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2026-04-03: Spinach, Fuzzy Socks, and Rebirth

2026-04-07T05:17:07Z

Terra: Created page with "*'''Log: Spinach, Fuzzy Socks, and Rebirth''' *'''Cast:''' Hitomi Mandai, Aigis *'''Where:''' Iwatodai Dormitory *'''OOC Date:''' April 03, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' October 19, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Aigis goes up to the garden at night to tend to the plants and catches Hitomi staring off at the ocean. They start talking about the events of the aerospace museum and the Zeppelin, but then things take a lighter tone when Aigis takes her first guess as per Hitomi's wage..."

*'''Log: Spinach, Fuzzy Socks, and Rebirth'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Hitomi Mandai]], [[Aigis]]
*'''Where:''' Iwatodai Dormitory
*'''OOC Date:''' April 03, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' October 19, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Aigis goes up to the garden at night to tend to the plants and catches Hitomi staring off at the ocean. They start talking about the events of the aerospace museum and the Zeppelin, but then things take a lighter tone when Aigis takes her first guess as per Hitomi's wager -- and she ups the stakes.''

----

(|============================ Iwatodai Dormitory ============================|)
-================================================== Iwatodai City/Iwatodai ====-
A large four-story dormitory used by the Specialized Extracurricular Execution
Squad, only five minutes from Iwatodai Station. Upon entering, one passes a desk
with a sign-in book for guests to find a large carpeted common room that's well
appointed for co-ed gatherings.

A TV is usually on with the local news or a movie that's been loaded into the
DVD player for a student to enjoy. A table for shared dinners, or more often
study sessions, takes up the other half of the dorm, as well as a kitchen should
one dare to show off their skills to their fellow students.

There are two winding staircases on either side. The one on the left simply says
'Boys' while the other on the right states 'No Boys Except By Invitation.' The
implicit threat of execution need not be written down for those who violate
these rules. The second and third stories are living spaces divided by gender
with common spaces that have study areas and bookshelves available.

The fourth story is the command center with surveillance capabilities for not
just different parts of the city but each room within the dorms. The Chairman
has assured all who live here that this capability is strictly necessary.

BGM - Dormitory Theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj-FrFI0qnM

<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
Iwatodai dorm
9:51 pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRG3wHaQVR4
(don't worry its just mood music)

Hitomi Mandai sits on the roof and she looks out towards the ocean.

Hitomi didn't just appear here, of course, as if produced by spontaneous generation or dropped by an aerial assault. While she can fairly and truly claim that she is no longer innocent of the pleasures of leaping out of a high-flying aircraft fixing to crash, it was not something about which she intends to make a habit.

It's still midterm season so you ought to study. Hitomi has studied and she had her worst exam (self-estimated) today and so she is reasonably calm. For her, tomorrow is math, she's pretty sure, and if she got it wrong it's probably history, which she's also good at. She's read all her notes. She's taken new notes. Hell, she's only missed like two classes and one of them was because she got stabbed. Her memory is good.

Her biggest concern, really, is being killed by Shadows before she can take the exam. Better by far to die *after* finishing your exams. That way you'd have something to show for all the hard work.

Hitomi is not really tending the gardens, though she did look at them in passing when she came up here. Around 9:38 she had found one of the chairs and set it here, so she can face the school, far away. At this hour there isn't much in the way of lights over there - just a few things, perimeter markings, boundaries against the surly darkness that threatens to encompass them all.

The wind's turning those turbines. Hitomi's mostly watching those.

There is not a lot of light, though the moon is waxing, a thin fingernail of brightness. If it wasn't for the leaking of the light of the Port Island settlement, it'd probably be easy to see a lot of stars. You can still make out a few, if you want.

Hitomi is sitting in the chair, slouched a little, legs splayed. It's a very relaxed kind of posture. Or a slack and loose one. It's a little hard to tell the difference.

The wind picks up a bit, plucking at her hair. Hitomi's eyes turn from where she'd been gazing, upwards for a moment, then over to the turbines. Watching. Will that gust she just felt reach the turbines - will they speed up, or perhaps slow down, a little? It's a subtle kind of thing, but it's relaxing. Borderline hypnotic, if you're tired enough.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Under certain definitions of 'creature', Aigis is a creature of habit. Like clockwork, she adheres to a strictly regimented schedule.

Wake the Arisato siblings up precisely 10 minutes before their respective alarm clocks go off. Get dressed. Walk to the train station, ride the train, walk to school. Attend classes. On days where the art club is in session, attend club activities. Walk to the train station, ride the train, return to the dorm. Study for several hours. Make progress through reading a novel or playing Drake Adventure. If someone isn't tending to Koromaru, take him for a walk. If someone is, tend to the plants up on the roof. Keep watch during the Dark Hour. Finally, recharge in her room.

Midterms are a rare source of difficulty and uncertainty for her. While she excels in memory-based or computational subjects such as mathematics or portions of history, she struggles when it comes to more abstract reasoning. Literature is her biggest weakness by far, and the parts of history which require her to form an argument are a close second-worst. She's catching up on at least ten years of study that her peers have ahead of her.

Her artistic pursuits during her club activities are similarly basic. While she has the immense control and observation skills necessary to copy what she sees for photorealistic works, she cannot greatly deviate from what she captures visually. She can transcribe, but she currently lacks the means to express herself.

The garden is often a source of interest for her. Inert as they are, the plants possess one thing that Aigis appears to lack: life. Non-artificial, biological life. As a larger entity which has fewer needs, she sees it as her duty to take care of the more fragile crops of tomatoes and carrots.

She feels similarly about non-plant-based lifeforms as well.

Speaking of. At 9:45:00:11 PM, nearly right on the dot if not for those pesky milliseconds, Aigis opens the door to the rooftop. "Good evening, Mandai-san. You should take care to not fall asleep up here. You may catch a cold this late in the fall."

After a whisper directed at the plants -- which Hitomi might overhear as "Lettuce take care of you," -- Aigis sets to work tending the garden. Soil conditions, water, fertilizer, talking to them ... there are a number of variables to keep track of in order to pay them proper care.

Her own state of wakefulness is binary -- unless there is some major malfunction, she is either on or off. She doesn't sleep until she's recharging, or worse, her energy reserves have run out before she could return to her own room. While her attention primarily remains on the garden, she asks Hitomi, "Are you observing something specific out on the horizon, or are you simply enjoying the view?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
"Hey," Hitomi had answered Aigis. Ironically enough, she said it on automatic pilot.

(Hitomi has noticed that Aigis is a bit of a creature of habit. Other than the usual greetings, she has not made many impositions, though they have been friendly greetings.)

After that, silence reigned.

Aigis's quiet soft words to the hard-working plant striving to grow despite the gradually shortening daylengths and the desperate struggle to survive in an economy that's steadily contracting for reasons beyond the ken of a mere plant...

... Hitomi 'heard' them, but she didn't 'listen.'

Something sneaks into her mindset, though. Aigis, of course, can time it, and it takes her about eight seconds to turn her head and say, finally, "Huh?"

At this point Hitomi plays back the tape in her head a little. She blinks once, and takes off her glasses, getting out a scrap of cloth from her pocket to clean them off, again. "Oh. No. I was just staring into space. My room doesn't have a good view and I kind of didn't want to be inside. It was kind of messing with me."

A beat or so passes.

Hitomi shifts in the chair. Turning about ninety degrees, so she can face Aigis without turning herself all the way around. "How're they doing?"

The pronoun is left ambiguous, although Hitomi's eyeline is currently resting on the vegetation under care.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
At this point, Aigis is well aware of the discontinuity between what a person says and does as opposed to what their focus actually remains on. This is not something unique to Hitomi, as far as she's observed.

Eight seconds of conversational dead time pass. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight.

If she were not unfailingly patient and polite, she would have labelled the duration of time as 'agonizing.' It is still nothing compared to the daily 24-hour wait between Dark Hours, the period of time in which she can fulfill her true function as an Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon.

School -- and any other daytime activity -- is just something to occupy herself with in the meantime. ... or at least that was her outlook when she first began attending. Slowly, but surely, she is developing a zeal for the full portion of the day.

She tilts her head at Hitomi's response. "Why did you not want to be inside? May I ask how, precisely, it was 'messing with you'?"

It hasn't escaped Aigis' notice that Hitomi was staring out at the ocean. "... are you troubled by thoughts about the events at the museum and on the Zeppelin?" She certainly is, but she isn't letting that slip if she can help it.

As for Hitomi's question about the plants, Aigis stands up and stares down at the modest garden. "I anticipate that this yield will be below-average. They were planted a little bit too late in the season. These are, perhaps, the last batch of carrots we may be able to harvest until a warmer season comes around. Leafy greens will be next. Do you have a preference between lettuce, kale, or spinach? I can ask Aragaki-san for his input, as well -- "

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
Two good questions. Hitomi's lips pooch for a moment. She finishes cleaning her glasses; she raises them up to inspect them. As she does, Aigis brings out a third question.

"Pretty much," Hitomi says, "but I don't feel like it's the ordinary kind of feelings. I mean, it was scary, but... I guess I'm getting kind of used to stuff like that." From her voice, she sounds doubtful. Raising up the glances, she peers through the lenses; turns them around to see from the front.

Hitomi grimaces, breathes on them to get a little condensation, and wipes them off again.

"I was feeling claustrophobic, I suppose," she says. "The walls were too close. It felt like I couldn't breathe. I could hear all the little sounds out there, and I didn't want to turn on the radio or play a game or something, so... I just kept jumping, and I thought I might as well come out here. If someone's... car backfired or whatever, at least I could see the car, right?"

Nobody's car has backfired. But the sound is rather akin to a gunshot.

"I grew up near that museum," Hitomi says, and she finally puts her glasses back on, and looks towards Aigis. Her expression remains disconsolate.

"... Spinach," Hitomi says. "But don't make -- I mean, I'm not going to be the only one eating it, right?"

She smiles, again.

"How did you take the entire situation? With the... zeppellin, I mean, and the museum. I ran into one of the people there, the... local people. I guess if I"d stayed there I'd probably know them better. Do you know them, at all? This was the, you know, the really pretty guy. With the," Hitomi gestures at her left breast, "flower? Jun Kashihara."

"... does spinach grow during the winter? I mean, I suppose it doesn't get *that* cold."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis has to forcibly prevent herself from going on about the minutiae of gardening. She had asked Hitomi a few questions, then went on at-length in her own reply. Verbal communication isn't exactly information-dense, at least not in relation to other possible forms of relaying data.

After a polite bow, she gestures towards Hitomi. " -- I apologize. I believe that should suffice for an answer to your question. I did not mean to deprive you of an opportunity to respond."

Then Hitomi explains. The cause is just about what Aigis had expected: the museum and the Zeppelin. The symptoms, on the other hand ... the symptoms, she can only understand from a distance. She will, in fact, simply sit in place for hours on end if she has nothing better to do.

At the mention of a car backfiring, Aigis glances down at her own hands, which she knows have retractable fingertips which have had trails of gunsmoke rising up from their apertures -- then places them behind herself in some vain attempt to obscure them from Hitomi, perhaps ''vastly'' underestimating her sense of object permanence. "... Right," she finally comments.

"... It must have been difficult for you to witness such an event so close to your home. Perhaps moreso than the incursion on the dormitory."

Luckily, Hitomi provides a change in topics. "Spinach for Mandai-san. Do not worry; I am taking note of everyone's preferences. The aggregate data will inform the proper ratio of which crops to plant."

She answers Hitomi's question about simple recall first: does she know any of them? "Of those present, excluding the members of SEES and the Joker Killer himself, I believe I am only acquainted with Suzuki-san and Akabane-san." Hyousuke and Umie. "Akechi-san is a well-known personality, but we have not met. I recognized a few other faces," such as Phoenix's, "but we did not have time to exchange pleasantries in the heat of the moment."

"I have found that Suzuki-san and I share some common traits," she adds.

Jun, though. Jun was a new face to her. She starts to shake her head and say as much, but a burst of static briefly cuts through her senses. She visibly winces. Less confidently, she responds, "I don't ... believe I have met Kashihara-san before, though."

She more firmly stretches her arms behind her back.

As for how Aigis took the situation, it takes a moment for her to compose her response. "It is fortunate that most of us were able to escape intact. I will be fine if I am damaged, but it is difficult to watch for everyone's well-being at once. I felt compelled to remain by Arisato-san's side, first and foremost, and to protect the children second." She casts her gaze downwards. "I regret that I could not do more."

Whatever ammunition that man in the black mask used ... Aigis dreads the possibility that she could one day be fit and loaded with such a bullet.

Aigis knows just the answer to satisfy Hitomi's curiosity. She holds up a finger and slightly smiles as she explains: "In fact, spinach is quite well-suited to growing during the winter. The cold is even said to increase how sweet it tastes."

Not that she's speaking from experience. Realizing this, doubt creeps onto her face. "Or so I have read. This is the first time that I have been operational during this time of year."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
"No, no," Hitomi says. "Talk all you want... you've earned it. I just... don't really know how to do friendly chats? So I'm kind of faking it too," Hitomi says as she heaves herself partway up to turn the chair around so now, instead of the distant shape of the school (above which Tartarus looms) and the Pacific beyond, she is looking at Aigis.

The Pacific has been there for quite some time. Aigis has not.

When Aigis hides her hands, though, Hitomi smiles, very faintly.

"Mm," she says. "I went to that museum four times growing up. Once in elementary school... not as young as those kids, so I guess maybe they were making the curriculum spicier. Twice in middle school. And once in high school, but I was only in that class for a year."

"It's an easy place to go, you know?" Hitomi says. "Well."

The smile fades. "It was, at least."

Her eyes turn back to Aigis though as she speaks. She nods along. "Yeah... that Akechi guy... that was such a surprise, even if I guess he wasn't any help."

Her expression firms at that momentary -- what was it? Flinch? -- but she lets it sit. But she is watching more closely. "I didn't think about your situation," Hitomi continues. "Were you able to swim to shore? I guess Arisato'd look out for you, but --" Did she have to walk to shore??

"Those brats'll be fine," Hitomi says, more warmly. "That kid hustled me. I'm kind of proud of him." What??

"Oho," Hitomi continues, lifting her eyebrows. "I did notice it came up a lot that time of year... you can get most stuff year-round if you shop around, but it's best when it's in season. I always kinda liked this time of year best of all," and here Hitomi sits herself up a little more straight, "getting in from here until about New Year's... That's just great."

"You weren't... awake for this? I can try to give you tips... but most of 'em are about keeping warm." Hitomi's lips quirk up again.

"... That guy at the end of it, though," Hitomi says.

"Just... all of it, hah. I mean... I guess it's not a surprise, there were like twenty of us. It's like we're a community! We're going to have to organize a convention so everyone can meet each other..." The threat of PersonaCon hangs in the haze, a potentiality as yet unrealized, as Hitomi keeps on going. "And then that guy showed up..."

Hitomi brings up a hand and bites on the tip of her thumb for a moment. Not looking at Aigis. Not at anything in particular. Her eyes turn, though, towards her. "That 'thing' in me was really acting weird there. I had to stop myself. I had this feeling that I was going to say something and it was going to be the last thing I ever said. Does that sound strange? Like... it was already my 'fate' that those were going to be my last words."

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Faking it? Facsimile that she is, Aigis is faking it, sure, but she can't fathom the notion that a person could be faking it. "As you say, Mandai-san."

While Aigis is newer than the Pacific Ocean, and while she may not last quite as long as it will, she will be here for some time yet.

On the museum, she comments, "I couldn't help but notice that many of the aircraft vehicles were made for the purpose of war. I can understand wanting to defend ourselves from Shadows, but ... I cannot imagine willingly turning my arsenal against another person's body. I have always limited it to their Persona."

Yes, she can, actually. She winces again as another wave of static comes through, this time 'reading' something like ''TA6qE# ID+Ni%3YED.''

Quietly, Aigis queries her systems for the source of that strange static sensation. For her efforts, an error message coalesces in what serves as her consciousness:

</poem>
>> [! DISK READ ERROR !]
>> 54 MB in bad sectors.
<poem>
She looks downward and narrows her eyes as she tries to puzzle out what ''that'' could possibly mean. Everything else seems to be in order. This, though -- it's as if some other data were overlaid on top of her extant memories. If she's reading this entry right, the date makes no sense; she wasn't even operational at that point in time.

Oh well. It's nothing that a simple diagnostic run won't fix. It's nothing of too great concern, she reassures herself. Meaningless junk data.

Even so, she's keeping her hands tucked firmly behind her back.

She didn't have to swim or walk to shore, no. She matter-of-factly explains, "Palladion is capable of propulsion. Normally, I would not recommend it as a safe form of transport -- it is about as capable of flight as a missile is." After a beat, she clarifies, "The landing is rough."

Aigis calmly listens as Hitomi extols the virtues of the latter part of the year. She makes mental note that availability isn't a concern, but freshness is; this reinforces what she had only heard elsewhere. She shakes her head to confirm that no, she wasn't 'awake' during this time of the year. "Not this late. Very briefly, early in September, once. Then earlier this summer, on that island, up until now."

On said tips: "I do not believe remaining warm is of much concern to me personally. I ... do not share your physiology." Her own expression brightens before she continues, "That said, I am interested in hearing them -- perhaps I can still put the knowledge to good use, regardless."

A community ... it's just now hitting Aigis that the world is much, much larger than the small corner of it that her purpose has allowed herself to traverse. She knew it on some logical level, this isn't new information, but she starts to form a better understanding of just what that entails.

Aigis is eerily silent as Hitomi recounts how that 'thing' in Hitomi was acting weird. 'Like... it was already my 'fate' that those were going to be my last words.' Does Aigis understand that?

Does she understand how something can feel predetermined? Does she feel like she's only marching to the tune of a song composed long ago? Does she know what it's like to be unable to deviate from the path that's been set before her?

Aigis curiously regards Hitomi with her crystal blue cameras-in-lieu-of-eyes. "I do not think that sounds strange at all."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
"Mm," Hitomi says. "Yeah."

"I guess war is one of those games that's deep inside of us, huh? I suppose you've got a different perspective. I don't like that part of all of this," Hitomi says, turning her eyes downwards. "It's one thing if it to be Shadows."

Another, perhaps, for it to be human.

"Heh... listen to me, it's like I'm saying something nice about Shadows! But that's why you weren't just doing that," shooting people with those guns in her fingers, "during the attack, huh? I mean," Hitomi looks up, "leaving aside absolutely anything else, it'd totally blow your cover."

Then there's another wince on Aigis's part.

Hitomi's brow furrows with concern, which mixes with curiosity to her to lean forwards in the chair. She doesn't, quite, get up yet. Maybe she's not wanting to spoil the mood with an abrupt look of concern. What DOES it mean? Hitomi thinks. I can't assume anything - she could literally have a loose wire. Nothing wrong with that.

"Ahhh," Hitomi says. "So you got there faster than us. Well, you didn't miss much. Ocean's a lot nicer in July, but we were pretty far out..." She settles back. "... I still can't quite believe we did that."

Coming back up, then. "You'll have to be prepared for slushy conditions, but not yet. Hmm... Even if you're not a human, I think some of these ideas could work for you," Hitomi says as her arms fold. "The key one is layers, but it's not the one that everyone thinks it means. It doesn't just mean wear three thin things," Hitomi says, holding up three fingers. "It means... prepare for what you'll actually 'experience.'"

"Maybe you can't know everything that could happen, but you can make a good guess," Hitomi continues. "Imagine if it's 2 degrees outside and it's raining and I have to walk to the station. I'd have an umbrella, of course, to keep myself from getting soaked. I'm not a kid who needs a raincoat, even if I suppose it's got its virtues for some people." She contemplates for a moment.

"What I'd do, though," Hitomi says, "is I'd have something warm over my uniform (cuz I'm going to school - the winter uniform's thicker, which helps, but it's not going to do it on its own) and I'd have a thin layer over that. Then when I get inside I can just take that thin layer off. Boom -- no water-evaporation cooling effect!"

"But I still have two layers," she continues, "and this is where people get tripped up, because they start thinking 'that was such a pain in the ass, I had to carry around the coat, I'll just wear a jacket,' and then they freeze to death and die!" Dying to death? A great peril indeed!

"Oh... and wear fluffy socks. That's about what I've got."

The rest, presumably, is more clearly about human physiology. But...

Aigis seems to know what she's talking about.

Hitomi's eyes meet Aigis's. She has brown eyes, mostly, although it's kind of a rich deep brown, and the reason for that is that it's a pretty red-forward brown, and in this light, the red is what's standing out a little more clearly. That or it's some thin film on her glasses.

"It was kind of weird," Hitomi says. "Since I was sort of... beside myself. But I remember what happened during those times really well, I just try not to think about them... and I remember thinking something like, oh wow, I have to say it, I *have* to say it. I have to try to say this," Hitomi says, raising up her hands, "this is just like the natural state of things, it's an inevitability. I say this and then I die. Like."

Hitomi turns her eyes down.

Her hands close.

Her eyes lift back up to Aigis's. "Then I just didn't say it. Now he's dead. He's, like, one of those weird ocean worms or caterpillars now. Or on an alien planet."

"How about that one? Strange, do you think?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis ''does'' have a different perspective. "Your kind wield weapons. I am one, through and through." There are ''myriad'' reasons why Aigis didn't just start blasting with wild abandon. Keeping her cover in front of the public is one of them, and she quietly nods to confirm that.

She listens with rapt attention as Hitomi recites a list of cold-weather tips. She doesn't have to worry about temperature -- not to the extent that weather can affect her, at least. It's all still useful for the purposes of blending in. Had she heard none of this, she may have very well only worn her school winter uniform all throughout the season.

At her final note to wear fluffy socks, Aigis looks down to inspect her own 'feet' -- stubs that end at the shins, consisting only of the calcaneus, but no sole or ball or toes. "What purpose do the socks serve?"

No doubt she's going to apply all of this knowledge in ensuring that Minato and Minako are appropriately dressed for the cold weather. Thanks, Hitomi!

Hitomi's further explanation mostly makes sense -- not the 'and then I die' part specifically, just the structured nature of it all -- right up until the last-second swerve of 'Then I just didn't say it.' Not once has Aigis failed to follow her directives. The notion that Hitomi simply dodged inevitability itself baffles her.

At first, she also discounts the mention of feeling 'beside herself.' She didn't experience that -- not so directly. She can't help but feel that there may be some relation to the junk data that overlaid her memory which she had detected moments ago.

"Perhaps I do not understand as well as I had initially thought. Do you mean to say that you witnessed a premonition of some sort, then? You saw the outcome of a path, then you opted to go a different route." She nods, confident in her new understanding. "I would liken it to a simulation. An exploration of one such possibility, like a branching path in a game like Drake Adventure."

'Now he's dead.' The protection granted by a Persona be damned. While Aigis has a preference for targeting a person's Persona, it's only to cause temporary Persona Breaks, to exhaust and dissuade a person from fighting for the time being. (And, through some technicality, she isn't deviating from her directives.) Almost never to kill, not intentionally, and only when absolutely necessary.

Ocean worms, caterpillars ... aliens. "... You are speaking of reincarnation, correct?" Aigis pauses to consider this. "I have no basis on which to judge that as strange or not. Given his deeds, it is easy to imagine that he would have descended to a lower tier of creature. It sounds correct to me."

"Mandai-san." Aigis stares back at her again. "Apropos of nothing, I have my first guess for the question you had posed to me in exchange for a favor. If I am incorrect, then I would like to owe you a favor -- one for each wrong answer. I believe this will make the stakes more equitable."

Putting all of what she's observed to what she thinks is good use, and remembering Hitomi's expression as Minato checked on her, Aigis concludes: "Arisato-san. The brother."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
'I am one, through and through.'

"Mm," Hitomi says. It is something to consider.

Hitomi then looks down to see Aigis's feet.

"Yeah... I suppose it wouldn't make sense. But, you've probably seen people's feet, right? Just kind of in passing, or like, anatomical diagrams...? Basically they're really complicated and have a lot of blood vessels," Hitomi continues. "But it's like the furthest part of your body from your heart, right? So they get cold. And feel cold. Basically my feet feel cold most of the time, ''but'' the fluffy socks takes the edge off until they get sweaty!"

Hitomi considers.

"So I guess if you do wear them, they won't get sweaty. Efficient..."

After that her lips purse for a moment at the remainder of the topic. Aigis echoes some of what she said. "Hmm. I suppose. It felt more like a memory, but maybe that's what premonitions feel like? I get hunches, but that's different. That's in your belly."

"Rebirth," Hitomi says, "though, like, it's nearly the same idea. Basically, when the components of 'you' dissolve at your death, they're reborn, right? And some of it's metaphorical for chemicals, but like... even if the 'you' isn't really eternal, it's pretty durable. So there's still a 'being' that was Tatsuya Sudou out there somewhere."

"Though," Hitomi's head rocks to the side, "Maybe he was burning off bad karmas here...? But he was killing people a lot, which is a pretty bad karma. If you want the rest... I'll introduce you to my brother sometime. He's the guy with the priest studies."

But then. A stare. Returned with Hitomi's slightly-sleepy eyes. She looks like she needs either more sleep or a better idea of how to use concealer. Her eyes brighten and her head tilts up a bit at the question. "Is that right...? That's a really interesting proposal."

"I accept," Hitomi says, and she grins, and elaborates:

"You might not of thought of this exactly, but you're putting a lot of trust in me, right? I could just lie when you ask... what's in my heart's not something you can detect." It is entirely possible that Hitomi's subtle blood pressure''heart rate''stress readings are entirely perceptible to those cold blue eyes -- for Hitomi sees them as eyes -- but maybe that's why she's smiling.

"But I'll strive to be worthy of your trust."

so she won't bullshit. And then comes the choice.

A R I S A T O (minato)

Hitomi looks surprised. Her eyes widen all the way but she doesn't startle. It's a wide open look as she takes the stab, and Hitomi nods along - once or twice, slowly, then several times with more vigor. "I see where you're coming from on that one. I guess we've been on the same squad a few times, right? He's not bad..."

"... but I think he burned that bridge," Hitomi says, "over Yamagishi. That was before your time. Don't worry." Hitomi sweeps with a hand. "It's just something that made it so... I don't think I could accept him that way. If I tried."

"Which I won't," Hitomi says.

Her head tilts forward. "Because... it isn't Minato Arisato."

</poem>
AS: Card Sukukaja added to your list for form 1. List now includes Rebellion and Sukukaja.

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Hitomi's right; human feet aren't an alien concept to Aigis. She knows ''of'' them, even if she doesn't have them herself because Kirijo Ergonomics felt it was more cost-efficient to give her little hoof-like stubs. Science is one of her stronger subjects, after all.

----

(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BsFGfoRaFo Astro Boy: Omega Factor OST - Doctor Tenma's Theme)

'They're really complicated and have a lot of blood vessels' is a phrase that she feels extends to human bodies in general, not just their feet. They all seem so fragile compared to her.

Everyone, not just Minato and Minako. Ikutsuki. Dr. Aomori. Reiya. Ririka. Moriko. Junpei. Koromaru. Ken. Shizuka. Shinjiro. Yukari. Fuuka. Koh. Tyler. Suzume. Mitsuru. Akihiko.

Even Noriaki and Takaya. Tatsuya Sudou's own fragility has been empirically proven for all present to plainly see.

Everyone, including Hitomi, who sits before her now.

In all likelihood, Aigis will outlive them all. That's why she views her capacity as humanity's protector not unlike how she serves her role to the vegetables in the rooftop garden. She'll fend for them in the ways they can't, so that they can grow like she believes that she can't.

----

After Hitomi finishes explaining, Aigis gives her a polite nod. "Thank you for confirming which purpose you meant. That narrows it down from the list I had compiled with your directive absent your intended goal. I could not disambiguate between whether you had meant insulation, as you say, or other possibilities which include but are not limited to: if you find the texture and/or the pressure pleasant, if they were less slippery than regular socks might be for the purposes of walking on smooth floors, or if it was simply a fashionable aesthetic preference for many during the colder seasons."

Her tendency to come up with such a breadth of imagined scenarios is largely ''why'' she doesn't do so well in, say, her Japanese Literature course. Her usual failure mode isn't that she cannot possibly fathom any reason motivating someone's words or actions when left unstated. She can come up with any number of things; the trick is narrowing them down to the one which best fits what another person may be looking for. That's an aspect where she's aware she needs to grow in.

Aigis awkwardly glances to the side for a beat, then back to Hitomi. "... I believe the only applicable purpose in my case is for fashion. I do not sweat, no, and both titanium and aramid retain their usual ductility even when temperatures reach as low as negative 196 degrees Celsius."

Highly 'efficient' as Aigis has been designed to be, she is yet still ''insufficient''.

'Memory.' Her expression grows downcast in recognition. "Then yes, I do believe I have experienced something analogous. I do not know what to make of it, however."

'Rebirth.' A rare frown finds its way to Aigis' face. "That may be the case for biological entities such as yourself, but ... even if I one day cease to function, my remains will not undergo decay in the same manner you will. Never mind the uncertain spiritual implications of someone such as myself." Aigis ''does'' possess such a spark, even if certain people and her overall circumstances have convinced her otherwise. She remains silent while Hitomi muses on Sudou's karmic trajectory, but smiles at the end. "I would like to one day meet your brother and discuss this in further detail, then."

Discussion turns to the game which Hitomi has proposed, along with Aigis' first -- and ultimately incorrect -- answer. She blankly stares at the ground to contemplate what could have possibly led to this outcome, she was so ''sure'' --

Once again, she has proven insufficient.

That said, that relates to Aigis' own purpose for participating in Hitomi's game, as well as her own introduction of a penalty to disincentive simple brute force. Indeed, her pathfinding algorithms only operate as well as they do because they quickly rule out less viable paths by assigning penalty weights to more difficult terrain to traverse. (That, and ... if she just iterates through the entire list, she'll come across the right answer eventually, but ... what would she have actually learned, then?)

So Aigis, a being who has thus far been driven by logic and order and purely deterministic functions, has thus gleaned that in order to surpass her inadequate specifications, she needs to inject a little bit of risk and danger into matters. She has Hitomi to thank for the inspiration.

Hitomi is correct in that while Aigis can detect the fluctations in her physiological responses, she can't ascribe meaning to them or interpet them with any measure of confidence in her conclusion's accuracy. "I had thought of that, yes. I would still like to add this condition, all the same." Even if Hitomi ''does'' lie, then that's all the more opportunity for her to learn how to detect someone being less than truthful.

It was with such physiological data that led to her initial guess of Minato, reinforced by Hitomi's words and expression after Minato praised her in the aftermath of the Strega attack on the SEES dorms. As Hitomi points out, there's a history there that Aigis isn't aware of -- she ''couldn't'' be.

Furthermore, given how closely she sticks to Minato and Minako, they comprise most of the data set currently available to her. Her samples are heavily biased. It's no surprise that her initial answer was one of those two, and given what she had observed of Hitomi in the post-Strega raid aftermath, the tie broke in the brother's favor. He takes up so much room in her own thoughts -- wouldn't that just naturally be the same for everyone else?

Apparently not.

Aigis formulates a plan to ask Yukari more about how to discern who someone else likes. Surely this will be a straightforward exchange with no awkward misunderstandings at all, she thinks. This plan is as bulletproof as she is.

In spite of her loss, Aigis brings a closed fist beside her face and pleasantly smiles at Hitomi, appearing as if she's trying to contain her mirth. "I see. That is my only attempt for the time bein. What favor would you like, then, Mandai-san? Perhaps a greater share of spinach in the garden than the other crops? Or would you prefer something else?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
The question of how long one's lifespan is hasn't occured to Hitomi much. Then again, she was at least familiar with the premise of death from a very young age, even if - so far - it has not intruded close upon her own personal sphere. Not yet.

Close, sure, but not yet.

Nobody in SEES has died. Yet.

Hitomi, sitting in a chair with the fall night's wind in her hair, regards Aigis. Her expression becomes curious, a thinking-frown with a pooching-out of the lower lip. "Those are all good reasons," she says. "You understand more about socks than you let on..."

Titanium *and* aramid. Hitomi files that one away, along with a clear question for later investigating: what the fudge is aramid, is it like, a metal? Her science grades are good enough that she's confident it's not a chemical element, at least.

She smiles, about her brother, but doesn't confirm it with her lips.

But what makes Hitomi really brighten is Aigis's last words. Her look makes Hitomi smile; the words, though, make the smile crack into a grin, showing her teeth if with no sign of tension of fury. Genuine delight. In fact she brings her hands up, clasping them together; there's a brief 'pap' as they unite.

"Oh! You're really putting me on the spot here, Aigis~. Hmmm." And now, at last, Hitomi gets up.

She was probably going to anyway, but now she seems more invigorated. The conversation was brightening a gloomy mood but this has put some real pep in her step; the muscular tension and slight elevation of heart-rate might be perceptible, even as she says, "I had no idea, you know, that you'd make an offer like that. It's tremendously generous of you to begin with -- I'm not sure it would have ever occured to me."

She parts her hands. One fingertip rests on her pursed lips. Her expression grows superficially more innocent.

"Would you mind if I held onto it? The favor, I mean."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
There's a break somewhere in Aigis' continuum of consciousness. Someone close to her did die, but she has no memory of it. No one in SEES will die if she can help it.

... unfortunately, that's a big 'if.'

Aigis stares at Hitomi like a deer in headlights. "I apologize, I did not mean to deceive you. I did not intentionally hide my knowledge." Hesitant in her confusion, she asks, "Is there ... something which led you to believe that I did not know about the various applications for fuzzy socks?"

Should Hitomi later indulge her curiosity on what 'aramid' is, exactly: it's a class of very durable synthetic fibers, short for 'aromatic polyamide'; well-known examples of them include Kevlar, Nomex, and New Star. The outermost white layer of Aigis' chassis covering her neck and torso consists of such a fiber -- probably not one of the big brand names, but something proprietary to the Kirijo Group.

This isn't the first time Aigis has managed to surprise her fellow SEES members by doing something of her own volition. As placid as ever, Aigis returns Hitomi's smile with her own. "I realize that it must have come as a surprise, yes. I am at least glad to see that it does not appear to be an unpleasant one."

Completely guilelessly, Aigis nods at Hitomi. "That you may. I asked in case you happened to have something in mind from the onset, but as you say, I did put you on the spot."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
Hitomi is, in fact, going to look that up later, although a critical mishearing will lead to her learning a great deal about the Alawites of Syria. This may be important later.

Even so.

"It was my own oversight that led me to make that assumption," Hitomi says, gesturing a little with one hand. "I assumed that you would know a great deal of things, because you're very well informed and well spoken. However, the particular pleasures of fuzzy socks are an emergent property... I hope you'll forgive me for underestimating you!~"

Yeah.

That was a tilde. Rather: That was a lilt that Hitomi often doesn't have. Somehow this has *infused* her with new energy, though it is a little low key - it's late in the day.

"If you want to give me a deadline," Hitomi continues, "I'll be sure to honor it. The spinach idea is a good one, but I'm going to have to rethink my entire approach to spinach. I almost always eat it cooked, you know? With a little oil and some garlic and soy sauce, too... I'll have to find and eat it raw for a change."

Her hands clap together a couple of times.

"Th-ough - you mentioned Drake Adventure earlier. How did you get interested in that?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Her startled expression shifts to a relaxed and self-satisfied smile. "You are forgiven, Mandai-san. In fact, you did nothing wrong."

Even Aigis can tell that tilde of a lilt is mildly unusual for Hitomi's typical cadence. But, as before, while she can make this observation and can conceive of myriad possibilities, she can't quite narrow down the range to a smaller subset.

A deadline ... "Before the end of the month, perhaps? That gives you a little under two weeks. Is that sufficient?"

She gives the garden planters a quiet meaningful glance when Hitomi ponders about eating spinach raw instead of cooked. "I am interested in hearing how your approach changes in the coming days and weeks."

The answer behind Aigis' interest in Drake Adventure may be utterly unsurprising. Perhaps out of mild embarrassment, she glances to the side. "Arisato-san showed it to me when I went to check up on him one day. I saw the value in being able to experiment with choices in a safe, low-stakes environment."

"That was how it started. It has since evolved to a genuine enthusiasm for the series and medium in its own right, as well as similar works. My apologies, I still have yet to visit the Game Club after you had brought it up earlier, though ..."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
A deadline is proposed - two weeks or less. "That's quite agreeable terms," Hitomi says, and then she --

Extends a hand out?!

A handshake deal!? Her fingers wiggle invitingly. Middle and ring crook in. There you go. *CLASP*

Hitomi's grasp is firm if with a certain playful exaggeration to it.

As for the rest: "Mmmmm -- we're more pen and paper, cards, stuff like that -- but I have been getting itchy to run more Blade World... It's a little bit like Drake Adventure, you know?"

Hitomi was already smiling, but this time it's less performative.

"This really cheered me up. Thanks. I'll be ready to hear your next guess, whenever you're ready.~"

("Though! Unsolicited advice," Hitomi adds. "Wait until I cashed in the first one, or I'll have a completely unfair advantage!")

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis blankly stares down at Hitomi's outstretched hand for a moment longer than what may be comfortable, but she has ''heard'' of handshakes. She returns the gesture in earnest. "It is agreed, then."

Her own grip is stiff and uncertain. She's not yet used to actually doing this. It occurs to her that she doesn't know when to let go.

She nods when Hitomi explains about the Games Club. "I understand. It is not so much the digital nature of the medium of video games that appeals, but the ... simulative aspect. From what I have been able to gather in my research, tabletop games still involve that same sense of immersion and role playing."

Warmth permeates her voice. "I am sincerely glad to hear that. I will take my time and consider well my next answer." She turns her head to the doorway leading back to inside the dorms. "Shall we head back inside?"

(A grateful nod. "I appreciate your tip and your effort to keep things equitable.")

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
"Let's," Hitomi says. "I'm not going out tonight... I should probably get to sleep." As they walk...

"Is that so? Hmmm...~ I get what you mean, though," Hitomi says, "even if I like the sort of... hm... I don't know how to put it... you can make the numbers play for you? It's a funny feeling..."

But she pauses just at the doorway. "Wait. I know the favor I want to ask of you."

"See, that was quick, right?" Hitomi continues. "Here it is... I need to know the favorite dessert of..."

"... every member of SEES."

An index finger is raised.

"Including Koromaru."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Everyone's favorite dessert, is it? "Mission received and acknowledged."

Including Koromaru. Well! "That goes without saying. I am in the best position to determine his."

</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 2]]

2026-04-02: Not A Victory March, But

2026-04-05T18:01:58Z

Terra: oops an errant pose got left in without it being bluray'd out

*'''Log: Not a Victory March, But'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Tamaki Uchida]], [[Umie Akabane]]
*'''Where:''' Karukozaka Road - Outside Karukozaka High School
*'''OOC Date:''' April 02, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' October 18, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''When Tamaki had admitted that she's still looking for someone, Umie offered to help try and search for in her own capacity as a Navigator, so now Tamaki's taking her up on that offer. It's a fool's errand and neither of them can sense anything -- the five-year-old trail has long since gone cold -- but they spend the rest of the time there exchanging a few secrets with each other.''

----

(|======================= Kagurazaka - Hillside Street =======================|)
-===================================================== Tokyo/Shinjuku Ward ====-
Kagurazaka, Tokyo is a small neighborhood in eastern Shinjuku, straddling
Chiyoda. Home to a large swath of French expatriates residing in Tokyo, it has a
pleasantly warm atmosphere, a cozy little piece of Europe abroad. Part of it is
on the banks of a Tokugawa castle's moat, now a canal that provides comfort
while walking alongside it.

The main heart of the neighborhood is Kagurazaka-dori, a street that starts on a
soft incline before moving further towards a succession of restaurants and
shops. The buildings are low and the sidewalks narrow, with pleasant greenery
alongside the walkways, and road traffic is occasionally prohibited at certain
times, providing a gentle walking experience for the tourist and resident alike.

Of the shrines, shops and restaurants that line the streets, a few stand out
more than others. Zenkoku-ji is a classical Buddhist temple that worships
Bishamonten, a warrior god associated with good fortune. On the other end of the
spectrum is the Akagi shrine, a Shinto shrine that was renovated over the past
few years to possess a more modern outlook, with glass and wood as principal
pieces of the shrine's aesthetic.

For drinking and dining, one can visit Fleur de Lis, a bar and bistro themed
after classical Parisian bars, complete with a piano player during the daytime
hours and special events during the night. They can also visit the Patisserie
Kurayama, a French-style bakery owned by one Marie-Chantal Kurayama, a local
Rumormonger.

Entertainment may bring one to Le Cinéma du Monde, a single-screen movie theater
renovated to be similar to an old-style French theater. Here, one can find
movies old and new, as well as a charming vintage aesthetic. Kagurazaka is also
a Geisha district, and one can find traditional restaurants where the draw is to
watch one perform.

The sick and injured can visit the Clinique Lovelace, a side-street clinic that
treats both mundane and supernatural injuries thanks to the Awakened proprietor,
as long as they can withstand the somewhat-shady atmosphere. Several letters on
the signage are both missing and broken, giving a clear idea of what to expect.

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Some time ago, in their climb up the tower in Kazusa's Atelier, Umie had offered her assistance to Tamaki to help find 'someone.'

While Tamaki does greatly appreciate the gesture, she can't help but feel that this is a fool's errand.

She stares at her phone and strongly considers her wording. While she doesn't have to grapple with the "Other Side" to anywhere near the same extent as the likes of Jun or Tatsuya, she does have her own set of memories which are risky to expose to the outer world.

The risk thankfully does ''not'' involve reality-shattering stakes. Her reasons are completely selfish. To her, the events of what transpired are sacrosanct, not to be warped and defiled by the perception of a public who wasn't actually present.

Especially --

''especially,''

-- not with the transmutative power of capital-R Rumors in play. That's why she's so eager to wheel and deal in the Rumormonger circuit: to understand the exact mechanisms behind how they work, then ''unravel'' them by any means possible.

Thus far, her resolve to keep her secrets actually ''secret'' is what had caused her to retreat from the world of the supernatural, away from the crossroads between mind and matter.

To fade back away into the background of the narrative, serving as nothing more than a stagehand instead of an actor with a more prominent role, such as when she stayed behind at Mikage-cho and let the likes of Eriko and Masao deal with whatever plagued Maki and Ms. Saeko.

To settle for what seemed like a conventional life, if a mediocre one, by marrying while she was still young to a milquetoast man. He was fine, just ... he was unexciting when 'unexciting' was what she had wanted at the time.

The thing is, now Tamaki isn't so sure that she needs 'unexciting' anymore. After years of sitting at the table and doing nothing but folding and refusing to play, after losing piece after piece of her leverage to the small and big blinds which come around every so often, maybe it's time she gets over her disdain for card games and ups the ante.

She's already told a few people about what had happened, but they're people who share her own sense of secrecy for different reasons, her fellow St. Hermelin alumni Eriko and Maki. Telling Umie, on the other hand, is a bit more of a gamble, swayed as she is by the Mark from time to time.
</poem>
>> about the favor you mentioned
>> let me pay you one first
>> fleur de lis, my treat?
<poem>
She scrunches her face up at this first series of already-sent texts. The longer she gives herself time to stew in her feelings, the more likely she is to bail and cut out early. This has to be utilitarian, not something she can savor, so she regretfully adds:
</poem>
>> might have to get it to go
>> or somewhere else on kagurazaka
>> something quicker, not sit-down
<poem>
As it turns out, Kagurazaka and Karukozaka Roads run in parallel to each other. The former contains a number of upscale restaurants and boutiques and houses a sizable portion of Japan's French population. The latter historically served a less glamorous and more functional role in shipping goods arriving to and from the Kanda River which runs alongside the two-way street.

Whatever they actually decide to eat, Tamaki remains uneasily quiet and tense, agitated and full of nervous energy both at the venue and along the way. "It's, uh, nothing you did," she might explain to Umie. "Being around here kicks my anxiety into high-gear."

Every so often, she peers cautiously at the river, opting to walk on the far side of the road from it. She keeps moving onwards until, finally, they stand in front of a high school, about as unassuming and mundane as the rest of the boxy transport logistics and warehouse buildings along the road.

Even now, this late in the evening after the students and faculty have gone home, she can still hear the usual Monday morning assembly school song involuntarily bubble its way up from her memory, painfully absent of the one voice dearest to her.

(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QG60D1lYlEU Karukozaka School Song ~ Ending - SMT if... OST)

With the bare minimum amount of enthusiasm she can muster, she sweeps a hand in the school's direction to indicate for Umie and flatly announces, "Well,"

"Here we are."

Tamaki's sneer fades as her expression mollifies. Against her better judgment, hope finds a foothold in her heart as she looks at Umie expectantly. "... Can you sense anything?"

In all likelihood, she won't. Maybe she can find faint traces that something once ''occurred'' here a very long time ago, but even that would be a tall order. How easy is it to find someone who, for example, was left behind in a collapsing cognitive space, roughly comparable to a Palace with a dethroned Ruler and stolen Treasure? Once that happens, the door's locked for good, right?

At least as far as Tamaki can discern, nothing but a memory remains.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
<poem> In a way, it is a fool's errand. Umie's abilities, while they seem grand for someone who doesn't seem to be a navigator, are laser-focused to the narrative of the Badb, as well as her childhood trauma. For how little she remembers the actual moments of when she recieved her Mark, the trajectory of Umie's abilities have been steered by a few simple rules:

1. To know when something is coming to get her
2. To hide from the thing from getting her
''3. To find the battlefield and call to the wounded and fallen''
''4. To delight in the exchange of blood and glory''
'''''5. To be the one laying the curse instead of the one woefully cursed'''''

Simple! Really, everyone should trust in Umie Akabane. Umie Akabane always has things under control.

Looking down at her phone as the first set of messages come through, Umie is barely able to begin formulating a response when a second set of texts from Tamaki happen.

What was going to be 'it'll be a bit, I'm in Shibuya' becomes 'sure', given the route to Kagurazaka is an easier one than to Sumaru City, being half the distance.

In the bistro where they decide to eat, Umie studies Tamaki with a raised eyebrow, but keeps quiet. Being a fellow hoarder of personal secrets, there's some empathy here for the nervous agitation Tamaki may be feeling, rigtht now.

(Though, given the trouble she's given Hyousuke and Phoenix to certain degrees over Shiryuu, it does feel good to know this isn't related to *that*.)

Given the Badb's senses, Umie doesn't downplay the possibilities just yet, though it's admittedly out of a selfish need to see a little bit of Tamaki's own past, and what brought her into the world of Personas in general.

Shifting from the fancy French trappings of Kagurazaka to the warehouses of Karukozaka, the short blonde takes it in, quietly adjusting the hem of her pink windbreaker. Soon enough, she'll have to start wearing something thicker...

Or maybe, it's the chill of something that may be lying in wait, a clue to something that should have laid forgotten.

.... It isn't, no. When they get there, the school in front of them is as normal as they come, aside from Tamaki's flat announcement. "... Your first school, before you transferred to the second one, I take it?" Umie asks, drawing some strands of hair behind an ear.

Does she sense anything?

Umie looks to Tamaki, then, drawing her hands out of her pockets, she concentrates.

.....

.... Nothing supernatural.

She concentrates, holding a hand up.

... Nothing.
Nothing.

Not a single whiff of something Umie's own senses can detect.

Umie sighs, and turns to Tamaki, genuine remorse on her face. "I'm sorry."

Her face angles lower. "I got your hopes up and everything, but... if there is anything left here, I can't detect it. It feels no different than anywhere else."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
For good or for ill, Tamaki trusts in Umie Akabane! That is why they are here in the first place.

Tamaki's choice of meal is a croissant ham sandwich, to go. Quick, holdable, filling enough -- she's not in the right frame of mind to savor a meal as much as she'd like.

First, Umie asks if it's the first school Tamaki attended. "Yeah," Tamaki confirms, "the site of yet another 'gas leak explosion.'"

Then, Umie apologizes for not being able to sense anything. Tamaki gives her a plaintive smile in return, and she rasps, "Nahhh, don't be. That's about what I figured. It was sweet of you to offer, but ... you get it now, right?"

The seeming impossibility of it all -- the kind of thing that caused her to feel a distant sense of commiseration with Tatsuya. No matter how much Tamaki wants to help him with what he's dealing with, she can't. No matter how much Umie wants to help Tamaki in this regard, well ...

Not that Arianrhod had anything to do with the specific situation that the pair are dealing with right now, but it certainly ''fits'' her method. Arianrhod's own 'gifts' stand in stark opposition to Occam's Razor -- she relieves her students of the tools they most frequently rely on and hopes they discover new talents by seeking unorthodox solutions.

Her gaze drifts down to the river next to them. Of course it couldn't be that simple.

(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Loz-sYc3D7g Deja Vu - SMT if...)

More and more memories start coming back to her. " -- does distance come into play? The main site was in the gym. That's where -- uh, I'm still not exactly sure what the guy did, but it's where he did it."

That much, she isn't being evasive about. She genuinely doesn't know. Maybe if she lets Umie in on the story, they can figure out where to look /next./

With a chuckle, she stretches her arms and asks, "If it ''does'' but you're not up for breaking and entering -- I know I'm not tonight -- then I can tell you about what happened."

"Long as you take it to your grave, though."

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
<poem> 'Gas leak explosion'.

Munching on her own crossiant ham sandwich (hey, it sounded really good!) Umie looks up, sipping from her soda. "Never gets old, does it? At this point I keep thinking every gas leak is a cover-up, but it's used for a reason."

'You get it now, right?'

Finishing her sandwich, she tosses the wrapper in a trash bin nearby. "... I mean, yes, but... no. Not exactly."

To accept that something is impossible means laughing at the possibility of freeing yourself from your own inescapable fate, whatever it may be.

... Even if the two things being compared are completely different.

As such, Umie takes this nugget with a look on her face, like she had just bitten into something bitter. "There's nothing wrong with trying. A lock is just a barrier with a cheat code called a 'key', after all..."

Easy enough to slap it on any situation Umie has, but what about falsely applying it to Tamaki's?

Tamaki isn't the only one that sees a piece of herself in Tatsuya.

'But it's where he did it.' Did what, exactly?

Instead of asking, Umie says, "Show me the gym." Even if she's sure her answer will be the same.

Umie'll let that suspicion show on her face.

In the end, it's a means to an end, in order for Tamaki to offer--

.... oh. Well.

"I mean, we can wait until tonight, but." Umie shifts her head back and forth, as if seriously debating the pros and cons, before ending with a simple, ".... nahhhh." She waves a partially covered hand.

No, that's not what Umie was banking on, but thankfully, Tamaki goes and offers it-- as long as Umie takes it to her grave.

What's one more secret Umie can't tell anyone, ever?

Umie's lips spilt in a smile. "Deal. Maybe I'll share something in return." She pauses. "Not that I know of anything quite like that~"

That is Umie-ese for 'complete and total bullshit'.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
"From what I can tell, most of them genuinely are," Tamaki comments regarding gas leak explosions. "That's probably why it's an effective explanation."

The key word in 'seeming impossibility' was 'seeming.'

'There's nothing wrong with trying' elicits a grin from Tamaki. "Never said there was. I just mean that it's not going to be as simple as scanning the place."

As for the second part of that regarding locks and keys, she continues, "And, well, we're not exactly dealing with a barrier or door here -- the building collapsed. We're dealing with rubble and debris where structure once used to be."

Tamaki narrows her eyes and scrutinizes the outer walls of the school as she covers her mouth with a hand. "... I'd rather go in there legally, or we wait to go in during the Dark Hour or something. Still preferably legally."

This high school, at least, doesn't turn into a giant tower at night. She'd know. She's checked.

"Maybe as a former student offering to talk to the kids," she quietly muses before shelving that train of thought for now.

'Deal.' Tamaki slowly exhales. Here goes.

She starts mournfully. "There was ... a boy here. His family situation was ... ''complicated.'' The other students bullied him relentlessly for his father's poor reputation. The faculty looked the other way. From what I understand of it, some of his teachers belittled his work even though he had a keen understanding in scientific matters."

Or knowing what she knows ''now'', would that be 'psientific'?

"To be honest, Tatsuya Sudou reminded me a lot of him in several respects." She shakes her head. "Except Sudou at least had comrades in Strega. He had no one."

That covers Hazama's motive. Now for the means. "He disappeared for a few days. People didn't think anything of it at first, but soon enough, the school's doors wouldn't open. The outside world was frozen in time and Demons started making their way through the hallways through some kind of portal originating from the gym. The boy, now proclaiming himself as the 'Deity Emperor', had decided to trap all of us in a hell of his own making."

"Another student and myself put on sporting equipment that we borrowed from the various clubs and lacking any Personas of our own, we died."

To a swarm of Pixies, no less. Pixies!

Tamaki watches for Umie's reaction to that last sentence. She reaches a hand down to her ''rokumonsen'' choker, her own focus which she had explained the purpose of to Jun. "Temporarily, obviously. Death was too good for us; this Deity Emperor wanted to torment us. Time rewound our bodies to before we had met our demise, sure, but in the process, she and I came back Awakened."

Who is this 'she' that Tamaki's mentioned, though? "The other girl with me was -- I said his family situation was complicated. They were siblings, even though they had different family names. She was a member of the music club and had a great singing voice."

She angles her head down slightly. "My contributions to Aeolia-chan's design were, admittedly, inspired by her."

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
<poem>
"Exactly. And in most cases, it would be, especially outside of Sumaru City." Are there other areas like Sumaru City? What makes it unique?

As for the school itself? "Not literally," Umie says, shaking her head as she holds up her index finger, the nail color now apricot orange. "It's something I tell myself, when I'm up against something that seems impossible. I imagine there being a lock, and that I need to get around it. It transforms something I may not be able to get my mind around into a matter of logic." She rubs her neck, her left wrist jingling from the red lucky charm bracelet. "It... makes more sense in my head."

"For example, if this school was rebuilt over the ruins of the old one, maybe that association was disconnected too, assuming we're dealing with cognitive space."

But Umie would need more information, especially as it dawns on her that the old school actually *collapsed*. "... Wait... if it collapsed, how... that'd require something incredibly powerful..." Reddish brown eyes widen. "And besides that, you'd need to create a space where people could even do that. The only way that could happen is..."

Just how big is this logical lock?

As Tamaki explains, Umie nods slowly, angling with her chin to motion to a bench nearby as soon as Tamaki's tone changes. "... Hey, let's go sit over there."

Whether they do so or not, Umie listens. A bullied student with a complicated family life. No help from faculty; teachers even belitted his genuine efforts.

"We don't know what sort of person Sudou was, before he became the Joker Killer." Umie considers, her hand pressed below her lips.

Whatever she considers, she pushes aside for the rest of Tamaki's story. "A cognitive space, coming into reality... Uchida-san, you've read that cognitive science paper that was leaked online, right?" The one that Tamaki herself leaked, though Umie doesn't realize that just yet.

Demons...

Umie's other hand creases in the plastic of her soda bottle, just slightly.

"... Wait. Did he have a Mark of any kind? Like..." Umie's accidental reveal aside, she quiets as there's more.

Pixies. Ah. No wonder Tamaki made that face when Umie related her earlier trials and tribulations of growing up. ".... I see. The cycle of death and rebirth... He meant it as a punishment, but instead, it created an unique venue for you and your friend to Awaken--"

Aeolia-chan. Umie's eyelashes lower. "... And you had to deal with Aeolia-chan attacking us. ... That must have hurt harder than it should have."

Fresh from Jun's conversation merely a day or so ago, it feels poignant. ".... This is the person you're trying to find, I take it." She frowns. "What happened to that student? The one who became the Deity Emperor."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
"That ... makes more sense to me than you might think." Tamaki cranes her head back slightly. "The solution just isn't the most obvious one. I think you and I are on the same wavelength."

Tamaki scratches the back of her head. "I wasn't speaking quite so literally, either. The school itself was left intact, but -- the cognitive space it was connected to, the portal where the Demons came from, that's the 'door' and 'building' I was talking about."

That's ''still'' an incredible undertaking. It'd be like shoving all of Shujin into a Palace, or all of Seven Sisters into a Kingdom, or ...

Making an alternate version of Mikage-cho.

'We don't know what sort of person Sudou was...' "Sure." Tamaki briefly glances to the side. "His last anguished cry about his loneliness is mainly where I saw the parallel between the two."

The paper -- Tamaki coughs and sputters. Her response is a little bit ''too'' excited, too nervous, and she pointedly avoids meeting Umie's gaze. Behold the poker face of Kuzunoha's finest, everybody. "Y-yeah, I've seen it!"

