Asura

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

I just noticed the OOC was one post shy of 50 and wanted to remedy that.

Carry on.

Heiseina: Memories Long Forgotten (CLOSED)

SEIMEI KEIKO

_{tags - nobody}

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Warm, comforting water. Thick, billowing clouds of fragrant steam. Soaking away ones woes on a chilly spring morning was something most of Heiseina's residents would probably relish in. Most of the working sorts didn't have the luxury of bathing in the comforts of their own homes. Most probably preferred to do it in public anyway, where they could unwind and discuss all the little happenings of their sleepy village among friends and peers. Maybe that was why, even steeping with the smell of sweet citrus in her own private tub, Keiko could not find solace from her melancholy. The Dance of the Serpent was upon them, a time of merriment and of new beginnings, when the villagers would be gathering together to celebrate Miorochi's return. For Keiko, it was nothing to look forward to. Every year, the festival only saw her sink into a black mood in the days leading up to and during. Witnessing friends and family line the streets, joking and playing, enjoying each others' company—it all served as a poignant reminder. A reminder that such things were absent from her life. She wouldn't have anybody to hang lanterns or exchange gifts with. If she was lucky, maybe her mother would accompany her to the shrine to leave an offering.

That would be the extent of her celebration. It always was.

The sullen thoughts swirling through her mind were far more bitter than any stray orange blossom floating about the bath water, and it didn't seem like a prolonged stay in the tub would help clear them. It was a foolish idea in the first place. Keiko knew herself—she was the type to get stir-crazy without things to do, and while she liked to busy herself whenever she slumped into dejection, this particular week had left her with no matters to attend. Her mother had insisted she take the week off to celebrate the holiday and enjoy herself, either a cruel joke or a vain attempt to force the mending of bridges long since burnt. There was always studying, but she couldn't bring herself to retain the bounty of old tomes and scrolls in her current state.

A sigh, half of which came out of bubbling water, announced her rise from the bath. She couldn't just mope around home all day and expect it to lighten her mood. At least getting outside would provide a distraction, something for her to hone her mind in on aside from gloom that had overtaken her. The splattering of water on smooth, cold stone filled an otherwise silent chamber as she stepped out of the wooden tub. The air was chilly despite the hot moisture that hung heavy in it, but this was a trivial enough for her to overcome. She extended a thin finger and traced familiar symbols before her, a pale glow at its tip as she marked the space before her with two kanji. The glow brightened, then faded, and in its place a gentle stream of hot air flowed from her digits. A flow she wasted no time turning on herself, sending droplets and wild strands of damp hair every which way.

If only it was as easy to Sign away her other problems.

___________________________________

As cold as it was inside, it somehow managed to be even colder when Keiko stepped outside. There had been some vague hope that the sun would have banished some of the chill in its benevolence, but that hope was quickly dashed. It would surely warm up as the day went on, but that was of little comfort to the Signkeeper's apprentice as she descended the stairs of the tower and made her way around the side of the landmark she called home. There was one small treat waiting there for her—the fruits of her labor in seasons past, in the most literal sense. She had managed to convince her mother to plant a garden behind their illustrious home, ostensibly so that the many young farmers who came to practice their Growth signs had something to practice on. In truth, she simply wanted to have fresh fruit on hand to sate her sweet tooth whenever she wanted.

She had set about raising six trees in the year or two prior, and raise them she had—they were already taller than her, and producing fruit in spite of the unseasonably cold weather, a result of her daily tending as much as it was the valley's fertile soil. Even as she approached the largest of the bunch she could see fat, ocher fruits hanging from its many limbs. Big enough to be her breakfast, for sure. Maybe even big enough to taken into the village on market day. She wanted for relatively little, but there was usually something interesting to bargain for, and if nothing else, she could always gloat at those sour-faced Moriyama about how much more productive her fledgling grove was compared to their own.

They would also make thoughtful gifts, she couldn't help but think as she plucked one, then another from its branches. Not that she had anybody in particular to hand them out to. But the matriarch of her little clan had been stressing in the months prior about turning over a new leaf. She wasn't a little girl anymore, she said. It was time to start making connections. To turn set down some real roots. She would be the village's Signkeeper eventually. Heiseina was her home.

"Tch."

Keiko couldn't contain her cynicism at the thought. An armful of oranges wasn't going to undo a lifetime of ostracism. If the villagers wanted to make friends with their would-be Signkeeper, they could do it on their own. Maybe if they were lucky she would forgive them.

Maybe.

Satisfied she had picked the ripest of the bunch, the girl tucked what extras she had into the folds of her kimono for safe keeping, holding the finest of their lot held between slim fingers. She tore into its unblemished exterior with them, peeling back the outside with just a deal more aggression than she had intended. The catharsis it provided, however mild, was enough to pull her from the downwards spiral of her thoughts, and she feasted upon the pulpy flesh within, one wedge at a time, as she set off in the direction of the village. Perhaps the walk there would clear her head, and if not, well, at least she was in good company for the journey.

