thrusts a hand forth almost simultaneously with the Kill Rush cast by Ballos. The ghostly apparition of a half-naked man cloaked in streams of water appears, calling forth a flood to wash away the Yurlungur. "Yes!"

[misery_hates_company]

She darts out of the way of the inaccurate fog, her own anger visible on her face. The Persona seems to be reveling in this assualt more than the previous one. With a flick of her wrist, she orders "Uncle" to cast a lightning spell, much stronger than Omoikane's. Zionga. She throws in her own attack, another set of black orbs she hurtles in the creature's direction. Two on one. Does she care? No.

[otakuro]

"Pfah!" The Incubus flits forward as fast as it can, taking the dark orbs full on and blocking them again with its innate elemental nullification. The Zionga is more tricky, but a practiced combatant can sense the tingle and the taste of copper - and quickly abscond.

Its claws are wreathed in flame as it lunges towards Misery, slashing twice, and in a perhaps unexpected move, whirling around to stab as well with its barbed tail.

Somewhat removed from this much more dramatic battle, Atsuro heedlessly continues with his routine monster extermination. He'll glance up eventually.

[misery_hates_company]

She scowls as he rushes her. Then smirks. And... vanishes.

Leaving a block to fall down where she was -- and a waiting Persona for whereever the creature tries to pop out ready to assault dive the little creature while she watches from a short distance away.

[otakuro]

The momentum carried by the Incubus means it continues to fly forward even after it rushes through the spot where Misery had been; the falling block only catches its tail as it begins to flip head over heels in a rather undignified fashion.

"You little...!" The word that had been about to ensue probably would've been 'witch' if it hadn't turned sharply towards Misery to catch her eyes. A baleful expression comes across its features as it shrieks harshly again, projecting an image that induced an irrational terror in all who gazed upon it. An Evil Smile. If it couldn't defeat her through brute force...

In all of this, it ignores the Persona entirely, recognizing from previous experience that it was nothing more than a spiritual manifestation of the actual combatant. Perhaps this was a mistake.

[misery_hates_company]

Unfortunately for Misery, it takes somehow, causing her to recoil in fear.

Unfortunately for the Incubus, this does nothing to sideline the Persona whose own momentum is currently barreling towards the creature with yet another Kill Rush.

[otakuro]

The demon smiles wickedly as it sees that the status has taken hold. Incapacitated in such a manner, the foul little witch would be easily disposed of. Soon it could do with her as it p --

"Khh -- !"

The demon goes bouncing across the soil as the Persona's attack strikes before the Fear can fully take hold.

HP: 2/341

"This always happens." A voice pipes down from below as Atsuro finally takes note of what's happening above his head. A brief summon of his Persona and a Patra is duly applied to Misery. "I think you deserve the final blow here."

"Hrrr...! You little piece of -- "

"...And hurry. I think we're going for a PG rating."

[misery_hates_company]

The fear fades, but the anger's still there. "Gladly." She raises her staff. Screw "Uncle," she can do this herself. She lifts her staff. Don't tell me she didn't learn her lesson?

...and then it turns out, oh hey, she has a lightning elemental spell of her own, even if they're kind of black in color too. Go fig.

[otakuro]

"Ghhrkkaaaaaaaaaa -- !"

It isn't an explosion, per se, but with the black lightning acting as a catalyst, there's rather a lot more pyrotechnics than Atsuro is expecting. He watches as the demon vanishes off the face of the earth in a final flash; true to the way things worked in his world, the last Yurlungur he'd been fending off disappears as well. This likely had nothing to do with any 4th wall-breaking game mechanics more than it was a demon knowing the right time to abscond.

Three demons down. The Yurlungurs hadn't proved very difficult at all once he'd realized they had a weakness to Shiisaa's Mazio. With his Persona backing him up, he'd been able to fend for himself quite easily - it probably helped that they didn't have any vocal cords. Enemies with snarky commentary were always more difficult to fight.

Atsuro dismisses his demons and jogs lightly towards where Misery is hovering.

"You alright there? I can get Laksmi to heal us up."

[misery_hates_company]

She hovers, looking at the remnants as her chuckling Persona disperses. She doesn't seem happy for the end of battle. She seems... frustrated.

"...tch. To think I would let HIM out... Am I really so hopeless?" she mutters.

[otakuro]

"..."

He can't make out her words exactly, but his psychic talents and remarkable knack for empathy tells him that something rather undesirable had happened during the fight. ...That and they had just been discussing this before the fight. He casts a glance towards her initial Persona before it vanishes - assumedly back into her heart.

"Hey. Don't worry about it. It was your first time fighting these things; you'll know what to expect next time."

[misery_hates_company]

She glares at him a bit. "Don't treat me as if I'm some sort of battle amateur, boy. I've fought more battles than you've probably ever dreamed of." She turns away in a huff. "Let's just harvest what we can from these miserable creatures and go home, hmm? I'm bored already."

[otakuro]

"Well... Yeah, but just because you know how to play basketball doesn't mean you'll be any good at soccer." This is perhaps meant to be wise inspiration, though Atsuro isn't even sure what that's supposed to mean once he's finished speaking. He shrugs slightly.

"We, uh. ...Collected 1x Sooty Corpse?"

[misery_hates_company]

"Hmmph." She could be snappier, but she doesn't quite have the energy. And, well, she supposes he means well enough, even if he doesn't know what he's talking about. She floats over. "Perhaps there'll still be something salvagable, at least," she mulls.

She pauses. "...goodness, this little creature is all facade. There's nothing BEHIND this obscene piece of decoration."

[otakuro]

"W-Why are you looking?!" Even if it was a demon, Atsuro can't help but feel a pang of sympathy. Poor guy. Death ought to be respected or. Some sort of sentiment along those lines, anyway.

"Aw, geez. Don't tell me you go in for the ancient Eastern medicine. ...Try mimetic magic; things symbolic of a phallus are good enough. No need for the real thing."

[misery_hates_company]

In her opinion, if anything is stupid enough to attack her, it deserves everything it gets. She's entitled to it helping with her "research."

"Can't be too sure what will be useful! Besides, considering its disrespectful tone, seeing the truth is rather enjoyable. Ho ho ho."

[otakuro]

"J-Just... collect what you need and we can get out of here."

Atsuro sighs slightly and determinedly looks the other direction as Misery continues her scavenging.