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2025-07-22: A Grave Awakening

2025-07-24T02:38:55Z

Ghost:

*'''Log: A Grave Awakening'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Tyler Gould]] [[Yukari Takeba]] [[Minato Arisato]] [[Reiya Aomori]] [[Koh Katsuhiro]]
*'''Where:''' A cemetery not far from the SEES dorm.
*'''OOC Date:''' July 22, 2025
*'''IC Date:''' Wednesday, June 13, 2012 (Dark Hour)
*'''Summary''': ''On the anniversary of his parents' death, Tyler sneaks out of the SEES dorm to place a longest-distance call. Yukari, Minato, Reiya, Koh come to the rescue and gain a new teammate in the process!''

----

<Pose Tracker> Multiboss has posed.
<poem>
It is a very green Dark Hour. Normally, it'd be one to stay inside if someone has the Potential, especially for members of SEES, who are well aware of the risks.

But one of their dorm members being monitored for the Potential turned out to be missing. Tyler Gould, the gloomy American transfer student, disappeared late at night not long before the Dark Hour. SEES has been informed, with any members capable of getting out there being tasked to go and recover him in case of a disaster. They have been given spare equipment, just in case.

But first, they have to find him. Where would Tyler be? How could they ever know...?

The note in his bed saying he was going to the cemetery, of course. Music was playing in the room to distract from his disappearance, so he definitely knew he was sneaking out...

Once SEES arrives at the cemetery, they'll see the threat.

Several Shadows, in the form of black ravens holding lanterns in their talons and floating phantoms wearing masks and capes, and bearing lanterns inside their stomach, two each, menace Tyler as they navigate around the graves. The grass is singed and burning underfoot, clearly the work of fire blasts that missed their mark.

How in the world did this all happen? And why graveyards?
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.
<poem>
Tyler Gould is a ____, not a fighter.

Black trench coat (which appears to have been singed a couple times already!) whips around with every sudden motion of the lanky boy. The shirt and pants beneath? Also black. Did one really expect something else from him? At least he had the sense to wear loose fitting things to stave off some of the heat.

That said, he's also not about to back down from a fight, regardless of whether or not he thinks he can win it. Some of the hallmarks of what he was doing are evident enough. Among the burning grass are candles; white and black (and even one blue!). There's a small, electronic radio that's obviously ceased to function placed not that far from a tree, along with a notebook that... well, caught fire from one of those stray blasts.

The 'weapon' he's holding in both hands and swinging wildly whenever the shadows get close enough is a wooden board -- which has been folded in half for extra striking power. It is Not Very Effective, but it's what he's got.

Anyone who's read his file would likely know the current date holds a special significance to the creature of the night, as well.

That being said, for one who isn't a natural fighter, he at least has the instincts to fight defensively. As one shadow starts to get too close for comfort, one hand strays from the board, into a pocket -- and comes out moments later with a fist full of a white, powdery substance that is thrown as a cloud at the thing as he backpedals.

Shadow, meet pocket salt. Hey, it comes in handy for protection!

"Away, foul creatures!" he insists, more emotive today than... well, most have probably ever seen him. There's obvious reasons and less obvious reasons for this! "This is a sacred night and only those with invitations are welcome!"

Some people, when trapped in the Dark Hour are scared. Some are paralyzed. Some work on instinct.

Tyler? Tyler... is offended.
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
<poem>
"Uhhh has anyone seen Tyler-kun?" Yukari still feels weird about living with a foreigner in the dorm. Real weird, but that's all out the window the moment he's disappeared.

Unfortunately, in the manner consistent with Tyler's true people (Goths) he has left a note of going to the cemetary. "Why the c-cemetary!? Geez... he's already causing problems! And here I thought he'd just clog the drains or not sort the trash properly."

Look, Yukari visits Naganaki shrine all the time, but she's never gone during the Dark Hour.

Probably because despite knowing logically ghosts aren't real... she does not want to tempt fate into making them real.

When Yukari shows up, she's- "Huh!? He's..." Throwing salt. "... Maybe he's really into living here after all."

What does Yukari think the American way of dealing with the supernatural is anyway?

(Brandishing Crosses of course.)

Taking a knee, she sights a Raven nocks an arrow and releases, sending it arcing towards one of the shadows. "Tyler!" She shouts, "We're gonna make you a path! Run my way!"

Well she dropped the honorific, but only because of the situation. Running towards a healer is only good practice after all.

AS: Weapon! Yukari Takeba has used the Pierce skill Eight Stages of Shooting on Multiboss!
AS: Yukari Takeba's turn has ended.
AS: Block Best! Multiboss takes 29 Pierce damage from Yukari Takeba's Eight Stages of Shooting. Critical Hit! Block Pierce!
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Minato Arisato has posed.
<poem>
"Understood. Commencing the mission."

That's what Minato had to say, when Tyler went /missing,/ and they were sent out to find him. He's one of their field leaders, after all, so it's his responsibility to keep them safe.

That includes Tyler, of course. Potentially.

He's offended... that means he hasn't shut down. Good. "There," he calls out, to his team, as he sights the goth-not-fighter in the cemetary. "Let's go."

With that, Minato runs in, his arms pumping with all the fury of a Track and Field fella as he skids in front of one of those black ravens. Luckily, Yukari handles talking to /Tyler./ "Persona!" Minato cries, as he brings his Evoker to his head --

-- and fires.

It's glass which shatters out, though, not blood, as gothic as that might have been. The monster which rises from him is silver, grasping a lyre, red scarf flapping behind him. He strums his lyre, and the notes are enervating--!

AS: Persona! Minato Arisato has used the Almighty skill Tarunda on Multiboss!
AS: Minato Arisato's turn has ended.
AS: Take! Multiboss takes 0 Almighty damage from Minato Arisato's Tarunda.
AS: Atk_Dn added!
GAME: Reiya Aomori has assumed form 1, Kunimitsu!
AS: Reiya Aomori has readied for combat as Kunimitsu! He is now fully healed!
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
"I haven't," Reiya says. And if Reiya hasn't seen him, then--well, then he might just be in his room. Reiya doesn't see everyone. The cemetary, though... Hmmm. For once he agrees with Yukari on, "Odd."

The cemetary.

"He hasn't given us any trouble with the trash," he'd said to Yukari then, too.

But once they reach him--

"...Despite being untrained, he fights fiercely. He isn't just another person drawn into the Dark Hour..."

The mission. Minato says to go, and Yukari is already--commenting on his foreign-ness. "He knows his stuff," Reiya agrees. But then he darts forward, behind a tombstone to avoid the Shadows at first, until he pops up with, "Crush them!"

The Evoker at the side of his head, Reiya pulls the trigger, and out come the lightly-armored Shadow man that is his persona, throwing a hand forward--and needles emerge to crash towards one of the Shadows.

He then darts the rest of the way, fully intending to reach Tyler himself.

AS: Persona! Reiya Aomori has used the Pierce skill Needle Rush on Multiboss! 3 Hits!
AS: Reiya Aomori's turn has ended.
AS: Koh Katsuhiro has readied for combat as Zagreus! He is now fully healed!
AS: Block Neutral! Multiboss takes 8 Pierce damage from Reiya Aomori's Needle Rush. Block Pierce!
AS: Block Neutral! Multiboss takes 8 Pierce damage from Reiya Aomori's Needle Rush. Block Pierce!
AS: Block Best! Multiboss takes 11 Pierce damage from Reiya Aomori's Needle Rush. Critical Hit! Block Pierce!
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Koh Katsuhiro has posed.
<poem>
Koh's assessment of the note is one of bemusement: "I guess he wasn't kidding about the coffin stuff. You think he's a vampire?" Dracula, famously, is also white.

Either way, he's part of the search party.

He steps out into the green-tinted Dark Hour like he's used to this. The first time a person gets their head dunked in icewater it's a shock to the system. It's still awful a few dozen times later, but at least you generally know what to expect.

Koh Katsuhiro knows to the low drone in his ear and the ice cold ball of fear in his chest. But the recently arrived SEES addition is less used to watching foreigners attempting to exorcise shadows with wood and salt.

"Right, I'll cover!" Of the two things he's carrying it's the knife that gets used first. It's a big knife, somewhere on the scale of machetes, short swords, or things someone might show to others holding smaller knives to indicate that /this/ is a knife.

Right now he's sprinting forward to show it to one of the crows in a very up-close manner to dissuade them from following the harried goth.

AS: Weapon! Koh Katsuhiro has used the Slash skill Slash Weapon D on Multiboss!
AS: Koh Katsuhiro's turn has ended.
AS: Block Best! Multiboss takes 62 Slash damage from Koh Katsuhiro's Slash Weapon D. Critical Hit!
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Multiboss has posed.
<poem>
The Shadows do not understand the symbolism of Tyler's candles. All they understand is prey, so when a Oujia board hits a Phantom and does no damage, it's not clear if it's mad or sticking to a 'script' or what. The minds of Shadows, if they exist, are ever unknown.

The salt, however, impacts with a Black Raven, causing it to momentarily divert long enough to save Tyler's life. It's unlikely he could keep this up forever, though...

Which makes it a good thing that the cavalry arrives.

An arrow flies at the Black Raven soon after, causing it to careen backwards in an odd flight, that goopy weird ichor spilling out of it, even as its feathers seem to be more durable than they should for such a piercing attack. It turns towards Yukari, still airborne, as flames manifest from the lantern, before blasting outwards as a veritable fireball straight for the archer.

The enervating affects of Orpheus wash over the four Shadows, causing them to feel sluggish, almost slow in their attacks. A Phantom responds by rushing the group of Persona-users, trying to spread a wave of poison via contact, before setting its gaze on Minato. It waits, before that lantern singes back up, attempting to make Minato sick and cause an explosive chain reaction should both hit!

One of the Phantoms begins to approach Tyler, but Reiya has it focused with those needles that fly into it, tearing through the 'fabric' of its existence and spilling the same ichor as before. It rocks back and forth as it turns, before charging forth, striking slowly and weakly with a clear slash of... something? It doesn't have visible slashing appendages, but it still feels like being slashed if it hits!

Kou comes in with the knife, moving to slash at the remaining Crow. It turns completely towards him, moving in with a headbutt to try and impact the youth head-on, even as ichor deeply covers the knife and causes it to tilt in what could be considered either pain or more likely a simple loss of mass. The enervation is still there, so where it may have been trying to bowl him over, it doesn't have a chance now.

Though, Reiya may want to reach Tyler imminently... because a larger Phantom approaches even as it appears all the Shadows are occupied. This might be messy if they're not very careful about this.

AS: Persona! Multiboss has used the Fire skill Agi on Yukari Takeba!
AS: Weapon! Multiboss has used the Slash skill Shadow Clash on Reiya Aomori!
AS: Persona! Multiboss has used the Almighty skill Evil Touch on Minato Arisato!
AS: Persona! Multiboss has used the Slash skill Blight on Reiya Aomori, Yukari Takeba, Minato Arisato, and Koh Katsuhiro!
AS: Weapon! Multiboss has used the Strike skill Shadow Bash on Koh Katsuhiro!
AS: Multiboss's turn has ended.
AS: Avoid Best! Reiya Aomori takes 8 Slash damage from Multiboss's Shadow Clash.
AS: Avoid Best! Reiya Aomori takes 13 Slash damage from Multiboss's Blight.
AS: Avoid Worst! Yukari Takeba takes 52 Fire damage from Multiboss's Agi.
AS: Haze added!
AS: Avoid Worst! Yukari Takeba takes 81 Slash damage from Multiboss's Blight.
AS: Avoid Worst! Koh Katsuhiro takes 71 Slash damage from Multiboss's Blight.
AS: Block Worst! Koh Katsuhiro takes 42 Strike damage from Multiboss's Shadow Bash.
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.
<poem>
The middle of a life and death scenario -- which Tyler would likely be far more comfortable with in a normal situation -- is not the kind of place that he expected to hear his name.

Spinning around with a flare of the coat towards Yukari's voice, he freezes for a moment -- processing, a foreign language is harder to understand in times of duress, after all! -- and stares.

Did she really bring a bow and arrow to a seance?

"Careful, Yukari! You don't know what you're dealing with!" he calls back. Oh, how much the boy *really* has to learn...

He does, however, start making his way in her direction. Swinging (mostly at air) as he moves in not the most efficient fashion. Especially switching between one and two handed swings. He clearly isn't used to working with a *team*... or fighting with a Ouija board, either.

Of course, then Koh, wielding the kind of blade that would impress Jason Vorhees, followed by Minato, and Reiya too. They have guns? In JAPAN? Physical weapons don't work on...

"Wait!" English, this time. It's a gut-reaction to someone who looks like they're about to do something Very Wrong right in front of you. Even when that someone is their morbid exchange student. Blame the calendar date.

Then... those *things* appear. Creatures even more magnificent than he would consider the ones, y'know, trying to kill him, if they weren't trying to kill him today.

"...saved by the creatures of the night..." he manages, volume of his voice dropping and the tone changing to, well. Awe. Unfortunately, He Who Is Fascinated By Things Otherworldly has been stunned by this display, and the clumsy retreat towards safety has become a limp wandering while blue eyes stare.

At least he's still going in Yukari's direction and made *some* distance before he saw the Personas?

AS: Take! Minato Arisato takes 0 Almighty damage from Multiboss's Evil Touch.
AS: Sick added!
AS: Avoid Best! Minato Arisato takes 20 Slash damage from Multiboss's Blight. Critical Hit!
AS: Multiboss gains 1 Limit from Momentum!
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
<poem>
"Obviously he's not /Dracula/."

