Temporary Revisit [Destiny]

Posts : 1185 Join date : 2013-01-16

The feeling was all too nostalgic riding these train tracks into Ueitawa. It had been about two years total since the last time he had rode them into the back woods region. Originally when he was sent to the area, it wasn't of his own choice. Back then, it came down to family and business. Ueitawa was so far off the map that no matter how much damage the Tsurinai did to his family name, no one would even know or care about it. Little did Naito suspect, the moment he arrived in Ueitawa before, strange happenings began. From the weird disappearances, to the red skies and fog, it was almost as if the world were ending. But thanks to these events, he did come across his own power as a Persona user, and found his own resolve and strength for when he reunited with his family. He wasn't the same troubled young boy he was back then. For once, he actually felt like a young man. He couldn't brag and say he reached this resolve by himself. No, it took the effort of all of his allies to make understand just how important human life truly was. Not just the lives of those who were strong, but all humans in general. He went from despising the world of the weak, to hoping to raise everyone to a new state of being. So there would be the weak and strong, but just the strong without sacrifice. It was a complicated goal, but with his company's influence and his own experience, he believed he'd be able to achieve it.

However, this was not the reason for his return this day. Ever since that day a year ago when he left, he had been hunting a God hiding in the corpse of a young man he had known as Marah. Even after a year, he continued to search for the God with little to no results. He was always a step behind. Things would have never changed if he hadn't heard of the news of a body recently being found in Ueitawa. That of Aburai, who was under investigation for some of the murders, yet he somehow must have disappeared off the face of the Earth during the search. Now he shows back up, dead and blood drained from his body completely. The exact opposite to the other murder cases that involved pools of blood around a dead body with no scratches or scars. It was a mystery, and it made Naito think back on the days of Limbo. Was there a chance this had something to do with that, or was it something different altogether?

He didn't particularly enjoy how Limbo was sealed before, and felt like it was unfinished business, but as long as the world was not ending he felt it was a mission accomplish. However, it was his duty to make sure forces that upset the balance of the world were put down. This was why he was here on these tracks he rode those two years ago. His mission not entirely different, but no the same either.

When the train came to a screeching stop, the Tsurinai would exit with his bag of luggage. It was summer time, so the weather was hot and beating down on his silver locks. He was wearing his usual business attire with a blue shirt, black tie, black trousers and black loafers. With this black on, the heat was almost attracted to him and boy was that a pain in the ass. He'd give one sigh before removing his phone from his pocket and dialing a familiar number.

"Endeux, I'm at the train station now. Please tell me you're here to see me already. This sun is rather... bothersome to say the least." He spoke in his usual indifferent tone as he stared at the screen of his phone. It had been a year since he last saw his classmate, but they kept in touch over this long time. After all, she was his number one contact when it came to Ueitawa events since Chance had disappeared along with the Velvet Room.

Posts : 267 Join date : 2013-08-11

Check the time. Check the gate. Link and unlink fingers. Take a few deep breaths. Repeat. This was a cycle that had Destiny had been repeating for a good ten minutes not too far from the entrance to the Ueitawa train station. She knew she shouldn't be this nervous. It was just a friend she was meeting. Someone who'd been away for a while and was coming back for a short visit. But the worry nibbling at the girl's nerves had her constantly fidgeting. He couldn't have changed that much, could he? She didn't look much different than the last time they saw each other face to face, right? This wouldn't be awkward, would it? It had been a year since they saw each other, after all.... The thought caused Destiny's hands to grip lightly at the skirt of her dress, anxiously worrying the white fabric between her fingers. Really, she should be more calm about this. It wasn't as if they hadn't had any contact at all in the year he'd been gone. They'd talked and texted each other. So talking to him shouldn't be that big of an issue, right?

