Akinari Kashihara [Nyarlathotep]

Bodies lay in the streets of a city Katsuya Suou knows like the back of his hand. He was born and raised in Sumaru, spent his whole life studying and working within its limits. This is not His City. Objectively, the officer knows this. His city is safe and undestroyed with a mage-warded door in place to help protect it from these kinds of threats.

But it is still A version of his city.

It's the world that lost their fight. The world that other version of his younger brother hailed from. The one he actually got to know. Grew closer to. Mended so many relations with....and who disappeared after Katsuya's world was safe. Leaving the elder Suou alone once more. Of course his first thoughts would be to Tatsuya.

In this dying city that shifts every so often underfoot, where the air is thinner and colder than it should be is another Him still alive? Is his brother still alive? Even if they were he can't ask them for help. Maya is gone in this place. He knows that much. Ms. Serizawa never gained a persona here. The allies he has don't exist here. All they have at their disposal is Katsuya Suou, his persona, and Harley Quinn and whatever battle capabilities she has.

Against an eldritch god and his disciples.

"The odds are not in our favor, Ms. Quinn."

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The unnatural darkness of this world sort of reminds Harley of Gotham. Of how the sun never seems to shine bright enough to get past the clouds. Of how there is a depression and despair in the air around them.

Her eyes drift to Katsuya. Something about the Officer's body language tells the former psychiatrist a lot. He knows more about this place than she does. And it will be from him that she will take her cues.

She blows a big pink bubble as she surveys the bodies laying in the street. She can sense the risk of death in the air. It is a familiar feeling... like many of the other Suicide Squad missions that she has survived.

"No. They are not." Harley glances over at Katsuya. "And ya'know… you can call me Harley. We are in this together."

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Despite the despair that fills this world, mostly created by humans who've long since given up, there's still a glimmer of hope. Katsuya might feel it, but the pulse of a Persona-user it out there in the city, somewhere...

For now, however, the emptiness of the city is replaced by tromping feet, as a demon seem content to patrol the streets, looking for any humans to take advantage of. Flauros pokes at a dead body with one clawed hand, before examining a nearby alleyway.

It wouldn't be too hard to attack the demon, but he might also lead the party to somewhere of inportance. Evading him is also an option as well, but something should be done before the demon spots them...

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The Resonance is faint but it is there all the same. Helios's power flutters with interest. Katsuya can't afford to worry about that right now. As relieved as it makes him to know at least one Persona user is still alive in this place he knows he can't allow himself to be distracted so easily.

But oh--how tempting it is. Katsuya could drop everything and try to find that person. Try to evacuate those who are left here into the Nexus. He could try those things. And a part of him wants to. Wants to so badly it hurts.

That isn't why they're here now though.

The smell of sulfur taints the air with its acridity as the fire aligned catlike demon stalks through the streets. The officer's gaze hardens. His hand strays toward his pistol but does not yet draw it. Katsuya motions for Harley to follow him behind the wreckage of a couple cars. They've clearly been abandoned for some time but they still provide cover to observe the demon and its goings hopefully without being spotted in return.

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Harley nods, moving quickly to get behind the coverage of the wrecked cars. She might be outrageously flamboyant in the majority of her life -- but Harley is also trained for stealth missions. And her agility and enhanced speed allows Harley to move quickly into a hiding spot without being noticed.

She does pull her gun, because it is a weapon she can use one-handed, while still carrying the scythe. And she surveys the spot they have chosen to hide in -- looking for escape routes and the next hiding spot. Harley also studies the buildings around them, keeping an eye out for a route that might take them to the rooftops, where they could follow the strange catlike demon easier. Well... it would be easy for her -- second nature -- to jump from rooftop to rooftop.

And now is not the time ask Katsuya about his skills.

She even places her chewed bubblegum underneath one of the wrecked cars, not wanting the pop of a bubble to give away their hiding spot. The normally talkative Harley Quinn is quiet. Waiting. Watching.

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Flauros hasn't caught wind of the two newcomers yet, still rummaging around and investigating the area for any straggling survivors. Unlike much more savage demons, he's a creature of honor and dignity, but won't hesitate to kill. Nyarlathotep has given the demons free reign of this world, made even easier after the humans literally destroyed themselves.

The demon glances about, seeing a few Succubus flying overhead towards a large school building in the distance. He normally wouldn't mettle in the affairs of darker demons, but they seem to have picked up on something...

He glances at the wrecked cards Harley and Katsuya are hiding behind, but hears nothing out of the ordinary. Just the occasional screams of people or other demons chattering in the night. With a solemn nod, Flauros begins running after the Succubi, wanting in on whatever they're doing.