Yukari scoffs at the very idea of him being Dracula. ... Because he's just not hot enough Koh, duh.

"Really?" She says to Reiya, but then gets suspicious, "Are you sure?"

-=-=-

Minato of course, is one of the first into battle, enervating them, which is perhaps fortunate for Yukari since it starts forming flames.

"Uh? Wha..." At first surprised, she recovers quickly to sound none too impressed by the comment of not knowing what they're dealing with. "...Pretty sure I know better than you."

And as it blasts her, she finds herself immediately /on fire/ before blue energy sets her aglow defensively to smother the worst of it.

"Geez... how'd he find a pack of Shadows this big?" She complains as she pats at her pink cardigan, as Reiya suggests he's in fact not just /another person/. "... Yeah well, that's pretty obvious." She suggests to the idea, as she starts to raise her Evoker to her head.

"Help us- Io!"

And with the pull of a trigger, the Persona erupts, with a fanfare of shattering glass.

Just in time, before the Slash slices into the ephemeral girl who is bound to the bull, causing her head to rear back in the sudden agony of it all.

"Come on! /Come on/! Keep running!" She calls to Tyler as he gets closer, but then - the Phantom appears to cut him off. "Ohhhhh /WHY NOW/?"

Focusing against the sudden assault, Io suddenly uncrosses her arms, spreading them high, as the Phantom suddenly finds itself blasted by a churning cyclone of wind that tries to smash it to the ground and distract it for a moment.

AS: Persona! Yukari Takeba has used the Wind skill Garula on Multiboss!
AS: Yukari Takeba's turn has ended.
AS: Avoid Neutral! Multiboss takes 55 Wind damage from Yukari Takeba's Garula. Resist!
AS: Haze added!
GAME: Reiya Aomori flips a coin! The coin comes up heads!
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Minato Arisato has posed.
<poem>
Tyler /might/ be a vampire. Wait, do vampires hate salt? No, that's werewolves. Werewolves hate salt, final answer.

Minato feels touched by the Raven's gaze, a terrible feeling which sinks into his soul and settles there. The blight which strikes him knocks him down as he's in the middle of leaping away, leaving him vulnerable for a critical moment.

"Aomori-san!" He yells, from the ground. "Go!"

Picking himself up, he summons Orpheus, again, as that creature of the night slams into the Shadows with a shockwave meant to disturb the whole /group./

AS: Persona! Minato Arisato has used the Strike skill Swift Strike on Multiboss! 3 Hits!
AS: Minato Arisato: Loses 8 SP from Sick!
AS: Minato Arisato's turn has ended.
AS: Minato Arisato spends Limit on Shift! Reiya Aomori can use another Weak skill this round!

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
A vampire... Reiya doesn't comment about that. Instead he answers, "...We haven't asked him to handle anyone else's trash though."

-=-=-

In the battle, he moves too quickly for the average high schooler--but then, he does have a Persona. The Blight sees him /leap/ over the firing line, somersaulting forward to block the next slash, mysterious as it is, with one of his sai. "Hup--"

He turns his eye for a moment towards Koh near him, and then looks to the larger Phantom. He narrows his eyes. "Gould-san!" he says quickly, and pulls something from his jacket. He volunteered for this part of the task--to hold the extra Evoker, in case.

He reaches Tyler and quickly tells him, "I do not speak English," in Japanese obviously. He didn't catch what the 'wait' was. "But you must use this." He hands out the Evoker, still looking towards the enemy as it approaches. It's too big, but Yukari buys him a few moments of activity, during which he breathes in and stows his weapons, Evoker and all. "Kunimitsu!" he calls.

He puts forth his hands, but his gestures are obscured by the darkness and the Shadows and his back to the others; he's just doing... /something/.

"Come forth!"

Needles crash down in a starred circle around the Phantom, pinning down its aura as his Persona invokes the water.

A wave rushes forth, and the needles tear forth! At the same time, Reiya throws out his other hand, and focuses his Resonance. "Takeba-san!" he calls. "Be hidden, that you may heal us!"

"Quickly!" he says over his shoulder to Tyler. "We can only hold them off without you for so long!"

AS: Tandem! Reiya Aomori has used the Water skill Punishment Seal - Suiton on Multiboss!
AS: Persona! Reiya Aomori has used the Recovery skill Shroud on Yukari Takeba!
AS: Reiya Aomori's turn has ended.
AS: Take! Yukari Takeba takes 45 Recovery healing from Reiya Aomori's Shroud.
AS: Avoid Best! Multiboss takes 18 Strike damage from Minato Arisato's Swift Strike.
AS: Avoid Neutral! Multiboss takes 28 Strike damage from Minato Arisato's Swift Strike.
AS: Block Best! Multiboss takes 18 Strike damage from Minato Arisato's Swift Strike.
AS: Nerve Up! Multiboss's SP +8!
AS: Block Neutral! Multiboss takes 88 Water damage from Reiya Aomori's Punishment Seal - Suiton. Weak!
AS: Exhaust and Panic added!
AS: Reiya Aomori gains 1 Limit from Schadenfreude!
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Koh Katsuhiro has posed.
<poem>
Koh and crow bonk together, the boy tearing a chunk from it and getting shearing in return. He tumbles along past, out of immediate range. Now that Tyler's going in the right direction Koh's happy to avoid close combat.

He's nowhere near as graceful as Reiya, but at least he knows what he's doing. Koh'd be impressed if he had time for it, but all he manages is a quick scan of the situation and the Evoker being offered to the beleaguered foreigner.

"Hey!" Koh, shouts, "Tyler! Good luck!"

Which is about as helpful as he can be besides giving an unintentional demonstration. The boy's fingers squeeze tight around his evoker as he presses it to his temple.

"'Need you!" Click. "Zagreus!"

Behind him appears...a windsock? Something like that. Multicolored cloth draped off a golden collar with an equally golden comedy mask floating above. The one arm peeking from between the cloth squeezes life-giving resonance out of the bleeding heart in its hand.

AS: Persona! Koh Katsuhiro has used the Recovery skill Healing Wave on Koh Katsuhiro, Yukari Takeba, and Reiya Aomori!
AS: Koh Katsuhiro's turn has ended.
AS: Take! Reiya Aomori takes 0 Recovery healing from Koh Katsuhiro's Healing Wave.
AS: Regen added!
AS: Koh Katsuhiro gains 1 Limit from Supporter!
AS: Take! Yukari Takeba takes 0 Recovery healing from Koh Katsuhiro's Healing Wave.
AS: Regen added!
AS: Koh Katsuhiro gains 1 Limit from Supporter!
AS: Take! Koh Katsuhiro takes 0 Recovery healing from Koh Katsuhiro's Healing Wave.
AS: Regen added!
AS: Yukari Takeba spends Limit on Help Up! Sick removed from Minato Arisato! SP +10!

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.
<poem>
In the commotion of everything else going on, Tyler doesn't quite catch Yukari's response. They'll have to compare notes, eventually. Pool knowledge. He can tell her ALL about GHOSTS. It'll be great.

Minato gives the order. He isn't sure *what* the order is, but even the solo act can grasp the giving of instructions.

'You must use this'

The Evoker is offered. He's seen them use it, already. This isn't a weapon to be fired at an enemy... this is a portal to another dimension. Or something. He'll opine on it later. He reaches for the device, trying to free Reiya up to continue being awesome as quickly as possible.

Said haste wasn't the smartest idea. There's a bit of a bobble as the sleek, silver 'weapon' slips from his fingers as he pulls it towards himself. This also loosens the grip on the Ouija board to allow it to unfold again and clearly reveal what it is to any who would recognize it. On the plus side, the bobbled Evoker next lands against it, sliding along the smooth wood and threatening to hit the ground... only for pale fingers to grasp the handle as it's sliding over the 'G O O D B Y E' section of the board.

Koh wishes him good luck. It's pretty clear he just benefitted from a heavy dose of it.

Once it's in his hand? There's no hesitation. Not even time for him to take a breath. Instead, the Evoker is moved to the side of his head. Lips curve into the faintest hint of a smile. He wasn't sure how this worked, but he was pretty certain it was payback time.

"It's showtime... Persona." The monotone returns as the trigger is pulled. He *believes*, and as glass shatters, the stylized form of the legendary escape artist takes the 'stage'. At first, it might appear like nothing more than a mass of chains and locks, suspended above the vampire(?) like a headsman's axe, ready to drop down and make the final blow. But there's a rather fancy top hat sticking out from the bottom of the mass of metal, with a jaunty red ribbon wrapped above the brim. The chains? They're not so much rattling... as the locks are clicking. Unlocking with each passing second.

"Houdini!" The name leaves his lips like it was there all along. He doesn't know *why*.

He doesn't care.

Now, the chains start to rattle, and the temperature seems to briefly lower as shards of ice erupt from within, and swirl around both Persona and summoner for a moment or two before launching towards that Phantom as if they, in fact, were fired from a gun.

AS: Persona! Tyler Gould has used the Water skill Bufula on Multiboss!
AS: Tyler Gould's turn has ended.
AS: Avoid Best! Multiboss takes 100 Water damage from Tyler Gould's Bufula. Critical Hit! Weak!
AS: Bind added!
AS: Tyler Gould gains 1 Limit from Schadenfreude!
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Multiboss has posed.
<poem>
The wind cyclone Io fires out blasts into the approaching Phantom, who is sent careening to the ground as it tries to avoid the blast, even as it is less damaging than it should be... wind resist it seems. It smashes against it, before bouncing back up.

Orpheus creates a shockwave at Minato's call, blasting into the various Shadows. Several of the Shadows manage to resist the shockwave, even as the ichor spills out of their wounds and causes them to tilt ever so slightly. Even so, one of the Ravens is sent on the backfoot...

And as it tries to block with its wings, Reiya's Suiton destroys it, causing it to dissipate into ink and then into nothing. They're turning the tide, but not fast enough...

As Koh and Reiya's heals spread forward to their intended targets, the big Phantom gears up to attack Tyler. Unfortunately...

He's got a gun.

As Houdini manifests, the Shadows are unsympathetic to the near-plight of the Ouija board. They are also unsympathetic to their own suffering, as even as they try and scatter from the new threat and the ice, the sheer cold coming off it shatters one of the Phantoms, causing it to dissipate like the Raven. This leaves three Shadows - two injured, and one large Phantom that's still got a lot of fight left.

It seems water and ice are the key... may these Shadows have other weaknesses, too?

There's no time to think about it. The big Phantom lights up his lantern, causing some sort of buff to appear over his 'team', though the Shadows are seemingly lagging defensively, unable to guard as well afterwards.

The big Shadow fires off three dark blasts at Tyler, Reiya, and Minato, as the remaining Phantom and Raven both charge at Yukari and Koh with piercing claws and... however the heck a Phantom pierces.

AS: Multiboss spends Limit on Blood!
AS: Persona! Multiboss has used the Dark skill Mudo on Tyler Gould!
AS: Multiboss takes 40 damage from Panic!
AS: Persona! Multiboss has used the Dark skill Mudo on Reiya Aomori!
AS: Persona! Multiboss has used the Dark skill Mudo on Minato Arisato!
AS: Weapon! Multiboss has used the Pierce skill Shadow Rush on Yukari Takeba!
AS: Multiboss takes 40 damage from Exhaust!
AS: Weapon! Multiboss has used the Pierce skill Shadow Rush on Koh Katsuhiro!
AS: Multiboss: Exhaust removed!
AS: Multiboss's turn has ended.
AS: Avoid Worst! Reiya Aomori takes 118 Dark damage from Multiboss's Mudo.
AS: Avoid Worst! Yukari Takeba takes 78 Pierce damage from Multiboss's Shadow Rush.
AS: Avoid Worst! Koh Katsuhiro takes 73 Pierce damage from Multiboss's Shadow Rush.
AS: There's nothing in your queue by that number or attacker.
AS: Avoid Best! Tyler Gould takes 49 Dark damage from Multiboss's Mudo.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
<poem>
Koh summons Zagreus, and Yukari is surprised by /how/ Koh approaches this by sending healing energy over them, "Oh ah- thanks!" Why's she so awkward about that?

And as Reiya bits her to hide, "Right!" Yukari's presence disappears /in part/ - making it more difficult for the Shadows to detect her weaknesses. Though - it comes with a side benefit too.

It makes it more difficult for Minato to detect her coming- "Hey! Arisato-kun!" He's looking pretty green in the gills, isn't he?

And then Minato abruptly feels a slap to his right cheek. Not hard enough to cause any real damage, but definitely /bracing/. "Get serious!"

She demands it of him, because him looking that sick, him yelling for Reiya to go... it /is/ concerning.

"There's a lot on the line here!"

Which is when she sees the Evoker in Tyler's hands, "Wait huh!?" It's too late to offer him an alternative of /not/ doing that.

He's done it, and cannot ever look away again.

Some part of her is quite sad about that.

Nothing to be done now, but get her /own/ head in this fight. The Raven's piercing talons slice at her, and she bites down to prevent a scream of pain as she's momentarily staggered.

Then she puts the Evoker to her head, and pulls the trigger, "Persona!"

Io appears arms crossed, and as chains demonstrate the limit of her reach when she begins to upraise them...

... healing energy spreads over all of them, as if to offer a counterargument.