Maybe her anxiety was tied to the fact that the last time she'd seen him, they'd been trying to quell a supernatural force from doing goodness knows what the everything. That hadn't exactly been a very peaceful time; murders, quarantined zones, disappearances, and other terrifying things were popping up then. When things had finally started dying down, everyone left, including him. It was a silly association, since she knew Naito didn't have anything to do with Limbo popping up, but in some part of her mind, it was a little unsettling. Some whispers about last year's happenings--the first in literally months, actually--were starting up ever since that news report about the latest bizarre killing was aired. Normally Destiny wasn't one to pay too much attention to such grisly events, but ever since her run-in with some very bizarre things, she found it a bit too odd to ignore. Still, some part of her hoped that this was just Naito wanting to visit Ueitawa on a whim; maybe this was an honest urge to see the place that he'd lived in for a year. ...It was a very slim chance, since Naito didn't seem to do too many things without some kind of purpose, but she could always dream.

The phone in her hands suddenly started buzzing, snapping the girl out of her thoughts. Without much of a glance at the screen, she flipped the cell open and placed the receiver to her ear. "Hello?" The caller had barely said one word before she placed the voice. It was deinfitely Naito calling, that much she knew. After a moment of listening to him, her eyes widened slightly as she glanced around, looking for the silverette. When had he gotten here? She'd been so careful to get here early and check the time so she could meet him right away, and now it turns out she was actually a bit late. "Ah, sorry, give me a moment, please." It took her almost no time at all to find him, thakfully; there was only a handful of people around, and only one had hair like that.

As she bounded up to Naito, she closed her phone and pushed it into her purse, cutting off the call. There was no need to use a phone if they were this close. Destiny came to a stop at his side, smiling gently. Despite all the anxiety that was still bubbling up inside her, her voice was perfectly calm as she began talking. "It's nice to see you again. Welcome back to Ueitawa."

Posts : 1185 Join date : 2013-01-16

When Endeux found her way to the young Tsurinai, the silver haired young man would look her up and down with his analyzing eyes. She was definitely that girl from before, but now she was a young woman. Things did change in a year's time, but Ueitawa seemed to stay the same from what he figured. Closing his eyes, he'd shift his silver locks from over his forehead and give a polite bow. "It's a pleasure, Endeux. And you look rather lovely. Perhaps more-so than before." The young man spoke with his usual indifferent tone while recomposing himself. There was little time to catch up. This was business, not pleasure, after all. So waiting for the young woman to lead the way, Tsurinai Naito would follow slightly behind her and scan the areas with his keen eyes. "So Endeux, I hope you don't mind if I ask a few questions now that we're reunited in person. Phones aren't so secure these days. It's best to talk about certain things face to face." The silverette closed his eyes once more as he continued to walk and gather his thoughts. "First thing is first, has there been any sign of changes on that strange website, the "Deepnight Deadline"? I think it only broadcasts here in Ueitawa, so I could not watch it even if I wished. If it hasn't been broadcasting, then perhaps Limbo was somehow connected to how it was being shown before. Because going by time tables, if it hasn't been shown within the year, it's safe to say it was somehow connected to that other world. Though, that's just one of many theories I've had about that strange web show since the first time I saw it. We know those who are shown on there are either illusions or Shadows. I can not be sure which, because I defeated my Shadow more than once before. How could it have been there on the show? It's a strange phenomenon." The Tsurinai pinched his chin between his index finger and thumb as he continued to think on the subject.

"When it comes to the culprits of last year's case, one is behind bars while the other two are M.I.A. I've been tracking Marah for some time now, but he's gone off the grid. I know he's somewhere out there, but he's hardly a threat after Limbo's sealing. Then there was Aburai, who was openly killing people during the case last year, I could presume from what we know from the news. Now he's apparently dead, in a manner completely opposite than the other murders before hand. Like someone drained all the blood from his body. It's strange, but I feel like someone that evil would not die so simply. It could be a fake body for all we know." That wouldn't be the weirdest thing he had seen in his life if it were a fake body. But surely the cops could tell? Unless it was created supernaturally like those events from before. But that was weird. Naito no longer had access to his Persona in the real world, so how could Aburai do such a thing? Did he have access to other skills not entirely linked to his Persona like Naito's own swordplay? The thought made his eye flinch. That could be an issue for the future. . .