She is well aware of the implications. Furthermore, that does remind her of someone. "... one of the teachers who initially belittled the Deity Emperor for writing what he thought was nonsense suddenly became his biggest fan. Wonder what became of him."

Tamaki shakes her head when Umie asks about a Mark. "None that I could tell. I can ask around about the Mikage-cho incident, too, but my understanding is that an advanced device caused that. I'm ... not sure if I'm at liberty to speak more on that at this moment."

Her unique avenue for Awakening. "It would not be the last time we died in there. Removed from the Deity Emperor's space, I suspect that avenue is no longer open to anyone."

Good. No one else should go through that.

Tamaki slowly nods to confirm that she is, in fact, looking for her old teammate. As for the Deity Emperor ... "They're together. Finding one sibling will mean finding the other."

Even more mournful than before, she adds, "As a way to make up for how everyone had mistreated him thus far, she stayed behind with him. She'd be his companion to fill the void in his heart, moments before, well -- before the door closed for good."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki seeming to get what Umie was getting at draws the latter to grin. "Mmh. Veteran's insight?"

And indeed, it was Umie that was thinking too literally. ".... I see..." Umie blinks.

No wonder Tamaki transferred. There wasn't even a way to pretend that the school was different; it would have been the same everything.

It would all be frequent reminders of an event where you had to look at each and every survivor and wonder just how they contributed to their mutual torturer's own misery beforehand, as well as their acts during their 'imprisonment'.

".... Those voices separated Sudou from everything. His actions where his, but..." No, Umie can get where Tamaki is coming from, now. "Did everyone escape from there alive?"

Well, aside from two people.

Tamaki's response about the paper is strange, but Umie lets that slide, for now. Maybe, she's responsible for the leak.

... which would make sense why she'd keep that a secret, as well as--

"... oh." An advanced device? Umie blinks at Tamaki's choice of terminology. "... What, is this a court case or something?" A smirk slips across her lips. "What, don't tell me there's some kind of Persona Law Unit that's been running around this entire time~ Katsuya-san would be a natural fit if that's the case, don't you think?"

But ultimately...

"... So you want to somehow reconnect with her." Umie's expression grows serious. "You know that would mean opening the door to her brother as well. It may not end well."

But, can she really deny Tamaki what she wants?

Besides.

.... A secret for a secret, just to make things even. Very few know, and indeed, it may be only Shiryuu, Akechi, and maybe one or two others that know what Umie may say next.

"You may have intuited, but," Umie begins, lifting up her covered right wrist, "some of the things Sudou was about to do, I can do as well. Not everything, obviously, but namely, I can summon demons. I've only done it once; I was very lucky it didn't turn out worse than it did." Incredibly lucky, in fact, given the circumstances.

The circumstances being that she was a lonely girl who wanted a friend.

And then, Umie shifts topics, as if to keep Tamaki from thinking too deeply about the possibilities. "What would you say to that friend of yours, if you managed to make it happen?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Finishing the remainder of her first year was uncomfortable for exactly those bitter reasons and more.

Funnily enough, however, the actual impetus behind Tamaki's transfer was her father's new job at an advertising firm where the commuter town of Mikage-cho happened to be a better location. One of the firm's clients was a local pharmacy chain with modest plans for expansion, then one thing led to another, and ...

...

Well, as a result of her failed efforts to return to a life of normiedom -- characterized by empty consumerism, catchy corner store jingles, canned coffee logo designs, and magazine sweepstakes entries -- Tamaki was once engaged, but now all she has left from that relationship is a stupid 'friends and family' discount at said pharmacy chain.

'His actions were his.' Tamaki stretches her limbs before she finally acquiesces to taking a seat on the nearby bench. After she folds her arms and crosses her legs, she replies, "Don't get me wrong, the Deity Emperor's actions were ... excessive. It's good that she and I stopped him. It's just ..."

A shiver runs down her spine as she recalls that eerie taunt she and the others heard during their descent from the Zeppelin to the ocean. 'The Joker never dies.'

"The Deity Emperor wasn't the root cause. His rise was a symptom of more systemic issues."

'Did everyone escape from there alive?' Tamaki narrows her eyes and stares at the river in recollection. "I believe so. Everyone else mostly suffered memory loss, like how the un-Awakened typically don't remember the Dark Hour."

'... What, is this a court case or something?' Tamaki allows herself a sensible chuckle at the mental image of Katsuya running around as he tries to wrangle a clowder of Nekomata cat burglars, but she shakes her head at Umie. "No, no, it just -- it isn't my story to tell. I don't even know all of the details, either."

How would she even ''start'' to talk about Maki's spell of omnicidal nihilism from the distance she kept -- how ''could'' she, without asking her beforehand, when Maki told her this in confidence?

The 'device', though. That's far enough removed from the more squishy interpersonal parts that she feels more free to talk about it. "Some kind of SEBEC technology was at the heart of what happened at Mikage-cho. While it was active, an alternate version of Mikage-cho temporarily existed alongside the real one. I do not find it a coincidence in the slightest that the initial flurry of cognitive psience activity in academia happened in the months after that incident."

Tamaki is loathe to re-use the words of one of Karukozaka High's science teachers, but as she repeats them, she can't help but fear of a potential link. "'There's no scientific basis for it,' they said during peer review. While respectable circles have largely regarded it as pseudopsience, you and I know better. The Deity Emperor knew better. Whatever SEBEC bigwig was responsible for the Mikage-cho incident knew better."

She falters in her calm and collected explanation and slowly deterioriates into dazed laughter as she trails off. "''Whoever'' leaked that paper m-must be in some deep shit, y-you know? G-getting a visit from a c-c-cleanup crew by some man in blllgh -- black masked -- blahaha haaauuugh -- "

In her delirium, she goes silent and vacantly stares at the river for several long moments as she remembers just how perilously close she came to her own demise, once and for all.

oh god she was just a few inches away from getting got herself, why didn't he just take the shot and get two birds with one stone ... he can do it at any time. That sword of Damocles has been dangling over her own neck for months. Why ''doesn't'' he?

It's to keep them scared. Isolated. Separated. It even ''worked'' on Tamaki, and she had halted any further investigation into the topic for the time being. Part of her still held onto hope that she could disentangle herself from this world, to turn a blind eye and let everyone else take care of it. Yet, as she looks on Umie now who was on that Zeppelin with her, she figures they're both in for a penny, in for a pound.

She buries her head in her hands and mumbles as she admits, "I don't know why they just haven't killed me for it already. Dead men and women tell no cautionary tales, maybe."

'So you want to somehow reconnect with her.' Umie's statement serves as a splash of cold water to Tamaki's senses. She reflexively scrunches up her face. "Sort of? It's complicated." She'll speak more on that in a few moments, but first, she has thoughts on re-opening the door to Hazama. She gives a single gentle nod. "I'm aware of that, but I'm willing to bet that he's been satiated by the connection he's formed with his sister. Ultimately, he got what he wanted."

"I know of -- another similar instance where someone's turned out alright in the end." She means Maki. "Sudou's fate was on one extreme. The other 'similar instance' lives happily ever after today. I think the Deity Emperor currently exists in limbo," as does Reiko, Tamaki thinks to herself, "but I'd like to believe that he can make more connections beyond just his sister."

The conversation turns to what Umie can do with her Mark.

At first, Tamaki responds with confusion. "Isn't that -- isn't that just a Persona?" No, there's a distinction and she very well knows it, so she backpedals.

"Wait wait wait no, anyone can form a Pact. They don't obey instructions to appear or fight, though; the one I've got an agreement with just lazily sits around all day -- " She claps a hand over her mouth in panic as she's about to let loose a ''closely-guarded trade secret'' of the Kuzunoha Detective Agency, but it very well may come across as horror to what Umie has just intimated.

That horror genuinely settles in as her shoulders droop and she lowers her hand from her mouth, revealing her somber expression. "... So that's why you asked if the Deity Emperor had a Mark."

Tamaki had deliberately skipped over Umie's earlier statement about how it must have hurt for Aeolia to attack her. In one ear, out the other; it's too painfully poignant to feel at a conventionally conversational speed if she lets herself linger on those thoughts. Umie now turns the same gambit back onto her and keeps the conversation moving back to something else, revisiting the topic that Tamaki had earlier elided several times now.

(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8AWFf7EAc4 - Jeff Buckley's cover of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah)

What would she say to Reiko Akanezawa?

Tamaki leans forward and rests her chin on her hands. Prefacing her response with a heavy sigh, she starts: "That's a good question. At the time, I did manage to tell her much of what I had wanted to. I confessed that I was in love with her."

She gives that admission a moment to sit. 'Was,' past tense. Tamaki had her own life to live, and she had moved on romantically.

"I didn't get a direct verbal answer about how she felt." With some bitterness, she gestures to the air. "I think I got a response, anyhow. Even if she did feel the same way, it didn't outweigh what she felt like she had to do."

"In the years since, however, I've come to want to tell her ..."

Some deep-seated frustration rises up from within her and finally boils over. "... that she could stand to be a ''little'' bit more selfish, for starters! She didn't need to -- ''sacrifice'' herself, she didn't need to cast herself on her sword for her brother's sake."

Tamaki leans further forward and slides her hands to grip the back of her head. "I want her and her brother to come out of that limbo." Still holding her head, she looks up from the ground, back to the Kanda river before them. "Even if it really just means I finally find their corpses."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
<poem>
"Like I told Hyousuke recently... It's a matter of more than one thing being true at once. There are people who'd look at this Deity Emperor and swear off anything and anyone that has to do with looking at him in a light that wasn't fully negative." There's an element of bitterness to Umie's voice. "The tendency to want things clean-cut, black and white, win or lose, lacking sin... A person who simply feels that way because they were a victim, or someone close to them was affected, I can understand. But eventually, a person has to come to the realization that they can't force the world around them to fit their demands."

"That is how a person becomes a 'Deity Emperor' all their own, if they come across something that enables it." Umie pauses, adopting a more casual mein as rolling her shoulders. "But maybe that's just me doing that exact thing on your situation, eh?"

While Umie may not realize it, she and Tamaki are thinking about the same thing, at that moment, as the blonde sits there, regarding the unassuming school building with a soundless, neutral expression.

As for the survivors? ".... Huh, I guess that'd make sense. Were you and your friend the only ones that Awakened that you know of?"

And the 'court case'... Umie nods. "I get you. Sometimes I forget that these incidents happened to people who remember, if that makes sense." When everything feels like a puzzle or a lock to undo...

Sometimes, the cost of that knowledge, or the means to connect the dots, is your own life, and if not that, your sense of safety.

"Uchida-san." Umie looks at Tamaki with a concerned frown at the fellow veteran's numbed laughter. "If you're in trouble..." The Black Mask... could Umie be needlessly careless herself, offering her help? He knows her family, and where she comes from. She may not have the best relationship with her parents, but she doesn't want them to *die*.

He likely knows Umie's secrets as well, just not with the motivation to *reveal* them.

Whether or not Umie would have found the means to make that useless offer, Tamaki comes out with it, and Umie, sensing Tamaki's need for some stability, fills in the role, with the thoughts that have plagued her.

'Dead men and women tell no cautionary tales, maybe.' "Right. It's enough to make a person scared," Umie says, unwittingly picking up on Tamaki's own thoughts. "Then, you become a vector of that fear. If people disappear and no one passes on the knowledge of why, they're just disappearances, which will lead curious people to look into them, creating more disappearances that need to happen."

Then why was Umie herself...? It's likely a matter of time, now that she's become active. "You know what will happen, and that's enough. Just like how that contact died, not too long ago. It was never about whatever information he had; it was specifically meant to cow *me*. I was the target, the entire time." She sighs. "And I nearly died because I felt I needed to fix the situation myself."

It's likely why she's so protective of groups like the Phantom Thieves, Umie thinks. If the whole of NWO decided to exterminate them, they'd be annihilated almost instantly once their identities were found out, or even before.

Hazama got what he wanted: a connection, as did this other person Tamaki refers to. "Sudou isn't quite the same, either, to further your point." She stops there, as Tamaki continues. "So you think he and Reiko'd be okay, after all this time?" Or... in limbo. "I see," Umie says, eyelids lowering halfway. "Stuck the same way, you mean? Or more in a spiritual sense?"

'Isn't that just a Persona?' ..... oh no, Tamaki, don't make this harder than Umie was initially thinking it'd be like "W-well... wait. What?" Red brown eyes widen at Tamaki's revelation. "You mean... w-well, anyway!" She shakes her head. "That secret's not going anywhere, of course, but-- h-hey, don't look at me like that!! I only did it once, okay?!" Umie says, backpedalling just as wildly, until Tamaki's expression settles into something more genuine, and, to Umie at least, more expected. ".... Yeah. I'm not entirely sure how it works, but I do know, when I did it, it felt the same way as Sudou, when he used his. There's a number of agents of the Order who have the Mark as well, but none of theirs, or mine, compare with Sudou's."

Maybe, because if they did, they'd end up like that woman Akechi was investigating: death, possibly assassinated by the Order.

Talking about Reiko is far more pleasant, in comparison, if melancholy. "I see." She considers, tapping her nails, apricot orange, along her knee. "You wanted to continue the conversation you never got to finish, sounds like, even if there's nothing to talk to."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki angles her head down and peers up at Umie. "Yeah. There's a big reason I don't tell others about what happened. Especially when cast against someone like the Deity Emperor, the story can get ... warped. An individual person has an easier time understanding that nuance than a whole crowd does. ''I'' don't think he was a villain, through and through, but -- " She sweeps her hand out in front of her. " -- the rest of the ward sure did. I don't want her sacrifice to go to waste, you know?"

If Tamaki's being honest with herself, the temptation to 'force the world' to fit ''her'' demands is always there. Send a secret, spread a rumor, under the table and told in confession ... It'd be so ''easy''.

But she doesn't do that. This is a power that shouldn't exist. There are plenty of other options she has yet to explore. "I think you and I feel the same way about that, at least. You're right, though; it's -- good for anyone to be cautious, myself included."

Did the Deity Emperor's reign over Karukozaka High leave anyone else Awakened? Tamaki folds her arms as she strains her memory. "Maybe? It's entirely possible. There were a couple of other movers and shakers, but none of them agreed with each other. Neither of ''us'' agreed with them. Past that, there were a few others who did, but after they died several times, they just sunk into a catatonic state."

"... if you ''do'' want to know more about what went down at Mikage-cho, Kirishima-san or Inaba-san are the people to start with -- the other two I was with when we faced off against The Groom at the sanitarium." She hesitates to bring up Maki, but does so. "I -- don't know if you know Sonomura-san, either. She very much wants to help out with whatever's going on these days."

'If you're in trouble...' Flatly, Tamaki interjects, " -- I got a visit from a PSIA agent and then The Bride somehow found us trying to hold a meeting at a bar. ''Yeah'', I'm probably in trouble."

Up until recently, Tamaki thought the list of people who The Black Mask could leverage against her was limited to her dad and a few un-Awakened people like Tsubasa. She had discounted Reiko and Hazama for obvious reasons, and figured that the other Persona-users could at least defend themselves. That might have been true a few months ago, but as she's gotten more and more entangled, the weight on her shoulders has gotten heavier.

The other day on the Zeppelin -- and her front-row seat to the hole in Sudou's chest -- also handily disproved the notion that being Awakened is a sufficient defense on its own.

Tamaki cracks a slight smile through chattering teeth as Umie tries to stabilize her. "I can -- I can put on a brave face in the moment. It'll definitely hit me later, like it did just now, but when he's staring me down? I'm not going to be a fear transmission vector, I'm as stalwart as they come."

That being said, there was that contact who died. Tamaki nods somberly. "It's a hard lesson to learn. I ..." She narrows her eyes and affixes her gaze to nothing in particular as she experiences the vertigo that comes with deja vu. " -- I don't remember when, exactly, but I had to learn it, too."

Does she think Hazama and Reiko would be okay? "Honestly -- and this is all speculation -- " Tamaki frowns and gives a shake of her head. "I fear the worst. I think that's the most likely scenario, that they're just outright annihilated and nothing's left of them."

As for what she meant by 'limbo', it's a bit tricky. "Closer to literal than spiritual. His fate isn't entirely decided yet. Provided he's still alive, once unsealed, he could turn out like Sudou, or he could turn out like Sono -- er." Disappointed with herself after letting that much slip, Tamaki exhales and hangs her head to the side opposite of Umie. She opens one eye to look across the bench and adds, "That's ''really'' not my story to tell."

and now it's time for another rapid-fire volley of misunderstandings between these two dorks

" -- You know, some Demons I've encountered have shown up as someone else's Persona! They draw from the same pool!" Don't think she hasn't noticed how Maya's been able to summon that Pixie Persona of her own, oh no.

"Oh, no no no, I wasn't judging you, I was about to let the cat out of the bag -- augh! Forget you heard that!" In Tamaki's case, the 'cat' in question is literally a cat.

Then finally, she nods. "I see. I've only seen their agents create a supernatural space, so knowing they can manifest Demons is ... helpful. Given the other contexts I've seen them show up, I don't think it's limited to people with the Mark, but there might be some common thread between all of them."

Back to Reiko. Tamaki squints at the river again. "Something like that. Getting closure, if nothing else. Breaking whatever hold she still has on me. Even if she did feel the same way, it would, admittedly, be greatly difficult to live our lives together once we were back in the mundane world."

"... and if that's the case, maybe she chose to remain with Hazama rather than struggle out here with me."

"But I don't know if that's the case." Tamaki scratches the side of her cheek. "You heard how I was with Sudou. I wasn't convinced he was dead until I saw him dead with my own two eyes."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
<poem> Oh, does Umie definitely understand what Tamaki means. Giving her a lopsided, but well-meaning grin, Umie pops a hand on Tamaki's shoulder, before letting it fall. "... Yeaaahh. Chances are, you may see my own version of that soon, if Suzuki-kun gets to warning you. I don't blame the kid, but, it's kind of insulting that everyone involved either wants me to be some innocent victim or some temptress who had a direct hand in things, you know?" She stops herself, and sighs. "And there I go again."

The lure of power is a sweet one. So many situations would have been better solved with a demon at your beck and call, but all Umie could really do is mark the choice as already made. She can't, therefore she won't.

Demons are still demons, and those who control demons...

Even having a Persona wasn't enough to protect your psyche from the damage of dying multiple times. "That's grim..." Umie reflects, with a wince. No wonder Tamaki feels like she has years more experience than she technically does- she's been through much more than the minute night to night conflicts Umie had satisfied herself with for years.

"Oh, hey, I know those guys." Umie blinks. "Not especially well, but they seem to be good folks. Inaba-san especially. Sometimes he seems like he's the most down-to-earth person in the room in any situation."

"PSIA?" Persona? Private? Private Supernatural Intelligence Agent, maybe? Private Security Intelligence Agent? "Damn it... we're going to need to look into more secure arenas. While I can detect Persona Users, that depends on their resonance not being masked. The Bride can get around that pretty easy with her powers. However, if you've noticed..." She frowns. "She's pregnant. It won't be long before she'll need to be taken off the field for a while."

It feels wrong, to talk this way, but it also brings up another point: "... so be aware of that. I hardly know any agents that particularly like the Order, and I doubt she has a choice in the matter if she's made to go out. Just because her handlers are shitheads doesn't mean we need to be."

The Black Mask is a real danger; no matter how brave they are here, he could threaten any of them with a single reference. 'Prodigal daughter'... was that in the literal sense in the word, or a reference to the Biblical story, of a son who came back... Umie'd be impressed, if she wasn't also angry at the same time.

It is a field of blood, and if that is the case, then that is where the Badb would thrive, wouldn't it...?

"We're all under the same threat, so remember that before you hold yourself responsible for the safety of everyone around you," Umie murmurs coolly. "Half of his threat has to be the real fear that he *will* do something, and the knowledge that he can. Remember my question to him, and add this onto it: if he could kill Sudou at any time..." She holds up a hand, gesturing loosely. "Why didn't he, until then? Because he needed an audience. Sudou wasn't just any normal mark for him, he was a feared serial killer. By killing him... the Black Mask inherits the mantle of that fear and adds it to his own."

However, Umie may know exactly how he did it, and it's that knowledge she brings now. ".... Any bullet can stop a Persona User. For someone like Sudou..." Her eyelashes lower smugly. "You need to seal off the thing that enabled Sudou. That's why the Black Mask did. I just don't know what material he used for the bullet."

It may be little comfort, but at least the mystique can be hand-waved.

As for Hazama and Reiko... "Expect the worst but hope for the best, huh... probably the best tactic to take." Umie sighs. "Freshly sealed like a glass jar... not sure if I like that thought any more than them being aware of all the time that's passed." She stops, when Tamaki mentions the first part of a surname. Sono... mura, most likely. ".... I see. So you have evidence that the opposite can happen, in a sense." Umie places a hand over her heart. "I'll pretend like I heard nothing. I'm a stranger to them, after all."

Tamaki points out something that draws a confused grunt from Umie. "Wait, no, our Personas are a facet of ourselves! The pixie looks like a pixie because Amano-san saw a pixie, that's all!" .... Umie's really not willing to give up on that part. Badb is *hers*.

.... but it makes some... other elements make more sense, but that specific element is one that is likely to cause a lot of psychic damage on behalf of anyone who learns about it.

Ie, 'if Umie lets that cat out of the bag.'

Umie slowly turns her head in an intentional manner, her lips sliding into the sharp curve of a sickle. A hand raises, mimicking the stereotypical beckon of a cat. "Nyan nyan~"

As for the subject of a supernatural space and demons... "Yeah. Come to think of it... the Bride seems to be able to do it without demons being involved. From my own experience, it may be less that one is a consequence of the other. I doubt a demon can exist without one, or else we would have seen it by now. That, or they create it by virtue of being there."

In essence... Tamaki wants closure. "Maybe she wanted to protect not only him, but you," Umie says, solemnly. "So you'd have a chance to choose what you wanted out of life, even if it meant not having her in it."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
As Tamaki recalls her own conversations with Hyousuke, her expression flattens. "Yeah, he can be a bit single-minded. I'll vouch for you." She reconsiders for a beat. "Or at least point out that the truth's more complicated than one might think."

When Umie confirms she's at least acquainted with them, Tamaki breaks out into a wide grin. "Elly-chan and I were in the fencing club together! I didn't keep in contact with her for a while after graduation," or anyone, for that matter, "but we reconnected a while back. I'm actually glad that she twists my arm into digging into weird stuff. Inaba-san's definitely matured, you're right, but he's still Inaba-san." Her expression falters as she contemplates the last of the trio she'd mentioned. "I ... don't have as much of a basis for comparison for Sonomura-san. I just know that she's doing well these days."

Almost, but not 'private.' The opposite. "The Public Security Intelligence Agency." Japan's equivalent of the USA's CIA. "G-men." Probably not surprising given Sudou's family.

The Bride being pregnant is news -- no, wait, she does faintly remember Yukari yelling something about that, but her attention was primarily on trying to not get skewered by The Groom. The thought that the NWO would send someone in her condition to ''fight'' causes her to scowl. "I see. I couldn't tell from the distance I was at. She didn't seem to be in good health when she found us at the bar ..."

This detail gets filed away in her mind alongside the notes she's taken on what the Bride has said in their encounters. Much of it has to do with eyes, she's noticed: 'Shall I take your eyes to renew your innocence? Hush, see no evil...' 'Mine eyes were long since carved!' 'Do not blind the seers, else the men behind them will consume them whole. ... Curse me not to the haruspex's readings!'

While she is not made alert and aware at this present moment, her suspicion is now primed. As it applies to Tamaki, the Bride's cognitive shield remains intact, but as precariously as it can be without falling.

The corner of her mouth twitches upwards as Umie provides her with a reminder to be kind. "I know. I gave The Groom some help when they had already lost and were just trying to escape."

Even back at the warehouse where they fought the Ferryman and Tsurugi, Tamaki's priority was in getting the living client to safety instead of getting in some vengeful parting shot.

And about not letting the 'men behind them consume them whole': "That might not even be enough. If we really want to help them, we have to figure out how to do it without arousing their handlers' suspicions. We might have to put on a show for them."

Umie's words of reassurance lift Tamaki's own spirits considerably. She nods. "I think you're right. did feel like something wasn't right, yeah. I couldn't exactly pin it down at the time, not under that much pressure, but when he was presenting the two options of 'obey or everyone dies,' I didn't want to buy into ''his'' framing and started looking for a third."

'Any bullet can stop a Persona-user.' Oh. Funnily enough, Demons don't tend to use guns, so this hasn't been much of a concern for her. "You mean like -- a real physical gun, and not something a model that conjures up cognitive ammunition, right?"

Several moments pass as she remembers her St. Hermelin friends and their tendency to pack heat. "I-I see ..."

'The thing that enabled Sudou.' Tamaki levels her gaze at Umie. "Nyarlathotep, you mean? Elly-chan mentioned that name back in his cell ..." Some part of her wonders if it's the same source of the voices that Sudou heard and which Umie likely continues to hear, herself.

Especially when Umie comments on Maki's well-being serving as evidence that the opposite can happen. "... For now. But don't actually forget, okay?"

On Personas and Demons, Tamaki nods. "That's true, too. Consider this, though: I didn't have the faintest idea who Arianrhod was when I first got her. I believe that it's as if something felt like she was the best fit for me." She hums in idle thought, then adds, "... I've had several different Personas. They often changed when we died in the Deity Emperor's realm. Nakao-chan's Janus is much different from the Janus I had at the time. Maybe we should think of them as where the individual intersects with the collective."

At Umie's teasing imitation of a cat, Tamaki rears her head back with a fearful look on her face. She visibly shivers, then narrows her eyes in defiance.

''she knows too much'' (or so Tamaki fears.)

She doesn't remark on that and lets the conversation continue onto discussion of the Mark. "Your Persona doesn't create a supernatural space; you need to be in one to summon it. It'd make some measure of sense if Demons and Shadows followed the same rules that we do."

A thought occurs to her, and she curls her finger over her chin before she looks back at Umie. "... don't actually do it, but do you know if you're able to create such a space while not manifesting any Demons?"

Tamaki chews on the inside of her cheek as she considers what Umie suggests Reiko's intentions were. "That could be. You know, I admire her a lot for what she did. You remember the thing I told you about wanting to be the person I needed when I was younger?"

She has no idea just how much that stuck with Umie. "Reiko was that for me, to be clear. That's where that's coming from. I wanted to follow the example she set for me. To demonstrate compassion and understanding to the misunderstood and isolated."

Tamaki idly swings her foot and kicks at the dirt beneath the bench. "You might be right, though. If I emulated her ''exactly'' ... I wouldn't have pulled back from the embrace. I'd have died with Sudou-san."

"So maybe it's a good thing I'm myself and not entirely like her."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
<poem> Tamaki says she'll vouch for Umie. Umie laughs. "I mean, I don't need blind faith here. It's... a complicated story. But I appreciate you sticking your head out for me anyways. But... yeaaah. He means well, but you can't just judge everything on the basis of..." She sighs, shaking her head. "Anyway."

"Inaba-san's the only one I know that well. I really appreciate him trying to keep things level. Kirishima-san... ah, wait, she's that model, isn't she... no wonder she looked rather impeccable in spite of the places she's stuck her nose into." Umie ponders, tapping an apricot orange colored nail to her chin. "I bet her hair and skin routine is killer..." Somomura, meanwhile... that'd have to be the other young woman of that general group.

To be someone who did something 'wrong' (though Umie's not entirely sure of the scope or details here in regards to the Mikage-cho Incident), and to try redeem yourself through your own acts... Umie can understand that feeling a little too well.

Tamaki lays out what PSIA means, and Umie nods slowly. "Aaaahhh. God, I just must have never heard it said aloud or something; you'd think I'd know that..."

"I'd be careful, either way. Just because someone is trying to get away from the Order doesn't mean they're necessarily 'a good person', is it were," Umie warns. After all, Shiryuu is there, and he exists, and he's just stubbornly attached to trying to make things as difficult as possible, it seems.

(..... why does Umie have to find that attractive??? What the hell is wrong with you, Umie, do you not like nice things and uncomplicated people???)

"But, that aside, if it comes down to it, the biggest hurtle may be the Bride's mindset. It sounded like, from the way she was talking, that she had already consigned her child to the Order's clutches." Umie may be the one being unfair here, but it was irritating in the moment trying to untangle all that talk while trying to undo the Bride's hold on the field.

But compared to the Black Mask... "He was giving hints to several people that he knew where to hit them where it hurt. Rather efficient," Umie says, with a sardonic edge to her tone. "Several birds with one stone and everything."

'... I didn't want to buy into ''his'' framing and started looking for a third.' The remark earns Tamaki a blackbird's smile from Umie. "Theerree we go."

However, that moment of 'encouragement', if that's what it is, is lost when brought back to the simple matter of the fragility of life. "Yes. Our Personas make us hardier than we would be, but." She mimicks a gun with her hand and points it to her head. "If a Persona doesn't intervene, a well-placed shot is as fatal as any from the right weapon." Her hand drops to her side. "But it's not like I'd tried it out for myself, or anything. Katsuya Suou-san'd be a lot better judge than me."

Nyarlathotep. The name alone draws a sharp breath from Umie. A moment passes before she dips her chin in a short, reluctant nod. ".... If that is what the force is going by, yes. It's probably okay to assume the same about this force being what Takkun is referring to when he says 'him'."

'But don't actually forget, okay?' "Or course not," Umie says, not at all seeming like she's being a chaotic force of nyanture at that moment.

Tamaki reveals she's had several Personas, which is enough to draw Umie from her feline satisfaction. "Wait, so..." But just in that realm, it seems. "Was your friend like that too?" As grim is it is to remember your friend dying with you, likely each time. "... I see. But not since then, right? You've just had Arianrhod." That is, the one that felt the best, for her.

At what point did Umie realize the same for her and Badb? Would it change, if she changed?

Tamaki reasons out how Personas need a space to be summoned in, like Demons; Umie nods. "Aha... yes, just like that."

What would Umie be capable of? "It's hard to really say, since it was so long ago. I guess it's like trying to make an omelett without cracking an egg; if there is, I don't know." And the Bride isn't going to tell them, either.

Does Umie remember? "...... Yeah." Oh, does Umie ever remember that. "I've picked that up myself, actually, as what I want to do as a Persona User."

'To demonstrate compassion and understanding to the misunderstood and isolated.'
'Umie Akabane.' That's the name I like the most.'

"....." Umie's lips purse as she glances towards her hands in her lap. ".... Someone who stands for broken things."

That's what started so much of this. Things that are broken, lost, forgotten. She is imperfect, of course; Umie's choice on how she handles the Bride differs from Shiryuu and Kurou, but still, she's been quick to still be protective, in her own distant way.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki holds up a finger as she replies to several points at once. "I'm not giving you blind faith, and I'm under no illusion that the NWO ''must'' be good people underneath. I don't think Sudou was. I don't think the Deity Emperor was. They were both still very much human. I'm not swinging from one extreme to the other here." She glances to the side. "Even the worst people deserve some small measure of grace, you know? The crowd can be more cruel than they need to be. I'm just an advocate for fairness."

(... oh no, it seems like Tamaki and Umie share a common taste in what kinds of people they find attractive. Tamaki likes being challenged and arguing with people.)

... conversely, she feels disappointed in people when they take an easy way out. She said that she 'was' in love with Reiko. An older, wiser Tamaki felt that Reiko had given up when it was possible -- and may still ''be'' possible -- to both ease Hazama's pain and remain in the larger world.

Hearing how the Bride has seemingly thrown up her hands in exasperation evokes a similar feeling in Tamaki. (Maybe not as extreme as what Tsumugi had expressed as they and and Hyde clawing at a Homunculus, but -- something along those lines.)

"Suou-tantei, I trust with a gun." She goes tense and doesn't elaborate. She greatly enjoys Eriko's company, but America and its penchant for guns seems to have rubbed off on her. And that unnerves Tamaki at least a little bit!

Umie confirms Nyarlathotep's name. "If that's the case, then both of us should get Elly-chan and Inaba-san to explain what they know about him. I knew some details about what happened in Mikage-cho, but I hadn't heard that name before the sanitarium."

Reiko had other Personas, too. "She was like me. Everyone was, in there. Your new Persona was a reflection of your mindset when you died. The people who went catatonic after dying over and over succumbed to despair. They were ... demoted back down to nothing, so to speak."

It's no coincidence that Tamaki suggested wings for the vessel which ended up being Aeolia. Aniel, six-winged angel of love and victory, starkly stands out in Tamaki's memory as the most prominent of Reiko's Personas.

Tamaki snorts when Umie accurately points that she's just had Arianrhod since then. "Yeah. I've been out of the Deity Emperor's world for years, though. I have to wonder if I'm just stuck like this now."

Still, Tamaki being more like ''herself'' and less like ''Reiko'' is what ended up saving Tamaki's own life.

'Someone who stands for broken things.'

Umie's words leave Tamaki silent for a while.

"That's a good way of putting it."

She's quiet for several more.

"Thanks for coming out here and trying to help. It means a lot."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
<poem>
Umie laughs, as Tamaki succinctly takes on several points at once. "I get you. I just didn't want to seem like I was misrepresenting the situation."

As for Suou? Umie laughs. "Same, but I'd trust Katsuya-san with a lot of things. He has that energy, you know?" An energy that somehow hasn't yet gotten demoted, but that may be a thing in the future.

'I knew some details about what happened in Mikage-cho--'

Long, sea wet black hair drapes itself over the bench, coming from a source that Umie can't quite see. It infests everything in the bench, skirting mere centimeters past touching Tamaki herself, who sits pristine, untouched, in another world.

Because it's a delusion.

It drifts into Umie's ears, her nose, her eyes, whisper thin.

-but I hadn't heard that name before the sanitarium.'

"It's... a name in Lovecraft's short stories. The Crawling Chaos." A mouth that should be choking on hair speaks perfectly, Umie's expression held tightly neutral, like a scream would erupt at any second if Umie didn't carefully maintain her composure.

None of this is seen by Tamaki, nor should she; it's all in Umie's head.

Demoted back down to nothing...

"... To Awaken, and then watch your despair slowly take over your sense of self..." A hand hurriedly clamps against a slithering strand of black hair that shouldn't be there, and isn't, as far as Tamaki is concerned.

"That's... terrible." And Umie means it. To be unaware of your oncoming despair is one thing, but to see your Personas being whittled to nothing...

She always had the Badb.

"Arianrhod's a good fit for you, though." Little fingers tap against the bench; Umie steals a glance towards them, which only encourages the rap tap tapping to continue, louder.

But if she focuses on Tamaki, on her friend... the sounds dim, for a little while, just because she's not focusing solely on being a picture perfect self.

This is Tamaki.

....

"Someone I care about... said that. Maybe, you'll meet him some day, but likely... in a context where he's calmed down enough." She smirks. "He's... a little much. But anyway."

Tamaki is *thanking* her, and the shock is enough to make the hairs and the taptaptapping fingers crack like sunbleached plastic. "Oh, come on. I didn't do *that* much. I think it's worthwhile though. Maybe, if you keep looking for Reiko, though, you may find something. So I don't think the search is futile."

Anymore than Umie's search for a sort of 'freedom' is, anyhow.
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 2]]

2026-04-02: Not A Victory March, But

2026-04-05T17:34:59Z

Terra: Created page with "*'''Log: Not a Victory March, But''' *'''Cast:''' Tamaki Uchida, Umie Akabane *'''Where:''' Karukozaka Road - Outside Karukozaka High School *'''OOC Date:''' April 02, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' October 18, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''When Tamaki had admitted that she's still looking for someone, Umie offered to help try and search for in her own capacity as a Navigator, so now Tamaki's taking her up on that offer. It's a fool's errand and neither of them can sense anything..."

*'''Log: Not a Victory March, But'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Tamaki Uchida]], [[Umie Akabane]]
*'''Where:''' Karukozaka Road - Outside Karukozaka High School
*'''OOC Date:''' April 02, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' October 18, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''When Tamaki had admitted that she's still looking for someone, Umie offered to help try and search for in her own capacity as a Navigator, so now Tamaki's taking her up on that offer. It's a fool's errand and neither of them can sense anything -- the five-year-old trail has long since gone cold -- but they spend the rest of the time there exchanging a few secrets with each other.''

----

(|======================= Kagurazaka - Hillside Street =======================|)
-===================================================== Tokyo/Shinjuku Ward ====-
Kagurazaka, Tokyo is a small neighborhood in eastern Shinjuku, straddling
Chiyoda. Home to a large swath of French expatriates residing in Tokyo, it has a
pleasantly warm atmosphere, a cozy little piece of Europe abroad. Part of it is
on the banks of a Tokugawa castle's moat, now a canal that provides comfort
while walking alongside it.

The main heart of the neighborhood is Kagurazaka-dori, a street that starts on a
soft incline before moving further towards a succession of restaurants and
shops. The buildings are low and the sidewalks narrow, with pleasant greenery
alongside the walkways, and road traffic is occasionally prohibited at certain
times, providing a gentle walking experience for the tourist and resident alike.

Of the shrines, shops and restaurants that line the streets, a few stand out
more than others. Zenkoku-ji is a classical Buddhist temple that worships
Bishamonten, a warrior god associated with good fortune. On the other end of the
spectrum is the Akagi shrine, a Shinto shrine that was renovated over the past
few years to possess a more modern outlook, with glass and wood as principal
pieces of the shrine's aesthetic.

For drinking and dining, one can visit Fleur de Lis, a bar and bistro themed
after classical Parisian bars, complete with a piano player during the daytime
hours and special events during the night. They can also visit the Patisserie
Kurayama, a French-style bakery owned by one Marie-Chantal Kurayama, a local
Rumormonger.

Entertainment may bring one to Le Cinéma du Monde, a single-screen movie theater
renovated to be similar to an old-style French theater. Here, one can find
movies old and new, as well as a charming vintage aesthetic. Kagurazaka is also
a Geisha district, and one can find traditional restaurants where the draw is to
watch one perform.

The sick and injured can visit the Clinique Lovelace, a side-street clinic that
treats both mundane and supernatural injuries thanks to the Awakened proprietor,
as long as they can withstand the somewhat-shady atmosphere. Several letters on
the signage are both missing and broken, giving a clear idea of what to expect.

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Some time ago, in their climb up the tower in Kazusa's Atelier, Umie had offered her assistance to Tamaki to help find 'someone.'

While Tamaki does greatly appreciate the gesture, she can't help but feel that this is a fool's errand.

She stares at her phone and strongly considers her wording. While she doesn't have to grapple with the "Other Side" to anywhere near the same extent as the likes of Jun or Tatsuya, she does have her own set of memories which are risky to expose to the outer world.

The risk thankfully does ''not'' involve reality-shattering stakes. Her reasons are completely selfish. To her, the events of what transpired are sacrosanct, not to be warped and defiled by the perception of a public who wasn't actually present.

Especially --

''especially,''

-- not with the transmutative power of capital-R Rumors in play. That's why she's so eager to wheel and deal in the Rumormonger circuit: to understand the exact mechanisms behind how they work, then ''unravel'' them by any means possible.

Thus far, her resolve to keep her secrets actually ''secret'' is what had caused her to retreat from the world of the supernatural, away from the crossroads between mind and matter.

To fade back away into the background of the narrative, serving as nothing more than a stagehand instead of an actor with a more prominent role, such as when she stayed behind at Mikage-cho and let the likes of Eriko and Masao deal with whatever plagued Maki and Ms. Saeko.

To settle for what seemed like a conventional life, if a mediocre one, by marrying while she was still young to a milquetoast man. He was fine, just ... he was unexciting when 'unexciting' was what she had wanted at the time.

The thing is, now Tamaki isn't so sure that she needs 'unexciting' anymore. After years of sitting at the table and doing nothing but folding and refusing to play, after losing piece after piece of her leverage to the small and big blinds which come around every so often, maybe it's time she gets over her disdain for card games and ups the ante.

She's already told a few people about what had happened, but they're people who share her own sense of secrecy for different reasons, her fellow St. Hermelin alumni Eriko and Maki. Telling Umie, on the other hand, is a bit more of a gamble, swayed as she is by the Mark from time to time.
</poem>
>> about the favor you mentioned
>> let me pay you one first
>> fleur de lis, my treat?
<poem>
She scrunches her face up at this first series of already-sent texts. The longer she gives herself time to stew in her feelings, the more likely she is to bail and cut out early. This has to be utilitarian, not something she can savor, so she regretfully adds:
</poem>
>> might have to get it to go
>> or somewhere else on kagurazaka
>> something quicker, not sit-down
<poem>
As it turns out, Kagurazaka and Karukozaka Roads run in parallel to each other. The former contains a number of upscale restaurants and boutiques and houses a sizable portion of Japan's French population. The latter historically served a less glamorous and more functional role in shipping goods arriving to and from the Kanda River which runs alongside the two-way street.

Whatever they actually decide to eat, Tamaki remains uneasily quiet and tense, agitated and full of nervous energy both at the venue and along the way. "It's, uh, nothing you did," she might explain to Umie. "Being around here kicks my anxiety into high-gear."

Every so often, she peers cautiously at the river, opting to walk on the far side of the road from it. She keeps moving onwards until, finally, they stand in front of a high school, about as unassuming and mundane as the rest of the boxy transport logistics and warehouse buildings along the road.

Even now, this late in the evening after the students and faculty have gone home, she can still hear the usual Monday morning assembly school song involuntarily bubble its way up from her memory, painfully absent of the one voice dearest to her.

(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QG60D1lYlEU Karukozaka School Song ~ Ending - SMT if... OST)

With the bare minimum amount of enthusiasm she can muster, she sweeps a hand in the school's direction to indicate for Umie and flatly announces, "Well,"

"Here we are."

Tamaki's sneer fades as her expression mollifies. Against her better judgment, hope finds a foothold in her heart as she looks at Umie expectantly. "... Can you sense anything?"

In all likelihood, she won't. Maybe she can find faint traces that something once ''occurred'' here a very long time ago, but even that would be a tall order. How easy is it to find someone who, for example, was left behind in a collapsing cognitive space, roughly comparable to a Palace with a dethroned Ruler and stolen Treasure? Once that happens, the door's locked for good, right?

At least as far as Tamaki can discern, nothing but a memory remains.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
<poem> In a way, it is a fool's errand. Umie's abilities, while they seem grand for someone who doesn't seem to be a navigator, are laser-focused to the narrative of the Badb, as well as her childhood trauma. For how little she remembers the actual moments of when she recieved her Mark, the trajectory of Umie's abilities have been steered by a few simple rules:

1. To know when something is coming to get her
2. To hide from the thing from getting her
''3. To find the battlefield and call to the wounded and fallen''
''4. To delight in the exchange of blood and glory''
'''''5. To be the one laying the curse instead of the one woefully cursed'''''

Simple! Really, everyone should trust in Umie Akabane. Umie Akabane always has things under control.

Looking down at her phone as the first set of messages come through, Umie is barely able to begin formulating a response when a second set of texts from Tamaki happen.

What was going to be 'it'll be a bit, I'm in Shibuya' becomes 'sure', given the route to Kagurazaka is an easier one than to Sumaru City, being half the distance.

In the bistro where they decide to eat, Umie studies Tamaki with a raised eyebrow, but keeps quiet. Being a fellow hoarder of personal secrets, there's some empathy here for the nervous agitation Tamaki may be feeling, rigtht now.

(Though, given the trouble she's given Hyousuke and Phoenix to certain degrees over Shiryuu, it does feel good to know this isn't related to *that*.)

Given the Badb's senses, Umie doesn't downplay the possibilities just yet, though it's admittedly out of a selfish need to see a little bit of Tamaki's own past, and what brought her into the world of Personas in general.

Shifting from the fancy French trappings of Kagurazaka to the warehouses of Karukozaka, the short blonde takes it in, quietly adjusting the hem of her pink windbreaker. Soon enough, she'll have to start wearing something thicker...

Or maybe, it's the chill of something that may be lying in wait, a clue to something that should have laid forgotten.

.... It isn't, no. When they get there, the school in front of them is as normal as they come, aside from Tamaki's flat announcement. "... Your first school, before you transferred to the second one, I take it?" Umie asks, drawing some strands of hair behind an ear.

Does she sense anything?

Umie looks to Tamaki, then, drawing her hands out of her pockets, she concentrates.

.....

.... Nothing supernatural.

She concentrates, holding a hand up.

... Nothing.
Nothing.

Not a single whiff of something Umie's own senses can detect.

Umie sighs, and turns to Tamaki, genuine remorse on her face. "I'm sorry."

Her face angles lower. "I got your hopes up and everything, but... if there is anything left here, I can't detect it. It feels no different than anywhere else."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
For good or for ill, Tamaki trusts in Umie Akabane! That is why they are here in the first place.

Tamaki's choice of meal is a croissant ham sandwich, to go. Quick, holdable, filling enough -- she's not in the right frame of mind to savor a meal as much as she'd like.

First, Umie asks if it's the first school Tamaki attended. "Yeah," Tamaki confirms, "the site of yet another 'gas leak explosion.'"

Then, Umie apologizes for not being able to sense anything. Tamaki gives her a plaintive smile in return, and she rasps, "Nahhh, don't be. That's about what I figured. It was sweet of you to offer, but ... you get it now, right?"

The seeming impossibility of it all -- the kind of thing that caused her to feel a distant sense of commiseration with Tatsuya. No matter how much Tamaki wants to help him with what he's dealing with, she can't. No matter how much Umie wants to help Tamaki in this regard, well ...

Not that Arianrhod had anything to do with the specific situation that the pair are dealing with right now, but it certainly ''fits'' her method. Arianrhod's own 'gifts' stand in stark opposition to Occam's Razor -- she relieves her students of the tools they most frequently rely on and hopes they discover new talents by seeking unorthodox solutions.

Her gaze drifts down to the river next to them. Of course it couldn't be that simple.

(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Loz-sYc3D7g Deja Vu - SMT if...)

More and more memories start coming back to her. " -- does distance come into play? The main site was in the gym. That's where -- uh, I'm still not exactly sure what the guy did, but it's where he did it."

That much, she isn't being evasive about. She genuinely doesn't know. Maybe if she lets Umie in on the story, they can figure out where to look /next./

With a chuckle, she stretches her arms and asks, "If it ''does'' but you're not up for breaking and entering -- I know I'm not tonight -- then I can tell you about what happened."

"Long as you take it to your grave, though."

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
<poem> 'Gas leak explosion'.

Munching on her own crossiant ham sandwich (hey, it sounded really good!) Umie looks up, sipping from her soda. "Never gets old, does it? At this point I keep thinking every gas leak is a cover-up, but it's used for a reason."

'You get it now, right?'

Finishing her sandwich, she tosses the wrapper in a trash bin nearby. "... I mean, yes, but... no. Not exactly."

To accept that something is impossible means laughing at the possibility of freeing yourself from your own inescapable fate, whatever it may be.

... Even if the two things being compared are completely different.

As such, Umie takes this nugget with a look on her face, like she had just bitten into something bitter. "There's nothing wrong with trying. A lock is just a barrier with a cheat code called a 'key', after all..."

Easy enough to slap it on any situation Umie has, but what about falsely applying it to Tamaki's?

Tamaki isn't the only one that sees a piece of herself in Tatsuya.

'But it's where he did it.' Did what, exactly?

Instead of asking, Umie says, "Show me the gym." Even if she's sure her answer will be the same.

Umie'll let that suspicion show on her face.

In the end, it's a means to an end, in order for Tamaki to offer--

.... oh. Well.

"I mean, we can wait until tonight, but." Umie shifts her head back and forth, as if seriously debating the pros and cons, before ending with a simple, ".... nahhhh." She waves a partially covered hand.

No, that's not what Umie was banking on, but thankfully, Tamaki goes and offers it-- as long as Umie takes it to her grave.

What's one more secret Umie can't tell anyone, ever?

Umie's lips spilt in a smile. "Deal. Maybe I'll share something in return." She pauses. "Not that I know of anything quite like that~"

That is Umie-ese for 'complete and total bullshit'.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
"From what I can tell, most of them genuinely are," Tamaki comments regarding gas leak explosions. "That's probably why it's an effective explanation."

The key word in 'seeming impossibility' was 'seeming.'

'There's nothing wrong with trying' elicits a grin from Tamaki. "Never said there was. I just mean that it's not going to be as simple as scanning the place."

As for the second part of that regarding locks and keys, she continues, "And, well, we're not exactly dealing with a barrier or door here -- the building collapsed. We're dealing with rubble and debris where structure once used to be."

Tamaki narrows her eyes and scrutinizes the outer walls of the school as she covers her mouth with a hand. "... I'd rather go in there legally, or we wait to go in during the Dark Hour or something. Still preferably legally."

This high school, at least, doesn't turn into a giant tower at night. She'd know. She's checked.

"Maybe as a former student offering to talk to the kids," she quietly muses before shelving that train of thought for now.

'Deal.' Tamaki slowly exhales. Here goes.

She starts mournfully. "There was ... a boy here. His family situation was ... ''complicated.'' The other students bullied him relentlessly for his father's poor reputation. The faculty looked the other way. From what I understand of it, some of his teachers belittled his work even though he had a keen understanding in scientific matters."

Or knowing what she knows ''now'', would that be 'psientific'?

"To be honest, Tatsuya Sudou reminded me a lot of him in several respects." She shakes her head. "Except Sudou at least had comrades in Strega. He had no one."

That covers Hazama's motive. Now for the means. "He disappeared for a few days. People didn't think anything of it at first, but soon enough, the school's doors wouldn't open. The outside world was frozen in time and Demons started making their way through the hallways through some kind of portal originating from the gym. The boy, now proclaiming himself as the 'Deity Emperor', had decided to trap all of us in a hell of his own making."

"Another student and myself put on sporting equipment that we borrowed from the various clubs and lacking any Personas of our own, we died."

To a swarm of Pixies, no less. Pixies!

Tamaki watches for Umie's reaction to that last sentence. She reaches a hand down to her ''rokumonsen'' choker, her own focus which she had explained the purpose of to Jun. "Temporarily, obviously. Death was too good for us; this Deity Emperor wanted to torment us. Time rewound our bodies to before we had met our demise, sure, but in the process, she and I came back Awakened."

Who is this 'she' that Tamaki's mentioned, though? "The other girl with me was -- I said his family situation was complicated. They were siblings, even though they had different family names. She was a member of the music club and had a great singing voice."

She angles her head down slightly. "My contributions to Aeolia-chan's design were, admittedly, inspired by her."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
<poem>Umie Akabane says, "Exactly. And in most cases, it would be, especially outside of Sumaru City." Are there other areas like Sumaru City? What makes it unique?"
Umie Akabane says, "For example, if this school was rebuilt over the ruins of the old one, maybe that association was disconnected too, assuming we're dealing with cognitive space.""
Umie Akabane says, "We don't know what sort of person Sudou was, before he became the Joker Killer." Umie considers, her hand pressed below her lips."
Umie Akabane says, "... Wait. Did he have a Mark of any kind? Like..." Umie's accidental reveal aside, she quiets as there's more."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
<poem>
"Exactly. And in most cases, it would be, especially outside of Sumaru City." Are there other areas like Sumaru City? What makes it unique?

As for the school itself? "Not literally," Umie says, shaking her head as she holds up her index finger, the nail color now apricot orange. "It's something I tell myself, when I'm up against something that seems impossible. I imagine there being a lock, and that I need to get around it. It transforms something I may not be able to get my mind around into a matter of logic." She rubs her neck, her left wrist jingling from the red lucky charm bracelet. "It... makes more sense in my head."

"For example, if this school was rebuilt over the ruins of the old one, maybe that association was disconnected too, assuming we're dealing with cognitive space."

But Umie would need more information, especially as it dawns on her that the old school actually *collapsed*. "... Wait... if it collapsed, how... that'd require something incredibly powerful..." Reddish brown eyes widen. "And besides that, you'd need to create a space where people could even do that. The only way that could happen is..."

Just how big is this logical lock?

As Tamaki explains, Umie nods slowly, angling with her chin to motion to a bench nearby as soon as Tamaki's tone changes. "... Hey, let's go sit over there."

Whether they do so or not, Umie listens. A bullied student with a complicated family life. No help from faculty; teachers even belitted his genuine efforts.

"We don't know what sort of person Sudou was, before he became the Joker Killer." Umie considers, her hand pressed below her lips.

Whatever she considers, she pushes aside for the rest of Tamaki's story. "A cognitive space, coming into reality... Uchida-san, you've read that cognitive science paper that was leaked online, right?" The one that Tamaki herself leaked, though Umie doesn't realize that just yet.

Demons...

Umie's other hand creases in the plastic of her soda bottle, just slightly.

"... Wait. Did he have a Mark of any kind? Like..." Umie's accidental reveal aside, she quiets as there's more.

Pixies. Ah. No wonder Tamaki made that face when Umie related her earlier trials and tribulations of growing up. ".... I see. The cycle of death and rebirth... He meant it as a punishment, but instead, it created an unique venue for you and your friend to Awaken--"

Aeolia-chan. Umie's eyelashes lower. "... And you had to deal with Aeolia-chan attacking us. ... That must have hurt harder than it should have."

Fresh from Jun's conversation merely a day or so ago, it feels poignant. ".... This is the person you're trying to find, I take it." She frowns. "What happened to that student? The one who became the Deity Emperor."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
"That ... makes more sense to me than you might think." Tamaki cranes her head back slightly. "The solution just isn't the most obvious one. I think you and I are on the same wavelength."

Tamaki scratches the back of her head. "I wasn't speaking quite so literally, either. The school itself was left intact, but -- the cognitive space it was connected to, the portal where the Demons came from, that's the 'door' and 'building' I was talking about."

That's ''still'' an incredible undertaking. It'd be like shoving all of Shujin into a Palace, or all of Seven Sisters into a Kingdom, or ...

Making an alternate version of Mikage-cho.

'We don't know what sort of person Sudou was...' "Sure." Tamaki briefly glances to the side. "His last anguished cry about his loneliness is mainly where I saw the parallel between the two."

The paper -- Tamaki coughs and sputters. Her response is a little bit ''too'' excited, too nervous, and she pointedly avoids meeting Umie's gaze. Behold the poker face of Kuzunoha's finest, everybody. "Y-yeah, I've seen it!"

She is well aware of the implications. Furthermore, that does remind her of someone. "... one of the teachers who initially belittled the Deity Emperor for writing what he thought was nonsense suddenly became his biggest fan. Wonder what became of him."

Tamaki shakes her head when Umie asks about a Mark. "None that I could tell. I can ask around about the Mikage-cho incident, too, but my understanding is that an advanced device caused that. I'm ... not sure if I'm at liberty to speak more on that at this moment."

Her unique avenue for Awakening. "It would not be the last time we died in there. Removed from the Deity Emperor's space, I suspect that avenue is no longer open to anyone."

Good. No one else should go through that.

Tamaki slowly nods to confirm that she is, in fact, looking for her old teammate. As for the Deity Emperor ... "They're together. Finding one sibling will mean finding the other."

Even more mournful than before, she adds, "As a way to make up for how everyone had mistreated him thus far, she stayed behind with him. She'd be his companion to fill the void in his heart, moments before, well -- before the door closed for good."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki seeming to get what Umie was getting at draws the latter to grin. "Mmh. Veteran's insight?"

And indeed, it was Umie that was thinking too literally. ".... I see..." Umie blinks.

No wonder Tamaki transferred. There wasn't even a way to pretend that the school was different; it would have been the same everything.

It would all be frequent reminders of an event where you had to look at each and every survivor and wonder just how they contributed to their mutual torturer's own misery beforehand, as well as their acts during their 'imprisonment'.

".... Those voices separated Sudou from everything. His actions where his, but..." No, Umie can get where Tamaki is coming from, now. "Did everyone escape from there alive?"

Well, aside from two people.

Tamaki's response about the paper is strange, but Umie lets that slide, for now. Maybe, she's responsible for the leak.

... which would make sense why she'd keep that a secret, as well as--

"... oh." An advanced device? Umie blinks at Tamaki's choice of terminology. "... What, is this a court case or something?" A smirk slips across her lips. "What, don't tell me there's some kind of Persona Law Unit that's been running around this entire time~ Katsuya-san would be a natural fit if that's the case, don't you think?"

But ultimately...

"... So you want to somehow reconnect with her." Umie's expression grows serious. "You know that would mean opening the door to her brother as well. It may not end well."

But, can she really deny Tamaki what she wants?

Besides.

.... A secret for a secret, just to make things even. Very few know, and indeed, it may be only Shiryuu, Akechi, and maybe one or two others that know what Umie may say next.

