fifth adversity | VIDEO / ACTION

[caliberill]

[Prospero! Remember the first time Nate arrived?

It's happening again. It's sometime during the night - not close enough to the Dark Hour but enough to where most of the stores begin to close, the local ones anyway. Just when it's quiet though, there's a loud sound, something akin to a gunshot. And then a figure stumbles into view of the feed. His heel collides with the screen, manages to knock the phone back a few feet so that there's a better view.

It's Nate - he's dressed a little better than how he usually look, but the big difference here is the blood stain building at his torso, fresh and reminding anyone who found him the first time around, just how things were. He falls back against the wall, slides a little and realizes where he is.

A grimace and he looks down one end of the alley, then the other. A sigh and he pinches the bridge of his nose. ]

Great. Just great.

[And just like that, he seems to be okay, despite the apparent wound on him. A look around and he spots the phone on the floor, makes a face as he moves to pick it up, brush it off.] Didn't think I'd see this place again...

[Two years. He was gone from this place for two whole years. Yet in the world of Prospero, it was only about two weeks. The feed cuts off.]

Comments

[ voice ]

[blindknight]

Nate? Is that you?

[ voice ] I can tag I swear asldkaj

[caliberill]

Lindsey? [Some shuffling for a moment as he pulls the phone back out.]

Yeah, in the flesh. Did I miss much?

[ voice ]

[blindknight]

Uh, well. Everyone went fucking crazy and peoples' Personas started attacking them. A lot of people fucking vanishing too.

So the usual shit, really.

[ voice ]

[caliberill]

You - what?

[He clears his throat, tries to wrap his head around it.] Anyone in specific I should be worried about?

[ voice ]

[blindknight]

Man, I don't even fucking know. Not like anyone's read off a list.

Sorry.

[Action]

[crimsonbells]

[Before recent events, Chitose used to take Inugami for 'walks' during the Dark Hour, as it was the time when it was easiest for him to be active. But after he'd turned on her, she'd been too afraid to go out during the Dark Hour for some time, lest it happen again... and she's started to take him for walks again, but only during the day and evening, when there are people around.

And even though it's hard to see his face - her vision has gotten worse if anything since coming here - she recognizes the voice, and hurries forward]

Mr. Nate?

[Action]

[caliberill]

[The footsteps and voice are enough to get Nate to stop and turn around, shifting his jacket to hide the bloodstain over the front of his undershirt. It's fake, but he doesn't wanna startle anyone, even if he's a little confused at being back here again.]

Hey, Chitose. Been awhile, huh?

[crimsonbells]

[she smiles - she was right, it was him! One hand is resting lightly on her Persona's back, Inugami back to normal, if looking a bit faded from being out outside the Dark Hour.]

It is you. Did you go away? I couldn't see you in my phone for a few weeks.

[caliberill]

[He nods a little to Inugami, offering a smile as he settles back to looking at Chitose. As much as he didn't really miss being here, he enjoyed the company of the others.]

Yeah, I went back home. [Scratching the back of his head, he took a look around.] It's been two years, apparently.

How've you been?

[crimsonbells]

Two whole years? [she looks impressed] It hasn't been even a whole month here.

[his question makes her pause, biting her lip] ... Inugami attacked me.

[action]

[needsteaplz]

[Saori was getting ready for the Dark Hour when she heard the gunshot. Naturally she goes to investigate and oh hey this looks familiar.]

Deja vu much? What in the world happened to you, Nate?

[action]

[caliberill]

[He's brushing himself off when he sees Saori, wondering what to do about the bloodstain when he sees the familiar face. A wave and he smiles, shakes his head.]

You wouldn't believe me if I tried. But get this - fake blood. Nothing to worry about this time!

[action]

[needsteaplz]

Oh, I've been around the block a few times. Surprise me.

[She let's out a sigh in relief.]

That's good. For a moment there, I thought finding you with blood like that was going to be habit.

[action]

[caliberill]

Long story short? It was part of a plan, to get someone to come out of hiding. Anything more and I might just ruin it myself. [A scratch at the back of his head, then a smile.]

Oh, it could be worse! Don't worry, I'm not trying to make it like that.

[action]

[needsteaplz]

Hmm...so this happened in a span of two weeks or is this a "I went back home for a longer period of time" kind of deal?

[video]

[hellburner]

Dumbass. You missed me beating the shit out of an otherworldly demon the size of the damn hotel.

And stop getting yourself injured.

[video]

[caliberill]

Really - I step out for a little while, and you do that? How'd it happen?

It's fake this time, nothing to worry about. [So tempted to say mom or something, but now is not the time...]

[video]

[hellburner]

Whole lotta shit, that's how. I threw my ship at it, no big deal.

And you, you're in biiiiiig trouble~ Why didn't you tell me you were married or whatever?

[video]

[caliberill]

You did - what? [He frowns, brows furrowed.] Did anyone get hurt? Did you get hurt?

Married? What are you talking ab- [His face drops at the realization of she's here.] ... I was gone two years. That's when it happened.

[video]

[hellburner]

Do I look hurt? Hell if I know about anyone else.

And you didn't invite me~? Well fine, I guess you couldn't. She's cute, though.

[action]

[clickandshoot]

[Elena doesn't like walking out late at night… even less so after she discovered how to awaken her own Persona. If she could avoid fighting, she would. The sound of a gunshot doesn't make her feel any better. She holds up her gun as she approaches, only to immediately lower it upon realizing that it's… well, that it's Nate. So people hadn't lied about him bring here at all.

She watches him for a millisecond, just to make sure, before she calls:]

Nate? [That's when she notices the gunshot wound. Elena winces. Just what kind of trouble does this place bring?]

[action]

[caliberill]

[He hears her. And he freezes, because oh crap, oh crap - what does he do? It's been awhile since he's actually seen her, and while he's relieved, he's also pretty distressed by this because she's here, not home. Not safe and out of whatever mess.

Out of the mess he just got pulled out of, by being brought here. Turning to face her, he offers a smile, tries to get a guess for where she's from, in terms of time. Considering this place does do that...]

El- Elena! [He takes a breath in, offers a small smile.] - Good to see you.

[action]

[clickandshoot]

[She'd smile back, but she's much too worried about him to consider it. Elena immediately pockets her gun into its holster before she bridges the gap between them and wraps her arms around him loosely.

She's still got her wedding ring on not that that detail means much, and she's... well, she's trying to smile back when she looks at him.]

It's good to see you too. [She pauses, trying to think of how to politely phrase this:] What were you fighting out there? It didn't sound like any Shadow they'd explained before.

[action]

[caliberill]

[Nate's half-expecting a stern look because technically cutting off ties with your ex wife doesn't mean you deserve hugs. At the hug, he's thrown off, looks down but returns it all the same because it's Elena and he's pretty sure that he's being given some sort of second - third - fourth chance (what count is he on?). He notices the ring when she pulls back to talk; it gets him quiet, then he stumbles for words. ]

I wasn't - no, I was -! I got sent back home, Elena. [His brows furrow in an attempt to plead his case, and he shrugs, shakes his head.] This place has great timing, you know.

And don't worry - it's fake blood. [Please don't ask him to explain himself. Please...]

[action]

[clickandshoot]

[Oh, he'll get the stern look once she's over the fact that he's here, in Prospero, and that everyone was telling the truth about him being here in the first place!]

You got sent back? [She glances up at him and gives him a confused look.] This place can do that?

[The more she learns about this city, the less she ends up liking it...]

... You know what, Nate? I'm not even going to ask this time. ["Because I don't really have the patience for the answers."]