"With Marah out there, and Aburai potentially still out there, we can say this case isn't truly over. Even though people have returned to their everyday lives, it doesn't mean anything. There will never be true peace when those two continue to move freely. Like Natashi, they need to be taken care of. But what bothers me is how they were able to move so easily. I mean, even now that alot of our power is sealed aswell. It's like they've been receiving some outside help not entirely related to their Personas." The Tsurinai took a breath and looked over to Endeux. This was probably going all over her head. After all, it had been more than a year since the two of them spoke of the case together. Actually, the last time they were together like this was most likely that bus ride after she received her own Persona. That was such a long time ago. . . For an ounce of a second, Naito wondered what everyone else had been doing in this huge leap of time. He was sure not many of them were as dedicated as hunting down Marah. After all, they had their lives to continue. The Tsurinai, however; had a duty to tend to these supernatural occurrences. This was his life. The normal life was never an option for him the moment he was born.

"I must apologize, Enduex. This is surely going over your head. How has your family been?"

Posts : 267 Join date : 2013-08-11

Leave it to Naito to say something like that. After all this time, he still didn't seem to completely grasp the concept of "tact". In some odd way, it was almost comforting to know some things wouldn't change. Destiny shook her head lightly, trying to clear away the blush dusting her cheeks before turning and starting to walk towards the bus stop, motioning lightly with her hand for Naito to follow.

And, of course, not even a minute later, Destiny's supicions that this was more than just a friendly visit were confirmed. It was a bit unsettling to think that the topic was so serious that someone overhearing the conversation was an issue, but at least now she knew exactly what he wanted to talk about. After all, despite the conversations they'd had, Limbo was never brought up. The blonde gave the silverette a nod, waiting for him to start.

First order of business was the Deepnight Deadline. She let him say his piece before she started speaking herself. "All I can say for sure is that the Deepnight Deadline has been practically abandoned. Whoever--or whatever--was keeping it up last year stopped the moment Limbo was sealed away." She'd been checking it more or less every week, just to be on the safe side, but so far she hadn't seen anything new come up. The corners of her mouth turned down in a light frown as she considered his Shadow theory. If she remembered correctly, Shadows turned into Personas, didn't they? At least, that's what her Attendant told her. When Naito's broadcast was aired on the website, he already had his Persona. So how could it appear on that show? ...The more she thought about it, the more it turned into a paradox. Then again, Limbo had been able to do somethings that by all means should not have been possible. For her, it was hard to accurately judge his ideas when she wasn't sure of the limits of this supernatural business.

Naito soon moved on to the perpetrators of last year's incidents. She knew Smiling Mask--or Natashi--was still locked away. She had been one of the people to actually put him there, after all. Marah's unknown whereabouts were a bit more worrying for her. He did mention something about Limbo never really going away as long as he still existed. Perhaps he wasn't a threat now, but sooner or later he'd try to bring that other world back again; shouldn't they know where he is now, so they'd be better prepared for when he was a concern? ...Perhaps. But right now, there was to current issue of Aburai's death to deal with. Destiny had to agree with Naito that someone who had outsmarted the police and literally gotten away with murder couldn't have been gotten rid of so easily. But why would he--or anyone else--fake his death now, a year after everything happened? If he evaded capture for this long, what was the point? And if he really was dead, who could have done it?

How everything ended last year hadn't sat well with her at all, but hearing all these loose ends made her feel worse. There were too many things left unanswered, too many things they didn't really take care of. Of course this case wasn't over. After all of their efforts, they still only managed to slap a temporary fix on the issue. How long would it be until things started to get crazy again? A month? Three? Ten years from now? Destiny bit her bottom lip and lowered her gaze to the ground, trying to focus on what Naito was saying about Aburai and Marah.

