| Idle hands... (Open!) | |
|---|---|
| Tweet Topic Started: Feb 4 2012, 07:45 PM (946 Views) | |
| Deleted User | Feb 4 2012, 07:45 PM Post #1 |
|
Deleted User
|
MAY 24TH, 2012 - 4:00 PM Nothing helps get over heartbreak, be it from a long-term relationship ending or a crush gone awry in the ten or so minutes that it had been existence, quite like hard work... or, at least, that was what the adage was. At the moment, Rise would have agreed that it was true-- well, if it wasn't for how she was on the verge of tearing her hair out. A tanned fist slammed down on the counter beside the open book that she was looking down at, the Sudoku puzzle she had been working on almost completely filled in with rather girly-looking handwriting... but somewhere along the way, she'd put a number in the wrong slot. And now? Now she was going to have to start all over again. Sigh. "Dammit..." That curse-word was muttered, softly, as she flipped her pencil around in her hands and began erasing, trying to have a light touch so she didn't obliterate the grid beneath it. That'd be the last thing she'd need-- to dig out a ruler and a pen to re-draw the lines she needed to fill out the puzzle in the first place. Shaking her head, she started filling in the numbers anew, occasionally glancing out the open door of Marukyu Tofu to watch it rain. She knew that something huge was on the horizon, something that put her in mind of risque music, of underground secret bases and 8-bit castles... of her eyes meeting the gray orbs of Akihiko for the first time. Sighing to herself, she shoved the thought aside before she tucked the puzzle book away beneath the cash register. After a quick check to ensure that her work smock and hair kerchief were in order, she came out from behind the counter and retrieved the broom from its place in the corner. If there was time to lean, after all, then there was time to clean. She tried to link her negative emotions to the little bit of dirt and dust that she discovered, but so far? It wasn't working. What she needed was a customer to serve... or maybe just a friend to stop by and visit for a few minutes. Anything, to get her mind off of the boy that had been so mean. |
|
|
| Replies: | |
|---|---|
| Yukimaru Kuroshuno | Feb 5 2012, 09:10 AM Post #11 |
![]()
|
Okay, step one was out of the way, and Yukimaru seemed a little relieved. Yukimaru took the tofu that Rise handed to him. He stepped aside from the line as Rise turned around to get something sweet. Now he just needed to avoid sexually harassing anyone and he would be golden. If he could avoid looking where he shouldn't or saying what he shouldn't, then this would blow over without to much event. Yukimaru glanced back and forth between Sarina and Kumiko. Apparently the little girl was named Sarina, and the girl that was about his age was named, or at least nicknamed, Kumi. Yukimaru didn't particularly make a habit of people watching, but it could be an interesting distraction from time to time. Yukimaru's eyes soon went back to Rise. It was sort of becoming the elephant in the room, the fact that they were being served tofu by Rise Kujikawa. He wondered if the other people didn't notice or if they simply felt as awkward as him about it bringing it up. Yukimaru realized that it was possible he was just out of the loop and getting tofu from Rise Kujikawa was perhaps normal, but he'd rather not make the situation an issue of how little he socialized. Yukimaru decided to start some small talk. "So, how about that Midnight Channel stuff from last year?" Yukiamru asked, assuming people would have watcehd it was well, "Weird as ffffff-" Yukimaru glanced over at the 11-year-old in the shop, "-ffffrick, wasn't it?" Yukimaru asked. He would have simply said "fuck" had he not remembered Sarina's presence in the shop. |
![]() |
|
| Deleted User | Feb 5 2012, 12:43 PM Post #12 |
|
Deleted User
|
As the former idol dug through the containers of pre-prepared items in search of dessert, her face and expression were mercifully shielded from view by a combination of body positioning and the cooler itself. Just why that was a good thing made itself known to her when her eyes went wide at not only Kanzeon speaking again in the back of her mind... but also, just what her Persona had to say. Intruder detected. Scanning... Seriously?! Where's it coming from? Her hands slowed to a near-stop, her sides subtly heaving harder as she strained to listen for more information from her Persona. After a few seconds, Rise received even more surprising news... and then? She went as still as a deer