Freefalling (Ringo)

[Eriko Tokisaka]

The day was going particularly well, at least that was the way it seemed to Eriko. Certainly, it was raining, but a compromise had been reached between the Dragons and a small, but profitable business. A mutually beneficial relationship had been established. Despite the fact that the young lady could feel herself resonating with someone nearby, her mood could not have been better. Everything seemed to be going so well that she honestly doubted the day could become annoying in any way! Normally, she never would think to consider that- never think to challenge fate.

But fate accepted the challenge.

Eriko found that the scenery was rising. No, no, that was incorrect. Everything was on the ground, and for those things to be rising, the laws of reality would have had to be rewritten. Therefore, the girl could only conclude, in that second's duration, that her surroundings were not rising, but that she was falling. It was not that she tripped, but that she was falling straight down. The sensation the girl felt resembled that of a portal to the Rift. Her luck was never amazing, certainly, but it must have hit an all-time low for a portal to open directly under her feet.

And so the city flew out of her vision, and darkness surrounded her as she fell freely. Then, with a crash, she planted her feet on the ground, her knees buckling. The landing was rough- unpleasant. Despite that, she quickly dropped to one knee and pulled the Edge out, flipping the safety off and aiming ahead all in one motion before shifting around once in a one-eighty, then again, surveying her surroundings. It was clear, which was more than she could have hoped for with an entrance like that. Looking up, she tried to tell where the portal out was- clicking her tongue when she realized it was well out of reach.

Slowly, she stood straight, shaking her legs a little to rid them of the tingling sensation. “Son of a bitch.” She swore simply before she sighed and shook her head. “Going to stock up on lucky charms after I get out of here.” She muttered in annoyance as she allowed her eyes to adjust to the lack of light. It was then that she realized where she had landed, hearing the dull howl of non-existent wind.

Nightmare House's courtyard.

Notes: Kept it simple, just tossing out enough to get it started. Will get into things again as we move.
Date: November 15th, 2015. Sunday. Time is something like three in the afternoon.
Weather: Raining, since we got into the Rift and it wasn't nighttime.
Tagged: Applehead/Ringo/Deteeeeectiiiiiive.

[Ringo Shiro]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #CCCCFF; width: 435px;] [STYLE= width:435px; background: url(http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/3327/tabspattern.png); background-color: #F4F4F4; -webkit-transform: rotate(-2deg); margin-top: -15px; padding: 10px 10px 20px 20px; text-align:justify; font-family:Courier New; color: #333366;] Ringo sat down on his chair as he dug through his notes. He collected a fair amount of information about the dark hour his past few years. Most of the notes were the SEES founders. He simply looked through. If he had to present these in court, he'd look like a complete and utter mad man. Most of these can't be proven, yet Ringo can prove these only because he himself experienced it. He then took out a piece of paper. On the top it just said the Rift, and a few small notes. Ringo looked over at them and the placed them away. He wrote his entire note in code, so not many could understand it. Ringo walked out of the college computer lab and turned to wave good bye to the others. He then went off. He took out the note. Only appearing under certain conditions. He looked through them. He could not make any clean conclusions. The Dark hour, despite having experience with it, still can't find a clear explanation for it. Ringo looked at the time. It was already around three. Ringo took out his cellphone and texted his team mates to wait for him. Ringo sat down a near by bench. Ringo looked up from his cellphone. Two years since then...two years of very little progress. He placed the cellphone away and stood up. He looked at his hand and then remembered how he had a cut on his hand the other day...and it healed not long after the cut was there. He always had the power of regeneration since he unlocked the power of Cerberus. Ringo was actually surprised so few people notice that he heals faster. Not to mention that on a rare occasion he'd some times deflect objects flown at him. It was a miracle covering that up. Having passive abilities might not be the best thing on earth once Ringo thought about it. Ringo stood up and was about to head back to the usual meeting place however he heard something. He turned around just in time to saw a girl with long black hair fall into a hole. He right away jumped in after her. Ringo landed on his feet. Whatever damage that was done to his legs as he landed were most likely regenerated as he slowly got up. He then realized something. The portal...Ringo looked around...he was in the Rift. He had to admit this wasn't his first time. But even then this was unnerving. He looked up. “Son of a bitch.” Ringo turned and noticed a voice. His eyes had to adjust to the dark location. “Going to stock up on lucky charms after I get out of here.” His eyes slowly started to adjust to the darkness. Before him now was a shorter girl with very long black hair. He then looked around him. He appeared to be in a courtyard of sorts. "I don't think lucky charms can exactly help us out here." Ringo said. He looked at the girl and as his eyes adjusted he can't help but to notice that she has a gun. Ringo wondered how she obtained such things with the Japanese arms control law being considered in this situation. In fact it took Ringo a long while to obtain the rights to use his switch blade since it was much longer than legally. "Don't worry, these places have an exit." Ringo looked up. Their closest exit however was not exactly within reach though. [/style]

