1st Bus Stop | Introduction

[busstopsign]

Characters: Shinjiro and anyone who want to bump and talk to him and probably try to kill him if your name is Ken.
Location: All the floors, he'll be moving around to explore, feel free to bump into him wherever you want.
Format: Pick your poison, I'll match in suite.
Summary: A dude wakes up and wonders where the hell he is.
Warnings: Shinjiro has a potty mouth. Also probably some violence.

He shouldn't be here. That's the first thing he told himself upon waking up. Just a few minutes ago, he was off to fight the rest of his friends for the right to wield the keys, and now his first thought was that either he had never actually awoken from his hospital bed before, or that he had failed. Regardless it did not bode well.

Of course the letters pretty much confirmed his fears. Maybe this was some sort of personal hell, or maybe the keys had malfunctioned and he had ended up here. There was no way the way had ended after Minako had worked so hard to protect it from Nyx. Regardless, even if he didn't quite believe what he was told, he needed to look around and see what this place was like. Without Aigis, Metis, Aki or the others...strange how he didn't mind being along not just a few months ago, but now...

He picked up a few items from his trunk, idly remembering that the bus stop sign would require work before he could actually use it. For now the large golden hammer could be useful, as was the Evoker. Stepping into any area could be dangerous, and Shinjiro was borderline paranoid by trade. As 'nice' as that letter had been, he didn't want to be caught unguarded.

He stepped out of room 2-02, looking around before slipping into the shadows and darker corners. He operated better that way.

Comments

[miseris_socios]

[Ken is wandering the halls, trying to decide what to do now. It's a while before he feels like going to bed, but he doesn't want to just sit around. So moving around it is - maybe he'll catch sight of some monsters he can train against.]

[... And then he spots him sliding into the shadows. He's here. Ken runs towards him, pulling his Evoker out of its holster.]

Stop right there!

One two three four: I DECLARE AN ANGST WAR!!!

[fracta_anima]

Minami had only one headphone on her ear, the other dangling over her shoulder blaring a catchy techno pop song as she carried what must have been the fifteenth box of clothing downstairs to the media floor for people to pick up. Sure, when she'd requested for clothing for Coleta she figured she'd get some eventually, but not enough to block the door to her dorm.

As soon as she saw it she had immediately set about picking out things for herself and laying it out on her bed. Hey, she wasn't super into lolita fashion, but new clothes were new clothes and she was sure she could find someone to take the excess lace off of the things. In the meantime, she needed to clear out the boxes in front of her room before she found out her roommates were trapped or they needed to get in.

Thus occupied--who knew clothes could be so darn heavy?--she walked right by Shinjiro, only noting she was just passing someone who looked vaguely familiar by.

Commence Trainwreck

[busstopsign]

[The sight of Ken actually makes Shinji happy except you know, pocket face. Maybe the tower 'saved' all of them, they just have to find each other?]

Tch. Fine, I'll wait but move faster. Any see any sign of the others?

[miseris_socios]

'Others'? You mean my group or yours? The only one from SEES that I know is here is your stupid leader.

[He catches up, tightening his grip on his Evoker.]

And she's not gonna save you. And he's not here to mess it up.

[busstopsign]

[Something's wrong. That's not the Ken he knows - who, even if they had hardships and he knew that it would never be an easy road - at least understood each other a little more.

In this Ken, there's too much anger his the eyes. But what does he mean, 'my group or yours?'. Didn't he agree with him regarding Minako's fate? Why is he naming Sees like its own separate organization? But most importantly...why the hell is he calling Minako a stupid leader? Immediately, the nice-guy-at-least-for-Shinjiro act stops and he glares at him, his voice a little lower.]

What do you mean...

[His hand is already tightened around his own Evoker, as he mentally switches Personas.]

Don't make me do this Ken. Something's wrong with you.

I'm not angst I'm just awkward

[morituramfides]

Nope, you're not getting out that fast Shinjiro-- because around the time he was getting ready to leave, Jin was returning to his room, only to find a new and rather familiar inhabitant in it.

"Aragaki?" How. Are you alive. He is looking so confused right now. "The hell?"

[miseris_socios]

Nothing's wrong with me. The only thing that's wrong here is that you're not dead and back home Takaya got to you before I could!

[Ken's features are twisted in anger, and his hand is shaking on his Evoker. He puts his Evoker to his head and fires, Nemesis rising above him and sending off a Zionga at Shinji.]

WHAT HOw come there is no hot makeouts.