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

HOSHINO NORIAKI

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx D A T E April 10th 2018 L O C A T I O N Hinotori Highschool T A G S @WXer

The chiming of the school's intercom announced an end to the day's toil, and it prompted Noriaki to snap out of his absentminded daydreaming and into a stretch. The last few hours of the school day were always hard to focus during, and the way the sky seemed to darken with rolling clouds and the low rumble of distant thunder had only further muddled his mind. He hadn't the forethought to bring an umbrella to school, having been fooled into believing the clear morning skies, so it was almost assured he was going to get soaked after leaving the building. The manager over at FamilyMart had insisted he come in the following afternoon to finalize all the bullshit paperwork required, so he was doomed even if he had wanted to sprint through the unfamiliar streets of Kyoto to beat the rain home. He had half a mind to do it anyway—despite his purchases the day before, he hadn't gotten around to actually broaching the idea of keeping a cat around the house to his mother. He had spirited the little fluff out of the house before she got home again, confident he would be fine with the weather as sunny as it was. Now Noriaki could only hope the feline could find adequate cover until he could make it back to collect him. Ruminating on the misfortune of the day wasn't going to get him anywhere, though. He summoned the strength to rise from his seat, haphazardly sweeping what few supplies littered his desk into his bag. He swung it over his arm, turning to the blue-haired teen behind him. "Gonna go do job shit at FamilyMart today. Don't wait around for me." He told the closest thing to a "friend" he had made in his two days at Hinotori, figuring the clingy teen would want to do something after class regardless of the poor weather. Giving him notice was the least he could do, and even then, he couldn't say for sure that would even discourage Asakura from following him. What was for sure was that Noriaki didn't intend to dally around for a response, and no sooner than he had said the words did his feet start him off in the direction of the door. The crowds in the halls weren't as frantic as usual—he imagined a number of the student body were either biding their time to see whether or not the rain would come, or simply wishing to wait it out on campus. Their lack of initiative was one small blessing on an otherwise shitty day. It made his job of getting to the lockers early all the easier.

Heiseina: Memories Long Forgotten (CLOSED)

Amygdala Circuit

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

HOSHINO NORIAKI

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx D A T E April 9th 2018 L O C A T I O N Commercial Kyoto T A G S @Hero@Scribe of Thoth@WXer@psych0pomp

Noriaki stood stoic as his would-be boss looked him over. It wasn't a very long appraisal, in truth, and that was something the teen took in stride. As the older gentleman listed off the benefits of the job, he mowed them over in his head. It didn't exactly pay much, but it was also a part time job ringing up drinks and stocking shelves, so he wasn't going to be making a fortune any time soon. The flexibility of the schedule was nice, though he didn't foresee himself doing much after school to begin with. Especially not to a godforsaken Lawson's with the shitty chicken apologists that had been accompanying him. "Yeah, I did," Noriaki answered nonchalantly when questioned on his recent arrival, "I just got here this week." He briefly cast a gaze over towards Asakura, glaring at the teen who had the nerve to both imply his employment was ruse to get them away from crap food and throw away a perfectly fine sandwich in his presence. He was starting to understand why the man spent his lunch on the roof sucking on eggs alone. But his irrational irritation aside, the former athlete had more pressing matters at hand. Namely, locking down this job. "When do you want me to start? Or is there like, paperwork I gotta fill out first?"

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

HOSHINO NORIAKI

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx D A T E April 9th 2018 L O C A T I O N Commercial Kyoto T A G S @Hero@Scribe of Thoth@WXer@psych0pomp

It was a great relief that for all her disinterest, the clerk seemed to ring the group up with a sense of expediency. It was probably just so she could go back to flicking through some trashy rag or another, but it didn't matter to Noriaki. All that mattered to him was the greasy slab of boneless meat inside the wrapping he held, and the bread with which to sandwich it. He tore through plastic and paper alike with his teeth, and hastily assembled his mid-afternoon delight before the group even had a chance to leave the store. The payoff was heavenly, and as he bit through soft dough and crunchy chicken, he was privy to perhaps the one time he had been truly relieved since leaving home earlier that morning. The humble famichiki sandwich had been his reprieve after way too many long, arduous practices. A reward for a day of hardworking, shared with friends now lost to him, where he could sate his hunger and laugh away whatever woes the coaches and upperclassmen had caused among like minded individuals. It had been months since he could relish in the familiar comfort of its taste, and it seemed that the fellows that had accompanied him had also tucked in during his reverie. But they did not share his bliss. Like Senators to Caesar, they drove their dissenting opinions into his brief moment of happiness until it all bled away from him like an Emperor betrayed. Gripping his precious sandwich in one hand, he placed his other on the edge of the counter, leaning towards the duo with animosity in his eyes entirely unwarranted by the critique of a simple piece of convenience store chicken. "You're both disgraces to your uniforms." Noriaki told them as if it was plainly obvious fact, and he was its arbiter. It was all he could do not to launch into a tirade against these Lawson's apologists, and their preference for overpriced, over-breaded garbage. It was warranted, absolutely, but it was inevitable that Noriaki would become a regular at this location, and he didn't want to start a scene here. Especially not in front of the manager, who had apparently materialized while he was enjoying his brief walk down memory lane. The presence of the older man gave him an excuse to redirect his anger to something more productive. Leaning on the counter as he was, he couldn't help but notice the help wanted sign that had just been smoothed out before him. He scanned it with icy eyes, pondering for a few seconds. He certainly could do with the money; the Hoshino family was not an especially wealthy one, and the pet store trip had burnt into what meager savings from birthdays and holidays he called his own. Usually, a part-time job would have cut into his baseball practice, but that wouldn't be a problem any longer, as bitter as that thought was to him. It would be good to have something to spend his afternoons doing. Might even impress that pin-headed parole officer. "I'll do it," He suddenly piped, straightening up so he could look the manager in the face, "I'll take the job." Hopefully the cashier wouldn't make good on her promise of an impromptu throat surgery.