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Rengedai is almost unrecognizable as the quiet shopping and residential district Katsuya knows it as in his own world. Without so many of the towering buildings in this area it's easier to make out the three story school building. His own old school, and his brother's. For Katsuya, Seven Sisters Academy was where everything started.

The first time he heard the name Nyarlathotep invoked.

The first time he and Helios ever interacted. His chest seizes with a ripple of fear and apprehension but he turns and glances back at Harley once the Flourous is out of earshot.

"We have to follow it. It's possible people are taking shelter inside the school. If your serial killer's accomplices are here in Sumaru, they'll be looking for groups of people to use to fuel their rituals. Be careful if you open fire on anything dangerous. Guns don't always work here."

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Harley tilts her head, as Katsuya talks to her about the school that they are heading towards. And frowns when he notes that guns don't always work here.

"Okay..." She puts the gun away, back in her holster at her hip, trusting his advice. She considers her other weapons, the bat hanging from a weapon belt at her hip, or the fire sword that is in its sheath on her back. And considering that she would rather keep the scythe readily available --- she reaches for her bat.

"I can swing this one-handed." She nods.

"Are we also aiming to do rescue efforts for the people here? Or is it... sort of like a lost cause?"

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Flauros is not focused on what's behind him, but the path that lies ahead. Seven Sisters. The demon has heard the tales, about how a group of people were brave enough to try and challenge Nyarlathotep, but failed to stop him.

At a crossroad that runs close to the school, Katsuya and Harley might spot a symbol that's been painted onto a door. It's of a blue butterfly and the kanji underneath it says 'safety'. Looks like what few survivors are around have been trying to leave messages for other people. It might be worth looking into...

Or it might be wise to keep following the demon, since he seems oblivious that two humans are following him to the school grounds.

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"The dangerous thing about Sumaru is that it is a world where rumors become reality. If you get enough people to believe it, anything is possible in this city. Which is why its in ruin. My own world very nearly met the same fate."

Katsuya's speaking in hushed tones as they follow the demon down the road. He spies a few people peering out of broken windows but no one holds his gaze. Those who are left are broken and mistrustful. In his clean suit with a friend he must look suspiciously like a demon himself. Not worn down like others are in this place.

Harley's weapon swap means a lot less collateral damage or chance for ricochets and the officer nods in approval before doubletaking at the door they've nearly passed by and dropping back. He reaches out with hesitant fingertips to touch at the butterfly painted on the door in blue ink.

Even with his lacking magical abilities, he'd be able to sense a Velvet room this close. A warping of energies and similar twisting of spacetime as the doors to the Nexus are. He thinks to the Resonance he felt when he first arrived in this place.

"I want to rescue people here if we can, but...first we have to ensure there's a safe place to evacuate them to. If Nyarpathotep breeches the Nexus, there won't be a safe world in which to flee. Any world connected to the Nexus will be in danger."

The demons are still heading for the school. Katsuya's breath hitches. This is a distraction they do not have time for. And yet, he's finding it difficult to pull away just yet. He reaches for the door handle.

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"Where rumors become reality. Yikes. Does that still happen?" Because she is a little worried that her tendency to talk before thinking would get them both into trouble.

When Katsuya makes that doubletake, Harley frowns in confusion. She can see in his face that the door is important for some reason. And she is hoping she can buy a vowel sometime soon to solve the puzzle.

"We best not use our PINpoints then...not even to send messages back." Because she doesn't want to give any sort of window to Nyarpathotep.

She reaches out to touch Katsuya's shoulder when he reaches for the door handle. "Is it important enough to split up over? Cause I would be okay, heading to the school, while you investigate this."

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It's not a good idea to split up. Logically, Katsuya knows this. Logically, he knows this door with the faintly lingering magic so familiar to his senses can't be what he thinks it is. But Harley wouldn't be able to go into such a place even if they stuck together.

When the officer looks up it's as though he'd just roused from a sleep. Suddenly aware of the world around him again.

"I...I don't know. This isn't my world. It's like it, but they are not the same. You might want to be careful of what you say here." The last suggestion makes his gut wrench even as he still grips at the door's handle.

"Yes. There's a magic here. One we will need if this turns into a fight. There is a side entrance to Seven Sisters' High school around the east side near the bike racks. There used to be a few unlocked windows around that entrance. I will catch up soon. Please be careful."

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Harley bites her bottom lip when he tells her to be careful about what she says. "I will try my best," She promises him. Because it is all she can promise.

"Okay. Side entrance. East side. By the bike racks." If she can not find an unlocked window, she is sure she could find another way to get inside.

"I will." Normally, if she was working with Rick Flag, she would make a sloppy salute. But not for Katsuya. There is more respect for him to do that. "You be careful too."

