Difference between revisions of "Logs: Encountering Souji"

Latest revision as of 01:25, 7 October 2012

 Mikage-cho W - St. Hermelin???
      St. Hermelin, on the surface, is identical in Mikage-cho. This notion would be discarded somewhere along
the way of witnessing people not being quite what they were! Between the feared Dean Harding becoming a caring
individual and a popular educator turning into a mute - among other things - it's not long until any sense of
familiarity goes to the wayside.          
      The school appears as it was in the 2008 school year. The old gymnasium hasn't been expanded as it was
early in 2009, and there's no hole in the wall. Most of the classrooms do not even see use, the school
population notably smaller. The library has undergone the most peculiar change - a foreboding black doorway
sits near the back, the whole room coated in butterfly markings. Nobody is sure as to its purpose, or even
how to open it. A loud heartbeat can be heard if you stand close to it.          
      People here live in fear of a girl in black, whose influence sometimes rearranges the school into a
twisted set of corridors and dead-ends full of demons. Even a trip to the bathroom, in the best of times,
can spell disaster.

(***Historical note: Yu Narukami used to be known by his manga name, Souji Seta--thus the title of the log. Since he's gotten an official name, he's been retroactively re-named, thus why he's Yu Narukami in the rest of the log.)

/...But when I look inside, I find a place to cry, to fly, to die
       
 You and I, born as fools now
 You and I think, think we rule now
       
 Now I will see the world as an ancient place, as a smiling face
 I can choose to be what I want to be if I choose to be.../
       

As the song on her MP3 player thrums through her headphones into her ears, the auburn-haired St. Hermelin student hangs out on the stairs, legs tucked close, elbow on one knee, broom crooked around the other arm, eyes shut and a smile lingering on her lips. Even when it turns out that the world really *has* completely changed, a reality that even now, a full day after she's seen it right before her eyes, still seems at a remove from her. Perhaps she has her music to thank; music does wonders at keeping a girl sane.

The fact that the girl calling herself A-ko was able to get a charger for it did wonders for helping, too. As for right now, she's not really doing anything special, just sitting there listening to music... but since she's seated near the entryway to the school, she *would* be the first person someone coming in might potentially see, even if she'd have to be poked for anyone to get her attention. She seems waaaay zoned out right now.

Several demon encounters and a walk to safety later, Yu finds himself back at the gates of St. Hermelin, where he causually proceeds to make his way inside. While many of his allies and friends were now residing in the nearby bunker, there were several who weren't. Those several needed to be caught up on a few things. He figured he could find them here easier than anywhere else.

As he enters the school, he takes a quick look around. No one he knows stands out immediately, but as his attention comes to the stairs, he notices the girl absorbed in her music, having become accostumed to the expression of someone when they're lost in such a way thanks to Minato. Just where were they both finding chargers here?

Figuring that she wasn't really -busy-, Yu decides to tap her shoulder lightly to get her attention, again having learned at this point that merely speaking would be futile, "I'm sorry, but I don't suppose you've seen a boy with long silver hair around here lately? Kind of looks a bit girly." It was an odd description, but it did fit Masumi, who Yu knew was taking shelter here now. He figured if he pointed out the most outstanding of the people he was seeking, he had the most likely chance of getting a desired response.

Talk to enough people and you'll find one eventually. There've been people who've found chargers for their phones; Arisa was telling A-ko all about it the other day.

She opens her eyes, a little startled, when tapped, and stares up into Yu's face. Immediately, a smile curves across her face, and she pulls her headphones down around her shoulders, where they continue to play. She shakes her head at the description.

"Nope. If he was anywhere near as cute as you, I *know* I'd remember him, too!" She grins, eyes sparkling, unheeding of how direct she must sound. "Is he your brother?"

Well, Yu *does* have silver hair too.

"Hm?" Yu seems a bit puzzled why she'd ask that. It's true they did look a bit alike in that regard, now that he though about it. "Oh, no," he shakes his head as he explains, "just a friend. He's been around here lately I know, but now I can't seem to find him."

Her flirty remark is received with a faint smile as he introduces himself, "I'm Yu Narukami, by the way. A pleasure to meet you. He offers a courteous nod, perhaps in place of a handshake, before he continues to muse on his friend's whereabouts with understandable concern, "I guess he might be still out, then. Hopefully not for -too- long." Unless it was his imagination, which it could be, the demons out there were getting a bit more dangerous.

A-ko nods at the explanation. Well, all she knows about Masumi is that he's got long, silver hair and looks kinda girly, so he could very well possibly be Yu's brother! A friend, though, huh... She can certainly get behind that too. "*Is* he as cute as you?" she asks, winking.

That nod of greeting receives one in kind, somewhat deeper. Yu Narukami... It's a nice name~ And he introduces himself right away! She likes that. Arisa and Himeru she liked, but they didn't actually say their names for ages. "Then, Yu~ You can call me A-ko! It's a pleasure to meet you, too. <3"

By now, the auburn-haired girl has in fact seen those demons. She still hasn't personally had a problem with them, but she's been lucky, and hasn't been out terribly much. Everyone else's attitudes up 'til now make Yu's concern make sense. She nods in sympathy. "Do you want to go look for him?" she offers. "He *might* be in the school." It doesn't necessarily mean she's seen him, after all.