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

HOSHINO NORIAKI

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx D A T E April 9th 2018 L O C A T I O N Commercial Kyoto T A G S @Scribe of Thoth@WXer@psych0pomp

Noriaki resisted the urge to bristle at Daigo's quietly muttered statement. Of all the places for people to claim he had an accent, fucking Kyoto? If he wanted to take shit for the way he talked, he would have moved to Tokyo and dealt with all those urbanites up in Kanto. An ironic thing to internally fuss over, considering his current preoccupation in crowd navigation. It seemed as though the ginger youth—for all his lack of height—managed to follow along just fine, even going as far as to introduce himself more properly. "Hoshino Noriaki. Nice to meet you." The teen responded succinctly as he passed the so-called Dog-a-Corn, pausing in front of the pet shop doors as his companion posed a question. In all honesty, he didn't have any further plans aside from this, and it certainly didn't seem like Asakura had anywhere impressive to show him back when they discussed plans in class. He thought on it for a second or two, before an avian display inside the store proper caught his eye and became his muse. "You guys like chicken?" The shopping Noriaki had to do was mercifully quick, impatient as he tended to be. A litter box and accompanying scoop, some actual liter, a food bowl, a couple of cans of some godforsaken fish concoction and a collar. He had also splurged on a couple of cat bow-ties, but he tried to keep those out of sight of his companions—he didn't need Asakura lecturing him on being up-sold on accessories. A cat deserved to be dapper and he wasn't going to let somebody who shared a hair color with blueberries scold him on that. But thoughts of fancy cats were far from his mind as the group approached their destination: FamilyMart. It was a bit like the blind leading the sighted, the new kid dragging the natives to an eatery, but Noriaki had always liked the chicken they sold. Besides, he didn't have much to snack on back at the house anyway, so it was an investment in both his present and future hunger. The typical ring greeted the group as Noriaki forged ahead, and the clerk piped up with more forced enthusiasm than expected for someone of her posture. Not like he cared. "Yo," He greeted out of equally expected politeness, before peering over his shoulder towards his fellow classmates, "I'm telling you guys, you buy some curry bread and smack a hunk famichiki right in the middle of it. Best chicken sandwich you're gonna get from a konbini." He spoke with all the authority that years of being a ravenous, semi-broke student athlete could lend one in regards to cheap convenience store fare. Whether or not they believed him mattered little—he had bread to procure, and chicken to inspect. He didn't want to end up with one of the dry pieces from the front, and the counter-faced cashier certainly didn't instill him with confidence when it came to choosing a juicy one.

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

HOSHINO NORIAKI

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx D A T E April 9th 2018 L O C A T I O N Commercial Kyoto T A G S @Scribe of Thoth@WXer

Noriaki scratched at his chin as the bubbly ginger pointed out the sampling of stock one could glance through the door. He supposed it was a dumb question in hindsight, what with the storefront itself not too far away, but it didn't seem to bother the redhead. He watched with mild interest as the boy—whose surname was Hinari, as Kazuyoshi had just reminded him—stood on the tips of his toes and decided to question his guide instead. It was hard to tell whether or not that was just one of the animated lad's eccentricities, or if it was to compensate for the height difference between the two. Regardless of the reasoning, his prompting seemed to drag the azure-haired youth out of his daydreaming. Something Noriaki quickly came to curse. Why the hell was it that whenever Asakura opened his mouth, something dumb had to come out along with the rest? "The fuck are we, in the Meiji era? It's a pet store, not a bazaar. I'll be in and out in five minutes," he interjected, although the salesmen and their nefarious ways weren't what poked at his nerve, "And I do not have an accent—Osaka is literally a twenty minute train ride south." Content that he had defended himself and his home, Noriaki stuffed his hands into his pockets and began to trudge his way through the assembled shoppers, towards his destination and its bizarre mascot. In spite of his protests, he fully expected his overly forward guide to follow along, and with how pleased to help he seemed, Hinari would probably be on their heels as well. That might have been something of a blessing, in truth. Maybe one of them could explain what the hell no-clumping litter was and why he wouldn't want it to clump up in the first place. Wasn't that the whole point?

Heiseina: Memories Long Forgotten (CLOSED)