[style=width:320px; font-family:Georgia; float:right; margin-top:-25; margin-right:6px;]✗✗ shiro ringo

[/color]
Tags: Tokisaka Eriko || Notes: note, note || Music: None
Made by REIN of BTN[/style]
[/center]

[Eriko Tokisaka]

Once the entirety of the sudden caution had flown away, the young lady's mood turned from sour to worse as she felt the man's presence behind her. She could feel the resonance- could feel he was a Persona-user. That, by itself, was not much of a problem. What bothered her was the fact that he was commenting on her words without even knowing what her complaints truly were. Then came the assurance that everything was going to be fine- at what point was she a damsel in distress? Was the man daft, or just blind?

Eriko only rolled her eyes before stepping away from the man, then shifting around to stare at him. He had not tried to attack her yet, so she had no justification for shooting him- though she honestly wished to at that moment. Though standing only just above five feet, the young lady was dressed in a manner that her age could only be guessed rather than determined- with black jeans and black leather jacket over what looked to be a white button-up dress shirt. Were it not for the length of her hair, she could have passed for a feminine male at a glance.

“So,” She started, her tone less than welcoming, “who are you, and why did you follow me inside?” She tilted her head to the side slightly, the black veil behind her following suit. Her expression was calm, though annoyance showed itself clearly through her features. Annoyance slowly gave way to curiosity, however. Was the young man unable to sense the resonance quite yet? Or did he lack the ability entirely? If that were the case, then she could, to a degree, logicize his motives. Admirable, perhaps, but foolish.

Though her gun was lowered, the muscles in her right arm were far from entirely relaxed. Even if the young man's eyes had yet to focus properly, it should have been more than obvious that one wrong move or suspicious act would have very unpleasant side-effects. “Moreover, how much do you know about this place?” She followed up, aiming to get as much information out of him as possible. It was doubtful that he knew more about the Rift than she, but thoroughness occasionally yielded results that justified the process. Her left hand slowly rose and brushed her hair back, bits having clung to the edges of her face from before, though her red orbs never left the man's figure. Regardless of whether or not he would be an enemy, she needed to tie her mane back, lest it get in the way- or, worse, dirty.

Still, at least she did not land in the pond- wherever it was.

Notes: You know the drill.

[Ringo Shiro]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #CCCCFF; width: 435px;] [STYLE= width:435px; background: url(http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/3327/tabspattern.png); background-color: #F4F4F4; -webkit-transform: rotate(-2deg); margin-top: -15px; padding: 10px 10px 20px 20px; text-align:justify; font-family:Courier New; color: #333366;] Ringo watched as his eyes adjusted more to the darkness, the girl turning over to him. He could make out the details more clearly and further confirm she had a gun. What she wore was black jeans, a black leather jacket, and a white dress shirt. Not much more colorful than Ringo's outfit of a gray long sleeve shirt and jeans. The gun was making Ringo nervous, but being nervous in this situation won't exactly help. "So" The girl did not sound welcoming at all. In fact, Ringo could assume that she was annoyed. Then again, if he would be in her shoes, it would be annoying that suddenly you feel into a hole that appeared out of nowhere and landed you in some isolated unexplainable space. “who are you, and why did you follow me inside?” "I'm Shiro Ringo." Ringo said. "And as for the reason why I followed you inside...well...I kinda jumped after out of instinct. I can't exactly leave someone to drop in a hole now can I?" It was unreasonable sounding, even to Ringo. However, he can't leave someone in trouble, no matter who it is. Most people found Ringo strange for it, but that kind of attitude made him helpful in the detective field. In fact, one wouldn't be surprised to see Ringo helping a lost kid find their parents. “Moreover, how much do you know about this place?” "Not much, but I have been to a place like this before." Ringo said. "For now, I call this place the Rift. Portals to this space appear on full moons or new moons so far." Ringo still had no explanation for the Rift...or the dark hour for that matter. Ringo looked around the area and then looked back at the girl. He started to walk. Not drawing his switch blade, not yet. He started to walk around. He closed his eyes. One thing he did notice is that apparently Persona Users can sense 'openings' to this place. Hopefully he can get ahold of an exit. [/style]

