The Diary of Geno Garon

[Geno Garon]

This diary is a written, analog record of Geno Garon's story. His memory has been erased, and this is his only place to preserve whom he is, should he suffer the same fate again. Please do not post in this thread without explicit written permission, and do try not to spoiler the things written here. Because Geno's story is an explicit, directed narritive, this is being kept here as both reference material and an easy recap. Let the chronicle begin.

Entry One:

Today has been the first day of my new life. This is no grand epiphany, no metaphorical saying. I am literally destitute of all my being previous to this morning. The first thing I can remember is waking up in a wrecked convertible on the edge of Death City, though I keep having passing visions of something I think happened right before that, and if I can ever hold on to those memories for more than a moment I will be sure to write them here. Anyway, I found myself relatively unharmed, save for the understandable scratches and bruises, but unable to recall anything about myself, including my name. I found an envelope in the glove box of the car with several thousand dollars in small bills, and a note from a person called "Artemis", naming me "Geno" and claiming that I was in great danger from something or someone called "the family". In the trunk of the vehicle, a duffel bag with the name "Geno Garon" contained a 9mm Glock pistol and several hundred rounds, as well as a really nice white trenchcoat. I can only assume, at this point, that my name is "Geno", and if not, then I'm running with it anyway, for now. Before I could enter the city, I was confronted greeted by Spirit, who seems to be a caretaker or administrator for the city, and he escorted me to "Shibusen", apparently the center of the city; a school for their best and brightest... though it seems oddly gothic for a school. Still, for a place called "Death City", this is probably the norm.

Anyway, I'm rambling. While Spirit was bringing me into the school, we ran into two of Shibusen's students, Onsdag, a meek girl with an eye patch, and Theron D'Metreon, a somewhat hot-headed foreign boy who's just a little bit too in love with his sword and its use in solving any problem presented him. After almost getting my head smashed in by a rock thrown by a bird (it's a long story), I was ushered into what I can only describe as Shibusen's "interrogation room", where I was questioned, first by Spirit, and then by another, Miss Xena Zia. During this time, my Glock was confiscated from me, and I was accused of being part of a Vegas casino heist. At this point, I guess the stress of the day caught up with me (something I thought I was dealing with pretty well until then), and I passed out. Then, the strangest thing happened. I had a dream... but... but it's hard to remember. I remember mountains, and a woman, and that I have to do something, but the details are very vague. I'll make sure to keep this diary near me in case I remember anything else and write it immediately.

So anyway, I come to from my fainting spell, and it turns out Xena was "just kidding" about calling me a crook, and was trying to figure me out with how I responded. A dirty tactic against someone who has no clue who they are, but a perfectly sound one against a liar, so I guess I can't hold it against her. When all was said and done, Spirit decided to hold on to my gun until further notice, told Theron and Onsdag to "keep an eye" on me, and now I'm on a mission to find suitable housing, a decent job, and a few companions. I'm noticing that things are... different... in this city than what I was expecting, but maybe that's just a product of my amnesia. Anyway, I will keep this diary with me at all times, and try to keep it up-to-date, in case for some reason I lose my memory again. I hope it does not come to that, but in this new life, with so much unknown, it is impossible to predict where things will go next.

I think I'll look for some supplies and such, and crash in a hotel for a day or two. I do hope that I will regain my memory over time, but something tells me I've got a long way to go before that happens...
~ End of entry

[Geno Garon]

Entry Two:

This past night was... bizarre is the only word I can really think of. Things are just unimaginable in some respects, but I will recount as best I can what went on.

After spending the day trying to get my bearings in this strange city, I decided to visit a place I'd heard about from one of the locals; Chupa Cabra's. Apparently it's one of the few reputable places a man can get a drink, and having spent my first day or so in a hotel room trying to make sense of the nothing that I've inherited from my entrance to Death City, I'd become intolerably lonely. I had to get out and at least sit somewhere I could think; something with more atmosphere than my bland, lifeless hotel room.