AS: Block Worst! Minato Arisato takes 129 Dark damage from Multiboss's Mudo. Critical Hit!
AS: Panic added!
AS: Multiboss gains 1 Limit from Momentum!
AS: Persona! Yukari Takeba has used the Recovery skill Media on Minato Arisato, Koh Katsuhiro, Reiya Aomori, and Yukari Takeba!
AS: Yukari Takeba: Gains 41 HP from Regen! Gains 41 SP from Vigor! Haze removed!
AS: Yukari Takeba's turn has ended.
AS: Yukari Takeba has readied for combat as Io! She is now fully healed!
AS: Take! Reiya Aomori takes 59 Recovery healing from Yukari Takeba's Media.
AS: Yukari Takeba gains 1 Limit from Supporter!
AS: Take! Koh Katsuhiro takes 59 Recovery healing from Yukari Takeba's Media.
AS: Yukari Takeba gains 1 Limit from Supporter!
AS: Take! Minato Arisato takes 59 Recovery healing from Yukari Takeba's Media.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Minato Arisato has posed.
<poem>
Reiya delivers the goods, and just as Minato suspected...

Showtime.

"You knew what to do," Minato nods, approvingly. He doesn't suspect a thing --

-- as Yukari steps in to /slap the horrible feeling in his gut right out of him./ Minato rattles his head, and looks to her. "Thanks." He's thanking her for slapping him?! ... in context, it was helpful.

"You're ready, or you're not," he asides, to Yukari. "You can't tell until it's in your hands... and he might be hit with this many enemies." The protection of Persona isn't nothing, in a situation like this. Could it be... that Minato's taking it more seriously than his taciturn exterior's betraying?

"Gould-san hit the weakness?" He confirms, as he turns to the Shadows. "I understand. Then..."

"Come forth, Jack Frost!"

Orpheus disappears, as Minato fires his gun into the side of his head again. What appears in his stead is an adorable little snowman of a guy, who spins on a heel before he spreads his arms, as if giving everyone a warm hug.

BUT THE WARM HUG IS ICICLES!

GAME: Minato Arisato has assumed form 3, Jack Frost!
AS: Persona! Minato Arisato has used the Water skill Bufula on Multiboss!
AS: Minato Arisato takes 40 damage from Panic!
AS: Minato Arisato's turn has ended.
AS: Block Worst! Multiboss takes 143 Water damage from Minato Arisato's Bufula. Weak!

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
That dark blast /slams/ into Reiya, and while he attempts to dodge it homes in on him. Sent knocked backwards, Reiya is able to catch himself, rolling on the ground to get back to his feet. ...He looks a lot more fatigued than he did a moment ago though, his life force attacked almost directly from how it feels. But it's long enough to have defended Tyler, at least.

"Yes," Reiya encourages. "That's the way."

The healing that Koh affords him is something he's grateful for. "Thank you."

Yukari's healing, too, is helpful to Reiya, and he is persuaded by this counterargument.

He didn't offer Tyler the choice to look away. Was that intentional? Did he simply not think about it? Or...?

Either way, this is the first time that Reiya has seen Minato's Wild Card in action, and he blinks once. "You really do have more than one Persona..."

But the enemy is lagging. That's good enough for hope. Reiya narrows his eyes. "A little injury like this won't stop me."

He's reliable.

"Persona!" He lifts his Evoker to summon again, and this time, Kunimitsu makes a few gestures of his own--and a torrent of water /erupts/ from beneath the enemy, hydraulic pressure enough to shatter stone.

AS: Reiya Aomori spends Limit on Psych!
AS: Persona! Reiya Aomori has used the Water skill Aques on Multiboss!
AS: Reiya Aomori: Gains 42 HP from Regen! Gains 42 SP from Vigor! Psych removed!
AS: Reiya Aomori's turn has ended.
AS: Block Worst! Multiboss takes 129 Water damage from Reiya Aomori's Aques. Weak!
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Koh Katsuhiro has posed.
<poem>
"No problem!" Kou replies helpfully to Yukari.

But then--Houdini does a magic trick. That gives Kou some small pause, to watch someone do that for the first time. Even in the mess of life-or-death he hears the reverberation from that.

The crash of ice earns a surprised cheer of, "You got 'em!"

Minato's follow is even better. But--Koh saw him use a different Persona.

The looming shadows keep him from gaping too long. Birds! Phantoms! He needs to be making his own contribution.

"Persona!" This one comes with a flinch. Maybe he's more hurt than he let on, even with Yukari's healing.

Zagreus comic mask slides away to reveal tragedy. And then it spews poison.

AS: Persona! Koh Katsuhiro has used the Almighty skill Poisma on Multiboss!
AS: Koh Katsuhiro's turn has ended.
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.
<poem>
Switching back to a slightly clunkier Japanese than normal, "That's my line." He offers to Yukari. 'Wait', that is. It literally was his line a moment ago, after all! But trying to figure out why she wanted him to wait is secondary at the moment.

Ultimately, he would've made the same choice even fully informed.

Growing up always being kept on the outside, looking in at the world of the paranormal. Knowing it existed but forbidden to do anything to help. That part of his life is over, and there's a part of him that, come what may, will be grateful for that.

Even if he might not always express it.

Of course, the sucker punch delivered with Houdini's help might have been a mighty blow, but the fight isn't over... and this enemy fights back. This time, he's not able to just fully avoid the attack like he has been, but as the darkness envelops him it's not the warm hug that he might've expected it to be. That hurt, forcing him backwards as he almost skids across pavement and grass alike. He's lucky it doesn't take him off his feet, but it definitely has him moving to the proverbial 'back row'.

The Ouija board, for all of its help communicating with The Other Side, did not seem to help him tonight.

There's a look over towards Minato as he hears his surname. He hit the weakness?

"They don't like the cold, huh?" he states rhetorically. Elements and weak points and all that might be part of a later primer. Right now, he's just gonna do what *feels* right, and repeating what he did before seems like the easiest way to do it. Besides. Reiya already confirmed he's doing this right. How? He'll figure that out later.

He plants his feet. The Evoker is goes up again. He's all business, here. Less emotion. "Persona." He summons anew, and once again the shards of frost re brought to life around him, flowing with a flourish that one might expect more of a showman than one would. A helping hand from his 'other half'? Maybe.

"We have to," he replies to Koh. "It's them or us." In Tyler's mind, these are malevolent spirits. Somehow, they're doing battle with the spirits on their own plane of existence. There would be questions later, but he gets the idea. Short answers. The time for waxing poetic would come later.

AS: Persona! Tyler Gould has used the Water skill Bufula on Multiboss!
AS: Tyler Gould's turn has ended.
AS: Block Worst! Multiboss takes 156 Water damage from Tyler Gould's Bufula. Weak!
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Multiboss has posed.
<poem>
Jack Frost arrives as Yukari heals the group with the potent magic of Io, with the secondary Persona's ice giving a warm hug to the Shadows.

Jack Frost's warm hug, also known as ICICLES, slaughters the Black Raven and takes out another Shadow.

The smaller Phantom, meanwhile, gets a torrent of Water from underneath it thanks to Reiya's reliability. The blast knocks it into the air, before it crashes back down, collapsing inwards.

This leaves the large Phantom. Koh poisons it with a horrible ailment, which allows Tyler to come in with another big ice attack, blasting straight into it with subzero temperatures, courtesy Houdini. It falls down...

It's time for an all-out attack.

Even as it tries to rip the lantern out of its stomach and wave it to burn the group intensely from afar, focused most accurately on Tyler. It could do more than that, if it wasn't pinned to the ground, unable to get into melee range...!

AS: Multiboss spends Limit on Break!
AS: Persona! Multiboss has used the Fire skill Agilao on Tyler Gould!
AS: Multiboss takes 40 damage from Panic!
AS: Multiboss spends Limit on Reach!
AS: Persona! Multiboss has used the Fire skill Agilao on Reiya Aomori!
AS: Persona! Multiboss has used the Fire skill Agilao on Yukari Takeba!
AS: Persona! Multiboss has used the Fire skill Agilao on Minato Arisato!
AS: Persona! Multiboss has used the Fire skill Agilao on Koh Katsuhiro!
AS: Multiboss: Loses 38 HP from Poison! Bind, Blood, Break, and Reach removed!
AS: Multiboss's turn has ended. It's time for an All-Out Attack!
AS: Avoid Best! Reiya Aomori takes 59 Fire damage from Multiboss's Agilao. Critical Hit!
AS: Haze added!
AS: Break! Reiya Aomori can take another Weak action this round!
AS: Multiboss gains 1 Limit from Momentum!
AS: Avoid Worst! Yukari Takeba takes 112 Fire damage from Multiboss's Agilao.
AS: Haze added!
AS: Break! Yukari Takeba can take another Weak action this round!
AS: Avoid Neutral! Minato Arisato takes 114 Fire damage from Multiboss's Agilao. Weak!
AS: Haze added!
AS: Break! Minato Arisato can take another Weak action this round!
AS: Avoid Neutral! Koh Katsuhiro takes 105 Fire damage from Multiboss's Agilao. Critical Hit!
AS: Break! Koh Katsuhiro can take another Weak action this round!
AS: Multiboss gains 1 Limit from Momentum!
AS: Block Best! Tyler Gould takes 85 Fire damage from Multiboss's Agilao. Critical Hit!
AS: Break! Tyler Gould can take another Weak action this round!
AS: Multiboss gains 1 Limit from Momentum!
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
<poem>
"... It's not really that simple." Is all she says, as she brushes aside Minato's point. In her eyes after all, he awakened /because of her/. Because she wasn't strong enough.

He's her sin.

Nor does she think that informed consent would in fact make a difference, if she knew Tyler's proclivities. In her eyes you can't really inform people as to what it's like until it happens.

And by then it's too late to understand the bars of the cage the world has placed you in, the factors that pressured you to get involved - until it feels like the only /correct/ choice.

His 'That's my line' gets a sigh from her, "You've only been doing this for /five seconds/. So- stop trying to sound cool and finish them off already."

Still, in the moment, him awakening makes things easier - as Gould's Persona - Houdini - turns out to be element of the Shadow's vulnerability, which Reiya and Minato follow him in bringing them down.

In that moment, the Shadows rally to a huge blast of flame, and Io intercepts, the Persona burning - then shattering into cognitive shards.

They fall down right after, hitting the ground.

And Yukari puts the Evoker back to her head. "I won't lose..." She murmurs as Io- reforms - beginning to mold and shape the winds. As Yukari takes a knee, and begins to fire.

Arrow after arrow, which are suddenly surrounded by Io's winds, as they speed up into shredding projectiles.

AS: Tandem! Yukari Takeba has used the Wind skill Stinging Torment on Multiboss! 2 Hits!
AS: Weapon! Yukari Takeba has used the Pierce skill Please Hit! on Multiboss! 2 Hits!
AS: Yukari Takeba's turn has ended.AS: Avoid Best! Multiboss takes 12 Wind damage from Yukari Takeba's Stinging Torment. Critical Hit! Resist!
AS: Avoid Best! Multiboss takes 12 Wind damage from Yukari Takeba's Stinging Torment. Critical Hit! Resist!
AS: Avoid Worst! Multiboss takes 38 Pierce damage from Yukari Takeba's Please Hit!.
AS: Avoid Worst! Multiboss takes 38 Pierce damage from Yukari Takeba's Please Hit!.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Minato Arisato has posed.
<poem>
"Right," Minato nods, to Reiya. Having more than one Persona isn't surprising to him, but he's gotten used to it surprising /other/ people.

Koh is damaged, Minato notes, looking to him briefly. And Reiya's reporting injuries, too. But Tyler wonders about the cold, and he confirms: "That's right." Mitsuru can give him the full tutorial on weaknesses; Minato's more terse than that. He gets the important parts, and that's what matters.

The phantom burns at Minato, though -- and Jack Frost /hates/ that. He hates that the most, as evidenced by the way Minato lands right back on his butt in the wake of the flames. Oh no! Our leader's been knocked down..!!

As he pushes himself up, he looks to Yukari. She's not happy... for some reason. Why isn't she happy?

It bothers him.

"Let's finish this," he decides, as he fires on himself again. With the strain on his team, they need to get home quickly. "Persona!"

Jack Frost spins into existence, again, dancing from foot to foot as icicles rain down once and once again.

"You can do it," he adds, as he throws the spotlight onto Tyler.

AS: Persona! Minato Arisato has used the Water skill Bufula on Multiboss!
AS: Minato Arisato takes 40 damage from Panic!
AS: Persona! Minato Arisato has used the Water skill Bufu on Multiboss!
AS: Minato Arisato's turn has ended.
AS: Minato Arisato spends Limit on Shift! Tyler Gould can use another Weak skill this round!
AS: Block Best! Multiboss takes 100 Water damage from Minato Arisato's Bufula. Weak!
AS: Bind added!
AS: Block Worst! Multiboss takes 89 Water damage from Minato Arisato's Bufu. Weak!

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
Reiya notices Koh's flinch. He takes note, concerned, but he has only very limited healing abilities, so there's little that he can do about it. He is best suited focusing on the offense, instead. Yukari has a point, though, with Tyler...

"Yes. Style comes after practice. Fundamentals have to be first."

Them or us, though. That... "True."

He can answer questions, or else help someone else answer questions. The lantern comes, though--and Reiya dives out of the way, taking a nasty gout of flame that flows towards him like a sunspot. He grits his teeth, but does not cry out, landing in a crouch. This gives him the opportunity to see how Yukari's experience makes her strong, though--the way she can put together her arrows with the wind...