"You may have intuited, but," Umie begins, lifting up her covered right wrist, "some of the things Sudou was about to do, I can do as well. Not everything, obviously, but namely, I can summon demons. I've only done it once; I was very lucky it didn't turn out worse than it did." Incredibly lucky, in fact, given the circumstances.

The circumstances being that she was a lonely girl who wanted a friend.

And then, Umie shifts topics, as if to keep Tamaki from thinking too deeply about the possibilities. "What would you say to that friend of yours, if you managed to make it happen?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Finishing the remainder of her first year was uncomfortable for exactly those bitter reasons and more.

Funnily enough, however, the actual impetus behind Tamaki's transfer was her father's new job at an advertising firm where the commuter town of Mikage-cho happened to be a better location. One of the firm's clients was a local pharmacy chain with modest plans for expansion, then one thing led to another, and ...

...

Well, as a result of her failed efforts to return to a life of normiedom -- characterized by empty consumerism, catchy corner store jingles, canned coffee logo designs, and magazine sweepstakes entries -- Tamaki was once engaged, but now all she has left from that relationship is a stupid 'friends and family' discount at said pharmacy chain.

'His actions were his.' Tamaki stretches her limbs before she finally acquiesces to taking a seat on the nearby bench. After she folds her arms and crosses her legs, she replies, "Don't get me wrong, the Deity Emperor's actions were ... excessive. It's good that she and I stopped him. It's just ..."

A shiver runs down her spine as she recalls that eerie taunt she and the others heard during their descent from the Zeppelin to the ocean. 'The Joker never dies.'

"The Deity Emperor wasn't the root cause. His rise was a symptom of more systemic issues."

'Did everyone escape from there alive?' Tamaki narrows her eyes and stares at the river in recollection. "I believe so. Everyone else mostly suffered memory loss, like how the un-Awakened typically don't remember the Dark Hour."

'... What, is this a court case or something?' Tamaki allows herself a sensible chuckle at the mental image of Katsuya running around as he tries to wrangle a clowder of Nekomata cat burglars, but she shakes her head at Umie. "No, no, it just -- it isn't my story to tell. I don't even know all of the details, either."

How would she even ''start'' to talk about Maki's spell of omnicidal nihilism from the distance she kept -- how ''could'' she, without asking her beforehand, when Maki told her this in confidence?

The 'device', though. That's far enough removed from the more squishy interpersonal parts that she feels more free to talk about it. "Some kind of SEBEC technology was at the heart of what happened at Mikage-cho. While it was active, an alternate version of Mikage-cho temporarily existed alongside the real one. I do not find it a coincidence in the slightest that the initial flurry of cognitive psience activity in academia happened in the months after that incident."

Tamaki is loathe to re-use the words of one of Karukozaka High's science teachers, but as she repeats them, she can't help but fear of a potential link. "'There's no scientific basis for it,' they said during peer review. While respectable circles have largely regarded it as pseudopsience, you and I know better. The Deity Emperor knew better. Whatever SEBEC bigwig was responsible for the Mikage-cho incident knew better."

She falters in her calm and collected explanation and slowly deterioriates into dazed laughter as she trails off. "''Whoever'' leaked that paper m-must be in some deep shit, y-you know? G-getting a visit from a c-c-cleanup crew by some man in blllgh -- black masked -- blahaha haaauuugh -- "

In her delirium, she goes silent and vacantly stares at the river for several long moments as she remembers just how perilously close she came to her own demise, once and for all.

oh god she was just a few inches away from getting got herself, why didn't he just take the shot and get two birds with one stone ... he can do it at any time. That sword of Damocles has been dangling over her own neck for months. Why ''doesn't'' he?

It's to keep them scared. Isolated. Separated. It even ''worked'' on Tamaki, and she had halted any further investigation into the topic for the time being. Part of her still held onto hope that she could disentangle herself from this world, to turn a blind eye and let everyone else take care of it. Yet, as she looks on Umie now who was on that Zeppelin with her, she figures they're both in for a penny, in for a pound.

She buries her head in her hands and mumbles as she admits, "I don't know why they just haven't killed me for it already. Dead men and women tell no cautionary tales, maybe."

'So you want to somehow reconnect with her.' Umie's statement serves as a splash of cold water to Tamaki's senses. She reflexively scrunches up her face. "Sort of? It's complicated." She'll speak more on that in a few moments, but first, she has thoughts on re-opening the door to Hazama. She gives a single gentle nod. "I'm aware of that, but I'm willing to bet that he's been satiated by the connection he's formed with his sister. Ultimately, he got what he wanted."

"I know of -- another similar instance where someone's turned out alright in the end." She means Maki. "Sudou's fate was on one extreme. The other 'similar instance' lives happily ever after today. I think the Deity Emperor currently exists in limbo," as does Reiko, Tamaki thinks to herself, "but I'd like to believe that he can make more connections beyond just his sister."

The conversation turns to what Umie can do with her Mark.

At first, Tamaki responds with confusion. "Isn't that -- isn't that just a Persona?" No, there's a distinction and she very well knows it, so she backpedals.

"Wait wait wait no, anyone can form a Pact. They don't obey instructions to appear or fight, though; the one I've got an agreement with just lazily sits around all day -- " She claps a hand over her mouth in panic as she's about to let loose a ''closely-guarded trade secret'' of the Kuzunoha Detective Agency, but it very well may come across as horror to what Umie has just intimated.

That horror genuinely settles in as her shoulders droop and she lowers her hand from her mouth, revealing her somber expression. "... So that's why you asked if the Deity Emperor had a Mark."

Tamaki had deliberately skipped over Umie's earlier statement about how it must have hurt for Aeolia to attack her. In one ear, out the other; it's too painfully poignant to feel at a conventionally conversational speed if she lets herself linger on those thoughts. Umie now turns the same gambit back onto her and keeps the conversation moving back to something else, revisiting the topic that Tamaki had earlier elided several times now.

(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8AWFf7EAc4 - Jeff Buckley's cover of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah)

What would she say to Reiko Akanezawa?

Tamaki leans forward and rests her chin on her hands. Prefacing her response with a heavy sigh, she starts: "That's a good question. At the time, I did manage to tell her much of what I had wanted to. I confessed that I was in love with her."

She gives that admission a moment to sit. 'Was,' past tense. Tamaki had her own life to live, and she had moved on romantically.

"I didn't get a direct verbal answer about how she felt." With some bitterness, she gestures to the air. "I think I got a response, anyhow. Even if she did feel the same way, it didn't outweigh what she felt like she had to do."

"In the years since, however, I've come to want to tell her ..."

Some deep-seated frustration rises up from within her and finally boils over. "... that she could stand to be a ''little'' bit more selfish, for starters! She didn't need to -- ''sacrifice'' herself, she didn't need to cast herself on her sword for her brother's sake."

Tamaki leans further forward and slides her hands to grip the back of her head. "I want her and her brother to come out of that limbo." Still holding her head, she looks up from the ground, back to the Kanda river before them. "Even if it really just means I finally find their corpses."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
<poem>
"Like I told Hyousuke recently... It's a matter of more than one thing being true at once. There are people who'd look at this Deity Emperor and swear off anything and anyone that has to do with looking at him in a light that wasn't fully negative." There's an element of bitterness to Umie's voice. "The tendency to want things clean-cut, black and white, win or lose, lacking sin... A person who simply feels that way because they were a victim, or someone close to them was affected, I can understand. But eventually, a person has to come to the realization that they can't force the world around them to fit their demands."

"That is how a person becomes a 'Deity Emperor' all their own, if they come across something that enables it." Umie pauses, adopting a more casual mein as rolling her shoulders. "But maybe that's just me doing that exact thing on your situation, eh?"

While Umie may not realize it, she and Tamaki are thinking about the same thing, at that moment, as the blonde sits there, regarding the unassuming school building with a soundless, neutral expression.

As for the survivors? ".... Huh, I guess that'd make sense. Were you and your friend the only ones that Awakened that you know of?"

And the 'court case'... Umie nods. "I get you. Sometimes I forget that these incidents happened to people who remember, if that makes sense." When everything feels like a puzzle or a lock to undo...

Sometimes, the cost of that knowledge, or the means to connect the dots, is your own life, and if not that, your sense of safety.

"Uchida-san." Umie looks at Tamaki with a concerned frown at the fellow veteran's numbed laughter. "If you're in trouble..." The Black Mask... could Umie be needlessly careless herself, offering her help? He knows her family, and where she comes from. She may not have the best relationship with her parents, but she doesn't want them to *die*.

He likely knows Umie's secrets as well, just not with the motivation to *reveal* them.

Whether or not Umie would have found the means to make that useless offer, Tamaki comes out with it, and Umie, sensing Tamaki's need for some stability, fills in the role, with the thoughts that have plagued her.

'Dead men and women tell no cautionary tales, maybe.' "Right. It's enough to make a person scared," Umie says, unwittingly picking up on Tamaki's own thoughts. "Then, you become a vector of that fear. If people disappear and no one passes on the knowledge of why, they're just disappearances, which will lead curious people to look into them, creating more disappearances that need to happen."

Then why was Umie herself...? It's likely a matter of time, now that she's become active. "You know what will happen, and that's enough. Just like how that contact died, not too long ago. It was never about whatever information he had; it was specifically meant to cow *me*. I was the target, the entire time." She sighs. "And I nearly died because I felt I needed to fix the situation myself."

It's likely why she's so protective of groups like the Phantom Thieves, Umie thinks. If the whole of NWO decided to exterminate them, they'd be annihilated almost instantly once their identities were found out, or even before.

Hazama got what he wanted: a connection, as did this other person Tamaki refers to. "Sudou isn't quite the same, either, to further your point." She stops there, as Tamaki continues. "So you think he and Reiko'd be okay, after all this time?" Or... in limbo. "I see," Umie says, eyelids lowering halfway. "Stuck the same way, you mean? Or more in a spiritual sense?"

'Isn't that just a Persona?' ..... oh no, Tamaki, don't make this harder than Umie was initially thinking it'd be like "W-well... wait. What?" Red brown eyes widen at Tamaki's revelation. "You mean... w-well, anyway!" She shakes her head. "That secret's not going anywhere, of course, but-- h-hey, don't look at me like that!! I only did it once, okay?!" Umie says, backpedalling just as wildly, until Tamaki's expression settles into something more genuine, and, to Umie at least, more expected. ".... Yeah. I'm not entirely sure how it works, but I do know, when I did it, it felt the same way as Sudou, when he used his. There's a number of agents of the Order who have the Mark as well, but none of theirs, or mine, compare with Sudou's."

Maybe, because if they did, they'd end up like that woman Akechi was investigating: death, possibly assassinated by the Order.

Talking about Reiko is far more pleasant, in comparison, if melancholy. "I see." She considers, tapping her nails, apricot orange, along her knee. "You wanted to continue the conversation you never got to finish, sounds like, even if there's nothing to talk to."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki angles her head down and peers up at Umie. "Yeah. There's a big reason I don't tell others about what happened. Especially when cast against someone like the Deity Emperor, the story can get ... warped. An individual person has an easier time understanding that nuance than a whole crowd does. ''I'' don't think he was a villain, through and through, but -- " She sweeps her hand out in front of her. " -- the rest of the ward sure did. I don't want her sacrifice to go to waste, you know?"

If Tamaki's being honest with herself, the temptation to 'force the world' to fit ''her'' demands is always there. Send a secret, spread a rumor, under the table and told in confession ... It'd be so ''easy''.

But she doesn't do that. This is a power that shouldn't exist. There are plenty of other options she has yet to explore. "I think you and I feel the same way about that, at least. You're right, though; it's -- good for anyone to be cautious, myself included."

Did the Deity Emperor's reign over Karukozaka High leave anyone else Awakened? Tamaki folds her arms as she strains her memory. "Maybe? It's entirely possible. There were a couple of other movers and shakers, but none of them agreed with each other. Neither of ''us'' agreed with them. Past that, there were a few others who did, but after they died several times, they just sunk into a catatonic state."

"... if you ''do'' want to know more about what went down at Mikage-cho, Kirishima-san or Inaba-san are the people to start with -- the other two I was with when we faced off against The Groom at the sanitarium." She hesitates to bring up Maki, but does so. "I -- don't know if you know Sonomura-san, either. She very much wants to help out with whatever's going on these days."

'If you're in trouble...' Flatly, Tamaki interjects, " -- I got a visit from a PSIA agent and then The Bride somehow found us trying to hold a meeting at a bar. ''Yeah'', I'm probably in trouble."

Up until recently, Tamaki thought the list of people who The Black Mask could leverage against her was limited to her dad and a few un-Awakened people like Tsubasa. She had discounted Reiko and Hazama for obvious reasons, and figured that the other Persona-users could at least defend themselves. That might have been true a few months ago, but as she's gotten more and more entangled, the weight on her shoulders has gotten heavier.

The other day on the Zeppelin -- and her front-row seat to the hole in Sudou's chest -- also handily disproved the notion that being Awakened is a sufficient defense on its own.

Tamaki cracks a slight smile through chattering teeth as Umie tries to stabilize her. "I can -- I can put on a brave face in the moment. It'll definitely hit me later, like it did just now, but when he's staring me down? I'm not going to be a fear transmission vector, I'm as stalwart as they come."

That being said, there was that contact who died. Tamaki nods somberly. "It's a hard lesson to learn. I ..." She narrows her eyes and affixes her gaze to nothing in particular as she experiences the vertigo that comes with deja vu. " -- I don't remember when, exactly, but I had to learn it, too."

Does she think Hazama and Reiko would be okay? "Honestly -- and this is all speculation -- " Tamaki frowns and gives a shake of her head. "I fear the worst. I think that's the most likely scenario, that they're just outright annihilated and nothing's left of them."

As for what she meant by 'limbo', it's a bit tricky. "Closer to literal than spiritual. His fate isn't entirely decided yet. Provided he's still alive, once unsealed, he could turn out like Sudou, or he could turn out like Sono -- er." Disappointed with herself after letting that much slip, Tamaki exhales and hangs her head to the side opposite of Umie. She opens one eye to look across the bench and adds, "That's ''really'' not my story to tell."

and now it's time for another rapid-fire volley of misunderstandings between these two dorks

" -- You know, some Demons I've encountered have shown up as someone else's Persona! They draw from the same pool!" Don't think she hasn't noticed how Maya's been able to summon that Pixie Persona of her own, oh no.

"Oh, no no no, I wasn't judging you, I was about to let the cat out of the bag -- augh! Forget you heard that!" In Tamaki's case, the 'cat' in question is literally a cat.

Then finally, she nods. "I see. I've only seen their agents create a supernatural space, so knowing they can manifest Demons is ... helpful. Given the other contexts I've seen them show up, I don't think it's limited to people with the Mark, but there might be some common thread between all of them."

Back to Reiko. Tamaki squints at the river again. "Something like that. Getting closure, if nothing else. Breaking whatever hold she still has on me. Even if she did feel the same way, it would, admittedly, be greatly difficult to live our lives together once we were back in the mundane world."

"... and if that's the case, maybe she chose to remain with Hazama rather than struggle out here with me."

"But I don't know if that's the case." Tamaki scratches the side of her cheek. "You heard how I was with Sudou. I wasn't convinced he was dead until I saw him dead with my own two eyes."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
<poem> Oh, does Umie definitely understand what Tamaki means. Giving her a lopsided, but well-meaning grin, Umie pops a hand on Tamaki's shoulder, before letting it fall. "... Yeaaahh. Chances are, you may see my own version of that soon, if Suzuki-kun gets to warning you. I don't blame the kid, but, it's kind of insulting that everyone involved either wants me to be some innocent victim or some temptress who had a direct hand in things, you know?" She stops herself, and sighs. "And there I go again."

The lure of power is a sweet one. So many situations would have been better solved with a demon at your beck and call, but all Umie could really do is mark the choice as already made. She can't, therefore she won't.

Demons are still demons, and those who control demons...

Even having a Persona wasn't enough to protect your psyche from the damage of dying multiple times. "That's grim..." Umie reflects, with a wince. No wonder Tamaki feels like she has years more experience than she technically does- she's been through much more than the minute night to night conflicts Umie had satisfied herself with for years.

"Oh, hey, I know those guys." Umie blinks. "Not especially well, but they seem to be good folks. Inaba-san especially. Sometimes he seems like he's the most down-to-earth person in the room in any situation."

"PSIA?" Persona? Private? Private Supernatural Intelligence Agent, maybe? Private Security Intelligence Agent? "Damn it... we're going to need to look into more secure arenas. While I can detect Persona Users, that depends on their resonance not being masked. The Bride can get around that pretty easy with her powers. However, if you've noticed..." She frowns. "She's pregnant. It won't be long before she'll need to be taken off the field for a while."

It feels wrong, to talk this way, but it also brings up another point: "... so be aware of that. I hardly know any agents that particularly like the Order, and I doubt she has a choice in the matter if she's made to go out. Just because her handlers are shitheads doesn't mean we need to be."

The Black Mask is a real danger; no matter how brave they are here, he could threaten any of them with a single reference. 'Prodigal daughter'... was that in the literal sense in the word, or a reference to the Biblical story, of a son who came back... Umie'd be impressed, if she wasn't also angry at the same time.

It is a field of blood, and if that is the case, then that is where the Badb would thrive, wouldn't it...?

"We're all under the same threat, so remember that before you hold yourself responsible for the safety of everyone around you," Umie murmurs coolly. "Half of his threat has to be the real fear that he *will* do something, and the knowledge that he can. Remember my question to him, and add this onto it: if he could kill Sudou at any time..." She holds up a hand, gesturing loosely. "Why didn't he, until then? Because he needed an audience. Sudou wasn't just any normal mark for him, he was a feared serial killer. By killing him... the Black Mask inherits the mantle of that fear and adds it to his own."

However, Umie may know exactly how he did it, and it's that knowledge she brings now. ".... Any bullet can stop a Persona User. For someone like Sudou..." Her eyelashes lower smugly. "You need to seal off the thing that enabled Sudou. That's why the Black Mask did. I just don't know what material he used for the bullet."

It may be little comfort, but at least the mystique can be hand-waved.

As for Hazama and Reiko... "Expect the worst but hope for the best, huh... probably the best tactic to take." Umie sighs. "Freshly sealed like a glass jar... not sure if I like that thought any more than them being aware of all the time that's passed." She stops, when Tamaki mentions the first part of a surname. Sono... mura, most likely. ".... I see. So you have evidence that the opposite can happen, in a sense." Umie places a hand over her heart. "I'll pretend like I heard nothing. I'm a stranger to them, after all."

Tamaki points out something that draws a confused grunt from Umie. "Wait, no, our Personas are a facet of ourselves! The pixie looks like a pixie because Amano-san saw a pixie, that's all!" .... Umie's really not willing to give up on that part. Badb is *hers*.

.... but it makes some... other elements make more sense, but that specific element is one that is likely to cause a lot of psychic damage on behalf of anyone who learns about it.

Ie, 'if Umie lets that cat out of the bag.'

Umie slowly turns her head in an intentional manner, her lips sliding into the sharp curve of a sickle. A hand raises, mimicking the stereotypical beckon of a cat. "Nyan nyan~"

As for the subject of a supernatural space and demons... "Yeah. Come to think of it... the Bride seems to be able to do it without demons being involved. From my own experience, it may be less that one is a consequence of the other. I doubt a demon can exist without one, or else we would have seen it by now. That, or they create it by virtue of being there."

In essence... Tamaki wants closure. "Maybe she wanted to protect not only him, but you," Umie says, solemnly. "So you'd have a chance to choose what you wanted out of life, even if it meant not having her in it."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
As Tamaki recalls her own conversations with Hyousuke, her expression flattens. "Yeah, he can be a bit single-minded. I'll vouch for you." She reconsiders for a beat. "Or at least point out that the truth's more complicated than one might think."

When Umie confirms she's at least acquainted with them, Tamaki breaks out into a wide grin. "Elly-chan and I were in the fencing club together! I didn't keep in contact with her for a while after graduation," or anyone, for that matter, "but we reconnected a while back. I'm actually glad that she twists my arm into digging into weird stuff. Inaba-san's definitely matured, you're right, but he's still Inaba-san." Her expression falters as she contemplates the last of the trio she'd mentioned. "I ... don't have as much of a basis for comparison for Sonomura-san. I just know that she's doing well these days."

Almost, but not 'private.' The opposite. "The Public Security Intelligence Agency." Japan's equivalent of the USA's CIA. "G-men." Probably not surprising given Sudou's family.

The Bride being pregnant is news -- no, wait, she does faintly remember Yukari yelling something about that, but her attention was primarily on trying to not get skewered by The Groom. The thought that the NWO would send someone in her condition to ''fight'' causes her to scowl. "I see. I couldn't tell from the distance I was at. She didn't seem to be in good health when she found us at the bar ..."

This detail gets filed away in her mind alongside the notes she's taken on what the Bride has said in their encounters. Much of it has to do with eyes, she's noticed: 'Shall I take your eyes to renew your innocence? Hush, see no evil...' 'Mine eyes were long since carved!' 'Do not blind the seers, else the men behind them will consume them whole. ... Curse me not to the haruspex's readings!'

While she is not made alert and aware at this present moment, her suspicion is now primed. As it applies to Tamaki, the Bride's cognitive shield remains intact, but as precariously as it can be without falling.

The corner of her mouth twitches upwards as Umie provides her with a reminder to be kind. "I know. I gave The Groom some help when they had already lost and were just trying to escape."

Even back at the warehouse where they fought the Ferryman and Tsurugi, Tamaki's priority was in getting the living client to safety instead of getting in some vengeful parting shot.

And about not letting the 'men behind them consume them whole': "That might not even be enough. If we really want to help them, we have to figure out how to do it without arousing their handlers' suspicions. We might have to put on a show for them."

Umie's words of reassurance lift Tamaki's own spirits considerably. She nods. "I think you're right. did feel like something wasn't right, yeah. I couldn't exactly pin it down at the time, not under that much pressure, but when he was presenting the two options of 'obey or everyone dies,' I didn't want to buy into ''his'' framing and started looking for a third."

'Any bullet can stop a Persona-user.' Oh. Funnily enough, Demons don't tend to use guns, so this hasn't been much of a concern for her. "You mean like -- a real physical gun, and not something a model that conjures up cognitive ammunition, right?"

Several moments pass as she remembers her St. Hermelin friends and their tendency to pack heat. "I-I see ..."

'The thing that enabled Sudou.' Tamaki levels her gaze at Umie. "Nyarlathotep, you mean? Elly-chan mentioned that name back in his cell ..." Some part of her wonders if it's the same source of the voices that Sudou heard and which Umie likely continues to hear, herself.

Especially when Umie comments on Maki's well-being serving as evidence that the opposite can happen. "... For now. But don't actually forget, okay?"

On Personas and Demons, Tamaki nods. "That's true, too. Consider this, though: I didn't have the faintest idea who Arianrhod was when I first got her. I believe that it's as if something felt like she was the best fit for me." She hums in idle thought, then adds, "... I've had several different Personas. They often changed when we died in the Deity Emperor's realm. Nakao-chan's Janus is much different from the Janus I had at the time. Maybe we should think of them as where the individual intersects with the collective."

At Umie's teasing imitation of a cat, Tamaki rears her head back with a fearful look on her face. She visibly shivers, then narrows her eyes in defiance.

''she knows too much'' (or so Tamaki fears.)

She doesn't remark on that and lets the conversation continue onto discussion of the Mark. "Your Persona doesn't create a supernatural space; you need to be in one to summon it. It'd make some measure of sense if Demons and Shadows followed the same rules that we do."

A thought occurs to her, and she curls her finger over her chin before she looks back at Umie. "... don't actually do it, but do you know if you're able to create such a space while not manifesting any Demons?"

Tamaki chews on the inside of her cheek as she considers what Umie suggests Reiko's intentions were. "That could be. You know, I admire her a lot for what she did. You remember the thing I told you about wanting to be the person I needed when I was younger?"

She has no idea just how much that stuck with Umie. "Reiko was that for me, to be clear. That's where that's coming from. I wanted to follow the example she set for me. To demonstrate compassion and understanding to the misunderstood and isolated."

Tamaki idly swings her foot and kicks at the dirt beneath the bench. "You might be right, though. If I emulated her ''exactly'' ... I wouldn't have pulled back from the embrace. I'd have died with Sudou-san."

"So maybe it's a good thing I'm myself and not entirely like her."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
<poem> Tamaki says she'll vouch for Umie. Umie laughs. "I mean, I don't need blind faith here. It's... a complicated story. But I appreciate you sticking your head out for me anyways. But... yeaaah. He means well, but you can't just judge everything on the basis of..." She sighs, shaking her head. "Anyway."

"Inaba-san's the only one I know that well. I really appreciate him trying to keep things level. Kirishima-san... ah, wait, she's that model, isn't she... no wonder she looked rather impeccable in spite of the places she's stuck her nose into." Umie ponders, tapping an apricot orange colored nail to her chin. "I bet her hair and skin routine is killer..." Somomura, meanwhile... that'd have to be the other young woman of that general group.

To be someone who did something 'wrong' (though Umie's not entirely sure of the scope or details here in regards to the Mikage-cho Incident), and to try redeem yourself through your own acts... Umie can understand that feeling a little too well.

Tamaki lays out what PSIA means, and Umie nods slowly. "Aaaahhh. God, I just must have never heard it said aloud or something; you'd think I'd know that..."

"I'd be careful, either way. Just because someone is trying to get away from the Order doesn't mean they're necessarily 'a good person', is it were," Umie warns. After all, Shiryuu is there, and he exists, and he's just stubbornly attached to trying to make things as difficult as possible, it seems.

(..... why does Umie have to find that attractive??? What the hell is wrong with you, Umie, do you not like nice things and uncomplicated people???)

"But, that aside, if it comes down to it, the biggest hurtle may be the Bride's mindset. It sounded like, from the way she was talking, that she had already consigned her child to the Order's clutches." Umie may be the one being unfair here, but it was irritating in the moment trying to untangle all that talk while trying to undo the Bride's hold on the field.

But compared to the Black Mask... "He was giving hints to several people that he knew where to hit them where it hurt. Rather efficient," Umie says, with a sardonic edge to her tone. "Several birds with one stone and everything."

'... I didn't want to buy into ''his'' framing and started looking for a third.' The remark earns Tamaki a blackbird's smile from Umie. "Theerree we go."

However, that moment of 'encouragement', if that's what it is, is lost when brought back to the simple matter of the fragility of life. "Yes. Our Personas make us hardier than we would be, but." She mimicks a gun with her hand and points it to her head. "If a Persona doesn't intervene, a well-placed shot is as fatal as any from the right weapon." Her hand drops to her side. "But it's not like I'd tried it out for myself, or anything. Katsuya Suou-san'd be a lot better judge than me."

Nyarlathotep. The name alone draws a sharp breath from Umie. A moment passes before she dips her chin in a short, reluctant nod. ".... If that is what the force is going by, yes. It's probably okay to assume the same about this force being what Takkun is referring to when he says 'him'."

'But don't actually forget, okay?' "Or course not," Umie says, not at all seeming like she's being a chaotic force of nyanture at that moment.

Tamaki reveals she's had several Personas, which is enough to draw Umie from her feline satisfaction. "Wait, so..." But just in that realm, it seems. "Was your friend like that too?" As grim is it is to remember your friend dying with you, likely each time. "... I see. But not since then, right? You've just had Arianrhod." That is, the one that felt the best, for her.

At what point did Umie realize the same for her and Badb? Would it change, if she changed?

Tamaki reasons out how Personas need a space to be summoned in, like Demons; Umie nods. "Aha... yes, just like that."

What would Umie be capable of? "It's hard to really say, since it was so long ago. I guess it's like trying to make an omelett without cracking an egg; if there is, I don't know." And the Bride isn't going to tell them, either.

Does Umie remember? "...... Yeah." Oh, does Umie ever remember that. "I've picked that up myself, actually, as what I want to do as a Persona User."

'To demonstrate compassion and understanding to the misunderstood and isolated.'
'Umie Akabane.' That's the name I like the most.'

"....." Umie's lips purse as she glances towards her hands in her lap. ".... Someone who stands for broken things."

That's what started so much of this. Things that are broken, lost, forgotten. She is imperfect, of course; Umie's choice on how she handles the Bride differs from Shiryuu and Kurou, but still, she's been quick to still be protective, in her own distant way.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki holds up a finger as she replies to several points at once. "I'm not giving you blind faith, and I'm under no illusion that the NWO ''must'' be good people underneath. I don't think Sudou was. I don't think the Deity Emperor was. They were both still very much human. I'm not swinging from one extreme to the other here." She glances to the side. "Even the worst people deserve some small measure of grace, you know? The crowd can be more cruel than they need to be. I'm just an advocate for fairness."

(... oh no, it seems like Tamaki and Umie share a common taste in what kinds of people they find attractive. Tamaki likes being challenged and arguing with people.)

... conversely, she feels disappointed in people when they take an easy way out. She said that she 'was' in love with Reiko. An older, wiser Tamaki felt that Reiko had given up when it was possible -- and may still ''be'' possible -- to both ease Hazama's pain and remain in the larger world.

Hearing how the Bride has seemingly thrown up her hands in exasperation evokes a similar feeling in Tamaki. (Maybe not as extreme as what Tsumugi had expressed as they and and Hyde clawing at a Homunculus, but -- something along those lines.)

"Suou-tantei, I trust with a gun." She goes tense and doesn't elaborate. She greatly enjoys Eriko's company, but America and its penchant for guns seems to have rubbed off on her. And that unnerves Tamaki at least a little bit!

Umie confirms Nyarlathotep's name. "If that's the case, then both of us should get Elly-chan and Inaba-san to explain what they know about him. I knew some details about what happened in Mikage-cho, but I hadn't heard that name before the sanitarium."

Reiko had other Personas, too. "She was like me. Everyone was, in there. Your new Persona was a reflection of your mindset when you died. The people who went catatonic after dying over and over succumbed to despair. They were ... demoted back down to nothing, so to speak."

It's no coincidence that Tamaki suggested wings for the vessel which ended up being Aeolia. Aniel, six-winged angel of love and victory, starkly stands out in Tamaki's memory as the most prominent of Reiko's Personas.

Tamaki snorts when Umie accurately points that she's just had Arianrhod since then. "Yeah. I've been out of the Deity Emperor's world for years, though. I have to wonder if I'm just stuck like this now."

Still, Tamaki being more like ''herself'' and less like ''Reiko'' is what ended up saving Tamaki's own life.

'Someone who stands for broken things.'

Umie's words leave Tamaki silent for a while.

"That's a good way of putting it."

She's quiet for several more.

"Thanks for coming out here and trying to help. It means a lot."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
<poem>
Umie laughs, as Tamaki succinctly takes on several points at once. "I get you. I just didn't want to seem like I was misrepresenting the situation."

As for Suou? Umie laughs. "Same, but I'd trust Katsuya-san with a lot of things. He has that energy, you know?" An energy that somehow hasn't yet gotten demoted, but that may be a thing in the future.

'I knew some details about what happened in Mikage-cho--'

Long, sea wet black hair drapes itself over the bench, coming from a source that Umie can't quite see. It infests everything in the bench, skirting mere centimeters past touching Tamaki herself, who sits pristine, untouched, in another world.

Because it's a delusion.

It drifts into Umie's ears, her nose, her eyes, whisper thin.

-but I hadn't heard that name before the sanitarium.'

"It's... a name in Lovecraft's short stories. The Crawling Chaos." A mouth that should be choking on hair speaks perfectly, Umie's expression held tightly neutral, like a scream would erupt at any second if Umie didn't carefully maintain her composure.

None of this is seen by Tamaki, nor should she; it's all in Umie's head.

Demoted back down to nothing...

"... To Awaken, and then watch your despair slowly take over your sense of self..." A hand hurriedly clamps against a slithering strand of black hair that shouldn't be there, and isn't, as far as Tamaki is concerned.

"That's... terrible." And Umie means it. To be unaware of your oncoming despair is one thing, but to see your Personas being whittled to nothing...

She always had the Badb.

"Arianrhod's a good fit for you, though." Little fingers tap against the bench; Umie steals a glance towards them, which only encourages the rap tap tapping to continue, louder.

But if she focuses on Tamaki, on her friend... the sounds dim, for a little while, just because she's not focusing solely on being a picture perfect self.

This is Tamaki.

....

"Someone I care about... said that. Maybe, you'll meet him some day, but likely... in a context where he's calmed down enough." She smirks. "He's... a little much. But anyway."

Tamaki is *thanking* her, and the shock is enough to make the hairs and the taptaptapping fingers crack like sunbleached plastic. "Oh, come on. I didn't do *that* much. I think it's worthwhile though. Maybe, if you keep looking for Reiko, though, you may find something. So I don't think the search is futile."

Anymore than Umie's search for a sort of 'freedom' is, anyhow.
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 2]]

2026-03-20: What Were We Trying to Forget, Again?

2026-03-23T18:49:52Z

Terra: Created page with "*'''Log: What Were We Trying to Forget, Again?''' *'''Cast:''' Tamaki Uchida, Hyousuke Suzuki, Maya Amano *'''Where:''' Rengedai - Main *'''OOC Date:''' March 20, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' October 12, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Tamaki, Maya, and Hyousuke embark on a preliminary investigation about the Purple Mirror, and other things best left forgotten threaten to creep into conscious thought. While they do figure out one possible solution, the scale of it is going to..."

*'''Log: What Were We Trying to Forget, Again?'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Tamaki Uchida]], [[Hyousuke Suzuki]], [[Maya Amano]]
*'''Where:''' Rengedai - Main
*'''OOC Date:''' March 20, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' October 12, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Tamaki, Maya, and Hyousuke embark on a preliminary investigation about the Purple Mirror, and other things best left forgotten threaten to creep into conscious thought. While they do figure out one possible solution, the scale of it is going to be a problem ...''

----

(|============================= Rengedai - Main ==============================|)
-=============================================== Sumaru City/Rengedai Ward ====-
The central ward of Sumaru, built on the Tanabata River that splits the city
like a yin-yang symbol, is called Rengedai, or "Lotus Pedestal," because it
looks like a lotus flower floating on the water. It's a quiet, peaceful place to
live, and though it has undergone modernization over the past decade or two, a
good number of historical sites remain.

Its most standout feature is Mt. Iwato, a small mountain with a significant
network of caverns that spelunkers are advised not to explore casually. Alaya
Shrine is available for worship at its foot. It has never been set on fire.

The prestigious Seven Sisters School stands nearby; according to rumor, the
symbol sewn on the school's uniforms will protect you from the Joker Curse. To
the west is Honmaru Park, built on the site of feudal leader Kiyotada Sumaru's
castle and in his dubious memory, but it's under construction, so you can't go
in there.

Mansions, houses, and apartment complexes dot the riverside banks. The Lotus
Plaza Shopping Mall is right there with them, offering modest shopping in
convenient walking distance.

MONAD: A party led by Tamaki Uchida has begun the event Wanted! Rumor Demon: The Purple Mirror.

(|============= Monad - Wanted! Rumor Demon: The Purple Mirror =============|)
-==== Round 1: Online Jack - Challenge Level 1 ==============================-
| Approach Options: Academics or Guts |
| Conditions: Heartening - Guts Up L1 and Stupor - Academics Down L1 |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-

(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0B_2vwPcxc Map I - Persona 2 Eternal
Punishment (PSP))

Regardless of where you are, the internet's just a device away. The story of
the Purple Mirror is known throughout the country, and numerous variants of
the tale exist on websites, social media, and message boards -- all
resources which might be worth scouring. As chaotic as its atmosphere might
be, those in the know could even dare to brave the Dark Side of Sumaru's
message boards.

Sorting fact from fiction is difficult enough, but this is an instance of
sorting between relevant fiction and outright fabrication -- what you want
is the version of the myth which has taken hold in the minds of Sumaru
City's residents. It's tedious, borderline mind-numbing work, but it might
just be possible to power through the bad posts and boredom until a lead
reveals itself.

(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
The Purple Mirror. The story goes that a woman became obsessed with such an item then cast it away. Even with it gone from her life, it preoccupied her thoughts to the point where it led to her death. A similar fate waits for those who can't forget the words "purple mirror," typically just before an important milestone event in someone's life.

With everything else going on -- between Jun's kidnapping and rescue, the sanitarium, Kazusa's Atelier -- Tamaki had honestly almost forgotten about it. Almost.

Unfortunately, given her role in the Kuzunoha Detective Agency, she doesn't ''get'' to forget about it. With the end of the year looming, the requests are coming in faster and faster, most of them from residents in Rengedai Ward.

With everything else on her own plate, the agency's reached out to the broader Persona-user community to lend their assistance. For this particular venture, she's tagging along, too. The people who either volunteered on their own or she roped in are Maya Amano for her journalist investigative skills and Hyousuke Suzuki for his eagerness to tackle any Rumor Demon.

After having gathered in Rengedai Ward near the station, Tamaki reiterates to the group, "This is ... a preliminary investigation. I'm not sure if we'll find everything there is to find, but we've got to start somewhere."

She holds up a finger as she tries to direct the group. "The first place we can go to next is ..."

...

oh no

Her mind completely blanks on a suggestion. Tamaki's been so occupied that she hasn't prepared any leads in the local area! She's sweating bullets as she frantically flips through her notebook to find any mention of something, anything -- nope, nothing, nothing, nothing.

She regains her composure and clears her throat. "Ahem! We can find an internet café and peruse the Dark Side of Sumaru forums. Or we can look at our phones, but I don't wanna stare at a small screen to read a lot of text."

A lot of text posts. Most of which are absolutely useless or awful. There might be one somewhere, though ...

There's nothing to do but power through it.

</poem>
MONAD: Tamaki Uchida has acted with Guts toward Online Jack! Base!

<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>Asking Hyousuke to sort through paperwork and forum posts was akin to asking a gloved-up boxer to sort a shelf of fine china. While it was technically possible, there were bound to be a great many mistakes, and a great deal of muttered curses as he bore the drudgery of the task at hand. Still, it was all in service of a greater good - a hefty payday. Hyousuke was vaguely aware of the potential danger of the task, and the price of failure in resolving the rumour, but he was far more aware of the fact that there was also a sizeable amount of cash at stake.

To a student with rather limited income options, it was like baiting a hook with the fattest, wriggliest, worm that one could imagine.

So it was that he endured the long, gruelling, process of sifting through reams of information. Many times, he lamented that he was not the right person for the job, and wished Tsubasa was around to give him a hand. Many times, he vocalised his displeasure about the task, though at least attempted to keep quiet about it in the interests of politeness. More than once did he take a few minutes to stand up and grab some tea, staring wistfully out of the window while reminding himself of the new rice cooker or fancy tea leaves he could buy with such funds as the job would grant.

Slowly, the pile of information shrunk, sorted into the wheat and the chaff. Gradually, he began to piece together an idea of what he could do about the situation at hand. It took time, and it took effort, and he wasn't even sure that he - a self-admitted halfwit that would have struggled piecing together a two-piece jigsaw puzzle, let alone a working theory on a rumour and the appertaining demon - had managed to get anything worth reading. But he had something he could at least work with. All that was left was to present his findings, and hope for the best.

"Guys?" He asked, leaning back a little. "I think I got something. Come have a look at this..."
</poem>

MONAD: Hyousuke Suzuki has acted with Bravado toward Online Jack! Bravery and Focus!

<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
<poem>
"If an internet cafe works better for everyone, I know one near here," Maya cheerily answers. As a reporter, she's well-acquainted with all of Sumaru, particularly in those spots that give her a brief reprieve from the chaotic offices of Kismat Publishing. She's been to this particular internet cafe more than a few times.

Still, Maya seems to be handling herself well enough on her phone. She's frequently working on-the-go, so emailing contacts, searching for leads, and browsing the Dark Side of Sumaru all come naturally to her, even on a smaller screen. It's easy for anyone watching carefully to see how naturally he thumb slides up the screen to browse down on an open window, or how quickly her fingers navigate the on-screen keyboard that are popular on newer smartphones (which Maya clearly has in her position, complete with a bunny phone case and a matching sakura-and-bunny phone charm).

If it wasn't clear from anyone who saw Mr. Bun-Bun dangling off her bag, Maya _really_ loves bunnies.

Still, Hyousuke's voice rouses Maya from her work-trance. She looks up and takes her fingers off the screen of the smart phone, letting her smart phone screen flash back to black. "What did you find?"
</poem>

MONAD: Maya Amano has acted with Get That Story toward Online Jack! Amrita!

(|============================ Monad - Results =============================|)
-==== Online Jack - Round 1 =================================================-
Tamaki Uchida Guts Success
Guts Base Fatigue: 0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maya Amano Guts Success
Get That Story Amrita Fatigue: 0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hyousuke Suzuki Guts Success
Bravado Bravery and Focus Fatigue: 0
-============================ Party Conditions: =============================-
Starting Conditions: Heartening-2 and Stupor-2
Final Conditions: Heartening-1 and Stupor-1
-====================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====-
-==== Reach: 1/6 |= | ===================================================-
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
While squinting at her phone, Tamaki flatly replies to Maya's offer of finding an internet café, "''Please.'' The eye strain will be the death of me otherwise."

She perks up slightly at seeing how adept Maya is at using her phone. " -- can you cross-reference something for me, though? There's a post here with instructions on how to forget a specific memory, but who knows with this site. I'll directly PM them about it in the meantime, but if we can independently verify what they're saying, that'll clear things up."

The story's common across Japan. Each region has its own variant of the tale. Normally, this would be all well and good, but ... it's taken hold in Sumaru City.

So the trick is to figure out what ''Sumaru's'' variant of the story of the Purple Mirror is. That'll be the one that influenced the rumor.

Tamaki also shares Hyousuke's sentiment that Tsubasa's help could have come in handy here. They're adept at it. Still, she's glad to see him put in the effort and expand his capabilities, little by little. "Take breaks as you have to," she reassures him, "It's a marathon, not a sprint."

She eagerly peers over Hyousuke's shoulder. "See? Told you that something would surface. What'd you find?"
</poem>
>> some of the shop owners in Rengedai have lived there a long time
>> they might remember something
<poem>
Tamaki glances behind her. "Lotus Plaza's nearby. And I'm also running low on supplies ... what do you two think?"

</poem>
MONAD: Hyousuke Suzuki has drawn a new Challenge!

(|============= Monad - Wanted! Rumor Demon: The Purple Mirror =============|)
-==== Round 2: Forget Me Not - Challenge Level 2 ============================-
| Approach Options: Understanding or Proficiency |
| Conditions: Heartening - Guts Up L1, Heartening - Guts Up L1, Kind - |
| Understanding Up L2, and Stupor - Academics Down L1 |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-

In the language of flowers, there are some specimens which represent the
memory of an event or person: lilies, chrysanthemums, hyacinths, myosotis,
orchids, marigolds, gladioli ... the list goes on. There could be something
worth exploring in that idea, so a trip to the local florist in Lotus Plaza
seems appropriate.

(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zsg01CVh2M Map I - Persona 2 Eternal
Punishment (PSX))

"Hey hey HEY /HEY/, you can't just waltz in here and -- " Not to worry, the
florist doesn't seem to be admonishing /you/, but he's flummoxed by a Demon
which has wandered into the store and staunchly refuses to leave: a Slime
with a seemingly insatiable curiosity. It, too, seems to be facing a
memory-related dilemma as it stares mournfully at the selection of flowers
as it undulates and squishes and squashes between its default amorphous
state and a variety of forms resembling other Demons. "Feels like a parta
me's missing, /bloop/. Can't remember my old shape, /blorp/ ... what was I?"

The florist gives an exasperated sigh and turns your way. "Look, it's
harmless enough, but can you help me out and get this guy out of here?
There's one flower that'd be perfect, but around here it only grows on Mt.
Iwato, and I don't want to make the hike up there."

... for a moment, one of the Slime's forms looks suspiciously like a hand
mirror. Arranging the perfect flower bouquet for its desires might just
satisfy both the florist and the Slime and solidify the Demon's shape into
the form of an even more helpful hint.

(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>Hyousuke might have worn a more pleased expression at Tamaki's praise, were it not for the fact that his brain felt like it had run a marathon *at* a sprint. He smiled, and nodded to show that he was listening, but there might as well have been smoke pouring out of his ears from the strain showing on his face. Listening closely, one might have even heard the hamster wheel in his brain creaking to a slow and unceremonious stop. Nevertheless, their efforts had managed to narrow down the search area to something workable, and he nodded *far* more firmly once Tamaki proposed a direction.
"Works for me." He said, standing up and stretching out. "I gotta see about picking some stuff up there too. Shimizu-san mentioned something about the aerospace museum, and I want to go in prepared."

A nearby florist was one of the first stops, and Hyousuke made his way in with the intention of probing the place and its proprietor - or proprietors, he could never remember which - for information. However, the sight of a large mound of slime causing the residing florist some sort of trouble put paid to that plan immediately.

"Hey hey HEY ''HEY'', you can't just waltz in here and -- "
"Feels like a parta me's missing, ''bloop''. Can't remember my old shape, ''blorp'' ... what was I?"
Hyousuke crossed his arms in consternation in response. Deciding he would ask Tamaki why someone seemed so calm about a giant mound of ooze bumbling around the shop, Hyousuke decided to step forward and think aloud in case someone could build off his own musings.

"Mt Iwato?" Hyousuke asked, mostly to himself as he peered at the shelves, though he still spoke loudly enough for the other two to hear. "Let's see... Taking into account the time of year, the region, weather in the area..." Hyousuke's musings began to decline in volume, but those listening closely would have been able to discern him speaking at length about wildflowers. In an uncharacteristically eloquent and detailed way, no less. "...Leading me to believe that we want to put together something looking a bit like *this.*" Hyousuke presented his work to Maya and Tamaki, though not with any great degree of pride. Not when his focus was on the slime.

"...Sorry." He said, seeming to realise his own distraction. "That thing's shape just reminded me of a- Yanno, the thing." Even he had the good sense not to speak the name of it out loud, though given his rather extensive foray into the forums, it was perhaps a case of shutting the barn door after the horse had bolted.
</poem>

MONAD: Hyousuke Suzuki has acted with Warmup toward Forget Me Not! Diligence and Focus!

<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
<poem>
"It'll be good for us to stretch our legs!" Maya agrees. And before long, they're at the Lotus Plaza. Maya's passed the florist shop here about a million times, but this is her first time actually going inside. She was pretty sure they didn't own a vase back at home and if they did she's not sure where they'd fit a bouquet among the piles of clothes and stacks of magazines, anyway.

"Wow!" Maya exclaims at Hyousuke's presentation. "It looks so professional!" Maya definitely couldn't put something like this together. "Maybe we should cut the stems a little shorter, though," she says, surveying the Slime. Slimes already weren't especially large compared to some of the creatures they encountered, but this one definitely seemed smaller-than-normal.

"Shorter might make it easier for it to hold it." If the Slime had any interest in doing that, anyway. It was entirely possible that just _seeing_ the bouquet would be enough. But what's wrong with going the extra mile anyway?

"What do you think, Tamaki-san?"
</poem>

MONAD: Maya Amano has acted with Advice toward Forget Me Not! Patra and Efficient!

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki hardly bats an eye at the presence of a Demon in a shop. Sumaru City in general has ... ''acclimated'' to the occasional Demon showing up, and she additionally has her own prior experiences. What surprises her more is Hyousuke's consternation, and she slightly jumps after she notices. "Oh -- uh, yeah, they're not all that uncommon around here."

"To hold it?" She muses over Maya's suggestion, then nods. "That makes sense. They're pretty short, so the stems might drag along the ground otherwise."

Hyousuke's deft hand at putting together a substitute bouquet ''also'' surprises Tamaki. "I've gone hiking up to Mt. Iwato a few times. I think you're spot-on with what grows there." Eerily so, she thinks, but doesn't mention it.

Tamaki nods after Hyousuke mentions how the Slime looked like 'the thing' -- meaning a mirror. "Yeah, I caught that too. Think we should ask the lil' guy about the mountain?"

With a sigh, she pulls out her wallet and faces the florist. "Whatever we end up going with, ring me up for it. I'll cover the slime's bill."

After that, she kneels down at the slime, staring in the hopes for some other clue. "... Think Sumaru's variant of the story has to do with Mt. Iwato?"

</poem>
MONAD: Tamaki Uchida has acted with Understanding toward Forget Me Not! Base!

(|============================ Monad - Results =============================|)
-==== Forget Me Not - Round 2 ===============================================-
Tamaki Uchida Understanding Success
Understanding Base Fatigue: 0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maya Amano Understanding Success
Advice Patra and Efficient Fatigue: 0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hyousuke Suzuki Proficiency Success
Warmup Diligence and Focus Fatigue: 0
-============================ Party Conditions: =============================-
Starting Conditions: Heartening-1, Heartening-2, Kind-2, and Stupor-1
Final Conditions: Heartening-1 and Kind-1
-====================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====-
-==== Reach: 2/6 |== | ===================================================-
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>Now free of the burden of paperwork and other such things, Hyousuke was free to give a more overt reaction to Maya and Tamaki's remarks on his work. He gave them a wide smile - wider than a polite one, but not so much that it could be considered a grin - and shrugged lightly.
"You think I spend all my free time going hunting? I do hiking if the weather's alright. Haven't been up mountains much, but I know enough about the wildflowers growing around the area to get something that looked right. You're probably right about the stems though. I could probably trim 'em a bit without damaging them too much..."

Indeed, it did not seem to just *look* right, but it seemed to actually *be* right. The slime observed the handful of flowers for a moment, peering at them in the same morose manner that it had regarded the various individual pieces around the shop, before quivering a little... then coalescing into something more solid.
"I... remember..." It said, its speech interspersed with the odd bloop, blorp, or blurble of bubbles bubbling away. "I remember the mountain... The blooms were... so pretty..." It did not sound happy about whatever it remembered, but at the very least, it seemed to be at peace.

What was once a somewhat diminutive mass of formless ooze began to assume a more concrete form. As the seconds ticked by, undulating surfaces smoothed out into solid angles, shifting and changing until the form it'd displayed for a moment became a more lingering one instead. It had become a facsimile of a hand mirror by the end of its transformation, and though the hue was far from the purple that the accursed item was purported to have - by some denizens of the net, anyway - the shape was there.
"You guys got any ideas about what this means?" He asked, glancing between Tamaki, Maya, and the florist - who themselves just shrugged and stated their cluelessness on the matter.

His knowledge on wildflowers did not seem to extend to detective work.
</poem>

MONAD: Maya Amano has drawn a new Challenge!

(|============= Monad - Wanted! Rumor Demon: The Purple Mirror =============|)
-==== Round 3: Do You Remember How to Forget? - Challenge Level 3 ===========-
| Approach Options: Proficiency or Guts |
| Conditions: Checkpoint - Cleanse all negative conditions., Fairy - |
| Subtract 1 Fatigue on success., Heartening - Guts Up L1, Kind - |
| Understanding Up L2, and Reaper - Add 1 Fatigue. |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-

(BGM: https://youtu.be/N4eLpDva31w Alaya Shrine - Persona 2 Innocent Sin
(PSP))

Rengedai Ward, overall, is a mixture of historical and modern aesthetics.
Away from the bustling shopping centers of Lotus Plaza, along the trail to
Mt. Iwato lies Alaya Shrine. In order to reach the caves beyond where the
Demon itself is said to exist, passage through here is necessary.

Persona-users who pass through here experience the emotion of sadness and
the pain of grief, seemingly detached from any association of recorded
history and memory. For the first few moments, to remain at this checkpoint
along the road to your destination is only to feel, not to know. To remain
beyond that is to feel the itch of the dangerous temptation to remember. In
other words, maybe you should run.

In your mind lies a vast graveyard of already-forgotten thoughts. You have
done it at least once before -- it might even be that you have done it so
many times that the act comes naturally. To will yourself to intentionally
forget, however, now seems to be an impossible task. Despite that, the
simple fact remains: come hell or high water, you /must/ remember how to
forget, even if you have to strain yourself to do so.

(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
<poem>
"No clue! But I think if we head to Mt. Iwato, we might be able to figure it out!"

Maya is pretty pumped. A lot of her work involves a lot of research and some interviewing, but typically those interviews were conducted online, on the phone, or from locations frequently visited by teenagers. It's not all that often that her investigation leads to any sort of significant travel -- least of all, outside of the city proper.

And Maya is rather fond of the Alaya Shrine. She and her father had visited it when she was a child and it held some pretty warm memories. Once or twice a year, she'd come here to say a prayer for her father and make a donation. Life had been busy in the last few months and she had not made a visit to it since before she first encountered her Déjà-vu boy.

While Alaya Shrine looks just as Maya remembered it, there was something ''different'' about it. Something that felt ''disconcerting'' and ''uncomfortable'', as if the shrine had been taken apart and re-built. It was the same, but it felt like it wasn't.

Maya's palms grow sweaty and she realizes that she's feeling warm all over. It's not that hot outside, is it? And it wasn't like this hike was so challenging that she'd build up a sweat. The bruise on her chest throbs, too. She swallows and tries offering a reassuring smile. "Pretty nice, right?" she says, ignoring the heat building around her. "My father and I used to come here as a child. We should make a donation and say a prayer before we go."

Maya forces herself to focus on the present -- not on the disconcerting feeling or the ache of her chest or the heat of her body. But on the present as it should be: a casual stop at a shrine en route to the mountain. Surely, if she focuses on that, she'll forget everything she shouldn't know to begin with.
</poem>

MONAD: Maya Amano has acted with Guts toward Do You Remember How to Forget?! Base!

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
As Tamaki has mentioned, she's gone hiking up the Mt. Iwato nature trail. This means she must have passed by Alaya Shrine each time, too.

Other than one key aspect, it's not much different this time. The same phantom sense that something terrible happened here lingers in the air, thick and oppressive.

Before, she had discarded the notion each, seemingly unable to attach it to anything real.

This time, Tamaki fears that she now has an inkling about what the sensation could mean. Her gaze drifts over to Maya as she remembers the figures they had heard about near the shrine on the way to the sanitarium. A cold sweat starts to break out on her neck. Tatsunoshin Suou, Junnosuke Kuroda, and --

Maya's suggestion to make a donation snaps her out of her reverie. "Oh, uh -- yeah, we can do that." After taking a moment to collect her thoughts, she continues. "I didn't grow up around here, myself. I've been avoiding it, honestly. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad for me to pay it another visit, though."

What was it that she told Umie before? The best way to get rid of a song stuck in your head is with another song? Tamaki takes her own advice to heart here ...

... albeit in a very literal sense. After they've made their donations and have proceeded on their way, Tamaki breaks out into an impromptu marching song, shouting loud in some attempt to drown out her own thoughts.

o/` "To recover health, use Medicine or Life Stones!"
o/` "When there's trouble and your friends have taken a beating,"
o/` "rescue them with Revival Beads or Life Incense!"
o/` "The eternal ally of those - who - fight!"
o/` "Our city's friendly drug store!"

Unfortunately, while there is more to the song, it's still fairly short. Much shorter than the trip to Mt. Iwato proper. She'll be at this for a few more rounds. "C'mon, everybody! You can revitalize your mind with Chewing Soul, da da da ..."

</poem>
MONAD: Tamaki Uchida has acted with Never Burn Out toward Do You Remember How to Forget?! Escape and Efficient!

<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>Hyousuke felt something. He could not place it at first, save for that it was a constant, gnawing, ache at the back of his mind. Like something lurked in the darkest corners of his consciousness, its ink-dark tendrils snaking through the cracks in his will and conviction, lurking in the juddering shadows cast by the fires of his rage. He felt that selfsame darkness cloud his thoughts, while faint whispers pricked at the edges of those few he could still focus on, telling him to remember. To open his mind to... to *something.*

"Stop it..." Hyousuke snarled. His voice was quiet - barely more than a murmur, drowned out by the next breeze to sap the heat from his body. He spoke through clenched teeth and twisted lips, but not to Maya, not to Tamaki, nor even to the maddening whispers stabbing at his mind like needles. He felt them in their hundreds, cold and insidious, trying to force memories into him that he swore to himself he did not have. He wanted to run from them. He wanted to turn on his heel and flee, forgetting any thought of profit or adventure or usefulness or safety.

But against that cold, he bore his fire. Against that cowardice, he bore his defiance. Against whatever supernatural force compelled him to turn away and remember, he stood and bore his rage against it, a torch against the darkness engulfing his mind. Whatever attempted to claim him, he would not let it. While he could not drown out the thoughts like Tamaki or Maya, he could burn them away, retreating into anger so that it scoured him of everything else. He cast his mind to Palaces and serial killers, to brutal fights and bloody murders, until he found himself strong enough to to move without hesitation.