When I arrived, I was greeted, and subsequently accompanied, by a girl calling herself Arisa. Apparently, Chupa Cabra's is an "attendant" bar, which finally made sense of why all the locals said Spirit liked it so much. Arisa and I spent the next half hour or so draining a bottle of Applejack, and starting another, I had gotten myself quite sauced. It was probably just about time to call it a night, when the world went mad. I closed my eyes one moment in a bar, and opened my eyes the next moment in some kind of insane negative universe, where everything was dark outlined with neon colors, and people glowed, and numbers, somehow linked to each person, appeared before me. It was more than I could bear at the moment, so I stumbled out of the bar and out into the streets, but again, it was the same. I finally made my way to an alley off to one side, and eventually the nightmare ended, and I was no longer seeing the world as some late 80's videogame.

Apparently, I had caused quite a commotion when I had left Chupa Cabra's, because a mysterious and beautiful woman, dressed in white, approached me. She... she bit me, in the neck. I'm not sure why, but she did. My head is hurting right now, so I'll finish this entry later...

~ ~ ~

Alright, I have returned. The night's events have become a bit more clear to me, upon reflection. The woman in white was, by my best guess, a vampyre. This should startle and alarm me, but I do not believe she meant to hurt me, and given that the bite marks on my neck have already all but sealed themselves, I suppose that is the only explanation I should arrive at for now. She seemed to see into who I am, perhaps like a palm reading, except the palm was my blood. She told me that my soul was in struggle, a bitter fight between forces she could not correctly identify, but forces nonetheless. She also mentioned great potential, though I am not sure for whom the potential lay available, given her cryptic nature. At that point, she fled the scene, and Onsdag, the girl I met the other day, who had apparantly witnessed the whole event, proceeded to hand me the duffelbag I had left in ChupaCabra's. I thanked her, and pulled a new CD player from the bag; something I had promised to give her the day we met. She looked at it... oddly, but thanked me, and went on her way. I do not know if all this... this... madness, is part of everyday life in the world, or just in Death City, or just centered around me, but I know with every part of me that this is not "normal", and I must try to keep myself together.
~ End of entry

[Geno Garon]

Entry Three:

Okay, I had to get out of that dreadful hotel room. It felt claustrophobic, and I couldn't bear to spend one more night in it. So, I went apartment-shopping.

At first, nothing was going well. All the apartments were nice, but it seemed each one I visited had some kind of crazy person nearby, and the last thing I need is to descend to that kind of madness. This town is weird enough without me adding to the mix.

Anyway, after a couple duds, I ran across two students from Shibusen; Aalekh, a rather young and rambunctious teen who was rather difficult to follow in terms of conversation, and Nova, who actually turned out to be Theron's "Weapon Partner", and can transform into a chakram. The idea of people turning into weapons and being wielded by others seems like a cross between a bad sci-fi adventure and a circus act, but apparently it's real. This concept will take some getting used to, and I seriously doubt I will ever be able to wield another person myself.

I'll have to finish up this entry later. I've got a few more things to unpack and set up, but I'm sure I'll manage.

~ ~ ~

Phew, that took a little longer than I thought. Still, it is good to have what few things I can call my own scattered around a real living space. I feel a little more at peace, and I should be able to work on employment very soon. Nova mentioned quite a bit to me about how this town, Shibusen, and the world all work. Kishin eggs, madness, meisters and weapons, and the Lord Death himself all center around the activities of this town, or vice-versa. It's a lot to take in, but it makes a lot more sense than it should to me. I get the feeling that big things are on the horizon. I just hope I'm ready for them.
~ End of entry[/i]

[Geno Garon]

Entry Four:

I just woke up from the strangest, most realistic dream. I know it means something, but I don't know what. I have tried to reproduce the dream sequence as succinctly as possible.

As our scene opens, a young man in a white trenchcoat sits alone on a black stool on a dark stage. His right leg extends to the floor, his left perched on one of the rungs. Covering his face is a mask, split down the middle and parting at the tip of the nose so that his lips and chin are visible. The right side of the mask is a brilliant light blue, seeming almost to shine; the left is a dark gray that seems to smoke and bleed out beyond the edges of the mask. The two sides are separated by a thin red line.

As the lights come up, and our star is spotlighted in the center of the stage, a windswept electronica melody wafts whimsically out from the darkness. Our figure remains stock still until the song reaches its initial crescendo, at which point, he drops his head and mouths the words...

(Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto)

The stage explodes with pyrotechnics; funnels and fireworks ignite and light up the entire stage. Behind our star, a row of four stage girls picks up the call.

Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto.
Mata ahoo Hima de.
Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto.
Himitsu wo Shiri tai...

Our hero spreads his arms wide, offering his full countenance out to where the audience should be.

