thenearshore | 009 | Where Your Demons Hide

009 | Where Your Demons Hide

Who: Everyone!
What: Emergency demon fighting
When: Late May 5-Early May 6
Where: Just outside of Tokyo
Summary: The demon from the school has reared its ugly head again and needs to be taken down.

On the evening of May 5, the Heavens suddenly receive an influx of prayers from people in and around a certain town just outside of Tokyo. There seem to be a lot of people in the area that have suddenly stopped responding normally (or at all). The situation continues to spread as the night goes on until not only is the whole town suffering from this malady, but the neighboring towns are starting to become affected as well.

With so many gods and shinki on hand - including new ones that have just appeared - the Heavens have issued a request for any available gods and shinki to go investigate what might be happening down on the Near Shore. New gods and shinki will be given the low-down on what's happening, but not much more than that.

The situation will continue to expand until just a little before dawn, when the demon finally has enough power to revive.

Drained Humans

Many humans in the affected areas are walking around despondently. Oftentimes, they are just walking into things or getting hit by things. There have been a few car-related incidents as well. Anyone who was present for the high school incident will recognize these symptoms as something that was happening to people in the school. The glazed looks, the spiritless responses and reactions. So this should be fairly familiar to some.

No One's Safe

Unfortunately, being in the town will start to wear on anyone who is there. Gods and shinki alike will find themselves growing more despondent the longer they spend in the town. All of their energy will be slowly sapped from their bodies, and shinki in particular will feel almost like their existence is draining away.

Hellish Circle

There is a large park in the center of the town. Drawn all around this park is a magic circle, large enough to encompass the whole park. There are candles around the edges of the circle, and in the center there is a cup filled with blood covered by a mask with a swirling eye pattern on it. Stepping into this circle will not only make you extremely tired and suddenly drained, but it will also bring bat-like ayakashi bearing down on you.

The Demon

The Demon itself rears its ugly head just a little before dawn, springing out from the center of the magic circle and looking right pleased with itself. It stands about 5'8" tall, so it is largely unimposing, but there is an aura about it that makes it undeniable that it is powerful. The demon will gladly fight anyone who comes at it, though most he will just shove out of the way without a second thought.

In Summary:

Help the drained people
Try not to get drained yourself
Be careful about being corrupted
Fight the demon
Have fun~

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( Slowly, as she sings, Freyja lets the woman sit along part of the shop's still standing wall. There seemed to be more life in her eyes even though she was clearly confused while the man in the car was starting to stir as all traces of his wounds vanished. Happiness swells in her chest and she pushes it out, entwining it with every word that she sings.

It helps to lift the pressure she has felt over this city. The tense and almost suffocating effect that has hurt these people. It's enough that she can help them despite her worries and confusion.

Needless to say, she is surprised as a another voice joins in with her own to finish the song. A beautiful voice that seems to sparkle with every color imaginable but what shocks her most is that she knows this voice. This voice filled her childhood with those same sparkling color and helped to give life to her sometimes dull surroundings. )

This voice... ( She spins, searching out before her eyes lock onto a familiar figure. Her rune blazes with color, heart thumping as realization sets in and she wonders if this is truly a dream. ) You... you're Sheryl Nome.

[Upon staying rooted to her spot, Sheryl shifts her gaze to the bandages on her wrists before she eventually casts them back onto the singer just a few feet away. That voice is as potent and vibrant as her own, quite powerful if it's able to even heal and lift the suffocating pressure from her.

This is another musical goddess, Sheryl thinks, surprise flickering in her eyes as her own name is being called. Wait a minute... Freyja knows her! She's been staying in the Far Shore for so long, being a relative unknown to the masses that she felt she had to rebuild herself all over again.

The girl with a shining pink hair decoration — is that what it is? — actually knows who she is. Is she from Frontier? Galaxy? Another bio-plant fleet?

Either way her blue eyes are sparkling, and though she's not feeling like her usual self today, she forces the corners of her lips to tug up just a bit.]

That's right, the one and only.

