| Value of People [Open] | |
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| Topic Started: Mar 19 2012, 09:51 PM (438 Views) | |
| Sarina Daiju | Mar 19 2012, 09:51 PM Post #1 |
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May 28th 10:00 PM "Every day's great at your Junes!" Sarina repressed a sigh as she heard that come from the TV; she disliked the song immensely, because it was just so...cheery and optimistic. Neither of her parents were home; her father was off, working, while her mother was doing much the same, having taken a job to augment the family's income. They were rarely, if ever, home at this time of night, but Sarina didn't mind that; she liked being alone. It gave her plenty of opportunities to draw in her sketchbook; but she was not doing that this night. No, instead she was watching the TV, turning her gaze to any program that happened to come on. If it didn't interest her? She simply resumed her drawing; she was drawing just random things, mostly the room she was in being distorted. Hm, curious, but she had never noticed how big her family's TV was before...not to mention the fact that this night, programs that were on seemed so very, very boring to her. With a sigh, the girl turned off the TV and continued to draw; she wondered, what did Personas do while their users went about their daily lives? Where did they go? It was when she was thinking this that the doorbell rang, and hastily, Sarina put her sketchbook to the side before rushing to the door leading downstairs, since she was still in her room. And, on the way, she tripped, sprawling straight towards the TV. Right before she crashed into it, she briefly thought she was going to die. She expected the impact, but it never came; she just...fell into the TV, and when she opened her eyes, she was in a strange world. A world she definitely didn't recognize. Just a tad scared, and reasoning this had something to do with shadows, she was about to reach for the Evoker she had stolen when she noticed it tumbling over a nearby edge; she stared at that spot for a while before she picked herself up. "Where...am I?" she asked of herself. Strange...her head was beginning to throb too; was it the fog? Determined to figure this place out, she began wandering, not knowing her destination. May 29th Midnight She had found a destination. Or rather, her destination had found her; she had managed to wander into a tower of some kind, though it was a relatively small tower, and she had stumbled across this...thing. This thing masquerading as her. And just what was she wearing? It looked similar to that outfit she had been forced to wear at that strange ball on the 26th, but...it seemed a bit more provocative somehow. "Welcome! I'm Sarina Daiju, and tonight, I will be your host!" the young girl who appeared to be Sarina exclaimed to those watching the Midnight Channel, a grin on her face; obviously, the real Sarina could not be seen by the audience. "I wonder, just how far can I push the envelope? How much can I pander to the fetishes out there!? Join me and find out!" the girl exclaimed, and with that said, the peak those outside of the Midnight Channel ended, and when it did, the shadow turned to the real girl. "You're afraid, aren't you? That you can't do anything, because people will think you're just some stupid little girl? At the same time though, you just want to use people. You don't really care about them," it was mocking her, and enjoying it. "What's that? You're angry? Well then, do something about it!" with a cackle, the shadow rushed off. For some reason, Sarina found herself chasing after it, up the castle. |
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| Sarina Daiju | Mar 20 2012, 10:36 PM Post #11 |
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"You want to be the hero, don't you, me? But you can't. You're weak and frail, wracked with sickness day in and day out," as if for emphasis, Sarina had a small coughing fit here; the fog...it was making her feel so very sick. "And you don't have any spine without someone there to support you. You only really want people because they help you move forward; you use them, even if you don't mean to. You're such a heartless bitch," the shadow laughed. The real Sarina, of course, would never use swears, but this was a shadow, a culmination of all the things Sarina kept hidden in her heart; it was unafraid of using swear words. "Ah, and the guest...or rather, the knight in shining armor, has arrived," the shadow turned her gaze back to the door, a smile gracing her lips as she examined the male, as well as his Persona. Fascinating...truly fascinating. "Boy, I told you. She...she is worthless; I'll ask you again, what is the point of saving something that is worthless? You said people don't have to be useful to be saved, but that was avoiding my question," the shadow of Sarina stood up from her coffin throne, still clad in the same nurse outfit from before. "Still...it doesn't matter. You're just as worthless as her." the shadow Sarina was taunting him, and the real Sarina was just watching with wide eyes. She hated the truth of herself being revealed to the world...but no dammit, this wasn't her at all! |
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| Yuchi | Mar 20 2012, 11:22 PM Post #12 |
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Yuchi had to admit, the question was really starting to irritate him. "What point!? I don't have a point! The value of a person shouldn't be measured by how 'worthless' or 'useful' they are! I came through a TV, fought through all those shadows, and went throgh a bunch of creepy rooms because I know that if this Sarina person stays in this world too long, something really bad is going to happen to her! I know because I saw what happens myself, a long time ago! And I don't want to stand aside and watch it happen again! That's why I'm here!" Yuchi found himself trembling for a moment, a wisp of his memory of that fatefull night ten years ago becoming vivid in his mind, how he helplessly watched as the shadow of his own mother lost control, and left him with nightmares for the rest of his life thus far. Yuchi held out his hand, summoning Gemini's card once more, which appears in his right hand. He then looked to a small blue string tied around his right pinky finger. "The power of Persona. . .I'm going to use it to protect everyone, no matter how 'useless' they are!" The shadow girl then stood from her coffin throne, and mocked Yuchi once more, labeling him as worthless as Sarina. And upon being labeled worthless, Yuchi had nothing to say in response, and could not help but fall silent. Edited by Yuchi, Mar 20 2012, 11:26 PM.