You're wondering who I am;
(Secret secret, I've got a secret)

He gets up from the stool and stand perfectly straight, his arms moving in stoic patterns to the rhythm of the song.

Machine or mannequin,
(Secret secret, I've got a secret)

He taps the left side of his head with his left hand and smiles knowingly.

With parts made in Japan,
(Secret secret, I've got a secret)

He lifts his hands up and throws his head back.

I am the Modern Man!

A strong snare drum crashes in beat, and each crash is accompanied by a bright flash from the stage lighting and a sideways thrust of the main star's hips. He looks out into the darkness and tells his story.

I've got a secret,
I've been hiding,
Under my skin.

My heart is human,
My blood is boiling,
My brain IBM!

He lowers his head, slowly bringing his arms together in front of his chest, as if he were grasping his own heart in his hands.

So if you see me,
Acting strangely,
Don't be surprised.

I'm just a man who,
Needed someone,
And somewhere to hide!
To keep me alive,
Just keep me alive.

His arms shoot out to fully extend to each side again, his fingers turned up and spread out, as if he were grasping for something to hold in each hand.

Somewhere to hide,
To keep me alive.

At this, his movements become more fluid, as if his body has been released from the invisible restraints that had held him to a machine.

I'm not a robot,
Without emotions,
I'm not what you see.

He frowns and turns his head down. He extends his right hand to the audience in a gesture of offering.

I've come to help you,
With your problems.
So we can be free.

His head flicks up again, and his teeth are grit. The pain is evident in his voice.

I'm not a Hero!
I'm not a Savior!
Forget what you know.

His eyes level again with the nebulous abyss of the stands. His arms wrap around his chest, as if he were trying to protect himself from a bitingly cold wind.

I'm just a man who's...
Circumstances... went beyond his control.
Beyond my control,
We all need control.

He drops to his hands and his right knee, leaving his left leg to fully extend behind him, still looking straight out from the stage. Droplets of sweat fell from his brow to the stage floor.

I need control;
We all need control.

He hops back to his feet and plants an open palm in the center of his chest. His right hand extends to the sky with his forefinger pointing straight up.

I am the Modern Man
(Secret secret, I've got a secret)

He taps his mask again, which seems to intensify the glowing and smoking effect from each side.

Who hides behind a mask
(Secret secret, I've got a secret)

So no one else can see
(Secret secret, I've got a secret)

The smoke and light from the mask fill the stage, obscuring everything from view.

My true identity!

The crashing snare returns. As the smoke gently fades and the light dulls, three figures become visible. Each is an exact copy of original star, save for the masks; one is wearing a bright shining light blue mask, another wearing a mask with the same gray color billowing smoke, and the third, a ruby red mask. The bright mask and the dark mask begin trading blows, with Ruby in the middle doing his best to stay out of the way. Behind the stage girls, another row of four male singers appear, who chant in the back ground as the masked melee absorbs center stage.

Domo arigato, Mr, Roboto
Domo (Domo), Domo (Domo)
Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto
Domo (Domo), Domo (Domo)
Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto
Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto
Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto
Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto

The fight has escalated, with Bright and Smoke using more and more elaborate fighting techniques, becoming faster and more aggressive. Ruby has gotten out from between the two, and is now cheering Bright, encouraging Bright to fight harder.

(Thank you very much oh Mr. Roboto
For doing the jobs that nobody wants to)
Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto
(And thank you very much oh Mr. Roboto
For helping me escape just when I needed to)
Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto

Bright has finally landed a solid blow on Smoke, which has knocked him back, but not completely out of the spotlight. Bright turns to Ruby, and Ruby speaks to Bright intimately, as if they know each other very well.

(Thank you, thank you, thank you)
Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto
(I wanna thank you)
Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto
(Please thank you)

Smoke has gotten up, and charges the two others. He hits Bright square in the back, and a sickening crack can be heard. The three tumble out of the spotlight as Ruby makes a last utterance.

Oh! Oh-ah-oh!

After the song crescendos, our star returns from out of the shadows from whence his three copies departed. His mask is the same as before, but the the thin red line down the center is now much thicker, and glowing. He casually strolls to the stool, still sitting peacefully on the stage, and picks up a small, portable device from it. It is specifically nondescript, with only a screen and a small number of unlabeled buttons on its face.