"Right, a prayer." Hyousuke agreed, just about cognisant enough to recognise what Maya had said, and to go through the rituals usually associated with such places. There was even enough of him left to participate in the conversation beyond grunted agreement. "I haven't been to the shrine much either. Only moved here a few months ago, and I haven't really had a reason to do much with the shrine more than once or twice." He'd been there with Ichika at some point after the sanitarium, but he did not mention that detail - else he might have been tempted to mention his frustration and despair back then did not simply stem from whatever phenomena plagued the area.

"Damn... trail never felt *this* long before..."
</poem>

MONAD: Hyousuke Suzuki has acted with Tough it Out toward Do You Remember How to Forget?! Amrita!

(|============================ Monad - Results =============================|)
-==== Do You Remember How to Forget? - Round 3 ==============================-
Tamaki Uchida Guts Success
Never Burn Out Escape and Efficient Fatigue: 0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maya Amano Guts Success
Guts Base Fatigue: 0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hyousuke Suzuki Guts Success
Tough it Out Amrita Fatigue: 0
-============================ Party Conditions: =============================-
Starting Conditions: Checkpoint-0, Fairy-0, Heartening-1, Kind-1, and
Reaper-0
Final Conditions:
-====================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====-
-==== Reach: 3/6 |=== | ===================================================-
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
<poem>
Maya joins in on the singing and slowly, the disconcerting feeling evaporates. The world around her feels less ominous and Maya feels more like a schoolgirl traversing the mountain trail with her elementary school classmates than a troubled adult. The throbbing in her chest subsides and her face and hands feel cooler now than they were at the lower elevation.

This was actually feeling pretty fun!

She pauses her singing to look over at Hyousuke. "Did they have this jingle back where you came from?"
</poem>

MONAD: Tamaki Uchida has drawn a new Challenge!

(|============= Monad - Wanted! Rumor Demon: The Purple Mirror =============|)
-==== Round 4: Thoth's Wondrous Elixir - Challenge Level 2 ==================-
| Approach Options: Academics or Charm |
| Conditions: Bothersome - Charm Down L1 and Educational - Academics Up L1 |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-

(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dN9ZvuaFD4 Mt.Iwato - Persona 2
Innocent Sin (PSP))

A number of Demons reside in the dimly-lit caverns of Mt. Iwato, but right
now, most seem skittish and dare not approach: the beady eyes of a
candle-holding Picollus peeks out from behind a rock, the barking of a Cwn
Annwn echoes before it retreats into the darkness, and Kabandha submerges
itself in a stream before swimming away.

The exception to this pattern blocks the way forward: two Demons stand in
front of another passage forward, caught in a heated debate, one
white-furred and baboon-faced, holding a book dressed in scholarly robes,
the other a leopard standing upright on both legs with a seven-leafed palm
branch behind her head, angrily gesticulating with a cane as she speaks:
Thoth and Seshat.

The former asks, "How can writing cause someone to forget? It is a more
permanent medium than oral tradition, even future generations will be able
to remember!" and the latter chastises him, "Thamus was right, you fool! You
have misunderstood my invention!"

The squabbling pair turn towards the group, and one of them says, "Perhaps
you could help settle our debate, and we may grant you some insight in
turn." It doesn't look like they'll let you pass without contributing at
least something ...

(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
ugh why did she have to pick ''that'' song

Oh, well. It seems to have done the trick for the time being. What was she trying to forget? It was for work -- Oh, right, this Purple Mirror business. Ugh!

The trail continues, out of the surface and into the caves. While Demons do reside here, most of them seem to retreat back into the darkness. Soon enough, the source of their anxiety is clear: a pair of Demons are having an argument with each other.

Thoth and Seshat, bickering about the utility of the former's invention of writing. They don't seem ready for a fight with the approaching trio -- at least not in the typical sense. Rather, they ask the group to contribute to the discussion. They're more interested in finding out which one of them is right.

Tamaki looks over at Hyousuke, anticipating what his initial reaction might be, and tries to preempt it. "This may be an instance where we can save our strength and instead negotiate. Remember, most Demons are quite a bit more talkative than Shadows!"

She places a hand over her chin as she thinks on the topic at hand. She can recognize the source, at least: "... Like in Phaedrus, one of Plato's works. Thamus' critique was 'It is a remedy for reminding, not remembering,' or something along those lines."

Pacing in place, she continues. "Well ... I take notes by hand. A lot of the time, I don't even refer back to them, but the ''act'' of writing itself helps me to remember. The physical motion of doing so helps to reinforce the mental association, I think. Besides, written records are often the best we've got to observe the past with, right?"

Tamaki wordlessly looks over at Hyousuke and Maya, then back to the pair of Demons and offers, "Still, that doesn't quite help our own aims. We're trying to figure out a way to get people to forget something. Do you have any thoughts on that matter?"

</poem>
MONAD: Tamaki Uchida has acted with Piece Together toward Thoth's Wondrous Elixir! Automap!

<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>Whether from the fires of his hatred burning it away, or the hundredfold daggers finally relenting, Hyousuke felt the cold dark recede from his mind. The fire was not so quick to fade away, however - such an uncontrolled blaze was hard to douse, and it was only through great effort that he returned to a state that could be considered acceptable for polite company. Even when he looked to Maya, he seemed a little out of it, and only just realised that Tamaki had been attempting to string him along into a song. He blinked, as if snapping out of a trance, and faked the best look of composure he could.

"That one?" He asked, canting his head a little, the very image of a puzzled hound. "Don't think so. Might've heard it a couple times, but it might be a regional thing." It seemed that the brainpower required to remember whether or not a jingle was for a national, regional, or even simply local brand had distracted him enough that whatever flickering embers of anger remained died out unceremoniously. Then, his brow perked up a little, and he beat the edge of his fist into his palm, having suddenly remembered something. "Oh right, there was this one that went something like-"

Before he had a chance to launch into a doubtlessly rousing rendition of some marketing company's spiel, a debate between two demons interrupted him. He didn't recognise Thamus, and the faint sound of a hamster struggling away at its wheel could be heard to those with sharp enough senses when he attempted to parse their argument. A blank look even crossed his face when he began to try and figure out the finer points of a potential response, and the squeaking of that hamster wheel grew every more intense with every passing second.

Before he had a chance to decide to take Alexander's approach to the knot and simply cut his way through them, Tamaki brought his ambitions to a screeching halt. He hadn't the chance to seem disappointed about it, however, because she inspired him enough that he raised his hand and snapped his fingers, pointing sharply at her as something played on his mind.
"Oh yeah, like when I'm studying for midterms! Learning how to take good notes means learning how to write down the important stuff, and condensing it all into notes that help you remember makes you smarter."

Given his scores that year seemed projected to be 'average' or 'slightly below average,' it was evident that his method - poorly explained or not - worked, and spoke to the efficacy of writing as a method by which to convey knowledge.
</poem>

MONAD: Hyousuke Suzuki has acted with Academics toward Thoth's Wondrous Elixir! Base!

<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
<poem>
Maya does, in fact, have thoughts on that!

"I tend to forget things when I'm really busy. When I've got deadlines coming up or back-to-back meetings, the only thing I can think about is what's right in front of me. I forget about everything else!"

Maya knows this from experience!
</poem>

MONAD: Maya Amano has acted with Academics toward Thoth's Wondrous Elixir! Base!

(|============================ Monad - Results =============================|)
-==== Thoth's Wondrous Elixir - Round 4 =====================================-
Tamaki Uchida Academics Success
Piece Together Automap Fatigue: 0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maya Amano Academics Success
Academics Base Fatigue: 0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hyousuke Suzuki Academics Success
Academics Base Fatigue: 0
-============================ Party Conditions: =============================-
Starting Conditions: Bothersome-2 and Educational-2
Final Conditions: Bothersome-1 and Educational-1
-====================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====-
-==== Reach: 4/6 |==== | ===================================================-
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
That song is definitely regional. Don't ask Tamaki how she knows. She's absolutely not saying anything further on the topic unprompted.

The feline Seshat sneers and replies to Tamaki, "Just write it all down, then you'll forget." Thoth chimes in with, "Well, no, doing so actually helps you remember even without referring to the text, as the boy says."

Tamaki digests the commentary from her own companions. She nods along with Hyousuke's remarks. "Yeah, you're preoccupied with it, it's filling your mind as you write it down, it exercises that particular neural pathway ..."

"So we probably can't get people to expel their thoughts by just getting them down on paper. That'd make it worse ..." She snaps her fingers and points to Maya. "But! Replace the problematic preoccupation with another, and other matters fade into the background."

To the Demons, Tamaki offers an apologetic smile. "We can't settle your debate for good, I'm afraid, but I hope we've given you some thoughts to chew on. Could you let us by now, please?"

Thoth nods calmly and steps aside, gesturing through to the next cavern entrance. Seshat folds her arms and turns up her nose, seemingly displeased, but states, "It is enough. You may."

</poem>
MONAD: Hyousuke Suzuki has drawn a new Challenge!

(|============= Monad - Wanted! Rumor Demon: The Purple Mirror =============|)
-==== Round 5: Pooling Thoughts - Challenge Level 3 =========================-
| Approach Options: Academics or Understanding |
| Conditions: Boss - Add 1 Fatigue on failure., Bothersome - Charm Down L1, |
| Chest - Add 2 Item/Money/Gear., Curse - -1 to Group Roll (Per Character), |
| and Educational - Academics Up L1 |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-

(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKA4vyE7PiY Reminiscence (Sorrowful)
- Persona 2 Eternal Punishment (PSX))

There! In one of the reflecting pools, the image of the woman of the Purple
Mirror reveals herself. The problem is that she's insubstantial and you're
unable to affect her: she smiles confidently with the knowledge that all
you're able to do at this moment is simply observe and keep her in your
memory.

... Or so she thinks. Surely by now you must have come across some manner of
method to dispel the curse. You may lack the means to end the affair right
here, right now, but you may be able to peer into the pool -- past her and
into /yourself/, if there's any weight to the old stories about this
mountain -- and learn how to rid Sumaru City of her curse, once and for all.

(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>There, in the reflecting pool, he saw it. That accursed thing that he had been hunting. It was a simple thing upon first glance - little more than a polished trinket. Ornate, perhaps, and pretty to look upon, but ultimately just a reflective surface set into a frame and mounted upon a handle. It was the image set into that mirror that drew his eye. There, in that glinting sheet of polished metal, was a woman, smiling at him. Even just that mere image of her exuded confidence. Her stance, the curve of her smile, the look he swore he could see in her eyes... she knew he could not harm her, no matter how he bellowed and raged.

"That's it! That's the thing we've been hunting!" Hyousuke said, looking at the mirror, but avoiding looking into it. He did not dare - not until he was ready. Instead, he cast his eyes to the other two, flitting his gaze between them in the hopes that one of them had a more concrete plan about how to beat her. "Wish getting rid of it was as easy as breaking the damn thing..." He lamented, letting out a sigh that was tinged with a growl, before looking back up. "...Guess there's nothing for it but to do it the hard way."

Hyousuke was not happy about it. He didn't sound happy about it, his jaw was tight, and his lips were pulled into a loose frown. But amongst all the facts and rumours and speculation he'd seen, brute force was only ever floated as an option, never the solution. So, if rage and muscle could not be his sword against this foe, there was another weapon that he could bring to bear against it - his will. Indomitable, stoked by the flames of his anger, driving him forward past whatever fear and doubt there was. He could bludgeon his way through this. He could power through it, just like he had so many other things.

Hyousuke gazed long into the abyss, and the abyss gazed also into him.

There, in the mirror, he saw darkness. An endless, blackened expanse, so wide as to drown the world, so dark that light was swallowed whole. Everything from the tiniest mote to the brightest flare was snuffed out, smothered before it could ever see life. There was nothing in that still void, save for a lone figure, standing in a world consumed by shadow and silence. A tall and broad thing, its sharp eye of emerald green marked by a scar carved from brow to cheek like a jagged canyon.

It howled into that fathomless night, bellowing and screeching like some feral beast, sending tremors into the floor that unseen floor. It thrashed like a chained and rabid hound, clawing at the void as though it could carve light into the very fabric of reality, and then into its own face. It was a maddened thing, left to rot alone. It was a screaming, terrible, monster, flailing until its muscles threatened to tear themselves to bloody shreds. It was alone. It was helpless. It was devoid of friends, of love, and of hope.

It was him.
</poem>

MONAD: Hyousuke Suzuki has acted with Academics toward Pooling Thoughts! Base!

<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
<poem>Worse than dead / Exiled.
Worse than exiled / Dead.
Worse than dead / Forgotten.

Maya isn't sure why she hears that poem in her head when she gazes into the pool, but she hears it just as clearly as the day her high school literature teacher recited it. It had made an impression on her then that stayed with her even after she graduated college, but it had no reason to resurface now.

Maya's chest clenches with pain as the water on the surface of the pool ripples. It's the same pain that she felt when her father died. Everything hurt so much that she didn't think it would ever stop. Anger, sadness, and despair all swirled together inside of her tiny body, and she had no idea how to control it.

All Maya knew back then was that she wanted to spare the others in her life from this pain. Before then, she never wanted to be forgotten, but now, she was willing to accept being forgotten if it meant that they wouldn't have to endure this pain themselves.

Images of her friends flashed in front of her -- one after the other -- all ''suffering'', all ''sad'' because of her. All the while, she knew she'd be able to do nothing to stop it. After all, she was gone. She no longer had influence in that world.
</poem>

MONAD: Maya Amano has acted with Understanding toward Pooling Thoughts! Base!

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki coldly sneers as she stares into the pool and nods to Hyousuke. "... That certainly complicates matters. Unlike other Rumor Demons, the problem with her is that she's incorporeal. She's a ghost we can't touch."

The woman from the story appears behind Tamaki in the reflection with a taunting smile. The image visible only to her swirls and shifts.

A gossiping crowd confers among itself. Nearby, a younger Tamaki, brand new to high school, stands with a boy and girl, both around her age. The boy wears an all-white school uniform, and the girl with long black hair and glasses wears the same school uniform as Tamaki. As the chatter intensifies, the boy snaps his fingers, the other girl disappears, and Tamaki strikes the boy down, defeating him. The crowd lifts her up and cheers, hailing her as a hero. Good riddance to them both!

Back in the physical realm, Tamaki's eyes are wide and her knuckles are taut with fury. ''That's not how it happened.'' She is right, the truth of that particular incident is a bit more nuanced ... but the public doesn't do well with nuance.

And yet, with the nature of Sumaru City and how belief informs reality rather than the other way around,

it could be.

The figure in the reflection is taunting Tamaki with yet more ghosts she can't touch. She can only remember.

She holds a hand to her head as she shakes it. "Ugh. Okay. So what do you two think we could do? We could try and give it physical form so we could beat it down like any other Demon, or ... we could concoct some way to get people to forget about the rumor entirely."

After a beat, she sighs and adds, "Both of those options are tall orders."

Hyousuke seems more talkative, but Maya's been silent. More than that, even. Tamaki blinks wide-eyed in concern, forgetting her own troubles for a moment. "Amano-san? Hey, are you doing okay?"

</poem>

MONAD: Tamaki Uchida has acted with Piece Together toward Pooling Thoughts! Automap!

(|============================ Monad - Results =============================|)
-==== Pooling Thoughts - Round 5 ============================================-
Tamaki Uchida Academics Success
Piece Together Automap Fatigue: 0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maya Amano Understanding Success
Understanding Base Fatigue: 0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hyousuke Suzuki Academics Success
Academics Base Fatigue: 0
-============================ Party Conditions: =============================-
Starting Conditions: Boss-0, Bothersome-1, Chest-0, Curse-0, and
Educational-1
Final Conditions:
-====================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====-
-==== Reach: 6/6 |=====| ===================================================-
-==== Loot So Far: ==========================================================-
Items: 0, Money: 1, Gear: 1
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

(|============= Monad - Wanted! Rumor Demon: The Purple Mirror =============|)
-==== Round 6: Upon Reflection - Challenge Level 1 ==========================-
| Approach Options: None |
| Conditions: Revelation - The best result. |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-

Staring into the reflection pool reveals the answer within yourself,
refracted by the arduous journey which led you here. This is the ritual
which surfaces to your mind: paint the rim of the pool purple, then toss a
bouquet of flowers in the water. This will give the Demon substantial form.
The question still remains: what do you do after that?

(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im-IexvNHZg Reminiscence (Bring Back
Memories) - Persona 2 Eternal Punishment (PSX))

Perhaps you might have been overthinking this, or perhaps you've had your
suspicions all this time. Either way, you have learned enough to form a
solid conclusion, elegant in its simplicity. Recalling the circumstances in
which the owner of the Purple Mirror died causes you to realize that this is
a cautionary tale aimed at young people on the cusp of adulthood. It urges
them to learn from the example of the mirror's owner and do the opposite.
There is no true curse, and the true mechanism behind the misfortune is
one's obsession and preoccupation over old memories.

It is not Sumaru City which needs to forget this tale. No, this all
originates from one person: it is the mirror's owner who needs to forget her
own tale and move on from spreading her grudge. Drawing her into this world
and giving her solid form will surely provoke her fury, but once exhausted,
she can be convinced and taught this lesson. Finally, then, both she and
Sumaru City can be free of the curse of the Purple Mirror.

This much information is enough for an initial monetary reward, plus a
substantial bonus in the form of a gift or two from the Kuzunoha Detective
Agency's clients who are happy to hear of such an effective solution. It was
a worthwhile trip overall, and perhaps you've collected or learned something
or formed a bond which will remain even after the memory fades.

Final Loot: 1 boxes of Money and 1 Pieces of Gear!
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>There was no reflecting pool. There was no shrine, no mountain trail, no detective by his side, no gun-toting reporter to back him up. There was no mirror either. There was just him, stranded in the dark, his throat-tearing cries of anguish and desperate fury swallowed by the dark. He was alone, and nobody would come to save him. He would die there, suffering some ignominious death, rotting away until all that remained of him was the festering dust scattered into the wind. And somewhere, deep within his soul, he knew that it was his fault.

Hyousuke blinked, and at once, the world came rushing back to him, hammering into his senses like a sudden gale. His lungs screamed for air, and his eyes blinked rapidly to try and banish any dryness there. How long had he been absent for? How long had he been silent and breathless, unblinking in the face of a vision that seemed to have been dredged from the depths of his soul? He did not think on it. He did not dare. He could feel his limbs growing numb and a pit forming in his stomach, and he feared that to dwell on the matter would have let those symptoms fester into something that Tamaki and Maya would actually see.

Hyousuke was not scared. He could not allow himself to be. Not at such a critical juncture, with others relying on his strength and presence of mind. He blinked again and swallowed down, pushing the fear back into the depths. It stuck there though, and threatened to choke the life from him, refusing to go, until he summoned whatever might he could and dragged it away with brute determination. With it quashed, he turned to Maya, and and echoed Tamaki's sentiments as soon as his nerve-wracked mind allowed him the privilege.

"Amano-san?" He asked tentatively, reaching out with a hand he had forcibly unfurled. He did not look down, but were he to, perhaps he might have noticed the knuckle-whitening grip he held his fist into. "Are you alright? We did it. We figured out how to beat this thing." Hyousuke hoped he sounded reassuring. He tried to be, at the very least. He forced a smile and looked at her with as warm a gaze as the mask of his self-sculpted features allowed, and hoped to whatever spirits and deities were listening that it was enough to convince her.

"There's a ritual." He began, glancing to Tamaki as if for confirmation that he was correct. "We gotta paint the rim of that pool purple and give the demon some flowers. Something to make her solid so we can wear her out and get her to stop attacking people. I..." There was more to it than that, of course. Far more. But Hyousuke's head felt as though it was dense with fog, and he could barely get a thought to pierce through it and enter coherence. "...I think we should talk more about this somewhere else."

He looked to Tamaki again. Part of it was seeking confirmation once more, through the act of simply looking in her direction. The other part lay in his eyes themselves. Still plagued by the aftershocks of sudden fear and worry, there was an insistence in them that silently implored her to agree. That wondered if she had had a vision like him, and if perhaps it was best to discuss such things in a safer environment.

One that wasn't quite so dark.
</poem>

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

2026-03-14: Chordioid

2026-03-14T11:45:01Z

Terra: Created page with "*'''Cutscene: Chordioid''' *'''Cast:''' Tamaki Uchida, Umie Akabane *'''Where:''' Aoba Ward, Sumaru City *'''OOC Date:''' 2026-03-14 *'''IC Date:''' 2012-10-08 *'''Summary''': ''Tamaki returns home after her excursion with Umie to Kazusa's Atelier, the Neo-Lunar Palace. She reminisces about who exactly served as inspiration behind her contributions to their prepared vessel and recounts what she had told her of chord theory.'' ---- <poem> ''(BGM: https://www.you..."

*'''Cutscene: Chordioid'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Tamaki Uchida]], [[Umie Akabane]]
*'''Where:''' Aoba Ward, Sumaru City
*'''OOC Date:''' 2026-03-14
*'''IC Date:''' 2012-10-08
*'''Summary''': ''Tamaki returns home after her excursion with Umie to Kazusa's Atelier, the Neo-Lunar Palace. She reminisces about who exactly served as inspiration behind her contributions to their prepared vessel and recounts what she had told her of chord theory.''

----

<poem>
''(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPAuO6fFV1A [糸奇はな] わすれられぬ歌/UNREMEMBERABLE SONG - Itoki Hana)''

Earlier in the night, Tamaki had gone on an excursion to Kazusa’s Atelier, alongside Umie. Once Tamaki had returned to her small studio apartment in Aoba Ward and unpacked her things from her sports bag – her practice sabre, a few snacks and water bottles, first aid kits, a moonstone pin, a feather-covered scarf – she let her attention linger on one before she placed it on her bedside table: a small figurine.

The figurine is a miniature recreation of the vessel they made. It depicts a six-winged humanoid songbird – a robin, specifically. A halo floats above her head, and she’s dressed in orange-and-black bardic garb. She chirps out songs while she wields a harp and attacks by plucking its strings to send holy arrows towards her targets.

Her name’s Aeolia.

''(So named for the Aeolian mode in Aristoxenian tradition. In modern tradition, the natural minor scale; the white keys on a piano played in the sequence of A - B - C - D - E - F - G.)''

Tamaki and Umie made her together through a collaborative effort. Tamaki knows that she shouldn’t only see her own contributions to the project; Umie provided just as much as she had. Despite that, both in their vessel’s angelic form and role as a musician, Tamaki starkly sees the visage of someone from the past.

Reiko Akanezawa, member of Karukozaka High School’s Music Club.

On occasions such as tonight, Tamaki thinks that she hears Reiko’s echo persist throughout today. Logically, she knows that that’s impossible. It is an illusion: she hears the void left in her absence; implied, but nonexistent.

''A chordioid, as she would have called her own absence,'' Tamaki thought to herself. ''Fragmentary voicing.''

----

A chordioid is a chord which does not technically qualify as a chord for a given chord theory. They may exist in sheet music and practical play, but they do not have an associated chord symbol.

For example, take the C major seventh chord – 'Cmaj7' in chord notation – and use it as a base. In full, it consists of four notes: the root, major third, perfect fifth, and major seventh: C - E - G - B.

Sometimes compositions use this chord as a base, but omit a note. Jazz chord theory often omits the perfect fifth from Cmaj7 – the G – resulting in C - E - B. Its loss does not significantly alter how the chord sounds, and its omission 'trims the dead weight,' so to speak.

Drop the major third instead – the E, for C - G - B – and its quality noticeably changes to the ear.

In either case, the base chord – the full Cmaj7 chord – is only implied, despite the missing notes.

----

Tamaki narrowed her eyes at the figurine in suspicion. Its existence seemed to taunt her. It spoke of a potentially fatal mistake.

''It’s leaking out.'' Especially in Sumaru City, it’s dangerous to let other people know about what transpired at Karukozaka High School. Rumors need a foothold in the first place for their transformative power to take root.

If she does not say anything on the matter, as long as she lets the past remain buried and preserved, outside of the reach of public consciousness, then the truth remains safe. It is hers, and hers alone.

Even so, why does she insist on providing other people with hints of it? Is there not some truth to what Jun Kashihara had said about his memories of Tatsuya Suou, "the dream must remain a dream"?

----

'''EARLIER THAT NIGHT'''
'''Neo-Lunar Tower, Corridor Before the Manifest Gallery'''

Tamaki gives the disc with their angelic bard a glance, then looks back up at Umie. "Do you ... think it's still possible to sense where someone went after a cognitive space collapsed around them?"

Umie's lips open with a sympathetic sound, especially at the last bit. "... So I take it... there's someone you're looking for."

Tamaki nods to confirm Umie's guess. "Yeah. Uh. You know how Miho Ijuuin vowed to search for Yua Ijuuin? And actually found her?"

She briefly pauses, then preemptively protests as a breathlessly quick aside, "I keep up with watching sabre fencing in the Olympics."

"I have a friend who didn't make it out."

''Oh,'' thought Umie. ''Tamaki means... her friend.'' "... If you ever need my skills, Uchida-san..." she solemnly begins, "all you ever need to do is ask. Especially if it's to find someone."

"... But there is another way." Umie points to herself. "The people you get to know."

"Anyway. You have people who can, and will help you."

----

'''NOW'''

Why had Tamaki said anything to Umie at all? Why did she risk unsealing the truth, thus exposing it to danger?

She had managed fine so far. The chordioid functions perfectly in the melody of this world, even with Reiko and Ideo absent from their parent chord. It was enough to know their continued existence is implied, frozen in some eternal coda, neither confirmed dead nor alive. To want more would be greedy.

''No. You know that isn’t good enough.''

She wanted to practice what she had preached. She now found herself in the same predicament that she and Umie had put Suou-kun in, insisting that he doesn’t need to handle this alone, that they’re there and willing to help.

From this position, she could see how well-meaning others are and taste how bitter their offers to assist must have been. They do not know what they do. While she had been frustrated that her offers to help other people had been rejected, she now saw what they did: she saw just how tempting it was to push everyone else away.

As she readied for bed, with one last look in the bathroom mirror, Tamaki exhaled a weary sigh. She stared back at her own reflection and steeled her resolve again.

''I don’t know how, but Kashihara-kun managed to do it. He managed to strike the right balance.''

One day, so will she.
</poem>

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

2026-03-11: Soul of the Chef

2026-03-13T02:15:16Z

Terra: Created page with "*'''Log: Soul of the Chef''' *'''Cast:''' Tamaki Uchida, Shinjiro Aragaki *'''Where:''' Kuzunoha Detective Agency *'''OOC Date:''' March 11, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' October 08, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Shinjiro walks into the Kuzunoha Detective Agency to share some food and offer his help to Tamaki and Todoroki. After Shinjiro wonders if he should pursue his dream of starting a restaurant, the reason behind Tamaki's enthusiasm for food comes out.'' ---- (|=========..."

*'''Log: Soul of the Chef'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Tamaki Uchida]], [[Shinjiro Aragaki]]
*'''Where:''' Kuzunoha Detective Agency
*'''OOC Date:''' March 11, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' October 08, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Shinjiro walks into the Kuzunoha Detective Agency to share some food and offer his help to Tamaki and Todoroki. After Shinjiro wonders if he should pursue his dream of starting a restaurant, the reason behind Tamaki's enthusiasm for food comes out.''

----

(|======================== Kuzunoha Detective Agency =========================|)
-=================================================== Sumaru City/Aoba Ward ====-
The first thing that greets visitors to Kuzunoha Detective Agency is a giant
golden lucky cat statue that, with its left paw raised, bids a hearty welcome to
customers and opportunities alike. Inspect it, and a mewling voice will ask for
donations: 100 yen from students and other children, and 1000 yen from adults.

A pair of dark couches that frame a coffee table have an excellent view of the
massive HDTV and dual stereos on the far right wall. On the far left wall are
shelves upon shelves full of books, none of which definitely can slide to one
side. A large desk with a lamp and computer stands in front of it. This is where
the portly older ex-gumshoe, Chief Daisuke Todoroki, makes his business, as...
blessed... by the agency's original owner. He investigates (and will spread) all
manner of rumors to find out the truth (and change reality), assisted by veteran
Persona User Tamaki Uchida.

The back room is nothing special; it has a stove and a sink, so it's a simple
task to always have tea ready for customers. There's a bathroom there too, but
it seems like it's always occupied. Don't ask who's in there, meow.

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
It's fall, and midterms are soon approaching. Tamaki's been at the Kuzunoha Detective Agency a ''little'' bit less often these days in order to focus on her studies. There's some irony in that, considering that she would rather prefer to throw herself headlong into resolving cases.

Todoroki and the cat statue (and no one else) are ever-present fixtures in the office. The former is in the middle of getting some tea. The latter watches and waits for any visitors, one paw invitingly curled to bring them in.

Tamaki works like a whirlwind with a frantic sense of renewed vigor and purpose, in stark contrast to her usual lackadaisical nature. Empty coffee cans lay strewn on her desk. She flits between her computer, physical notes, open folders, the shelves behind both her desk and Todoroki's.

Todoroki returns to his desk and waits for his mug to cool. He closes his eyes, then drowsily opens one to give his subordinate a concerned look. "Uchida-kun, are you quite alright?"

Without pausing her task, Tamaki replies, "Never better, boss! I'm on fire today!" Skim the news. Go through tabloids. Fill out magazine sweepstakes entries for Persona-users who dropped them by. Check Dark Side of Sumaru. Plan travel routes and create itineraries to optimize the time she spends on multiple cases within the same area. Check the supply of first aid kits. And so on.

Her boss decides to leave the matter alone for now and takes a sip of his tea before returning to his own work: deciding what Tamaki even takes on in the first place.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>Shinjiro's been busy. Midterms are coming up, and he had to start a little earlier than most in preparing, because he's been so lagged behind in his schooling. But even he needs breaks - especially after being unable to help others against the Joker Killer lately. Being knocked out in that gallery, being unable to explore that asylum...

It eats at him.

But that is not, actually, why he's entering Kuzunoha Detective Agency, clad in his red coat. He's got a bag in his hand. As the door opens, he looks around, waving lazily once he spots the detectives. He gestures his head to the cat statue first.

"Sorry, broke."

Then, Shinjiro approaches *Tamaki's* desk, if she seems receptive. "Hey, Uchida. Was planning on coming by to see if you've got anything new and thought I'd make good on what I said last time."

He raises the bag up. Based on what he said last time, it's probably food he made. "There's enough to share," he says with a glance to her boss, but not to the cat statue. Cat statues don't eat.

Then, he looks over her pile of work. "I didn't come at a bad time, did I?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
The cat statue cries its usual "Nya~! Nya~! Nya~!" donation plea, but in response: it silently regards Shinjiro. After a pause, it relents and tinnily squeaks out, "... that's okay, nya." Todoroki, for his part, gives a distant wave.

Tamaki excitedly exclaims "Aragaki-kun!" as she bounds to the door. Of course she seems receptive; she so often plays the part of receptionist here!

She snaps her fingers and points at the SEES senpai. "I have just the thing. Part of what we do isn't just spreading rumors, but quelling them, keeping them from spreading too far and too wide to coalesce." She bites her lower lip worriedly and agitatedly taps her foot as she considers, then rummages through the papers on her desk. "Have a seat at the couches, I'll bring something in a sec that I think you can help on."

The sight of the bag causes Todoroki to amble over and take a seat at the couches as well. "Don't mind if I do," he offers Shinjiro with a wink.

Tamaki arrives at the couches with a folder and stares at the bag of presumably food, her manic energy now stilled by the prospect of Shinjiro's cooking. She hungrily stares at it for a moment, but forces her attention to Shinjiro himself. "There's something that we found out recently, a trio of historical figures. What I'm not sure about is if they truly existed during the Warring States period, or if they're a more ''recent'' revision of the history books. What's the true origin of Tatsunoshin Suou, Maihime Amano, and Junnosuke Kuroda -- and if they're rumor-born, to what end?"

She rubs the back of her neck and adds, "It'd also help to just be able to have another set of eyes and ears in general to check the pulse of the goings-on in Iwadotai and Port Island. I've had to go there by rail and on foot myself each time so far ..."

With that business taken care of, Tamaki now gives herself permission to inquire about the bag. She eagerly leans forward and props her hand on a chin as she asks, "Sooo, what'd you bring?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>Shinjiro nods to the cat statue as it relents, before taking a seat as at the couches as he's asked. He sets the food down, considering what she says about the historical figures.

And then, as she explains, his face stalls when she says 'Suou'. He's familiar with Tatsuya Suou - he might not pay it any mind... if it wasn't for what Tatsuya once said to him. That the fire at the orphanage was his fault, because he 'escaped his fate'. That on the day that Shinjiro's orphanage burnt down, Alaya Shrine was supposed to - had - burnt down. And yet, it still stood. They even had that conversation there.

But he can't share that with Tamaki. Tatsuya held him to his word he'd say nothing, and Shinjiro tries to keep his word.

"Do they supposedly have descendants? That first name is suspiciously similar to Tatsuya Suou. It can't be a coincidence."

He does nod about the Iwatodai. "I'll help however I can. I have some information, but..."

He opens the bag first. "Bentos. Teriyaki salmon, but I couldn't get real sake easily, and the cooking kind's too salty, so I made the marinade out of honey, soy sauce, and mirin. There's also some chicken karaage I made for meal prepping, and I threw in some onigiri."

The bentos have kept the heat fairly well with how he packed them, and, perhaps surprisingly, were delicately placed. He's no housewife, but Shinjiro understands the art of plating.

"There's been some shit going on in Iwatodai," he'll add, before reluctantly continuing. "...my group's dorm got attacked by Strega, who Sudou has aligned himself with. He was part of the attack. I have... history with Strega, and everything kind of exploded for me after that. We're piecing it together, though." Or at least, he hopes so, not sounding quite sure of his words.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
''Oh, Shinjiro's familiar with Takkun.'' Tamaki's own expression stalls in mild surprise. That connection wasn't on her bingo card, but it makes a certain kind of sense in hindsight.

She feels like she messed up the last time Tatsuya was in the office. Would he approve of her meddling in this matter as she is? Probably not, but ... as Jun said, sometimes you have to go against what you've been told to do.

"If it's a coincidence, it isn't the only one. The other two names bear resemblance to Maya Amano and Jun Kashihara -- his mother's surname is Kurosu." Tamaki slightly lowers her head while she keeps her focus on Shinjiro. "The latter being the boy who offered himself to Sudou at the art gallery."

As for descendants, Tamaki furrows her brow. "I'll have to double-check, but the story goes that Amano had been slain by Kiyodata Sumaru, then Suou ordered Kuroda to set fire to Sumaru Castle with himself, Sumaru, and Amano's corpse inside it."

The sight of the food causes Tamaki to become overwhelmed with anticipation, ''verklempt''. So thorough, so meticulous, both in flavor and presentation, the amount of deliberate effort is plain to see ..!

She shakes her head and clears her throat as she wrenches her attention away from it to the matter at hand. ''Focus!'' "''Ahem.'' It looks very good, but l-let me get through this discussion f-first or we never will." Todoroki, on the other hand, is content to make his way through an onigiri. It pairs nicely with the tea he made.

Tamaki curls a finger to her chin at the mention of Strega. "Yeah, Kashihara-kun had said earlier that Sudou was interested in him ... and that members of Strega hounded him to ask him ''why'' Sudou took such an interest." Furthermore, she got a description of one of its members from somebody else. "I know the name 'Niko' from someone else -- she was the one at the art gallery that night, correct?"

Finally, she reaches over for one of Shinjiro's onigiri. "What kind of history?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>"I'm familiar with Kashihara, but wouldn't have placed it. Amano, not as much..." Shinjiro considers. A consideration. It all links back to Sumaru Castle...

"Then perhaps not. But you said a fire?" He grimaces at that. What's with them and fires?

He shakes his head, continuing the discussion, as it pans back to him. He frowns. "...they had a medicine I could only get one of two places. The other... didn't feel like it'd work out at the time. So I started buying it from them. Cash and... information." The way he grimaces makes it clear this wasn't a net neutral thing he did.

"I'm getting it from the Kirijo Corporation now, but... yeah." He considers, watching as they eat the onigiri. It's onigiri, so it's nothing special, but he does handmake them like a professional.

"...I had to tell my dearest friend in the world I was dying after that. I kept it from him because I was scared to hurt him, but I think that just hurt him worse. ...he and Mitsuru Kirijo, they're fighting for me." This may be less about business, sure. But it's also something that's clearly been dwelling on him.

He looks up to Tamaki, focusing on her more than Todoroki, based off their prior discussions. "...so I want to live. Help people, instead of continuing to hurt them through my selfishness. So if there's anything I can help with, please let me know."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki fills him in on the last name. "Amano-san's a journalist over at Coolest. She was at the art exhibit, too. I had to step in between myself and her since she was weak to -- "

Wholly oblivious to the full significance of that detail, Tamaki nods in confirmation. "Yup, a fire." A moment later, her eyes nearly pop out of her skull in shock. "The Joker Killer has a thing for fire, huh." She's ''dangerously'' close to realizing some more things in association with that, buuuuut ... she's not quite there yet.

Todoroki breaks apart a pair of chopsticks, then hands another pair to Tamaki. She doesn't set on the food right away and instead chews the inside of her cheek. "Given what I understand of what you knew at the time, I don't think I blame you. You had to determine which option was the least bad out of only bad options."

Morosely, she continues, "... at least you told him." She flicks her eyes back up to Shinjiro. "I can relate to how him and Kirijo-san are fighting for you, albeit in regards to someone else."

Tatsuya. She means Tatsuya. (And yet, this sentiment comes from someone who's just as tight-lipped about the things that eat at her. Maybe one day she'll realize her hypocrisy, but that's not today.)

Tamaki offers an outstretched hand to Shinjiro. "Because you're both willing to cooperate with us and because you have that aforementioned history with Strega, I believe you are uniquely suited to answer a question like this: What do you anticipate would happen to Strega if Sudou gets taken down once and for all? What would change from their current status quo?"

She leans forward, intent to hear the answer ...

... although she undercuts the gravity of the situation by taking a bite of the main course, the teriyaki salmon, and putting a hand to her cheek as she smiles.

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>Shinjiro grimaces. "I'm not sure if he's the only one with abilities like he has," Shinjiro says. He knows about Tatsuya and Umie's Marks, but not the full significance, or even if Sudou actually has one. But that possessiveness... it seems familiar enough to have a hypothesis. "And if multiple have the same horrific abilities... it means there's something at play, right?"

Shinjiro frowns guiltily as Tamaki says she doesn't think she blames him. If only she knew *why* he chose to take the 'medicine'. That everything was a fault of bad decision after bad decision.

"...yeah. They're so strong," he says in a way that indicates he doesn't think he himself is.

But as Tamaki outstretches that hand, he takes it, straightening up. "I don't think they need him, but I do think his ability to create supernatural spaces anywhere provides them a breach of the status quo. Without it, they can only act in the Dark Hour. I know several of their members - Niko, who you mentioned earlier, is... a friend of mine, so to say, but... they're not good people generally. They're getting limited resources from *somewhere*. Which makes me wonder if they have support behind the scenes. I'm not sure it's NWO support, though."

But he has no idea who it could be.

A small breath, before Tamaki takes that bite. He smiles as she smiles.

"I've been cooking all my life... at one point, I wanted to start a restaurant when I got older. That's... slipped from my grasp some, but it's still a nice dream, right?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki also knows about their Marks. Umie described only what she felt comfortable with saying.

Eriko had mentioned a name which evokes an infinite, unknowable entity, something impossible to fathom without breaking. Something like the the subject of the art exhibition portrait.

"... Nyarlathotep. We found the name scrawled on Sudou's sanitarium cell, and some old classmates of mine had apparently encountered something called that before."

Something so all-encompassing that everyone's being kept in the dark by their own little individual narratives. And yet, they need those narratives to derive strength from in the first place ...

She retains grasp of his hand for a while yet. "As are you. You've gone through something that no one should endure in the first place. If I can be so bold, if I were in their position," and she is, "then I'd want to help you out so you don't ''need'' to be so strong all the time."

Tamaki holds the coins in her choker and absentmindedly rubs one with a finger. "There was a time when I didn't have anyone to lean on. No one whatsoever. It was the worst hell I've been through."

"I'm willing to bet that you're all stronger together, greater than the sum of your parts." Like she is with so many people, as she's since come to learn.

She listens to his explanation on Strega, then extracts her hand and pulls back to the couch and curls a finger over her chin. "So he isn't the one calling the shots, he's just a member. There wouldn't be a power vacuum, from the sound of it. Them losing flexibility is good. If they're not getting support from the NWO, though, then who does that leave?" She points a finger at Shinjiro, then nods at Todoroki. " -- I think that's our job to figure out."

Tamaki nods vigorously at Shinjiro's expressed dream. "I think that's a wonderful idea! Do you still want to give it a shot? Maybe you still can do a smaller scope thing. Run a school festival stall, or be a street vendor, or ... hmmm."

Another bite. Tamaki's expression just melts, and she praises the meal with her mouth still full. "Mmmf, sho gud ..."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>"Tch. Sounds creepy," Shinjiro says, still a teenager, though he considers. "If I hear anything about it, I'll let you know."

Tamaki's words, however, cause his expression to falter. To not have to be so strong all the time... he can't imagine it. When you're an orphan who's never had someone to truly rely on, who else is there but yourself? But maybe he needs to *start* imagining it.

"...I've never been able to rely on anyone but them. It's hard, sometimes, to let that happen."

A sigh, and a nod about being stronger together. But as she pulls back, he straightens up a bit more, considering. "I don't know. But if you learn anything, let me know, alright?"

Though, about professional cooking, he's a bit melancholy. "...if I make it through this." It's not full-fledged 'I will', but it's better than last time, so assured he was a goner. Maybe he can find hope after all.

"Glad you're enjoying it. I think the best food feels like the soul of the chef. I know that's a little avant-garde, but I go to an art school." He's smiling a bit at that joke.

"So I guess... I want my food to express that not everything has to be terrible. You can still have a good meal, once in a while. A little taste of hope."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki glances down at her choker. She starts, but falters. "I, uh ..."

Okay, so maybe today ''is'' that day. Physician, heal thyself.

She hangs her head. "Yeah. I ''know'' it's hard. Took me literal years to start letting other people support me instead of me giving them support." She presses her hands together and winks at Shinjiro as if pleading for forgiveness. "It was only mere days ago that it clicked for me, so knowing that, take it as you will."

'Let me know, alright?' About Strega's sourcing, that is. "Yeah. And likewise if you do. I've got a few places to look, at least ..."

'If I make it through this'? Tamaki blinks in slight confusion. "Why not now? Why wait? I can help you look up what it takes to get a permit."

The rest of it -- Shinjiro's motivations, his aspirations, what his food ''means'' in an artistic sense -- is enough to bring Tamaki to genuine tears. "I, uh ..." ''sniff'', "Let me explain myself." ''sniff'', "I said that it was," ''sniffle'', "the 'worst hell I went through', right?"

Tamaki regains enough of her composure to continue without, well, waterworks. "During both times I was involved in supernatural incidents in high school, good food was hard to come by. The second time required us to ration our supplies while we waited for rescue, but in the first, I was stuck with nothing but vending machines or whatever was left in the building. Eating was strictly a dry and utilitarian affair."

She pounds both fists against the couch cushions. "And it SUCKED! Same old fare, day in, day out, yelling at the dumbass that took all the sports drinks for himself. Sustenance devoid of soul. It was an empty experience, and I don't just mean in the sense of 'empty calories.'" Her petulant outburst doesn't startle Todoroki ... but there's a distant thud and scrabbling sound from the direction bathroom behind the kitchenette. The detectives simply ignore it.

With a laugh, she angles her head and grins at Shinjiro. "I don't know if your vision will resonate as strongly with anyone else, but ''holy hell'', man, you got me right in the weak spot with that. I ''get it'', I really do. Hope's hard to come by, and I'm all for ways to help people find it."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>"...heh. Let's see if I can do it in a fraction of the time, then." Is Shinjiro challenging himself? A little. But it helps, even if he's joking.

He nods about giving her shared info, though he hangs his head a bit a bout the permit. "...I'll consider it. I don't know if I'm ready for that, with everything going on, but maybe." A way to put it off, but not a no.

When she starts to tear up though, his eyes go alert. As she explains through sniffles, he sheepishly rubs the back of his head, but...

Her words do resonate with him, too, and it shows on his face. Another high schooler dragged into this stuff, and she was trapped in a school... he won't pry, but that must have been terrifying. This world sucks, he thinks.

Though, as she says it resonates with her... "Then we're working together in that. I'll see what I can dig up, bring it back to you two. Thank you, Uchida."
</poem>

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

2026-03-11: Some Assembly Required

2026-03-12T15:58:54Z

Terra: Created page with "*'''Log: Some Assembly Required''' *'''Cast:''' Umie Akabane, Tamaki Uchida *'''Where:''' Shujin Academy - Practice Building *'''OOC Date:''' March 11, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' October 08, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Umie and Tamaki explore Kazusa's Atelier, the Neo-Lunar Palace. They speak about a number of different topics on the climb upwards, all the while as they put together their bardic vessel to offer the Princess.'' ---- MONAD: A p..."

*'''Log: Some Assembly Required'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Umie Akabane]], [[Tamaki Uchida]]
*'''Where:''' Shujin Academy - Practice Building
*'''OOC Date:''' March 11, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' October 08, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Umie and Tamaki explore Kazusa's Atelier, the Neo-Lunar Palace. They speak about a number of different topics on the climb upwards, all the while as they put together their bardic vessel to offer the Princess.''

----

MONAD: A party led by Umie Akabane has begun the event Kazusa's Atelier: The Neo-Lunar Palace.

(|============= Monad - Kazusa's Atelier: The Neo-Lunar Palace =============|)
-==== Round 1: First Strokes - Challenge Level 1 ============================-
| Approach Options: Academics or Proficiency |
| Conditions: Skillful - Proficiency Up L1 and Stupor - Academics Down L1 |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-

You emerge in the courtyard of a grand palace. The palace towers, as if it
were reaching out to touch the night sky itself. It is made of gleaming
white stone and metal with silver ornamentation, and pulses of multi-colored
light race all over its surface.

In the sky behind the tallest tower, a pitch black void sits, ringed with
crimson fire, casting everything in a red light. From that ring an inky
blackness spreads, slowly consuming the night stars in the sky. And in the
center of the crimson ring, in the highest tower, something glints like a
red gem.

As you take all that in, a bitter, frigid wind urges you towards the open
gates of the palace for shelter.

The inside of the palace is lit by floating orbs of light encased in silver
and glass fixtures, and multi-colored pulses of light that trace intricate
patterns on the ceilings and walls. The halls appear deserted, but in the
distance comes a low, predatory growl. It steadily gets louder until a door
opens and someone urgently beckons your group inside, the door slamming shut
just before the growling was about to catch up.

You find yourself in a brightly lit workshop. The walls are lined with
shelves of different kinds of miniature but life-like statues, from humanoid
to beast to robot to mythical creature and beyond, all in various states of
completion. Your savior is a Sanguin Humor, an owlgirl with startlingly
bright yellow eyes and brown and gray feathers woven through her hair,
garbed in a red and black robe.

She explains that the palace isn't safe, and that strange things have been
happening ever since the imposter Princess took over: their Sister Star is
trapped in a never-ending eclipse, the sky turns dark, and monsters roam the
halls. The real Princess must be trapped at the top of the palace, but the
way up is blocked by a barrier. If you were to bring an offering of a
vessel, however... that might help you get to the highest parts of the
tower. After all, it is what the Princess loves doing most, so the owlgirl
Sanguin Humor urges you to follow her example.

The Sanguin Humor demonstrates by sitting down at a round workstation inlaid
with purple runes and a flat, obsidian-black disc on it. A wireframe springs
into life above it, and at her touch it is molded and shaped. A touch of a
rune on the workbench places a holographic paint brush in her hand, and she
starts to paint in skin, hair, and other details. When she finishes, she
picks up the disc and a new miniature statue is posed on top.

The Sanguin Humor hands your group a fresh disc, and there are a number of
other workstations. Your Academics could help with working out the controls,
while Proficiency will surely help with the creative process itself.

OOC: As a group, you'll be collaboratively creating a character! For this
round, don't worry about clothing or other embellishments; those will come
in later rounds. If you need some inspiration to get started, you can roll
on a table at
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Tir5tjha7KiTvF26HQYarS7s1imdmbdbXVTuf8_u
VbY/edit?tab=t.0.

(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
<poem> ".... I was the oldest person there at Motojima-san's studio," mutters a grimacing Umie, as they emerge into the palace courtyard. "And some teenager, named Isabeau Fontaine, had the nerve to say 'adults don't understand high school affairs', and just brutally go on and on, being a jerk to everyone. Like, I get that Motojima-san was a jerk to people too, but you don't just do that in a place she was trying to keep secret, *especially* when she's in no way going to be able to react back if we fail."

Another starry field design is being used as 'Mitsuhide's' mask of choice, the first having bit the dust in an earlier scuffle-- was it Sakurai's battle that was its resting place? (Augh, she needs to make sure Maria's okay, too.) Black leggings, half gloves, and a matching top white jacket are paired with her usual red sneakers, all thankfully clean from their last deployment. "Annywaayy, I got a little too intense with her when she brought up all the adults in her group and how great they were, saying that if she's here on behalf of them, her actions reflected on people's views of them. Sooooo..." She frowns. "She ran out crying. I swear, I need to remember myself." The ring of the kyoketsu shoge swings like a pendulum from her hand. "Hopefully that girl doesn't go out and do something stupid... that whole 'Hunters' group really doesn't seem like it's doing her any favors, if she's acting like this."

A frigid wind brings Umie back to reality; they're not here just to gossip and sightsee. "Not sure what her brother told you, but Motojima-san... apparently she likes developing games. Probably all this is derived from it." She purses her lips. "... Never really had time to get into that stuff, growing up... Are you into them at all?" She's briefly distracted, looking about the fantastic surroundings one last time before they go into the tower. "... Kind of a neat, fantasy vibe..."

Maybe there's some code or lingo she's missing, but even if there is, the growl nearby is primal enough to make Umie stop chatting and get down to business. "Got company..." Umie beckoned onwards, running ahead but shooting a look over her shoulder to make sure Tamaki is following. Urged by someone into a room, Umie ensures the door remains shut as it's properly barred. She breathes a sigh of relief. "... Okay..."

There's an owlgirl, just there, looking at them both. "Ah, thank you," Umie says, bowing her head.

"This palace isn't safe... strange things have been happening since an imposter Princess has taken over. Our Sister Star is trapped in a never-ending eclipse that has made the skies dark and allowed monsters to roam the halls... The real princess is trapped at the top of the palace, but the way up is blocked." The owlgirl solemnly nods. "If you were to being an offering of a vessel, that may help you reach the highest parts... After all, it is what the Princess loves doing most."

The Sanguin Humor goes to a workstation, albiet changed to fit the fantasy surroundings, with runes and a obsidian black disk. Before the two's eyes, the owl girl begins to construct a small miniature statue to put on the disk, looking at them expectantly.
</poem>

MONAD: Umie Akabane has acted with Can you do this? toward First Strokes! Specialty!

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Kazusa's brother had asked Tamaki to look into her sudden change in behavior. Her workload has finally -- ''finally'' -- abated enough so that she can pay proper attention to this matter.

Rin Sasaki's also still waiting on her to address the matter with her husband. She hasn't forgotten that, either. (And figuring out whatever plans the Joker Killer might be getting up to, what'll happen with Strega if he's gone, whatever's going on with the Kirijo Group and how they tie into the Nanjo Group, that 'Nyarlathotep' figure that Eriko had mentioned from the Mikage-cho incident and however that plays into current-day affairs, the Purple Mirror case -- argh, she thought of it again!)

It doesn't ever, ever abate. It's a good thing she's full of energy today -- the mounting challenge makes her want to pull through even more. (Oh wait, don't forget midterms, Tamaki! And fencing practice! Are you ready for that sparring session against Miho, who so graciously agreed to it?)

Still, the fine details of this case still elude Tamaki. Video games, cosplay, and overbearing parents? That's why she's grateful that Umie can fill in the gaps in her knowledge. "I mean ... high school wasn't that long ago for me, but my life's changed a lot even in two years. I've already forgotten some of its cadence. She may have had something of a point if she hadn't fumbled it by being excessive, from the sound of it."

Girl with a group of hunters. While she might not have known Isabeau by name, well ... Tamaki tentatively points at Umie as she asks something. "Is Fontaine-chan here the same young girl who accompanied the Hunters that we ran into at Mementos?"

About whether she's into video games, Tamaki shakes her head. "No, uh, some of them hit too close to home for me." She then reconsiders. "Well, a few. One of them was a game where you play as someone who fixes the collateral damage left behind by an adventuring party's clashes. I had meant to show it to -- "

Tatsuya. Her face falls. "... Suou-kun."

When it comes to Personas and related phenomena, every time Tamaki thinks 'this has nothing to do with me aside from the supernatural,' reality has a way of swiftly remedying that misconception. The silver tower before her -- one associated with the moon and also reaches to the heavens -- no doubt reminds her of what she's looked into about Arianrhod in the years since she had first Awakened.

(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1iA0BGEKRY A Classical Guitar Rendition of ILTATÄHTI - Void Stranger)

She's lost in her thoughts to the extent that the growl alone doesn't snap her out of it, and it's only at the behest of Umie and the owl girl that she makes her way to safety.

"Stuck in an eclipse, huh?" Some part of her feels like she can relate. Maybe not so directly, but ... whatever it's made her think of, she seems to be swept up in the moment and ready to help. "Tell me what you're thinking, Mitsuhide-san, and I can try and figure out how this thing works."

As for suggestions? Well, if Arianrhod's armor is any indication, Tamaki thinks it could always use more wings.

</poem>
MONAD: Tamaki Uchida has acted with Piece Together toward First Strokes! Automap!

(|============================ Monad - Results =============================|)
-==== First Strokes - Round 1 ===============================================-
Tamaki Uchida Academics Success
Piece Together Automap Fatigue: 0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Umie Akabane Proficiency Success
Can you do this? Specialty Fatigue: 0
-============================ Party Conditions: =============================-
Starting Conditions: Skillful-2 and Stupor-2
Final Conditions: Skillful-1 and Stupor-1
-====================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====-
-==== Reach: 1/6 |= | ===================================================-
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
<poem> "Yeah, same here." Umie itches behind a hood. "Yeahh... I suppose so. But, to just come out and say it like that..."

After all she's been through, Umie thinks, why *shouldn't* people respect her more?

Umie trails off for a moment, lost in thought, when Tamaki points out something important. "Oh yeah, I totally forgot about that..." Umie says, blinking. "Had a strong accent, spoke in what I think was French? That's her."

Hitting too close to home... Umie winces. "Yeah, I guess that's why I never got into them myself, aside from having strict parents myself." But, there were a few, one of which-- Umie gives Tamaki a lopsided grin, though even in this light, it's gentler than her usual ones. "The game's not going to run away, is it? Takkun'll come around, once he realizes we're not going anywhere."

Now, inside the workshop, the owlgirl continues her construction.

"Maybe, like... a bird?" Umie says, distracted by the owlgirl's appearance, and Tamaki's prompt. "An angel, maybe? If we're... thinking something like that."

Maybe extra wings, Tamaki suggests. "Oh, good idea," Umie says, nodding.
</poem>

MONAD: Tamaki Uchida has drawn a new Challenge!

(|============= Monad - Kazusa's Atelier: The Neo-Lunar Palace =============|)
-==== Round 2: Readying the Raiments - Challenge Level 1 ====================-
| Approach Options: Charm or Understanding |
| Conditions: Bothersome - Charm Down L1, Skillful - Proficiency Up L1, Soft |
| - Understanding Up L1, and Stupor - Academics Down L1 |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-

As you leave the workshop with your brand new vessel, the Sanguin Humor
tells you to seek inspiration as you make your way up the Palace to the
Manifest Gallery--you can use more of those workstations to add more to your
vessel as you go.

Thankfully the palace has teleporter pads that will help you ascend rapidly,
instead of having to climb endless stairs.

You eventually enter another workshop bustling with activity. There are
several Flegmat Humors here--catboys and catgirls--wearing elaborate
medieval armor and clothing. One owlgirl Sanguin Humor is moving quickly
between them, looking harried. She has a tablet in hand, and as she attends
to each costume a holographic display with various sliders and other
controls allows her to adjust the costumes in real time.

The Princess loves to arrange performances, she explains, but there's so
much work to be done before the next one can be ready. You could just leave
her be, but...

