|
|
Post by mugenginga on Oct 6, 2009 19:53:00 GMT -5
(OOC: It's the birth of a new plot between me and FF! We need you to be really active and have extensive knowledge of Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor. Especially the Messiah and King of Bel routes. PM me or FF if you want in, and tell us how you wanna contribute.
And some knowledge of Judeo-Christian mythology is rather helpful, but not required. The myth of most importance is the one of Cain and Abel, particularly the lesser known brother Seth.)
The gardens of the church resembled a Paradise lost long ago in many other worlds. The variety of flora and the insectile fauna were far less diverse than that fabled Garden, but it was still beautiful. It really did look like the kind of place you'd find an angel. At the moment, however, a small silver machine rested at the end of the main path. Not silver as in the metal, but the way it was constructed caused it to glint in a way that wasn't far from it. It didn't appear to be paint, in any case.
A bright white flash appeared at the other end of the straight pat leading to where the DS-like machine lay. It was bright enough to cause a temporary blindness in any one stupid enough to look straight at it. Thankfully no one was in the immediate area. It passed forward, and a glowing white male figure appeared. It drew in on itself and in a final flash a blue haired teen holding one arm up to block the light and the other as if holding the handle to a door appeared. It was rather clear he hadn't come to the Island in the standard fashion, and a residual holy energy hung in the area.
He stayed in that position for several seconds before slowly opening one eye. And popping them both open in surprise and lowering his arms. As mentioned, the boy was a teenager. About seventeen, to be precise. He wore a thick white shirt with fairly long sleeves. The shirt was too heavy to be normal but too light to be a sweater. He had on cream green pants and white tennis shoes, although it seemed he'd worn them a while as they were a bit scuffed up. They had ties of the same color. He had an odd grey belt loop-type thing and silver headphones.
Hanging from his neck was a silver MP3 player. Wrapped around his neck several times due to length was an electric blue bordering on green mp3 cord attached to the headphones. And anyone that knew a certiain Keiichi Kimura and didn't know any better would likely mistake the this teen for him. He looked like some kind of clone, even wearing the same style of outfit just in different colors.
The boy named Kaini Kurosawa, or K2, blinked and looked around. He had been going into a Church to check on what he had thought was his mother. Ever since the news of the lockdown in Tokyo, Japan had been airing, she'd been spending her time in a depressive slump. Watching the news, praying at church... K2 didn't really get it. He thought his father was likely from there, but his mother didn't seem to have any residual attachments towards the man. She was acting like he would have expected her to act had he been stuck in the Lockdown. Which rather confused him, because even his maternal grandparents had been out of the country.
He caught site of a church as he looked around. Okay... that wasn't normal. You didn't open the door to a church and get teleported to the garden by a bright white light. So... what had happened? He looked forward again and caught the sunlight glinting off something down a path. As much as he wanted to see if the Father was in the church, that silver object seemed to be calling to him. Was it a COMP? What the hell was a Communication Player doing here? He carefully began forward...
-----
Naoya looked behind him. Rain. He looked where he was standing. No rain. The wall where the rain began and ended was clearly visible. His eyes narrowed as he looked towards the Church. This phenomena was annoyingly familiar. Not that it had really happened in recent times, but God's little tricks were well within the man's many lifetimes of memories. He scowled. Apparently the COMP in the church was connected to the whole mess in Japan.
God wouldn't smite him. He grinned with his teeth showing, which was a rather creepy sort. He'd been promised in that first life so long ago that no man could kill him without receiving the punishment sevenfold. He pulled out his COMP, opening it up to the summoning screen just in case. If God was pulling something, he wanted to know what. He began walking towards the church, bathed in its unnatural sunlight. The COMP with the unknown user was quickly pushed to the side, but he was well aware a fight might be occuring soon...
|
|
|
|
Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Oct 6, 2009 21:01:26 GMT -5
Today, Midori was continuing her exploration of the island, though today’s venture had a more serious reason behind it. She was going to pray for Keiichi. This island didn’t have a shrine of any sort, but it did have a church, and so she figured, it must be some kind of universal church or something. Hopefully the Christian God wouldn’t mind her praying there, even if she wasn’t a Christian.
She had something clutched in her hand. On closer inspection, it was a wind-up COMP charger, and her memento of Keisuke. She was going to pray to him too. Today made it a week since he’d died. Of course, Midori had no idea time worked differently here.