The problem's plain to see;
Too much technology.
Machines to save our lives;
Machines de-humanize.

He places the device back on the stool, regards it for a moment, then violently kicks the stool, sending it careening end over end into darkness offstage. He whips his head around to the audience one last time.

THE TIME HAS COME AT LAST!
(Secret secret, I've got a secret)

TO THROW AWAY THIS MASK!
(Secret secret, I've got a secret)

He grabs hold of the mask, turns away from the front of the stage, and rips it off, holding it to his right side.

NOW EVERYONE CAN SEE!
(Secret secret, I've got a secret)

He tosses the mask away, and as it hits the stage floor, it shatters into a hundred tiny glimmering pieces.

My true identity...

Just as he begins to turn around, the entire stage goes dark. Everything goes dark. Everything is dark...

I do not know what all of this means, but I have left some space at the end of this page, in case I return with any insights.
~ End of Entry

[Geno Garon]

Entry Five:

This city continues to get more and more bizarre. At least, it seems that it SHOULD be bizarre, but I don't seem to have as much trouble adjusting to it as I would have expected. Granted, these expectations are entirely baseless, given my amnesia.

Had to put the journal down for a minute, half because I'm tired of writing about my memory loss, and half because my new house-companion is vying for my attention again. She, in case, I forget, is named Rei; a spritely little... fox girl, I suppose. She's fully sentient, and is certainly more human than animal, but she has white ears and a tail, like that of a fox's, and they're actually a part of her body.

How I came upon this girl is almost as odd as her... unique form. I was out in the farmer's market grocery shopping (I can only eat at restaurants for so long, and I need to conserve my money), when I heard a ruckus over by one of the produce carts. It seems Rei has sticky fingers, and had gotten nabbed by a rather irate fruit salesman mid-snatch. Well, he was much larger than her and could have easily held her while waiting for... the police? I don't know, does Death City have police? Anyway, it didn't seem he was content with merely turning her over, so much as working her over. As he raised a hand, I instinctively moved to protect her. I'm not sure why, I just did it. Somehow, I managed to catch the large man's hand in such a way as to use my entire body, through my palm, to negate his strike. I nearly felt my feet dig up an inch of street, but it worked, and I managed to convince him to let my 'sister' go after I paid for the fruit.

After escaping the market, Rei and I had lunch at a nearby cafe. She was very quiet at first. To be honest, I wasn't even sure she was going to talk to me, but, as if a switch turned her tongue back on, suddenly she and I were chatting up a storm. Eventually, with a little bit of prodding, I convinced her to let me walk her home. Unfortunately, I soon found that her 'home' was a blanket stuffed in a cardboard box in the end of a dirty alleyway. That is certainly no way for someone to live, especially a young girl like her, by herself. So, I suppose my compassion got the better of me, and I offered to let her stay here with me, in my apartment.

And then... an even more curious thing happened. She... flashed me. Throughout our day I had been picking up hints that she was another one of those 'special cases' Nova had talked to me about earlier last week. I caught a glimpse of her tail here, her ears there. She seemed intent on hiding it with her baggy hoodie, but things that big and fluffy can't hide forever, I suppose. Still, before we left that alleyway, Rei literally ripped off her hoodie to 'reveal' to me her ears and tail. It's important to mention that, apparently, Rei doesn't own a shirt. After some thought, it seems to me like perhaps Rei does not have the same human sentiments I would expect, like bodily shame embarrassment privacy. I wonder if this has anything to do with her upbringing. She certainly has stayed rather tight-lipped about any familial connections.

Well, it's getting late, and its time to prepare dinner. Cooking for two means more planning and prepwork... but I could get to like it...
~ End of entry

[Geno Garon]

**This section is copied from a previous board, establishing a bit of the direction Geno's character is going. It is included in the Diary, as will all future SoulScape interactions, as they contain a compact storyline in themselves. They will be preceded by the image below, a compact view of the world inside Geno's soul. Enjoy.**

Geno awoke. He wasn't wearing shoes. That was the first thought to enter his mind as he slowly opened his eyes. He was lying on his back, and all he could feel and see a sea of prickly golden wheat waving in a gentle breeze all around him. The stalks seemed to tower above him far off into the expanse, and yet, after a moment, they seemed to recede, and as he stood to his shoe-less feet, the once massive forest shrank to a foot-high field of grass. He looked around himself, and saw a gorgeous mountain in the far distance, radiance pouring over its apex as if it were God's own lampstand. All around him, hills formed an asymmetrical ring, and coniferous trees dotted the landscape, but aside from these natural features, not a single other thing could be seen. Geno checked himself, not sure what was going on. He didn't remember how he got to an open field surrounded by hills and covered in grass. He checked for pockets, but found he had none in the simple brown pants he wore. His shirt was a simple white cotton overshirt, and as he stood, another breeze blew in from the direction of the mountain, and caused him to shiver with chill. He grasped his shoulders and protected his chest, as the cotton shirt simply was not enough. None of this made sense.