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| Sarina Daiju | Mar 20 2012, 11:28 PM Post #13 |
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"Why?" The shadow asked this, and for just a brief moment, she seemed truly interested in learning just why he was doing all this. "Why shouldn't a person's value be based on how useful they are? People are tools, and nothing more." the shadow said with a note of finality. Just as it looked like she was going to do something, probably attack Yuchi, Sarina stood up, glaring at her shadow. "Shut up, just shut up! You...I don't know who you are, but you're not me! I would never say these things!" Sarina shouted at the shadow. For a moment, she fell silent before cackling. "This power...I can feel it. It's swirling around me!" she shouted, as dark energy massed around her. A moment later, she was no longer just a shadow copy of Sarina; she was now a tall, dark figure cloaked in, well, a very dark cloak which was impossible to see into. She...or rather, it now, was tall, thin, and also had long, thin arms in addition to legs that looked much the same. In its right hand, or what could be counted as a hand, was what seemed to be a white sword, formed out of bones. In the left hand was a coffin, fashioned in the shape of a shield; within the cloak, where the head might be, could be seen a glowing eye that was glowering at Yuchi and his Persona. "I...I am a shadow. The true self. And people are worthless!" it exclaimed, before lashing out with its coffin shield at Gemini, and no matter if that succeeded or not, it followed up the attack by slashing with its sword. |
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| Yuchi | Mar 21 2012, 07:15 PM Post #14 |
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Just as Yuchi prepared himself for the Shadow Sarina to pull some other trick from her sleeves, the real Sarina stood before the shadow, shouting her denial of its existance. "Wuh!? N-No Don't-!!" he stammered. But the words echoed in the room, its momentary repetition perhaps the only sound filling the room for a brief moment. Then the shadow girl burst into a cackle of laughter, a dark mass gathering around her as she began to change. Yuchi summoned Gemini to his side as the Shadow Sarina became a tall, thin creature, shrouded in a cloak of darkness, wielding a sword of bones, and a shield in the shape of a coffin. Instead of a face, Yuchi could only make out the image of an eye, radiating with malace as it gazed upon him. The nightmarish phantom declared itself a shadow, the true self, and thrust foward its coffin shield. Gemini flew forward, blocking it with its nodachi as Yuchi moved to the sidelines for cover. The shadow then lashed out with its skeletal blade. In response, Gemini kicked off from the shield and evaded the blade as it took into the air, circling around the shadow, then divebombing down towards it, retorting with a swing from the nodachi. |
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| Sarina Daiju | Mar 21 2012, 07:26 PM Post #15 |
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The attacks were deflected by the Persona, or dodged; either way, the shadow seemed to be glad. It didn't want a battle to be lost so soon after it had started, after all. "No...no, I don't think people are useless. I just think they're worthless," the shadow exclaimed, eyeing the oncoming Persona with its malevolent gaze. "I hate people!" it exclaimed, pointing its skeletal sword at the oncoming assault. Nothing happened for a moment or two, but then the next instant, a mass of dark shadows burst forth from the pure white sword, thanks to the skeletal nature of it, and towards Gemini. "Always mocking me for my weakness. Never helping. What the hell's the point of helping people if you don't get anything back?" the shadow asked as it assaulted Gemini, leaping towards it once it either dodged the attack or was struck by it. Or, in the case of it just rushing straight through, it still would rush at Gemini, sword swinging brazenly towards the Persona. Meanwhile, Sarina still wasn't doing much; just staring at the ensuing fight. "W-Why?" Sarina questioned, hiccuping a bit as she sniffled. "I'm not like this! I could never be as monstrous as you are!" she shouted towards the battle, her words obviously meant for the shadow. The battle was loud, true, but Sarina was the shadow, and the shadow was her; it was easily able to hear her words. "You are me, and I am you. It's as simple...wait, no, that's incorrect. I AM the real Sarina now; I am all you hide, and I will be you now, after this pest is dealt with!" the shadow shouted during its attack. |