[style=width:320px; font-family:Georgia; float:right; margin-top:-25; margin-right:6px;]✗✗ shiro ringo

[/color]
Tags: Tokisaka Eriko || Notes: note, note || Music: None
Made by REIN of BTN[/style]
[/center]

[Eriko Tokisaka]

Eriko truly believed that this man was mentally inflicted- or, if not that bad, at least unobservant enough that a knife could be at his throat and he would not realize it. His knowledge on the Rift was lacking, but the fact that he said it only occurred on the full or new moon was laughable! After all, a full moon had been only three days ago- there was still several days before the next new moon. Rather than pointing that out, though, the young lady slowly shook her head and sighed, making sure to keep her distance from the youth- from Ringo- and keep her surroundings in check while watching him.

“Do you make a habit of trying to play the hero? Most people wouldn't jump in a dark hole to a literal dark world to bother a stranger.” She observed, her words almost acidic, but also tinged with amusement. His lack of awareness robbed the young lady of most of her caution towards him, but old habits died hard. Sighing, she began to move, testing her footing as she walked. She had heard from some of the Dragons that made their way about the courtyard that there were traps- what fun, what fun!

“Whatever the case, I'm getting out of here.” It was an obvious remark, certainly, but, more than that, her tone showed that she neither worried nor uncertain that she would leave. “You can tag along if you'd like, but don't expect me to fall into a hole for you if you suddenly find yourself freefalling, all right?” Frigid dismissal was delivered with a blank, uninterested expression. She was not going to be cooperative- she had neither a reason nor the will to even bother.

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a small tie and began to tame the black beast that was her hair. It ended up in a sloppy ponytail- which could not be helped, as it was done one-handedly- with a rather large “bunch” that stuck out several inches above her head, flopping every which way whenever the young lady moved her head. With her precious hair drawn up in a manner that wouldn't trip her, she could relax enough- though her image of complexity was likely ruined by having her hair look like a comedy prop.

“Do you have anything you need to say before we move?” She asked him, her tone and expression both suggesting no interest. Really, it was more a formality- her way of asking if he was prepared.

Notes: We're going on a journey- a journey!- a journey to the land of happiness- happiness!- and joy!

[Ringo Shiro]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #CCCCFF; width: 435px;] [STYLE= width:435px; background: url(http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/3327/tabspattern.png); background-color: #F4F4F4; -webkit-transform: rotate(-2deg); margin-top: -15px; padding: 10px 10px 20px 20px; text-align:justify; font-family:Courier New; color: #333366;] “Do you make a habit of trying to play the hero? Most people wouldn't jump in a dark hole to a literal dark world to bother a stranger.” Ringo had to agree, but his logic was that if he didn't, who would? “Whatever the case, I'm getting out of here.” Ringo started to follow. Placing a cautious hand on his knife as he looked around. He knew shadows were here. “You can tag along if you'd like, but don't expect me to fall into a hole for you if you suddenly find yourself freefalling, all right?” "I don't." Ringo said calmly as he looked around. More concerned if this court yard has any shadows. He has been to other areas of the Rift but certainly not this one. He was going to have to report to them when he is done here...if he makes it out. “Do you have anything you need to say before we move?” "May I ask your name?" Ringo said as he looked back at the girl, now who has her hair tied in a rather sloppy pony tail but Ringo did not care to mention. Plus, judging from the fact that she isn't panicking, she has experienced something along the lines of the Rift or at least the Dark hour. Not to mention she was armed with a gun when it was not very likely that she is suppose to have one, gun control law withstanding. Ringo did hear rumors about the yakuza, but nothing they can confirm as fact nor nothing much the police can do about it tragically. Though lately the Plagues have been giving the police some trouble with some of the things they have been doing. Ringo began to wonder...if they had anything to do with her death. Ringo decided to discard the thoughts for now and just try to look for an exit. He needed to get this girl out and himself out. [/style]