Really, there were two things she was praying for that morning. The first thing was that whatever god ruled over this island would steer Keiichi away from Naoya’s influence. Naoya wanted to wage war against God. If Keiichi had decided to go the other direction, with Amane, sure, she’d be a little surprised, especially with how Keiichi had reacted to Keisuke’s very similar decisions, but she would have stayed with him. But instead he went with his horrid cousin.
The second thing was to Keisuke’s memory. Midori had been rather attached to Keisuke, and felt horribly guilty over what had happened to him… all because she hadn’t realized she was hurting people more than she was helping them. In a way, she had been in love with him. And because of her, he’d gone practically mad and went on his roaring rampage of justice. And because of her, Kaido killed him.
She wiped away a tear. No more use in crying over it.
|
|
|
|
Post by mugenginga on Oct 6, 2009 21:10:34 GMT -5
Naoya reached for the door of the church and paused. He scowled and used his cloak as a makeshift glove for his hand. He quickly grabbed the door, knowing full well the odds of getting a divine zap. It didn't seem to react, so he pulled open the door and walked inside. The place seemed empty, there wasn't even an altar boy or anything of the sort working. It wasn't quite arranged like the churches he knew, but a quick glance around revealled a old wooden door. His spacial sense told him it lead to the garden in the back he had seen. That had to be where the activity was. He began walking towards it.
-----
Kaini reached the COMP and carefully picked it up. Silver wasn't an out of the question color the the system, but it wasn't exactly a common one either. He flipped it open. If it belonged to someone, maybe he could find the information to return it to them.
He hadn't expected the white sparks to fly from it. He tensed up, realizing they weren't hurting him when something materialized from white light in front of him. He fell down from pure shock. What was standing before him... was an angel. He fully believed in the servants of God, but to actually run into one?
The angel opened her eyes. She had materialized with her arms to her sides, her wings flapping just enough to keep her feet off enough the ground to point straight down. If Kaini's brain wasn't broken at the moment, he might have thought it odd her wings weren't pure white. The edges were actually tan, although the feathers were white. She wore a simple white gown and had rather wavy blue hair.
"Son of Man..." she began.
|
|
|
|
Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Oct 7, 2009 3:16:14 GMT -5
As Midori had walked up to the church, she'd noticed the flap of a cloak, or a kimono, or something as the doors closed again. The flap had been an LCD green, and it looked like there had been little LCD numbers on it. Kind of like...
Oh. Oh no.
Midori grabbed her COMP, and ran to the door, as she struggled to pull the large wooden doors open. Due to her worry, she didn't quite notice the wall of rain, no rain, rain, no rain.
|
|
|
|
Post by mugenginga on Oct 7, 2009 3:24:33 GMT -5
Naoya placed his hand on the door. And drew it back with a sharp hiss as the handle sparked and a slight burn appeared on three of his finger tips. He glared at the door and looked up.
"Very funny," he muttered with a growl. If nothing else, it got rid of any doubt that God was up to something. He covered his hand with several layers of cloak and was about to attempt the door again when he heard the creaking of the large doors that lead into the building. He turned towards the doors, he hand still wrapped up a bit in cloak.
-----
Kaini blinked several times. The angel. Was addressing. Him. Which... oh man, he'd be called crazy by everyone back home. Even his mom, "Um... yes?"
It wasn't that he didn't believe in angels. Rather the opposite. The young man was Catholic, he'd been going to church his entire life. He believed in angels and the power of God. He fit some of the more negative stereotypes when it came to how Christians believed, although at least he didn't pull the hypocrite card some were known for pulling. It was just... this was an angel. Talking to him. Let's just say the poor teen was having a moment of brain overload, shall we?
The angel noticed how freaked Kaini was getting, how fearful even. Fair enough, it was the proper reaction before the power of God. However, she softened her look a bit and flaped her wings once to set her feet on the ground. If she freaked him out too much he couldn't process the information. She slowly gestured to his COMP.
"You are aware of the Lockdown in Tokyo. Evil is afoot there, and you have been chosen to combat it. You are the favored son of Man, and God had decreed that you shall fight against those who have strayed from the righteous path..." she paused, trying to gauge Kaini's reaction. Even for his destiny, he was still Man. They tended to... overreact in situations such as this.
|
|
|
|
Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Oct 7, 2009 3:33:30 GMT -5
Midori stepped into the church, and looked around, searching for that familliar green cloak. It didn't take long to find it. And she didn't look happy. Her fingers were clutched tightly around her COMP.