There's another one of those workstations by the other exit. Maybe if you
used your Charm to flatter her efforts, or used your Understanding to
empathize with her overwork, she'd give you the pattern for one of those
costumes to add to your vessel.

OOC: Deck your character out in a medieval or fantasy-inspired costume! If
you need inspiration, you can roll against the table at
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Tir5tjha7KiTvF26HQYarS7s1imdmbdbXVTuf8_u
VbY/edit?tab=t.e54ybdwy0xm.

(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
An angel with more wings than normal. "Probably has the voice of one, too, you think?"

Their final destination is the Manifest Gallery ... but first, they need to proceed through a workshop. It's a busy mess with multiple cat-people Flegmat Humors standing about and displaying their armor designs ... and one very overworked owlgirl Sanguin Humor trying to run around and adjust them all with holographic interface displays. "Be with you in just a moment!" she says, in-between punching in changes at one workstation -- then the next -- then the next.

"Could we ... get some assistance, please?" Tamaki presses her hands together and leans forward as she implores the owlgirl.

The owlgirl turns her head a full 180 degrees to stare intensely at Tamaki and Umie. "The Princess likes holding performances, you see, but it's a lot of -- hold that thought." She turns her attention back to her front as she moves to another station. After arriving, she swivels her head back around to the pair. " -- it's a lot of work before each one with stringent deadlines."

Tamaki nods understandingly, then glances over at one of the empty workstations. "We'll stay out of your hair, then, but ... could you at least allow us to borrow one of those ''exquisite'' patterns? Even with the pressure, it doesn't seem like you've skimped on quality at all. They're quite polished!" She knows more than most that the best way to keep someone going through a hard time is to tell them they're doing a good job.

If she's going to continue with ''that'' inspiration, well ... She looks at Umie and suggests, "How about a bard's costume? Like a songbird angel."

After a few moments of silence as she considers whether she ''should'' or not, she also asks, "Hey. How much attention did you pay to the Bride and Groom the other day?"

</poem>
MONAD: Tamaki Uchida has acted with Demon Friends toward Readying the Raiments! Friendliness and Patra!

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
<poem> "Yeah." Umie smirks. "Wasn't that sort of how Amaterasu was lured out of hiding? Or maybe that was just entertainment in general."

Looking amused at all the workers at their workstations, Umie reaches up to adjust her mask, and nearly rips it off as an owlgirl turns her head a full 180 degrees. "Wh..." She clears her throat. Right.

"I guess even in an Atelier you can't escape deadlines," she notes, with a bit of humor.

Drawing out a few kumihimo bracelets from her jacket, "I get it; I'm a bit of an artist myself. Maybe something like these to spice up the outfits? Kumihimo's got a long tradition of being used as decoration in armor."

Umie grins. "Oooh, I like that idea! Very different. Maybe, like a robin? That'd be cute."

Whether a trade happens or not, Umie angles her head towards Tamaki as she asks.

And she softly frowns.

"... Enough," Umie says, quietly, her gaze angling downward through her mask. As in 'how much attention'. "Why."

Shiryuu would honor his commitment to them, over her, even after she told him it was okay. She said it was okay that he did, and that she'd stand for her own.

".... To lament your own helplessness while dreading the future of your child..." Umie murmurs. "She'll never escape, like that. Help can only come if you're willing to accept it."
</poem>

MONAD: Umie Akabane has acted with String Theory toward Readying the Raiments! Focus and Find!

(|============================ Monad - Results =============================|)
-==== Readying the Raiments - Round 2 =======================================-
Tamaki Uchida Charm Success
Demon Friends Friendliness and Patra Fatigue: 0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Umie Akabane Charm Success
String Theory Focus and Find Fatigue: 0
-============================ Party Conditions: =============================-
Starting Conditions: Bothersome-2, Skillful-1, Soft-2, and Stupor-1
Final Conditions: Soft-1
-====================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====-
-==== Reach: 2/6 |== | ===================================================-
-==== Loot So Far: ==========================================================-
Items: 1, Money: 0, Gear: 1
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
The owlgirl smiles a bit at Tamaki's compliments, and she takes the bracelets which Umie had offered and peers at them. "I think I can work with this. Let me handle a few more things first -- " And off she goes again. Tap, tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap.

While they're waiting for another free moment with the owlgirl regarding the pattern, Tamaki continues some earlier conversation threads forgotten in the moment.

"My dad was into them. I actually shared that interest with him for a bit. I played the very first Night Parade! Apparently they're up to a fourth one now?" She laughs a bit, remembering her recent match with Roger. "I was interested up until ... well, it felt like I was in one." She glances away. "Stuck in an RPG. Reduced to nothing but the most pragmatic terms. Rations instead of full meals. Alive, but certainly not living."

Ha ha ha ha ha let's not talk about the feelings that the convenience of ''teleporter pads'' dredged up.

Tamaki's expression remains blank as she admits to this next part. "I had gathered Suou-kun was into architecture at some point. Figured he'd like a break from the norm, game about building something." A smirk creeps onto her features. "Someday, I guess."

The owlgirl returns, seemingly reinvigorated by the exchange. "Okay! That -- actually provides a nice bit of variety, thank you! Take your pick, but there's something like what you discussed over ... there." Rather than point, she twists her head to another unnatural-seeming angle to indicate the direction.

Why ask about those two? "... The Groom and I both want the same thing, in the end. I can empathize with why they'd be driven to ally with their employers."

The Bride laments her helplessness. "Well ... their hands are tied, to an extent. They have their limitations." Looking upon their bardic robin, she continues with the musical metaphor. "Like a symphony, they have their parts to play -- we have ours. We're not constrained the same way they are."

</poem>

MONAD: Umie Akabane has drawn a new Challenge!

(|============= Monad - Kazusa's Atelier: The Neo-Lunar Palace =============|)
-==== Round 3: Mechanical Maintenance - Challenge Level 2 ===================-
| Approach Options: Proficiency or Understanding |
| Conditions: Hard - Understanding Down L1, Skillful - Proficiency Up L1, |
| and Soft - Understanding Up L1 |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-

The climb through the palace seems endless--if you were to glance out a
window now, you would see the palace grounds as a distant circle, surrounded
by a sea of encroaching darkness on all sides.

You find your way into another lab, though in this one the Flegmat catboys
and catgirls seem to all be dressed in various types of power armor, or
otherwise lighter suits with heavier armor attachments.

Back in the workshop area is another Flegmat humor, one with a cyan bodysuit
and darker blue armor pieces. And... his left arm seems to be missing, with
blinking circuitry in the stump. The forearm is on a worktable, where a
Sanguin owlgirl in yellow robes with a red tabard seems to be working on its
innards.

You get the impression that she is inundated with repair tasks and
overworked. Maybe you could lend your Proficiency to assist with repairs, or
use your Understanding to sympathize with her plight.

When you're done, the Sanguin gives you a small chip with glowing purple
circuitry on it. You can insert it into the workstation by the exit to add
an energy weapon to your vessel.

OOC: Add an energy weapon to your character! If you need inspiration, you
can roll against the table at
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Tir5tjha7KiTvF26HQYarS7s1imdmbdbXVTuf8_u
VbY/edit?tab=t.e4d3rqdj07lu.

(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
<poem>
"There's... more than one Night Parade?" Umie asks, obliviously, with widened eyes, then winces, hearing about Tamaki's experiences. "Yeah. With the Dark Hour, at least... I was able to reinsert myself into normal life. Maybe that's why I look on things so fondly, compared to normal life."

But it wasn't like it was all that far away, either.

"Huh, really?" Umie blinks. "That's good to hear, that he might be expanding his horizons a bit." Looking towards the future, instead of being mired in a past that didn't exist.

"...." It's possible that the Groom is Miho, given their similarities, but...

.... mentioning even the possibility, whether wrong or right, could place people in danger. ".... The Groom is being led by the Mark," Umie is quick to say. "And the Bride's fully invested in it. It's the same damn thing as the NWO, as the Old Maid, and now them: all of them wanting a new and better world, and throwing this one into the trash because of all its imperfections, whether that goal is simply conceptual, or literal."

No, it's not that that makes Umie bristle, but what the Bride said to her.... but it's not like she can say anything about that.

All there is left, as always, is to go forward.

Further and further up still...

And yet, they are still only halfway, at best to their destination.

Umie casts a nonchalant look out a window, attempting to assess the distance to the ground, as well as to the top. ".... mmn," is her thoughtful commentary. "I'd say we're..."

"... extremely high up." Excellent navigator, Umie is, A+++ performance

Thankfully... "Oh, another workshop. Let's pop on in, shall we?"

Walking into the lab, equally as busy as the one before, Umie is immediately drawn to a catboy missing an arm, circuitry glowing in the stump left behind. Umie, peering at the circuitry, begins to intervene. "... Alright, so this... I see. So you do it like this?"

Her eyes shine with a curiosity, becoming lost in the process. "Okay, so..." She watches the Sanguin work, an begins to enmesh herself in the assisting process. catching on quickly.
</poem>

MONAD: Umie Akabane has acted with Can you do this? toward Mechanical Maintenance! Specialty!

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki shrugs. "And now you have some idea why I'm not keen on this stuff existing in the first place, why I want to keep my distance." A beat. "Well. Wanted to. I'm back in it now, I suppose."

"He asked me if it was 'hard, being an adult.'" Tamaki chuckles plaintively. "Like I really know. I just barely became one. That was before, we, uh -- you and I -- you know." She trails off.

With a bright grin, Tamaki chirps back, "And I'm not!" Tension grows in her smile, and some agitation is present in her voice. "And yet -- and yet! If I'm being perfectly honest, I ''must'' admit to some dissatisfaction about this world's current state." She scowls. "I don't want to throw this world away, but it's like an unfinished project."

Gesturing at their vessel's disc, Tamaki adds, "So let's show them. The Bride and Groom at least don't have to throw this world away to get what they want. They're looking at the skeleton and thinking that's the finished product, the end of history, the fully-assembled character. We're not even halfway done."

Tamaki spares a glance out the window as they ascend. She feels that strange sense of kinship with this place again. "Looks like there's a full moon down on the ground tonight."

Speaking of 'unfinished projects': "Hmmmm." Tamaki peers over at the Sanguin owlgirl's task. While she's not so dextrous to suggest that she move over and let her take over, she offers, "Hey, that looks like it takes a lot of different tools. I can be your feet for a while and grab whatever you point me at." After the first few instances of this, she might even be able to follow the process along and anticipate ahead of time what tool comes next.

She offers the same service to Umie, who ''does'' take a more direct hand at helping things along. Tamaki offers just the next tool Umie needed. "Here you go!"

As for what form their bard's weapon takes, "How about a stringed instrument ... that doubles as a bow and arrow?" She squints at some schematics. "That's a lot of options for munitions, though. What're you feeling?"

</poem>
MONAD: Tamaki Uchida has acted with Proficiency toward Mechanical Maintenance! Base!

(|============================ Monad - Results =============================|)
-==== Mechanical Maintenance - Round 3 ======================================-
Tamaki Uchida Proficiency Success
Proficiency Base Fatigue: 0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Umie Akabane Proficiency Success
Can you do this? Specialty Fatigue: 0
-============================ Party Conditions: =============================-
Starting Conditions: Hard-2, Skillful-2, and Soft-1
Final Conditions: Hard-1 and Skillful-1
-====================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====-
-==== Reach: 3/6 |=== | ===================================================-
-==== Loot So Far: ==========================================================-
Items: 1, Money: 0, Gear: 1
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
<poem> "I mean, it's better than retail," Umie says with a shrug and a smirk. "Some days it feels like the demons are more polite than the customers. At least there, if a demon asked to see my manager, I could tell them I *am* the manager." Not that this has happened, but you can only scrape your nose against the ground so much before nothing becomes enough.

On the other hand, Tamaki's recollection of Tatsuya's question draws a softened sigh from the blonde. "... Takkun... Dealing with all this, all alone, and he's got questions like that on top of it." She shakes her head. "What'll we do, Uchida-san..." The question is rhetotical, being there is no true answer.

... Which kind of feels like a cop-out.

"I feel like I would've had a more solid answer to that if he asked me at 18 than if he asked me now. For all everyone acts like we're suddenly adults the second we turn 20, sometimes it feels like we're caught between two worlds."

Tamaki's chirping reply, as she launches right back, seems to draw the right reaction from the blonde, who responds in kind, a little of the Badb showing through in her smile. "... That's the spirit, right there. And a great analogy."

To be dissatisfied with the world's corrupt state, and to do something about it on your own... To be the loose thread, or the nail that refuses to be nailed down.

Even if the rebellion is temporary, it's better than there being none to begin with, right?

Umie takes the tool Tamaki hands her, and nods. With the two of them working in tandem, the project goes much faster, saving the master tinkering a large amount of time.

Which leads to the next part of their bard's creation.

"Double duty, huh...?" Umie's mouth curls devilishly. "I like that~ so. An angelic robin bard, with a stringed instrument that doubles as a bow and arrow. Maybe, music attacks, as well as arrows? Our angel's going to be pretty dashing~"
</poem>

MONAD: Tamaki Uchida has drawn a new Challenge!

(|============= Monad - Kazusa's Atelier: The Neo-Lunar Palace =============|)
-==== Round 4: Not a Safe Room, but Close - Challenge Level 1 ===============-
| Approach Options: Academics or Understanding |
| Conditions: Checkpoint - Cleanse all negative conditions., Educational - |
| Academics Up L1, Hard - Understanding Down L1, Hard - Understanding Down |
| L1, and Skillful - Proficiency Up L1 |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-

As you keep climbing ever higher, through stairs, teleporters, and endless
hallways, it's clear you're reaching ever-dizzying heights: A quick glance
out a window now reveals that palace grounds are a speck of light in the far
distance below you, leaving you almost suspended in a void of darkness.

Unlike the tense atmosphere of the empty hallways, though, the next room you
enter oom feels more... peaceful. Safe. Even like it was waiting for your
presence.

The room is comfortably sized, with a tiled marble floor outlined with
silver. Several large pillars are spaced evenly around the room, and the
very center of the room has a differently-colored title emitting a soft blue
glow. There is also some comfy furniture scattered about, as well as plenty
of food and drink.

It's a good chance to take a break. Perhaps you can use your Academics to
formulate a plan for your ever-heightening climb up the palace, or maybe you
can use your Understanding to reflect on what you might have learned of
Kazusa so far through her Atelier.

(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
It's Tamaki's turn to wince, this time at Umie's description of retail. "You have my sympathies." She sheepishly wonders aloud, "... is that better or worse than a client tricking you to blackmail the police?"

What'll they do? Tamaki has an idea. "We'll be strong for him. We'll show him that same world, too." It's still vague, but ... it sounds right to her. "That's what's got him all anxious, too, right? Maybe he'll chill out if we manage that."

Sometimes a cop-out answer's the best you can give and there's no helping it -- just ask Nameless!

Newly-anointed adults are caught in two worlds, true, but ... "Well, do you think that ever stops? It might not be the same intersection we deal with, but surely older people straddle some boundaries themselves, right?"

Regarding their 'dashing' creation, Tamaki gives a satisfied nod. "Quite a ''note''worthy figure, I'd say." Oh, she's far too smug after making that pun.

In contrast to the hustle and bustle on the floors below, this room seems calm. Tiled marble flooring, outlined in silver. A comforting blue glow emanates from the center tile. Furniture, food, and drink await. Sit back and relax for a bit so you don't burn out, the room itself seems to say, which is advice that the detective would readily give in any other situation, but here ...

Tamaki's mouth is agape. She jerks a thumb towards the food and drink. "See, that's not something I got in my dungeon-crawling days. I had to plan in advance! I had to ration food and water! I subsisted on whatever was left in vending machines!"

ok grandma tamaki, yes, you're very 'old-school', not 'retro' like the young'ins called you, let's get you back to bed

Despite her complaints, she's still going to angrily munch on some of the offered provisions. They're actually delicious. She's never been so simultaneously glad and upset.

Something else strikes her. "There haven't been any opponents to speak of, at least that we've seen. We heard that growl near the start, though ..." She shifts her attention to Umie. "You can sense things I can't. Let me know if you discern a hostile presence, alright? ... and if I get knocked out the window, you can rescue me with Badb, I hope?"

Tamaki awkwardly scuffs a shoe against the ground. "I've been trying to get a better sense for Resonance, by the way. That's why I stopped by the Velvet Room at the sanitarium, but that wasn't much help." Maybe not immediately.

She gives the disc with their angelic bard a glance, then looks back up at Umie. "Do you ... think it's still possible to sense where someone went after a cognitive space collapsed around them?"

Years ago? Why? No reason. Asking for a friend.

</poem>
MONAD: Tamaki Uchida has acted with Academics toward Not a Safe Room, but Close! Base!

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
<poem> 'is that better or worse than a client tricking you to blackmail the police?' Umie's eyes widen as she gawks at her. "People... *do* that?!" Pause. "Well, I mean, *of course* people'd do that, but... people'd do that...?!"

Oh, Umie.

Tamaki 'cop-out' answer grabs a laugh from Umie. "Right. I don't think he'll ever chill out, though." She raises her hands, palms up. "His Persona's all about fire, after all." ha ha ha UMIE NO

Does that feeling ever truly stop, of being inbetween worlds? "... Maybe, if we've truly screwed up." Umie supposes.

ha ha ha TAMAKI NO

neither of them are adults, _ever_.

".... I liked carrying apples for the Dark Hour," Umie muses aloud, as she looks about. "Palaces had similar rooms like this, which really, really helped. I don't remember vending machines, though..." She touches a knuckle to her lips, thoughtfully. "... Well. I mean, it *could* be a trap, and we just don't know it yet."

There was that growl, too. "Maybe that was in the code of a game." She raises a dark red finger. "Ultimately, you'd want to ferry a person playing a game to where they need to go, right? Like in a story, where the protagonist *must* go down this hallway or the story won't start. The protagonist can't know this, so the story has to force it in order to happen. It may also relate to the case of Kazusa Motojima-san, as well." She sits down on a couch, sitting cross-legged. "She's trying to grab for a solution. Except, due to her parents shutting off this secret venue that she used to release stress-- that is, game building-- she had no means to reach a solution. And that's when the homunculus took over."

'You can sense things I can't.' "Sure, sure, it's how I've kept alive until now," Umie answers, confidently. '... and if I get knocked out the window--'

"Eh...?" Umie looks at Tamaki, her mask's eyeholes failing to show the full span of her surprise. ".... Well..." she rubs her neck. ".... No. Gravity's still a bitch, I'm afraid."

Tamaki relates her troubles with resonance, and Umie's lips open with a sympathetic sound, especially at the last bit. ".... So I take it... there's someone you're looking for."

She wishes she could give an answer, even a false one, made of smoke and mirrors.

"Mine is simply... well, it was through the lens of Badb. To see a battle and go towards it, the same with danger. That I choose to walk away from it is... my decision. I'm not a goddess of war and death, after all, and if I was, I wouldn't be working retail." She draws out a loop of string, looping it around in her fingers to create a cat's cradle, as she thinks further. "Take your skills as a detective. The things you see aren't what I see; you see me looking at a map and go 'don't follow the map exclusively', or see Takkun and notice that he may have an interest in building. Your role as a detective is a lens to make sense of the world-- one that has cast you into situations where you had to use whatever you had to survive."

"Take that lens and focus in on it, and I bet your abilities will relate to it, eventually."

Pause. The cat's cradle has become a simple double loop.

"Or you'll just become a better detective. Win, win, eh?"
</poem>

MONAD: Umie Akabane has acted with Academics toward Not a Safe Room, but Close! Base!

(|============================ Monad - Results =============================|)
-==== Not a Safe Room, but Close - Round 4 ==================================-
Tamaki Uchida Academics Success
Academics Base Fatigue: 0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Umie Akabane Academics Success
Academics Base Fatigue: 0
-============================ Party Conditions: =============================-
Starting Conditions: Checkpoint-0, Educational-2, Hard-1, Hard-2, and
Skillful-1
Final Conditions: Educational-1 and Hard-1
-====================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====-
-==== Reach: 4/6 |==== | ===================================================-
-==== Loot So Far: ==========================================================-
Items: 1, Money: 0, Gear: 1
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki slumps forward and grimaces up at Umie. "Uh, yeah. It's happened to me. Akechi-san had to clue me in. It's not feasible to vet everyone to the full extent, but somehow, he was able to spot it while we'd missed it."

She stands back upright and explains her own perspective of a Detective Peasant. "The private investigator field itself was rife with corruption and scams and there was a whole crackdown on it a few years ago. People still trusted them because of the stories that get told about them in fiction. People get into that line of work for similar reasons, too. It's relatively better now, but ... it's still imperfect."

ha ha ha UMIE ''YES''!

Apples and Palace Safe Rooms. Back in Tamaki's day, though, "There were rooms with healing fountains where I could get ''healed'', kind of like Trish's operation but with more reasonable prices. That staved off hunger pangs, too, just ... it didn't involve the joy of taste, you know?"

Kazusa was trying to reach for a solution ... but the game was made unwinnable. Tamaki scowls. "Yeah, I've -- I've seen something similar."

Gravity's still a bitch. Tamaki takes that in stride and adjusts her plan accordingly. "Okay, so in the event of a fight, we just position ourselves closer to the center of the tower. You know, like how in chess, pieces with long movement are stronger when they're closer to the center of the board."

Tamaki nods to confirm Umie's guess. "Yeah. Uh. You know how Miho Ijuuin vowed to search for Yua Ijuuin? And actually found her?" Pause. "I keep up with watching sabre fencing in the Olympics," she protests pre-emptively. "I have a friend who didn't make it out."

She bites the inside of her cheek hard as Umie explains her lens through Badb. "That's all well and good, but my career choice came years after my Persona had. Tell me, do you know what kind of figure Arianrhod is?" There's trepidation in her voice. "I will say that you're not entirely off-base, and you ''are'' correct about how I've had to use whatever's available."

Still, there is some appeal in viewing the supernatural through the lens of a detective of myth, just as Akechi seems to do so easily. "... can you change lenses, do you think? Or am I stuck with that first one?"

Past this room, outside of safety, the Manifest Gallery lies ahead.

</poem>

MONAD: Umie Akabane has drawn a new Challenge!

(|============= Monad - Kazusa's Atelier: The Neo-Lunar Palace =============|)
-==== Round 5: The Manifest Gallery - Challenge Level 3 =====================-
| Approach Options: Guts or Understanding |
| Conditions: Bless - +1 to Group Roll (Per Character), Bolstering - Guts Up |
| L2, Educational - Academics Up L1, Hard - Understanding Down L1, and Hard |
| - Understanding Down L1 |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-

You've ascended high into the palace, and the halls are in rough shape. The
pulses of light that ran along the walls are all dark now, many of the
magical lights are flickering rapidly, and there are deep, goinging claw
marks embedded into the floors with alarming frequency.

But finally you reach your destination: the Manifest Gallery. Though high,
arching doors you step into a large gallery space: Flegmat Humors, catboys
and catgirls in all manner of fantastical costumes and garb mill about,
observing miniature animated statues placed on display in various poses or
looping animations. For the moment, this room still appears to be brightly
lit and in good shape.

An owlgirl in orange robes trimmed with yellow--a Sanguin Humor--ushers you
forth to a small altar with a receptacle for the disk you've been carrying.
She explains that all you need to do is to place the disc in the altar and
name your vessel. When you do, the image hovering over it vanishes and is
placed on display.

The Sanguin Humor thanks you for your offering, and hopes that with enough
offerings they'll be able to convince the Princess to let down the wards
guarding her chambers. She presents everyone in your party with two gifts:

* You have gained the Key Item PRINCESS' FAVOR!

A sign that you have completed the offering of a vessel and
gained recognition by the Princess. It features a crescent moon
encircling a lily, both carved out of moonstone and set against
a small, round black pin. It glows faintly in the dark.

* You have gained the Unique Item FIGURINE OF <Name>!

Hey, it's <name>! This figurine is finely detailed and posed in
the middle of a fierce attack. This is to commemorate the
journey you took to offer a vessel to the Princess. Please treat
them well!

The Sanguin Humor is about to invite you to explore the Gallery when a
hulking, snarling wolf batters its way past the doors. It might have been a
palace guard once, as evidenced by the bits and pieces of armor still
clinging to its body, but as it stands it is fully under the Homunculus'
sway: a Melanc Humor. It roars, causing the Flegmat attendees to scream and
scatter. As they do, it begins to criticize the wasted effort spent on the
fancy costumes and on creating the offerings.

And it will criticize everyone in the party, too, especially anybody acting
in ways that don't confirm to rigid gender norms.

You'll need to use your Guts to battle the beast and subdue it, or you can
try to be Understanding and rally the Flegmats to help with the process.

(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
<poem> "Wh..." Umie laughs. "I mean, I should've seen that coming. He has a nose for those sorts of things, doesn't he?" Perhaps... he's had a nose for it for a long, long time, if those words he said to Sudou, once, are true. "You know he's going to point out what Mitsuhide's first name, if he ever hears that codename."

Private detective work, though... "Huh. Never realized... I suppose the romance of it all really carries a lot of it, but the rest is all gruntwork trying to sort through all the bullshit."

The things you learn, every day!

"... damn." Umie frowns. "What the heck was that place, and how do we make sure it never happens again? I'm not sure if I could go without taste for that long."

"Okay, but if the tower's got walls, we should be fine, right?" Famous last words.

'You know how Miho Ijuuin vowed to search for Yua Ijuuin?' "...... Yeah...?" Umie answers, turning her head, looking at Tamaki, with a slight frown, wondering where this may lead.

Oh. She means... her friend. "... If you ever need my skills, Uchida-san..." she solemnly begins, "all you ever need to do is ask. Especially if it's to find someone."

What kind of figure is Arianrhod? "...... Welsh. She had two sons, I think?" Umie makes a face. "... I can't help beyond that. That pantheon's hard to crack."

Can you change lenses? ".... Some people can," Umie answers, vaguely. "None of them particularly like it when they're singled out for it, though. But there is another way." She points to herself. "The people you get to know." She's about to mention Akechi, then realizes... does Tamaki know? Just because Umie's pierced his guise doesn't mean Tamaki has, and Umie can't remember if they've ever called him by his name in front of him.

"Anyway. You have people who can, and will help you."

And now, it's time for them to go help Kazusa.

Ascending the tower's last flight of stairs, where they are ushered to a place to put their figurine.

"Bard-san," Umie says, deadpan. oh no Tamaki please take over here, you're better with names

*dididing!* They have the Princess' favor. ".... Huh."
*dididing!* They have the Figurine of... <NAME>

They're about to be escorted off when a wolf, like the very one the two had been talking about, batters through the doors, roaring and causing havoc among the Flegmat attendees.

Tamaki and Umie have not escaped its attention, however.

"..... How childish, to hide behind a mask," growls the wolf as it paces, like a restless tiger. "Wearing those clothes, dying your hair, painting your nails, _rolling your eyes_..." It bears its teeth, roaring loudly, "WHAT MAN WOULD EVER WANT A STRANGE LITTLE GIRL LIKE YOU AS A WIFE?!"

Umie draws a hand to her lower face. "... So hurtful..." (Ah, no, it'd be clear to someone like Tamaki, upon hearing that tone, that this is as fake as a crocodile's tears.)

The blonde's lips curl in a gremlin grin, the pointed end of one corner of her mouth poking just past her hand as the wolf comes closer, lured by this seeming display of weakness.

"I know, right?!" she laughs. "But that's the point!"

She holds her fingers up and snaps. "BADB."

The feminine humanoid shape of the Badb manifests, hovers over Umie's hand, delicate elongated fingers seemingly brushing by Umie's own in a languid, wave, before floating up and extending her arms wide with a soul-chilling *shriek* meant to overpower the wolf's own.
</poem>

MONAD: Umie Akabane has acted with Bird's Eye View toward The Manifest Gallery! Automap!

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki smiles beatifically. "I know!" In her case, "Yep. I'm acutely aware of the gruntwork. Someone's gotta do it."

Arianrhod is about ... "Yeah. She put one of those sons through the wringer. Trials. Denial. Deprivation. Strength through subtraction. Rely on sight and she'll turn you blind, rely on sound and she'll render you deaf, rely on touch and she'll make you go numb. Her thinking goes that if you can cleverly sidestep the limitations she places on you, then you'll be stronger for it in the end."

She doesn't think she ever ''gets'' to wear the mythological mantle of a detective. Not with a mask like that. No shortcuts -- she has to do things ''right''. Umie is right about what makes her a detective, though: her propensity for the gruntwork.

'What the heck was that place?' '... all you ever need to do is ask. Especially if it's to find someone.' Tamaki frowns in response; the answer to the first makes the second part so tricky.

'The people you get to know.' That's advice she had given Shinjiro earlier in that very same day.

Still, it may not be easy ... or even possible. "Before I explain about just what that place was ... if someone was left behind in a Palace after it collapsed, how would you go about finding them? That's the current state of it."

(Tamaki does know about one of Akechi's guises, which he had confirmed during their exchange -- expressly because he had wanted Tamaki to assist him with a Persona-related matter in return for helping her out with her dishonest client. Not that 'one of' implies anything else, there's just the one! Good old Crow, the mask worn by the Detective Prince!)

The claw marks along the way are cause for concern. "Still keeping a bird's-eye view out for danger?"

Inside the gallery proper, they're directed to the altar, disc in hand. Taking a cue from the source of Tamaki's own inspiration for their vessel's name, she instead suggests: "Aeolia-chan." One of the seven Greek modes in the Aristoxenian tradition.

Tamaki stares at the pin of the Princess' Favor bestowed on her. Oh, that's a lot of symbolism relevant to her that she doesn't want to unpack right now. The figurine of Aeolia does bring a smile to her face, though.

The beast has words for Tamaki, too, as it prowls around the room and peers at her. "Hhhh. And you! You don't carry yourself with enough feminine grace. Not with your mode of dress, nor with your body. Leave the athleticism to your boyfriend, tomboy."

Tamaki reflexively covers her arms with her hands, only to feel the fabric of her long-sleeved blazer obscuring them anyway. She looks back up at the wolf with a scowl and brandishes a fist. "Hey! How the hell did you know about -- "

She's interrupted by the beast leaning forward to ''loom'' over her and grin. "So ''willful'', too. Why, you're acting like a ''husband'' should. You'll never land one that way."

Something snaps in Tamaki and she grins back. "Oh, hell no." Umie's seen this smile on Tamaki once before -- outside the entrance to Tartarus, when one of the beetles had managed to mentally rattle her, unbalance her ... but she fought back with wild abandon. "You're a bit one-note with the insults, aren't you?"

She's just glad that's all it can discern about her.

Arianrhod manifests and does what she can to rob the wolf of its most prized aspects. Dull its claws and fangs. Squelch its voice. Turn its armor brittle. All of them are annoyances and hindrances on their own. Does it have what it takes to persist through these trials and tribulations?

</poem>
MONAD: Tamaki Uchida has acted with Never Burn Out toward The Manifest Gallery! Escape and Efficient!

(|============================ Monad - Results =============================|)
-==== The Manifest Gallery - Round 5 ========================================-
Tamaki Uchida Guts Success
Never Burn Out Escape and Efficient Fatigue: 0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Umie Akabane Guts Success
Bird's Eye View Automap Fatigue: 0
-============================ Party Conditions: =============================-
Starting Conditions: Bless-0, Bolstering-2, Educational-1, Hard-1, and
Hard-2
Final Conditions: Bolstering-1 and Hard-1
-====================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====-
-==== Reach: 6/6 |=====| ===================================================-
-==== Loot So Far: ==========================================================-
Items: 1, Money: 0, Gear: 1
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

(|============= Monad - Kazusa's Atelier: The Neo-Lunar Palace =============|)
-==== Round 6: Pressure Cooker - Challenge Level 1 ==========================-
| Approach Options: None |
| Conditions: Chest - Add 2 Item/Money/Gear. and Revelation - The best |
| result. |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-

After a fierce battle with the Melanc wolf, you manage to subdue it enough
for the Flegmat denizens present to move in to take care of it. This means
you have enough time to have a proper look around--you can't ascend up the
tower yet, but there's still plenty of other things in the Atelier left to
explore.

You find a small movie theater, attended by a Sanguin owlgirl dressed in
purple robes and a white mantle. She lets you know that the next showing is
about to start, and that admission is free with the Princess' Favor.

Once you settle in, an old, grainy video springs to life on the screen. The
movie opens on a young, middle-school aged Kazusa performing a rhythmic
gymnastics routine. She is graceful, wielding a ribbon with flawless
fluidity and precision. But at the apex of the performance, a leap somehow
goes wrong, and she lands on a knee before quickly picking herself up.

She looks upset with herself as she finishes and steps off the mat, and at
the end of the competition, it's shown she's mere fractions of a point from
overtaking the first place winner--meaning her fault likely cost her that
match.

A man approaches her afterwards, tall, stern, with short black hair: her
father, Kazuki. He berates her for the lapse, telling her to take things
more seriously and to think of her future. Kazusa listens quietly, head
downcast, silently nodding.

A few days later, she's practicing a group routine with her friend Wakana
when Wakana drops a ball. Kazusa snaps at her for the mistake, and for a
moment both Wakana and Kazusa are stunned. Kazusa immediately apologizes,
saying it won't happen again, but a rapid-fire montage that plays as the
screen fades to black shows the cycle repeating again, and again, and again.

As the lights come back on, you find a golden treasure chest waiting at the
front of the theater. Opening it, you find a new armor item: it's covered in
feathers and grants a sense of calm when worn. (You decide the exact shape
of the armor.)

In non-supernatural spaces it's a nice cosplay costume piece.

Final Loot: 2 Items and 2 Pieces of Gear!
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

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

2026-03-09: Three Guardians

2026-03-10T21:28:44Z

Terra: Created page with "*'''Log: Three Guardians''' *'''Cast:''' Hyousuke Suzuki, Aigis *'''Where:''' Naganaki Shrine *'''OOC Date:''' March 09, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' October 07, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''After the events at Morimoto Sanitarium, Hyousuke goes to Naganaki Shrine to clear his head and is shortly joined by Aigis taking Koromaru on a walk. While the dog makes his rounds, the human and robot share their thoughts on why they, too, must protect those dear to them.'' ---- (|====..."

*'''Log: Three Guardians'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Hyousuke Suzuki]], [[Aigis]]
*'''Where:''' Naganaki Shrine
*'''OOC Date:''' March 09, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' October 07, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''After the events at Morimoto Sanitarium, Hyousuke goes to Naganaki Shrine to clear his head and is shortly joined by Aigis taking Koromaru on a walk. While the dog makes his rounds, the human and robot share their thoughts on why they, too, must protect those dear to them.''

----

(|============================= Naganaki Shrine ==============================|)
-================================================== Iwatodai City/Iwatodai ====-
Naganaki Shrine is a piece of tradition in the middle of the city. Long stairs
lead up to a stone-pathed pavilion lined with sacred trees; immediately to one's
left is a children's playground, with slide, see-saw and a jungle gym. The first
part of the shrine proper is the cleansing area, where one washes out one's
mouth and hands in order to respectfully meet the Gods. This done, one may
approach the shrine.

Two lion-dogs fiercely guard the monetary offering booth, where many a student
has come praying for academic success. Off to the side, one may receive a
relationship fortune and tie it off, in hopes of growing closer to a special
someone. To the other side of the shrine are red pillars which lead one to the
/Inari/ Shrine, another place for prayer. One may receive items, here, if items
are sacrificed in turn. Beside the Inari Shrine is a great sacred tree,
protected behind a fence and by a series of tags tied about it from a holy rope;
a sign beside it describes the history of this place, going into the sacred tree
and the Shrine's deity.

<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>Autumn encroached upon the land, and with it came a steady change in the weather. Leaves began to turn, winds grew from gentle and meandering breezes to stiffer gusts, and the temperature ticked ever downwards, day by day. Yet, even with summer's last gasps becoming quieter by the day, the weather was pleasant, and Hyousuke sought to make the most of it. That morning, after his usual routine, he had reached for clothes suitable for hiking, but stopped upon seeing the bandages and plasters clinging to various parts of his body. Patches of white and brown formed uneven patches across him, and though they had been applied by a practised hand, their presence was a reminder that to stress the wounds unduly would only have made them linger.

He deliberated for what felt like an age. He was desperate for air, and peace, and a chance to clear his mind of everything but trudging across soil and underbrush. He clung to the shirt hanging loosely in the dorm's cheap wardrobe, creasing the sleeve as frustration at his own body wracked his mind. Then, he released it, and sighed. He would have to settle for something lesser. But what was nearby? If a trek up a steep hill was not in order, and more urban areas did not provide the ambience he required, where else was available?

So it was that Hyousuke found himself taking the first train he could away from Hirasaka, plotting the route to Naganaki Shrine in his head before he'd even stepped past the doors. Some few people cast glances his way upon catching sight of the injuries peeking past the cuffs and collar of his longsleeve shirt, but none thought to let their gazes linger, whether out of politeness, disapproval, or simple apathy. The reason mattered little to him. As long as they left him alone and granted him a quiet moment, they could think what they wanted.

He found himself at the shrine before long. The motions were performed slowly, partly out of ingrained reverence for the ritual, partly because he struggled to remember exactly what they were, and partly to account for whatever aches Kurou's earlier assault had left lingering in his muscles. He supposed it was fine. There was nobody around to judge him, save for whatever deities resided in and around the shrine, and they would just have to make their peace with it. With the usual rituals finished, Hyousuke dragged himself over to a nearby seat, and exhaled while looking towards the middle distance. His eyes focussed on nothing, and his mind began to stir. He was there to reflect, after all, not to sightsee.

It would not have been hard to sneak up on him while he was caught in that reverie.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Regardless of the turning of the seasons, Aigis is a being of routine. On most other days, with little variation, her schedule goes something like this:
</poem>
Walk to school.
Attend school during the daytime.
Club activities after.
Walk back to the dorm.
Study for at least three hours.
Recreational activities for three hours, if time allows for it.
Patrol Iwatodai during the Dark Hour. Alternately, traverse Tartarus with the rest of SEES.
Return to the dorm to recharge.
<poem>
Sundays are more of an open question which she still hasn't found a reliable answer for. School provides her with structure for the daytime, and she otherwise flounders without it. Normally, there are other SEES members around to socialize with, but as she steps down the stairs to the common area, her sensors indicate that everyone else seems to be occupied today.

"Arf!"

Well, all of the humans, at least.

Aigis swivels her head in Koromaru's direction and pivots on her heels before she kneels down to observe him more closely. Koromaru barks again and lolls his tongue out at Aigis, and his tail wags rapidly.

"I see," the android responds. "No one has taken you out for a walk today, have they?" She stands up and smooths the front of her dress, then nods at Koromaru. "I shall accompany you to the shrine, then."

----

A short stroll later, after the pair make their way up the stairs to the park outside of the shrine, Koromaru bounds over to the open area opposite of the road. Aigis scans the area for a place to sit as she watches over the dog -- and in doing so, she finds a familiar face.

In the dress she's wearing -- seafoam blue with long sleeves and white lace, enough layers for the winter, despite how it's only just turned to autumn -- her robotic nature is relatively more concealed than how she had appeared the last time Hyousuke had seen her at Tartarus. There are other telltale signs: her finger joints, the rivets on her neck, the mechanisms which only seem like headphones. She gives him a bow and pleasantly announces her presence. "Hello, Suzuki-san. It is a surprise to see you here."

After a brief pause, she smiles and adds, "Shortly after our last meeting, I informed Kumamoto-san that you had been concerned about her."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>Hyousuke registered footsteps, somewhere in the back of his mind, but they were only sounds. So preoccupied was he with his own thoughts that he did not manage to connect the dots and realise the steps had been coming towards him. Only when he heard Aigis speak did he snap out of his reverie, but even then, he moved slowly. Like some old machine made to creak to life after a lengthy slumber, he moved his head around to face her gradually, blinking a few times to try and instil something approaching focus.

"Aigis-san, wasn't it? It's been a while. I'm just here for a change of scenery. Needed some air, and Hirasaka was getting kinda cramped." He said back, greeting her with a faint smile and a short, courteous, nod. He could afford that much. For all the damage he'd sustained, Hyousuke had at least been spared anything more than glancing blows to his neck, and had enough energy to manage that polite gesture. It quickly turned to a wide-eyed jolt when she informed him of what actions she'd taken since they'd last spoken to each other. He almost choked on his own breath, and it was only after a second or two that he managed to catch himself - more than enough for someone to notice him starting.

"You told Kit-sa-" Hyousuke cut himself off halfway through realising he'd defaulted to using the nickname, and began again. "You told her about that?" It was hard to tell if he seemed surprised, sheepish, or both. His expression seemed to fall somewhere in the middle, unable to fully commit to one or the other. All the while, he considered his options in regards to answering, and what kind of response would embarrass him less. His mouth, however, moved faster than his mind. "She didn't say anything about it when you told her, did she?"

Realising that asking if she'd spoken about him could also turn out to put him in an awkward position, he shook his head.
"Forget it, it's nothing." He sighed, a little embarrassed by his own inability to control his speech, as well as being caught out for such a shameful thing as worrying over a friend. There was a brief lull, and in it, Hyousuke's mind began to whirr. He'd already been caught out - what harm could a little more do? Especially if he tried to act casual about it. "...Do you know if she's doing alright though? Her and her friend, I mean. The one with the ponytail. They both took some pretty nasty hits the other night."

Aigis knew Moriko, and Moriko knew Minako. He assumed, therefore, that Aigis was at least vaguely aware of Minako's existence. The fact that he - bandaged, plastered up, and bruised all over - seemed to have taken his fair share of damage seemed to either be ignored summarily, or have escaped him entirely.
"Anyway, what're you doing out here?" He looked down at Kuromaru, and - as if on instinct - held his hand out for the goodest boy in Gekkoukan to sniff. "Taking your friend out for a walk?"

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
A couple of months ago, she must have seemed to be in a similar state to Hyousuke. She's ''been'' that long-dormant machine.
</poem>
> It is now safe to turn off your robot.
<poem>
"You needed some air?" Aigis tilts her head in curiosity. "Has the smog gotten bad in Hirasaka? Or perhaps a high pollen count." The idiom, it seems, is lost on her.

'Kit-sa-' likely means 'Kit-san', had Hyousuke not cut himself off. From context, that must be a nickname for Moriko, whom, according to protocol, she must refer to as Kumamoto-chan for politeness' sake.
</poem>
> Default honorific: '-san'.
> Moriko Kumamoto: Active override in place due to user request: '-chan'.
<poem>
Yes, all this may be obvious without even a passing thought to the sequence she took to get there, but she doesn't get the benefit of a biological autonomic nervous system. Bit by bit, byte by byte, every link in her chain of logic requires painstakingly deliberate motion and conscious effort to assemble.

The nuance of whatever situation there is between Hyousuke and Moriko escapes her notice entirely. Aigis almost answers 'she asserted that she was fine,' but Hyousuke rescinds his request. "Understood."

Aigis' awareness of Minako is more than 'at least vaguely,' substantially so. Her face clouds darkly and she casts her gaze downwards. She laces her fingers together in front of her and tersely replies, "You must mean Arisato-chan. I am led to believe that they will both be fine shortly, but I am still waiting to hear more."

Oh. Right. They went to Sumaru City, too. Given Hyousuke's condition ... "I comprehend. You were present for the recent event. You do not literally need air, but wish to create some distance between yourself and what transpired."

As he hears Aigis approach Hyousuke, Koromaru circles back around to sniff his hand. New friend! The dog bounds off again to make his rounds through the shrine and the surrounding area. 2 o'clock, and all's well!

Aigis nods and briefly glances back at Koromaru as she confirms, "In addition to 'killing time,' as they say, precisely that. He used to protect these grounds full time, and he still wishes to do so even after his previous owner's passing." She returns her attention to Hyousuke and gestures to the bench as she offers, "May I have a seat beside you while he patrols?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>Hyousuke gave Aigis a quizzical expression, blinking once as the hamster wheel squeaked behind his eyes from the strain. Was it a joke? She'd not said it in the tone that was usually attached to one, as far as he knew. Or perhaps it was dry humour, and the delivery was part of it. In the end, and after a somewhat awkward beat, he chose to believe she had asked the question genuinely.
"It's one of them figures of speech." He said, speaking a little slowly, as if unsure of whether that was even the correct term. Before he could explain further, however, the conversation shifted.

Despite all of the complex trains of thought and branching paths the human mind could go through, none of it applied when Hyousuke chanced to see Aigis's reaction to the news of Sumaru's aftermath. He frowned abruptly, feeling that he had said something he should not have, though it was suppressed just enough that he could play it off as simply empathising with her. The last thing he needed was to make the situation more tense by introducing his own discomfort, after all. He did not, however, disguise the disappointment he felt when Kuromaru wandered off to make the rounds. He had seen a cool stick earlier, and had hoped that his new dogfriend would appreciate them in the same way as Lance.

Hyousuke smiled a little at Aigis explaining Kuromaru's behaviour. He was still a little disappointed at not being able to pet the dog more, but supposed that there was at least a good reason for it.
"Looks like he's pretty serious about it." He remarked, his gaze following Kuromaru for a little while, before drifting back towards Aigis. "He must've loved his old owner a lot, if he's still doing it now."

Then, the seat.

"Huh? Oh, sure, go for it." Hyousuke blinked suddenly, only just realising that he'd been sitting in an awkward spot, and shuffled to the side until there was enough room for two. He didn't wait for her to sit before he began speaking, but instead continued at a slow and measured pace, forcing his voice to sound as relaxed as possible while he continued the conversation. His gaze, meanwhile, returned to the middle distance. He looked towards it, but did not see it - his mind's eye projected a different vision. "Yeah, I was at Sumaru. A bunch of other people were there too. Then the Joker Killer and some other weirdos showed up, and..."

And what? What was he supposed to say to someone that was still more or less a stranger? A friend of a friend, yes, but what was he supposed to offer her beyond a surface-level description of what happened? Perhaps a confirmation of her supposition on why he was there? It seemed a good start.
"...And I just wanted a little while to get my head straight before I go out hunting for him again."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Hyousuke has chosen ... ''correctly.'' Aigis is often unfailingly sincere, and was so here. "I see. Thank you for the clarification."

More gently, in stark contrast to her strained response, Aigis corrects herself. "If it is any reassurance, given everything that I can discern, Arisato-chan must be alright."

Aigis again glances back at Koromaru. "He certainly is, and he certainly did. I can understand how he feels, to some extent."

After their passing, will she, too, haunt the site of who she protects today?

With a wordless bow, Aigis takes the offered seat. "I am familiar with the surface details. I was undergoing repairs -- I regret that I could not be present, but it is necessary for my continued function."

She assesses his physical state again to make sure she heard that right. She is exceedingly literal, once again. "Only your head? You have a number of other injuries."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>"You should speak to your friends if you want the details on it." Hyousuke said offhandedly. He inclined his head towards her a little, and at first glance, it seemed like he was looking at her. But there was distance to his eyes, and a strain to his smile. It was like his face was just a mask, and he could only stare out of it while hoping it would hold. "It sounded like they had a better idea of what was going on over there. There was a lot going on, and I lost focus a little."

He chuckled awkwardly at the remark, and hoped that Aigis didn't dig too deeply. The last thing he needed was for her to know what plagued his mind upon seeing the bloody massacre at the sanitarium, how he'd almost lost himself to a fit of blind rage at the very sight of Kurou, and how he'd recklessly thrown himself against his foes as if his very body was nothing more than a battering ram. At the very least, it seemed to him that she was more concerned with the physical than the mental, and he shook his head in response to her observation.

"Huh? Oh, I meant more like... organising my thoughts." Hyousuke struggled to put the concept into words. He spoke slowly, and almost tripped over his own words, but he managed to get there in the end. "Don't worry, all this is just flesh wounds. I'll be back out there in a few days. A week tops." His state of mind was a little more difficult to judge. There was still a distant gaze, a smile he had to force a little, and images he could not clear from his mind no matter how hard he tried.

There was a quiet pause as he trailed off, and Hyousuke looked back at the shrine. He couldn't see Kuromaru from there, but even so, imagined him sitting by and guarding it - a guarding hound, keeping vigil on that which it held dear, come rain or shine.
"...Guessing you've got something you want to protect too?" He asked. His tone was softer that time, a mirror to the breeze that drifted between them.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis nods in perceived understanding. "I often find myself in a similar position. Even if I am present for a situation, I sometimes miss the complexities of it until after the fact." She narrows her eyes. "Palaces, for instance ... I first thought they were no different than Tartarus. I did not comprehend that they are more ... how do I put this? -- Individually tailored."

Not quite the same thing, Aigis.

"Oh. Analogous to 'defragmenting', perhaps." Aigis regards him further. With skepticism, she adds, "Are you certain that you will only require a week to fully physically recover? Let alone mentally or emotionally. You are more vulnerable than I am in those respects, but I still undergo the full extent of proper maintenance when I require it." She lowers her head and warmly advises, "If I am damaged beyond repair, then I am of no use to anyone."

"'Want' has nothing to do with it. I have people whom I must protect." Aigis slightly turns her head away. "You are aware of my nature. I was designed with an explicit purpose in mind, and I follow that to the exact specification."

Koromaru comes happily bounding back and drops something at Hyousuke's feet before looking up at him expectantly. "Arf!" Wag wag wag wag. He's brought him a ball, previously well chewed-on and loved. Aigis translates: "You are fortunate. It appears that he is done with his patrol and would like to play with you."

... translates?

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>Hyousuke wasn't certain that her summation of Palaces was quite correct, but did not know enough about them to refute it with any reasonable degree of confidence. Instead, he nodded thoughtfully, as if he had come to some quiet revelation, or wished to agree in some silent way. He did the same for defragmenting, though that was more a matter of pretending as though he knew what she was talking about. He had not heard the word before - not in any context that made sense to him, at least - but he hadn't the presence of mind to quiz her over what was no doubt something beyond the understanding of a blunt instrument.

"I'll recover enough to do the job. I've got people counting me, and I can't let them down." Hyousuke eventually said. A sad hint of empathy, like the first cold winds of autumn, began to creep into his voice, and began to weigh down the corners of his already-strained smile. "Besides, I'm tougher than I look. It's gonna take more than this and some weirdo wearing a paper bag to keep me down." His hand - just for the faintest hint of a heartbeat - tensed around the ball while he picked it up, and turned it over in his grasp.

He did not look at Aigis as he spoke, but for once, it was not due to any difficulty, or something plaguing his thoughts. Rather, it was because Kuromaru demanded his attention, and he was honourbound to give it. One hand took the ball - soggy though it might have been - while the other scritched and scratched at all the spots around his face that Hyousuke was sure were hard to reach.
"But I think we've both got a different kind of job to do right now. I don't know if I can keep up with him like this - you mind helping out?"

He looked at Aigis expectantly, the ball held loosely in his palm.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
If it helps, Aigis isn't even sure if her own summation of Palaces is correct.

She looks at him with no small amount of concern. "Which people, if I may ask? If I have the spare capacity to do so, then I will endeavor to share your burden."

At his insistence that he's tougher than he looks, Aigis bluntly states, "Prior to when we met in Tartarus, the entire left side of my torso and limbs were crushed beyond all recognition, rendered completely inoperable. I only require replacement parts and technical expertise. You require time and care for your injuries. Even with all of my advantages, it is important that I respect the full danger that our adversaries are capable of."

Thankfully, Koromaru is here with a distraction as he lightly nudges Aigis on the leg. Aigis nods. "I concur. This, too, is a burden I will endeavor to share with you. Shall you go first?"

And so, the three loyal protectors all spent some time playing fetch with the ball from their spot on the bench.

</poem>

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

2026-02-15: Rumors Abound Underneath Kasugayama High

2026-02-16T21:07:39Z

Terra: Created page with "*'''Log: Rumors Abound Underneath Kasugayama High''' *'''Cast:''' Tamaki Uchida, Eikichi Mishina, Hyousuke Suzuki, Julian Marlowe *'''Where:''' Kasugayama High School - Air Raid Shelter *'''OOC Date:''' February 15, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' September 26, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''In a desperate bid for leads on missing persons cases, Tamaki taps Hyousuke and Eikichi for assistance in exploring the air raid shelter underneath Kasugayama High School to interrogate..."

*'''Log: Rumors Abound Underneath Kasugayama High'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Tamaki Uchida]], [[Eikichi Mishina]], [[Hyousuke Suzuki]], [[Julian Marlowe]]
*'''Where:''' Kasugayama High School - Air Raid Shelter
*'''OOC Date:''' February 15, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' September 26, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''In a desperate bid for leads on missing persons cases, Tamaki taps Hyousuke and Eikichi for assistance in exploring the air raid shelter underneath Kasugayama High School to interrogate Demons for Rumors. They're soon joined by supernatural investigator Vesper who just so happened to be in the area, and at the end, they find a lost member of the school's administration and hear info from a Demon about someone else who's been spirited away.''

----

(|================ Kasugayama High School - Air Raid Shelter =================|)
-=============================================== Sumaru City/Hirasaka Ward ====-
In Kasugayama's basement, there are steel double doors that lead to an abandoned
underground air raid shelter left over from World War II. Notes on the walls
tell a tale of cleaning schedules, doctor's visits, and food distribution
schedules, all at different times depending on the day. Traps to ward off
potential invaders still line the floors here and there. In various corners, one
can find forgotten pages of a little girl's diary, telling of her lonely time
there while hiding from bombings.

These days, it's empty, of course. But rumor has it that once you go in, you can
never find your way out again... Which isn't true. People go in and leave with
no problem all the time. Still, there's a kernel of truth there, for a map is
absolutely necessary to traverse it. The layout is extremely confusing, so
without one, one is sure to get lost down there. Even Persona Users have
problems navigating its meandering earthen halls, because for some reason, it's
a psychic blackout screen.

MONAD: A party led by Tamaki Uchida has begun the event Clean Out Kasugayama High!.

(|==================== Monad - Clean Out Kasugayama High! ====================|)
-==== Round 1: Ora Ora Ora - Challenge Level 2 ================================-
| Approach Options: Guts or Charm |
| Conditions: Bothersome - Charm Down L1 and Scary - Guts Down L1 |
-==== Challenge ===============================================================-

The first things your party may notice upon coming up to the front doors of
Kasugaya High are the oni expertly squatting in front, donning magnificent
pomadours and ill-fitting Kasugayama uniforms. One would hope these uniforms
were pilfered from some gym locker or another, and that those stains are just
sauce.

"Lookit what we got ourselves 'ere!" shouts one, his stately pomadour bobbing
with his words.

"'Ey, I was thinkin' I was hungry. Maybe they got some lunch money?" yells
another, rolling their shoulders and making a button fly off their uniform.

"... Or maybe, they could suffice themselves," says a skinnier one, tapping a
spiked bat to her shoulder.

These oni do look rather scary... what will you do?
(|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
It's evening at Kasugayama High School. Not quite the Dark Hour, but still far past the time that school's ended for the day. Demons can sometimes be a good source of rumors and information, and to that end, Tamaki's enlisted the help of Eikichi and Hyousuke to venture down into the air raid shelter said to be underneath. Earlier in the week, Tamaki had also contacted completely mundane teacher Julian to give him a heads-up so that they could enter the school at this hour without any hassle, but she's certainly not expecting him to show up. To her knowledge, it's just this group of three!

From what she's heard, the lesser-known rumor about this place overlaps with another nascent rumor taking hold over in Rengedai. If they're really lucky, they might learn something from a Demon about where the Joker Killer took Jun ... but she's not holding her breath.

Tamaki nods to the two students as they arrive. "Evening, you two. Glad you could make it, and thanks for helping out. Any questions before we go in?" She doesn't quite know about how poorly the other two get along, but ... she might find out.

As the trio of Tamaki, Eikichi, and Hyousuke make their way to the air raid shelter in the basement, they encounter a group of rowdy oni, wearing Kasugayama uniforms several sizes too small for them and wielding large spiked bats. One of the smaller ones looks antsy and complains to the others, "Can we get going? I'm starvin' already!" Another one occupies himself with combing his pompadour while looking in a pocket mirror and replies, "In a minute, damn. Gotta get this juuuust right."

The largest of the bunch holds his bat behind neck while he rests his head against the unspiked area, then grins. "Well, well, well, looks like we don't have to go out tonight for dinner after all; delivery's here!" Just as he runs up to swing at Tamaki, she reaches into her bag and --

-- whips out an energy bar to offer it to her would-be assailant with a smile on her face. "Yep! Brought a good source of protein right here for you!" After rifling around in her duffel bag some more, she offers, "Or maybe you're looking for something more sweet and junk food-y? Let me see what I've got here in the stash ..." The oni briefly stands there stunned while he tries to decide which food he's in the mood for, the brawl seemingly forgotten for now. "Uh -- um. Hm."