in headlights. Persona detected. What?! How rude of them to try to break into my mind instead of just asking me questions! Get them out of here! Executing defensive measures... While Rise hadn't felt Alranue sneak into her mind, she did feel a sudden tingling feeling as the other Persona was rather forcibly removed from the proverbial soil of her mind. Alranue didn't leave empty-handed, though-- not only did she receive a general overview of what all Rise had experienced in the TV World, but she also got a rather juicy morsel in regards to her crush on Akihiko, and how disastrously that had ended. Intruder neutralized. Good. Find out where it came from. Affirmative. It was only after she felt Kanzeon return to scanning that she could return to the role she had been forced to abandon by the circumstances of the attack. Forcing herself to smile and act like nothing is wrong, the redhead finally found what she was looking for underneath a couple of containers of back-up silken tofu. The parfait-like dessert was made with extra-firm tofu, but it contrasted wonderfully with the chocolate silk of the sauce and other elements her grandmother had added. Straightening up, a soft clear of her throat and, when she turned around? She looked just as together and with-it as she had been when she went into the cooler. Placing it next to the silken tofu, she smiled at Yukimaru. "This is really, really sweet and rich and chocolatey. I can't eat more than a few bites of it at a time, so I bet it'll be perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth--" Oh jeez... where had he learned how to begin small talk-- from Yosuke?! Her expression fell to something a bit less neutral for a moment before she sighed, nodding her head. "Ahm, yeah... yeah, it was weird." A pause; the former idol sighed to herself as she motioned at the trio of other Persona-users for them to come closer. With everything going on, she couldn't not let them go back out into that rainy afternoon without some level of knowledge. "It was also terrifying and life-changing... and a lot of other things, too." |
|
|
| Kumiko Nagasaki | Feb 5 2012, 08:33 PM Post #13 |
|
As Sarina frowned when talking about her parents, Kumiko couldn't help but frown as well, feeling sorry for the girl. She couldn't help but sympathize with the girl and her life. She knew she was strong and maybe, just maybe her persona could help her be less alone. She had the feeling that this girl was lonely. Heck, Kumiko could be her only friend. She felt obliged to help her and be there for her. "Oh yeah. You're still sick, aren't you? Well I hope you get better." She said honestly, giving her a hug as she noticed the sudoku puzzles. "You can do those puzzles? I suck at them." She said amusedly, scratching the back of her head while giving her a sheepish smile. It was when Sarina asked about what she was doing here that Alranue returned to her mind. She felt her presence in her mind as she entered it and she couldn't help but notice that she seemed a bit ticked off. Her Persona is really annoying. I only got a bit of information. But what I got was interesting, to say the least. Alranue said, but not without Kumiko noticing that she was ticked off. O.k, tell me what you found out. Kumiko thought back to her as she turned her attention back to Sarina. "I'm just buying Tofu for my mum Sarina-chan." Kumiko said happily to Sarina, trying not to betray her surprise at what Alranue was telling her. She told her of Rise's adventures into the t.v, but she couldn't get any specifics such as names or specific locations. She also told her of Rise's crush on someone called Akihiko, which made Kumiko giggle a bit. But then she found out about her rejection, which made her a bit sad. Guess not everyone is starstruck by Rise. She thought bluntly. Yes it seems that.... Shit! Alranue suddenly exclaimed, causing Kumiko to jump a little in surprise. Rise's Persona. It's trying to find me. I have to hide Kumiko. Don't talk to me. Alranue said quickly as her presence disappeared from her mind. Kumiko was shocked and she took a moment to recollect her thoughts. Afterwards, she turned back to Sarina and smiled, trying to conceal her true emotions. "Sarina-chan. Need help with that Sudoku?" |
![]() |
|
| Sarina Daiju | Feb 6 2012, 09:29 PM Post #14 |
|