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| Yuchi | Mar 21 2012, 08:40 PM Post #16 |
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As the burst of shadows launched towards Gemini, the swing it had started as it initiated its divebomb was now used to cleave straight through them, maintaining it's course toward the shadow of Sarina. As the Shadow counter assaulted Gemini in a swing of its sword, the persona pumped its wings to propel itself backward, clashing its nodachi against the sword of the shadows as it did so. Gemini then proceeded to push back from the shadows sword, gaining back its altitude, and began to fly around the shadow in a spiral pattern so that it as directly above the shadow. When it managed to do so, it made a spinning dive straight down toward the shadow, nodachi in mid-swing. Meanwhile, Yuchi glanced toward the sidelines of the battle, and could faintly make out Sarina's cries over the battle. It was clear that this entire experience was braking her down dramatically. Shadows, the true self, Yuchi thought as he turned his attention back to the shadow. 'Repressed sides of people that become uncontrollable and aggressive', Midori had recently explained to him. If that was true, how exactly would one regain control over the shadow? Perhaps. . .just maybe, if if denying ones shadow sent them out of control, would accepting it bring it to a sort of peace? Even if that were how it worked, how could he convince Sarina to accept this concealed side of her? Yuchi then thought back to the things the shadow had spoken of. Everyone was worthless, they mocked how weak she was, never even helping her? And above all that, the way her own shadow was taunting her so, was it trying to imply that Sarina truly felt worthless as well? Come to think of it, Yuchi remembered feeling just as worthless himself when he watched his mother slain by her shadow, and found himself fully able to sympathize with Sarina. Perhaps he could do something to convince her after all. Yuchi soon found himself calling out to her: "Sarina, listen to me!! You don't have to push it away!!!" He paused for a moment, trying to determine if she could hear him. |
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| Sarina Daiju | Mar 21 2012, 09:47 PM Post #17 |
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She couldn't do anything on her own, she never could; she was far too physically weak. But she had helped Kumiko, hadn't she? She had guided her to a safe place, hadn't she? That was, of course, just all a fanciful lie she was thinking to herself. Heck, Kumiko had to carry her around that day when they had met, simply because her weak immune system had decided to screw her over! This shadow...Sarina had no idea what to make of it; she slumped to the ground as the fight continued, looking for all the world like she was going to give up. Then she frowned as she heard...something; what was it? She thought and strained and finally deciphered it. Someone had said her name...and now that someone was speaking to her? She instantly cast her eyes to the one who had summoned the Persona; he was speaking to her. She didn't have to give up...or rather, push it away. She looked back to the shadow, wondering if his words were true. Meanwhile, the shadow kept itself aware of the movements of Gemini at all times, so it was no surprise when the shield it had suddenly vanished. It then next gripped its blade with both hands, holding the blade out towards the approaching Gemini as if offering it to the Persona. Then the next instant, the shadow began to spin the sword, over and over, and by doing that, something similar to a miniature tornado or hurricane formed, darkness swirling about as it headed straight towards Gemini. "I don't have to?" she questioned of the boy, her voice probably barely able to be heard over the din of the battle. She frowned and stood back up as she stared at the fight. "Maybe he's right..." she muttered to herself; even that little faith of believing that her shadow was her caused the shadow to suddenly cry out in pain, obviously weakened by Sarina accepting it, if only marginally. "Stop!" it roared, its tornado dwindling in strength. |
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| Yuchi | Mar 21 2012, 10:23 PM Post #18 |