With a nod, Harley returns to the streets, to follow that cat demon towards the Seven Sisters' High School.

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Harley will notice, as she gets closer to the school, that many groups of demons are starting to gather. Ranging from flying stingrays to starfish, they greet Flauros with respect. They seem concerned, talking about a human who's been spotted in the area, along with another message. "She is back. The mistress is back." This seems to get the demons moving towards the school courtyard, which is surrounded by the school proper.

The bike racks Katsuya mentioned are covered by large trees and bushes. No bodies are here, but the discarded backpacks and objects of importance indicate that this rout was probably used by people to escape. The door is blocked from the other side, but a few broken windows can be spotted on the first floor. Looks like there's a way in, but the dark interior of the school seems unwelcome. At least the bike racks have a few good spots for hiding...

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As for the door, if Katsuya opens it, he'll find an abandoned store front. Many different tents and makeshift sleeping bags are left on the floor, signs of where people have stayed for safety. However, lingering in the room, he'll here the first few notes of Erik Satie's 'Gymnopedie 1'. A glimmer of blue can be seen on the walls, blending in with the cracking white paint. There's no sign of the Velvet Room attendants, but a voice seems to echo in the breeze.

"Ah...It has been a while since you last visited us, Katsuya Suou." It's the voice of Igor, calm and mysterious like usual.

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At some point, the denizens of this place left this world so that it could be used as a safe place for survivors. Someone must have arranged with the room's proprietors for that. A Persona user must have done that. Harley could have come in here, and that thought makes Katsuya nearly turn around and lean back out to try and get her attention when the music begins to play.

Faintly, only at the edge of his senses. The voice it's been years since he's heard. Katsuya hasn't had a reason to enter into this place in a long, long time.

"Not from this door. This world, I should hope." Belladonna's song soothes him even when he wants to stay tense and alert. This place was always meant to be a reprieve after all. "I need to know what happened here after this city fell. Many other worlds are in danger right now. I know this would be what Philemon would ask of me, so..."

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Harley keeps low and out of sight as she gets closer to the school, and starts to see many groups of demons. She notes how they all greet Flauros with respect. She wonders about the human who has them all concerned. And her interest is caught when they mention a she being back. It could either be the witch or the child.

Either way, she might have a lead on a disciple that need to have their soul sucked into the scythe she is carrying.

She gets to the bike racks, and frowns at all the discarded items laying around. Great... they were in a rush to leave this building... and here she is, looking for a way in. Just another day for Harley Quinn.

Harley decides to try to reach the school courtyard, because that seems to be where all the action is. If it means she will have to go into the school to reach the courtyard, then that is what she will do.

After all, really she has reached the end of her instructions from Katsuya -- and has to make things up as she goes along now. This isn't her world, or even a world that she has any familiarity with. She is just going to have to trust her gut right now, and hopefully discover more answers. Feeling blind and lost ain't her thing after all.

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The demons are still talking with one another, being ever vigilant and keeping other demons away from their group. The Succubi from before are seen flying away, having been quickly taken care of. The inside of the school is dark, foreboding, the scent of blood and metal fills the air. The walls are all scratched, filled with bloody claw marks. The hallway leads straight, then branches off into two paths, one goes left and the other goes right.

One can feel a small breeze in the hallway, the sound of wings flapping, along with the cawing noise of birds. Most certainly, it's a group of demons on patrol in the school...

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Harley never really liked schools. And this one reminds her of the Arkham Asylum. Creepy and foreboding.

She stands at the two paths for a moment, doing a silent eenie meenie miney mo to try to figure out which one she should take.

Then she hears the sound of winds flapping, and the cawing noise of birds. Great. She has to avoid the patrols too.

Harley does not want to be found right now... so she foregoes the silent choosing game to select the path that sounds quieter, and less of a chance of encountering a patrol group.

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The path Harley chooses puts her near a set of abandoned classrooms and the nurses office. Far enough from the demons that they don't even bother walking in her direction. Instead, the two Andras pause at the hallway division, talking with each other calmly.

"I heard that Mistress Chara and Master Sara have returned from the realm forgotten."

"Yes. But Mistress Chara is in a bad mood. I heard her sulking upstairs on the third floor. Perhaps the mission didn't go as planned?"

The other demon merely clicks his talons on the floor impatiently. "It doesn't matter. She killed Marchosias and brought his soul to us. Our power can only grow, so long as we find more humans to sacrifice."

"True. We should go get the fish woman we captured and bring her down to the courtyard for the ceremony. I'm sure Mistress Chara would approve of her death for our goals. Especially since that wretched fish killed off 12 of our finest demons before being captured."

The two demons glide past Harley's hiding spot, heading for a staircase which leads into the school basement.

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