Sarina glanced behind herself at the boy, giving him a look that basically said 'really?' due to what he had said. Did he really think her so childish as to get upset by a cuss word? Besides that, his save...it wasn't smooth at all; he probably realized that, but still, she felt the need to inform him. "Nice save. Really nice save, actually," she said, letting her tone lace with sarcasm before she turned back to Kumiko. Good, good! You become more like me every day Alice chimed in; yes, that was probably true. More often than not the Persona was snarky, really snarky...towards Sarina. The young girl focused on Kumiko and nodded at the appropriate times, which was not right then. "No, I'm not still sick...it's just, like I said, being out in the rain doesn't really do wonders for your health normally, and that's especially true for me. Weak immune system and all of that," Sarina stated; besides, even if she were sick, she wouldn't tell Kumiko. She didn't want the older girl to worry, plus her parents were in the shopping district...somewhere. She had no idea where, however. Eh, oh well, they'd find her eventually, somehow; it wasn't as if she'd lose track of the time and not look for them, even though that had happened several times previously. But those were details! Just like the fact that Kumiko was here buying tofu for her mom; that was a detail too, as well as the fact that Kumiko thought she might be able to help her with the Sudoku. "Thought you just said you suck at them, Kumi-chan?" the little girl questioned, a smirk on her face before she glanced at the other two, Rise and Yukimari, again; she glanced back just in time to see Rise waving herself, as well as Kumiko, over. She's playin' at something... Alice chimed in; Sarina resisted the urge to roll her eyes, because that was obvious. What she was playing at? Sarina had no clue at all; all she did do, however, was give a glance towards Kumiko before moving closer to Rise. "Midnight Channel?" Sarina questioned, wondering if she sounded ignorant by asking; she probably did. She, however, did stay home a lot, at least until recently, thus she never really learned much about the outside world. Before Alice, she had rarely went outside, afraid of what might happen; now her personality was just a tad...different, so to speak. |
![]() |
|
| Yukimaru Kuroshuno | Feb 6 2012, 10:19 PM Post #15 |
![]()
|
"Wow, sarcasm," Yukimaru said, rolling his eyes, "I shouldn't even bother coming up with such a lame response. Sorry for toning down the language when there's an elementary schooler present." Yukimaru realized that he was probably already rubbing people the wrong way by this point, but he could care less. Not like he was exactly expecting to make friends in a tofu shop. Yukimaru gave a glance to Sarina when she asked about the Midnight Channel. "Yeah, the Midnight Channel." Yukimaru said, "Not suprised some little girl in elementary school hasn't heard of it." Yukimaru took the parfait and placed it in his bag with the silken tofu. "There was a rumor going around a few months ago that if you watched your tv at midnight while it was raining, you'd see the face of your soul mate," Yukimaru said, "I can tell you right now, that was a load of bull. I have no idea what the Midnight Channel was per se, but all I saw were . . . I dunno how to explain, I guess warped versions of people that there was media attention on." Yukimaru glanced at Rise, not wanting to bring her up in the third person. She wanted to talk about being in a bikini on a weird tv show, she could do that. "Kinda disappeared two months back . . . but . . ." Yukimaru said, "apparently it's come back, or so I've heard. I haven't bothered checking recently. It might be rainy enough tonight. 'Course, I can't see any parents in their right mind letting a 10-year-old stay up that late." |
![]() |
|
| Deleted User | Feb 7 2012, 11:28 AM Post #16 |
|
Deleted User
|
Scanning... Good. Let me know when you find anything. And, with that, her Persona fell silent beyond a faint hum-- almost like an older computer running, now that she thought about it. Knowing that Kanzeon would probably soon track down the person foolish enough to try to dig around in her mind-- despite the fact that whoever the intruder was now knew more than Rise thought they did-- was enough to help her calm down a little. An intrusion was a bad thing, that much was for sure... but provided she could find the source, maybe there was a way of making it a good thing? She hadn't ever encountered someone with support abilities like her before, after all. Maybe they could combine their powers somehow? A shake of the head dismissed that train of thought in favor of the Midnight Channel, and all of her experiences with it. As Sarina came closer and asked about it just as Rise hoped she would, the lone male presence in the