[Sheryl, despite how lethargic and despondent she feels otherwise, makes sure to fix her posture and project confidence in her voice. She rests her free hand on her hip, keeping the hold on the tiny civilian's hand.]

I don't normally do this kind of service often, but... it feels right.

( Incredible! Sheryl Nome standing here in front of her and she sang with her! This has to be some dream, it must be some dream... right?

No! There wasn't time to be standing around awestruck. Freyja can't help raising her hands, slapping her cheeks and stands straight with a deep breath. This might be a dream come true but these hurt people, this poisoned city wasn't a dream and she had to focus for now. )

And I appreciate your help! ( She says, nervously but trying to put on a brave face as she hurries over with a concerned look. ) The girl isn't hurt is she? Are you?

Anytime. [Her eyes flicker over to the bandages before she nods, a confident tone out of herself.] Oh, I'm fine now, thanks to you. As for this girl...

[Seeing Freyja slap her own cheeks to jolt herself back into focus evokes a soft chortle out of Sheryl. Ranka would do the same gesture, if she recalls correctly, though this is not the time for nostalgia. There will be plenty of time to acquaint herself with this goddess, but for now Sheryl glances at the little girl yanking out of her grasp.]

Hey, wait! Don't go—

[An equally concerned look spreads over her face as she watches the girl she saved earlier run towards the woman next to Freyja. A tiny scream can be heard from that little girl — "Mommy! It's you!" — before she stretches her arms out for a hug.

Sheryl's gaze pans over to Freyja, a gentle sigh out of her as she presses a hand to her chest.]

It seems that we're now responsible for a family reunion.

( There is a stumble as Freyja tries to reach for the girl as she yanks out of Sheryl's grip, speeding by and toward the scene of the wreck. The screams jolts her but she settles quickly when she realizes just what is happening. The woman who she had been holding hands with is crying as she reaches out, pulling the child into a tight hug.

She cannot help but sigh too. Her rune, no longer so bright, still glowing with a warm pink light. )

Thank goodness. It was scary when I first got here, I didn't know what to do but this... I'm glad I can help do this much.

[To think that such an ordeal can threaten even families. Sheryl is unfortunately no stranger to it, not after seeing parents and children huddle together in an emergency shelter during a rather devastating Vajra invasion after Ranka's concert. Then again, she's also no stranger to watching chaos wherever she went, and it's enough for a grim expression to take over her face as she watches the crying mother hug her child.]

Is this your first day? Sorry you had to see all of this.

[Freyja has a certain newbie aura that Sheryl can detect, and soon enough a faint tug appears on her lips.]

At times like these, every little of help counts so I'm glad you tried. By the way, that's a cute hair piece you have there.

It's been a little scary but it's okay! I've had to face scary things back home too.

( Mostly it was just hard to be so alone in the face of it all as far as she knew. If the others were here they'd have found one another, right? She'll have to look more whenever all of this managed to come to an end which she hoped as soon.

She glances to Sheryl with a bashful look, touching her rune and giggling lightly. If it started glowing any brighter then she'd have to think about covering it but for now she can only chuckle like the happiest girl in the galaxy. After all, let's be real for a moment, she probably is at one of the happiest girls right now. )

M-mm, you're right and thank you again.

So did I... but there is something to be said about gaining experience from them.

[A quiet admittance out of Sheryl. Less scary and more horrifying, really, but still not something she'd wish on anyone. At least neither Alto nor Ranka, nor the rest of Frontier, had to deal what she or Freyja just did right now. Still, she can't help but wonder if they'll be alright without her...

Upon seeing Freyja's bashful look, Sheryl chortles and clasps both hands loosely behind her back. She's gaining some of her self back after talking to her, she must admit. Maybe it's because the other goddess reminds her of Ranka.]

No need to thank me. Say, why don't we head elsewhere? [Her gaze pans to the mother and child duo in front of that rubble.] Somewhere a little less chaotic, don't you think so?

Mm... it's not like anything I could have ever imagined. ( Imagined in her nightmares, perhaps but Freyja doesn't wish to give life to those thoughts either. ) I'm still trying to wrap my head around everything.