[style=width:320px; font-family:Georgia; float:right; margin-top:-25; margin-right:6px;]✗✗ shiro ringo

[/color]
Tags: Tokisaka Eriko || Notes: note, note || Music: None
Made by REIN of BTN[/style]
[/center]

[Eriko Tokisaka]

Eriko was more than a little pleased that Ringo was not the sort to be deluded about humanity's goodness. Then, though, came what she did not expect- a question. Frankly, she did not like giving her name unnecessarily. No doubt, the Plague had her name. Was this a killer so unskilled that he needed to be sure of his mark, or was the Plague's information network simply that horrible? Either was a possibility- and there were still more possibilities, such as the one equating this man as a simple well-intending youth. For about three seconds, the young lady considered how to respond, making it seem more like she was focusing on something in the dark distance.

“Sure. If you're Shiro, then I'm Kuro.” She casually responded, her expression still as dull as could be when she gave a play on words as her name. Her lack of trust in the man was more than evident. Slowly, those red orbs turned to focus on the man again. Her lips curled into a playful smile, finally. “Perhaps if you play well, I'll give you something more.” She goaded him, offering information- truth- for results. It was a cynical deal, but one that made more sense to the girl than simply giving the man her name.

“So, with that, are you now ready?” She asked again, this time mockingly, as she stepped ahead, not intending to lend him her ear. Movement did, in fact, occur somewhere around them, but eyes could not spot the creatures- the Shadows- moving about just yet. Eriko could tell they were still some distance off. Even so, the young woman did not let her guard down- if not for the Shadows, then for the man she had behind her. Were he truly well-meaning, she could appreciate his existence. Otherwise, she would leave openings for him. If he so much as attempted to take advantage of one-

. . . well, there were many ways the human body could be forced to cease function. In a place like the Rift, disposal of the body was in no way necessary, as well. It was a hitman's dream, really. Her pace slowed only every small distance, making sure she had not left the other behind. With each step- and each stop!- her queer ponytail flipped and flopped from side to side, occasionally bouncing off the back of her head. By all means, it was odd.

Notes: Flippin' an' floppin'.

[Ringo Shiro]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #CCCCFF; width: 435px;] [STYLE= width:435px; background: url(http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/3327/tabspattern.png); background-color: #F4F4F4; -webkit-transform: rotate(-2deg); margin-top: -15px; padding: 10px 10px 20px 20px; text-align:justify; font-family:Courier New; color: #333366;] “Sure. If you're Shiro, then I'm Kuro.” Ringo looked over at the black haired girl. The name certainly fit though Ringo has his doubts it was her actual name. Detective intuition in development some might call it. “Perhaps if you play well, I'll give you something more.” The girl's curled into a smile that Ringo will admit made him feel quite...uncomfortable. However, it mattered little and didn't seem that the girl would hinder his progression out of here seeing as how she herself wants to get out it seems. “So, with that, are you now ready?” Ringo simply nodded, keeping a keen eye on his surroundings as the girl began to walk forward. He continued to do the same. He knew the dangers of this place, he wouldn't be surprised to not see a shadow or two on the way to the exit. Ringo stayed slightly closer to the girl as he looked around. He needed to be close in the case the girl would be put into danger...then again she had a gun where as he doesn't so it seems like he would be the one needing the protecting if that was the case. Ringo continued to walk along the courtyard before he heard the sound of flesh moving. He arched an eyebrow and reached for his knife. He didn't draw it out yet but he held on to the handle as he looked left and right. Great, enemies. Ringo hoped it was just one or two but he couldn't tell, he did hear movement and that was enough for Ringo to trigger his protective instinct. [/style]

[style=width:320px; font-family:Georgia; float:right; margin-top:-25; margin-right:6px;]✗✗ shiro ringo

[/color]
Tags: Tokisaka Eriko || Notes: note, note || Music: None
Made by REIN of BTN[/style]
[/center]

[Eriko Tokisaka]

The knight initiate behind her only sparked amusement in Eriko's heart. She was not watching him, but the sounds of his movement- his cautious gaze switching to and fro- spoke loudly enough. Her own gaze, like his, did shift about, but she was more comfortable with the thought of facing Shadows than other humans- Shadows would definitely strike, humans only sometimes did, and that uncertainty was tedious. As her gaze settled on the definitive shape of something in the distance, her right hand gestured at it.