It took a moment for her to realize that he'd stopped talking. Was Naito just thinking or was it something else? She turned her head to look at him, about to ask if he had anything else he wanted to know about Ueitawa, when he said something completely off topic. ...Was that...an apology? She had heard him clearly, hadn't she? ...Yes, he'd said "I apologize". Destiny couldn't help but blink at him for a moment, mildly stunned. "I'm sorry" was one of the things she had learned early on to never say to the silverette. To hear him of all people say it now...it was a little strange. ...Oh...maybe it was because of her expression. Forcing her features to relax, Destiny smiled, facing forward again before she answered. "They've been doing well." There wasn't much else she could think to say. He'd never met any of her relatives, so trying to tell him anything specific about Kari or her father or anyone else wouldn't do much good. "And you? How have you been doing since last year?" Destiny didn't want to ask directly if things had been going well with his family. Sometimes that could be a touchy subject with him. Best to let Naito decide how he wanted to answer that.

Posts : 1185 Join date : 2013-01-16

Some things never changed, even after this long time since he had seen the blonde female. Her signature blush each time he spoke to her, or complimented her, was still apparent to this day. Before, she used to be so caught up on things around her. Not it appeared she was much more focused. Much more mature, in more ways than one. He could recall teasing her before about how scattered her priorities were. He had even kissed her once to see if she could ignore the world around her and simply focus on him. Back then, Naito was just seeing what made her tick, but now he noticed it really helped him understand what type of person she truly was. Back then, he was a completely different person himself. Very scathing to others and not willing to understand their life story. Self centered and focused purely on strength and will; nothing else. If one were weak, they were a waste of time. Something to be used as foundation for a new world of the truly evolved human race. He'd be lying if he still didn't believe this in some way, but now he didn't force his ideals over others without reason. He accepted people could change, and that even those who were weak could become strong with the help of others. He was still against equality, but he understood the world was large and doing everything alone was nearly impossible.

Pushing the thoughts aside, the Tsurinai would follow the young woman as she caught him up with Ueitawa events. As he thought, the Deepnight Deadline was no longer airing, which could be seen as good news, he suspected. But the Deepnight Deadline also helped out sometimes. Showing the Killer's next target, and helping them pinpoint where the Smiling Mask was hiding. Was it an entirely good thing that it was no longer airing? Was it that bad? With the case not truly being over, it felt like one of their main assets was snatched away in the blink of an eye. The mystery of whoever was running that show would continue on, it seemed. There was a chance it was ran by Shadows, or even someone's Persona. And when Limbo was sealed, so was those supernatural abilities that allowed it to run. Cogitating over the show would get him nowhere, however, so he'd need to push his theories about it aside aswell. It was usual for his mind to take in information and pick it apart piece by piece before putting it aside. After all, attempting to analyze everything all at once without any formulas involved was a waste of time and effort.

Though he did notice throughout all of his talking, Enduex was quiet. He figured she'd have much more to say, but instead she chose to keep her voice silenced and only think to herself. What was the point of continuing the conversation if the other could not keep up with the flow of it all, or give proper responses to further the conversation? Explaining things to her may have been a waste of time. Perhaps if Chance or one of the other Attendants were there, he'd get more information about the matter. They seemed well informed, after all. More informed than the average person. He had almost forgot Endeux was continuing to live her life. She probably had not been looking into those matters of last year as much as if, or if at all. Luckily Endeux was not the only reason he returned to Ueitawa. There was two certain females, and a man in a cell, that he wished to speak too. First would be the latter, because visiting hours were almost over. He needed to speak with Smiling Mask, also known as Natashi, first. To see his true involvement in the case and how he first came to hear about Limbo's arrival. Naito suspected Marah had something to do with that, but was it just Marah? Natashi had connections, and when the world was going to hell in a hand basket, there was one place that seemed to keep running. Shibakuzoi, the city he built with his own hands, probably was the heart of all this. Naito could have been thinking abrasively, but something about that city just didn't sit right with him. After all, why would it be built around one tower for a company that has been relatively quiet recently?

His thoughts about the issue almost made him miss what Endeux said since she had been quiet for the majority of the conversation. When she said they had been doing well, he gave a simple nod. However, when she asked how he had been, the silver haired young man closed his eyes. "I've been completely fine." The only words he said about the issue. His life was not a secret, but he didn't seem all too willing to tell what he had been up too. Instead he raised his arm and looked at his watch. "I actually have plans on going to the police department in Nadashiki to ask some questions, so I'll be calling a cab. You're free to join me if you're not busy today." Without another word, he'd reach into his vest and remove a phone to make his call.

