Run for Your Life [Open]

[Shion Amanomiya]

❊ STAND YOUR GROUND ❊

Run, Shion. Run for your life. Don't stop or you're dead.

The young lady chanted it in her head over and over like a mantra, trying to override the mounting fear and exhaustion that threatened to slow her down as she raced down the streets. She didn't know what had happened; one minute she was on her way home from school, and then suddenly she was here, in this nightmare. She had inwardly cursed her inattention to where she had been going, but this... this wasn't the shopping district, was it? Well, it looked like it, but different. Abandoned. Which wasn't supposed to be the case, considering that Shion went there practically all the time and it was normal.

This had to be a nightmare. It had to be, despite how real it felt. And there had been those things. Having felt threatened by the moving blobs, Shion had run as soon as she saw them, having gotten the feeling that if she'd stayed and let her curiosity get the best of her she'd die. If -- if this was all real, then maybe this was where the missing people had gone to? But there weren't any people, and she'd been running for a good ten minutes...

She'd been reading too much science fiction, that's what it was.

A quick glance behind told her that those blob things that had given chase were no longer following her. She darted into an alley and leaned against the way, chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Feeling frustrated at not understanding what the hell was going on, Shion slammed her fist against the wall, swallowing a whimper at the pain. So, not a nightmare. This was reality, then? If so, how had this happened? Is she just supposed to accept this? More questions cropped up, and Shion wasn't getting any answers. Sighing, she rested her back against the wall, still not done regaining her breath. There was one question, the most important one, that she voiced out.

"What am I going to do?" She must be a sight, still in her uniform, sweaty and bedraggled. Her hair was a mess, but she didn't care about that now. Staying in one place probably wasn't safe for now. With another exhausted sigh, Shion pushed off the wall and began to carefully tread along the alley, preferring not to come across any more of those blob things.

She was so concentrated on sneaking around and listening for the blobs (they do make that creepy groaning sound) that when she rounded a corner too quickly and bumped into someone, she uttered an alarmed scream, scrambling back after she had fallen to the ground.

TAGS: N/A NOTES: Open thread, maybe a max of 2 other participants?

XOXO SHIN OF GS + THQ

[Jonathon McDowell]

Jonathon hadn't expected another person to be here. He wanted to get away for a while and just be alone, and what better place than a hellish alternate earth. He hadn't seen any shadows yet, but then someone crashed into him. "Whoa, sorry. Wasn't expecting to see anyone else around here. You aren't a shadow..." He observed, noticing her eyes weren't the color he'd seen here before.

"No, but I am." A voice echoed in his mind with a chuckle. Before Jonathon could respond to either the voice in his head or the girl, the shadows rounded the corner.

"Get behind me, I got this." He said, stepping forward and holding out his hand. There was a glow before a ball of fire shot from his hand and blasted one of them, causing the other two to stop for a minute. "Really? Not even really worth my effort." He said before firing off two more fire spells and then turning. "Are you ok?" He asked the girl who was being pursued.

[Shion Amanomiya]

❊ STAND YOUR GROUND ❊

You aren't a Shadow...

That struck Shion as strange, even as she was busy trying to calm down and get up because what she had bumped into was an actual person, and not one of the blob things -- wait, by Shadow, could he have been referring to those things? It seemed a fitting name.

She hadn't responded until he asked her how she was, too preoccupied in observing what occurred next. As expected, the blob things caught up, but what the heck the older boy shot fireballs at them?! There was no way that he could do that an be a normal person. Apparently this wasn't his first time around this block, either, talking as if taking on those blobs were normal.

None of this was normal. Shion looked torn between engaging the other in conversation and running away. Ultimately finding out more information about the situation she was in was by far better than wandering on her own again and running away from the threatening blobs.

"I'm alright, just... Tired and confused." She finally replied, self-consciously dusting herself off. "What is going on here, and where are we?" If there was a slight tone of demand in her tone, she didn't mean it; being stranded in a strange version of her town with aggressive blobs and some sort of magic wasn't really a scenario anyone wanted to experience in real life.