A Shadow, a rather large one, seemed to be rising up. It had not directed its attention at them, but it was moving oddly. With one spectular motion, the shape back-flipped, falling with a disgusting squelch as it impacted the ground. It was an odd spectacle, but one that brought an innocent smirk to the young maiden's lips. After all, how often did one get to see a monstrosity performing acrobatics?

“I suppose everything has a secret side to them- even Shadows.” She mused aloud for Ringo to hear. Of course, with her gaze still glued to the massive acrobatic Shadow, she did not notice the shift in the ground as she stepped forward until it was too late. With a click of her tongue, the girl braced herself for the second fall of the day- not an hour, or even half an hour after the first! As the ground broke way, her form slid into a deeper darkness with a dull thud as she hit the ground below. The actual drop had not bothered her too much, though her legs had buckled again as she shifted about, taking in her surroundings.

The corridor, lit only by candles, seemed more like they belonged in a dungeon than under a mansion. “Son of a bitch.” She sighed once again, a sense of deja vu coming in as she moved away from the hole above her. She imagined that the youth would follor her in either case- be he innocent or a murderer. Peering through the hole to stare at the dark “sky” of the Rift, the girl smirked cruelly. “Hey, Shiro, are you going to fall for me again?” Her meaning was more than obvious, but her phrasing could have been interpreted in more than one way. With a snicker, she already decided to move forward, not waiting on the man's drop. There were no movements in that corridor, but what awaited around the next corner?

Notes: Freeeeeefallin'~

[Ringo Shiro]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #CCCCFF; width: 435px;] [STYLE= width:435px; background: url(http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/3327/tabspattern.png); background-color: #F4F4F4; -webkit-transform: rotate(-2deg); margin-top: -15px; padding: 10px 10px 20px 20px; text-align:justify; font-family:Courier New; color: #333366;] The two continued to walk until the girl gestured her right hand toward something. As soon as Ringo saw what it was, he right away readied his switch blade. The shadow was moving oddly though, he does have to admit that in comparison to most shadows he has seen, this one was moving rather oddly. “I suppose everything has a secret side to them- even Shadows.” The girl stepped forward, however Ringo noticed the ground giving way and she fell. Ringo had to wonder for a moment if she had bad luck with gravity before he noticed the shadow before him twitching. Ringo's eyes quickly glowed and Cerberus appeared, the shadow then bursted into flames as Ringo looked down the hole. “Hey, Shiro, are you going to fall for me again?” Ringo sighed as he noticed the girl walk forward. He quickly jumped down as Cerberus disappeared. He began to walk down not far from her. He looked around the candle lit hallway. He began to follow her throughout the corridor. Nothing much was going on. Which made Ringo a bit nervous. He has been here before and every time he has been here were not pleasant at all. [/style]

[style=width:320px; font-family:Georgia; float:right; margin-top:-25; margin-right:6px;]✗✗ shiro ringo

[/color]
Tags: Tokisaka Eriko || Notes: note, note || Music: None
Made by REIN of BTN[/style]
[/center]

[Eriko Tokisaka]

While Ringo's silence was not particular disheartening, it was disappointing that he had turned so serious so suddenly. Seriousness sliced down entertainment very easily- like a knife to hot butter. Though, given their surroundings, Eriko could not blame the young man too much- the low beating of a heart in the distance was more than a little unsettling to her, if only due to the fact it sounded so odd. She had not been in the catacombs before, so everything past that point was as alien to her as that beating. With that in mind, it would have only been wise to ensure herself that the body behind her was not just a sack of flesh, but someone that could prove useful.

“So, out of curiosity, can you actually hold your own?” She got right to the point. Certainly, he had a Persona, but that was no more proof that he was skilled than some common thug with a gun. Anyone could get lucky when they had the resources. It took skill to utilize those resources appropriately. While Ringo may have been suspicious, it would have been at least a little reassuring to have somebody there who was not useless.