Posts : 267 Join date : 2013-08-11

She figured she'd get an answer like that. Naito wasn't really one to start talking about himself, after all; even if she'd asked him outright, there was no guarantee she'd get a good response. Besides, her answer hadn't been very involved at all. Why should she expect more from him when she'd offered so little? That would be rather unfair. So she accepted his brief answer with nothing more than a nod, deciding not to pry any further.

This was news to her about visiting the police department. Well, all of his plans were news to her, really; besides his arrival time, he hadn't given her any other information. Not where he'd be staying or how long he'd be in Ueitawa, and it was only just now that she found out why he was here. But it didn't take too long to figure out why he would pay that particular place a visit. After all, who else there was tied to Limbo besides Natashi? Well, she supposed that chief of police was a possibility, seeing as how she was on the Deepnight Deadline last year, but Smiling Mask had played a key role in the events of last year. Of course he'd probably have the most information. Not that he'd been very cooperative at the shrine, of course, but there was no harm in trying to talk to him. Well, that is, if the police would let them.

"I'll come with you then." Destiny smiled lightly, coming to a stop at a nearby intersection. It wouldn't do any good now to keep heading towards the bus stop, and the taxi would have a harder time finding them if they kept moving. Best to stop for now, she reasoned, and let Naito make his call.

While the other teen was preoccupied with his phone call, the blonde turned her gaze to the road, the smile slipping from her face. Seeing Natashi again sounded horrible. She still hadn't forgotten how terrifying that night at the shrine was for her, or how angry she'd gotten at his carefree attitude after everything that Mask of his did. But she really didn't have another idea for gathering anymore information about Limbo. With the Velvet Room gone, asking Chance was out of the question. Anyone she knew from the little group of Persona Users from last year were either gone, unreachable, or had told her as much as they could. The Deepnight Deadline was off-line, her Persona was sealed away, and every other single source from the news to rumors were rather unhelpful. The last time she'd dealt with Limbo, she'd been frightfully unprepared and un-informed. If that world came back to Ueitawa, what was she supposed to do? Nothing? The last thing she wanted was the mess from last year happening all over again and her being as useless as she was before. No, she had to learn all she could now, no matter how much she didn't want to go to certain sources.

"Is there any other place you're going to?" the girl turned her head towards him, tilting her head slightly. The two places she could think of that had something to do with the case were the Academy and the Shrine. But he'd been on this investigation longer; it was highly probable that he'd thought of something she hadn't, or that she'd overlooked something important.

Posts : 1185 Join date : 2013-01-16

Once the call was complete, his keen eyes shifted back over to looked towards Endeux who had asked a simple question. "I will also be visiting Natashi's construction company in Iwaigodai, The Academy, the rescued victim's of last year's case; and I plan on contacting a family member to speak with the main company that worked with Natashi's group in the past. My family has ties with the Yachiru Group, so I'm hoping they had noticed something going on aswell. After all, a cooperation that big in the heart of all of this had to have some data regarding these weird phenomenons. If not, then something surely would be strange about them. Luckily my Father met the head of their group before, so he'll be arranging a business meeting with them. I've never met the head myself, so he did not invite me to come along. We're still not on the best terms as of yet. I suppose he does not trust me completely. Who would blame him..." The clear eyed Tsurinai would give a sullen look towards his phone before shaking the thoughts and making his way towards the street for pick up. His Father had returned to Ueitawa weeks before he had on business. After all, the Tsurinai had a science building in Shibakuzoi aswell, so he was very close to Yachiru's operations. He wouldn't be surprised if his Father was already working with the man. Their resources would be a large help in gathering information, if they were to cooperate.