"You," Midori growled. "Why are you here?! Why couldn't you have just stayed in the lockdown?!"
|
|
|
|
Post by mugenginga on Oct 7, 2009 3:39:03 GMT -5
Naoya saw the pink and knew it was Midori even before she was all the way into the church. Keiichi had failed to mention that. Well, he knew what one of the COMP signals was now. He looked at her calmly, "I have to look after my cousin, don't I?" And because he wasn't stupid enough to think she would not challenge him about his other motives, "There is a Bel demon on this Island."
-----
K2 was panicking a bit, but he managed to get it under control. Well, mostly. His heart was still racing, "Me? I'm not... I'm not like a saint or apostle or something. Why me?"
"Because your brother is the one who has strayed from his path."
K2 blinked, "Wait... what? Brother?"
And his mind derailed again. God didn't make mistakes. So the angel had to be telling the truth. But brother? His eyes widened. His mother's panic. The Lockdown in Tokyo. Did that mean...?
|
|
|
|
Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Oct 7, 2009 3:48:09 GMT -5
Midori's eyes narrowed. So Naoya was going to play that card, was he? "You stay away from Keiichi. I don't care about that stupid Bel demon. Just stay away from him. He doesn't need to be near you." She lifted her COMP, and flipped open the top of the device, which she kept open the the Summoning Screen most of the time now.
Of course, it was at that unopprotune moment that she heard voices through the door to the garden. They were hard to hear, due to the brick walls and thick wooden door that lead to the garden, but she could hear them.
And she heard one that sounded distinctly like K1's.
|
|
|
|
Post by mugenginga on Oct 7, 2009 3:55:35 GMT -5
"Anymore than he needs to be near a so-called friend who abandoned him?" Naoya flatly stated, pulling out his own COMP. He had set it on sleep mode, "I am not particularly in the mood to fight, but I-" he paused and turned towards the door. It sounded a bit like K1, but there was a distinctive difference. The voices were muddled, but he heard the last word. Brother? Even with the knowledge of the past, Keiichi never referred to him as brother.
As it was, however, the door had zapped him. He turned back to Midori, "I will defend myself if you attack."
It wasn't Keiichi. He was confident about that. The voice was rather similar, but there were levels of difference. He did, however, move ever so slightly. If Midori had intentions of charging through the door, he'd let her. Not that she could. It was sealed, and while it wouldn't zap her it would be mysteriously locked towards any efforts to open it.
-----
"In an attempt to shelter you, your earthly mother did not tell you of your brother. But you have one, and he is being corrupted by darkness... he has made his choice, and while the merciful God would forgive him if he were to repent, He does not foresee it happening."
K2 looked nervous, "So... I'm chosen because this brother isn't right?" He wasn't sure how he felt about that. It meant he was 2nd fiddle to God's chosen. Which wasn't the greatest feeling.
"Do you intend to turn away from your calling?"
K2 shook his head, "I'm not gonna say no to God. You said if he repents he'll be okay though, right? Is it okay if I try?"
The angel nodded solemnly, "In so far that it does not interfere with your calling, you are free to do as you wish. The world is upon a precipice, and if Man fails his trial, they will loose free will. The Almighty Father does not wish for that to occur."
|
|
|
|
Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Oct 7, 2009 4:01:43 GMT -5
Midori's face paled. She did not want to fight Naoya, as it was. Not because she didn't wish to defeat him, but because she knew she would lose if she tried to. This could be bad. Very bad.
She held her ground. Letting Naoya make the first move would be best.
|
|
|
|
Post by mugenginga on Oct 7, 2009 4:10:58 GMT -5
"Um... how does this work?" K2 said. He felt extremely awkward at the moment. He didn't have much to go on here. But considering the events directly leading up to this, he had no doubt he was really talking to an angel.
"That COMP is what Man refers to as modded. It connects to a summoning program and will allow you to fight to fulfil your destiny. I am at your call if you choose to put your full faith in the Lord and follow the path to becoming the new Messiah."
K2 blinked, "Messiah!? Like Christ?"
The angel paused. She could say yes, but it was likely the teen would interpert all of that with all its implications. Right down to the matrydom. She shook her head, "No. Like the representative of God on Earth, you will usher a new era of peace. You will lead Man down the righteous path and reunite them with the lost Paradise. If you can not save your brother, however... he will have to die. God's punishment is absolute."