TAGS: Jonathon McDowell NOTES: N/A

XOXO SHIN OF GS + THQ

[Jonathon McDowell]

"Alright good. You really don't want those things to catch up with you." Jonathon said, checking around for more shadows. "Sorry you had to get drawn into this, it's kind of jarring. Things like this have been going on since the earthquake. The first time I found myself in here was a few months ago...It was a bad day." He said, hearing the haunting chuckle echo in his mind again. "Right, let's focus on getting you out of here. If I remember correctly, there's a rift that will take us home around here somewhere. Come on." He said, starting to walk towards, what he hoped, was a rift.

[Shion Amanomiya]

❊ STAND YOUR GROUND ❊

"The earthquake?" Shion repeated, recalling the tragedy last year that had been the start of so many disappearances. It was strange how they never found the bodies of those missing. It wasn't an unusual occurence, after such a natural disaster, but even if they had died, they would have left a trace...

Did that mean that all the missing people ended up here? How does one even end up here, anyway? And since Shion was here... Did that mean that she was now one of the missing persons? She fought down the fear that last thought gave her, hands curling into fists at her sides.

The stranger was talking about a 'rift' out of there, and started to lead her to a certain direction. Shion didn't follow, instead staying where she stood. As much as she wanted to get home, she wasn't just to take all this sitting down. And how can she be so sure that this stranger -- he didn't look much older than she was -- would even really lead her to safety.

"I'm not going anywhere without proper explanations. You can start by telling me who you are, and where we are." She hadn't missed the fact that he had not answered her questions earlier.

TAGS: Jonathon McDowell NOTES: Stranger danger~

XOXO SHIN OF GS + THQ

[Jonathon McDowell]

Jonathon sighed, this was going to take a while. "Alright...how do I put this." He said, trying to think of where to start properly. "Remember all those missing persons after the earthquake? Well not all of them were because of it. Since the earthquake happened these things that are called rifts have been popping up, you probably found one by accident. Whether they can be closed or not is still in question. Those blobs are shadows, they're basically all that lives here. They eat people." Jonathon said matter of factly. "The only edge I have is this." He held out his hand and the card for Seth glowed above it for a second. "It gives me the power to survive and fight the shadows, unfortunate, getting it wasn't easy..."

"Oh, that's not a nice thing to say. Especially about a friend."

[Shion Amanomiya]

❊ STAND YOUR GROUND ❊

So it did have something to do with the earthquake, and Shion had been right to run away from those blobs -- Shadows.

As for the card he showed her, well... She didn't know what to think of that just yet. Maybe it'll sink in later on that she was suddenly dealing with goddamn magic or whatever that is.

That he had not answered her question regarding his identity had not escaped her, though. It had actually been one of the first things she'd noticed after he was done talking. No disclosure of identity at all, except for that 'edge' of his. That was... Suspicious and rather unsettling, especially to a girl Shion's age. There were so many things a young lady had to watch out for, after all.

"How did you find out that it was related to the earthquake? Also, you haven't mentioned who you are yet..." She reminded him gently, trying to keep it light and not as if she was ready to run away at the slightest show of additional oddity. "You've put me at a disadvantage, not knowing your name and all."

TAGS: Jonathon McDowell NOTES: Are they talking in English or Japanese? xD

XOXO SHIN OF GS + THQ

[Jonathon McDowell]

"I suppose you're right. My name is Jonathon, there, better?" He said, checking around a corner for more shadows. "As for the earthquake, I've found some evidence to support that and it just makes sense. The disappearances didn't start until after then and disappearances where fairly rare before then. There's not much but when almost everyone can't even see the shadows, it's hard to get legitimate evidence, I've been trying though. Come on, we're almost to a rift that will get us out of here."

(I assumed Japanese translated for our English eyes. Jonathon's been in the country long enough to know the language)

[Shion Amanomiya]

❊ STAND YOUR GROUND ❊

Shion sighed, finally relenting and a little bit more willing to follow the other out now. Well he could still lead her into some sticky situation but in this case, anything else that involved doing something else than staying here and waiting for Shadows to eat them up was preferable.

"Mine's Shion." He may not have needed an introduction, either because he didn't care or already knew who she was (at least by face, and Trandy's posters were all over the place), but there it was anyway in return for finally answering her question.