When the Taxi cab finally appeared, Naito would open the door for Enduex to enter first, before getting in behind her. He'd keep his bag on his lap while telling the driver where he wished to go first. With no more words, the car accelerated and took off towards Nadashiki. The silver haired male looked out the window during the ride, and was much more quiet than usual. He decided to travel alone coming back to Ueitawa, just incase someone would be monitoring who was coming and going. And under the pretense of meeting Endeux, perhaps they'd think he was coming to reunite with her. After all, they were both young, it could easily be used as a cover to say he came back to be with her for romantic reasons. They didn't know him personally, so they wouldn't know he had no interest in relationships, correct? Looking over towards the blonde, Naito would part his lips. "As long as I'm in Ueitawa, would you mind posing as my significant other, Endeux?" He asked the question bluntly, without any indication of emotion on his pale face. Atleast that didn't change from before.

Posts : 267 Join date : 2013-08-11

It seemed Naito was still having family troubles. He rarely talked about it, but from the few times it had been mentioned, it was obvious that he and his father still weren't getting along very well. Whether or not Naito was disappointed or saddened by that fact, though, was something she couldn't quite tell; the look that came across his face as he spoke came and went too fast for her to figure it out. Destiny figured she should probably drop the subject before he got upset. The last thing they needed was any tension between them. That would just make the day so much harder than it already would be.

It didn't take too long for the taxi to arrive, thankfully. It wasn't her usual mode of transportation, but the blonde couldn't deny that this would be faster. Flashing Naito a thankful smile for his courtesy, she quickly slid into the car and scooted over to make room for the other teen. He quickly got in and shut the door, ordering the driver to take them to the first stop on their list. Resting her hands in her lap, Destiny looked out the window as the cab began moving, trying to push down the new round of anxiety. What if what they found out was only worse than they'd thought? Or, maybe this was even worse, what if they learned nothing new at all, and were still as in the dark as before? Neither outcome sounded very pleasant.

// ? // The girl focused her attention on the silverette as he started speaking. Initially, she seemed very at ease, if not slightly distracted. By the time he was done asking his question, her cheeks had turned an impressive shade of pink as she blinked at him incredulously. // ?! // W-Where had that come from? What would the point be of-?! ...No, no, she had to calm down. This was probably just another of Naito's ideas that he hadn't phrased correctly. Didn't he do this the first time they'd met, asking if she wanted to "go out" instead of saying "will you come with me"? He was entirely focused on tying up loose ends from last year. He had to have a reason for this. Hopefully a good one. "I suppose I can do that." was he slow, careful reply. She took a moment to gather her nerves and raise a hand to her collarbone, tracing her fingers across it lightly as she asked, "...W-Why, exactly?"

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"...Does it bother you so much that you need a reason?" The silver haired young man would raise a hand and cup her cheek before leaning in and pressing his lips against hers. The kiss lasted several seconds before he pulled back and closed his eyes in thought. "Hmm... I believe that was believable enough. If needed, we may need to do it again if someone becomes suspicious of our current relationship." He didn't seem to fazed by the kiss, even though it was his first kiss, technically. The cab driver was watching the two in the rear view mirror with a smile, and would purposely come up to a sharp turn, so he could jerk the car so Destiny would be forced to lean onto Naito's shoulder. Almost as if the laws of physics were now teasing her aswell. It was going to be a bumpy ride to the Police Station...

Posts : 267 Join date : 2013-08-11

"Ah, n-no, I just..." her reply drifted off uncertainly as she found Naito much, much closer than he should have been. What was he-?

...!

When Naito finally pulled away, Destiny sat frozen for a few seconds, just staring at Naito as a dark blush colored her cheeks. He...he just...! A hand rose tentatively to her mouth, her fingers ghosting over her lips as she tried to understand what just happened. He...kissed her. And not on the cheek like he did last year, either. How...how was he so calm about this? They don't see each other for over a year and already he's fine with doing...that? He was even talking about doing it again! Just once was quite enough for the blonde right now; her heart rate had practically doubled and her cheeks were so warm she might as well have been running a fever.

Apparently some force in Ueitawa found her reaction amusing; not even a minute later and the taxi made a sudden turn, causing the blonde to topple over onto Naito. Her initial thought was to sit up and apologize profusely, but the idea of having to look at Naito right now made her feel awkward. Instead she decided instead to bury her face in the silverette's shoulder, trying to hide her flustered expression. If things like this kept going on...oh dear. This was going to be a long day for her indeed.

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