Minato confirms what he saw, and goes for a set of attacks. Reiya notes that /he/ has a weakness, too--or that Jack Frost does--so that he can accomodate that later. In the meantime, he stays in front of Tyler, who can remain oin the back line if he wants.

"Gould-san," he says. "Your Persona is particularly suited to destroying these enemies. Do your best."

For his part, though, his Persona Kunimitsu rushes forward, throwing a spectral knife. Then he makes use of the feint, to try to knock down the Shadow outright and take advantage of it.

He follows up with a smaller burst of water!

AS: Persona! Reiya Aomori has used the Pierce skill Cruel Attack on Multiboss!
AS: Persona! Reiya Aomori has used the Water skill Aqua on Multiboss!
AS: Reiya Aomori's turn has ended.
AS: Avoid Best! Multiboss takes 66 Pierce damage from Reiya Aomori's Cruel Attack.
AS: Avoid Best! Multiboss takes 51 Water damage from Reiya Aomori's Aqua. Weak!
AS: Paralyze added!
AS: Reiya Aomori gains 1 Limit from Schadenfreude!

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Koh Katsuhiro has posed.
<poem>
Koh agrees with Tyler: them or us. And there's no reason he'd give any pause to finishing off a shadow. So he finds his feet and bites down the pain.

And after Yukari skewers the fallen Phantom with arrows whipped at supernatural speed, Jack Frost skewers the shadow with ice, and Kunimitsu stabs. Koh lunges in when the coast is clear to drive his knife down.

"Hey, Tyler!" He shouts, clenched teeth flashing in what might pass for a smile. "It's all you!"

He gets clear after that.

AS: Koh Katsuhiro spends Limit on Shift! Tyler Gould can use another Weak skill this round!
AS: Koh Katsuhiro spends Limit on Psych!
AS: Weapon! Koh Katsuhiro has used the Slash skill Slash Weapon D on Multiboss!
AS: Weapon! Koh Katsuhiro has used the Slash skill Slash Weapon E on Multiboss!
AS: Koh Katsuhiro: Gains 36 HP from Regen! Gains 36 SP from Vigor! Psych removed!
AS: Koh Katsuhiro's turn has ended.
AS: Yukari Takeba spends Limit on Shift! Reiya Aomori can use another Weak skill this round!
AS: Weapon! Reiya Aomori has used the Pierce skill Powerful Combo on Multiboss! 2 Hits!
AS: Block Best! Multiboss takes 44 Slash damage from Koh Katsuhiro's Slash Weapon D.
AS: Block Worst! Multiboss takes 76 Slash damage from Koh Katsuhiro's Slash Weapon E. Critical Hit!
AS: Block Worst! Multiboss takes 59 Pierce damage from Reiya Aomori's Powerful Combo. Critical Hit! Block Pierce!
AS: Block Worst! Multiboss takes 44 Pierce damage from Reiya Aomori's Powerful Combo. Block Pierce!
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.
<poem>
Tyler glances over to Yukari for a moment, one brow arching. "You think I'm cool then. Huh." he replies -- Japan was definitely different than America in more ways than he could've ever expected, clearly.

Granted, he *is* whipping frozen vengeance around, so he'd have to consent that it's a fitting descriptor, at least tonight.

And speaking of vengeance... it's the shadow's turn. Fire. Again. Focused on him. That's further proof that he's doing exactly what he should be, here., but trying to avoid it right now doesn't seem feasible.

So he uses one hand to swing the Ouija board so that it snaps closed, holds it against his chest and turns away from the fire, trying to block the hit *with his body* rather than use the thing as a shield. Fire burns.

So does wood, so ultimately, maybe a good idea.

That definitely hurt quite a bit more than the darkness, sending him sprawling forward against the ground. It *burns*. Is this what regret feels like? Is this what *death* feels like?

No.

He can feel his blood pumping through his veins. The oxygen being pulled into his breath in ragged breaths. No, this isn't death, he feels *alive*.

Turning still on the ground, he looks to those who've come to his aid. Those who area risking their own lives against the malevolent spirits that he's pretty sure he ended up bringing down on himself. Minato's down. Down, but convinced that he, who as Yukari pointed out has been doing this for five seconds, can do it. Koh wears a brave face through the fire, and *also* believes in him.

He's not sure why, but it inspires him. The adrenaline is pumping in a way it hasn't before. Reiya taking the front line here is... a relief. Steadying.

"Alright, then I won't fail. It's time to pay you all back for tonight."

They saved him, and if his Persona, whatever that is, is suited to the destruction of these spirits? It was his turn to do everything he could to return the favor.

He doesn't bother standing, opting to stay on the hallowed earth as his attention goes to the enemy. "Let's take a bow, Houdini." The trigger is pulled. Houdini's chains rattle audibly, ice forming rapidly around the bulk of metal. Growing larger, and larger until there's no visual sign of Tyler's Persona above him, just... ice.

A moment later, the ice cracks, shattering like the popping of a balloon in slow motion and revealing not ice, but water inside. Water rushes forward from the heavens (or, more accurately, several feet in the air) -- neatly avoiding Reiya standing in front of the summoner -- and crashing towards the poor, pinned shadow.

This is followed by proper ice. From the left. From the right. Attacks seeming like they'll never cease... until they finally do.

Maybe someone likes the spotlight after all. He'll never admit it, though.

AS: Tyler Gould spends Limit on Psych!
AS: Persona! Tyler Gould has used the Water skill A Drowning Death on Multiboss! 3 Hits!
AS: Persona! Tyler Gould has used the Water skill Bufu on Multiboss!
AS: Persona! Tyler Gould has used the Water skill Bufu on Multiboss!
AS: Persona! Tyler Gould has used the Water skill Bufu on Multiboss!
AS: Tyler Gould: Psych removed!
AS: Tyler Gould's turn has ended.
AS: Block Worst! Multiboss takes 80 Water damage from Tyler Gould's A Drowning Death. Critical Hit! Weak!
AS: Block Worst! Multiboss takes 80 Water damage from Tyler Gould's A Drowning Death. Critical Hit! Weak!
AS: Multiboss is unable to continue fighting!
AS: Block Best! Multiboss takes 60 Water damage from Tyler Gould's A Drowning Death. Critical Hit! Weak!
AS: Multiboss is unable to continue fighting!
AS: Block Worst! Multiboss takes 110 Water damage from Tyler Gould's Bufu. Weak!
AS: Bind added!
AS: Tyler Gould gains 1 Limit from Schadenfreude!
AS: Multiboss is unable to continue fighting!
AS: Block Best! Multiboss takes 78 Water damage from Tyler Gould's Bufu. Weak!
AS: Multiboss is unable to continue fighting!
AS: Block Best! Multiboss takes 81 Water damage from Tyler Gould's Bufu. Weak!
AS: Bind added!
AS: Multiboss is unable to continue fighting!
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Multiboss has posed.
<poem>
Yukari comes in with the tandem attacks, her wind-boosted arrows shredding through the Phantom's cloak even as it tries to lift itself up, keeping it pinned to the ground.

Jack Frost's ice freezes it more, keeping it from attacking again as the ichor starts seeping out, freezing where it spills.

Reiya comes in with kunai, spectral knife, and water, which tear it apart further and wash the ichor away. It's almost there...

Koh's knife drives down, and it's at the last gasp, thrashing as it tries and fails to get him away. The proverbial last chunk of health.

But the attack doesn't come from in front. The Phantom doesn't even look up as water pours downwards... and floods it out. The first moment doesn't do much, but the following moments, along with the blast of ice, shatter it into pieces.

Nothing remains.

There is a silence in the graveyard. But nothing else is coming. It seems they are all safe, for now.

The Dark Hour will end soon. It'd be a good idea to get back to the dorm.
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
<poem>
Yukari isn't happy. It's not even not necessarily being unhappy at Minato...

... but Yukari Takeba is unhappy. Why should that bother anyone? She is after all, someone who made things in SEES quite unpleasant for everyone.

Minato more than anyone even.

Reiya even agrees in a sense, and Yukari is somewhat taken aback by that, before Tyler thinks- "No. I said you're /trying/ to /sound/ cool." Yukari clarifies, enunciating the words just in case it was translating differently in his head. "Sound." She repeats.

She has to get ahead of this before the Rumor spreads around school that Yukari Takeba thought a boy... /was cool/.

She would never live that one down.

"All yours, Aomori-kun." She says, after her attack takes the Shadows by 'storm' (NO THE PUN WAS IN THE META DOWN SHUJI DOWN!) and she watches Koh descend to stab it while it's down.

Eventually however, it is that assault by Houdini that takes them down and... "Hmm. Not bad for a first time I guess." Is in fact her real evaluation. Because even if she's upset at this turn of events...

... it's done now. There's not really any changing what's in front of her eyes.

What would be /great/ for a first time to her?

... Well Minato set a pretty high bar with that Death itself bursting out of Orpheus to eat a Full Moon Shadow and saving her life.

"What the heck were you thinking going to the cemetary during the Dark Hour anyway though?"

Yukari says, as she uses Io's lingering power to begin the process of tending to the wounds here with several Medias in a row.
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Minato Arisato has posed.
<poem>
It's true, Koh. Shadows... must be defeated.

But Tyler shows the might inside him, with Reiya's helpful guidance, and the Phantom shatters. Yukari insists it's not cool, and Minato looks to her, thoughtfully.

So... Yukari doesn't think Persona are cool.

"Let's talk back at the dorm," he cuts in, before she can start Tyler off on a tangent in the cemetary when they're all tired from the battle.

Sometimes, a leader's job... is to herd cats.

(He'll herd him straight into Ikutsuki for a /full/ explanation, because Minato sure ain't giving it. Luckily, the camera will pull away before Yukari can learn how powerful their boss's pun game truly is. Making puns in the narrative won't save you, Yukari...)

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
He won't fail. Reiya inclines his head, without looking back at him. And Tyler and Houdini take their bow. The cold of the enemy's destruction doesn't faze him. He is strong to such things. But soon, the Dark Hour will end, and...

Yukari's taken aback, but Reiya doesn't really notice. He's not trying to do anything other than say the truth. But, "...Yes. You did well."

That's like what Yukari said, right?

He is curious about the answer to her question, but...

"...Yes," Reiya says. "This way."
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Koh Katsuhiro has posed.
<poem>
Koh is breathing a bit heavy, both from the adrenaline and the effort of being in an actual fight.

He takes a knee to stuck in a few deep breaths before joining the Media line.

"Thanks, Takeba-san. And Aomori-kun...nice flip." The latter got a familiarity upgrade, it seems.

Going back to the dorm sounds good. He assures Tyler, as an aside, "I thought you looked cool." He leaves others to lecture. But he'll probably ask later.

And for their stoic leader: "Nice working with you, Minato-san." He still doesn't get how he made that Jack Frost.
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.
<poem>
"Mmhmm." Tyler replies simply to Yukari's efforts to, in his view, correct herself about his coolness. "Whatever you say." Delivered in that very same monotone -- it was a joke, but his delivery... is typically not the greatest. Especially now that the emotion has withdrawn. The armor is returning. Appreciation is there, certainly. Yukari, Minato, Reiya, and Koh scored points that none can take away. He didn't *ask* for help. They came anyways. That means something to someone who's lived never expecting to *get* help.

The healing... is a relief. He's not sure how it works. He feels fairly certain that that's something he *can't* do. As Reiya had noted earlier; he's uniquely suited for destruction.

Koh's assurance that Tyler did, indeed, look cool, is met with a nod from the goth. "I know." Again, ice everywhere! Of course he looked cool. Looking warm would've been impossible.

As for 'why'...

Tyler's silent for several moments. Taking this moment to finally stand once more, brushing some dirt off of his coat. He turns his attention fully towards Yukari, now. Using Japanese still means choosing the simpler words for now rather than his preferred eloquence, and it takes a bit longer.

"June 13th. 2010." he states plainly, taking a breath -- which is long enough for Minato to interject and suggest they talk at the dorm, so he cuts himself off there. Sure, *he* would probably be fine sleeping here... but the others, he suspects, would not. "At the dorms, then."

Then again, they've surprised him once already tonight.

And the meaning behind that date... will have to be determined after suitable pun-ishment comes.

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 1]]

2025-07-22: A Grave Awakening

2025-07-24T02:28:36Z

Ghost: Created page with "*'''Log: A Grave Awakening''' *'''Cast:''' Tyler Gould Yukari Takeba Minato Arisato Reiya Aomori Koh Katsuhiro *'''Where:''' A cemetery not far from the SEES dorm. *'''OOC Date:''' July 22, 2025 *'''IC Date:''' Wednesday, June 13, 2012 (Dark Hour) *'''Summary''': ''On the anniversary of his parents' death, Tyler sneaks out of the SEES dorm to place a longest-distance call. Yukari, Minato, Reiya, Koh come to the rescue and gain a new teammate in the pr..."

*'''Log: A Grave Awakening'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Tyler Gould]] [[Yukari Takeba]] [[Minato Arisato]] [[Reiya Aomori]] [[Koh Katsuhiro]]
*'''Where:''' A cemetery not far from the SEES dorm.
*'''OOC Date:''' July 22, 2025
*'''IC Date:''' Wednesday, June 13, 2012 (Dark Hour)
*'''Summary''': ''On the anniversary of his parents' death, Tyler sneaks out of the SEES dorm to place a longest-distance call. Yukari, Minato, Reiya, Koh come to the rescue and gain a new teammate in the process!''