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Yuchi saw Sarina look up toward him, having heard him after all. He nodded, and was about to speak once more, but as a tingling sensation buzzed around him like wind, he brought his attention back to his Persona. The shadow appeared to have summoned a tornado with its sword, and was sending it toward Gemini as it began to spin-dive toward it. Upon reaching the dark tempest, Gemini began to cleave into its gusts. However, the force of the storm and the advance of Gemini seemed to rage on as a sort of power struggle, Gemini struggling to push his way through, and the wind trying to force the Persona back. As things currently were, Gemini would surely be blown away, quite literally. Yuchi's body started to tremble as he felt the strain upon Gemini. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take either. However, in he corner of his eye, he saw Sarina stand back up, and stared at the ongoing struggle. She seemed to mutter something to herself, and a few moments later, Yuchi heard the shadow cry out, and he turned his gaze back to stare at the fight as well. The tornado being emitted by the shadow seemed to gradually lose its strength. As the storm dwindled, Gemini's blade began to cut through the force of it at last, and with a final pump of its wings, launched through the gale, the nodachi lunging straight for the shadow. |
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| Sarina Daiju | Mar 21 2012, 10:55 PM Post #19 |
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"No!" The nodachi cleaved straight through the shadow, which was now immensely weakened by the thoughts and feelings Sarina was feeling right then, not to mention what she was telling herself. "But I...am a shadow..." the powerful aura about it seemed to vanish, as did the current form it occupied. "The true self..." it continued as it returned to the same exact visage Sarina wore; in short, she was back to looking exactly like Sarina, save the odd nurse costume. It was definitely out of place, considering the current mood in the room. "I...I am a shadow." it repeated, or rather, she now, since she had the appearance of a girl once more; she stood up, just about at the same time that Sarina walked over to her. "I understand now. As much as I hate to admit it, you're me. I do hate people, a lot, but...the whole world isn't full of bad people who mock and sneer at me," Sarina smiled, thinking of Kumiko; she also took that moment to wipe the previous tears out of her eyes, though some still managed to stay. This was just such an...emotional moment, so to speak, that she couldn't help it. "And I do feel useless, sometimes...and I use people. But I'm learning to get better. You're a part of me, for the moment." Sarina finished; she hugged the shadow. Her shadow simply nodded and returned the hug before vanishing again, this time not coming back. "I never thought you woulda been able to accept your faults." Alice...she was back. The strength of heart required to face oneself has been made manifest...Sarina has faced her other self...She has obtained the facade used to overcome life's hardships, the Persona Alice! The blonde girl clad in a dress appeared for a moment, offering a smile down to her user, before disappearing just as suddenly; Sarina glanced towards Yuchi. She was silent for a moment, then she spoke. "You...saved me," before this incident, she would have shouted at him for that, saying she didn't need being saved. "...Thank you." |
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| Yuchi | Mar 21 2012, 11:29 PM Post #20 |
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Gemini returned to Yuchi's side as Sarina approached her shadow. And as she embraced the shadow, Yuchi felt a relief fall over him, and with a sigh finally dismissed his Persona. Shortly afterward, he watched in awe as the shadow transformed into a Persona itself. It finally made sense to him. If Persona were the manifestations of ones soul, then Shadows must be a Persona being held back from properly manifesting itself. He would have to make a personal note to report back to Midori about this. As the Persona disappeared, Yuchi walked up to Sarina as she glanced over towards him. It was silent for a moment, and Yuchi was having a hard time finding what words to say. Before he could think of anything, Sarina spoke up, thanking him. Smiling, Yuchi replied, "Hey, no problem. Besides, if you think about it, in the end, you saved yourself, Sarina-" after a moment, he realized he forgot to introduce himself. "-Oh! I'm sorry. I'm Yuchi. Yuchi Shinsei, but you can just call me 'Yuu' if ya want." Another pause."So uhm, are you okay? You're not hurt anywhere are you?" He quickly searched his hoody pocket. Did he happen to still be carrying those band aids he got at Midori's store?? No, he seemed to have left them back in their world. |
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