"Let's get out of here, then. I think some of these buildings are just ready to fall over." Since this place pretty much looked like the shopping district aside from the ruin, decay and the lack of people, Shion wondered... What if she went to where her house was supposed to be, here? What would she find there? What would she not find there? She shifted on her feet as she waited for the other to lead the way, fidgeting with the strap of her schoolbag. "You said you've known about this place for several months now. Have you found any people? Any of the missing people?"

TAGS: Jonathon McDowell NOTES: N/A

XOXO SHIN OF GS + THQ

[Jonathon McDowell]

Jonathon stopped when she introduced herself. "That's why you looked familiar!" He said, chuckling. "First a princess, now the rich and famous. No one is safe from this crazy." Jonathon said as he kept walking, hearing the familiar whirl of a rift. "As for the missing people, if I see the shadows take someone, I try to get to them before it's too late. Most people who wind up getting reported are dead already and no one knows. You got lucky and managed to out run the shadows and run into me. If I wasn't here, they probably would've caught up with you." He stopped in front of the rift. "Here it is, just jump on through, you'll wind up somewhere in the city, not quite sure where. These things like to move around from time to time. I'll be right behind you."

[Shion Amanomiya]

❊ STAND YOUR GROUND ❊

The rich and famous? "Hardly," Shion remarked. Sure, her family was what most would consider well off, and she knew her pay as a model was far from bottom-rung, but she didn't consider herself rich, they just... had enough for their needs, and some of their wants. Then again, how much could a teenage girl and an elderly lady spend, when said teenage girl's clothes are provided for by the brand she models for? As for fame... Fine. Shion was Trandy's top model for the teenage/young adult department, although it would be a stretch to say that she was famous outside of Japan.

"You're in an odd version of our city fighting Shadows with a strange ability, and you're saying meeting me -- when I live here -- is crazy... You're funny." She peered at the rift, gauging if it would be safe to go through. Man, she felt like Alice about to jump into "Thank you, then. I still don't know much about what's going on here, and I'd like you to share what else you know about it... Have you notified the authorities about this? They can proba--"

Shion cut herself off and whirled to face the other direction when she heard a sound that was definitely not natural. Three, no, four... Tables? Tables with tablecloths and masks and assortment of things floating over them. And they were heading over to where the two humans were standing. Shion blinked hard, twice, trying to ensure that what she was seeing was what it was. First the blobs, now this?!

"A-are those... Shadows too?" She stammered. Quickly, she glanced at the rift, then back at the tables. "They're going to go through this too, won't they?" It certainly seemed possible, and Shion didn't want to be responsible for unleashing them back home.

She clutched her bag in both hands. They had to do something... Jonathon had to do something, since he had the ability and all.

One of the tables skipped ahead of the rest, seeming eager to join the humans while it's companions were more interested in forming a semicircle around the two. It fired off a Maragi!

TAGS: Jonathon McDowell NOTES: Now things are getting interesting. We have 4 x Crying Tables Skills: Strike Attack, Fire Boost, Maragi Null: Strike, Light, Dark Strong: Slash, Pierce, Fire Weak: Ice Enemy action: One of them cast Maragi at Shion and Jonathon!

XOXO SHIN OF GS + THQ

[Jonathon McDowell]

"Normally I don't see anyone at all in here and usually the people I find are pretty mundane. The shadows usually pick off people that go unnoticed by the general populace." Jonathon said, looking around the rift. "I've gotten used to this life so running into someone who's face I see plastered all over stores on a regular basis is a change of pace." Then the tables showed up. "Oh boy, yes, those are shadows. Get through the rift, now!" Jonathon said as one of the tables fired off an attack. Instinctively he threw up his arms and Seth appeared, taking the brunt of the attack but some still got through. "I'll hold them off, you get out of here. It's safer on the other side." He said as Seth beat his wings and launched a powerful gust of wind at one of the tables(garu).

[Shion Amanomiya]

❊ STAND YOUR GROUND ❊

Well it wasn't nice to call people mundane, especially once he was saving, but oh well. Shion supposed that someone with a seriously heroic behavior was either a rarity or delusional in this day and age. Whatever floated his boat, then.