----

<Pose Tracker> Multiboss has posed.

It is a very green Dark Hour. Normally, it'd be one to stay inside if someone has the Potential, especially for members of SEES, who are well aware of the risks.

But one of their dorm members being monitored for the Potential turned out to be missing. Tyler Gould, the gloomy American transfer student, disappeared late at night not long before the Dark Hour. SEES has been informed, with any members capable of getting out there being tasked to go and recover him in case of a disaster. They have been given spare equipment, just in case.

But first, they have to find him. Where would Tyler be? How could they ever know...?

The note in his bed saying he was going to the cemetery, of course. Music was playing in the room to distract from his disappearance, so he definitely knew he was sneaking out...

Once SEES arrives at the cemetery, they'll see the threat.

Several Shadows, in the form of black ravens holding lanterns in their talons and floating phantoms wearing masks and capes, and bearing lanterns inside their stomach, two each, menace Tyler as they navigate around the graves. The grass is singed and burning underfoot, clearly the work of fire blasts that missed their mark.

How in the world did this all happen? And why graveyards?

<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.

Tyler Gould is a ____, not a fighter.

Black trench coat (which appears to have been singed a couple times already!) whips around with every sudden motion of the lanky boy. The shirt and pants beneath? Also black. Did one really expect something else from him? At least he had the sense to wear loose fitting things to stave off some of the heat.

That said, he's also not about to back down from a fight, regardless of whether or not he thinks he can win it. Some of the hallmarks of what he was doing are evident enough. Among the burning grass are candles; white and black (and even one blue!). There's a small, electronic radio that's obviously ceased to function placed not that far from a tree, along with a notebook that... well, caught fire from one of those stray blasts.

The 'weapon' he's holding in both hands and swinging wildly whenever the shadows get close enough is a wooden board -- which has been folded in half for extra striking power. It is Not Very Effective, but it's what he's got.

Anyone who's read his file would likely know the current date holds a special significance to the creature of the night, as well.

That being said, for one who isn't a natural fighter, he at least has the instincts to fight defensively. As one shadow starts to get too close for comfort, one hand strays from the board, into a pocket -- and comes out moments later with a fist full of a white, powdery substance that is thrown as a cloud at the thing as he backpedals.

Shadow, meet pocket salt. Hey, it comes in handy for protection!

"Away, foul creatures!" he insists, more emotive today than... well, most have probably ever seen him. There's obvious reasons and less obvious reasons for this! "This is a sacred night and only those with invitations are welcome!"

Some people, when trapped in the Dark Hour are scared. Some are paralyzed. Some work on instinct.

Tyler? Tyler... is offended.

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.

"Uhhh has anyone seen Tyler-kun?" Yukari still feels weird about living with a foreigner in the dorm. Real weird, but that's all out the window the moment he's disappeared.

Unfortunately, in the manner consistent with Tyler's true people (Goths) he has left a note of going to the cemetary. "Why the c-cemetary!? Geez... he's already causing problems! And here I thought he'd just clog the drains or not sort the trash properly."

Look, Yukari visits Naganaki shrine all the time, but she's never gone during the Dark Hour.

Probably because despite knowing logically ghosts aren't real... she does not want to tempt fate into making them real.

When Yukari shows up, she's- "Huh!? He's..." Throwing salt. "... Maybe he's really into living here after all."

What does Yukari think the American way of dealing with the supernatural is anyway?

(Brandishing Crosses of course.)

Taking a knee, she sights a Raven nocks an arrow and releases, sending it arcing towards one of the shadows. "Tyler!" She shouts, "We're gonna make you a path! Run my way!"

Well she dropped the honorific, but only because of the situation. Running towards a healer is only good practice after all.

AS: Weapon! Yukari Takeba has used the Pierce skill Eight Stages of Shooting on Multiboss!
AS: Yukari Takeba's turn has ended.
AS: Block Best! Multiboss takes 29 Pierce damage from Yukari Takeba's Eight Stages of Shooting. Critical Hit! Block Pierce!

<Pose Tracker> Minato Arisato has posed.

"Understood. Commencing the mission."

That's what Minato had to say, when Tyler went /missing,/ and they were sent out to find him. He's one of their field leaders, after all, so it's his responsibility to keep them safe.

That includes Tyler, of course. Potentially.

He's offended... that means he hasn't shut down. Good. "There," he calls out, to his team, as he sights the goth-not-fighter in the cemetary. "Let's go."

With that, Minato runs in, his arms pumping with all the fury of a Track and Field fella as he skids in front of one of those black ravens. Luckily, Yukari handles talking to /Tyler./ "Persona!" Minato cries, as he brings his Evoker to his head --

-- and fires.

It's glass which shatters out, though, not blood, as gothic as that might have been. The monster which rises from him is silver, grasping a lyre, red scarf flapping behind him. He strums his lyre, and the notes are enervating--!

AS: Persona! Minato Arisato has used the Almighty skill Tarunda on Multiboss!
AS: Minato Arisato's turn has ended.
AS: Take! Multiboss takes 0 Almighty damage from Minato Arisato's Tarunda.
AS: Atk_Dn added!
GAME: Reiya Aomori has assumed form 1, Kunimitsu!
AS: Reiya Aomori has readied for combat as Kunimitsu! He is now fully healed!

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.

"I haven't," Reiya says. And if Reiya hasn't seen him, then--well, then he might just be in his room. Reiya doesn't see everyone. The cemetary, though... Hmmm. For once he agrees with Yukari on, "Odd."

The cemetary.

"He hasn't given us any trouble with the trash," he'd said to Yukari then, too.

But once they reach him--

"...Despite being untrained, he fights fiercely. He isn't just another person drawn into the Dark Hour..."

The mission. Minato says to go, and Yukari is already--commenting on his foreign-ness. "He knows his stuff," Reiya agrees. But then he darts forward, behind a tombstone to avoid the Shadows at first, until he pops up with, "Crush them!"

The Evoker at the side of his head, Reiya pulls the trigger, and out come the lightly-armored Shadow man that is his persona, throwing a hand forward--and needles emerge to crash towards one of the Shadows.

He then darts the rest of the way, fully intending to reach Tyler himself.

AS: Persona! Reiya Aomori has used the Pierce skill Needle Rush on Multiboss! 3 Hits!
AS: Reiya Aomori's turn has ended.
AS: Koh Katsuhiro has readied for combat as Zagreus! He is now fully healed!
AS: Block Neutral! Multiboss takes 8 Pierce damage from Reiya Aomori's Needle Rush. Block Pierce!
AS: Block Neutral! Multiboss takes 8 Pierce damage from Reiya Aomori's Needle Rush. Block Pierce!
AS: Block Best! Multiboss takes 11 Pierce damage from Reiya Aomori's Needle Rush. Critical Hit! Block Pierce!

<Pose Tracker> Koh Katsuhiro has posed.

Koh's assessment of the note is one of bemusement: "I guess he wasn't kidding about the coffin stuff. You think he's a vampire?" Dracula, famously, is also white.

Either way, he's part of the search party.

He steps out into the green-tinted Dark Hour like he's used to this. The first time a person gets their head dunked in icewater it's a shock to the system. It's still awful a few dozen times later, but at least you generally know what to expect.

Koh Katsuhiro knows to the low drone in his ear and the ice cold ball of fear in his chest. But the recently arrived SEES addition is less used to watching foreigners attempting to exorcise shadows with wood and salt.

"Right, I'll cover!" Of the two things he's carrying it's the knife that gets used first. It's a big knife, somewhere on the scale of machetes, short swords, or things someone might show to others holding smaller knives to indicate that /this/ is a knife.

Right now he's sprinting forward to show it to one of the crows in a very up-close manner to dissuade them from following the harried goth.

AS: Weapon! Koh Katsuhiro has used the Slash skill Slash Weapon D on Multiboss!
AS: Koh Katsuhiro's turn has ended.
AS: Block Best! Multiboss takes 62 Slash damage from Koh Katsuhiro's Slash Weapon D. Critical Hit!

<Pose Tracker> Multiboss has posed.

The Shadows do not understand the symbolism of Tyler's candles. All they understand is prey, so when a Oujia board hits a Phantom and does no damage, it's not clear if it's mad or sticking to a 'script' or what. The minds of Shadows, if they exist, are ever unknown.

The salt, however, impacts with a Black Raven, causing it to momentarily divert long enough to save Tyler's life. It's unlikely he could keep this up forever, though...

Which makes it a good thing that the cavalry arrives.

An arrow flies at the Black Raven soon after, causing it to careen backwards in an odd flight, that goopy weird ichor spilling out of it, even as its feathers seem to be more durable than they should for such a piercing attack. It turns towards Yukari, still airborne, as flames manifest from the lantern, before blasting outwards as a veritable fireball straight for the archer.

The enervating affects of Orpheus wash over the four Shadows, causing them to feel sluggish, almost slow in their attacks. A Phantom responds by rushing the group of Persona-users, trying to spread a wave of poison via contact, before setting its gaze on Minato. It waits, before that lantern singes back up, attempting to make Minato sick and cause an explosive chain reaction should both hit!

One of the Phantoms begins to approach Tyler, but Reiya has it focused with those needles that fly into it, tearing through the 'fabric' of its existence and spilling the same ichor as before. It rocks back and forth as it turns, before charging forth, striking slowly and weakly with a clear slash of... something? It doesn't have visible slashing appendages, but it still feels like being slashed if it hits!

Kou comes in with the knife, moving to slash at the remaining Crow. It turns completely towards him, moving in with a headbutt to try and impact the youth head-on, even as ichor deeply covers the knife and causes it to tilt in what could be considered either pain or more likely a simple loss of mass. The enervation is still there, so where it may have been trying to bowl him over, it doesn't have a chance now.

Though, Reiya may want to reach Tyler imminently... because a larger Phantom approaches even as it appears all the Shadows are occupied. This might be messy if they're not very careful about this.

AS: Persona! Multiboss has used the Fire skill Agi on Yukari Takeba!
AS: Weapon! Multiboss has used the Slash skill Shadow Clash on Reiya Aomori!
AS: Persona! Multiboss has used the Almighty skill Evil Touch on Minato Arisato!
AS: Persona! Multiboss has used the Slash skill Blight on Reiya Aomori, Yukari Takeba, Minato Arisato, and Koh Katsuhiro!
AS: Weapon! Multiboss has used the Strike skill Shadow Bash on Koh Katsuhiro!
AS: Multiboss's turn has ended.
AS: Avoid Best! Reiya Aomori takes 8 Slash damage from Multiboss's Shadow Clash.
AS: Avoid Best! Reiya Aomori takes 13 Slash damage from Multiboss's Blight.
AS: Avoid Worst! Yukari Takeba takes 52 Fire damage from Multiboss's Agi.
AS: Haze added!
AS: Avoid Worst! Yukari Takeba takes 81 Slash damage from Multiboss's Blight.
AS: Avoid Worst! Koh Katsuhiro takes 71 Slash damage from Multiboss's Blight.
AS: Block Worst! Koh Katsuhiro takes 42 Strike damage from Multiboss's Shadow Bash.

<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.

The middle of a life and death scenario -- which Tyler would likely be far more comfortable with in a normal situation -- is not the kind of place that he expected to hear his name.

Spinning around with a flare of the coat towards Yukari's voice, he freezes for a moment -- processing, a foreign language is harder to understand in times of duress, after all! -- and stares.

Did she really bring a bow and arrow to a seance?

"Careful, Yukari! You don't know what you're dealing with!" he calls back. Oh, how much the boy *really* has to learn...

He does, however, start making his way in her direction. Swinging (mostly at air) as he moves in not the most efficient fashion. Especially switching between one and two handed swings. He clearly isn't used to working with a *team*... or fighting with a Ouija board, either.

Of course, then Koh, wielding the kind of blade that would impress Jason Vorhees, followed by Minato, and Reiya too. They have guns? In JAPAN? Physical weapons don't work on...

"Wait!" English, this time. It's a gut-reaction to someone who looks like they're about to do something Very Wrong right in front of you. Even when that someone is their morbid exchange student. Blame the calendar date.

Then... those *things* appear. Creatures even more magnificent than he would consider the ones, y'know, trying to kill him, if they weren't trying to kill him today.

"...saved by the creatures of the night..." he manages, volume of his voice dropping and the tone changing to, well. Awe. Unfortunately, He Who Is Fascinated By Things Otherworldly has been stunned by this display, and the clumsy retreat towards safety has become a limp wandering while blue eyes stare.

At least he's still going in Yukari's direction and made *some* distance before he saw the Personas?

AS: Take! Minato Arisato takes 0 Almighty damage from Multiboss's Evil Touch.
AS: Sick added!
AS: Avoid Best! Minato Arisato takes 20 Slash damage from Multiboss's Blight. Critical Hit!
AS: Multiboss gains 1 Limit from Momentum!

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.

"Obviously he's not /Dracula/."

Yukari scoffs at the very idea of him being Dracula. ... Because he's just not hot enough Koh, duh.

"Really?" She says to Reiya, but then gets suspicious, "Are you sure?"

-=-=-

Minato of course, is one of the first into battle, enervating them, which is perhaps fortunate for Yukari since it starts forming flames.

"Uh? Wha..." At first surprised, she recovers quickly to sound none too impressed by the comment of not knowing what they're dealing with. "...Pretty sure I know better than you."

And as it blasts her, she finds herself immediately /on fire/ before blue energy sets her aglow defensively to smother the worst of it.