( The entire idea of being on a completely new world even further away from home than she had traveled before as overwhelming to consider. Even more so was the idea was her supposed accession into godhood when she doesn't feel even different from usual.

It was just all so... strange. Thankfully the question is enough to for her to focus with a curious blink before glancing toward the mother and her child, nodding. )

I think that sounds like a great idea.

Then feel free to ask me anything about here. [A pause.] I mean about where you'll be staying. You'll have so much to learn. Why, I've been here for two months now!

[So long as the small window of free time exists, Sheryl will take advantage of it now the chaos has more or less settled down, though only time will tell when it'll begin again. Two months in an unknown place, turning previously unknown faces into friends, and now here is someone who finally knows who she really is.

Her eyes scan around before they settle on a small coffee shop just right around the corner. Sheryl points at it, her free hand tucking near her hip.]

How about over there?

Righto! And you've been here for two months? ( It was a surprise, even given the tense situation at hand, that someone like Sheryl missing would evoke some sort of news flash. ) Hmm. I wonder what everyone back home must think to just vanish like that.

( Did they even know that they were gone? Or did time flow strangely here or was she in the past? Everything did seem outdated considering the sort of technology she experienced daily. Freyja follows the point, spotting the coffee shop and giving a smile. )

Looks perfect! It'll be nice to sit for a bit.

Mmhmm! Two months and it's actually May in this planet. [A small headtilt.] Strange... when I arrived at the Vajra planet, it was September.

[Ah, time differences. Sheryl has since became accustomed to them, though it's taken her a long time to realize that she's no longer in the "future", but in the "past". People come from other planets and timelines, too. Dropping both hands to her sides, Sheryl strides over towards the coffee shop and opens the door for Freyja to enter.]

We have so much to talk about that you'll need to rest your feet. It'll be so long.

Strange indeed! We just getting into December ourselves...

( The mention of the Vajra planet does get a small furrow of her brows but brushes it past for now. There was much more important things to focus on now! Freyja follows a few steps behind Sheryl, her own steps more reserved and perhaps excited? Who could blame her, honestly. She enters with a smile, taking a deep breath and smiling. )

I still can't believe I'm talking to the Sheryl Nome. I didn't think anything could more astounding than being told I had suddenly become a goddess!

Really? ... This is weird.

[Is Freyja in some odd time loop? Does she use a different calendar? No matter, Sheryl quickly brushes away the confusion that flits across her face for a brief moment. There is still time to help the other goddess get settled, after all. Her own steps regain the usual confidence once she strides towards a nearby table, taking a seat with a grin.]

Heeeh, you must be one of my fans! [Her eyes are now gleaming with joy and satisfaction as she tucks both hands under her chin, elbows on the table.] Such a lovely coincidence. I never thought I'd see someone from my fanbase in here of all places!

I am! Windermere has a lot of strict restrictions but I received a gift from an Earthling that picked up intergalactic music. I grew up listening to that music.

( She follows behind and moves to sit, beaming. )

Lynn Minmay, Fire Bomber, Ranka Lee and you are the reason I started singing and why I left home to audition for Walküre.

[Her eyes perk up at the unfamiliar name.]

Windermere? I never heard of that place before. But I'm glad you at least get to listen to music even with the restrictions.

[Space is grand; there is bound to be a planet or a galaxy fleet that Sheryl never visited in her monthly concert tours. There's a fond smile on her lips at the mention of those names, expression softening up.

Through song, Lynn Minmay united humans and Zentradi. Through song, Fire Bomber saved people from the Protodevlin. Through song, Sheryl and Ranka convinced the Vajra to stop fighting and help the people of Frontier instead.]

And thanks to that, you now have your own path to follow as a singer. [She presses a hand to her chest.] I'm really happy.

Windermere is located in a pretty remote part of the Brisingr Globular Cluster. ( To put it nicely. ) Which is rather remote itself in comparison to the rest of the Milky Way.