Yu smirks as she asks about Masumi and simply says, "Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I suppose." Fortunately, he is unaware that the woman that charmed him at the Halloween dance was in fact this friend he spoke of. If he ever found out, that would be really awkward after saying that.

"A-ko, hm?" The silver-haired boy tries not to show too much surprise at the name. Few would introduce themselves with a nickname, let alone such a short one. Was this girl alright? He figured he may as well play along. It was pretty low on the 'list of strange things that happened this week', after all.

With a nod, he agrees to her offer, "Sure, I suppose he could still be somewhere here, after all. Maybe we'll find some of the others I've been looking for. You might say we've been trying to get to the bottom of all of this." He doesn't feel too worried admitting that to her. Considering the facts that demons walked the street and that everyone was trapped int he city, a low profile about trying to -solve- the problem most likely wasn't necessary.

A-ko giggles at Yu's response, her grin lighting up her already sunny face. Is that so~ Then she's got extra reason to help Yu find him! <3 As for whether she's all right or not... Well, it's just for a bit of fun. She does note that bit of surprise, though, and looking thoroughly pleased with herself for some reason, she winks at him.

Upon acceptance of her offer, she hops out into the hall proper and twirls to face him, all but posing with her broom. "Sounds good! I'll show you around! <3" She gestures, and then begins leading him down the hall, opening up classroom doors with brazen abandon. "Who're your other friends?" she adds, glancing curiously at him from over her shoulder.

Pfft, certainly not. A-ko hardly even reacts to the news that he and his friends are trying to solve things; she merely nods. Well, if everyone came from 'outside,' it makes sense enough to her, she supposes.

"Well, let's see," Yu briefly ponders, trying to recall who amongst his friends actually would be found here beside him. Well, there was Arisa, "how about a stronger looking girl? Dark skin and dark hair? Her name is Arisa Shiratori, if my memory serves me right." He had been looking to talk to her since their encounter last night. She had stayed with Mai by the time the others left, but perhaps she returned here eventually? He had to ask.

As they walk along, Yu takes note of A-ko's person. Brooms were an odd choice of accessory. "So, uhm, any reason you carry that broom around?" He asks out of genuine curiosuity, without little to no condescending or hostility in his tone.

"Oh, Arisa-chan!" A-ko declares, brightening. "Yeah, I know her! She's an underclassman of mine. I've got her number." She dips a hand into her uniform pocket and pulls out her cell phone, flipping the top over and pulling through her contacts list. Arisa is naturally right at the top, being an A-name. Whether she'll answer the phone or not, well, they'll have to see.

Before she can dial, though, Yu asks about the broom, and she blinks over at him. Then she grins. "It's great for whacking," she says sagely, the sparkle in her eyes belying the seeming seriousness of her tone.

Yu smiles as A-ko expresses her familiarity and begins to search her phone, "I had her number too, honestly. I'm just not used to calling people so openly." He usually only used his phone for emergencies, as in Innaba it's pretty easy to find someone when you want to talk to them. Small, middle of nowhere towns can have their advantages.

In regard to the broom, Yu nods as he replies, "I suppose it could be an effective enough weapon." He favored swords himself, but for obvious reasons he wasn't about to run around showing his off.

[PHONE] To Arisa Shiratori, A-Ko ringringringring~ [PHONE] To A-Ko, Arisa Shiratori answers, after some fumbling. "Yes?" [PHONE] To Arisa Shiratori, A-Ko phones: "Hey, Arisa-chan! It's A-ko. Yu's been looking for you. You wanna talk to him?" [PHONE] To A-Ko, Arisa Shiratori sounds surprised. "... He was looking for me? Ah, sure." [PHONE] To Arisa Shiratori, A-Ko phones: "OK, hold on!"

Oh, so he did? A-ko gives him a thoughtful look, then smiles back. As for her, well, she can't recall really spending that much time phoning people first either, but if someone's looking for Arisa, that's the easiest way to get in touch, right? It's not like she really knows where, exactly, she is.

"I wasn't expecting the demons," A-ko goes on to admit. "I thought my friends were pranking me. If I were serious, I'd use something else, I think." *Beep*, goes the send button, and she holds her cell up to her ear. After a moment, she says cheerfully, "Hey, Arisa-chan! It's A-ko. Yu's been looking for you. You wanna talk to him?" Pause. "OK, hold on!"

And she holds the phone out to Yu, looking almost smug at her short work of the matter.

"Thank you," he says with a nod as this A-ko called Arisa. What he wanted to discuss with the valkyrie was strategy. They needed a plan for where they were going next.

He keeps his focus on A-ko. He didn't know if she was a Persona-user or not, being largely resonance-deaf, and given how well he's seen normals handle demons here, he's convinced the difference isn't so substantial under these circumstances, "Well, a good weapon couldn't hurt. Having been out there several times, I can say that the demons seem to be getting a bit more hostile themselves."

Yu nods one of his trademark nods and takes the phone, beginning to speak, "Hello?"

