[OPEN] Demonbait

[blessed_by_the_world]

Who: Akane and OPEN
Where: Anywhere you like, she's lost so it doesn't matter.
When: After dark
Warnings: Possible injury and I do not have nearly enough appropriate icons for this.
Summary: Akane received a curse from the fortune teller at the cherry blossom festival. For the next few days, demons will chase her at night. Even if her persona appears to help her, it may not be enough...


[She's running through the streets as fast as she can go, looking desperately for a place to hide. Originally, she'd been heading back to the apartment building, but she got turned around somewhere and now she's a little lost.

Okay, completely lost. And only just barely staying ahead of the things chasing her. She can't resist a panicked glance behind her just as she turns a corner and SMACK!

Sorry, she did not see you there. Luckily she's small, so she felt the impact more than you. But now she's scrambling to her feet and giving you a desperate look.]

Th- they're after me!

Comments

[blessed_by_the_world]

[She glances between him and the demons in surprise.]

What? I can't just leave you here alone! That's too dangerous!

[Not that she's entirely sure she could help. They're out of time to plan though. The pair of demons will be close enough to attack in a few seconds.]

[terra_nullius]

Things are only dangerous if you let them be. We can be in control of the moment if we take charge.

[He drops into a loose preparatory stance, trying to think about everything he's figured out about his persona and what might be useful]

Do you know anything about these creatures?

[blessed_by_the_world]

R- right!

[She could do this. She could do this. Demons had been chasing her around for a couple of nights now, and she's already managed to summon her persona once. She can do it again. She hopes.]

I don't know anything about them! They just keep chasing me!

[The demons are finally close enough, aiming to skewer them with pitchforks.]

[terra_nullius]

[There's no time to try to find anything about them, so he goes with his first instinct... concentrating quicky, before throwing down a few fixed points of power and raising up a few pillars of flame to act as a makeshift barrier.]

Do you have any fighting experience?

[He doesn't, really, but he's more than willing to pretend for the sake of bolstering confidence.]

[blessed_by_the_world]

N- not really...

[But she'll try. The unexpected fire does make them pause for a moment, but unfortunately they're strong against that particular element. Akane clenches her fists and tries to concentrate.]

H- Hotei!

[The first time she gets no response, and the demons charge forward.]

HOTEI!

[Her second scream is more desperate, and finally gets a response. Her persona appears, unleashing lightning on one of her foes. The other one is still coming for her though...]

[terra_nullius]

[With her on the one, he turns to the other that's still approaching. Even though his persona is more support oriented, there's a couple tricks it has that will make it useful. He points at the encroaching imp, focusing intently.]

Attack!

[His persona appears, firing off a black-coloured blur in an attack that he was never completely sure he understood, but it worked well enough anyway.]

[blessed_by_the_world]

[Between them, they manage to take down the demons. Luckily they were low level opponents. Akane's persona disappears, and she takes a shaky breath.]

Th- thank you....

[terra_nullius]

You're welcome...

[He perks up a bit, listening in case there are more coming.]

Are they chasing you?

[blessed_by_the_world]

[She nods.]

For the last couple of days. I don't know what they're after, and more keep coming no matter what I do...

[terra_nullius]

I've been the same way. If they're nearby, they come after me... I've never had this problem before. I can't go home, because they infest the castle and break down the door to get to me.

[He closes his eyes and straightens up a little bit.]

If you'd like... I can stay here till the hour is over. That way if more come, then we can fight them off. It's less of a burden that way.

[blessed_by_the_world]

If... If you really don't mind staying... it would make me feel a lot better to have someone here. Thanks.

[Her curiosity gets the better of her though.]

..... Do you really live in a castle?

[terra_nullius]

[And there's a smile.]

I don't mind at all. It's nice to have some company.

[oh, that...]

I do, it's over in Aquarius District. It's an interesting place, but during the Thirteenth Hour it changes into a maze full of monsters.

[blessed_by_the_world]

Every night?!? Aren't you scared to live in a place like that?

[terra_nullius]

They don't normally come banging on my door after me, though. It's only been the last little bit that changed that...

[blessed_by_the_world]

They didn't chase me either until a couple days ago. Do you think they're chasing everyone now?

[terra_nullius]

I haven't run into anyone else who says they're being chased... if there were, I'd imagine there'd be more hysteria.

[blessed_by_the_world]

But then why are they chasing us?

[terra_nullius]

[He stops to think about how long he's been being chased... and comes to his own conclusion.]

Did you get a negative fortune from the park when the flowers were in bloom?

[blessed_by_the_world]

[She gasps in surprise.]

I did! I did get a bad fortune, but... do you think that's why? That's why these things are chasing us?

[terra_nullius]

I noticed mine started after that day. It was the only correlation I could think of... bad luck is bad luck, and in this place perhaps it means monsters.

[blessed_by_the_world]

[She frowns.]

Well, they could have warned us when we got the fortunes. Someone could get hurt!

[terra_nullius]

I think that's just it. We're playthings, in this place. We're the tools that these two higher power are using. They don't care if we get hurt or die or anything. They just want answers.

[blessed_by_the_world]

Answers? Answers to what?

[This is an upsetting possibility.]

I thought we were here to protect people. And save the city.

[Ah, the naivete of youth...]

[terra_nullius]

We're here in whatever capacity we take away from that dream. Some people choose that path. Some people follow their hearts. Some people question things. I guess you can see where I fall on that spectrum.

[blessed_by_the_world]

But.... why would they give us this power? Unless they wanted us to use it to help people?