( Not everything had been easy but when is it when you join a group dedicated to putting themselves at risk to help others? It wasn't easy but she was happy. Happier than she had even been before. )

Righto! Everyone before did so much to help with the power of their songs now I'm able to do the same singing with Walküre to help those plagued by Var Syndrome .

Ah, a remote planet? [Something new to learn!] What's it like? Is it beautiful?

[She hopes it's ten times better than Gallia-4... but she's very curious, nonetheless.]

That's a new musical act, right? Named after the goddesses from the Norse mythos... [New musicians must be popping out of the woodwork while she's been staying in the Far Shore. Var Syndrome, though... an unfamiliar ailment, but it causes her smile to falter a little, a flicker of alarm in her eyes] My, it seems that a lot of things have happened while I was gone, if people are now dealing with some disease.

It's very beautiful and the wind was so lovely there. There was so many orchards and because of the snow both the land and the sky were completely white. ( Of course, she ran away but she would always love her home. ) I had just returned there before I am here actually!

( Even if it hadn't gone so well. )

Mm... it makes them lose control of themselves and go berserk which sometimes results in them doing terrible things. Walküre is able to neutralize it though because of our high fold receptors.

Ah, it's like I'm hearing about a winter wonderland! So lovely. [Sheryl clasps her hands together, looking rather excited at the description alone. A white sky... that phrase alone sticks with her.] If— no, when I return and make another tour across the galaxy, Windermere should be the next stop.

[That is, if she finds a shuttle that leads her out of this planet.]

An illness that makes people lose control... like their will is being stripped away. That's dreadful. [She looks incredibly pensive, idly resting a hand on her abdomen.] Fold receptors... that's where your voice emits fold waves, right?

Really? I think everyone on Windermere would love you. [ Goodness knows that everyone in her village probably knows about Sheryl. ] We don't have many visitors because of the restrictions but I know that things will get better soon and what better way to celebrate it than with a concert?

[ Freyja too has a belief that they'll find a way home one day. ]

It's terrible. They forget about everything else aside from their anger... even their families. [ And she wouldn't stop until everyone in the galaxy was free from its influence. ]

M-mm, that's right. It allows us to emit fold waves which calms the Var and gives us an immunity to it.

Edited 2016-11-04 02:11 (UTC)

Music does tend to unite people! As singers, we both know this.

[She says with complete assurance, a happy expression across her face that sticks for only a little while before sobering up. This Var Syndrome sounds like a different brand of terrible from the V-Type virus, only instead of excessive fever, nausea, and extreme bouts of lethargy, it's the ability to lose themselves mentally.

Freyja will be inheriting this kind of legacy to rescue the galaxy from such insanity. She and the rest of her group, that is. Still, it only intensifies Sheryl's curiosity, brows knitting tightly as she keeps her hand on her abdomen.]

Were you born with those fold receptors? Ranka and I can use fold waves, but how we got them is different.

[One of the rare times that Sheryl ever brings up something alluding to the true power of her voice. It's both surprisingly relatable and alarming.]

Yes! I want to help the whole galaxy smile with my songs.

[ It is her reason for singing now, her reason to keep going despite all the pain and fear that blooms on the battlefield. It feels like the only thing she can offer in exchange for her home hurting the galaxy even though believe themselves to be doing the opposite.

It was difficult and heartbreaking but she knew she had to keep marching forward. ]

I was but it wasn't something I was actually aware of until I was with Walküre. Even then they are not very remarkable unless I'm in a dire situation or put my life.

[They've only met for a few moments, but Sheryl really admires Freyja's resolve. This girl is like a mix of Ranka and herself, the best of both people's traits wrapped up in one cute person.

She shakes her head with a muted smile.]

It doesn't matter if you think they're unremarkable. However many fold waves you can make doesn't matter, either. You have power, you know how to use it as a pro. Don't forget.

[Not that the reminder is necessary, but every bit counts. Sheryl casts a quick glimpse at her own arms, resting a hand on one of them just now.]

Your song can heal.

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009 | Where Your Demons Hide

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