[busstopsign]

Oh. Oh. Well Jin wasn't exactly on Shinjiro's list of people he'd thought he might run into again, truth be told. He'd heard the story from the other members of the team about how he had died in the tower by blowing himself up when the Shadows overwhelmed him...

And yet the Jin standing before him did not look blown up at all. He had thought his days dealing with Strega were over. Maybe this was some sort of trick...

"The hell are you doing here," he snapped right back at him.

Aw hell nah go get that from your stupid redhead girlfriend

[morituramfides]

Ok well. It was definitely Shinjiro. His retort, while expected, was still a offputting. And plus he's still horribly confused, so it shows.

"I could ask you the same question," He replied snippily, lazily pointing at him with his left hand. "I've been here for a few months, but last I checked, you were dead."

[busstopsign]

Takaya...but!

[What does this mean? That means Ken should have witness him dying before the coma, but the way he speaks, it sounds like he still holds a grudge to him...not that Shinjiro would blame him considering, but it's not...there's just so many warning bells and they are going on at all the same time.

Then the attack comes.

He visibly flinches at the attack, muttering a small curse, but Ken might notice that he's not as hurt as he should. And now he's about to find out why.

The gun is placed on his head, and without saying anything else until he silently pulls the trigger.]

Dominion!

[The Angelic Hierarchy appears above him, before moving his hand and releasing an inherited Agilao medium fire spell.]

But she'd not like you ~~oh Jin oh~~~

[busstopsign]

Well that cleared up everything--oh wait no it didn't. Jin's confusion was soon explained when he mentioned he should be dead. Perhaps they'd never heard of his hospitalization, and assumed he had died. Then again, that wouldn't explain why he was here. And five months? ...maybe those keys had really messed up the entire time stream and...shit. That type of technological and magical field was definitely not up his alley. Well, if Jin wanted to use bombs, he'd give him one right back.

"I could say the same about you. Heard you blew yourself up in the tower."

Sorry he's married to the internet

[morituramfides]

"Huh?" Blew himself up? In Tartarus? What the hell was this guy going on about, had he had some kind of pre-death fervor dream because of Takaya and the Dark Hour?

"Why the hell would I do that?" He asked, lowering his hand and giving an expectant shrug with both arms.

Well the internet IS for porn.

[busstopsign]

Normally, this would be the part the old Shinjiro would have just turned around and ignored him to leave him and his confusion, but he needed to know more about this place, and the fact he had a five month advantage meant they could at least talk, if anything.

"From what Junpei told me, you and Takaya started the cult of Nyx and were hell-bent on stopping the others from reaching the top to stop it." He gave him a counter-shrug in return. "They beat you up, and you got overwhelmed by shadows."

But porn doesn't have sexy sexy coding

[morituramfides]

Jin's basically looking at Shinjiro like he has spontaneously grown a third head. Did Shinjiro and SEES think that Takaya was still one of their members? Then again was there really any way for them to have known he was a member even originally?

"Takaya and I haven't done nothing. I haven't even seen him in forever, even before I showed up at this dumb place. And I sure haven't been part of any cult movement."

Hell bent on stopping them from messing with Tartarus though? Accurate. Getting beaten up and overwhelmed by shadows? Hell no.

OH GOD JUST MARRY YOUR LINUX THEN.

[busstopsign]

Well this Shinjiro most certainly did think all of those things were truthful. He also appeared to be thinking a little more clearly than Jin, perhaps due to his experience in the Abyss of Time. Maybe the timeline has not only been hit hard - maybe it changed events as well. There was only one way to find out.

"...Tch. Just tell me how I died."

FINE MAYBE HE WILL.

[morituramfides]

Wow, rude Shinjiro. Jin rolled his eyes ever so slightly and crossed his arms, stepping inside the room properly and closing it with with his foot.

"From what I heard, Takaya showed up in Tatsumi Port and shot you down while you were trying to protect Ken. I wasn't there myself, so I can't really give you the details."

[miseris_socios]

[Shit. He flinches backwards at that attack, but then summons Nemesis again for a Cruel Attack.]

You should have died and she should have lived! Why won't you just die?

[busstopsign]

That sounded familiar, at least. Maybe he hadn't heard that he had survived from that gunshot. Yet that opened up even more questions, such as how it still didn't explain why he had mentioned Takaya like a past memory.

"So far, it sounds the same," he began, "but you leaving Strega? I can't believe that. In the end if was just you and Takaya up there." There. Now he gave out his own information. And just to drive a point home; "You both failed. She managed to stop Nyx, and it saved the world."