</poem>
MONAD: Tamaki Uchida has acted with Demon Friends toward Ora Ora Ora! Friendliness and Patra!

<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
<poem>A mission to school? Eikichi is in! The blue haired punk wanders up to the front gate, slouched with his guitar case strapped to his back. He keeps his hands in his pockets until he stops in his tracks, tilting his head fearsomely at the pompadour'd Oni. Suddenly, the school uniform jacket comes up as Eikichi leans, placing a hand under his chin. It is as if he is spawning sparkles and bubbles by just how fashionable and cool he is.

"Over here, gentlemen...Do not approach! We are going by and there is very little you can do, mon cheris." Eikichi says, placing the hand delicately on his chest. "For you are facing the magnificent Rock genius of our generation...The Boss of this High School thanks to his outrageous fighting talent! The beautiful Rose of a world turned grey, MICHELLE~!"

What did Eikichi do? He just tried to make the Oni punks very uncomfortable so they'd leave without fighting.

Can the Death Boss weird out the Oni delinquents between the team and the Air Raid shelter.
</poem>

MONAD: Eikichi Mishina has acted with Self-Aggrandizing toward Ora Ora Ora! Friendliness and Empathy!

<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>Hyousuke's body still ached from the fight at the exhibition. No poison yet remained in his system, and the influence of the painting had long since faded, but the aftershocks of both still left aches whenever he moved. However, duty called. His assistance was needed down in the air raid shelter, and he would be damned if he was going to let a friend go down there without him lending a hand. However, there were also a couple of other reasons that he wished to make the journey down there, both of which he kept quiet out of fear of being seen as selfish.

The first was simple curiosity. He'd not been down there, despite having heard many a story about the strange goings-on beneath the school, and had been immensely curious about it the entire time he'd been in attendance. Now that he had a party with which to venture into its depths, he could do so without worrying his friends overmuch. The second was that he simply needed something to take his mind off of things. Fighting was the best distraction he knew, and if there were as many demons in there as he had heard tell of, then it presented ample opportunity to let off some steam.

Any hopes of getting through the night smoothly were put in great jeopardy when he realised just who it was that he was going in there with. Tamaki was alright - she was, in essence, his employer, and a reliable ally too. That aside, if anyone knew how to wring information out of them, it was going to be her. Eikichi, however, was not someone he was especially optimistic about working with. The mask hid the glance he gave the school's de facto leader, but the feeling of apprehension still lingered. It could be addressed later, however. If it meant getting the mission done, he could put petty squabbles aside.

Hyousuke recognised that the oni were supposed to be frightening. He recognised that the threats of robbery, murder, and the consuming of his flesh were supposed to intimidate him. But he was not fazed. Both the visor blocking out his eyes and the mask strapped over his mouth like a muzzle left him with a blank and impassive look, but beneath them, he was simply annoyed by their presence. He regarded them with all the disdain he cared to muster, and stood before them with crossed arms and clenched fists.
"Move it." He said simply, his voice taking on a slight growl. "I'm not in the mood for this. Get out of my way, or I'll go *through* you."
</poem>

MONAD: Hyousuke Suzuki has acted with Bravado toward Ora Ora Ora! Bravery and Focus!

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
No security guards, or anyone else are encountered on the way to the air raid shelter. The emergency exit door, located conveniently right next to Julian's office, was left unlocked, and so was the door leading to the classroom/storage room that connects to air raid shelter. Barring an amazing string of coincidences, it certainly appears as if Julian came through in assisting a smooth entry for the group, just like he promised he would.

That, of course, should have been the full extent of his involvement. He wouldn't be able to officially sanction the activity, let alone be present for it. And what could a normal guy really do anyway, should the rumors of supernatural activity at night be true?

Even so... as the larger Oni steps forward to deal with those on approach, there is movement in the shadows behind him, where the other Oni busies himself with combing his 'do.

"Excuse me."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sklEuJkA_M

Out steps a white-masked gentleman, clad in an immaculate grey suit atop a crisp white shirt, adorned with a black tie. This particular outfit's fashion heyday was 50 years ago, but clearly the one wearing would think it never went out of style. He lifts his bowler hat in greeting, catching the oni's attention. The masked man, Vesper, points the tip of the umbrella he carries downward.

"Your shoelaces have come undone."

No sooner do the Oni's eyes move away from the masked man to his bare feet, or he's smashed in the face with the umbrella in the blink of an eye. A big believer in Making An Entrance, of course it was fully necessary to act upon the threat, before addressing the others on approach.

"It's been a while, Mishina-kun, Suzuki-kun. And... Tamaki Uchida-san, if I'm not mistaken?"

More than that will have to wait, until the issue at hand is fully resolved, one way or another.
</poem>

MONAD: Julian Marlowe has acted with Swagger toward Ora Ora Ora! Bravery and Efficient!

(|============================= Monad - Results ==============================|)
-==== Ora Ora Ora - Round 1 ===================================================-
Tamaki Uchida Charm Success
Demon Friends Friendliness and Patra Fatigue: 0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eikichi Mishina Charm Success
Self-Aggrandizing Friendliness and Empathy Fatigue: 0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Julian Marlowe Guts Success
Swagger Bravery and Efficient Fatigue: 0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hyousuke Suzuki Guts Success
Bravado Bravery and Focus Fatigue: 0
-============================= Party Conditions: ==============================-
Starting Conditions: Bothersome-2 and Scary-2
Final Conditions: Bothersome-1
-======================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====-
-==== Reach: 1/6 |= | =====================================================-
(|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
"Gimme that." The oni in front of Tamaki swipes the extra-chewy protein bar out of her hand and munches away contentedly. "I just wanted some grub, but I dunno about the rest of my crew."

Tamaki gives Eikichi a sidelong glance at his glamorous display, then slides her eyes right back to the crowd of Oni. That seems to have mollified the oni concerned with his own appearance, who holds a hand to his heart as he admires Eikichi in turn. "Oh ... such grace! Please, proceed ahead!"

Hyousuke's demeanor rattles the rest of the gaggle and sends a collective shiver up their spines. One of them cranes his neck over to the side and says, "Uh -- boss, he ain't -- he ain't moving. Usually people just fork over their cash!" Unfortunately, their boss just gives them a lazy shrug while he continues eating the protein bar. They're on their own.

While most of them remain cowed, one of them advances straight for a now very unguarded Tamaki and holds his bat up high. "Fuck this!" She was prepared to ''talk'', not ''fight'', she had gotten overconfident, and --

'Your shoelaces have come undone.'

"Eh?" The oni pauses to look down at his bare feet. " -- wait a sec, I'm not even wearing -- " ''BASH, CRASH!'' Vesper's umbrella knocks him out cold as he swoops in to save the day!

Tamaki's face lights up in a smile as she nods. "That's correct! I recognize your getup from Kamiya's Palace, but I don't think we got much of a chance to speak in that chaotic situation. Pleasure to properly meet you!" Confusion briefly flickers across her expression, but it fades just as quickly. "Don't know why you're here, but if you're on our side, I don't think I'd mind the help. And thanks for the save."

</poem>
MONAD: Tamaki Uchida has drawn a new Challenge!

(|==================== Monad - Clean Out Kasugayama High! ====================|)
-==== Round 2: A Midsummer's Night's Disaster - Challenge Level 2 =============-
| Approach Options: Academics or Understanding |
| Conditions: Bothersome - Charm Down L1, Bothersome - Charm Down L1, Fairy - |
| Subtract 1 Fatigue on success., and Mindnumbing - Academics Down L2 |
-==== Challenge ===============================================================-

After hearing a voice coming from a classroom nearby, your party opens the door,
revealing a mischievous-looking fairy sitting on the podium, in the middle of
exchanging lines to another.

"Captain of our fairy band,
Helena is here at hand;
And the youth, mistook by me,
Pleading for a lover's fee.
Shall we their fond pageant see?
Lord, what fools these mortals be!"

Puck looks up from his reading with Robin Goodfellow with a raised eyebrow, and
stage whispers, "Your line, say your line!"

Do you oblige these merry wanderers of the night?
(|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
Vesper briefly raises his hat to acknowledge Tamaki. "Vesper, Supernatural Investigator extraordinaire. Charmed." That, in itself, is probably enough of an answer in regards to what he's doing here. If that's what he does for a living, it only stands to reason that he'd be investigating a place like this, wouldn't he?

With the Onis mollified, unconscious, or too rattled to act, Vesper makes a sweeping gesture with his arms to indicate the path further in. "Let us continue once we clear the immediate area, shall we? Though take caution and mark your passage well, these paths are known to be particularly confounding."

He's not wrong, the various rooms and passageways are dreadfully similar, it's easy to start thinking you've been somewhere before. Vesper's own knowledge in that regard is limited, having never had a group for assistance before, but this early on there's little trouble still. Once some distance has been put between them and the demons, Vesper clarifies a little further.

"To put it simply, the entire school, but particularly this area, appears to attract the supernatural towards it like some kind of warped magnet. I aim to get to the bottom of that mystery. I assume your interest here is much the same?"

This is when voices begin to filter in from the adjacent area. Holding up a hand, Vesper peeks in first - he could have sworn he heard lines that he's well familiar with. A Midsummer Night's Dream? Are they putting on that play, here? To his surprise, he's told to 'say his line'. "...When in Rome, as they say." He clears his throat.

"Stand aside, the noise they make
Will cause Demetrius to awake!"

His Oberon is a bit overdramatic perhaps, but at least he knows his stuff. While 'Puck' delivers the next section, he stage-whispers to Hyousuke and Tamaki, "Lysander and Helena are next. Perhaps if we indulge the fairies, they'll leave us be." There a beat, as he considers what to him as a matter of course. "You... do know your Shakespeare, do you not?"
</poem>

MONAD: Julian Marlowe has acted with Counsel toward A Midsummer's Night's Disaster! Focus and Empathy!

<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>His fists were clenched, his muscles tensed, his gaze hardened. Hyousuke was prepared for a fight, and on some level, hoped for one. They were acceptable targets, after all - things dangerous to humans, and liable to cause a great deal of trouble when left alone. But his threat worked, and he managed to secure some semblance of safe passage in.

Hyousuke had a few thoughts on the approaches taken by the other members of the party, but could hardly dispute their effectiveness. Tamaki's attempt to befriend - or otherwise charm her way past - the demons certainly seemed to do the trick for the boss, and Julian's sudden and sharp burst of force was something he approved of greatly. Doubly so when it spared them a drawn-out fight, though part of him was a little disappointed that there was not to be a brawl that night. Eikichi's approach was something he found to be... unique, he supposed. It was not one of the more traditional ways of dealing with such things, in his experience, but it got them past the demons, so he could hardly doubt that the Death Boss knew what he was doing.

With the most immediate threat removed, Hyousuke regarded Julian with a short, but polite, nod.
"Vesper. It's been a while." He said, by way of greeting. It had been a while since he'd met with Vesper, certainly. But Julian? Not so much. Their appointment, in the grand scheme of things, hadn't actually been that long ago. "I don't know about what's attracting them or why, I just know they're gonna be a pain in the ass if *someone* doesn't deal with them." His eyes then turned to Eikichi, his voice still even, though there was a little sharpness to it. He was a little wary of him, unsure of how to approach, keeping a little distance both physically and emotionally in case something went awry. "Mishina-san, you never told me you were in on all of this." 'This' being the entirety of the supernatural goings-on.

Then there were the fairies. His first instinct was to resolve the matter with brute force, before they had a chance to play their tricks and have him subjected to something that would no doubt make his night a lot longer than it needed to be. However, Julian had elected to take the diplomatic approach, and Hyousuke found himself compelled to follow suit. He supposed he could always keep violence as a plan B. However, since plan A involved reciting Shakespeare, Hyousuke didn't have much faith in it - certainly not when he was called upon to recite it.

Hyousuke stepped forward, and in a tone that was as uneven as the rhythm with which he spoke, he played the part of Lysandre as best he could.

"Why should you think that I should woo in scorn?
Scorn and derision never come in tears.
Look, when I vow, I weep. And vows so born,
In their nativity all truth appears.
How can these things in me seem scorn to you,
Bearing the badge of faith to prove them true?"

With his part finished, he stepped back, and leaned in a little towards Julian before speaking in a low grumble.
"You're lucky I bothered doing my homework on that one." Were Julian to glance at Hyousuke's school records, he would have seen that his homework on the topic had not been stellar, to put it kindly - though evidently good enough to stand a chance of getting past the fairies.
</poem>

MONAD: Hyousuke Suzuki has acted with Academics toward A Midsummer's Night's Disaster! Base!

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki clasps her hands together and smiles even wider at Vesper's profession. "Oh, wow! Lucky for us to cross paths, then. I'll commit it to memory." He seems to recognize Hyousuke and Eikichi already, so he can't be all that bad, right? "How long have you been in the field?"

She nods firmly at him as he advises they mark their passage well, then holds up a pen and notepad, freshly retrieved from her duffel bag. "Already on it. I've heard that's the case; rest assured, I came prepared. Do you know the best way of getting out?" As for her interest ... "Yeah, same here. I have a theory at best; the agency I work for is really interested in the rumors that take hold in Sumaru City. It's a common refrain for a place to attract Demons if a rumor about it forms in the public consciousness; down here might just be another instance of that."

She glances over to Hyousuke as he comments on Eikichi's involvement with the supernatural. "He came up to our office to ask for info on the Joker Killer and how to find him -- he wants to take him down just as badly as you do, I figure, so you've got that in common."

... then in one of the shelter rooms, they come across an ad hoc reading of a play.

Oh no. Nooooo, no no no no no. Nope! Unless the situation ''really'' calls for it, Tamaki doesn't want to have any sort of on-stage presence. As Puck glances over in their direction, she nudges one of the guys in their merry band to 'volunteer' him as she chimes in with the fairy, "Yeah! Say your line!"

She's not leaving her unfortunate target to twist in the wind, however. No, her part to play is that of a stagehand in the background, and she sets to work arranging the scenery, the lighting, the costumes, the ''ambience'' -- and then some.

Luckily, she's familiar with the source material ... or so she thinks. (While she ''is'' a fan of theatre, her interest lies more strongly in the direction works which originate from Japan; there's a nonzero chance she gets it wrong.) She takes her notepad in hand, writes down the line in large readable script, then holds it up for the actors to read as a set of makeshift cue cards. She finishes up the set for Vesper and Hyousuke, but ...

Vesper looks ''her'' way when he mentions Helena's part. In response, Tamaki visibly startles, then resigns herself to her fate. Before she steps out 'on stage', she slaps both sides of her face a couple of times, then strolls up as she recites:

"You do advance your cunning more and more.
When truth kills truth, O devilish holy fray!
These vows are Hermias. Will you give her oer?
Weigh oath with oath and you will nothing weigh.
Your vows to her and me, put in two scales,
Will even weigh, and both as light as tales."

After having said her piece, she smiles in the direction of the pair of fairies, steps back, turns around, then makes a big show of wiping the sweat off her brow.

</poem>
MONAD: Tamaki Uchida has acted with Piece Together toward A Midsummer's Night's Disaster! Automap!

<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
<poem>Eikichi smirks as he is about to get the party through without needing to fight just yet....then the party starts to fight anyway.

Eikichi just kinda gives the group the same sideways glance Tamaki gave him. "Guys, we need to save our strength for the---oh whatever." He flips his hair and moves with elegance and strength into Kasugayama high school, giving Vesper a nod at their greeting.

The Death Boss walks these halls with a smirk on his face, holding a hand under his chin with the other around his waist. He looks over to Hyousuke as he approaches, grinning devilishly. "Eh. We got off on the wrong foot so I wasn't in a sharing mood. That said, good to have you, Suzuki-san." He was keeping it polite just to keep a healthy distance for now.

He follows along with the party, playing up his aura to be the glamourous and beautiful rock star he was born to be. He peers from behind Julian, not knowing a lick of Shakespeare but they were doing it with the heart. The Death Boss wanders into the room, finding the smallest actor who is waiting for their cue nervously. "Hey, you're gonna rock it out of the park. Don't let that little voice in your head tell you different. Believe in the me who believes in you and beautiful music will be made." Eikichi turns on the manifestation of brotherly respect and understanding. Somehow, this also produces sparkles as Eikichi continues to move with a gracefulness despite somehow also looking manly as hell. "I'll see you on the other side." He clasps a hand on the little demon's shoulder and grins.
</poem>

MONAD: Eikichi Mishina has acted with Pep Talk toward A Midsummer's Night's Disaster! Amrita!

(|============================= Monad - Results ==============================|)
-==== A Midsummer's Night's Disaster - Round 2 ================================-
Tamaki Uchida Academics Success
Piece Together Automap Fatigue: 0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eikichi Mishina Understanding Success
Pep Talk Amrita Fatigue: 0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Julian Marlowe Understanding Success
Counsel Focus and Empathy Fatigue: 0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hyousuke Suzuki Academics Failure
Academics Base Fatigue: 1
-============================= Party Conditions: ==============================-
Starting Conditions: Bothersome-1, Bothersome-2, Fairy-0, and Mindnumbing-2
Final Conditions: Bothersome-1 and Mindnumbing-1
-======================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====-
-==== Reach: 2/6 |== | =====================================================-
(|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki asks how long Vesper has been in the field, which is the perfect time for him to put a hand on the brim of his hat and act mysterious. "Gentleman's secret, I'm afraid. Suffice it to say that... I've been around the block a few times." It's part of the game, but also... putting a timeframe to his activity might give something away about his identity. That's something he always tries to be careful about.

As for getting out... "...The same way you got in, ideally. It's fortunate you brought mapping tools for such a purpose. I'm not aware of any other exits from the shelter, so we will need to find our way back eventually." He'll circle back to the matter of the agency later, but for now, there's work to be done.

Of course Vesper hadn't seen Hyousuke or Eikichi for quite some time. Certainly not 'regularly, at school'. He knows how to play a part, not just in Shakespearean plays. His only regret there is not arriving earlier, so he would've had more lines. Theatre is a microcosm of the life he leads, were he to put it dramatically, as is his wont. His mask takes the form of a classic opera mask for a reason.

He lets out a thoughtful "Hmm", in response to Hyousuke's motivations. "Demons are never good news for anyone, to be certain. Though 'deal with them' is the proper phrasing - striking deals works surprisingly well at times." Case in point, his decision to go along with the play. Fairies are well-known tricksters, he'd much rather avoid their trickery. Though he knows that isn't Hyousuke's preference. It'll be good for him, though. Build his self-control a bit. He did ask (someone else) for help with that.

And, really, even if his acting was a little rough, Julian would give him full marks for the performance. How unfortunate that man wasn't here to see it. Still, it gladdens Vesper's heart that both he and Tamaki indeed know their Shakespeare. You couldn't do him a bigger favor than to show appreciation for the classics.

Likewise, the fairies seem appeased, though their motivations remain a mystery as they vanish into thin air in a puff of giggles. The one Eikichi approached visibly blushing.

"That went rather well, all told," Vesper concludes, pointing his umbrella towards the area beyond. "Shall we proceed?"
</poem>

MONAD: Tamaki Uchida has drawn a new Challenge!

(|==================== Monad - Clean Out Kasugayama High! ====================|)
-==== Round 3: Make or Break! - Challenge Level 2 =============================-
| Approach Options: Academics or Proficiency |
| Conditions: Bothersome - Charm Down L1, Bothersome - Charm Down L1, Fairy - |
| Subtract 1 Fatigue on success., Mindnumbing - Academics Down L2, and |
| Mindnumbing - Academics Down L2 |
-==== Challenge ===============================================================-

BZZT BZZT BZZT With a flicker of lights, the area your group is in has gone
dark.

As luck would have it, the electrical box is nearby. It's helpfully highlighted
by the little gang of Agathion lighting it up brightly, as they play with the
currents like they're trying to reinvent Morse code.

First, your party will have to shoo them away, and second, you'll have to undo
the damage. It might be as simple as flipping some breakers, but some nights
they get particularly playful, and you'll have to reconnect some wiring.

Now, which color wire goes to what? Surely a little hasty repair won't leave you
in the dark. Maybe something will spark some inspiration, and hopefully not give
you a nasty shock in the process.
(|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>So, Eikichi had a grudge against the Joker Killer. That alone wasn't a shock. The man had hardly made an effort to endear himself to the general public, and those that knew of his true nature - those with the power to venture into the cognitive realm and fight against its many dangers - certainly seemed to have no love for him either, Niko aside. But to hear Tamaki compare his hatred of the Joker Killer to Hyousuke's own? That certainly caught his attention. He leaned in a little to Tamaki, and spoke in a low voice, hoping their footfalls would at least keep Eikichi from hearing what he said in response.
"Do we tell him about Kashihara-san?"

Regardless of what her answer was, he nonetheless felt a strange sort of kinship with Eikichi. Not enough that the was quite ready to be all buddy-buddy with him, but enough that Hyousuke could trust he wasn't *all* bad.
"Good to have you too. Always nice to have someone watching your back when you're dealing with these assholes." He jerked his head in the direction of the oni - or, at least, a rough approximation of it - before returning his attention to the task at hand.

-----

The others gathered did a far better job of acting than he, though it was hardly as if the baseline was anything remarkable. Were he the suspicious sort, he might have thought the fairies had glared at him for his unceremonious butchering of the bard's work, but they vanished before he had the chance to confirm it either way. Still, they were dealt with, and - for the time being at least - seemed like they wouldn't cause trouble for anyone else.
"Hrm." He said curtly, his arms crossed loosely over his chest, fingers tapping idly. "I still think I'd rather hit them than take up acting."

With that, he began to move with the rest of the group to the next obstacle, hoping it involved markedly less western playwrights.

Darkness greeted them in the next area, obscuring the majority of the room's architecture and furniture. He assumed it was a classroom of some sort, given the presence of the desks, but it could just as well have been a staff room or an exceptionally large utility closet for how well he could see through it all. The important part was highlighted by a gaggle of diminutive, blue-green creatures crouching in bronze pots, however. They bandied about it, their high-pitched and gleeful noises acting as a beacon for those who did not notice their light, and drew eyes towards the mess of wiring attached to the wall.

Unfortunately for Hyousuke, the extent of his electrical engineering experience was unplugging a toaster and plugging it back in again in the hopes that he wouldn't have to buy a new one. But shooing away the critters crowding around it, and clearing a path for others? That, he could manage.
"Someone mind getting the wires?" He asked, rolling his shoulders as he stepped forward. "I'll get these guys. Don't worry, I'm not gonna start a fight." Instead, he acted as one might when they were trying to get a wayward, lazy, animal out of their path. "Oi, outta the way, playtime's over."
</poem>

MONAD: Hyousuke Suzuki has acted with Warmup toward Make or Break!! Diligence and Focus!

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki doesn't seem to mind Vesper's vague answer. "Yeah, same here. A few years, at least." Her eyes drift over to direction of the pair of students with them. "I figure I should share what I've learned with people who have only more recently gotten mixed up in things."

Hyousuke's question gives her pause for reasons she isn't exactly aware of; all vibes, no logic. Her mind wins out over her gut. "... I don't see why not. He'll find out one way or the other," she replies after a moment of consideration.

Every so often as they proceed and she makes notes, Tamaki pulls out a hand mirror of her own to indirectly examine the walls around them. While she's in the middle of doing this, however, out go the already-dim underground lights. With an aggravated sigh, she rummages around in her bag for a flashlight and shines it forward to examine the damage done to the wiring and try to make sense of it. "Yeah, working on it."

</poem>
MONAD: Tamaki Uchida has acted with Proficiency toward Make or Break!! Base!

<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
<poem>Eikichi blinked when Hyousuke called the Oni 'assholes', laughing a little before patting the other delinquent on the shoulder.

As for the faerie, Eikichi smirks and moves on after inspiring the actor to move forward with their art. That was just how he rolled.

However, the next trial was something he did not expect. Dealing with Demons being themselves, that's one thing. Dealing with demons tearing up stuff they need was something completely different. He steps forward, giving one of the blue-green imps in a bronze pot a death glare. Eikichi isn't going to throw down just yet. He is saving that fight for something big. Until then, he was trying to mindfreak all of the demons to avoid spending his finite FIGHT ENERGY to deal with goofy little guys like this.

As for the actual electronics, Eikichi's eye widen vacantly. He prods one of the wires with his leather shoe.
</poem>

MONAD: Eikichi Mishina has acted with Proficiency toward Make or Break!! Base!

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
Julian certainly numbers among those with a grudge against the Joker Killer. He was at his school, endangering his students. Few things will earn his ire faster than that. He understands how Eikichi feels in that regard, as much as he would prefer him not seeking out someone who'd targeted him before.

"Kashihara-san?" he questions when he hears that name being mentioned between Hyousuke and Tamaki. "Would that be Jun Kashihara?" This guy just knows everyone, doesn't he? Well, he has been 'around the block', as he put it... though Tamaki's identifier is already enough for him to know that she's more experienced than he is, where it comes to these matters.

Just then... lights out! "Hm. That's a problem," he comments, not sounding very perturbed about being left in the dark. He waits it out a moment to see if anyone else seems to have a particular expertise here, but in the end... "...I'm not much of an electrician, I'm afraid, but I'll do what I can to assist."

He's messed with wires before, but usually that's to sabotage, not repair. Maybe it'll work if he tries to... sabotage in reverse? Worth a shot. At least he's wearing gloves, though he hasn't exactly tested if they do anything in terms of shock prevention.
</poem>

MONAD: Julian Marlowe has acted with Proficiency toward Make or Break!! Base!

(|============================= Monad - Results ==============================|)
-==== Make or Break! - Round 3 ================================================-
Tamaki Uchida Proficiency Success
Proficiency Base Fatigue: 0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eikichi Mishina Proficiency Success
Proficiency Base Fatigue: 0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Julian Marlowe Proficiency Failure
Proficiency Base Fatigue: 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hyousuke Suzuki Proficiency Success
Warmup Diligence and Focus Fatigue: 1
-============================= Party Conditions: ==============================-
Starting Conditions: Bothersome-1, Bothersome-2, Fairy-0, Mindnumbing-1, and
Mindnumbing-2
Final Conditions: Bothersome-1 and Mindnumbing-1
-======================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====-
-==== Reach: 3/6 |=== | =====================================================-
(|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>Tamaki's response drew a curt nod, and a grunt of acknowledgement. He made a mental note to catch Eikichi up on all that had transpired, but not at that very moment. The last thing they needed was a distraction, especially when he himself was attempting to resolve a situation with demons through something other than liberal applications of wanton violence.

Eikichi's quick patting on his shoulder drew a slight jolt from Hyousuke, and he froze for but a fraction of a moment. He did not mean to. He did not even want to. But his instincts had kicked in before he'd had the chance to stop them, and it was only through sheer force of will that he kept from doing anything more noticeable. Hyousuke was glad for the mask in that moment - the protection it offered was more than just physical, as he was reminded when his expression began to settle.

His hope to keep the discussion surrounding Jun was put in danger when Julian spoke up, however. Briefly, he wondered how Vesper knew Jun, and why he seemed so insistent about clarifying things. But one thing would have to be handled at a time, and Hyousuke turned to address Julian with a tone that was just firm enough to sound insistent.
"There was a situation at the art exhibition the other day. The Joker Killer, he... he took Kashihara-san." Hyousuke shook his head a little, and forced himself to keep his focus. "Me or Uchida-san can fill you in on it later. We gotta take care of these guys first."

And take care of those guys they did. The demons, though a little peeved that their fun had been spoiled scattered to find some other part of the school's infrastructure to play with, leaving the group unharmed and unimpeded. Miraculously, despite electrical engineering being nobody else's speciality either, the lights flickered back to life. They even managed to stay that way. With the task finished, Hyousuke returned to the group, hands by his hips.
"Let's get going. This already feels like it's going on forever..."
</poem>

MONAD: Eikichi Mishina has drawn a new Challenge!

(|==================== Monad - Clean Out Kasugayama High! ====================|)
-==== Round 4: P.retty T.roubling - Challenge Level 2 =========================-
| Approach Options: Academics or Guts |
| Conditions: Annoying - Charm Down L2, Bothersome - Charm Down L1, Curse - -1 |
| to Group Roll (Per Character), Mindnumbing - Academics Down L2, Scary - Guts |
| Down L1, and Shuffle - Draw 1 Minor Arcana. |
-==== Challenge ===============================================================-

Like all good investigations, a decent amount of walking is involved. Certainly,
there's other schools that are 'blessed' by phenomena like the Dark Hour to be
much more arduous to get through, but Kasugayama High is supposed to be laid out
like any other Japanese school.

Each classroom that is investigated seems to be nondescript and boring, almost
scarily so.

Also, haven't you been here before? Surely, you've gone by that same that
classroom number. Maybe the party was turned around?

Alas, the hallway just continues ever onwards, backwards and forwards.

Something is holding you back from continuing on. You'll need to find out what,
or what you need to do, if you want any chance of getting anywhere.
(|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
<poem>Eikichi doesn't notice Hyousuke's flinch, too busy staring at the wires.

Miraculously, the lights are fixed despite the Death Boss' untrained hand prodding the wires. He nods at Hyousuke's words. "Yeah, lets get this over with..."

And then the investigation goes on...and on...and on? Each time the group arrives at a room and finds nada. Nothing but silence. A deafening silence that was only broken by their footsteps. It was as if they stepped out of the paranormal zone and into the "mundane" world again. Eikichi blinks as he stops dead in his tracks. "Uhhhh....we lost? I don't think I know where I am..." He scratches the back of his head, wandering into the class room. Something out of place? It was just the same room. Same desks that were mostly empty. Same board with stuff written on it. Eikichi stared at the positive affirmations, nodding his head. "Seems really positive."

Besides the board, everything else looks cleaned and ready for the next day. Could it be the board or the mirror trick? No one is telling as the Demons have gone somewhere else!
</poem>

MONAD: Eikichi Mishina has acted with Lay Down The Law toward P.retty T.roubling! Focus and Bravery!

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Somehow, with a flashlight tucked in the crook of her neck, Tamaki manages to figure out which wire goes where. "Mishina-kun, hold onto this for a sec, please? Just shine it right there."

As for the topic of Jun, Tamaki nods at Hyousuke and Vesper. "One thing at a time. We can pull him aside after this."

The corridors seem to continue on and on endlessly. It takes Tamaki a while to notice, but eventually, the information starts to make less and less sense on her notepad as she jots down their progress through. Something doesn't seem right, something seems non-Euclidean.

Somehow, they're back in the school proper, with the doorway leading to ... another identical classroom. And another, and another, and another. It's enough to set off Tamaki's sense of deja vu.

Tamaki gestures wide with both hands and announces, "Alright, hold up, folks. Take a breather and let's talk about something to do with this place. The rumor goes that the air raid shelter was built during World War II, right? And that it's nearly impossible to escape on your own ... that same trait might have spilled out here."

She brings out that pocket mirror she had been looking at before -- just as the lights went out earlier. "But! There's a lesser-known story about the key to escaping. Supposedly, some passages are hidden to the naked eye, and the trick to finding them is to look at them indirectly somehow. Through a camera, through a mirror, through ... something else, I can't think of a third example. Hopefully, since we're still seemingly trapped here, the same thing holds true for these classrooms, too."

Tamaki folds one arm across her chest and taps her forehead with the mirror. "Now, the question is, was that always the case, or did it only come about because people dreamt it up? Hell, am I even telling the truth here, or am I just willing that story to become the truth and convince you three enough for it to work?"

"Either way, let's pause for a minute so we don't wear ourselves out. Get your bearings, take five."

</poem>

MONAD: Tamaki Uchida has acted with Never Burn Out toward P.retty T.roubling! Escape and Efficient!

<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>Hyousuke wasn't sure how Kasugayama fared against other schools in terms of its buildings' sizes, but he was fairly certain that they were not supposed to go on for so long. This one certainly was not supposed to. It didn't take long before he suspected something was amiss, and it was Tamaki that confirmed it.

"So I gotta look at it through a reflection or something?" He asked, arching a brow, before looking around for something that could act as a source for a reflection. His own visor was one, certainly, but he had no intention of removing it. Partly for protection, partly to keep anyone from realising that the whole incident had started to put him on edge.

The first place he looked, then, was through whichever window was nearest. It took a little squinting and angling his head to see anything but the reflection of their adventuring party, but eventually, he found a sweet spot to view a decent portion of the hallway. Were he to round it and view from the other side, he was sure he'd get the same for that side too.
</poem>

MONAD: Hyousuke Suzuki has acted with Tough it Out toward P.retty T.roubling! Amrita!

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
"What...?" Even with only his eyes, mouth and chin visible, that reaction makes it easy to imagine Vesper may have turned a shade closer to the color of his mask, hearing the news of Jun's abduction. Evidently he knows Jun well enough to be concerned about his well-being. Well, anyone would be, hearing the Joker Killer's involvement, but still. It isn't one's imagination, that there's a sense of personal stake in that reaction.

As much as he wants to know more about that, given the circumstances, he doesn't argue the decision to table further discussion on that for the time being. Plenty of time to reprimand himself for the error in judgement. He did know about Jun's involvement in the school incident, but he felt certain it would be Eikichi that the Joker Killer would choose to target again.

For the time being, the more immediate worry is of an electrical nature. He can only hope that he managed to give the impression that he knew what he was doing more than he actually did, when they somehow succeed. Thankfully the mask hides how much he was sweating, too.

Having proper lighting doesn't prevent one's eyes from betraying you, or so it seems. It's an exceptionally strange sensation, to know what you're seeing, while knowing that you couldn't be seeing this. There's no way there's actual classrooms down here, let alone all the same ones. So this must be it. That effect he'd been hearing so much about, as if going in circles, with no way backward or forward. Experiencing it himself, it's easy to understand now where the rumors of there being no escape from the shelter came from.

He gives Tamaki his full attention, given that she seems to know more about this than he does. "Hmmm. Secret passages, you say? Interesting." He doesn't object to taking a moment's pause, though he does go around the classroom the group is currently in, periodically tapping against walls and objects with his umbrella. Is something hollow, perhaps? Will anything make an unexpected sound? Perhaps he might stumble on something that isn't really there to begin with. Worth a shot.
</poem>

MONAD: Julian Marlowe has acted with Swagger toward P.retty T.roubling! Bravery and Efficient!

(|============================= Monad - Results ==============================|)
-==== P.retty T.roubling - Round 4 ============================================-
Tamaki Uchida Guts Success
Never Burn Out Escape and Efficient Fatigue: 0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eikichi Mishina Guts Success
Lay Down The Law Focus and Bravery Fatigue: 0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Julian Marlowe Guts Success
Swagger Bravery and Efficient Fatigue: 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hyousuke Suzuki Guts Success
Tough it Out Amrita Fatigue: 1
-============================= Party Conditions: ==============================-
Starting Conditions: Annoying-2, Bothersome-1, Curse-0, Mindnumbing-1,
Scary-2, and Shuffle: Cup-0
Final Conditions:
-======================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====-
-==== Reach: 4/6 |==== | =====================================================-
(|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
<poem>The mirrors reveals the way to freedom. There was a hidden turn that lead to the next set of classrooms! Of course!

Vesper's efforts also find a secret classroom where Jack Frosts are playing Poker. They look up and all scatter, leaving a pot of a decent amount of yen.

Eikichi is completely oblivious to the conversations about what he knew. He didn't know about Jun. This was true. He would care about one of the civilians at his school getting involved in trouble for sure.

At the moment though, Eikichi is just continuing to strut down the newly discovered hall.
</poem>

MONAD: Tamaki Uchida has drawn a new Challenge!

(|==================== Monad - Clean Out Kasugayama High! ====================|)
-==== Round 5: Escort Mission - Challenge Level 2 =============================-
| Approach Options: Proficiency or Understanding |
| Conditions: Boss - Add 1 Fatigue on failure., Box - Add 1 Item/Money/Gear., |
| Stupor - Academics Down L1, and Terrifying - Guts Down L2 |
-==== Challenge ===============================================================-

"Why's it's yew guys makin' such a racket?"

Present here is one of Kasugayama's finest, a member of the faculty that didn't
let themselves out of the school like a proper adult. Be they teaching,
administration, or janitorial staff, they'll need an escort out.

For better or worse, they don't seem all that concerned, either, whether due to
being sleep-deprived, tipsy, or otherwise unable to find it within themselves to
feel frightened or be in any rush to get out.

If there weren't a bunch of demons that have followed you here, maybe, this
mission'd be a lot easier. Alternatively, you can try to distract the demons
away, or just walk away and hope for the best. Kasugayama staff have to be tough
to survive during the day, so maybe, those demons may be leaving them alone for
a reason.
(|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Does Tamaki truly ''know'' more than Vesper does, or is she just bullshitting her way through a situation which seems extraordinarily pliable to bullshit? Was Tamaki relaying a rumor she had heard elsewhere, or ''starting'' one here and now? Who really knows?

"I suppose you could also close your eyes and tap the walls, Vesper-san -- " Tamaki starts to muse before she does a double-take at her mirror and spots something fleeing through what otherwise appears to be a solid wall. That's auspicious. She gestures with a hand and steps through. "Over ... thisaway." Beyond the threshold, the classrooms give way back to the air raid shelter corridors. Tamaki shouts at the crowd of Jack Frosts as she runs through the room, "Hey! HEY! Get on outta here, you've hee'd your last ho! Go on, get!"

Further in, they encounter one of the Kasugayama High faculty members. While he's not a familiar face to Tamaki, the other two are more likely to recognize him (three in reality, perhaps, but she certainly doesn't know that). She glances at the pair of students and asks, "Is he ... one of the employees here, or what?"

He doesn't seem to be doing too well as he sways side to side, and his speech seems off, saying "Heyyy, keep it daaowwn, tryna SLEEP," -- the nature of his malady isn't especially clear, but she expresses her concern. "Hey, we'll get you out of here and to a proper bed at home, don't worry. You, stick with me, the guys here are going to lead the way, okay?"

</poem>
MONAD: Tamaki Uchida has acted with Understanding toward Escort Mission! Base!

<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
<poem>Eikichi blinks when they run into one of the faculty in this highly dangerous place...a Japanese Public school.

The Death Boss sighs as he makes his way over to the 'drunk' teacher and put an arm around him. "Come on, Pops. If we walk in lock step, no one will mess with us!" Eikichi gives the teacher a grin, trying to use his amazing charisma to make this escort mission a lot easier to handle.

The Death Boss looks back to the group. "I guess we gotta get Pops to the exit before we go further to the Air Raid Shelter, eh?"
</poem>

MONAD: Eikichi Mishina has acted with Pep Talk toward Escort Mission! Amrita!

<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>Even in the strange light, Julian's shift in expression and the change in his tone did not escape Hyousuke's notice. Such a thing was enough to pique his interest even further, and he wondered just what kind of stake Vesper had in all of it. He even flashed him a quick, quizzical glance, before deciding the matter was not worth pursuing in that moment. Anyone would be worried if someone found themselves in the Joker Killer's clutches, after all.

Though his efforts did not lead to finding the exit, Hyousuke was nonetheless thankful that a way out had been found. He'd had quite enough of staring through windows and pacing down unending halls. He did stop, however, but only for a moment - and only at the sound of small feet scattering away.
"Was that a Jack Frost?" He said, seeming more confused than alarmed, before peering into the spot where they'd been previously. "...Was that Jack Frost playing poker?" He blinked, frowned a little, then moved on. Try as he might, he couldn't bring himself to steal the money from them. The plushie in his room would never have forgiven him if he did.

Their next challenge saw them faced with someone Hyousuke vaguely recognised, but could not quite place. He squinted at them, then shrugged at Tamaki.
"I've got no idea. I haven't even been here that long. Hey, Mishina-san, you know this guy? I think he's faculty." Though he'd been in attendance for several months, Hyousuke did not know every member of staff at the school. Of those he did know, there were sparingly few that he knew well enough to recognise immediately. The one in front of him fell into the camp of 'passed by them once or twice in the hall.'

Whatever the case was, Hyousuke couldn't help but agree with Tamaki's course of action. Stepping forward a little, he gestured for them to follow the group, and prepared to take the van.
"Come on man, just leave it. We're not making trouble. Why don't we get you outta here first before we talk about it?"
</poem>

MONAD: Hyousuke Suzuki has acted with Warmup toward Escort Mission! Diligence and Focus!

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
Honestly, Vesper feels like he's bullshitting his way through most situations, he'd be the last to judge. He seems more dismayed at encountering the group of Jack Frosts, visibly grimacing. "Those creatures again..." Goof-offs are the type of demon he likes dealing with the least. Getting pranked makes it difficult to maintain his all-important image. Thankfully, they're shooed off, and Vesper takes the opportunity to palm some of the money they left behind.

What? Anyone can use a bit of extra money. No one he cares about is gonna miss it.

Julian, of course, also knows the individual that they find further up ahead. He would facepalm, but... well, he still does, there's just a mask in the way. Maskpalm. Though he stays professionally respectful towards his co-workers, the actual level of respect he has for most of them is... not great. And those who don't take good care of themselves shouldn't be in charge of taking care of the students they're responsible for. But, regardless of personal feelings...

"Sir, wouldn't you prefer to sleep in a nice warm bed? If you would be so kind of follow us, we will escort you to one forthwith." They can't just leave him to his fate here, obviously. Even if it will mean having to turn back at this point, saving a life, any life, means that they've done something good here today. Even if he knows many students who wouldn't thank him for saving this one.
</poem>

MONAD: Julian Marlowe has acted with Counsel toward Escort Mission! Focus and Empathy!

(|============================= Monad - Results ==============================|)
-==== Escort Mission - Round 5 ================================================-
Tamaki Uchida Understanding Success
Understanding Base Fatigue: 0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eikichi Mishina Understanding Success
Pep Talk Amrita Fatigue: 0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Julian Marlowe Understanding Success
Counsel Focus and Empathy Fatigue: 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hyousuke Suzuki Proficiency Success
Warmup Diligence and Focus Fatigue: 1
-============================= Party Conditions: ==============================-
Starting Conditions: Boss-0, Box-0, Stupor-2, and Terrifying-2
Final Conditions: Stupor-1 and Terrifying-1
-======================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====-
-==== Reach: 6/6 |=====| =====================================================-
-==== Loot So Far: ============================================================-
Items: 0, Money: 1, Gear: 1
(|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)

(|==================== Monad - Clean Out Kasugayama High! ====================|)
-==== Round 6: It's some juicy gossip! - Challenge Level 1 ====================-
| Approach Options: None |
| Conditions: Revelation - The best result. |
-==== Challenge ===============================================================-

Maybe you come across a little black book a staff member left behind. Maybe some
lingering demon has something exciting they want to tell someone before they
burst, or wants to trade something in exchange for their freedom. Maybe a
certain trapped student council member can rat out someone.

Or maybe it's the poor Ogre, angry that the Oni kicked him out of his perch by
the front entrance for not having the properly fashionable delinquent outfit.

Knowledge and words are power in this city, and, while what you learn may or may
not be valuable to anyone in your group, who's to say it won't be useful down
the road?

Final Loot: 1 boxes of Money and 1 Pieces of Gear!
(|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
The faculty member vacantly blinks in Eikichi's direction, but chuckles as his enthusiasm seems infeectious. "Ehehehhhh ... I like yer moxie, sonny." He squints at Vesper, looks back at the stony corridor, then back to Vesper, and nods in agreement. "Warm sounds good. Bed sounds good. Beeeeeeddy-bye-bye." He's quiet for the rest of the trip back.

She gives Hyousuke her notepad with the map she's made on this trip, and says, "Can you take point? Here, borrow this -- we're right ''here'' at the moment."

In apparent contrast to Vesper, Tamaki seems to be adept at handling the more whimsical prank-happy kinds of Demons, matching the energy of their antics with her own set of amusing tricks. For instance, she surprises another group of Jack Frosts with faux-hostility and summons Arianrhod ... just to hit them with a skill card-granted Bufu before she drops the ruse and breaks out in laughter. The group of Jack Frosts applaud heartily. "You got us good, ho!"

As they make their way back out, the Puck from the earlier reading tugs on Hyousuke's sleeve. "You're looking for someone, aren't you?" They glance at the faculty member, then back up at Hyousuke. "Aside from him, I mean. We've heard things about someone being spirited away, and you gave it an honest shot in practice earlier, so I thought to try and find you again to tell you to aid you on your ''proper'' quest ..."

Tamaki smiles at the others as they near the exit. "Good job, guys. You two are fine getting home alright on your own, I hope?" She glances at the faculty member. "... after we get this guy back where he should be. Which way's your house?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>Hyousuke, for all of his faults, could at least read a map - though that might have been more due to the fact that Tamaki had drawn one that was easy for him to make sense of, than him being smart enough to do so in the first place. Whatever the case was, he led them true, having to pause only a few times to gather his bearings. Most of the time, he was even sure about where they were going - though he did find himself distracted by Tamaki scattering a group of Jack Frosts, tittering a little to himself from behind the mask. Dangerous though they could be, he couldn't bring himself to have any true hatred towards them.

His thoughts on Jack Frosts were forgotten when a Fairy caught his attention. The mention of a missing person had been enough to make his head whip around at breakneck speed, but it was the talk of aid on his 'proper' quest that truly drew his focus. With an intense gaze that threatened to pierce straight through the mirrored lens of his visor, he fixed his gaze upon them, and spoke.
"Please. I need *everything* you know."

Hyousuke held Tamaki's notepad out to her as they exited, but did not make to leave. Instead, he stood stock still, and spoke with such firmness in his tone that it was not hard to imagine the expression his mask obscured.
"Everyone, wait a minute. One of the Fairies back there told me something about a missing person..."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
Vesper has his idiom - and playing around with demons any more than strictly necessary isn't part of that. Though he does have a silver tongue, able to smoothly dissuade the lingering Oni from before from reconsidering dinner plans by going into detail about how awful the lot of them taste. The details of which will not be repeated here to protect everyone's stomachs.

He trusts the rest of the group to lead the way, not catching the information passed to Hyousuke until he mentions it himself. A missing person. Could that possibly have something to do with...?

He catches himself, at that moment. Jun was right there when Julian spoke to Tamaki. Even if his disguise seems impenetrable... given enough clues, a detective could likely figure out there's a relation between Julian and Vesper. Even with Tamaki seeming on the level, he's not yet decided whether he's ready to share the cover story he has for that. Best not to seem too eager, for the moment. How should he play this...?

A moment later, he makes his decision, by stepping out in front, a quick bow in way of apology. "I do apologize, but... there is another matter I must look into. I'm certain the Kuzunoha Detective Agency will have this matter well in hand." Tamaki never mentioned that to Vesper... but, as a Supernatural Investigator himself, it's not too far-fetched that he would know, is it?

With that, Vesper removes his hat, bringing it to his chest. "It was good to work with you again, Mishina-kun, Suzuki-kun. And Uchida-san, if I may be so bold... I have faith in your qualifications, I expect good things."

After placing his hat back on his head, he tosses his umbrella in the air, neatly catching it on his arm by the handle. But... he could never leave without displaying ''some'' measure of interest. "Should you learn of the whereabouts of Kashihara-kun, then... I hope you'll be in touch. I believe you'll find that you already possess the means."

With one more tip of the hat, Vesper moves to exit, soon quickening his pace in order to slip out of sight and prevent being followed. After all, he'll lose his disguise as soon as he leaves the school grounds. He can't have that happen while still in anyone else's presence.

His unexplained final words probably won't make sense for some time. But the next time Tamaki checks her pockets, she'll find a business card there, with nothing on it save a stylized letter V and a phone number. Vesper's slight of hand game is strong, it would seem.

As for the number, it's set to directly forward to voice mail - hopefully the implication is clear that any message left there will get to Vesper. Julian isn't very confident in his own ability to discover Jun's whereabouts... but if someone else does, and were to tell him about it, no force on earth would stop him from lending his assistance.
</poem>

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

2026-02-12: Detective Prince, Meet Detective Peasant

2026-02-13T05:39:04Z

Terra: Created page with "*'''Log: Detective Prince, Meet Detective Peasant''' *'''Cast:''' Tamaki Uchida, Goro Akechi *'''Where:''' Konan - Main *'''OOC Date:''' February 12, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' September 24, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Akechi catches Tamaki as she's just about to make a grievous error as one of her clients is about to outfox her. Grateful for the assist, she offers to repay the favor, but the one he suggests may be a bit more dangerous than she'd prefer.'' ---- (|=======..."

*'''Log: Detective Prince, Meet Detective Peasant'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Tamaki Uchida]], [[Goro Akechi]]
*'''Where:''' Konan - Main
*'''OOC Date:''' February 12, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' September 24, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Akechi catches Tamaki as she's just about to make a grievous error as one of her clients is about to outfox her. Grateful for the assist, she offers to repay the favor, but the one he suggests may be a bit more dangerous than she'd prefer.''

----

(|=============================== Konan - Main ===============================|)
-================================================== Sumaru City/Konan Ward ====-
Konan Ward is right up on the ocean, which could be considered one of its best
features; Ebisu Beach is but a stone's throw away for those who live here in one
of the many local apartment complexes, like Lunar Palace. The presence of the
Konan Police Department might make one feel safer too, though there's bad rumors
about nasty things lurking in the abandoned factory. All kinds of businesses are
available at the Seaside Mall.

The Aerospace Museum to the south, right next to the beach, is a great place to
take young kids on a field trip--they'll be able to learn all about the history
of aviation with tons of model planes and even a built-to-scale replica blimp
that rumors claim is real and can fly. Surely that's just children's
imaginations running away with them, though.

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
For Tamaki Uchida, today is a normal day at work, just like any other. One of her cases has her tailing the boyfriend of a client who she suspects is cheating on her. This is fairly standard fare for the Kuzunoha Detective Agency's mundane set of cases -- not everything can involve rumors and demons. Sometimes, they just have to take work that pays the bills, no matter how unglamorous it is. Her attire today consists of a grey button-up blouse and cool red tie, beige trousers with a black belt, black loafers, and sunglasses.

She waited for his security shift at the Aerospace Museum to end, followed him to a restaurant where he was on a date with another girl just as the client suepected, tailed them both to his apartment ... that's all there is to it, surely. Job's done, all she has to do now is report back, right?

What Tamaki doesn't know yet is that her client isn't exactly being ... ''truthful'' about her aims. The agency does try to vet their clients as thoroughly as they can, but sometimes, something still slips through. The 'boyfriend' in question is actually a member of the police, employed by the station right here in Konan Ward. They've never met -- the client's in league with some ''unscrupulous'' elements looking to find out the addresses of members of the police in order to harass and blackmail them.

She places her digital camera in her bag, turns around from the apartment complex, and starts heading towards the rail station, none the wiser to the truth.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
<poem>
Detective - P5 The Animation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hMdL9SX3nE

Step. Step. Step. Each one met a relaxed cadence. A boy in a Seven Sisters' uniform passes Tamaki Uchida by. It's possible she caught a glimpse of his face, but just as likely not.

A few moments later, a younger boy about eight runs up to Tamaki and- "That guy wanted me to give this to you." As he places a slip of paper in her hand, and points past her at the turning form of the boy in the Seven Sisters Uniform.

As he turns, the light of the sun reflects off the side of his silver briefcase, which is an odd accessory for any high schooler to have.

The slip of paper says:

Your client isn't exactly being truthful to you.
Follow me if you'd like to know more.

All marked up in a red pen, like a teacher might use to grade papers at school. It's all very dramatic, isn't it? Like something out of a TV drama, or a crime procedural.

Yet, the boy is still walking at that relaxed pace, like he never even saw Tamaki Uchida in the first place, turning the corner of the apartment complex, heading down towards Ebisu beach, or more precisely, towards a row of out of the way benches for people to sit themselves upon to look at the sea.

And it's at one of them that's framed by the shadow of a great willow tree obscuring view of it, that he sets his briefcase down, and has a seat, as he waits, taking out his phone, and tapping upon the keys with gloved fingertips.

It's only when Tamaki approaches that he smiles, and says, "I'm glad you took me up on my invitation. I'd offer a hand- but it's better that I not stand back up quite yet."

... It really is the Second Coming of the Detective Prince himself, Goro Akechi.

"It's not impossible that you're being watched yourself at the moment. Hence the theatrics."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
"Oh -- er, thank ... you?" Tamaki initially seems puzzled as to why some kid's giving her a note. Her confusion ramps up further after she raises her sunglasses to read it, then it becomes tinged with alarm as she glances back to catch that silver briefcase.

''Keep your cool. Act like this is normal.'' She grins widely at the kid. "Aha! I see now, thanks for the heads-up! Be a good kid and stick with your parents, though, alright? Or older sibling ..." She looks around to make sure that the boy has someone looking after him before she runs off.

She didn't catch his face, but by this point, she can hazard a guess as to who that guy with the suitcase is. She changes her route to follow him in the direction of Ebisu Beach, eventually finding him by that bench under the willow tree.

As Tamaki stands by where Akechi's seated, she removes her sunglasses and places them in her purse with a sigh and a tired smile. "Afternoon, Akechi-san. Mind if I take a seat, too?"

She curls a finger over her chin. After a beat, she asks, "And what exactly do you think I've gotten myself into here?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
<poem>
"I'm heading home now!" The kid says, a thousand yen richer for the 'errand'.

Akechi smiles in that affable way of his. "Of course you may, Uchida-san." He says, keeping the briefcase between them as if it were a barrier between the genders.

Nothing ''untoward'' is happening, nor is intended it seems to say. And it's a cultural certainty that no one likes to place their bags or brief cases on the ground anyway, for the same reason you don't leave your shoes on in homes.

"Straight to the point I see." He chuckles as he opens up his briefcase, "Well, I can hardly blame you. Your 'client' is currently dating a member of the Kanagawa-kai, a local Yakuza family." And pulling out a photograph, he reveals a monochromatic photo of the same woman who hired them, kissing a man who's shirtless, revealing extensive tattoos, which he hands over.

"And the man you were hired to track down was in fact a member of the local Konan PD, working his second job as Security for the museum."

Raising a hand into a shrug and a sigh, he keeps explaining further, "Given the recent passage of Yakuza Exclusion Ordinances, I fear they're attempting to skirt the law by using your agency in order to do 'Opposition Research' so to speak on members of the Sumaru Police. If I had to guess, it would be for the purpose of extorting them for greater freedom to conduct themselves within Sumaru City."

Placing his hands together, fingertips joining, he smiles, "I considered it something of a 'professional courtesy' to warn you. After all, it was not due to any lack of due diligence on your part- I merely have the advantage of working on several organized crime cases with the Prosecutor's Office."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
When it comes to detective work, Tamaki actually isn't one for theatrics, herself. Her own career path hews more closely to the standard route than that of the 'Prince' sitting before her: go to university, get some relevant training, apprentice underneath an older private detective and accumulate experience from the jobs he subcontracts out to her. If he's a one-of-a-kind artisan masterwork, she's one of many outputs of a mass production assembly line.

Detective Prince, meet Detective Peasant.

If she's being entirely honest with herself, every so often, she ''does'' feel a pang of envy towards him and how he's outpaced her by leaps and bounds in terms of ability and status. People seem to take him far more seriously than her. Some part of her wonders if it's just his fame that does it, or if the same dynamic would play out between her and a hypothetical male colleague who was her junior.

The sting of jealousy retreats once more as she reminds herself of how they differ -- she doesn't see their agencies as competitors, but as establishments which serve different niches. (In fact, sometimes she's had to recommend that a client instead go to Akechi's agency, whose skillset and focus seems more tailored to what they were asking for. Professional courtesy goes both ways.)

She got into this line of work to help the people who would otherwise fall through the cracks, the ones who society pays little mind to. Her own domain is the unsexy, the boring, the banal, the mundane -- that's where she can do the most good. Let the prince have his limelight.

...

Of course, people exist who may try to take advantage of the kindness she extends to them. It was inevitable that it'd happen someday.

Tamaki takes a seat on the other side of Akechi's briefcase and leans back to rest her head in her arms with her eyes closed. "Thanks. If anything, I could use the breather; been on my feet all day."

'Straight to the point, I see.' Tamaki quirks an eyebrow and glances over. "I mean, we could exchange pleasantries if you want. Something clandestine-seeming as this doesn't strike me as the time for idle chitchat, though."

The sight of the photograph and the bad news about her client garners a heavy sigh from Tamaki as she moves her hands to rub her eyes underneath her sunglasses. "Shit. Good looking out, I appreciate it. Last thing I want to do is become an unwitting accomplice. We're trying to pull ourselves out of that quagmire, you know?"