[PHONE] To A-Ko and Yu Narukami, Arisa Shiratori phones: ".... Hello? Seta-san?" [PHONE] To Arisa Shiratori and A-Ko, Yu Narukami phones: "Hello, Shiratori-san? It's Yu. I'd have called you sooner, but I guess I figured you'd be preoccupied and went looking for you instead. I'm thinking we need to discuss where we're going from here at some point." [PHONE] To A-Ko and Yu Narukami, Arisa Shiratori phones: "Probably a good idea. Do you want to do it now, or gather everyone up and do it there?" [PHONE] To A-Ko and Yu Narukami, Arisa Shiratori phones: "... One suggestion, either way, is this: Himeru-san said her friend, Itsuka-san, is in the subway stations. There's a student from the Hermelin High of this side there too." [PHONE] To Yu Narukami and Arisa Shiratori, A-Ko, in the background, says, "Oh, I heard about that! Himeru-chan told me about her." [PHONE] To Arisa Shiratori and A-Ko, Yu Narukami phones: "I see. I was thinking we'd need to make our way through thee station next myself, in fact. This 'Harem Queen' is on the other side of town, as well. We're going to need need to secure passage that way eventually, I think. But yes, I'd like to discuss this with everyone first." [PHONE] To A-Ko and Yu Narukami, Arisa Shiratori phones: "Good idea. I'll text Himeru to let her know. I don't want her going there herself, if the subway is as dangerous as it sounds." [PHONE] To A-Ko and Yu Narukami, Arisa Shiratori phones: "So. You've met A-ko?" [PHONE] To Arisa Shiratori and A-Ko, Yu Narukami phones: "Indeed. She's been quite nice so far." [PHONE] To Yu Narukami and Arisa Shiratori, A-Ko can almost be heard going <3 in the background. [PHONE] To Arisa Shiratori and A-Ko, Yu Narukami returns to the phone after looking back to her for a moment, "She's quite an interesting person. How long have you two known each other?" [PHONE] To A-Ko and Yu Narukami, Arisa Shiratori phones: "... I met her recently." [PHONE] To A-Ko and Yu Narukami, Arisa Shiratori phones: "Even though we go to the same school, and are from the same side, I didn't know her before." [PHONE] To Yu Narukami and Arisa Shiratori, A-Ko adds, "She's a first year, I'm a second." [PHONE] To Arisa Shiratori and A-Ko, Yu Narukami phones: "That's...interesting, though I suppose that's entirely possible, especially since she's first year." [PHONE] To A-Ko and Yu Narukami, Arisa Shiratori phones: "Yes. I... don't really pay attention to many people outside my class, really..." [PHONE] To Arisa Shiratori and A-Ko, Yu Narukami phones: "I see. Well, I suppose we should get around to arranging to meet up with the others. Perhaps sometime early tomorrow." [PHONE] To A-Ko and Yu Narukami, Arisa Shiratori phones: "Alright. Please, say hello to A-ko for me. I'm glad she's doing alright." [PHONE] To Arisa Shiratori and A-Ko, Yu Narukami phones: "I will, thank you. I suppose that's it for now, then." [PHONE] To A-Ko and Yu Narukami, Arisa Shiratori phones: "Good night to both of you." [PHONE] To Yu Narukami and Arisa Shiratori, A-Ko, in the background, "'Night, Arisa-chan!"

Now that the phone conversation's done, A-ko accepts her phone back, clicking it shut and putting it in her pocket. She grins at Yu, monumentally pleased with him--well, a cute boy said that he thinks she's nice! What's *not* to be pleased with? Sadly, Yu's remark about the demons getting more hostile is lost to the flow of the phone conversation. Instead, A-ko asks, "Are you going to be going to rescue Itsuka-chan?"

Yu hands back the phone readily, thanking her once more with a simple 'thank you'. He considers her words as she asks about the rescue. It doesn't take him long to come up with a surprisingly confident answer, "We're going to try to get her back, and her friend who went missing too."

Even he's surprised of how certain he sounded of that. Perhaps he's just used to rescuing people at this point. It's like the TV World. Hey! Maybe this situation really wasn't out of his reach after all. He leaves his epiphany of confidence be for now and returns his attention to the girl before him, "And it looks like we're going to have a plan to do it. Thak you for your concern and for everything. It was truly nice to meet you."

A-ko sees that 'thank you' and raises it a warm smile of you're-welcome. She nods at his affirmation. "I told Himeru-chan I'd help. Is there anything I can do, too?"

Plans are always good! ...she guesses! A-ko is a take-charge sort of girl but she doesn't really... /plan/. She's honestly never really thought about that before now. Huh. A plan! Well, things will work out in the end, she's sure.

Wafting another <3 Yu's way, she glomps onto his arm playfully as she looks up at him coquettishly from under those pretty bangs of hers. "Same here! <3 You'll come back to see me, right?"

"I'll make a point to," Yu nods readily before reaching for his phone and handing it to her, "I actually do have one, so feel free add your number. That way we can keep in touch, maybe even after this all is over." He doesn't mention the possibility of it being permanent, as many have.

After the exchange is complete, if it is completed, he takes his phone back with one final nod before departing.