Hugging the wall as she drew closed to the corner, the girl crouched, slid her hand up her pantsleg, and drew out a short blade, poking it out past the corner as she gazed at the surface of the blade. The lighting was simply too horrible to make much out- it was wishful thinking to expect a boon after falling not once, but twice. Sliding the blade back into her pantsleg, the girl did not even think to explain why she had hidden blades on her person, either. Then, after taking a slow breath in, the young maiden whirled around the corner, peering ahead as her hands met to steady her aim. Her arms were tense, but had plenty of slack in them. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the lighting.

“There's movement down there.” She coolly noted, able to make out the silhouettes of Shadows. “Think you can handle some baddies?” She smirked lightly before sending the man a suggestive glance. Whether or not he decided to play hero was yet to be seen, but, at the very least, she would restrain herself from using Fenrir for the time being. Giving away her other side, along with her weaknesses, to someone who was a veritable stranger was. . .

. . . fairly foolish.

Notes: Huzzah.

[Ringo Shiro]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #CCCCFF; width: 435px;] [STYLE= width:435px; background: url(http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/3327/tabspattern.png); background-color: #F4F4F4; -webkit-transform: rotate(-2deg); margin-top: -15px; padding: 10px 10px 20px 20px; text-align:justify; font-family:Courier New; color: #333366;] “So, out of curiosity, can you actually hold your own?" Ringo arched an eyebrow to the question. It was certainly an out of nowhere question but then again, he wasn't sure about the girl's abilities. Especially considering that it is clear that she has encountered such dangers herself. She was suspicious to a degree but she was a life none the less. He had to help get her out. "I guess I can." Ringo said. A simple answer to the girl's question. Ringo and the girl who is refereed to as Kuro to Ringo walked down the hall. She then started to go toward a wall. She then drew a short blade and used it as a mirror. Ringo readied his own knife just in case. She then turned over to him. No doubt to ask him another question. “There's movement down there.” She noted. “Think you can handle some baddies?” The girl made a smirk that was a little off putting to say the least. At least she hasn't done anything to trigger Ringo's complete guard yet. He looked at her and then took out his own switch blade to do the same method she did. Again, it was not clear so Ringo placed his blade away. "I'll be right back. I must request you hide here, feel free to do what you wish after four minutes." Ringo drew his switchblade and then dashed, not even using his persona. He noticeably dashed faster than the normal person his age. He dashed and saw the movement of about three shadows. This gives him about 0.75 minutes per shadow. He saw the two mayas lunge toward him. He looked at their arm movements and instantly sliced their elbows before then slicing the masks apart. Effortless on his own part. Not to mention the arms moved toward Ringo slowly, or more like Ringo could see them coming than others. His auto-sukukaja is doing him wonders. Ringo looked over at the Knight shadow waiting for him. The fact that it has armor is going to be a problem. It started to glow purple, representing a powercharge. Ringo watched as the knight try to stab him, something he easily dodged. The knight stumbled over as Ringo's eyes began to glow. Cerberus appeared above him and Cerberus let out a low note growl as the Knight started to burst into flames. Ringo called away Cerberus as he looked back to check if Eriko was still there. [/style]

[style=width:320px; font-family:Georgia; float:right; margin-top:-25; margin-right:6px;]✗✗ shiro ringo

[/color]
Tags: Tokisaka Eriko || Notes: note, note || Music: None
Made by REIN of BTN[/style]
[/center]

[Eriko Tokisaka]

You know, I didn't really mean. . . “. . . that you had to go and do that.” Eriko thought, then muttered to herself as the young man dashed off. Part of her was annoyed. Another segment of her being found herself amused. A final part of her was confused. Frankly, under normal circumstaces, she would have be livid. She disliked being told what to do. However, Ringo's words were a request. Requests were not so bad, as they could be viewed as a “Pretty please, with sugar and cherries on top!”, but his request still left her a bit upset. Her confusion stemmed from his course of action in itself, along with the lack of logic in his words. Since when did “be right back” constitute as “in four minutes”? And in a place like the Rift?

What in hell's name was wrong with this man? Giving him a moment to put distance between them, mostly so that she could move without drawing his attention, she stood straight and walked after him at a stately pace. She sighed. She could have- more than likely, should have- taken the other path. Still, if he died here because of his stupidity, a part of the young woman would feel as if she had done something wrong. Granted, it was a ridiculously small part, but it was there. Deciding to focus, rather, on the man, she used that chance to get as much information on him as possible. If he was really a threat- which was becoming increasingly unlikely at that point- then the more information she had on him the better.