"Geez... how'd he find a pack of Shadows this big?" She complains as she pats at her pink cardigan, as Reiya suggests he's in fact not just /another person/. "... Yeah well, that's pretty obvious." She suggests to the idea, as she starts to raise her Evoker to her head.

"Help us- Io!"

And with the pull of a trigger, the Persona erupts, with a fanfare of shattering glass.

Just in time, before the Slash slices into the ephemeral girl who is bound to the bull, causing her head to rear back in the sudden agony of it all.

"Come on! /Come on/! Keep running!" She calls to Tyler as he gets closer, but then - the Phantom appears to cut him off. "Ohhhhh /WHY NOW/?"

Focusing against the sudden assault, Io suddenly uncrosses her arms, spreading them high, as the Phantom suddenly finds itself blasted by a churning cyclone of wind that tries to smash it to the ground and distract it for a moment.

AS: Persona! Yukari Takeba has used the Wind skill Garula on Multiboss!
AS: Yukari Takeba's turn has ended.
AS: Avoid Neutral! Multiboss takes 55 Wind damage from Yukari Takeba's Garula. Resist!
AS: Haze added!
GAME: Reiya Aomori flips a coin! The coin comes up heads!

<Pose Tracker> Minato Arisato has posed.

Tyler /might/ be a vampire. Wait, do vampires hate salt? No, that's werewolves. Werewolves hate salt, final answer.

Minato feels touched by the Raven's gaze, a terrible feeling which sinks into his soul and settles there. The blight which strikes him knocks him down as he's in the middle of leaping away, leaving him vulnerable for a critical moment.

"Aomori-san!" He yells, from the ground. "Go!"

Picking himself up, he summons Orpheus, again, as that creature of the night slams into the Shadows with a shockwave meant to disturb the whole /group./

AS: Persona! Minato Arisato has used the Strike skill Swift Strike on Multiboss! 3 Hits!
AS: Minato Arisato: Loses 8 SP from Sick!
AS: Minato Arisato's turn has ended.
AS: Minato Arisato spends Limit on Shift! Reiya Aomori can use another Weak skill this round!

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.

A vampire... Reiya doesn't comment about that. Instead he answers, "...We haven't asked him to handle anyone else's trash though."

-=-=-

In the battle, he moves too quickly for the average high schooler--but then, he does have a Persona. The Blight sees him /leap/ over the firing line, somersaulting forward to block the next slash, mysterious as it is, with one of his sai. "Hup--"

He turns his eye for a moment towards Koh near him, and then looks to the larger Phantom. He narrows his eyes. "Gould-san!" he says quickly, and pulls something from his jacket. He volunteered for this part of the task--to hold the extra Evoker, in case.

He reaches Tyler and quickly tells him, "I do not speak English," in Japanese obviously. He didn't catch what the 'wait' was. "But you must use this." He hands out the Evoker, still looking towards the enemy as it approaches. It's too big, but Yukari buys him a few moments of activity, during which he breathes in and stows his weapons, Evoker and all. "Kunimitsu!" he calls.

He puts forth his hands, but his gestures are obscured by the darkness and the Shadows and his back to the others; he's just doing... /something/.

"Come forth!"

Needles crash down in a starred circle around the Phantom, pinning down its aura as his Persona invokes the water.

A wave rushes forth, and the needles tear forth! At the same time, Reiya throws out his other hand, and focuses his Resonance. "Takeba-san!" he calls. "Be hidden, that you may heal us!"

"Quickly!" he says over his shoulder to Tyler. "We can only hold them off without you for so long!"

AS: Tandem! Reiya Aomori has used the Water skill Punishment Seal - Suiton on Multiboss!
AS: Persona! Reiya Aomori has used the Recovery skill Shroud on Yukari Takeba!
AS: Reiya Aomori's turn has ended.
AS: Take! Yukari Takeba takes 45 Recovery healing from Reiya Aomori's Shroud.
AS: Avoid Best! Multiboss takes 18 Strike damage from Minato Arisato's Swift Strike.
AS: Avoid Neutral! Multiboss takes 28 Strike damage from Minato Arisato's Swift Strike.
AS: Block Best! Multiboss takes 18 Strike damage from Minato Arisato's Swift Strike.
AS: Nerve Up! Multiboss's SP +8!
AS: Block Neutral! Multiboss takes 88 Water damage from Reiya Aomori's Punishment Seal - Suiton. Weak!
AS: Exhaust and Panic added!
AS: Reiya Aomori gains 1 Limit from Schadenfreude!

<Pose Tracker> Koh Katsuhiro has posed.

Koh and crow bonk together, the boy tearing a chunk from it and getting shearing in return. He tumbles along past, out of immediate range. Now that Tyler's going in the right direction Koh's happy to avoid close combat.

He's nowhere near as graceful as Reiya, but at least he knows what he's doing. Koh'd be impressed if he had time for it, but all he manages is a quick scan of the situation and the Evoker being offered to the beleaguered foreigner.

"Hey!" Koh, shouts, "Tyler! Good luck!"

Which is about as helpful as he can be besides giving an unintentional demonstration. The boy's fingers squeeze tight around his evoker as he presses it to his temple.

"'Need you!" Click. "Zagreus!"

Behind him appears...a windsock? Something like that. Multicolored cloth draped off a golden collar with an equally golden comedy mask floating above. The one arm peeking from between the cloth squeezes life-giving resonance out of the bleeding heart in its hand.

AS: Persona! Koh Katsuhiro has used the Recovery skill Healing Wave on Koh Katsuhiro, Yukari Takeba, and Reiya Aomori!
AS: Koh Katsuhiro's turn has ended.
AS: Take! Reiya Aomori takes 0 Recovery healing from Koh Katsuhiro's Healing Wave.
AS: Regen added!
AS: Koh Katsuhiro gains 1 Limit from Supporter!
AS: Take! Yukari Takeba takes 0 Recovery healing from Koh Katsuhiro's Healing Wave.
AS: Regen added!
AS: Koh Katsuhiro gains 1 Limit from Supporter!
AS: Take! Koh Katsuhiro takes 0 Recovery healing from Koh Katsuhiro's Healing Wave.
AS: Regen added!
AS: Yukari Takeba spends Limit on Help Up! Sick removed from Minato Arisato! SP +10!

<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.

In the commotion of everything else going on, Tyler doesn't quite catch Yukari's response. They'll have to compare notes, eventually. Pool knowledge. He can tell her ALL about GHOSTS. It'll be great.

Minato gives the order. He isn't sure *what* the order is, but even the solo act can grasp the giving of instructions.

'You must use this'

The Evoker is offered. He's seen them use it, already. This isn't a weapon to be fired at an enemy... this is a portal to another dimension. Or something. He'll opine on it later. He reaches for the device, trying to free Reiya up to continue being awesome as quickly as possible.

Said haste wasn't the smartest idea. There's a bit of a bobble as the sleek, silver 'weapon' slips from his fingers as he pulls it towards himself. This also loosens the grip on the Ouija board to allow it to unfold again and clearly reveal what it is to any who would recognize it. On the plus side, the bobbled Evoker next lands against it, sliding along the smooth wood and threatening to hit the ground... only for pale fingers to grasp the handle as it's sliding over the 'G O O D B Y E' section of the board.

Koh wishes him good luck. It's pretty clear he just benefitted from a heavy dose of it.

Once it's in his hand? There's no hesitation. Not even time for him to take a breath. Instead, the Evoker is moved to the side of his head. Lips curve into the faintest hint of a smile. He wasn't sure how this worked, but he was pretty certain it was payback time.

"It's showtime... Persona." The monotone returns as the trigger is pulled. He *believes*, and as glass shatters, the stylized form of the legendary escape artist takes the 'stage'. At first, it might appear like nothing more than a mass of chains and locks, suspended above the vampire(?) like a headsman's axe, ready to drop down and make the final blow. But there's a rather fancy top hat sticking out from the bottom of the mass of metal, with a jaunty red ribbon wrapped above the brim. The chains? They're not so much rattling... as the locks are clicking. Unlocking with each passing second.

"Houdini!" The name leaves his lips like it was there all along. He doesn't know *why*.

He doesn't care.

Now, the chains start to rattle, and the temperature seems to briefly lower as shards of ice erupt from within, and swirl around both Persona and summoner for a moment or two before launching towards that Phantom as if they, in fact, were fired from a gun.

AS: Persona! Tyler Gould has used the Water skill Bufula on Multiboss!
AS: Tyler Gould's turn has ended.
AS: Avoid Best! Multiboss takes 100 Water damage from Tyler Gould's Bufula. Critical Hit! Weak!
AS: Bind added!
AS: Tyler Gould gains 1 Limit from Schadenfreude!

<Pose Tracker> Multiboss has posed.

The wind cyclone Io fires out blasts into the approaching Phantom, who is sent careening to the ground as it tries to avoid the blast, even as it is less damaging than it should be... wind resist it seems. It smashes against it, before bouncing back up.

Orpheus creates a shockwave at Minato's call, blasting into the various Shadows. Several of the Shadows manage to resist the shockwave, even as the ichor spills out of their wounds and causes them to tilt ever so slightly. Even so, one of the Ravens is sent on the backfoot...

And as it tries to block with its wings, Reiya's Suiton destroys it, causing it to dissipate into ink and then into nothing. They're turning the tide, but not fast enough...

As Koh and Reiya's heals spread forward to their intended targets, the big Phantom gears up to attack Tyler. Unfortunately...

He's got a gun.

As Houdini manifests, the Shadows are unsympathetic to the near-plight of the Ouija board. They are also unsympathetic to their own suffering, as even as they try and scatter from the new threat and the ice, the sheer cold coming off it shatters one of the Phantoms, causing it to dissipate like the Raven. This leaves three Shadows - two injured, and one large Phantom that's still got a lot of fight left.

It seems water and ice are the key... may these Shadows have other weaknesses, too?

There's no time to think about it. The big Phantom lights up his lantern, causing some sort of buff to appear over his 'team', though the Shadows are seemingly lagging defensively, unable to guard as well afterwards.

The big Shadow fires off three dark blasts at Tyler, Reiya, and Minato, as the remaining Phantom and Raven both charge at Yukari and Koh with piercing claws and... however the heck a Phantom pierces.

AS: Multiboss spends Limit on Blood!
AS: Persona! Multiboss has used the Dark skill Mudo on Tyler Gould!
AS: Multiboss takes 40 damage from Panic!
AS: Persona! Multiboss has used the Dark skill Mudo on Reiya Aomori!
AS: Persona! Multiboss has used the Dark skill Mudo on Minato Arisato!
AS: Weapon! Multiboss has used the Pierce skill Shadow Rush on Yukari Takeba!
AS: Multiboss takes 40 damage from Exhaust!
AS: Weapon! Multiboss has used the Pierce skill Shadow Rush on Koh Katsuhiro!
AS: Multiboss: Exhaust removed!
AS: Multiboss's turn has ended.
AS: Avoid Worst! Reiya Aomori takes 118 Dark damage from Multiboss's Mudo.
AS: Avoid Worst! Yukari Takeba takes 78 Pierce damage from Multiboss's Shadow Rush.
AS: Avoid Worst! Koh Katsuhiro takes 73 Pierce damage from Multiboss's Shadow Rush.
AS: There's nothing in your queue by that number or attacker.
AS: Avoid Best! Tyler Gould takes 49 Dark damage from Multiboss's Mudo.

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.

Koh summons Zagreus, and Yukari is surprised by /how/ Koh approaches this by sending healing energy over them, "Oh ah- thanks!" Why's she so awkward about that?

And as Reiya bits her to hide, "Right!" Yukari's presence disappears /in part/ - making it more difficult for the Shadows to detect her weaknesses. Though - it comes with a side benefit too.

It makes it more difficult for Minato to detect her coming- "Hey! Arisato-kun!" He's looking pretty green in the gills, isn't he?

And then Minato abruptly feels a slap to his right cheek. Not hard enough to cause any real damage, but definitely /bracing/. "Get serious!"

She demands it of him, because him looking that sick, him yelling for Reiya to go... it /is/ concerning.

"There's a lot on the line here!"

Which is when she sees the Evoker in Tyler's hands, "Wait huh!?" It's too late to offer him an alternative of /not/ doing that.

He's done it, and cannot ever look away again.

Some part of her is quite sad about that.

Nothing to be done now, but get her /own/ head in this fight. The Raven's piercing talons slice at her, and she bites down to prevent a scream of pain as she's momentarily staggered.

Then she puts the Evoker to her head, and pulls the trigger, "Persona!"

Io appears arms crossed, and as chains demonstrate the limit of her reach when she begins to upraise them...

... healing energy spreads over all of them, as if to offer a counterargument.

AS: Block Worst! Minato Arisato takes 129 Dark damage from Multiboss's Mudo. Critical Hit!
AS: Panic added!
AS: Multiboss gains 1 Limit from Momentum!
AS: Persona! Yukari Takeba has used the Recovery skill Media on Minato Arisato, Koh Katsuhiro, Reiya Aomori, and Yukari Takeba!
AS: Yukari Takeba: Gains 41 HP from Regen! Gains 41 SP from Vigor! Haze removed!
AS: Yukari Takeba's turn has ended.
AS: Yukari Takeba has readied for combat as Io! She is now fully healed!
AS: Take! Reiya Aomori takes 59 Recovery healing from Yukari Takeba's Media.
AS: Yukari Takeba gains 1 Limit from Supporter!
AS: Take! Koh Katsuhiro takes 59 Recovery healing from Yukari Takeba's Media.
AS: Yukari Takeba gains 1 Limit from Supporter!
AS: Take! Minato Arisato takes 59 Recovery healing from Yukari Takeba's Media.