"Ahh, good to see you've finally come around..."

The voice behind him startled Geno, and he spun to face his addressor. Before him, wreathed in a blue-green glow, was a woman, advanced in years, but still quite beautiful. Her aqua knee-length dress was girded around the waist with a simple brown leather tie. Across the chest was the bowstring of an elegantly carved bow. Her mahogany colored hair flowed freely around her gentle face. Geno's mouth dropped open, but not from any form of physical attraction. He knew her. She was...

"Yes, I am Artemis," she spoke, her words echoing slightly, as if all the hills and valleys carried her voice. She took three slow, deliberate steps towards him, stopping just a few feet from him."I am sure you have many questions, but our time here is brief, so I will have to tell you all I can as quickly as I can. Do you understand?"

Geno nodded, his throat going dry. Where was he? How was Artemis here? Where were his shoes?

Artemis smirked. "I'll get to that one in a bit, dear. First, you must know that this place is not real. We are standing in the realm of your soul."

"My soul is a mountain-scape in Colorado?"

"Oh good, you've got your tongue back," Artemis teased. Geno's expression soured, but warmed as Artemis smiled again and continued. "This is the way you experience your soul while you are inside it. Sometimes, when people dream, they enter their own world inside their souls. In order to make sense of what your soul looks like, you see it as a world that encapsulates the principles of your soul and translates them into a physical location. Everything here is symbolic..."

"So I'm dreaming?"

"Something like that, though do not expect to visit me every night, much as I would like that. You are not yet skilled enough to enter your soul as you please."

Artemis' expression darkened. "You need my help. That is why I am here. You have great potential, Geno, but you must also be wary. Many enemies will beset your path, and allies will be scarce. You will need to prepare yourself, build up your strength, and gird yourself against the coming madness...

A low rumble of thunder emanated from over the hills behind Artemis. In the distance, dark stormclouds boiled with lightning and, as Geno watched, they seemed to almost simultaneously creep up over all the hills surrounding his peaceful field. They remained, at the edge of the horizon, unmistakeably present, and irrevocably ominous.

Geno turned back to Artemis, and her sad countenance lit up once more with a comforting smile. "You need not worry about those for now, but be mindful of their presence. It is because of this that you must become equipped for the trials ahead."

Geno looked down at himself, and saw a faint outline... no... several faint outlines, around himself. Climbing boots on his feet, a leather jacket with wool trim around his body, and a hiker's backpack at his feet, all appeared as ghostly images, dotted, hollow shells of what could be. Geno looked back at Artemis.

"These tools cannot simply be found here. They must be found outside. Only then, will they be here, and only once you have them all will you be prepared for your trek." She gestured to the mountains, and Geno looked at its apex. It was still wrapped in light, glowing too brightly to see any detail around it and, yet, Geno knew that, what he could not see, were thin gray clouds, almost thread-like, flying out from the top of the mountain and straining, dragging the stormclouds of the horizon closer, inch by inch. Artemis stepped closer and put her hands on Geno's shoulders. It almost seemed to Geno as if he were a young boy, with his mother standing proudly above and behind him, but when he turned back to face her, he was looking her in the eye as a full grown man would, and she smiled once more.

"I have all faith and confidence that you will overcome this adversity. But for now, our time has come to an end. Remember, gather your strength and find the power within yourself to gather these utilities. You will know what to do when the time comes."

"But wait, Artemis, I don't understand. How did you even get here? What powers do I need? What's in the backpack? How am I going to get something that gives me boots[/b]? ARTEMIS!?!"[/color] But it was no use; Artemis merely smiled and waved at him, and before he was able to ask why, Geno's body flung itself into the air, as if he attached to the end of an invisible fishing line, and he sailed off into the sky flailing and screaming.

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