tofu shop just had to open his mouth. While the condescending comments to the younger girl had the former idol frowning, the bulk of what he had to say was correct... well, from an outside point-of-view. He'd even been nice enough to give her a tangent she could use to bring the conversation around to a useful point, although she wasn't about to let his shot at the young girl she'd given puzzles to go unanswered. "Sort of like how one would think that your parents need to find a bar of nasty-tasting soap and put it in your mouth, eh?" There, now that that was out of the way... she could focus on the more important topic at hand. A sigh escaped her as she shook her head a little, glad that no one else was in the store. "He's right about the rumors, though-- and about what people saw, not to mention the why. What he and a lot of others don't know, though, is what the people that showed up on that channel went through.... and since I was the third person to show up on it? I can tell you that with the fog appearing and all, there's definitely something not good going on." Before she could say much more, though, Kanzeon stirred in the back of her mind once again. Target acquired. Tracking... |
|
|
| Kumiko Nagasaki | Feb 7 2012, 08:43 PM Post #17 |
|
"Yeah I suck at them, but I can still help. I think." She said sheepishly while still giggling a little at Sarina's sarcasm from before. She found it quite funny to hear it, especially from someone her age. It was just so unexpected from her and it was quite funny. The reply the young girl received shocked her and she stood up, enraged. To say she was pissed was just an understatement. How dare someone give such a reply like that to someone Sarina's age. She had to stop herself from punching him right in his stupid face. That would show him. However, the talk of the midnight channel and the t.vs, she couldn't help but think about what happened to her yesterday. It happened to Rise and some other people here as well. Being pushed into the t.v, the weird shows and what happens when the fog gets thick, Kumiko was glad she was saved swiftly, or it could've been very bad for her. There's no point in me hiding, she's already found me. Alranue said suddenly, sounding like she had given up. O.k. No sense in hiding ourselves if she already knows. Kumiko thought back to her as she looked at Rise. "Rise. I sorta understand what you're saying." She said sheepishly, a smile playing across her lips as she started talking. "When the fog comes and people are in the t.v, people die." She continued to say, somehow knowing that Sarina wouldn't be too shocked. Kumiko felt that Sarina had a mind that seemed to be older than she actually was. She wasn't going to patronize her or euthanize anything. "You thought that you already stopped the source, but it came back. Just what is going on Rise? Why are the shadows in the real world? What do you know?" Kumiko said, not betraying her smile which would reveal her desperate need to know. Kumiko knew Rise knew a lot of stuff. She had to know. Kumiko was sick of being left in the dark. She wanted to reach for the truth. |
![]() |
|
| Sarina Daiju | Feb 7 2012, 08:54 PM Post #18 |
|
"You're almost as childish as myself. Wait...no, that isn't an insult at all, is it? You're just as childish as a 5-year-old." Sarina said, a bit irritated, towards Yukimaru. How dare he treat her as if she was a little girl? True, she definitely was, but she had a sharp mind; heck, even her Persona had admitted as much, and Sarina had a feeling the being had seen a lot of minds in her time, so surely she knew what she was talking about when she called Sarina sharp. Bet you wish you had your sketchbook, hm? Alice questioned of her; how curious that she had been able to pick up on that thought so easily. More and more, it seemed the two of them were becoming one rather than separate. Any day now, Sarina expected the blonde-haired little girl that was apparently herself to come tumbling out of her mind. She was Alice, and Alice was her...it was difficult to wrap her head around that, especially since they seemed to be at ends with each other. But as she had noted before, that seemed to be happening less often. "Fascinating...it's horrible that people die as a result of all this, of course, but...I wonder what's causing it. As for your jabs at my age, I'll have you know I am not your ordinary 11 year old. And yes, I'm 11, not 10; get it right," she said, irritably; though she was glad he was able to guess her age at least closely. Most pegged her at 9 or 8 due to her small size; such was what happened when you were born premature. She wasn't sure if it happened to all premature babies, but it had happened to her, and it was a fact she didn't mind too much, save for right then, when it was used as a jab against her. "Just curious, but...have any of you felt as if you've just...known things recently?" Sarina questioned of them. She hadn't directly asked it, if they all had Personas, but if they were Persona users, they would pick up on what she was really asking...hopefully; the male did not seem too bright, in her opinion. If they didn't have Personas, that meant she could just pass it off as intuition or deja vu or something equally ridiculous. |