He was utilizing passive skills- that much she could tell for certain. Crafty. Of course, the moment of truth occurred when the youth called out his Persona. While she could not be entirely certain of just what it was- a name, that is- she knew one thing right off the bat. He was slightly more scary than before, for two reasons. He had a large three-headed dog for a Persona. He used fire. That was, in its essence, nothing but unpleasant. She kept her calm, though, sighing slightly as she walked to, and past, the man.

“Shiro Ringo, a word of advice- unless I say 'Please go kill the baddies', I don't mean rush ahead and kill everything.” She told him coolly, not letting anything but her annoyance show. “What if you were killed in a heartbeat? What would you do, then? Hell, I can't help the dead. You'd die. You would die here, alone, and without honor or glory. You wouldn't protect anyone with your life.” She turned to glare at the man. She was not concerned about whether or not he died- just if he died while with her. “Playing the hero is all well and good, but please do so with the application of common sense. A dead hero is just a dumbass.” She sighed again, averting her gaze as she rubbed her temple with her free hand.

“However, thank you for dealing with this hallway.” The words of gratitude, considering her monologue before, were likely hollow.

Notes: Not the best post.

[Ringo Shiro]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #CCCCFF; width: 435px;] [STYLE= width:435px; background: url(http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/3327/tabspattern.png); background-color: #F4F4F4; -webkit-transform: rotate(-2deg); margin-top: -15px; padding: 10px 10px 20px 20px; text-align:justify; font-family:Courier New; color: #333366;] “Shiro Ringo, a word of advice- unless I say 'Please go kill the baddies', I don't mean rush ahead and kill everything.” Ringo placed the switch blade away as he walked towards Eriko but the long black haired girl simply passed him. Ringo turned to her as she continued to walk. Ringo titled his head. She did ask for him to see if he was capable and there was little ways of showing aside from that. “What if you were killed in a heartbeat? What would you do, then? Hell, I can't help the dead. You'd die. You would die here, alone, and without honor or glory. You wouldn't protect anyone with your life.” Ringo looked at her for a moment and continued to walk ahead. The girl turned to glare at him. Ringo simply kept a blank expression as he watched her. “Playing the hero is all well and good, but please do so with the application of common sense. A dead hero is just a dumbass.” Ringo almost wanted to laugh at that statement but didn't. He is a bit reckless he admitted but he does his best to try to reduce his injuries. Come to think of it, if it wasn't for Ringo's own regenerate powers, he'd be in an emergency room almost all the time. “However, thank you for dealing with this hallway.” Hollow words, but Ringo did pay too much mind to it. He continued to walk down the hall. There wasn't even a scratch on him. So far, Ringo has successfully worked out the finer details of his powers. If nothing goes south, then he should get the both of them out of here without so much a scratch. [/style]

[style=width:320px; font-family:Georgia; float:right; margin-top:-25; margin-right:6px;]✗✗ shiro ringo

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Tags: Tokisaka Eriko || Notes: note, note || Music: None
Made by REIN of BTN[/style]
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[Eriko Tokisaka]

And the little scumbag just walked on forward without any true form of acknowledgement. A nod, at the very least, would have been gratifying. He could have stood still in silence, brooding over her words, and she would not have been annoyed, but this man had decided to simply move along. He was annoying. Really annoying. He might have stricken a cord with Eriko because of his motivations, but this man- this bloody apple- was grinding on her nerves more than just a little. Rolling her head over her shoulders twitchily, she clenched her left eye shut, still glaring at Ringo before slowly following after him.

If they were in a better place, she would have likely left him to a horde of Shadows and used the display for entertainment. Here, though, his going ahead was a deterrent of receiving an ambush. She no longer had any concern for whether or not he died in her presence- the bastard just completely ignored the concern she had put out! She ground her teeth as she fought back the dread temptation that gently coaxed her to simply heft the weapon in her hand and shoot him. It took effort- a lot of effort. But she finally did get over it.

“Out of curiosity, are you normally this quiet, emotionally dead, and boring, or is this just how you act on dates?” She asked, raising an eyebrow. No, she really was curious if this was how the man always was. If so, he must not have had many- scratch that, any, actually- friends. Eriko could appreciate silence, but not being ignored. “Or am I a super-special case?” She snickered at that point, aiming to toy with him more than talk to him.