<Pose Tracker> Minato Arisato has posed.

Reiya delivers the goods, and just as Minato suspected...

Showtime.

"You knew what to do," Minato nods, approvingly. He doesn't suspect a thing --

-- as Yukari steps in to /slap the horrible feeling in his gut right out of him./ Minato rattles his head, and looks to her. "Thanks." He's thanking her for slapping him?! ... in context, it was helpful.

"You're ready, or you're not," he asides, to Yukari. "You can't tell until it's in your hands... and he might be hit with this many enemies." The protection of Persona isn't nothing, in a situation like this. Could it be... that Minato's taking it more seriously than his taciturn exterior's betraying?

"Gould-san hit the weakness?" He confirms, as he turns to the Shadows. "I understand. Then..."

"Come forth, Jack Frost!"

Orpheus disappears, as Minato fires his gun into the side of his head again. What appears in his stead is an adorable little snowman of a guy, who spins on a heel before he spreads his arms, as if giving everyone a warm hug.

BUT THE WARM HUG IS ICICLES!

GAME: Minato Arisato has assumed form 3, Jack Frost!
AS: Persona! Minato Arisato has used the Water skill Bufula on Multiboss!
AS: Minato Arisato takes 40 damage from Panic!
AS: Minato Arisato's turn has ended.
AS: Block Worst! Multiboss takes 143 Water damage from Minato Arisato's Bufula. Weak!

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.

That dark blast /slams/ into Reiya, and while he attempts to dodge it homes in on him. Sent knocked backwards, Reiya is able to catch himself, rolling on the ground to get back to his feet. ...He looks a lot more fatigued than he did a moment ago though, his life force attacked almost directly from how it feels. But it's long enough to have defended Tyler, at least.

"Yes," Reiya encourages. "That's the way."

The healing that Koh affords him is something he's grateful for. "Thank you."

Yukari's healing, too, is helpful to Reiya, and he is persuaded by this counterargument.

He didn't offer Tyler the choice to look away. Was that intentional? Did he simply not think about it? Or...?

Either way, this is the first time that Reiya has seen Minato's Wild Card in action, and he blinks once. "You really do have more than one Persona..."

But the enemy is lagging. That's good enough for hope. Reiya narrows his eyes. "A little injury like this won't stop me."

He's reliable.

"Persona!" He lifts his Evoker to summon again, and this time, Kunimitsu makes a few gestures of his own--and a torrent of water /erupts/ from beneath the enemy, hydraulic pressure enough to shatter stone.

AS: Reiya Aomori spends Limit on Psych!
AS: Persona! Reiya Aomori has used the Water skill Aques on Multiboss!
AS: Reiya Aomori: Gains 42 HP from Regen! Gains 42 SP from Vigor! Psych removed!
AS: Reiya Aomori's turn has ended.
AS: Block Worst! Multiboss takes 129 Water damage from Reiya Aomori's Aques. Weak!

<Pose Tracker> Koh Katsuhiro has posed.

"No problem!" Kou replies helpfully to Yukari.

But then--Houdini does a magic trick. That gives Kou some small pause, to watch someone do that for the first time. Even in the mess of life-or-death he hears the reverberation from that.

The crash of ice earns a surprised cheer of, "You got 'em!"

Minato's follow is even better. But--Koh saw him use a different Persona.

The looming shadows keep him from gaping too long. Birds! Phantoms! He needs to be making his own contribution.

"Persona!" This one comes with a flinch. Maybe he's more hurt than he let on, even with Yukari's healing.

Zagreus comic mask slides away to reveal tragedy. And then it spews poison.

AS: Persona! Koh Katsuhiro has used the Almighty skill Poisma on Multiboss!
AS: Koh Katsuhiro's turn has ended.

<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.

Switching back to a slightly clunkier Japanese than normal, "That's my line." He offers to Yukari. 'Wait', that is. It literally was his line a moment ago, after all! But trying to figure out why she wanted him to wait is secondary at the moment.

Ultimately, he would've made the same choice even fully informed.

Growing up always being kept on the outside, looking in at the world of the paranormal. Knowing it existed but forbidden to do anything to help. That part of his life is over, and there's a part of him that, come what may, will be grateful for that.

Even if he might not always express it.

Of course, the sucker punch delivered with Houdini's help might have been a mighty blow, but the fight isn't over... and this enemy fights back. This time, he's not able to just fully avoid the attack like he has been, but as the darkness envelops him it's not the warm hug that he might've expected it to be. That hurt, forcing him backwards as he almost skids across pavement and grass alike. He's lucky it doesn't take him off his feet, but it definitely has him moving to the proverbial 'back row'.

The Ouija board, for all of its help communicating with The Other Side, did not seem to help him tonight.

There's a look over towards Minato as he hears his surname. He hit the weakness?

"They don't like the cold, huh?" he states rhetorically. Elements and weak points and all that might be part of a later primer. Right now, he's just gonna do what *feels* right, and repeating what he did before seems like the easiest way to do it. Besides. Reiya already confirmed he's doing this right. How? He'll figure that out later.

He plants his feet. The Evoker is goes up again. He's all business, here. Less emotion. "Persona." He summons anew, and once again the shards of frost re brought to life around him, flowing with a flourish that one might expect more of a showman than one would. A helping hand from his 'other half'? Maybe.

"We have to," he replies to Koh. "It's them or us." In Tyler's mind, these are malevolent spirits. Somehow, they're doing battle with the spirits on their own plane of existence. There would be questions later, but he gets the idea. Short answers. The time for waxing poetic would come later.

AS: Persona! Tyler Gould has used the Water skill Bufula on Multiboss!
AS: Tyler Gould's turn has ended.
AS: Block Worst! Multiboss takes 156 Water damage from Tyler Gould's Bufula. Weak!

<Pose Tracker> Multiboss has posed.

Jack Frost arrives as Yukari heals the group with the potent magic of Io, with the secondary Persona's ice giving a warm hug to the Shadows.

Jack Frost's warm hug, also known as ICICLES, slaughters the Black Raven and takes out another Shadow.

The smaller Phantom, meanwhile, gets a torrent of Water from underneath it thanks to Reiya's reliability. The blast knocks it into the air, before it crashes back down, collapsing inwards.

This leaves the large Phantom. Koh poisons it with a horrible ailment, which allows Tyler to come in with another big ice attack, blasting straight into it with subzero temperatures, courtesy Houdini. It falls down...

It's time for an all-out attack.

Even as it tries to rip the lantern out of its stomach and wave it to burn the group intensely from afar, focused most accurately on Tyler. It could do more than that, if it wasn't pinned to the ground, unable to get into melee range...!

AS: Multiboss spends Limit on Break!
AS: Persona! Multiboss has used the Fire skill Agilao on Tyler Gould!
AS: Multiboss takes 40 damage from Panic!
AS: Multiboss spends Limit on Reach!
AS: Persona! Multiboss has used the Fire skill Agilao on Reiya Aomori!
AS: Persona! Multiboss has used the Fire skill Agilao on Yukari Takeba!
AS: Persona! Multiboss has used the Fire skill Agilao on Minato Arisato!
AS: Persona! Multiboss has used the Fire skill Agilao on Koh Katsuhiro!
AS: Multiboss: Loses 38 HP from Poison! Bind, Blood, Break, and Reach removed!
AS: Multiboss's turn has ended. It's time for an All-Out Attack!
AS: Avoid Best! Reiya Aomori takes 59 Fire damage from Multiboss's Agilao. Critical Hit!
AS: Haze added!
AS: Break! Reiya Aomori can take another Weak action this round!
AS: Multiboss gains 1 Limit from Momentum!
AS: Avoid Worst! Yukari Takeba takes 112 Fire damage from Multiboss's Agilao.
AS: Haze added!
AS: Break! Yukari Takeba can take another Weak action this round!
AS: Avoid Neutral! Minato Arisato takes 114 Fire damage from Multiboss's Agilao. Weak!
AS: Haze added!
AS: Break! Minato Arisato can take another Weak action this round!
AS: Avoid Neutral! Koh Katsuhiro takes 105 Fire damage from Multiboss's Agilao. Critical Hit!
AS: Break! Koh Katsuhiro can take another Weak action this round!
AS: Multiboss gains 1 Limit from Momentum!
AS: Block Best! Tyler Gould takes 85 Fire damage from Multiboss's Agilao. Critical Hit!
AS: Break! Tyler Gould can take another Weak action this round!
AS: Multiboss gains 1 Limit from Momentum!

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.

"... It's not really that simple." Is all she says, as she brushes aside Minato's point. In her eyes after all, he awakened /because of her/. Because she wasn't strong enough.

He's her sin.

Nor does she think that informed consent would in fact make a difference, if she knew Tyler's proclivities. In her eyes you can't really inform people as to what it's like until it happens.

And by then it's too late to understand the bars of the cage the world has placed you in, the factors that pressured you to get involved - until it feels like the only /correct/ choice.

His 'That's my line' gets a sigh from her, "You've only been doing this for /five seconds/. So- stop trying to sound cool and finish them off already."

Still, in the moment, him awakening makes things easier - as Gould's Persona - Houdini - turns out to be element of the Shadow's vulnerability, which Reiya and Minato follow him in bringing them down.

In that moment, the Shadows rally to a huge blast of flame, and Io intercepts, the Persona burning - then shattering into cognitive shards.

They fall down right after, hitting the ground.

And Yukari puts the Evoker back to her head. "I won't lose..." She murmurs as Io- reforms - beginning to mold and shape the winds. As Yukari takes a knee, and begins to fire.

Arrow after arrow, which are suddenly surrounded by Io's winds, as they speed up into shredding projectiles.

AS: Tandem! Yukari Takeba has used the Wind skill Stinging Torment on Multiboss! 2 Hits!
AS: Weapon! Yukari Takeba has used the Pierce skill Please Hit! on Multiboss! 2 Hits!
AS: Yukari Takeba's turn has ended.AS: Avoid Best! Multiboss takes 12 Wind damage from Yukari Takeba's Stinging Torment. Critical Hit! Resist!
AS: Avoid Best! Multiboss takes 12 Wind damage from Yukari Takeba's Stinging Torment. Critical Hit! Resist!
AS: Avoid Worst! Multiboss takes 38 Pierce damage from Yukari Takeba's Please Hit!.
AS: Avoid Worst! Multiboss takes 38 Pierce damage from Yukari Takeba's Please Hit!.

<Pose Tracker> Minato Arisato has posed.

"Right," Minato nods, to Reiya. Having more than one Persona isn't surprising to him, but he's gotten used to it surprising /other/ people.

Koh is damaged, Minato notes, looking to him briefly. And Reiya's reporting injuries, too. But Tyler wonders about the cold, and he confirms: "That's right." Mitsuru can give him the full tutorial on weaknesses; Minato's more terse than that. He gets the important parts, and that's what matters.

The phantom burns at Minato, though -- and Jack Frost /hates/ that. He hates that the most, as evidenced by the way Minato lands right back on his butt in the wake of the flames. Oh no! Our leader's been knocked down..!!

As he pushes himself up, he looks to Yukari. She's not happy... for some reason. Why isn't she happy?

It bothers him.

"Let's finish this," he decides, as he fires on himself again. With the strain on his team, they need to get home quickly. "Persona!"

Jack Frost spins into existence, again, dancing from foot to foot as icicles rain down once and once again.

"You can do it," he adds, as he throws the spotlight onto Tyler.

AS: Persona! Minato Arisato has used the Water skill Bufula on Multiboss!
AS: Minato Arisato takes 40 damage from Panic!
AS: Persona! Minato Arisato has used the Water skill Bufu on Multiboss!
AS: Minato Arisato's turn has ended.
AS: Minato Arisato spends Limit on Shift! Tyler Gould can use another Weak skill this round!
AS: Block Best! Multiboss takes 100 Water damage from Minato Arisato's Bufula. Weak!
AS: Bind added!
AS: Block Worst! Multiboss takes 89 Water damage from Minato Arisato's Bufu. Weak!

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.

Reiya notices Koh's flinch. He takes note, concerned, but he has only very limited healing abilities, so there's little that he can do about it. He is best suited focusing on the offense, instead. Yukari has a point, though, with Tyler...

"Yes. Style comes after practice. Fundamentals have to be first."

Them or us, though. That... "True."

He can answer questions, or else help someone else answer questions. The lantern comes, though--and Reiya dives out of the way, taking a nasty gout of flame that flows towards him like a sunspot. He grits his teeth, but does not cry out, landing in a crouch. This gives him the opportunity to see how Yukari's experience makes her strong, though--the way she can put together her arrows with the wind...

Minato confirms what he saw, and goes for a set of attacks. Reiya notes that /he/ has a weakness, too--or that Jack Frost does--so that he can accomodate that later. In the meantime, he stays in front of Tyler, who can remain oin the back line if he wants.

"Gould-san," he says. "Your Persona is particularly suited to destroying these enemies. Do your best."

For his part, though, his Persona Kunimitsu rushes forward, throwing a spectral knife. Then he makes use of the feint, to try to knock down the Shadow outright and take advantage of it.

He follows up with a smaller burst of water!