K2's eyes widened. If he said no here, he'd likely be sent straight to Hell. But killing his brother? Even if he'd never known he had one that seemed drastic. The angel had said he could save him. He took in a deep breath. This was all moving rather fast. But he nodded slowly. He would save his sibling from whatever corruption he had fallen to. If God had chosen him as the Messiah, it was surely in his power.
"Alright."
The angel smiled gently, "I shall be at your call. You may summon me from the COMP. The first test on your new route is about to occur..."
K2's eyes widened as the angel vanished into light and seemed to be drawn into the COMP. He heard the creaking sound of a door opening and turned towards it...
-----
It seemed Midori had gained some brains. Naoya turned away, well aware of her position and any movement she might make. His hand was still wrapped in his cloak, and he set his hand on the door handle. Nothing occured, and he twisted it. He opened it as the rain instantly returned to the area as it had never been gone. As the garden was revealed, a blue haired teen was turning towards the door...
|
|
|
|
Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Oct 8, 2009 2:20:17 GMT -5
Midori gave an audible gasp. Okay, she had NOT expected K1 to behind that door. But that... he looked different. There was just something about him. Maybe it was the way he parted his hair. Or that his headphones didn't have those weird entennae. Or how the colors of his clothes were the exact opposite of the ones Keiichi wore (of course, she couldn't tell this just by looking; at least not with the pants). Or...
There were just too many little differences for it to be K1. Especially the headphones.
K1 never took his headphones off. During the lockdown, there were about fifteen different pieces of tape on those weird antennae things on them because they kept getting broken. But he still never took them off or traded them out for anything. He'd even been wearing them here, and had been wearing them in his sleep (or so she thought anyways).
She slowly asked, "Kei... ichi?"
|
|
|
|
Post by mugenginga on Oct 8, 2009 2:32:09 GMT -5
"Who are you?" Naoya all but growled as the teen in the garden practically fell backwards from surprise. Unlike Midori, he had no illusion of it being Keiichi. For one, he could recognize Abel's soul from a mile away. There were also significant differences in how this teen held himself. He didn't even look all that similar to Naoya, but that could perhaps be passed off as familiarity.
Kaini stared at the harsh looking man and the outlandishly dressed girl. He blinked as she said Keiichi. He shook his head, "M-my name's Kurosawa Kaini... you are?" He used his surname first because the silver haired man was speaking Japanese and the other teenager looked Asian and pronounced her Japanese flawlessly. She... also looked vaguely familiar.
He wasn't sure how this was supposed to be a test. Okay, that wasn't entirely true. The silver haired man was a bit scary looking. He looked down at his COMP and back of the group. It was quite clear the teen was overwhelmed.
|
|
|
|
Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Oct 8, 2009 3:01:44 GMT -5
Kaini... K2... oh, someone had a sick sense of humor. Midori slowly stepped forward.
"I'm... Komaki Midori," Midori said. "I'm sorry, you just looked like someone I know." She turned and looked at Naoya. Oh, right. Naoya. "And this guy... you need to stay away from him! He's really bad and stuff!" She pointed at Naoya and seemed rather flustered. "He's just really bad! Stay away from him."
|
|
|
|
Post by mugenginga on Oct 8, 2009 3:26:55 GMT -5
Naoya glanced down at the COMP in Kaini's hands. What with he'd seen from outside the church, it didn't take much thinking to figure some things out, "A modded COMP?"
Memories of this life were arranging themselves in his head. He'd never been completely sure, but his skills with observation had allowed him to note a few things. It was entirely likely that the womon Keiichi knew as mother wasn't his biological mother. He'd not really known of his cousin ever having any other mother, but there was the occasional sign. He'd written it off. But with the familiail similarities... He kept a tight grip on his own COMP. This had to be taken carefully. He glanced at Midori as she tried to make him seem like the greatest evil ever to walk the Earth, and then back at Kaini to gauge his reaction.
"You know about these?" Kaini looked down at his COMP, and just then seemed to realize the two people in front of him were holding their own, "Wait... y-you're human, right!?"
It was almost humourous how flustered he just became. It seemed he was truly concerned about Midori and Naoya being human. Which he was. The angel had mentioned a test. Would God really throw two demons at him already? Somehow he didn't think the Komaki girl was a demon. But the silver haired teen had a dangerous look in his eyes. He pressed down a few times on his directional pad... he still didn't know what to make of the situation, but he was worried if he blurted out the question about his brother on the surface of his mind... he was worried something bad would happen.
|
|