By 'we', Tamaki means the private investigation field in general, not any specific agency. Most agencies largely benefit from the mythologized image of the great detective archetype ... and took advantage of it. It was only in recent years that Japan started more tightly regulating the profession to crack down on that kind of behavior.

She turns her head in Akechi's direction. "If there's any way we can repay the favor, let us know, yeah?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
<poem>
Well he'd certainly ''claim'' to be an artisan masterwork, at least. That is the image he puts forward... indeed, here he is, showing how much better of a Detective he is, while making excuses ''for'' Detective Peasant's ignorance of the matter.

One would almost swear he does it on purpose, but that'd be silly, wouldn't it? Why would such an accomplished Celebrity Detective have any reason to do so.

Especially given the courtesy she's shown his own agency!

"Then by all means, take a load off. Long stake-outs do take their toll..."

Before her joke of small talk elicits a chuckle, "Well I suppose not. Though it would potentially give someone ''else'' sore feet for a change with a long enough conversation." He says with a broad smile.

Poor Tamaki, understanding that her kindness was taken advantage of. "Yes maintaining our image has become rather challenging in recent days." He offers sympathetically, "Not everyone can appear on television to give their side of the story when a scandal arises. And your client's story was flawless- was it not? You cannot be expected to investigate ''all'' of your clients just as much as the people they hire you to surveil yourselves... there just aren't enough hours in the day, or the resources..."

Or money for that matter, how many man hours would it even take???

"I'll keep that in mind... although, perhaps I might take you up on that sooner than you might think." He says with something of a smile, as he crosses his arms and leans back, "After all, we are not merely colleagues in... ''this'' field, if you understand my meaning."

As he mimes with a hand, the motion of gripping a mask, and putting it on. And just like that, the memory of whom he is might click to Tamaki, of the boy with the Crimson Tengu mask and Band Major like outfit.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki should probably view Akechi's gesture with at least ''some'' amount of skepticism. However, she's just glad to discover that her client duped her before any negative consequences could come of it. The combination of her fatigue and gratitude nearly -- ''nearly'' -- override her critical thinking.

If Miho hadn't commented about a week ago on how she was glad that Tamaki wasn't willing to violate Yua's privacy just to curry favor with her, then it likely would have completely escaped Tamaki's notice.

She just barely manages to hold onto some awareness in this situation.

At Akechi's offer for conversation, Tamaki considers it for a moment, then snickers good-naturedly. "Nah, nahhh, I'm just as mentally exhausted as I am physically. Rain check?"

The mention of a television appearance elicits a wordless groan from Tamaki; she doesn't relish the thought of having a media presence in the slightest. As he points out the impossibility of catching everyone who might take advantage of the Kuzunoha Detective Agency's goodwill, given the tradeoffs involved, her expression softens. "That is true, I shouldn't blame myself too greatly here ..."

Tamaki's quick to catch onto his meaning. She did see him in Eiji Kamiya's Palace, that's true -- her reaction was mixed, to the say the least, some combination of 'aw, come ON why didn't I think of that, smug jerk' and 'god damn it that was actually pretty cool'.

That wasn't her first inkling that she'd gotten about his involvement in the supernatural world, however: Tsubasa and Phoenix, independently of each other, had relayed to Tamaki that it was him who initially told them the Phantom Thieves were responsible for their Psychotic Breakdown -- a misunderstanding that's now been cleared up, by all accounts.

... It's always struck her as strange since she had first heard about the correction. He was the source of the misunderstanding in the first place, but how was he wrong? It doesn't seem befitting of a Detective Prince to put forward an idea he wasn't entirely certain of and jump to a hasty conclusion.

No, Tamaki thinks that sounds more like the kind of blunder that ''she'd'' make.

She's in no position to press him on that particular issue right now. As much as she's dying to know right this second, caution is warranted, even if outright suspicion isn't. No, she has to remain on the defensive: keep her king on the back line, castle up, conserve material for the endgame.

Tamaki chuckles and grins widely as she bends forward to rest a hand on one of her knees. "Oh! Well, sure! Do you mind if I ask you if there's anything you can tell me about it now, or are you just going to keep me in suspense? There's a lot going on right now, you see, so it'd help my ''focus'' a bit."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
<poem>
"Well if you insist." He says with that 'cheerfully smug' expression at the idea of taking a rain check on that.

Indeed, it is true that one should not blame one's self. That Akechi knew at all was a function more of short cuts using his abilities. Perhaps he's a gifted enough Detective to have done that without, but, he didn't!

It was a blunder, now wasn't it? However... he does have a good cover story, quite believable. One has to understand the nature of people entering the Metaverse in depth though.

Perhaps it was thus crafted mostly for the Phantom Thieves, in order to have an alibi they'd have a hard time poking holes in.

Tamaki ''does'' catch his meaning of course, and he smiles more broadly as she asks if he's going to keep her in suspense, as he begins to chuckle.

"Oh? Are you certain you're not too mentally exhausted for it?" He teases, obviously unseriously, before he grins, "Very well. It's a simple matter, really. Perhaps you've even heard of it... a niche discipline known as Cognitive 'Psi'-ence."

He enunciates the word to make it clear he's not just doing clever wordplay or the like. "From what I understand, there was a time when it was 'All the Rage', around the time you transferred to St. Hermelin's actually."

Wow! He's really done his homework on a 'peasant detective'. However, it's nothing unusual, is it not? If he knew about her client, then why wouldn't he look into the investigator? And well, it's even less unusual given that he's a Persona User.

He then places a hand upon his chin, "Then mysteriously, nearly all traces of it vanished from the 'Zeitgeist'. Overshadowed by a certain Scandal..."

He doesn't really need to say which one.

"... I was wondering, as someone highly experienced in this world, if you might keep your 'ear to the ground' when it comes to the matter of any related materials. It might be key to understanding how a... 'certain organization' has come into power."

He doesn't even bother to say which one.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
It's probably nothing. Just a grain of sand irritating some part of her mind, just a pebble stuck in her shoe. There's no grand army hiding behind the fog of war -- and in fact, it's likely just mere fog. No one's perfect, even Akechi's capable of a slip-up. It's probably fine. She's overthinking it. It's fine.

Tamaki waves a hand dismissively. "I'm too tired for socializing, but I have enough juice to get to brass tacks. Hit me."

And then he hits her with it. Uh-oh. She lowers her sunglasses to fit more firmly on her face and comments, "Cognitive pseudopsience, you mean?" She smirks at her own joke, feigning mockery ...

... but as he continues, that smirk of hers shrinks further and further until it's vanished entirely. By the end of it, her expression is completely neutral.

It's probably ''not'' nothing.

"Look, I was on the sidelines for whatever happened at St. Hermelin." Tamaki looks away from Akechi, suddenly finding great interest at the sight of the shoreline. "Apparently I conked out while the air conditioning system went haywire. Hell, I think even Yokouchi-san the salesman over at Gatten Sushi has a better firsthand account than I do."

Rumormonger Toro, in other words, was more relevant to that whole affair than her. That's fine by her count -- swing and a miss. The fact that he knows that much about her is enough to make her sweat a little, but it does make her wonder how much he knows about the events in question, the SEBEC Scandal and the Snow Queen Crisis. It does worry her that he might know about the others who were ''actually'' involved; Maki, Masao, Eriko ...

What would ''really'' spike her heartrate is if he lets on any knowledge about the events at Karukozaka, prior to her time at St. Hermelin. No one else ''gets'' to know the truth of what happened, that doesn't get to see the light of day and risk being altered by reality-warping rumors. It should remain in quarantine, safe from the outside world's contagion. There's no way he knows about any of that, right? ... right?

She lowers her voice and hunches forward, covering her mouth as she leans her face into her hands. "I did stumble on some old research paper for it -- probably one of the earliest, most preliminary ones -- and as a layperson, I couldn't really make proper heads or tails of it. I ended up endangering others because of it -- someone pursued us and attacked us for what ''I'' stuck my nose into."

They wanted to scare her off. If it were ''just'' her, it wouldn't have worked. Her curiosity got Sojiro involved and led to his Awakening -- a bittersweet occasion, by any measure. In the end, she inflicted that on him, so she thinks. She blames herself.

"I've got half a mind to forget about the whole thing and move on. I'm not giving you a hard 'no' here, just saying that it warrants caution. A light poke stirred up a hornet's nest, and I just want to prepare you for that possibility. I can't guarantee your safety nor mine."

She hangs her head. "I've already had a few informants die on me. I'm willing to help, just ... making sure you know what you're getting into."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
<poem>
"In a manner of speaking..." Akechi answers with a contrast between serious gravity and jest at the idea of it being pseudoscience, "...indeed, wouldn't trying to quantify the supernatural by scientific method be so impossible, that one might call it pseudo-science."

He watches her expression diminish into neutrality. "Is that so?" He answers her, "And yet, by all accounts, you were still rather experienced by the time it began..."

Who blabbed!?

"... Curious." He murmurs, like a Detective might in a TV drama, where he understands that he's missing something, but doesn't quite know what it is.

Could it be a mystery he'd actually consider poking at!? How would he even investigate it, if not through Tamaki herself?

Perhaps there's no way he could ever discover the truth, but it's enough to be anxiety-inducing, perhaps. What Detective isn't drawn in by the allure of a good mystery?

Tamaki's greatest shield perhaps, is the fact that she isn't. A girl in her university years, being trained to be a peasant Detective. There's nothing special about her at all.

Or is there?

He then gives her a surprised look, "The one that was posted on the Dark Side of Sumaru?"

A pause.

"... I see. It was what prompted me to ask, though I did not know you were part of that."

He lies, and in this matter he lies well at least, because he knew he was going to have to lie in advance for this matter, and practiced for it.

However, as she offers her answer, he nods, "Well, if it's that dangerous, then I'd consider that rather too much for me to ask of you, don't you think? ... A rather unequal favor to uncovering fraud on the part of a client. I wouldn't want anyone to risk their lives unnecessarily for the sake of my investigation into this New World Order."

Instead he takes out a business card, and pops open a pen, writing a number on it. "Put it out of your mind for now... however, if something does happen to cross your path on its own?" He then caps the pen, and passes it over across the bench with both hands, "This has the number of my current burner cell."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki takes it right back to levity. "Yeah, like performing surgery with a steak knife instead of a scalpel."

Akechi's mention of Tamaki's experience by that point surprisingly doesn't unsteady her. She's well-known enough that it's no surprise to anyone that she's Awakened, that something, somewhere, sometime ''must'' have happened. She's openly said that she Awakened five years ago. That's all anyone can know, at least by her estimation. "That's true, I'll give you that much."

She folds her sunglasses and hangs them on the collar of her blouse. "It's a big world out there. Every time I think I know most of what there is to know, the rug keeps getting pulled out from under me. Some part of me thinks that our little corner of the world is only aware of an infinitesimal amount of the supernatural's full scope and history."

... ''how'' many years did Nameless say he's been there in the Velvet Room? Several hundred?

It's a tense moment when he utters that 'Curious,' of his, a searchlight passing over her hiding spot ... then it continues past, at least for now.

Tamaki's always been the sidekick, the bystander, the apprentice. Reiko Akanezawa was the main character of that old story, Naoya and his crew were the main drivers of that pair of incidents, Todoroki's the boss of her workplace today. She wouldn't say that there's ''nothing'' special about her, she's just not ''as'' special in the same sense that a stagehand isn't as special as the actors.

Her breath catches in her throat when he mentions the Dark Side of Sumaru forum post. "... Yeah, I took that poster up on their offer. No idea if they caught any flak for it, though."

She glances down at the business card, then picks it up with both hands and gives him a bow. "I'll keep an eye and ear out. I'll also say this: that Palace was far from the first time that I've encountered the concept of someone's 'ideal' world. No two verses are the same, but they rhyme suspiciously often."

Tamaki returns to her normal cheerful disposition. "Is there anything ''else'' I could do that's closer to an equivalent favor? I do still obliged to repay your courtesy in at least some fashion, after all!"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
<poem>
"I couldn't have put it better myself."

Akechi enjoys performing surgery with a saw blade rather than a scalpel, quite literally, however he's not about to get into that...

"... I'd agree with that myself." The Detective Prince says of the idea of it being an infinitesimal amount of the supernatural's full scope and history, "It would be quite egocentric of us if we considered what happens to us to be all there is, right?"

Except, he is that egocentric. He ''does'' believe he is special. After all, he's had the Metaverse to himself since just after SEBEC until last April, his own personal Playground.

But it suits his purposes to let others think he's not.

Will he look into the mystery, won't he? It is difficult to say. However... a Detective is defined by there being a mystery that only he can solve, isn't that correct?

"Hopefully they haven't been harassed. The administrators at least are quite good on dealing with security threats to those who try to track down their posters."

As she takes the card, she speaks of it being far from the first time that she's encountered the concept of someone's 'ideal' world.

"Yes... I'd come to a similar conclusion. Especially with the recent discovery of the so-called 'Kingdoms'. If Palaces reflect an ideal of 'Warped Desire' then what do Kingdoms then reflect?"

He seems to ponder that for a time, before indicating, "Food for thought, perhaps, once we know more of their nature."

That cheerful disposition, it certainly elicits a cheerful smirk from him as well. "Perhaps instead, we might simply agree to exchange information regarding such realms with each other from time to time. I'm an expert in the Metaverse, having explored it for six months longer than even the so-called Phantom Thieves of Hearts."

A beat.

"... Though recently I discovered that there was someone who has wandered that realm longer than I." He murmurs, as he seems to drift off, troubled by it.

"A conversation for another time. I shouldn't keep you any longer. A lady ''does'' deserve time to put her feet up after a long day, wouldn't you agree?"

</poem>

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

2026-02-10: This Is Just Good Planning!

2026-02-11T16:24:13Z

Terra: Created page with "*'''Log: This Is Just Good Planning!''' *'''Cast:''' Suzume Fukura, Aigis *'''Where:''' Iwatodai Dormitory *'''OOC Date:''' February 10, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' September 23, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Aigis encounters a studying Suzume in the dorm common lounge, and it's the first time the two of them get to talk directly. They talk about SEES, school subjects, clubs, fashion, and sports ... then Suzume concocts a plan to both replace the television and evade scrutiny..."

*'''Log: This Is Just Good Planning!'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Suzume Fukura]], [[Aigis]]
*'''Where:''' Iwatodai Dormitory
*'''OOC Date:''' February 10, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' September 23, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Aigis encounters a studying Suzume in the dorm common lounge, and it's the first time the two of them get to talk directly. They talk about SEES, school subjects, clubs, fashion, and sports ... then Suzume concocts a plan to both replace the television and evade scrutiny over whether she's completed her math homework or not.''

----

(|============================ Iwatodai Dormitory ============================|)
-================================================== Iwatodai City/Iwatodai ====-
A large four-story dormitory used by the Specialized Extracurricular Execution
Squad, only five minutes from Iwatodai Station. Upon entering, one passes a desk
with a sign-in book for guests to find a large carpeted common room that's well
appointed for co-ed gatherings.

A TV is usually on with the local news or a movie that's been loaded into the
DVD player for a student to enjoy. A table for shared dinners, or more often
study sessions, takes up the other half of the dorm, as well as a kitchen should
one dare to show off their skills to their fellow students.

There are two winding staircases on either side. The one on the left simply says
'Boys' while the other on the right states 'No Boys Except By Invitation.' The
implicit threat of execution need not be written down for those who violate
these rules. The second and third stories are living spaces divided by gender
with common spaces that have study areas and bookshelves available.

The fourth story is the command center with surveillance capabilities for not
just different parts of the city but each room within the dorms. The Chairman
has assured all who live here that this capability is strictly necessary.

BGM - Dormitory Theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj-FrFI0qnM

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Iwatodai Dorms -- Sunday Evening

The dorms are not always the most hopping place, but they're almost never completely empty either. There's enough SEES students that SOMEONE is frequently coming, going, or hanging around, whether alone or in a group.

Though she tends to spend her days elsewhere when she can, Suzume Fukura frequently takes the television for Sunday evening sports when nobody is using it and there's a game on, even if it's just background while she does something else. Well, took - ever since the Strega attack there hasn't *been* one in the lounge. But tonight, she's still here.

Why? Homework.

Suzume is currently sitting on one of the couches in a position that looks kind of uncomfortable, with her legs tucked up and balancing a notebook and a textbook between them and the couch arm. She's flexible enough to do it, though.

Unfortunately for her, Suzume is doing *math* homework. And Suzume is not a math fan. As far as she's concerned it's fine when it's things she can do in her head, like arithmetic; anything more complex (such as, say, trigonometry, which is what she's currently staring at) can be left for either computers or the experts, whichever is more convenient.

So in short, Suzume is doing math, hating it, and desperately looking for something - anything - to be a distraction. She can't even have a baseball game on in the background!
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
As of late, Aigis has been tentatively involved with various club activities -- she's in a phase where she's trying things out to see what best sparks her interest. (Right now, the Art Club has best achieved that.) While there may have been a point in time where she went directly home after school, she has been more scarce and often returns home just an hour before curfew.

When she ''does'' arrive home, she immediately takes to her studies ... to mixed success, depending on the exact subject. Math is one of the subjects which Aigis hardly needs to expend any effort to understand, and her particular weaknesses lie in the humanities -- she's about ten years behind when it comes to the nuance often required to comprehend her reading assignments.

Her usual spot is at the dining table next to kitchen (she tends to prefer the couch when reading strictly for pleasure), but she spots Suzume on the couch along the way. "Good evening, Fukura-san," Aigis calmly greets her. "Are you studying tonight? Would you like some company?"

With some concern in her voice, she adds, "Are you doing well, given recent events? I fear that I have been lax in checking up on others."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Suzume is actually not involved in any clubs; when the school year opened, she wasn't in the mood to join, and these days it seems kind of awkward to do so. Where she goes on days off or after school is sometimes a mystery.

(But if Aigis is doing it, maybe she should...? It's not like she'd be the only new person...)

Suzume quite likes history, though she has trouble admitting it. Unfortunately, well... she doesn't have a history test tomorrow, and she *does* have a math quiz, so guess which one gets the work?

But she is very happy to be distracted by Aigis, and looks up with the kind of expression that suggests she's just been saved from a dire, math-infested fate. "Sure, sit down," is what she actually says; there's another couch AND she's only taking up half of this one, so Aigis has her choice of locations. She lies, "I'm just finishing up some stuff. Nearly done," but Suzume is not the best liar in the world. She should not be nearly done.

"...I should be asking you that," she says, setting her pencil down; there's not a table within easy reach, she's been balancing her notebook on a knee, so she tucks it behind one ear, where it nearly vanishes in her hair. "You're the one who's dealing with that. There's SEES stuff and you've only been at Gekkoukan for a few weeks."

"At least you got a uniform that works for you, huh?" Suzume hadn't been at the major clothes-purchasing trip, but she did volunteer a baseball cap. Because Suzume likes baseball.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Strength in history's something they both have in common -- or at least partially so, in Aigis' case. Memorizing the dates of events and the names of the figures involved is the easy part for her, but she falters when an assignment requires her to convey a coherent argument formed from those facts.

Rather than express doubt that Suzume is actually done, Aigis decides to check that she isn't going to be an unwitting accomplice to the crime of shirking her studies by calling her bluff more indirectly: she steeples her fingers together and leans forward with an expression which exudes her innocent pride and joy at Suzume's claims. "I am glad that you are making good progress! May I see for myself?"

Aigis shakes her head. "While I am ... ''adjusting'' to school life, and it ''has'' been an awkward transition, I consider myself naturally suited to some other aspects of what we do -- namely, the 'SEES stuff', as you say. I exist to suppress, eliminate, and destroy Shadows; I was explicitly designed with that as my primary function."

She gestures at Suzume with a hand. "Rest assured, I am not as burdened by that half of our lives." She closes her eyes and drily comments, "Now, if I could only navigate certain social situations better ..."

After she glances down at her own choice of casual wear today in the form of a white dress shirt, black slacks, and her signature red ribbon, she looks back up at Suzume and smiles. "I have, yes. I have been considering the Fashion Club, as well, but I am not certain if I would have the time to do so."

Most sports clubs are out of the question unless she's just there to serve as an assistant. Still, as she's reminded of the topic of baseball, Aigis turns her head to the void where the television used to be. "Perhaps we could attend a baseball game in-person sometime? Or find somewhere else to watch one."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>"Uh..." Crap, Suzume thinks, she's as bad as Mitsuru about it. And now she's trapped! She looks left and right as if checking if there is a way she can get out of it. No distraction presents itself. "...sure?"

Suzume is about half done. She has done an OK job with most of what she's done but a couple are just flat-out wrong, and she's done some doodles when her mind wandered. (Not doodles OF anything. She just does abstract repeating patterns. Which are kind of math-y in their own way.)

Busted...

She tries to distract Aigis by keeping the conversation going, though Suzume is not exactly restrained when she gets going anyway. "Yeah, well... I know that. I mean, now that I know you're a robot and not a tourist - "

Suzume pauses, scowling. "Do I call you a robot? Or is there a better word for it? I don't know, it feels kind of..." 'Dehumanizing' is the word she's looking for, but the right word isn't coming to mind. "Whatever. But anyway, I know that much. And I'm glad to be working with you. You saved our butts once already."

As for social situations, well, Suzume is prone to putting her foot in her mouth on a regular basis anyway, so she reddens slightly. Aigis isn't trying to make fun of her like some people would... but it still kind of FEELS like it.

It's easy to be reminded about baseball, because Suzume's idea of casual clothes is a loose-fit Hanshin Tigers T-shirt - one of the ones with this year's mascot, which is cuter than usual - and a pair of jeans. She hasn't exactly mastered fashion, or at least not popular fashion. It seems comfortable enough though; she's at least switched from shirts that look too baggy on her short frame to just regular loose.

"Fashion club?" she says, somewhere between surprised and incredulous. Aigis wants to do... fashion? She can't see it. But then again Suzume is, as mentioned, not exactly the most fashionable dresser in SEES. If there's anyone she dresses the most like, it's Junpei. (Right down to not wearing skirts. She wears one at school because she has to have one on her uniform. In the dorms, it's always pants or shorts.) "Really? You? Fashion club?" She doesn't mean to be insulting, but, well...

Foot, mouth, etc.

And she realizes it, because she continues hastily: "I actually went to one over summer break. I can't go much." Baseball games are expensive by Suzume's standards; she does not have Kirijo money. "But we could find somewhere to go to watch one... actually, that gives me an idea. I'd need your help for it though!"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
"Fukura-san." Her tone is as neutral as ever, but now-absent of the effusive praise she had given moments before, the quick switch may easily be understood as disappointment. There is no ire in her response, only judgment-free gentleness. "Would you like me to assist you in your studies tonight?"

As far as she's concerned, she is a robot; that isn't an insult, it's an accurate descriptor. "'Robot' is one term for it; 'android' is another." Those at least afford her some agency while still acknowledging what she is, but ... she closes her eyes in distaste. "I would protest the use of a term such as 'doll', however, if I understand what you are getting at."

She quietly stares at Suzume after she thanks her for saving their butts at least once, then averts her gaze. "You are welcome. I hope there is no further need to save any of you, but should another crisis arrive, I hope that I am able to do so again."

Aigis slightly frowns, lowers her shoulders, and tilts her head after Suzume expresses confusion about what Aigis may see in the Fashion Club. "Yes, really." She has a logical explanation for this and initiailly thought this was plainly apparent to Suzume, but seeing how that isn't actually the case, she continues, "It is a form of self-expression, and it may serve as an avenue for me to gain a more clear picture of who I truly am. I have found that even I have my own aesthetic tastes and preferences."

"Oh, I did not realize they were difficult to attend..." Aigis lowers her head in thought, but raises it again shortly after. "What is this idea of yours? If I am able to help, I would be glad to do so."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Aigis' tone sounds like disappointment to *Suzume*. She really is like Mitsuru, Suzume thinks to herself, reddening despite herself. Should have guessed the Kirijo employee would be.

"Uh, sure, if you want." A pause. "What are YOU studying?" Please tell her it's something other than math, something that Suzume knows anything about. Then she won't feel quite as much like she's being patronized. She hasn't gotten a good look at Aigis' books.

But then she's getting stared at. Suzume draws herself up, more confident: "Next time I'll save you," she says, with a very slight grin. "If it comes up. But hopefully we won't need it." Not that she intends to shirk her Shadow-fighting duties - rather the opposite. Suzume just likes being the one being depended on more than the one who depends on someone else to bail them out... even if her taking risks sometimes mean she *does* need it.

Thoughtfully: "OK. So, no karakuri then." Aigis doesn't really feel like a mechanized puppet... "Anyway, I wouldn't. You're a robot. Robots are cool. As long as you're fine with it." She was honestly hoping not to need to use 'anti-Shadow suppression weapon' every time. 'Weapon' feels wrong for the same reason karakuri - or doll - would.

She has limited knowledge of fashion, and lets out a noncommital sound that might be a grunt if you're being ungenerous. "I guess. I don't really..." She trails off before blurting out, "I don't *get* fashion. I know Takeba-san's mad for it, but it's like, whatever. As long as I'm dressed. Guys have it lucky there, nobody expects a whole lot out of them." She expected Aigis to have her own ways of self-expression (well, maybe; she's STILL kind of shocked there's actual robots out there) but was clearly not expecting fashion to be one of them.

Do all girls like dressing up? Suzume thinks to herself, with a sigh. Then why don't I?

She leaves THAT thought for later. "Baseball games cost money to attend a pro game," Suzume explains, "and you gotta buy the tickets early if you want good seats. So it's something you can't do all the time. But the idea - right!"

Suzume waves her hand over to where the television was. "The TV's gone," she says, "but there's still the place where the cable goes to plug it in. And some of the dorms have televisions in them - old ones, chunky CRTs, 'cause this place was apparently a hotel first. Mine does, actually, but it's being used. If we could get one, maybe out of one of the empty dorm rooms, we could hook it up...? It wouldn't be as good as the old television because those are smaller and older but it should work."

"...I just think it would be easier to get down with two people, those things are heavy." She's still astounded that Hitomi made it down with one! She could have sworn she's stronger than Hitomi. "Plus, uh... we might have to get into some of the closed-up rooms."

Suzume cannot unlock those doors.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
"Oh. Modern literature." Aigis glances down at the books in her bag and furrows her brow. "I am struggling in the subject." In addition to the textbook, she's checked out a few copies of full novels ... just to better understand the excerpts from them in the textbook. "I would appreciate some help with it, if you are able. Perhaps we could mutually benefit from such an arrangement."

Her mood brightens when Suzume returns the offer to save ''her''. "Hopefully we will not need it, indeed. All the same, I am glad that we may rely on each other."

'Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon' is a mouthful, yes. Aigis nods. "I am fine with it, yes."

"I seem to have caused you some distress. I was not aware that gender norms came into play so heavily ..." Aigis folds her arms, closes her eyes, and tilts her head. "In my instance, having a choice in apparel is a very recent novelty. I think I would be interested regardless of which gender I may more closely resemble."

She leans her head in the other direction and her frown deepens. "Men and boys partake in fashion, too, as do you, so I do not entirely understand your confusion in this regard. For instance, you express your enthusiasm for your sports team of choice through wearing their merchandise, correct?"

There's a gap here -- Aigis hasn't quite grasped the full connotations of what people usually refer to by 'fashion' beyond the simple question of clothing choice.

Her eyes light up with excitement. "The designs of ''bosozoku'' uniforms are quite striking, in my opinion. A long jacket, emblazoned with a symbol that inspires the allies standing behind the man who wears it ..!"

... she's been reading some other novels for pleasure, it seems.

"I should be able to lift something heavy, sure. However, does the Kirijo Group not have the keys to those rooms?" She glances down at her bag again, then up at Suzume. "I can assist with entry if not."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Modern literature, huh...

"That stuff's not too bad," Suzume says, with more confidence than she really feels. But her grades are actually pretty good in them - it was one of the courses bringing up her average - so maybe she deserves some of that confidence. "I can help a bit. I can get my notes too if you wanna look at them."

They might even be useful!

Suzume lets out another noncommital sound at Aigis' enthusiasm for clothes. "What? I mean - yeah, I do cheer for the Tigers, but - " She's thrown for a moment. "It's not quite the same. Everybody keeps *judging* girls for it. What they look like, what they dress like, whether they have makeup on. How they do their hair. For guys - I mean, people do that too, but not the same way."

How do you explain the difference in expectations? Something Suzume is acutely aware of, but doesn't really have the words to explain. She gets tongue-tied when she tries, or embarrasses herself, and she is determined NOT to do that in front of the cool robot.

Especially when she's so enthusiastic about... bosozoku. Really?? she thinks. "Uh, you're a little out of date for bosozoku, that was big when my *parents* were kids." A pause. "They were kinda cool, I guess, but... nobody does that anymore."

But they could, part of her brain points out. Suzume ignores that part.

"But hey, my SEES outfit has a jacket, a kinda long one. Maybe you could get one of those?" Aigis doesn't have the same kind of jacket, Suzume thinks, but what's stopping her. "And... put a symbol on it...?" What symbol would she even use?

Oh, she can just ask. "What would you even put on it though?" she asks, curious.

As for the keys... "They have the keys. I don't," Suzume shrugs. "But it's way easier to just do it and worry about it afterwards. If I asked Kirijo-san, she'd say..." Suzume clears her throat and pitches her voice a little bit differently. "Fukura. Is it really appropriate for you to spend your time on watching television? Perhaps after exams." Back to normal voice: "And then something in French."

"But if I just do it, everybody else'll be happy enough to have a TV that nobody will get in any trouble for it."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
"Very well, then. We can get started shortly." Not immediately, just soon.

Aigis pauses in thought to take in what Suzume has relayed to her about the societal expectations placed on women. This description makes it seem like it's something imposed by others, not something that comes from within as she's seen it ... Suzume's reluctance and Yukari's zeal for it now seem more clear to her. "I see. That does explain a few things in hindsight ..."

Woefully, Aigis admits, "I am aware they are no longer in vogue, yes." But they could, part of her brain points out. Aigis barrels headlong into that part. "Nothing prevents someone from doing something similar today, correct?"

The offer about the jacket is tempting, but ... "I do not yet know of a fitting symbol. I may contact you about that after I determine one."

Aigis thoughtfully considers Suzume's impression of Mitsuru. She finds it convincing: Mitsuru ''would'' act that way, at least according to her mental model of her. Yes, Suzume is right, this way is simply more optimal. "I am quite adept at picking locks. If this will hasten matters, I am happy to assist."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Suzume has pretty strong opinions about gendered expectations for appearance...

...but she's not very good at putting words to them. She knows what she means. She tries not to interrogate herself too much about it because it makes her uncomfortable in ways she DEFINITELY does not want to think about.

Even this is, a little. She unfolds herself from where she'd planted herself on the couch. "Don't contact me, I'm not the one who makes the outfits! And you can't just borrow mine, it'd never fit." Suzume is short, Aigis has several inches of height on her - and more than that, Suzume is concerned that it'd get caught in those joint guards she has around her shoulders.

How does she do that with regular clothes? Suzume thinks. Did someone have to tailor ALL of them?

"...but nothing's really stopping you, no. It's long ago it might even be retro," Suzume says, thoughtfully. She usually only thinks about retro video games. Retro fashion is something she's never considered in her life.

As for the last...

"Great," she says, brightly. "Tell you what. Let's get a television down here before it gets any later, so that we don't keep anyone up by bringing it through the hall. And I can get my literature notes while we're up there, so you can look at them when we get back."

The fact that it gets Suzume out and away from her math homework is a completely different thing and definitely not at all related. Not even a little bit. This is just good planning!

It's going to be a busy evening...
</poem>

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

2026-02-09: I Do Not Have Breath. You Do.

2026-02-11T16:14:43Z

Terra:

*'''Log: I Do Not Have Breath. You Do.'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Shinjiro Aragaki]], [[Aigis]]
*'''Where:''' The Moonlight Bridge
*'''OOC Date:''' February 09, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' September 23, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''After escaping the Reaper in Mementos, Shinjiro and Aigis walk down the Moonlight Bridge together and talk about the respective self-perceived values of their own lives compared to the people they must protect. One of them will unavoidably die soon, the other is effectively immortal, but in practice, they act very similarly.''
*'''Content Warnings''': Discussion of terminal illness.

----

(|=========================== The Moonlight Bridge ===========================|)
-======================================= Iwatodai City/Tatsumi Port Island ====-
A long suspension bridge across the bay connects Iwatodai with the other side of
Tatsumi, where one finds Paulownia Mall. The Moonlight Bridge stands in defiance
of all the sorrows it has hosted -- ferrying travellers across the water without
a word. One can access it by walkway on both sides, while a wide road running
through the centre takes road traffic across.

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>For twelve hours, SEES was lost in Mementos. Afterwards, they were tired and hungry, and though that was dealt with, Sunday was taken as a rest day at least by Shinjiro.

His shoulder is still bugging him, but it'll heal. He's spent the day in his room, coming out to eat, but as evening approaches, he goes looking for Aigis.

With everything weighing on him, and what she said to him while being chased by the Reaper... they need to talk.

Once he found her, he invited her on a walk, get some fresh air and clear their heads, and maybe talk about some things.

The walk was silent at first, with Shinjiro simply taking in the scenery, but his trajectory takes them to the Moonlight Bridge. There's *some* people, but it's a relatively quiet place, good for talking. It's a nice evening, not too hot.

"So, how are you holding up?" he asks as they cross over, as if it was a liminal zone of some stripe. (He didn't really want to talk about it too close to the dorm.)
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Physically, Aigis is ... fine. Low on charge, but not in need of major non-cosmetic repairs.

Emotionally -- and at this point, Aigis must admit that she possesses ''some'' spark of emotion within her, however small -- well, that's how she'll answer.

Aigis hangs her head low. "That was a nerve-wracking experience, even for myself." She stands upright again to look at Shinjiro to briefly clarify something: "I am glad that we succeeded, do not misunderstand."

She averts her gaze to the side as she becomes downcast once again. "However, I have begun to doubt my own capabilities. I have but one purpose, but if others can fulfill it just as easily as I am able to ..."

She's already told Hitomi about it -- ''part'' of it, at least. It starts to come out again here, but then she remembers herself. Shinjiro brought her here; presumably he had wanted to speak about something else.

"Never mind that for now," she says as she shakes her head. "In summary, not well, but not bad, either."

Those crystal blue eyes of hers peer directly back at Shinjiro. "How about yourself?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>"...yeah. The fact we're all alive is a miracle, but one I'm willing to take," Shinjiro admits.

As Aigis doubts her own capabilities, even if she wants to move on from it, he does take a moment to reassure. "You're a valuable part of this team. And with those you're willing to protect... it's better to have people to support you in it, than to take it all on yourself."

Hypocrisy is a hell of a drug, though, even if he's trying to get better at that.

The conversation moves over to him, though, and he tries to roll his shoulders, before wincing in pain lightly. "I'm holding up," he says, which is better than 'I'm fine'. He does, however, get straight to the point.

"...you told me not to waste my breath. Why?"

He knows he says it often. But to have it repeated... he wants to understand her motives in that moment.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis wears an expression of cold irritation on her face as Shinjiro first reassures her, then immediately after asks her, he asks why she said to not waste his breath.

"In one sense, I was simply telling you to remain alive strictly for the tactical advantages it provides us. You will recall that I placed Palladion between the Reaper's projectile and yourself and tried to take the brunt of it in your stead."

Her face falls into something more soft but somber. "It is precisely as you just said: it's better to have people to support you in protecting others rather than to take it all on yourself."

"It was selfish of me. Had you died -- had any of us met our ends there -- we would have had far lower chances of escaping with our lives intact."

More to the point, it would have decreased Minako's chances of survival, specifically.

Aigis turns her eyes to the side as she explains further. "I am unlike the others in that as long as my core remains intact, replacement parts can be fabricated, and I can be repaired. Others have commented on my self-sacrifical nature, but I am utilizing that aspect of myself to its fullest extent."

To punctuate her point, she once again levels her steely-cold stare at Shinjiro. "I do not have breath. You do."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>Shinjiro sees the irritation. But he's going somewhere with this.

He listens to her closely. "If Kawase had died..." he can't finish the sentence, but the implication is more or less 'better me than her'.

"Tch," he says as she repeats his words, but it's got no bite. He set himself up for that.

"...My breath is limited," he says. "Do you remember when you asked me if I'm unwell? And I said it was something I need to see through?"

He sighs, hand shaking lightly from both the stress and his natural condition.

"...my life is less valuable than the rest," he says, unable to actually outright say what he needs to say easily. He's said it a lot lately, but something about Aigis's forthright nature makes it more difficult.

"If it had saved the rest of you, that would be acceptable. We're lucky we all got out of there. But I don't..."

He starts to trail off, and then pivots back to say it.

"I don't have much time."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis listens intently to Shinjiro's full explanation, only nodding to confirm when prompted about if she remembers when he said he was unwell.

She owes him that much respect -- to hear him out fully, with no interjections. "A terminal illness, then?" Her own question comes out meekly. "... how much time?"

As she ponders over the rest of Shinjiro's logic, however, she begins to grow more and more confused. "Your argument is that because you have less time to live, then you are the most expendable. Do I understand that correctly?"

Aigis firmly shakes her head and gestures forward with a hand. "If that is all there is to it, then I am afraid I must reject that argument. By that logic, because I have the most time out of anyone to exist, then my life would have the most quote-unquote 'value'."

She clasps both of her hands in front of her, holding them above her waist. Her tone becomes more gentle. "I see it the opposite way. Just as humans with their longer lifespans take care of other life forms with less longevity than themselves, so too is my role to take care of humanity. For instance, see how we all take care of Koromaru-san, or how we tend to the plants on the rooftop garden."

"In my opinion, if anything, such a scarcity is to be further protected." Aigis sadly lowers her gaze again. "Therefore, if you do not have as much time as others ... I believe you get the idea."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>"...maybe a year," Shinjiro admits. "...organ failure. It's been going on for the past two years." Since he left SEES.

But his eyes widen in surprise when she rejects his argument. That she thinks he needs to be further protected... the comparison to Koromaru, the comparison to the plants.

Those are precious things. Shinjiro can't consider himself among them.

"...that's different. I'm dead already. Why expend effort for me? There's nothing to cultivate. No... future."

It always stings to vocalize what he's lost.

"...I don't *want* to die," he does reassure. "I have people I need to protect. But... if it's me or someone else, I can't be the one prioritized. It's not fair to anyone."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
To only have a year left -- Aigis cannot even begin to imagine. Effectively speaking, as long as she avoids taking a direct hit to her core, she is immortal. When it comes down to it, their perspectives ''starkly'' contrast against each other.

There's more to his view that she doesn't see right now. She can state her disagreement all she likes, but that intractable gulf does exist between their respective experiences. "Forgive me if I spoke out of turn, then."

"... You do still have that year, you do still have a nonzero amount of time to exist in the future," she corrects. "You are employing hyperbole. Still, if you are afforded even that much more time rather than meet a premature end, you may have a lasting impact on those who you leave behind."

Fairness.

To talk about 'fairness' ''here'' at the Moonlight Bridge of all places, the very site of her most grave mistake, her worst failure.

Aigis leans against the railing and looks out to the horizon past where the bridge leads. "Tell me, Aragaki-san: how is it that we can both feel the exact same way given our different lifespans? I do not think it would be fair to prioritize my own survival over the ones who I have a duty to protect."

"I am responsible for why their lives changed so drastically, after all. At least in part."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>Shinjiro's struggle here, his view, is defined by his self-loathing. Aigis may even be able to realize that, the way he talks, the way he sees himself.

"...I can't be sure I'll have any impact," he admits. "At least, not for the better." Who's writing the story, he wonders? And will he make it in?

His eyebrow does rise, as she explains they feel the exact same way. As they both look out to the horizon. But her reason... what does she mean? It's not his place to pry.

"...I'm the same way. My entire life is wrapped in my mistakes, and I've... made other lives worse. Hell, I haven't even told Aki what's going on yet. I hurt, and hurt, and hurt. and the people I want to protect... Aki, Kirijo... Amada..."

"I have only made their lives worse."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
They've come full circle, it seems. The topic that Aigis had diverted from at the start of this conversation when she was speaking about how she was doing.

Aigis smiles, albeit bitterly, with her jaw set in some strange manner. Here. Here! Of all places, ''here!'' For him to speak like that! To go on with the same sense of self-loathing that she has for herself!

"I am afraid that I have done the same, in my case. For the Arisato twins." She suppresses the urge she has to strike the railing in frustration and only grips it tightly instead, scraping metal with metal. "This bridge is where their parents died, in the course of my first major deployment, in my conflict against the Shadow which escaped the laboratory."

Aigis buries her face in her hands. "I, too, hurt, and hurt, and hurt." It is still only a half-truth, she is omitting other major details. Something of ''that'' magnitude still may be too much to burden anyone else with. "I wish to make up for what I have inflicted upon them, but ... if Takeba-san or Yamagishi-san can do the same just well in my stead -- "

She hunches over, further curling inward. " -- then what reason do I have to continue on this way?! What right do I have to exist if I cannot properly fulfill my only purpose?"

Belatedly, something in what Shinjiro said registers to her. "... Amada-san, you say?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>Shinjiro does pause when Aigis grips the railing, when she explains that she is part of the cause of the Arisato twins' parents' death. He didn't really know.

At the least, her own anguish, the anguish of the machine who may well be as much of a person as any of them, snaps his self-loathing off a bit. He places a hand on the railing next to her own, thoughtful, and seems like he's going to speak.

And then he realizes what he said, when Aigis asks, and the self-loathing returns a thousand times. He shouldn't say anything. It's not a good thing to say. But... she told him her own secret, so to avoid her question...

"...two years ago, me, Aki, and Kirijo were on patrol. Big nasty Shadow in a residential district. I went off half-cocked, got really angry, and... I lost control of my Persona."
He rolls his shoulders, another light wince.

"There was a casualty. ...his mother. And now he's here, in the same life as us, facing the same pain as us. He doesn't know. No one but those who were there know among our group. No one *can* know, or they won't trust Aki or Kirijo. The corporation covered it up... and I tried to find a way to control myself, no matter the consequences."

His eyes glance over at her, locked on like a hawk.

"That's why I'm running out of time. The medicine I take... it helps me suppress my Persona, but if I stop taking it, I die. But it's also killing me slowly. It's a catch-22..."

He laughs. It's bitter. "So I want to make sure he's safe. ...I want to make sure no one ever makes the same mistakes I did. I guess that's my reason for returning to the fold, for living even so. My own purpose."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis slowly returns to a standing upright position as she listens to Shinjiro explain. She places her hands at her sides. "... We are more alike even more than I had initially thought. I may not have lost control of my Persona, but I was not strong enough to prevent the Shadow from killing them."

She isn't directly responsible for their deaths, no ... but she had full control over what she did after the battle. The Shadow is not dead, only dormant.

"That ... does explain why both you and I considered Amada-san's induction into SEES as 'the worst possible fate.'" Aigis lowers her gaze again. "We brought them into this -- the Arisato twins and Amada-san."

And in the case of the Arisato twins, that risks everyone's lives.

"I have only said this much about my past deeds to ... Mandai-san and yourself." Aigis shakes her head. "I am uncertain if the Kirijo Group is even aware of the truth of matters. They might, but ... I believe it is more likely that they are not."

That's why she woke up during their visit to Yakushima, after those ten long years. That's why she had escaped from her creators and worked independently from them without their knowledge. She felt them there -- she knew what she had done, and this was why she needed to evade recapture.

The hooded man's words of 'Kirijo wind-up toy!' echo in her mind, and they rang true to her at the time he had said them, but ... this is proof positive that she is capable of acting on her own, isn't it? Shinjiro decided his own purpose, so surely she can do the same.

... but what should that even be? Realizing she is capable of doing so is different than deciding what form that should take.

She places her elbow in one hand to lean her face on the other and pensively closes her eyes. "There is your answer, then, as to why I said you should not waste your breath. You have a purpose to fulfill, do you not? What good would dying down in Mementos have served Amada-san, where he was not present?"

Aigis opens her eyes and stares curiously at Shinjiro -- there's something which hasn't escaped her notice. "There is one part of your story which I do not fully understand. If you were away from SEES for so long until only recently, and if you have been taking this Persona-suppressing medicine for three years, how did you manage to obtain it? It would have to be manufactured by the Kirijo Group, correct?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>"...your secrets are safe with me," Shinjiro tells Aigis. He doesn't even ask for reciprocation, though he'll probably get it. "...yeah. And that means we have to be the ones to make sure they make it through."

But about his answer... to why he shouldn't waste his breath. He has a purpose to fulfill. It wouldn't do Amada any good...

"...and it wouldn't do the Arisatos much good to not have you helping them. Even if others can do the same... doing it for yourself is still acceptable. ...but you're right."

But about how he got the medicine. He exhales. "Strega. They sold it to me. Money at first. Then info I picked up on the street. ...and then intel, especially when I needed an Evoker on short notice. Nothing they couldn't have gotten elsewhere, nothing that I thought would directly endanger anyone... but I breached that barrier of trust. I'm going to have to pick up the pieces to fix it, if I even can. But I intend to."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
He will. "And likewise." She bows her head when he says 'we have to be the ones,' then nods once before rising.

A relieved smile creeps onto her face. Doing it for herself is acceptable -- "Thank you. I do not think I would have let myself believe that if you had not said so."

One can perhaps imagine the state she was in while she was separated from Minako, with the threat of the Reaper ever looming in the background.

Aigis tilts her head again. "Strega ..? The ones who attacked the dormitory?" She takes a moment to process this, but she doesn't seem angry. Not entirely, at least.

"Given what you must have known or hadn't known yet at any given time, I do not think I can fault you ''too'' greatly ..."

"We both have responsibilities which we should not escape from, it seems."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>"You're welcome," Shinjiro says earnestly.

About Strega... "...yeah. They want to keep the Dark Hour going, apparently. I... can't agree with it, not with everything it's caused. I'm going to help stop them."

And about responsibility, he sighs, but it ends in a light smile. "Guess that's a good enough reason than any to keep moving. Once I'm gone, I'll have to leave it to you and the others to continue for me. ...but there's no reason to rush it right now."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Just as she couldn't fathom Shinjiro's short remainder of life, she can't seem to wrap her head around why Strega would want to maintain the Dark Hour. It is simply outside of the current realm of her experiences.

She nods in agreement that it should be ended. "I feel the same as you. Still, I wish to know more about ''why'' they feel that way."

"Not a moment sooner than necessary, mind you -- like you said, no rushing it." Aigis points a finger at Shinjiro. "At that point, I would be more than happy to carry on your task."

Aigis walks forward a few steps, then turns back to face Shinjiro and leans forward as she smiles. "For now, you offered the promise of food, right? Are you planning to cook something again, or are we going to partake of a different kind of meal and social context?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>"...we'll find out, I suppose." Shinjiro replies. But not a moment sooner than necessary, and Aigis will help once he's gone. That brings another soft smile to his face.

Though, then she's moving. Food, huh... "I'll make something. I did drag you out here for a depressing chat, after all, it's the least I can do."

A small grin rises on his face as he says that.

"Besides, it's relaxing. Maybe I'll teach you how to cook, sometime." Yes, she doesn't *need to*, but it's a good skill to learn!
</poem>

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

2026-02-09: I Do Not Have Breath. You Do.

2026-02-11T16:14:07Z

Terra: Created page with "*'''Log: I Do Not Have Breath. You Do.''' *'''Cast:''' Shinjiro Aragaki, Aigis *'''Where:''' The Moonlight Bridge *'''OOC Date:''' February 09, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' September 23, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''After escaping the Reaper in Mementos, Shinjiro and Aigis walk down the Moonlight Bridge together and talk about the respective self-perceived values of their own lives compared to the people they must protect. One of them will unavoidably die soon, the other is ef..."

*'''Log: I Do Not Have Breath. You Do.'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Shinjiro Aragaki]], [[Aigis]]
*'''Where:''' The Moonlight Bridge
*'''OOC Date:''' February 09, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' September 23, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''After escaping the Reaper in Mementos, Shinjiro and Aigis walk down the Moonlight Bridge together and talk about the respective self-perceived values of their own lives compared to the people they must protect. One of them will unavoidably die soon, the other is effectively immortal, but in practice, they act very similarly.''

----

(|=========================== The Moonlight Bridge ===========================|)
-======================================= Iwatodai City/Tatsumi Port Island ====-
A long suspension bridge across the bay connects Iwatodai with the other side of
Tatsumi, where one finds Paulownia Mall. The Moonlight Bridge stands in defiance
of all the sorrows it has hosted -- ferrying travellers across the water without
a word. One can access it by walkway on both sides, while a wide road running
through the centre takes road traffic across.

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>For twelve hours, SEES was lost in Mementos. Afterwards, they were tired and hungry, and though that was dealt with, Sunday was taken as a rest day at least by Shinjiro.

His shoulder is still bugging him, but it'll heal. He's spent the day in his room, coming out to eat, but as evening approaches, he goes looking for Aigis.

With everything weighing on him, and what she said to him while being chased by the Reaper... they need to talk.

Once he found her, he invited her on a walk, get some fresh air and clear their heads, and maybe talk about some things.

The walk was silent at first, with Shinjiro simply taking in the scenery, but his trajectory takes them to the Moonlight Bridge. There's *some* people, but it's a relatively quiet place, good for talking. It's a nice evening, not too hot.

"So, how are you holding up?" he asks as they cross over, as if it was a liminal zone of some stripe. (He didn't really want to talk about it too close to the dorm.)
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Physically, Aigis is ... fine. Low on charge, but not in need of major non-cosmetic repairs.

Emotionally -- and at this point, Aigis must admit that she possesses ''some'' spark of emotion within her, however small -- well, that's how she'll answer.

Aigis hangs her head low. "That was a nerve-wracking experience, even for myself." She stands upright again to look at Shinjiro to briefly clarify something: "I am glad that we succeeded, do not misunderstand."

She averts her gaze to the side as she becomes downcast once again. "However, I have begun to doubt my own capabilities. I have but one purpose, but if others can fulfill it just as easily as I am able to ..."

She's already told Hitomi about it -- ''part'' of it, at least. It starts to come out again here, but then she remembers herself. Shinjiro brought her here; presumably he had wanted to speak about something else.

"Never mind that for now," she says as she shakes her head. "In summary, not well, but not bad, either."

Those crystal blue eyes of hers peer directly back at Shinjiro. "How about yourself?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>"...yeah. The fact we're all alive is a miracle, but one I'm willing to take," Shinjiro admits.

As Aigis doubts her own capabilities, even if she wants to move on from it, he does take a moment to reassure. "You're a valuable part of this team. And with those you're willing to protect... it's better to have people to support you in it, than to take it all on yourself."

Hypocrisy is a hell of a drug, though, even if he's trying to get better at that.

The conversation moves over to him, though, and he tries to roll his shoulders, before wincing in pain lightly. "I'm holding up," he says, which is better than 'I'm fine'. He does, however, get straight to the point.

"...you told me not to waste my breath. Why?"

He knows he says it often. But to have it repeated... he wants to understand her motives in that moment.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis wears an expression of cold irritation on her face as Shinjiro first reassures her, then immediately after asks her, he asks why she said to not waste his breath.

"In one sense, I was simply telling you to remain alive strictly for the tactical advantages it provides us. You will recall that I placed Palladion between the Reaper's projectile and yourself and tried to take the brunt of it in your stead."

Her face falls into something more soft but somber. "It is precisely as you just said: it's better to have people to support you in protecting others rather than to take it all on yourself."

"It was selfish of me. Had you died -- had any of us met our ends there -- we would have had far lower chances of escaping with our lives intact."

More to the point, it would have decreased Minako's chances of survival, specifically.

Aigis turns her eyes to the side as she explains further. "I am unlike the others in that as long as my core remains intact, replacement parts can be fabricated, and I can be repaired. Others have commented on my self-sacrifical nature, but I am utilizing that aspect of myself to its fullest extent."

To punctuate her point, she once again levels her steely-cold stare at Shinjiro. "I do not have breath. You do."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>Shinjiro sees the irritation. But he's going somewhere with this.

He listens to her closely. "If Kawase had died..." he can't finish the sentence, but the implication is more or less 'better me than her'.

"Tch," he says as she repeats his words, but it's got no bite. He set himself up for that.

"...My breath is limited," he says. "Do you remember when you asked me if I'm unwell? And I said it was something I need to see through?"

He sighs, hand shaking lightly from both the stress and his natural condition.

"...my life is less valuable than the rest," he says, unable to actually outright say what he needs to say easily. He's said it a lot lately, but something about Aigis's forthright nature makes it more difficult.

"If it had saved the rest of you, that would be acceptable. We're lucky we all got out of there. But I don't..."

He starts to trail off, and then pivots back to say it.

"I don't have much time."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis listens intently to Shinjiro's full explanation, only nodding to confirm when prompted about if she remembers when he said he was unwell.

She owes him that much respect -- to hear him out fully, with no interjections. "A terminal illness, then?" Her own question comes out meekly. "... how much time?"

As she ponders over the rest of Shinjiro's logic, however, she begins to grow more and more confused. "Your argument is that because you have less time to live, then you are the most expendable. Do I understand that correctly?"

Aigis firmly shakes her head and gestures forward with a hand. "If that is all there is to it, then I am afraid I must reject that argument. By that logic, because I have the most time out of anyone to exist, then my life would have the most quote-unquote 'value'."

She clasps both of her hands in front of her, holding them above her waist. Her tone becomes more gentle. "I see it the opposite way. Just as humans with their longer lifespans take care of other life forms with less longevity than themselves, so too is my role to take care of humanity. For instance, see how we all take care of Koromaru-san, or how we tend to the plants on the rooftop garden."

"In my opinion, if anything, such a scarcity is to be further protected." Aigis sadly lowers her gaze again. "Therefore, if you do not have as much time as others ... I believe you get the idea."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>"...maybe a year," Shinjiro admits. "...organ failure. It's been going on for the past two years." Since he left SEES.

But his eyes widen in surprise when she rejects his argument. That she thinks he needs to be further protected... the comparison to Koromaru, the comparison to the plants.

Those are precious things. Shinjiro can't consider himself among them.

"...that's different. I'm dead already. Why expend effort for me? There's nothing to cultivate. No... future."

It always stings to vocalize what he's lost.

"...I don't *want* to die," he does reassure. "I have people I need to protect. But... if it's me or someone else, I can't be the one prioritized. It's not fair to anyone."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
To only have a year left -- Aigis cannot even begin to imagine. Effectively speaking, as long as she avoids taking a direct hit to her core, she is immortal. When it comes down to it, their perspectives ''starkly'' contrast against each other.

There's more to his view that she doesn't see right now. She can state her disagreement all she likes, but that intractable gulf does exist between their respective experiences. "Forgive me if I spoke out of turn, then."

"... You do still have that year, you do still have a nonzero amount of time to exist in the future," she corrects. "You are employing hyperbole. Still, if you are afforded even that much more time rather than meet a premature end, you may have a lasting impact on those who you leave behind."

Fairness.

To talk about 'fairness' ''here'' at the Moonlight Bridge of all places, the very site of her most grave mistake, her worst failure.

Aigis leans against the railing and looks out to the horizon past where the bridge leads. "Tell me, Aragaki-san: how is it that we can both feel the exact same way given our different lifespans? I do not think it would be fair to prioritize my own survival over the ones who I have a duty to protect."

"I am responsible for why their lives changed so drastically, after all. At least in part."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>Shinjiro's struggle here, his view, is defined by his self-loathing. Aigis may even be able to realize that, the way he talks, the way he sees himself.

"...I can't be sure I'll have any impact," he admits. "At least, not for the better." Who's writing the story, he wonders? And will he make it in?

His eyebrow does rise, as she explains they feel the exact same way. As they both look out to the horizon. But her reason... what does she mean? It's not his place to pry.

"...I'm the same way. My entire life is wrapped in my mistakes, and I've... made other lives worse. Hell, I haven't even told Aki what's going on yet. I hurt, and hurt, and hurt. and the people I want to protect... Aki, Kirijo... Amada..."

"I have only made their lives worse."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
They've come full circle, it seems. The topic that Aigis had diverted from at the start of this conversation when she was speaking about how she was doing.

Aigis smiles, albeit bitterly, with her jaw set in some strange manner. Here. Here! Of all places, ''here!'' For him to speak like that! To go on with the same sense of self-loathing that she has for herself!

"I am afraid that I have done the same, in my case. For the Arisato twins." She suppresses the urge she has to strike the railing in frustration and only grips it tightly instead, scraping metal with metal. "This bridge is where their parents died, in the course of my first major deployment, in my conflict against the Shadow which escaped the laboratory."