AS: Persona! Reiya Aomori has used the Pierce skill Cruel Attack on Multiboss!
AS: Persona! Reiya Aomori has used the Water skill Aqua on Multiboss!
AS: Reiya Aomori's turn has ended.
AS: Avoid Best! Multiboss takes 66 Pierce damage from Reiya Aomori's Cruel Attack.
AS: Avoid Best! Multiboss takes 51 Water damage from Reiya Aomori's Aqua. Weak!
AS: Paralyze added!
AS: Reiya Aomori gains 1 Limit from Schadenfreude!

<Pose Tracker> Koh Katsuhiro has posed.

Koh agrees with Tyler: them or us. And there's no reason he'd give any pause to finishing off a shadow. So he finds his feet and bites down the pain.

And after Yukari skewers the fallen Phantom with arrows whipped at supernatural speed, Jack Frost skewers the shadow with ice, and Kunimitsu stabs. Koh lunges in when the coast is clear to drive his knife down.

"Hey, Tyler!" He shouts, clenched teeth flashing in what might pass for a smile. "It's all you!"

He gets clear after that.

AS: Koh Katsuhiro spends Limit on Shift! Tyler Gould can use another Weak skill this round!
AS: Koh Katsuhiro spends Limit on Psych!
AS: Weapon! Koh Katsuhiro has used the Slash skill Slash Weapon D on Multiboss!
AS: Weapon! Koh Katsuhiro has used the Slash skill Slash Weapon E on Multiboss!
AS: Koh Katsuhiro: Gains 36 HP from Regen! Gains 36 SP from Vigor! Psych removed!
AS: Koh Katsuhiro's turn has ended.
AS: Yukari Takeba spends Limit on Shift! Reiya Aomori can use another Weak skill this round!
AS: Weapon! Reiya Aomori has used the Pierce skill Powerful Combo on Multiboss! 2 Hits!
AS: Block Best! Multiboss takes 44 Slash damage from Koh Katsuhiro's Slash Weapon D.
AS: Block Worst! Multiboss takes 76 Slash damage from Koh Katsuhiro's Slash Weapon E. Critical Hit!
AS: Block Worst! Multiboss takes 59 Pierce damage from Reiya Aomori's Powerful Combo. Critical Hit! Block Pierce!
AS: Block Worst! Multiboss takes 44 Pierce damage from Reiya Aomori's Powerful Combo. Block Pierce!

<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.

Tyler glances over to Yukari for a moment, one brow arching. "You think I'm cool then. Huh." he replies -- Japan was definitely different than America in more ways than he could've ever expected, clearly.

Granted, he *is* whipping frozen vengeance around, so he'd have to consent that it's a fitting descriptor, at least tonight.

And speaking of vengeance... it's the shadow's turn. Fire. Again. Focused on him. That's further proof that he's doing exactly what he should be, here., but trying to avoid it right now doesn't seem feasible.

So he uses one hand to swing the Ouija board so that it snaps closed, holds it against his chest and turns away from the fire, trying to block the hit *with his body* rather than use the thing as a shield. Fire burns.

So does wood, so ultimately, maybe a good idea.

That definitely hurt quite a bit more than the darkness, sending him sprawling forward against the ground. It *burns*. Is this what regret feels like? Is this what *death* feels like?

No.

He can feel his blood pumping through his veins. The oxygen being pulled into his breath in ragged breaths. No, this isn't death, he feels *alive*.

Turning still on the ground, he looks to those who've come to his aid. Those who area risking their own lives against the malevolent spirits that he's pretty sure he ended up bringing down on himself. Minato's down. Down, but convinced that he, who as Yukari pointed out has been doing this for five seconds, can do it. Koh wears a brave face through the fire, and *also* believes in him.

He's not sure why, but it inspires him. The adrenaline is pumping in a way it hasn't before. Reiya taking the front line here is... a relief. Steadying.

"Alright, then I won't fail. It's time to pay you all back for tonight."

They saved him, and if his Persona, whatever that is, is suited to the destruction of these spirits? It was his turn to do everything he could to return the favor.

He doesn't bother standing, opting to stay on the hallowed earth as his attention goes to the enemy. "Let's take a bow, Houdini." The trigger is pulled. Houdini's chains rattle audibly, ice forming rapidly around the bulk of metal. Growing larger, and larger until there's no visual sign of Tyler's Persona above him, just... ice.

A moment later, the ice cracks, shattering like the popping of a balloon in slow motion and revealing not ice, but water inside. Water rushes forward from the heavens (or, more accurately, several feet in the air) -- neatly avoiding Reiya standing in front of the summoner -- and crashing towards the poor, pinned shadow.

This is followed by proper ice. From the left. From the right. Attacks seeming like they'll never cease... until they finally do.

Maybe someone likes the spotlight after all. He'll never admit it, though.

AS: Tyler Gould spends Limit on Psych!
AS: Persona! Tyler Gould has used the Water skill A Drowning Death on Multiboss! 3 Hits!
AS: Persona! Tyler Gould has used the Water skill Bufu on Multiboss!
AS: Persona! Tyler Gould has used the Water skill Bufu on Multiboss!
AS: Persona! Tyler Gould has used the Water skill Bufu on Multiboss!
AS: Tyler Gould: Psych removed!
AS: Tyler Gould's turn has ended.
AS: Block Worst! Multiboss takes 80 Water damage from Tyler Gould's A Drowning Death. Critical Hit! Weak!
AS: Block Worst! Multiboss takes 80 Water damage from Tyler Gould's A Drowning Death. Critical Hit! Weak!
AS: Multiboss is unable to continue fighting!
AS: Block Best! Multiboss takes 60 Water damage from Tyler Gould's A Drowning Death. Critical Hit! Weak!
AS: Multiboss is unable to continue fighting!
AS: Block Worst! Multiboss takes 110 Water damage from Tyler Gould's Bufu. Weak!
AS: Bind added!
AS: Tyler Gould gains 1 Limit from Schadenfreude!
AS: Multiboss is unable to continue fighting!
AS: Block Best! Multiboss takes 78 Water damage from Tyler Gould's Bufu. Weak!
AS: Multiboss is unable to continue fighting!
AS: Block Best! Multiboss takes 81 Water damage from Tyler Gould's Bufu. Weak!
AS: Bind added!
AS: Multiboss is unable to continue fighting!

<Pose Tracker> Multiboss has posed.

Yukari comes in with the tandem attacks, her wind-boosted arrows shredding through the Phantom's cloak even as it tries to lift itself up, keeping it pinned to the ground.

Jack Frost's ice freezes it more, keeping it from attacking again as the ichor starts seeping out, freezing where it spills.

Reiya comes in with kunai, spectral knife, and water, which tear it apart further and wash the ichor away. It's almost there...

Koh's knife drives down, and it's at the last gasp, thrashing as it tries and fails to get him away. The proverbial last chunk of health.

But the attack doesn't come from in front. The Phantom doesn't even look up as water pours downwards... and floods it out. The first moment doesn't do much, but the following moments, along with the blast of ice, shatter it into pieces.

Nothing remains.

There is a silence in the graveyard. But nothing else is coming. It seems they are all safe, for now.

The Dark Hour will end soon. It'd be a good idea to get back to the dorm.

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.

Yukari isn't happy. It's not even not necessarily being unhappy at Minato...

... but Yukari Takeba is unhappy. Why should that bother anyone? She is after all, someone who made things in SEES quite unpleasant for everyone.

Minato more than anyone even.

Reiya even agrees in a sense, and Yukari is somewhat taken aback by that, before Tyler thinks- "No. I said you're /trying/ to /sound/ cool." Yukari clarifies, enunciating the words just in case it was translating differently in his head. "Sound." She repeats.

She has to get ahead of this before the Rumor spreads around school that Yukari Takeba thought a boy... /was cool/.

She would never live that one down.

"All yours, Aomori-kun." She says, after her attack takes the Shadows by 'storm' (NO THE PUN WAS IN THE META DOWN SHUJI DOWN!) and she watches Koh descend to stab it while it's down.

Eventually however, it is that assault by Houdini that takes them down and... "Hmm. Not bad for a first time I guess." Is in fact her real evaluation. Because even if she's upset at this turn of events...

... it's done now. There's not really any changing what's in front of her eyes.

What would be /great/ for a first time to her?

... Well Minato set a pretty high bar with that Death itself bursting out of Orpheus to eat a Full Moon Shadow and saving her life.

"What the heck were you thinking going to the cemetary during the Dark Hour anyway though?"

Yukari says, as she uses Io's lingering power to begin the process of tending to the wounds here with several Medias in a row.

<Pose Tracker> Minato Arisato has posed.

It's true, Koh. Shadows... must be defeated.

But Tyler shows the might inside him, with Reiya's helpful guidance, and the Phantom shatters. Yukari insists it's not cool, and Minato looks to her, thoughtfully.

So... Yukari doesn't think Persona are cool.

"Let's talk back at the dorm," he cuts in, before she can start Tyler off on a tangent in the cemetary when they're all tired from the battle.

Sometimes, a leader's job... is to herd cats.

(He'll herd him straight into Ikutsuki for a /full/ explanation, because Minato sure ain't giving it. Luckily, the camera will pull away before Yukari can learn how powerful their boss's pun game truly is. Making puns in the narrative won't save you, Yukari...)

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.

He won't fail. Reiya inclines his head, without looking back at him. And Tyler and Houdini take their bow. The cold of the enemy's destruction doesn't faze him. He is strong to such things. But soon, the Dark Hour will end, and...

Yukari's taken aback, but Reiya doesn't really notice. He's not trying to do anything other than say the truth. But, "...Yes. You did well."

That's like what Yukari said, right?

He is curious about the answer to her question, but...

"...Yes," Reiya says. "This way."

<Pose Tracker> Koh Katsuhiro has posed.

Koh is breathing a bit heavy, both from the adrenaline and the effort of being in an actual fight.

He takes a knee to stuck in a few deep breaths before joining the Media line.

"Thanks, Takeba-san. And Aomori-kun...nice flip." The latter got a familiarity upgrade, it seems.

Going back to the dorm sounds good. He assures Tyler, as an aside, "I thought you looked cool." He leaves others to lecture. But he'll probably ask later.

And for their stoic leader: "Nice working with you, Minato-san." He still doesn't get how he made that Jack Frost.

<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.

"Mmhmm." Tyler replies simply to Yukari's efforts to, in his view, correct herself about his coolness. "Whatever you say." Delivered in that very same monotone -- it was a joke, but his delivery... is typically not the greatest. Especially now that the emotion has withdrawn. The armor is returning. Appreciation is there, certainly. Yukari, Minato, Reiya, and Koh scored points that none can take away. He didn't *ask* for help. They came anyways. That means something to someone who's lived never expecting to *get* help.

The healing... is a relief. He's not sure how it works. He feels fairly certain that that's something he *can't* do. As Reiya had noted earlier; he's uniquely suited for destruction.

Koh's assurance that Tyler did, indeed, look cool, is met with a nod from the goth. "I know." Again, ice everywhere! Of course he looked cool. Looking warm would've been impossible.

As for 'why'...

Tyler's silent for several moments. Taking this moment to finally stand once more, brushing some dirt off of his coat. He turns his attention fully towards Yukari, now. Using Japanese still means choosing the simpler words for now rather than his preferred eloquence, and it takes a bit longer.

"June 13th. 2010." he states plainly, taking a breath -- which is long enough for Minato to interject and suggest they talk at the dorm, so he cuts himself off there. Sure, *he* would probably be fine sleeping here... but the others, he suspects, would not. "At the dorms, then."

Then again, they've surprised him once already tonight.

And the meaning behind that date... will have to be determined after suitable pun-ishment comes.

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 1]]

Tyler Gould

2025-07-19T03:00:37Z

Ghost: Created page with "{{Character1 |MUSHName=Tyler Gould|BGColor=#4876ff|BorderColor=#000000|TextColor=#000000 |Img=<!-- example: File:RoseDefault.png consult mediawiki via google for help with inserting imag..."

{{Character1
|MUSHName=Tyler Gould|BGColor=#4876ff|BorderColor=#000000|TextColor=#000000
|Img=|Name=Tyler Gould|Arcana=The Hermit|Gender=Male|Age=17|Birthdate=04/26/1995|Residence=Iwatodai Dorm, Tatsumi Port Island|HairColor=Black (+ purple stripe)|EyeColor=Blue|Height=6'1"|Workplace=Gekkoukan High School|Job=Second Year|Role=Focus|Source=Persona 3 (OC)|Group=SEES|Player=Ghost|Quote="Death is coming? Then we meet again, old friend."|Profile=The son of American ghost hunters who seemed to be cursed by, and eventually lost to tragedy framed as an 'accident', Tyler Gould is a walking rain cloud that recently transferred across the ocean to Gekkoukan High School with the hopes of finding a new start in an unfamiliar land. Those with a particular interest in the growing field of supernatural television might also realize that he's part of the family that literally put the G into G.H.O.S.T. Attacks, a reality TV series on an obscure cable channel.|Background=|S1E1=|PersonaInfo=A legendary magician and escape artist, Harry "Handcuff" Houdini was renown for a great number of things, but most solidly his ability to escape perilous situations that most would agree would lead to a person's death. He often used these skills in order to debunk and discredit those claiming to have supernatural abilities, deriding them for taking advantageous of peoples' grief.|PersonaDesc=Houdini is best described as a short, stocky figure wearing the traditional magician's top hat... and hanging upside down from chains and locks that cover the entire remainder of his form, with an audible clicking sound being heard as the master escape artist works through his bindings.}}