![]() |
|
| Yukimaru Kuroshuno | Feb 7 2012, 09:12 PM Post #19 |
![]()
|
Yukimaru simply turned to Rise at her soap comment. "For the record, my parents are dead and I live alone." Yukimaru replied, somewhat bluntly. It was just a fact he'd gotten used to explaining. Well, they were dead as far as he knew. He heard his father died in some sort of explosion, but heard his mother just went missing. He assumed they were both just dead. Yukimaru clucked his tongue. "I may be as childish as you, but at least I don't make lame attempts at acting older than I am," Yukimaru said, "and one year? Big deal. I guessed high actually, you look like you're eight." Yukimaru realized he was quite possibly being a little to antagonistic (especially since Sarina was only 11), but that's just how he was. "Tch, so that's what that was all about," Yukimaru said, finally understanding why the bodies were showing up on tv antennae, "so people were getting tossed into a tv and getting killed? Damn, what fucking sociopath was doing that?" Yukimaru realized he'd actually cursed. "There, uncensored, happy now?" Yukimaru asked Sarina. Yukimaru was shocked a little at Sarina's question. "Now that you mention it, I'm not sure if it's 'knowing' something per se, but I've just had this really bad feeling." Yukimaru said, "Kind of the same one I got when I watched the midnight channel." |
![]() |
|
| Deleted User | Feb 8 2012, 04:36 PM Post #20 |
|
Deleted User
|
Before Kanzeon could tell her just where that intruding presence had come from, Kumiko spoke up... and Rise put two and two together without much of a problem. The sheepish smile definitely helped, though, as did what escaped the other analyst's lips. Her eyes subtly widened at just how deeply Alranue had gone into her mind before being discovered and ejected, and the former idol couldn't help but be glad that Kumiko hadn't learned anything more. Of course, Kumiko had found about the snafu with Akihiko... but Rise didn't know that yet. Besides, what had been spoken aloud by the darker-haired teenaged girl was more than enough for her to worry about as it was. Sighing softly to herself, Rise nodded before deciding to just come out and say what she knew. Everyone present was a Persona-user, after all-- and they'd all need to know as much as they could. Information was power... enough power to save lives, she thought. "That's a very... simple way of putting it, but yeah-- that's what happened with the Midnight Channel. I was the third person to nearly lose their life to the TV World. I was lucky to get out alive, and to be able to help save the lives of others. As for what's happening now that the fog is leaking into this world again..." The silence hung for a few seconds before she shook her head. "What little I do know is that Teddie-- a friend of mine-- has shown up on the Midnight Channel lately, looking like his... his Shadow-self. He was talking about a tournament with something I didn't recognize as a prize. I've been trying to do some digging, but... I've had no luck, so far." As for Sarina's question about suddenly knowing things, Rise chuckled faintly, nodding. "Oh, yes...it's been almost a year, for me. You get used to it." And, yet again... Rise's expression went unimpressed at what Yukimaru had said. She paid no heed to the comment about his parents-- it was a shame, but he was doing a fine job of screwing up any chances he might have had at garnering sympathy-- but when he mentioned sociopaths that would use such methods? Now that, she had an answer for. "The pair of men that did it were both very disturbed, each in different ways. It was a tangled web to get to them, but I'm glad that we did before more people could be put into danger." |
|
|
| 1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous) | |
| Go to Next Page | |
| « Previous Topic · Central Shopping District · Next Topic » |









3:38 AM Jul 11