Back Alleys of Old Town, Sleepy Oak, Minnesota
The next scene opens up in the dingiest, dirty back alleys of Sleepy Oak Old Town. The district, known for its history and antique age, has not been one to truly conform to the modern architecture of cities or even the city of Sleepy Oak itself. Since the 1950s, the city's expansion has made it so Old Town is but a relic, a home to not only Sleepy Oak University but the poor dregs of society who have not been able to crawl away from the olden works of a late-19th to early 20th Century disposition. Tim's Cafe may have been quaint in comparison to the rest of the district, a conglomeration of buildings slapdashed and accommodated by the times. In the early 1920s, Sleepy Oak's Old Town (at the time the whole of the town) was a sprawling confluence of modernity and wealth. When the Depression hit, many businesses closed, and over time, these buildings remained closed. The 90s saw the closest chance to a renaissance for the Old Town, but it was not to be... the Recession saw to it any great chance of a government effort to reinvigorate Old Town would be a multi-million dollar effort... well not worth the city council's time, it would seem.
Aka Yurei peeks into a dark alley, where it seems like barely even can press through but only from the streetside. It's a winding way, with a fork at the end of this path. It's a small, but still spacious way, that has not really seen much pedestrian passage in a long time it seems. With a shudder, she presses forward and steps into the darkness. The white noise of street life begins to fade as she goes deeper into this bleak peek into the antebellum days of World War 2. Aka's footsteps begin to echo with a sludgy ickiness from all the filth and grime on the concrete underneath her feet. There are some posters ridden on the wall that has seemingly not seen the light of day since then... posters of less than flattering ideologies, jingoism (or rather, more blatantly, racism) at its finest. Aka averts her eyes; Japan and America have never had the greatest relationship, but this is a different time, a different era. Suddenly, from behind her, with a shock and fear gripping Aka Yurei all at once, the "chink" of a lighter's echo, and then the smell of cloves. She whips around to spot It. Leaning against the brick wall behind her, in the dark recess of this alley, is the silhouette of a person... the face that flickers from the flame of the lighter is that of Brian Zewbowski... but that's impossible- He's not even in Sleepy Oak... right? He exits the darkness and it is all too well known that this is not Brian. It's that thing.
Humanity: We still have a deal, Miss Yurei. You've been neglecting your duty.
Aka Yurei: What the hell do you want this time?
Humanity: An explanation, Miss Yurei. It was not but six months ago that I offered my services to you to make you stronger, all you had to do was do what I tell you to.
Aka Yurei: You really wanna know what I was fucking doing for the last two months? I've been training, working on my technique, and coming over to the AMA to start anew. No thanks to you. You disappeared too ya know, after you maliciously made fun of my dead brother, pushed me to confront my father, and then you didn't even speak to me after I lost to Golden Rock. Where the hell were you?
Humanity: I do not have to answer to mortals like you, Miss Yurei. Even now, you don't even realize where you are, and yet you speak to me so freely; only because I let you do this, are you able to continue standing.
Yurei looks around and finally notices it... there is this strange sight that cannot truly be explained. It is like the air itself is vibrating in a miasmic aura. All around this ancient alleyway does it encompass it. She turns to that thing and shoots a look of suspicion and mistrust.
Aka: Alright, I'll bite. What the hell is this place?
Humanity: We are in a time distortion, my dear... it was the only way I could see you; Brian's emotional state of late has created a barrier that I cannot cross... it is sadly my one weakness, despite my enormous power. So I had to create this space for myself in order to... project myself for your benefit, Miss Yurei.
Aka Yurei frowns and folds her arms together, as if already annoyed.
Aka: You know how I feel when you call me that... Mortis.
"Mortis", known to others as Humanity, steps a few feet forward and stares down Aka Yurei, tapping his foot against the ground and taking one big puff of smoke from his bent, irregular cigarette.
Humanity: Now's not the time to be testy; after all, you yourself will have a great test soon. Who is it now you're battling against? This Liberty person?
Aka: Olivia Liberty Lawrenson.
Humanity turns around and begins to pace, thinking to himself, a puff of gross, black smoke releasing from his lungs, before whipping around and pointing at Aka Yurei, with great aggression ridden in his voice, a demented being of intimidation.
Humanity: You would do well to crush them under your boot. If you want to become great, you'll have to beat those who defy you. You've already accepted my help, and there is no reprisal, and there is no turning back. You dare renege, and I can easily send you back to the pitiful child you were before that Golden Rock match...
There's a solemn silence dragged out between the two. Aka Yurei stares down Humanity, and internally is shaking, genuinely terrified of this thing... but that last part, it lights such a fire in Yurei.
Aka: ... I understand. You want me to beat Liberty so bad, I'll do it... I just want you to know just one thing.
Aka steps forward and with great force pokes Humanity's chest and grits her teeth. She flashes anger at Humanity, as though genuinely hurt by what he said, and not willing to just fucking sit there and take it.
Aka: Don't you ever threaten me like you just did again. I thanked you back then, and you made me realize that I cannot afford to let anyone talk down to me again.
Humanity takes a puff from his cigarette and looks down at Aka Yurei, before a smirk comes on his face. He appears genuinely impressed by the show of force by this once pitiful girl.
Humanity: ... Hmph- It appears that you are ever-improving, every day, Miss Yurei... I bid you adieu.
Humanity slinks back into the dark recess still staring at Aka Yurei, and his cigarette light fades; it's as if he just suddenly disappeared and melted into the brick wall behind him. The miasmic air also fades just as this happens, leading to the sounds of the city, which had been muted upon entry into this space, to return. Aka Yurei takes a deep breath and looks around, trying to find an exit to this fucking abomination of an alley.
Aka: ... I fucking hate that thing...
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