Upon seeing the flames heading towards them, Shion lifted her bag to cover her face and head, biting her tongue she smelled the fabric of her bag getting singed. As searing that flash of fire hasd been, it was just that -- over as soon as it came. Not that Shion wanted to feel that again.

She supposed that she should take Jonathon's advice and get through the rift to safety, but there were four of those table Shadows and just one of him... Surely Shion can't just leave him here, and she could be useful in some way, even if she didn't have his abilities.

The first table seemed to waver and moved back a bit after being hit by the gust of wind, but it didn't look ready to back off in the least. The other three Shadows were getting closer, and soon they were in a semicircle in front of the humans and the rift, seemingly waiting... Or saving their strength for something.

She made her decision. If she died here and gets considered as one of the missing, then so be it; she probably would have just wandered around aimlessly if not for Jonathon, anyway. "I'm only leaving when you are." She tossed her bag to the ground, then tugged up her sleeves from the shoulder so that she could move her arms better. "I'll try not to get in the way, so let me help you."

Shion might have been a former delinquent, but she has never really fought anyone physically. She did used to have friends who fought in the streets, and while they didn't win all the time, they've made damage. Shion just hoped she could imitate them, be of some use, and most importantly, not die.

I am here.

TAGS: Jonathon McDowell NOTES: N/A

XOXO SHIN OF GS + THQ

[Jonathon McDowell]

"What are you doing? There's nothing you can do to defend yourself against these things. I'm just trying to hold them off so you can get out of here." Jonathon said, surprised that she was so willing to stay here with him. 
    "You need me. You need my help. You can't win without me." The shadow spoke in Jonathon's mind and as much as he wished he could deny it, he knew it was right. He wasn't sure if he could fight all of these things. He was out numbered and didn't have back up, maybe if Shion had a persona or if Isolde was there, but it was just him. Outnumbered and these things probably didn't have a limited reserve they were pulling from. "Do it." He responded, hearing the laughter of the shadow as his eyes started to turn that yellow color. "Ma...Ga...Ru" He said, as Seth roared and yet out a stronger gust of wind that struck all of the tables. After the gust Jonathon's eyes returned to their normal color as Seth disappeared and Jonathon fell to his side. "That...That was new..."

[Shion Amanomiya]

❊ STAND YOUR GROUND ❊

To some extent, Shion knew that it was partly her pride that kept her from just up and leaving, especially after the older boy's annoying 'nothing you can do' speech. She'd rather stay and fight rather than doing the smart thing; however, leaving the other there to possibly die just because she needed to escape didn't sit well with her.

She didn't need any martyrs dying for her.
You don't need any martyrs dying for you.

The four tables swayed back as the gust hit them, one of them -- the eager one -- tumbling back in a clatter. The other three continued to move closer, converging while their comrade (?) tried to recover.

And just like that, Jonathon was down. Shion moved closer to him but refrained from kneeling down to see how he was. It seemed that she was going to fight alone now... she could feel her fingertips tingling, fear rising up her throat...

You already know what to do.

"What was that...?" She whispered. The voice rang clearly, the melodious contralto resonating in her mind. It... wasn't wrong. Shion knew she had to stand her ground and fight. Even if she didn't know how to fight.

Call me forth, and I can bring you victory.

The implements on one of the tables began to move rapidly, then broke away from their formation and rushed towards her direction.

Call me forth!

I am...

"Metis!" Shion yelled at the top of her lungs, not sure how she knew but she did. Almost immediately, a figure of an unearthly woman materialized before her that made contact with the rushing table. The woman -- Metis -- took the impact, and although Shion felt as if something had struck her chest, it didn't hurt as much as she thought it would. The figure then raised her staff, and a jet of water came out of nowhere to shove the table away from them.

I am you, and you are me. From the sea of your profound soul I have emerged. I am Metis, the wise counsellor.

TAGS: Jonathon McDowell, Devi feel free to jump in here Enemy actions: Metis appears! Crying table did a Strike Attack against Shion, which she resisted and struck back with Aqua. One of the tables is staggering.

XOXO SHIN OF GS + THQ