At a heavy cost he only wish she never had to pay.

[morituramfides]

Jin just quirked an eyebrow at that; all this nonsense about Nyx or whatever certainly wasn't driving home. To him, he was just speaking gibberish. Sorry Shinjiro, it probably didn't bomb him as much as you were hoping for.

"Are you an idiot? I didn't leave Strega. They're the only ones that I can actually trust. And I sure as hell ain't going up to the top of Tartarus with Takaya though-- and definitely not without the others. Like I said, I haven't seen him in forever."

[busstopsign]

[The attack hits him hard and he flinches back a bit before recovering.]

...You're right. Maybe I should have died. No matter what happens, I can't change the past, and what I did. I can't change how that asshole cop treated you either. If I could switch my life out for hers, I'd do it, but I'm not dead. If this hellish universe won't let myself die, then I'll continue to live until I rescue Minako!

[Oh look, information Shinjiro should probably not know. Thank you The Answer for showing that past tidbit, it had certainly lead to an interesting conversation between the two. He narrows his eyes before pulling the trigger again.]

You aren't the Ken I know. He's much more stronger than you.

[He means that both physically and mentally as well. Nemesis was his first Persona. He switches out his Persona before summoning the next one.]

Quetzalcoatl!

[The plumed serpent hisses before twirling in the air and unleashing a Garudyne on him, the effect intensified by the Wind Boost.]

[miseris_socios]

How the - who the hell is Minako?

[How did he know that, anyway? He growls slightly and tries to push through the pain - he's never been the sturdiest in a fight but he'll get through on sheer determination if nothing else.]

[But then he says something that makes him snap. He's strong - he's stronger than he's ever been. And he won't let Shinjiro insult him like this. Rage building, he flings himself physically at Shinji, not caring that the other boy is older and bigger and stronger than him. He'll punch him wherever he can, even if it's not a 'fair' spot, and he'll beat him until he can't even summon a Persona anymore.]

[busstopsign]

Nothing made sense.

"Tch, you're the idiot, dumbass. I don't know if you noticed, but we both have different stories and we're both pretty set on knowing them as Truth, even if they don't seem to add up." Although from what he said...

"Tell me who you mean by the others. From the time I'm from, Chidori's memories with Strega were wiped out when she used what little remaining powers she had left to revive herself after her death, which only left you and Takaya to start that cult." Pfft details about what he meant exactly, who needed that?

[morituramfides]

"Chidori-- Forgot us?!" He uncrossed his arms and jumped a little in surprise. Oh no no no what? Sorry Shinjiro, it's time to slow your roll, because Jin is not taking very kindly to this news at all.

"Revive herself, why would she--" A sigh. "Look. I don't know what Truth you know, but I really haven't seen Takaya in a long time. By 'others,'" And he eve used little air quotes there, see. "I mean Chidori, Minato, and Ken. And I guess Koromaru if you wanna count the dog. And we don't have any intention of starting a cult."

[busstopsign]

[It's a bit of a pathetic sight at that moment. Shinji still has no attention to hit him physically with his weapon, and due to Ken's raged-filled anger vs his calm mind, he's able to dodge most of the hits he tries to step in. He looks at Ken as he does so - an intimating look for sure, but there's an amount of sadness towards him. Almost disappointment.]

I told you. When Takaya tried to shoot you and I took the bullet, I knew you could change, Ken. I didn't have much time left. You still had a lot to live for. I was right too. The you that entered Abyss of Time with us wasn't like you are now.

He sighs, and he almost looks...pained?

Hell, at this rate I ain't even sure if I'm the same guy you know. Minako was...important to all of us.

[Important to him.]

It'd make no damn sense if you didn't know her., considering she was the one who stopped Nyx and was our leader for so long.

[Oh Shinji, admitting SEES as your team, too bad no one else is around to hear it.]

[busstopsign]

Minato didn't ring a bell at all. When Shinji heard his name, he brushed it off...until Ken and Koromaru were mentioned. The hell? He couldn't see either of them joining Strega any time soon. Even in all his anger, he had a feeling Ken would not go running to the organization that killed Shinji.

Suddenly, he got a lot more threatening and invading of personal space.

"Why would Ken join Strega," he growled dangerously. "And don't you ever call Koromaru, just a dog again. He's an important member to SEES like everyone else. Including Ken."

He might have sounded a tad possessive.

He definitely was.