[VOICE]

[liketofu]

[Hi, Siren's Port. It's 10 pm, and your evening sirens have just gone off. Not long after that, a transmission comes over the network. Some of you may recognize the two distinct voices.]

Hi, my name's Rise. Sorry to be of bother--

[The second of the two voices is softer, at least a foot or two away from the device. "K-Kujikawa-san, did you

Comments

Pre-Transmission

[implausibility]

[He hadn't expected the trip back to be that rough. Adachi groans, knowing without opening his eyes that he was face-down in the dirt, just from the feel of rocks digging into his cheek, and the chill on the back of his neck. It takes him a moment to actually move. After all, opening his eyes to a world he had failed to run away from wasn't exactly the best of prospects to him at the moment. Still, he couldn't lie there forever.]

You brats do this every time you come home? Pretty rough on the bones, isn't-

[He almost expects to hear jeering laughter from Brats Incorporated (tm), but when all he's met with is silence and the howling of the wind, Adachi's eyes snap open, and he pushes up off the ground, sitting back on his ankles. This isn't Inaba, he thinks, now that there isn't someone to talk to...but wait

Pre-Transmission

[liketofu]

[On the flip side, you usually didn't expect to feel like you've been sucker-punched in the gut just by opening a restaurant door. There's that feeling of wanting to curl into a ball because the feeling is terrible, not quite painful but still dull. Did she fall? Or...? Ugh, this feeling.

Then she hears someone calling her name. It's not one of her friends- but she's not been told that it's someone dangerous either. She opens her eyes, wincing at how sore she feels all over and tries to focus. Right, right, it's just-]

Adachi-san.

[implausibility]

[Adachi-san?

It takes a great deal of control for Adachi not to burst out laughing at that. Formalities? She must have hit her head pretty damn hard on the way down.

Rather than answer right away, Adachi glances around the field. The place is dark, dirty, and abandoned. There are hints of life having touched the area at one point in time - graffiti, kicked-up dirt, and stained bleachers, but it's certainly as dead as a doorknob now. The rest of the Investigation Team is nowhere in sight.

He looks back down, a wry smile lingering on his mouth for a minute. Was she testing him? Fine, he could play along for a little bit. His eyes close as he beams, hands slipping out to hang in the air - trustworthy, open. But just because his expression is harmless, doesn't mean he is.]

What's the big deal? Where are your friends, kid?

[There's a bite to his words. She's a few decades too young to be pulling one on him.]

[liketofu]

[She's still coming around, so the transition into good-guy tone slips by her. She winces, pushing herself up from the ground. One doesn't go sliding around in baseball diamonds in a skirt.]

They were outside a minute ago.

[And she pauses, because clearly, 'outside' is not the correct term here, as she's slowly registering.]

The diner, that is.

[voice]

[mentis_reae]

There are dugouts in the baseball field. There will be safety there. Quickly!

[voice] 1/2

[liketofu]

--whoa! Didn't I turn this off?

[voice]

[liketofu]

Dugouts. Okay. Shouldn't a problem.

...wait, why would it be safer in the dugouts?

[voice]

[mentis_reae]

There are creatures which come out at night. They're extremely aggressive and dangerous. The dugouts are fortified against them. The longer you dither, the more dangerous it will be.

[ voice ]

[outbursting]

Rise?! We heard that you were -- [AND ADACHI!?]

I'll be there as soon as I can.

[ voice ]

[liketofu]

Yo-- [No. That's for later.]

All right. But make sure you have some backup, okay? These things don't look like they'll go down with one strike.

[ voice ]

[outbursting]

I know that the others are probably already headed your way! Don't worry...! No way, we're leaving you alone. So, don't take your eyes off that bastard ...!

[TIME TO START RUNNING.]

[ voice ]

[liketofu]

You mean that cat thing? It's dangerous?

1 / oh god

[sosouji]

Rise...?

2 / ?

[sosouji]

[She's alive. She's alive and--]

3 / ?

[sosouji]

[Oh, God, it's night, have to get out there right n--]

4 / ?

[sosouji]

[She isn't alone? Wait. That voice. Oh, no, no, no!]

[gaveherwings]

If there are no people in the 'dugout', then you'll have to get to those towers quickly...

Two of you, from the same place, arrived here at once?

[liketofu]

I dunno. When I came to, he was already up.

[implausibility]

[Same place? Not exactly, but close enough, he figures.]

Towers?

[gaveherwings]

The tall building ahead.