Aigis buries her face in her hands. "I, too, hurt, and hurt, and hurt." It is still only a half-truth, she is omitting other major details. Something of ''that'' magnitude still may be too much to burden anyone else with. "I wish to make up for what I have inflicted upon them, but ... if Takeba-san or Yamagishi-san can do the same just well in my stead -- "

She hunches over, further curling inward. " -- then what reason do I have to continue on this way?! What right do I have to exist if I cannot properly fulfill my only purpose?"

Belatedly, something in what Shinjiro said registers to her. "... Amada-san, you say?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>Shinjiro does pause when Aigis grips the railing, when she explains that she is part of the cause of the Arisato twins' parents' death. He didn't really know.

At the least, her own anguish, the anguish of the machine who may well be as much of a person as any of them, snaps his self-loathing off a bit. He places a hand on the railing next to her own, thoughtful, and seems like he's going to speak.

And then he realizes what he said, when Aigis asks, and the self-loathing returns a thousand times. He shouldn't say anything. It's not a good thing to say. But... she told him her own secret, so to avoid her question...

"...two years ago, me, Aki, and Kirijo were on patrol. Big nasty Shadow in a residential district. I went off half-cocked, got really angry, and... I lost control of my Persona."
He rolls his shoulders, another light wince.

"There was a casualty. ...his mother. And now he's here, in the same life as us, facing the same pain as us. He doesn't know. No one but those who were there know among our group. No one *can* know, or they won't trust Aki or Kirijo. The corporation covered it up... and I tried to find a way to control myself, no matter the consequences."

His eyes glance over at her, locked on like a hawk.

"That's why I'm running out of time. The medicine I take... it helps me suppress my Persona, but if I stop taking it, I die. But it's also killing me slowly. It's a catch-22..."

He laughs. It's bitter. "So I want to make sure he's safe. ...I want to make sure no one ever makes the same mistakes I did. I guess that's my reason for returning to the fold, for living even so. My own purpose."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis slowly returns to a standing upright position as she listens to Shinjiro explain. She places her hands at her sides. "... We are more alike even more than I had initially thought. I may not have lost control of my Persona, but I was not strong enough to prevent the Shadow from killing them."

She isn't directly responsible for their deaths, no ... but she had full control over what she did after the battle. The Shadow is not dead, only dormant.

"That ... does explain why both you and I considered Amada-san's induction into SEES as 'the worst possible fate.'" Aigis lowers her gaze again. "We brought them into this -- the Arisato twins and Amada-san."

And in the case of the Arisato twins, that risks everyone's lives.

"I have only said this much about my past deeds to ... Mandai-san and yourself." Aigis shakes her head. "I am uncertain if the Kirijo Group is even aware of the truth of matters. They might, but ... I believe it is more likely that they are not."

That's why she woke up during their visit to Yakushima, after those ten long years. That's why she had escaped from her creators and worked independently from them without their knowledge. She felt them there -- she knew what she had done, and this was why she needed to evade recapture.

The hooded man's words of 'Kirijo wind-up toy!' echo in her mind, and they rang true to her at the time he had said them, but ... this is proof positive that she is capable of acting on her own, isn't it? Shinjiro decided his own purpose, so surely she can do the same.

... but what should that even be? Realizing she is capable of doing so is different than deciding what form that should take.

She places her elbow in one hand to lean her face on the other and pensively closes her eyes. "There is your answer, then, as to why I said you should not waste your breath. You have a purpose to fulfill, do you not? What good would dying down in Mementos have served Amada-san, where he was not present?"

Aigis opens her eyes and stares curiously at Shinjiro -- there's something which hasn't escaped her notice. "There is one part of your story which I do not fully understand. If you were away from SEES for so long until only recently, and if you have been taking this Persona-suppressing medicine for three years, how did you manage to obtain it? It would have to be manufactured by the Kirijo Group, correct?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>"...your secrets are safe with me," Shinjiro tells Aigis. He doesn't even ask for reciprocation, though he'll probably get it. "...yeah. And that means we have to be the ones to make sure they make it through."

But about his answer... to why he shouldn't waste his breath. He has a purpose to fulfill. It wouldn't do Amada any good...

"...and it wouldn't do the Arisatos much good to not have you helping them. Even if others can do the same... doing it for yourself is still acceptable. ...but you're right."

But about how he got the medicine. He exhales. "Strega. They sold it to me. Money at first. Then info I picked up on the street. ...and then intel, especially when I needed an Evoker on short notice. Nothing they couldn't have gotten elsewhere, nothing that I thought would directly endanger anyone... but I breached that barrier of trust. I'm going to have to pick up the pieces to fix it, if I even can. But I intend to."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
He will. "And likewise." She bows her head when he says 'we have to be the ones,' then nods once before rising.

A relieved smile creeps onto her face. Doing it for herself is acceptable -- "Thank you. I do not think I would have let myself believe that if you had not said so."

One can perhaps imagine the state she was in while she was separated from Minako, with the threat of the Reaper ever looming in the background.

Aigis tilts her head again. "Strega ..? The ones who attacked the dormitory?" She takes a moment to process this, but she doesn't seem angry. Not entirely, at least.

"Given what you must have known or hadn't known yet at any given time, I do not think I can fault you ''too'' greatly ..."

"We both have responsibilities which we should not escape from, it seems."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>"You're welcome," Shinjiro says earnestly.

About Strega... "...yeah. They want to keep the Dark Hour going, apparently. I... can't agree with it, not with everything it's caused. I'm going to help stop them."

And about responsibility, he sighs, but it ends in a light smile. "Guess that's a good enough reason than any to keep moving. Once I'm gone, I'll have to leave it to you and the others to continue for me. ...but there's no reason to rush it right now."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Just as she couldn't fathom Shinjiro's short remainder of life, she can't seem to wrap her head around why Strega would want to maintain the Dark Hour. It is simply outside of the current realm of her experiences.

She nods in agreement that it should be ended. "I feel the same as you. Still, I wish to know more about ''why'' they feel that way."

"Not a moment sooner than necessary, mind you -- like you said, no rushing it." Aigis points a finger at Shinjiro. "At that point, I would be more than happy to carry on your task."

Aigis walks forward a few steps, then turns back to face Shinjiro and leans forward as she smiles. "For now, you offered the promise of food, right? Are you planning to cook something again, or are we going to partake of a different kind of meal and social context?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>"...we'll find out, I suppose." Shinjiro replies. But not a moment sooner than necessary, and Aigis will help once he's gone. That brings another soft smile to his face.

Though, then she's moving. Food, huh... "I'll make something. I did drag you out here for a depressing chat, after all, it's the least I can do."

A small grin rises on his face as he says that.

"Besides, it's relaxing. Maybe I'll teach you how to cook, sometime." Yes, she doesn't *need to*, but it's a good skill to learn!
</poem>

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

2026-02-06: Gonna Prove Just How Strong I Am!

2026-02-08T16:01:07Z

Terra: Created page with "*'''Log: Gonna Prove Just How Strong I Am!''' *'''Cast:''' Tamaki Uchida, Eikichi Mishina *'''Where:''' Kuzunoha Detective Agency, then Aoba Park *'''OOC Date:''' February 06, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' September 21, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Just to make sure that Eikichi has what it takes to stand up to the Joker Killer as per his request, Tamaki takes him out to put his abilities to the test and have a practice fight during the Dark Hour. The end result is, perhaps, mo..."

*'''Log: Gonna Prove Just How Strong I Am!'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Tamaki Uchida]], [[Eikichi Mishina]]
*'''Where:''' Kuzunoha Detective Agency, then Aoba Park
*'''OOC Date:''' February 06, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' September 21, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Just to make sure that Eikichi has what it takes to stand up to the Joker Killer as per his request, Tamaki takes him out to put his abilities to the test and have a practice fight during the Dark Hour. The end result is, perhaps, more comically stupid than anyone can imagine.''

----

(|======================== Kuzunoha Detective Agency =========================|)
-=================================================== Sumaru City/Aoba Ward ====-
The first thing that greets visitors to Kuzunoha Detective Agency is a giant
golden lucky cat statue that, with its left paw raised, bids a hearty welcome to
customers and opportunities alike. Inspect it, and a mewling voice will ask for
donations: 100 yen from students and other children, and 1000 yen from adults.

A pair of dark couches that frame a coffee table have an excellent view of the
massive HDTV and dual stereos on the far right wall. On the far left wall are
shelves upon shelves full of books, none of which definitely can slide to one
side. A large desk with a lamp and computer stands in front of it. This is where
the portly older ex-gumshoe, Chief Daisuke Todoroki, makes his business, as...
blessed... by the agency's original owner. He investigates (and will spread) all
manner of rumors to find out the truth (and change reality), assisted by veteran
Persona User Tamaki Uchida.

The back room is nothing special; it has a stove and a sink, so it's a simple
task to always have tea ready for customers. There's a bathroom there too, but
it seems like it's always occupied. Don't ask who's in there, meow.

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
It's nearing the end of the workday at the Kuzunoha Detective Agency, and evening approaches just behind it. Chief Todoroki has packed up his things and stepped outside, and someone on the way ''to'' the Agency might encounter him along the path to briefly exchange greetings and pleasantries.

The lucky cat statue is, admittedly, a permanent fixture in the office. Always watching. Always staring. Always beckoning. Always soliciting donations, nya~! 100 yen, please!

Tamaki is still inside, gathering up various documents from her desk to put away in their proper places. Soon enough, she'll pick up her sports bag, retrieve her keys from a pocket, then lock up for the night.

Somehow, she gets the odd sensation that she's forgetting something.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
<poem>The evening is chilly enough that Eikichi has his uniform jacket draped over his summer uniform. The jacket is semi strapped down by the large guitar case hanging behind the delinquent.

"Sup, Pops..." Eikichi nods at the Chief as they pass each other briefly. Eikichi continues down the path until he stops right in front of Tamaki.

He holds a hand stylishly under his chin, posing with his body in a very "anime" way. "Ya ready to rumble?"

This could startle anyone but Eikichi seems semi-oblivious?
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Normally, this sight wouldn't perturb Tamaki. She's gone through enough ... ''eventful'' moments to be somewhat inoculated to surprising threats. (''Somewhat''.)

That creeping sensation from earlier was ultimately correct: she had forgotten about her arrangement with Eikichi to test his abilities and see how fit he was to help out with the fight against the Joker Killer. He happens upon her just as she's turning the key in the lock outside --

"YEEEEK!" Tamaki leaps what feels like to her several feet in the air and flattens herself against the front door to the Agency. She glances at Eikichi, pauses, then the rest of her brain catches up to the current moment as her heart and respiratory rates drop back down to normal levels. Oh.

After this display, Tamaki dusts off the front and sleeves of her jacket, runs a hand through her hair, adjusts the choker around her neck, and clears her throat. "Ahem." Now she is once again well-composed, the very picture of unflappable.

Acting as if ''nothing at all had happened'', she gestures a hand towards Eikichi and flashes him a confident grin. "You know it! Do you want to kill some time before we do?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
<poem>Eikichi blinks as Tamaki flies for a few seconds. It takes a moment for his mind to realize whats going on. "My bad...Is it a bad time?" He blinks a few more times, completely dropping his pose as it might've been too much.

But it seems Tamaki's memory...and demeanor return prompting a grin and nod from Eikichi. "Sure thing but nothing too fancy. Don't want my Miyabi-chan to be jealous. Oohohoho." The blue haired punk laughs jovially as he gives Tamaki a thumbs up.

"I guess we're waiting for the Dark Hour, eh?" Eikichi is suddenly a little more serious, looking like someone dangerous and worthy of being called the "Death Boss". "Otherwise it would be in the bunker at Kasu."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
"It's not a bad time at all!" Tamaki glances down at her sports bag. "Just slipped my mind. Knew I brought this with me today for a reason ..." She looks back up at Eikichi, then forms a fist as she lightly knocks at her head. "I was just a little bit embarrassed that I had forgotten about our appointment, that's all!" (... that was a ''little bit''?)

At hearing of a 'Miyabi-chan', Tamaki lightly titters behind a hand. "Aww! You sly devil! I wouldn't dream of interfering." He's definitely not her type, in any case.

Tamaki shakes her head, then wags a finger at Eikichi. "Those are two options, sure. We could hit up a train or bus station and look in the bathroom mi -- " Midsentence, just as she's about to explain the method of getting to Mementos available to her, Tamaki freezes with a startled expression on her face, having remembered a recent rumor that's ''troublesome'' to remember. And getting out of the bunker underneath Kasugayama would ''also'' require a mirror, to her recollection ...

"The Dark Hour it is! Let's head to the pharmacy first, and I can catch you up on the Joker Killer's activities. See, there's an art exhibit coming up soon, and we think he's going to show up there. Suzuki-kun was over at this place called Tartarus one night, see, and ..."

...

Unless there's anything else of note between then and now, Tamaki informs Eikichi of what she knows so far of the Joker Killer's plans, asks him about what's been going on with his life lately, and mentions a few other people like Tsubasa, Hyousuke, Jun, and Julian.

Over at the Satomi Tadashi pharmacy, she picks up a few protein bars, energy drinks, bandages, and ointments, as well as a few magazines -- all moderately discounted for her. The woman at the register seems to know her well, though Tamaki is evasive on the topic.

Then, over in a clearing at Aoba Park, the Dark Hour falls.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
<poem>Eikichi just nods, unsure of how to handle this side of the detective. It felt like forbidden knowledge.

The blue haired delinquent cranes his head when she mentions another way. He leans in, hanging on every word until....she stops herself and decides on the dark hour. "Woah, wha?..O, Okay. I guess we can do that." She was the expert afterall and Eikichi didn't particularly love going down into the bunker anyway.

Eikichi talks pretty passionately about his new band, also named Gas Chamber. The information about the Joker Killer does give him some pause, feeling like he wants to go find the asshole in deck him in his face.

Of the gathering of people, Eikichi nods, grinning. "Sounds like the student body of Kasugayama is giving you some business."

At the Pharmacy, Eikichi gets some essentials (drinks, magazine, basic first aid). Yes the Rocker magazine was essential---for the soul!

By the time the Dark Hour hits, Eikichi has put on his coat and buttoned it closed. He still has the guitar case, strap slung over his shoulder, looking at Tamaki before looking around. "Alright...Ladies first." He grins as he slouches in place, both hands in his pockets. "Gonna prove just how strong I am!"
</poem>

AS: Tamaki Uchida has readied for combat as Arianrhod! She is now fully healed!
AS: Eikichi Mishina has readied for combat as Rhadamanthus! He is now fully healed!

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki is initially withdrawn and quiet when Eikichi talks about Gas Chamber. Her frosty attitude thaws again soon enough, though, ("No, no, just -- reminded about something. Don't worry about it, keep talking!") and she's back to listening intently.

She tilts her head curiously at the mention of the Kasu High students and teacher, then proudly grins at Eikichi. "Business? You could see it that way, yeah, but I'm hoping to really help 'em out, you know?"

As for their duel in the dark here ... see, Tamaki recognizes something in Eikichi in herself: they're both good at exuding a sense of brash self-assurance, earned or not. Her intent here is to discern how much of that is genuine strength or flimsy bluster -- both Eikichi's ''and'' her own.

The (apprentice) private detective draws her practice sabre from her sports bag and offers Eikichi the traditional fencer's salute. She rolls her eyes and smirks at his offer. "Ladies first? Confident, aren't we?"

Tamaki lowers her stance into proper fencing form, but rather than approach, she clutches at the coins on her necklace, summoning forth Arianrhod. "You'd best not show him the same mercy! Persona!" The radiant moon goddess bursts through a flood of luminescent blue water and fire, then levels her broadsword towards Eikichi and chants a series of proclamations.

Nothing seems to happen at first, but he'll ''feel'' it, like lines of attack on a chessboard or laser sensors on a security system, walling him off from certain positions and approaches. There is a path through this maze, but can he discern the way?

</poem>
AS: Persona! Tamaki Uchida has used the Almighty skill Threefold Tynghedau on Eikichi Mishina!
AS: Ruin: Tamaki Uchida gains 1 Limit!
AS: Take! Eikichi Mishina takes 0 Almighty damage from Tamaki Uchida's Threefold Tynghedau.
AS: Charm, Pain, and Poison added!

<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
<poem>Eikichi's goofiness dissolves once Tamaki's sabre goes up. The Death Boss scans his opponent as she seems very confident. Eikichi just is right now, staring at her with a fierce expression that doesn't seem to waver. Even when the Persona comes out.

Eikichi looks at Arianhod, not yet bringing out his Persona. Which is a mistake as the magic attack starts to hinder his movements. It wants him to go a certain way. That isn't his style. The blue haired delinquent groans as he tries to force his way through the ailments that are holding him back. Finally, Eikichi raises his Guitar Case and reveals a freakin' machine gun. There is some clicks before the gun seems to come to life in the paranormal space. He opens fire toward where Tamaki should be, hoping to put a stop to this magic by just attacking.
</poem>

AS: Persona! Eikichi Mishina has used the Pierce skill Bullet Rain on Tamaki Uchida! 3 Hits!
AS: Charm results in party damage! Eikichi Mishina takes 90 damage!
AS: Eikichi Mishina: Loses 74 HP from Poison! Poison removed!
AS: Eikichi Mishina regains 8 HP from Regenerate!
AS: Block Best! Tamaki Uchida takes 12 Pierce damage from Eikichi Mishina's Bullet Rain.
AS: You have 2 more attacks in queue!
AS: Avoid Neutral! Tamaki Uchida takes 33 Pierce damage from Eikichi Mishina's Bullet Rain. Critical Hit!
AS: You have 1 more attack in queue!
AS: Avoid Best! Tamaki Uchida takes 7 Pierce damage from Eikichi Mishina's Bullet Rain.

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki doesn't initially understand what Eikichi's up to with that guitar case. She expects him to wield it like a melee weapon, and already her mind goes towards calculating how much his reach would extend with it and how quickly she may or may not be able to maneuver around it.

Those precious few seconds of time are wasted as she realizes exactly ''what'' that 'click' sound indicates, and her previously imperious attitude dissolves completely into a comically undignified panicked scramble. " -- a gun?! That thing's actually a GUN?!" Tamaki, it seems, now feels foolish for having brought a sword to a gunfight.

Well ''played'', Death Boss. Well played.

All pretense of 'proper fencing form' has been abandoned in favor of positioning the flat of Arianrhod's blade to block some of the projectiles while she makes a full on mad dash across the clearing in an attempt to avoid Eikichi's volley of fire. "aaaaAAAAHHHH -- "

If she hadn't realized the true form of Eikichi's attack early enough, she might have been a goner already. She should feel lucky that he had only winged her a few times, though Arianrhod may have taken the heaviest brunt of it.

Arianrhod advances in Eikichi's direction and raises her blade to bring it down over him -- in truth, this is a feint, with Tamaki just behind her, running at full tilt to lunge with her blade pointed at Eikichi's lower arm -- the one he uses to steady his aim.

</poem>
AS: Weapon! Tamaki Uchida has used the Pierce skill Pinning Lunge on Eikichi Mishina! 2 Hits!
AS: Ruin: Tamaki Uchida gains 1 Limit!
AS: Counter Neutral! Eikichi Mishina takes 62 Pierce damage from Tamaki Uchida's Pinning Lunge. Critical Hit!
AS: Paralyze added!
AS: COUNTER! Tamaki Uchida takes 41 Pierce damage in return for her attack!
AS: Block Worst! Eikichi Mishina takes 33 Pierce damage from Tamaki Uchida's Pinning Lunge.

<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
<poem>Eikichi keeps firing as a grin appears on his face. He chuckles when Tamaki again loses her cool. The punk watches her scramble to avoid the gun fire.

Finally, the Death Boss ends his assault, staring at the advancing Persona. "Tch. I guess I gotta use your strength, eh? Get out here, Rhadamanthus!" The humanoid motorcycle appears behind Eikichi, revving it's engine to respond to the blue haired delinquent.

Then Arianrhod attacks, prompting the punk to open fire point blank before attempting to block the second strike with the case. Eikichi grins, feeling a trickle of blood run down the side of his mouth. "Heh...Not bad. Your turn! Rhadamanthus!" The engine revs again, turning toward Tamaki's direction as it raises its arm and summons a sphere of water before sending it surging toward the junior detective.
</poem>

AS: Persona! Eikichi Mishina has used the Water skill Aques on Tamaki Uchida!
AS: Charm results in party damage! Eikichi Mishina takes 90 damage!
AS: Eikichi Mishina: Pain removed!
AS: Eikichi Mishina regains 8 HP from Regenerate!
AS: Avoid Neutral! Tamaki Uchida takes 128 Water damage from Eikichi Mishina's Aques. Weak!

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Try as Tamaki might to dodge out of the way, Rhadamanthus' spell strikes true, causing Arianrhod to shatter and disperse in a Persona Break, and the watery chilling sensation from the Aques serves as a grim reminder of that dream she had had so many times in the years past. It threatens to wash her down the rivers Sanzu, the Styx, the Kanda, take your pick -- regardless, the torrential downpour sweeps her off her feet and leaves her now-drenched form kneeling.

"... that isn't going to be enough." As she rises back to both feet, Tamaki gets the sense that he's holding back for her sake. The Joker Killer is someone who terrifies even ''her''. "Take this seriously! Show me what you're REALLY capable of!"

Tamaki clutches her choker again, now sending everything she's got into preparation for this fight's conclusion. Arianrhod appears once more and points her broadsword to the waxing crescent moon above, tinting everything its light touches with a harsh new glow.

An illusory pool of water forms underneath Eikichi, reflecting the crescent moon back up at him. A multicolored prism of light refracts from Arianrhod's blade and shines its power onto Tamaki.

Tamaki repeats, "Show me!" Finally, Arianrhod herself slashes the air twice in front of her, forming a golden 'X' in midair which surges towards Rhadamanthus. He is seen.

</poem>
AS: Tamaki Uchida spends Limit on Exploit! Tamaki Uchida can use another Weak skill this round!
AS: Tamaki Uchida spends Limit on Exploit! Tamaki Uchida can use another Weak skill this round!
AS: Persona! Tamaki Uchida has used the Recovery skill Per Aspera on Tamaki Uchida!
AS: Tamaki Uchida takes 45 damage from Stress!
AS: You still have 0 regular actions and 2 bonus Weak action!

AS: Take! Tamaki Uchida takes 0 Recovery healing from Tamaki Uchida's Per Aspera.
AS: Atk_Up and Inner_Strength added!
AS: Persona! Tamaki Uchida has used the Almighty skill Light Break on Eikichi Mishina!
AS: Ruin: Tamaki Uchida gains 1 Limit!
AS: Persona! Tamaki Uchida has used the Light skill Cross-Reference on Eikichi Mishina!
AS: Take! Eikichi Mishina takes 0 Almighty damage from Tamaki Uchida's Light Break.
AS: Light_Break added!
AS: Avoid Best! Eikichi Mishina takes 66 Light damage from Tamaki Uchida's Cross-Reference. Critical Hit!
AS: Tamaki Uchida's Weakness Scan! Eikichi Mishina is weak against Elec!

AS: Eikichi Mishina spends Limit on Exploit! Eikichi Mishina can use another Weak skill this round!

<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
<poem>It isn't enough. Eikichi stops in his tracks, lowering his weapon temporarily. He raises a brow as he considers her statements, finally just laughing.

"Thats just the thing..." Eikichi isn't afraid. Maybe he's dumb. Maybe he is just wreckless. But the Death Boss grins at Tamaki, calling Rhadamanthus again.

"This is me serious...but you want more. Alright." Eikichi prepares for Arianrhod's illuminating assault. The attacks strike the Engine Persona, causing the Persona to come sailing backwards into Eikichi who winces.

He groans before giving an impressed whistle. "Guess we're at the end....Then how about I sing us to hell."

Eikichi hops up and down on his feet, psyching himself up before he stops dead. Eikichi opens his mouth and lets out a high note that could shatter bone. The Persona seems to amplifying the frequency since it seems rather potent.
</poem>

AS: Persona! Eikichi Mishina has used the Dark skill Mudo on Tamaki Uchida!
AS: Charm results in party damage! Eikichi Mishina takes 90 damage!

AS: Block Worst! Tamaki Uchida takes 117 Dark damage from Eikichi Mishina's Mudo.
AS: Tamaki Uchida is unable to continue fighting!
AS: Panic added!
AS: Eikichi Mishina is unable to continue fighting!

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Music. Music, music, ''music''. An even ''worse'' vulnerability exists within Tamaki's psyche, beyond whatever taxonomy of spells and skills that Personas are capable of. For her, it's the singing voice of someone who she hasn't seen nor heard for nearly five years. Not only does Eikichi's high note threaten to shatter her eardrums, it breaks her heart all over again.

The Karukozaka High School Music Club room. Reiko Akanezawa harmonizing with the Demons in the hallways. The song Which Nameless and Belladonna forever perform within the Velvet Room. The silence which has lasted for far, far too long -- now suddenly broken, it's all much too much for her to bear, at least in this present moment.

Whatever final attack she had been planning, she has now abandoned it. Before the harm of Arianrhod's initially-issued geas overtakes Eikichi, Tamaki slumps to the ground and covers her ears as she shouts, "I yield! I yield!"

Once she's collected herself again, she walks over to Eikichi and offers him a hand up. "Well fought, Mishina-san." That's ... an upgrade from the '-kun' she had used before with him, isn't it? "Take a breather. Once the Dark Hour ends, well -- that's what the sports drinks are for, after an exchange like that. Take one."

She peers at him curiously, now much more interested in matters of music than she had seemed earlier in the evening when he started talking about Gas Chamber. "... goddamn, you have some killer pipes, though. How did you train to do ''that''?!"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
<poem>Eikichi breaths heavily once he drops the note. While it seems to be have been successful, the delinquent is sure it was missing something.

'I yield, I yield'

Eikichi grins nodding as he finds somewhere to lean. He is definitely wiped by that fight....suddenly feeling like he needs a little more training since he is going after someone stronger than this.

"Heh. Thanks for the drink but I got a low calorie one. I can't let this figure go to waste." He laughs confidently, finding a place to squat down and relax.

"Heh. That's just Mishina talent." Eikichi takes a sip of his low calorie drink, liking the cold on his vocal cords. "But let me tell you my singing regiment so you can try it Hehehe."

Eikichi goes into excruciating detail about vocal health and diet. This is going to take awhile...
</poem>

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

2026-02-07: Mandatory Game!?

2026-02-08T15:49:45Z

Terra: Created page with "*'''Log: Mandatory Game!?''' *'''Cast:''' Hitomi Mandai, Aigis *'''Where:''' Iwatodai Dormitory *'''OOC Date:''' February 07, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' September 22, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Aigis pays a visit to Hitomi's dormitory out of concern to check up on her after the Strega raid. They talk about their own particular sets of intrinsic traits, then admit to more parts of their respective pasts.'' *'''Content Warning''': Discussion of mental illness. ---- (|====..."

*'''Log: Mandatory Game!?'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Hitomi Mandai]], [[Aigis]]
*'''Where:''' Iwatodai Dormitory
*'''OOC Date:''' February 07, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' September 22, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Aigis pays a visit to Hitomi's dormitory out of concern to check up on her after the Strega raid. They talk about their own particular sets of intrinsic traits, then admit to more parts of their respective pasts.''
*'''Content Warning''': Discussion of mental illness.

----

(|======================================== +port ## or <name> to teleport ====|)

(|============================ Iwatodai Dormitory ============================|)
-================================================== Iwatodai City/Iwatodai ====-
A large four-story dormitory used by the Specialized Extracurricular Execution
Squad, only five minutes from Iwatodai Station. Upon entering, one passes a desk
with a sign-in book for guests to find a large carpeted common room that's well
appointed for co-ed gatherings.

A TV is usually on with the local news or a movie that's been loaded into the
DVD player for a student to enjoy. A table for shared dinners, or more often
study sessions, takes up the other half of the dorm, as well as a kitchen should
one dare to show off their skills to their fellow students.

There are two winding staircases on either side. The one on the left simply says
'Boys' while the other on the right states 'No Boys Except By Invitation.' The
implicit threat of execution need not be written down for those who violate
these rules. The second and third stories are living spaces divided by gender
with common spaces that have study areas and bookshelves available.

The fourth story is the command center with surveillance capabilities for not
just different parts of the city but each room within the dorms. The Chairman
has assured all who live here that this capability is strictly necessary.

BGM - Dormitory Theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj-FrFI0qnM

<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
Hitomi's dorm room door is fine.

Nothing happened to it.

She had thrown it open a while ago, carrying something heavy with hysterical strength, but that didn't really damage the door. Whatever horrors the Strega invaders visited, they didn't manage to get down here. That said, Hitomi is relatively cozily set on the second floor, and many of them seemed to come from a roofward direction.

When a knock and a greeting come, there's a "huh?" followed by a "hold on" followed by some footsteps. Something is moved out of the way. The lock on the door is audibly acutated; she *had* locked it. The door swings open, revealing Hitomi in a T-shirt and sweat pants, her hair loose and messy.

"Oh, hey," she says. The door is opened further. "Cm'in."

Inside is something of a mess. Not a huge mess, mostly disorganized: stacked stuff here and there, a couple of pieces of rumpled clothing on the floor. Several large hairbrushes, tangled up with stray strands of all that wavy black hair.

"I don't really have a lot but uh... do you wanna sit down?" Hitomi pivots the desk chair around. There's a computer tower on the desk but no monitor, even now. Everything else is there, keyboard and mouse and several notebooks. (There's also a cup of pens and pencils, currently on its side, not yet righted.)

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis seems to have been unperturbed from the attack, at least by any surface indicator. Fuuka had repaired the physical damage she had sustained in short order and she had returned to normal operating capacity. If she was shaken up from the incident, she doesn't show it.

She is, admittedly, still rattled -- but she's good at hiding it, and has even tried to speak to a few of the other members of SEES to reassure them in the aftermath. Morale is a necessary strategic asset to maintain, she thinks.

Aigis' visit to Hitomi's dorm is for this very purpose. Wearing a light-blue dress with an array of white ribbons, she stands outside her door and knocks lightly. "Mandai-san?"

The door swings open. For a moment, Aigis wonders if she's overdressed.

In reply to being asked if she wants to sit down, Aigis answers, "Sure." Her head slowly pans from one side of the room to the other as she takes in the details. "How are you doing? After the series of recent events, I mean."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
Hitomi was less lucky. Hitomi doesn't seem greatly uneased by it, not in her room, but there are still bandages on her right arm, and on the tip of her left middle finger. She pivots the chair around for Aigis.

"Thanks for dropping by," Hitomi says. Once Aigis is inside, she closes the door. She also locks it, though, the lock is a simple latch.

Other key items in Hitomi's room:

* A few long but not broad or wide cardboard boxes. One is open, containing cards from a known commercially-successful Collectible Card Game. One of them has a 'Club Property' sticker.
* A shelf with a number of books. Mostly school related along with a couple of beat-up looking paperback copies of Buddhist scriptures, along with some miscellaneous ones... game things, mostly. Several Blade World books.
* The discernible absence of a 19 inch color monitor. (was it 19 inches? It was probably something she saved from getting tossed.)

Hitomi sits on the bed.

She doesn't answer right away.

Her head turns down. Seconds pass.

"... pretty bad," she says. "At this point it's just... itches I can't scratch, mostly." She looks back up: "How are you?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
"Of course." Her reply is calm, in the tone taken when exchanging pleasantries as if absolutely nothing is wrong, regardless of the underlying reality.

Aigis lets her gaze linger on the bookshelf for longer than the other things in Hitomi's room. She's taken to reading frequently as a means to improve her comprehension skills. As far as she can discern, she has reason to be interested in everything on the shelf.

She pauses again at the void where the monitor had used to be. "Are you in need of a replacement screen?"

Aigis is silent and eerily motionless for several moments after Hitomi responds. After she considers her own answer, she lowers her own head and directs her eyes to the side. "... I think I understand your meaning. I would like to pursue some kind of plan to prevent this from happening again in the future, but given that we had failed to predict what had occurred in the first place, it is difficult to identify the proper course of action."

She raises her head and looks directly at Hitomi again. "I am supposed to protect you all. It is painful to dwell on the worth of a tool unfit for its very purpose, but simply blaming my own construction does not seem to address those feelings."

"... please refrain from repeating this sentiment of mine to others. I feel as if I could have done more to protect you in particular. I feel that you deserve to know, and I would like to apologize for any insufficiency on my part."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
Are you in need of a replacement screen?

Hitomi blinks.

"... I guess," she says, scratching the back of her neck with her left hand. She looks at Aigis then. She is quiet for several moments. Her face has that beleaguered and flabby-slack expression on it, that look that varies from 'i'm present and awake' to 'i'm slightly happy' to 'i'm slightly bullied.'

It fades for a moment.

Hitomi's hands come down. They wrap together. She looks at the floor for a moment. Then back up.

"I've been telling people this and I want to tell you too," Hitomi says. "You... I don't know what the company told you, it sounds like you're not exactly full of all their databases or whatever..."

"... I'm crazy," Hitomi says. She gestures at her head. "I don't judge risks well. Or, like, I do, but I like them, I wanna go towards them. It's a *disease*, like, the rest of me, right now, this is... normal, but sometimes, like..."

"When it happened I was really scared and I was so scared I had to kinda turn to that because otherwise I would've just hidden here until they came and killed me," Hitomi says, her eyes turning downwards. "So... so I did something... STUPID... which worked a LITTLE... for a MINUTE."

Hitomi sniffs, in a way that suggests tears are much nearer than they quite look.

"... You saved my life so I should be apologizing to you for keeping you busy," Hitomi continues, voice thicker. "And for getting you hurt. I... I dunno if you worry about it but... ugh. I don't know what I should've done. Sometimes in my head, like... I remember it, you know? But I feel like..."

"It's pointless, right? If I had whipped out one of the knives I'd probably have gotten killed. I was totally out of my shit. I didn't even think of calling my Persona until I saw you do it, and, I guess I was lucky, heh, I don't use the Evokers like everyone else."

"So... I'm sitting here itching. And... I guess my fingernail's going to grow back weird. But I'm gonna *be* here, not... you know, in Hell or something. So thank you," she finishes.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis dips her head. "Then I will bear this in mind and notify you if I find a suitable monitor."

She is quiet as she listens to Hitomi speak about her own circumstances -- her brain issues. With a shake of her head, she replies, "I had not been informed of this, no. The Kirijo Group has not provided me with any privileged information regarding any of you."

That isn't to say that she doesn't have any -- just that she found out through other means.

Aigis mentally compares Hitomi's description of her risk assessment to her own. Every decision Aigis takes, especially in combat, has been the result of some algorithm or another, each action along the branching paths assigned coefficients and weights to tally up a final score in order to determine the most preferable course to follow. The numbers are visible to her, plain as day.

By definition, human brains don't get that same degree of clarity when it comes to risk calculation, even ones which do not share Hitomi's particular trait. Even on a good day, let alone during a life-threatening situation.

What it sounds like is that Hitomi's 'algorithm' assigns greater preferential value to paths with lower likelihood of success.

Her own voice is as steady as ever, absent of the fluctuations that come with emotion. "I believe I understand, if only to a limited extent ..." she trails off. "If the alternative was that you would have remained hidden until they had found and killed you, then I am glad you did the 'stupid' thing."

Aigis shakes her head. "I only truly worry about my core being damaged, if that eases your conscience any. Everything else can be repaired. There is no need to apologize for 'keeping me busy,' either -- if I take some course of action, rest assured I did so with full knowledge of the resources I had available and what I should spend them on."

Some final thoughts cross her mind after Hitomi thanks her. Could she have been more aggressive in chasing that hooded man out? Would it have been worth injuring him more greatly to spare Hitomi her fingernail? Could she have fully entrusted Minato's safety to Yukari and focused entirely on defending Hitomi?

These are not thoughts she expresses aloud -- not entirely. "... again, I believe I know what you mean about the 'itching.' And you are welcome."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
Where will Aigis procure such a thing? Surely Hitomi would prefer a flat panel; they're the new hotness, and all around better in every way. She has no GamesBox to play Jack Bros Melee on, so there is no reason to prefer a CRT, except for its possible anti-Strega applications. Could this be a need for a Shady Commodity?

Questions for another day.

"Mm," Hitomi says, about the risk. She smiles, a little. "Maybe. Or maybe you'd have laid down the law without me to focus on. That's... that's kinda what the part of me that screams about it says, sometimes. You don't know what'll happen... and that's beautiful."

Another deep breath.

"... is the core your head? I just... like, if it comes up. If it's personal, it's not... It's not a big deal," Hitomi trails off, looking back to the floor. She rubs her left finger, near but not at the fingertip.

"... haha, this is so lame of me," Hitomi says, but despite this, she seems to brighten a little. "I wanna ask you just... a bunch of stuff, I guess, but I feel like you probably already get all of it." Hitomi does straighten up, though, rocking back, hands going to rest on her knees.

"Can I ask you something, though? I mean, like, other than the thing I just asked you, hah."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Uncertainty is 'beautiful', according to Hitomi. While that may be a valid perspective, it isn't one that Aigis currently shares. All too often lately, she has found herself further and further ensnared by decision paralysis in the face of an array of choices which all seem to bring her closer to her aims.

However, it also isn't one she entirely rejects. She stares at Hitomi with a new measure of intense curiosity. "I think I understand your fascination with games which have an element of chance, then. I could stand to gain some experience with this approach."

Aigis shakes her head, then holds a hand to her chest. "It is located within here, approximately where a human heart would be if their anatomy were purely symmetrical. While my head does perform several necessary functions, it is not ... ''vital''."

She settles further back into her chair and places her hands in her lap. "Ask away," she encourages. "Anything else you would like to. I have nowhere else to be at the moment."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
Aigis tells Hitomi where her 'heart' is. Hitomi glances down at the indicated point for a moment, but only for a moment, because it is rude to stare at people, even if, Hitomi supposes, she and Aigis are...

Bound now? It feels right to Hitomi to think of it like that. Her eyes swing back upwards. "I'm a little jealous," Hitomi says, reaching up to scratch the stuck-on gauze over a spot on her temple. Aigis can match this to the injuries pretty well -- indeed, if Aigis mocked up a hypothetical PHANTOM HITOMI, noted where she saw blood, and compared to the bandages, it's an over ninety-five percent match!

"They're taking care to make it as small as they can, but I'll have a scar here... it actually really sucks because they had to put in staples. I mean, do you have any idea what that even feels like...?"

But then she's given the prospect of a question. Hitomi's hands come up, fingertips pressed together and palms not quite touching. Her full lips purse. She can ask anything else, but it feels, somehow, like she ought to ask the important thing first.

But what is the important thing?

Hitomi considers some of the options wordlessly, inside of her mind.

What does it feel like when you get hurt? -- Kind of gross, difficult to analogize. Nah.

What do you want to do after the Dark Hour's handled? -- It feels somehow cruel to Hitomi.

Do you have to poop? -- A good question, but not appropriate for a conversation between girls, even if one of those girls is a robot, Hitomi judges.

"... Are you close to Arisato-kun? The boy, I mean. Like," her pinky finger lifts up, "no judgment. I just had a feeling. Which is part of why I was so ''thankful'' because ''sheesh'' that guy had an actual no-shit gun!"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Meanwhile, several parts of Aigis have already been entirely replaced; her chassis sports a shiny-new torso and left limbs. In contrast, she's a veritable ship of Theseus -- one with more discrete parts than the process of cell division allows for.

Jealous? Well, yes, Aigis feels some sense of responsibility for not having re-awoken sooner, for the Kirijo Group to have asked SEES to bear the weight of their sins rather than herself, someone ''designed'' to do it. With a tentative tone in her voice, she replies, "... I can imagine some equivalent, but I do not think I can truly know how that must feel."

As she waits for the series of questions, she expectantly stares at Hitomi. Aigis does have answers to all of those questions, as it turns out -- but those answers will only come should Hitomi actually ask.

"Do not misunderstand," Aigis answers as she gestures with a hand. "I wish to monitor and ensure the safety of both him and his sister, and we have gotten to personally know each other more since my reactivation. Still, my proximity to him is primarily driven by my responsibilities, my mission -- not sentiment."

She glances towards the now-locked door. "Takeba-san once informed me that some of my actions may have seemed to others to be some statement of romantic intent. This is not accurate, if that is what you are asking."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
Hitomi brings her left hand up, touching her chin with a fingertip at the question. Her lips purse, and her eyebrows lift, but she listens. "She's a brat, but she's pretty perceptive," Hitomi muses, about Yukari. "I'd had similar thoughts."

Her eyes move now, to meet Aigis's.

Her lips quirk up. "I believe you," Hitomi says, though her tone has a certain slyness to it, a heavy dollop of 'mm hhhhhhhhhhhm' that remains unvoiced. "Still. It's good you're looking out for him. It's funny, really, they're like twins, right? But Minako's pretty peppy and friendly and Minato's just --"

Hitomi's face becomes completely neutral.

And remains that way.

For four seconds.

No, six.

No, seven point four before she breaks the imitation to rock her head to the side, saying with curiosity, "Was I getting it right? I know we don't really have the same face shape, exactly."

Hitomi seems more at ease, after this. "I guess I could keep digging, but... I feel like that'd be rude of me. I owe you a lot... and we only just met, like, a few weeks ago. It took me like two months to get tight with Fukura, you know? I guess that's what they mean about bonds being forged in battle. I like everyone here."

A wan, but more authentic smile. "But I do have someone I like best.~"

"Do you want to hear a secret from my side? I -- well, it's something the company knows but it's never come up, but... I feel like I need to tell someone or I'm going to just, die from shame at some point."

"You're really easy to talk to, you know." (at least to Hitomi, it would seem)

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis nods. "I truly appreciated her insight. It has helped me to better navigate the expectations of our peers and classmates." She knits her brow in mild confusion. "Still, she seemed to be unaware that she had done similar things and runs the risk of people erroneously misinterpreting her own actions. It was to the point that I was about to doubt her advice, so it is good that you mention that you had the same thoughts that she did -- it lends her claims some stronger credence."

"I am looking out for them both," Aigis corrects. "No one seems to comment on my interactions with Minako, even though I feel the same way I do for her as her brother."

She stares at Hitomi's impression of Minato with an expression just as blank. While it may appear that she's mimicking Hitomi in this moment, she's thinking about one strong possibility ''why'' the siblings' personalities may be so different.

'Funny' isn't the word she'd use for it.

"... You got it as right as you were able to," she reassures Hitomi about those seven-point-four seconds.

Oh, so it isn't just her being slow to adapt to being thrust in the deep end of social and school life. Aigis finds that to be a relief. "I like everyone here, too. They have all been very accommodating."

Aigis tilts her head. "Who do you like best?"

She quietly nods at Hitomi's offer to hear a secret. "Please, go on." Aigis has one of her own, of course, but ... she has not seen an opportunity to share it with anyone. It's her problem to fix.

Hitomi's compliment causes Aigis to briefly give a puzzled glance at the floor, then looks back at Hitomi with surprise. That is literally the first time someone has said that to her, at least so directly. Usually if someone expresses a sentiment, it's the opposite. "Thank you for saying so, Mandai-san. I am glad that I can provide you with such an outlet."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
"Haha, you sound pretty enlightened there," Hitomi says, after Aigis remarks on the wisdom of Takebas, or their complexity thereof. At the rest of it, Hitomi grins, a wide, teeth baring grin of genuine surprised delight before it seems to catch - and slide down to a more demure if still quite wide smile.

"They are pretty accomodating. I was surprised too."

Who do you like best?

Hitomi taps her nose with her index finger. "That's a secret~. And I don't feel like telling that one right now. But... if you want... study me and everyone else, and see if you can figure it out. I can tell you that as of right now, they're a member of SEES. If you can guess it right, I'll owe you a big favor."

MANDATORY GAME!?

But at the rest, there's a secret.

The jollity erodes. Hitomi speaks, more falteringly, but without major stops or prevarications. Painful, but not agonizing.

"... Before I came here, my family came into money. We won the lottery, no shit, it was in the papers and everything... And... well, I guess you don't need all the backstory. It was a temple, and I stole money from the collection box."

Hitomi pauses.

"Which I used to play pachinko," she continues. Her right hand comes up over her heart as she keeps going, Hitomi giving Aigis a level look. "When I put it down like that, it sounds stupid, right? But I mean. At the time it was like this... this huge secret thing. Because I kept winning! I kept stacking it up! I want to say I was thinking 'oh, I'll double the money and surprise dad,' or some shit like that, but it was really just that I kept winning."

"It wasn't every time," Hitomi continues, "since pachinko isn't that kind of game, and I even went to other machines, and stuff like that. So I didn't just happen to have a knack for shooting the ball. It happened with the slots too, *with slots* -- you know, the totally random things. They kept breaking my way, nine times out of ten, and it just got bigger and bigger. I came in because if I dress kind of conservatively and put my hair up, I look kind of mature, right? And I'm already big. Anyway."

"It was... a lot of money, and I kept stacking it up, I even put back some of what I took originally, which is why they didn't really notice. Like a fifty yen coin here or there, that's not something you're constantly watching. But then I got invited to come to the *real* shit, a VIP room, instead of playing pachinko. Ugh, it felt so amazing. It was, just, everything, I can compare to stuff but it's not really something... anyway," Hitomi concludes, "then a demon tried to eat me and that's when I manifested Tyche for the first time."

"The police had all the information," Hitomi says. "That was it for me. A hundred percent over. The only reason they didn't press charges was because my parents didn't want to, but they *could* have. But my dad's temple is pretty old, and... I hadn't done it before. Haha, shit, I'm even leaving out the time I got caught at HOME, but..."

"Mm," Hitomi concludes. "So... that's what happened. I guess it got to the Kirijo people somehow. They offered a scholarship for me here, which also got me out of Sumaru, so my parents were like yes please, take our criminal daughter, if anything we should pay you. And that's how I got out here." Her eyes lift up. "Now you know."

"If Iori's listening at the door, you're going to execute him, right," Hitomi then says, but for a wonder, nothing happens. Probably. Her eyes turn away from Aigis, towards the door. ... it's probably an effort at a joke.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
To put a finer point on it: while she has observed Yukari's actions, it has ''completely'' escaped her notice that Yukari likely holds some genuine romantic affection for Minato. Aigis has the right set of facts, but has drawn the wrong conclusion.

Likewise, it may be a long while before Aigis can claim that 'big favor' for guessing correctly. She has not yet gathered enough data, as Hitomi has advised her to do. This game clearly requires a painstakingly thorough examination of ''all'' such permutations. "Very well, then. I will attempt to do so."

Hitomi's story puts some of her previous statements into greater focus -- earlier musings on sin and redemption. Aigis lowers her head near the end of Hitomi's tale. "Now I know. Thank you for trusting me with this information. I am ... curious about something. How do you intend to atone, if you intend to do so at all?"

Aigis replies matter-of-factly, obliviously, naively, "No, I believe 'execution' is Kirijo-senpai's specialty. He would not be up here in any case, correct? This is the side of the building where boys are not allowed." (aigis you JUST listened to someone ''literally'' confess to crimes, people are capable of defying orders!!)

Meekly, she asks, "... If you promise not to tell anyone, may I admit to something as well?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
Confession complete. Insert 10 eurobucks for absolution!

Hitomi considers Aigis's first question. She actually brings her legs up now - sitting cross legged on her bed, wiggling backwards slightly. She looks slightly to the side, considering. Hitomi's eyes come back.

"So," she says, "here's one thing I need to make clear."

"What I did wrong... is that I took the money that wasn't mine. I knew better. If it was the only way to pay the mortgage or buy food or something, or if someone else had put me up to it, it'd get complex. But I just helped myself. Didn't even just, take a few coins, count them, go, 'wow, the Buddha didn't explode me with the Buddhist palm,' lose faith, put 'em back. I *used* that money."

Her head rocks to the side. "Legally... what I did wrong was underage gambling. If my parents were total dicks, I could probably beat the case."

Hitomi's head straightens up. "... So, I just don't want to embarrass them. My brother's already texting me now and then, so maybe... it'll be fine. Maybe when I graduate, at least, I can go home. We'll have to see. But I'd like to do something good for the temple. Just to make up for the priests having had a shitty daughter."

Hitomi said that in a pretty neutral tone. A datum.

"I promise you I will not tell anyone," Hitomi says, hand on heart again. Then she leans in slightly. Her voice lowers. "Go ahead."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Complex. Complex? Aigis is of two minds on the topic: her onboard electronic self, her rigid sense of protocol believes that taking money from the temple would have been wrong no matter what, but something else in her agrees that it would have, in fact, required a nuanced understanding of all the factors in order to form a proper judgment.

What's the 'something else', though? She cannot seem to identify the part of herself which feels that way.

Aigis nods once, slowly. "I hope you are able to repay the temple and your family, then."

Here, finally, some measure of remorse seeps into Aigis' voice. She lowers her head, opting to stare at her hands placed in her lap. "In a similar vein ... it is highly likely that I am at least partially responsible for why the Arisato twins are ... like they are. I remain close to them not out infatuation, but out of a desire to make up for what I have done. To them. And their lives. It is to right a wrong."

She raises her head again and turns to face Hitomi head-on. "I do not believe either of them have any memory of this. I would not like either of them to know. I would simply prefer to do what I can to remedy my past mistake without their awareness or acknowledgment."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
"We'll see," Hitomi says, about the payment back.

And then she blinks. There's a slightly puzzled brow-knit. As if she's not sure what Aigis said, with the possibility of some kind of accidental glitch that -- well, no, humans have that too, there's even a syndrome about it. But Aigis's statement gives her cause to think -- her immediate thought is 'oh, like Minato being a dead-eyed MP3 appreciator?' but Minako's completely different.

"... you mean, with the thing, with multiple Personas?" Hitomi asks. She leans in slightly. "And they don't seem to remember it. I did notice you guys were talking on the beach but I had no idea you were... you, not some foreign tourist."

AT THAT TIME

Hitomi floats like a jellyfish in warm Pacific water. She doesn't know how good she has it. At the time, she had zero knife-related injuries!

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
"At minimum, that." The multiple Personas thing, she means.

Surely it's enough for her to at least admit to culpability, she doesn't have to be forthright about ''everything'', right?

"... and their parents' deaths."

That's still not everything. That's not even close. The sheer magnitude of the consequences should harm befall either of them is mind-boggling. World-shattering.

"That level of deception was my intention at the time, yes. Posing as a tourist. Though I had mainly sought to avoid the notice of the Kirijo Group -- I had wished to act independently."

Aigis feels the remaining weight of her past deeds in her heart, still, but the burden is made somewhat lighter by her admission of this much.

"Mandai-san? I find it easy to talk with you, too."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
"Ah," Hitomi says.

For a moment, the thought occurs to her: I match them, and I don't match them. My parents are alive and fine, at least unless dad decides he needs to start smoking again so he can go see Amida Buddha personally. But I've seen dead bodies; they were our stock in trade.

Huh.

It's parked away. "I guess we're both masters of disguise, huh? We'll have to use that." She smiles after.

"Really...? Heh. That's sweet of you.~ I'm glad to talk any time. If you want, come by the Games Club, too. ... I'm not an officer or anything, though maybe next year. That's who the Magic cards really belong to."

</poem>

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

2026-02-03: Like Coating Medicine With Candy

2026-02-05T14:50:08Z

Terra: Created page with "*'''Log: Like Coating Medicine With Candy''' *'''Cast:''' Tamaki Uchida, Maki Sonomura *'''Where:''' Seaside Mall *'''OOC Date:''' February 03, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' September 20, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Since one of Tamaki's courses is Criminal Psychology, she texts fellow university student Maki to meet together to study, ostensibly to keep each other on-task ... but the topic soon turns to some supernatural matters. After talking about the extent of compassion t..."

*'''Log: Like Coating Medicine With Candy'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Tamaki Uchida]], [[Maki Sonomura]]
*'''Where:''' Seaside Mall
*'''OOC Date:''' February 03, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' September 20, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Since one of Tamaki's courses is Criminal Psychology, she texts fellow university student Maki to meet together to study, ostensibly to keep each other on-task ... but the topic soon turns to some supernatural matters. After talking about the extent of compassion they should give their adversaries, their different ways of Resonance perception (or lack thereof), what happens to people who stay behind in a collapsed cognitive space, and other current affairs, Maki reminds Tamaki that they're really here to hit the books, the latter sheepishly agrees to actually resume their studies.''

----

(|=============================== Seaside Mall ===============================|)
-================================================== Sumaru City/Konan Ward ====-
The Seaside Mall is well-named: it's directly across from Ebisu Beach, though
it's a short walk to the road that leads down to its sands. The view remains
magnificent, and outdoor tables dot the parking lot so one can take in the sea
breeze. For those sensitive to it, there is a door to the Velvet Room there. For
everyone else, there's a decent variety of stores.

Pirate-themed restaurant Jolly Roger is the place to go for drinks, desserts,
and curry; its melancholy owner, a blank-eyed man who was once a sailor, loves
to hear and share rumors. The interior brings to mind a wooden galleon ship with
a massive ship's wheel behind the counter, rope rigging overhead, and a Jolly
Roger flag draped on one wall between various paintings and a world map.

For those anxious about the future, there are two options. One is Hiiragi
Psychotherapy, where Dr. Reiko and her protégée Maki offer counseling amidst a
fairy tale forest aesthetic, complete with decorative pastel carousels; her kind
eyes and smile encourage one to get everything off one's mind and heal heart and
soul in the process. The other is the Sumaru Genie, where a dark-skinned woman
of the same name utilizes an Egyptian aesthetic to lend herself and her
fortune-telling a sense of authentic mystique. Her fortunes were garbage until
she recently switched to Wang Long style fortune-telling, though.

And, of course, it's not Sumaru City without a local Satomi Tadashi Pharmacy
branch. This one looks the same as all the others: aisles and walls laden with
medicine of all kinds, overseen from the back counter where magazines are
available by one of seven identical sisters. Satomi Sister #2 runs this one; an
acoustic guitar version of the store's theme plays here. "o/` o/` o/` ..."

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Several weeks have passed since the school semester has resumed. After some introductory lectures, many teachers may have now given their students their first assignments for the semester -- and if not, it's still a good idea to be proactive when it comes to reading the course's material.

Earlier, Tamaki shot over a series of texts to Maki asking if she'd like to study together:
</poem>
>> hey! i should have some time after a therapy sesh
>> if you're free, do you wanna study together? too many distractions at home and work
>> not that we're taking the same classes, but we can hang out and keep each other on task (mostly) (maybe we can talk a LITTLE)
<poem>
Now, after Tamaki's aforementioned session at Hiiragi Psychotherapy, Tamaki stands in the lobby, peering about for where Maki may be seated, either to start their study session or, if Maki had turned down the offer, to at least just check in and say 'hi'. If she remembers right, she was around ... thataway ...

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Maki Sonomura has posed.
<poem>
As it happened, Maki said yes! Maki has a lot to keep up with in her classes, too, and while she wasn't 'on' at her job at Hiiragi today, hanging out there is hardly unusual for her. So she decided to come over and help with some paperwork around the time Tamaki would be in-session, so that she could already be here when she got out. And in point of fact, the messages were like...
</poem>
>> sure! i'll be there!
<poem>
You can tell Maki's cheerful because she uses exclamation points. And indeed, Maki is just--over--there.

"Hi!" Maki greets Tamaki when she walks by, seated at a desk. "How's it going?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
"Better than the last few times we saw each other!" Tamaki's response is bright and jovial, and she flashes a grin at Maki afterwards. "How's it going with you?"

While she has some supernatural topics that she would like to speak about with Maki, she can't entirely put aside her classwork. "I've got some honestly interesting material to read on crime prevention. At least in academia, things look like they're going more in the direction of inclusive social policies and support networks than punitive measures."

If only those could be adopted more widely, then maybe things wouldn't have gotten as bad as they had in the first place.

The ideas have also been around for decades. Tamaki's hopeful, but isn't exactly holding her breath.

Tamaki rubs the back of her neck. "I wonder if our studies ''do'' overlap in this Criminal Psychology course I'm taking, too."

She glances around the office as if to gauge its suitability as a study location, then gestures at the desk. "Do you think here's good, or should we find another place?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Maki Sonomura has posed.
<poem>
"That's good!" Maki smiles. "I'm okay." It has that note of 'there's stuff going on, but I'm fine' to it. The interesting material is interesting to Maki too, though. She listens. "Hmm. I hope that translates to criminal law too," she starts, "But I have a feelinng..." T hat might be a while.

Still, "They might! Psychology is the name of my game."

But it is suitable... Not as suitable as, "There's an empty room back here--it's a workroom that isn't being used today. Let's head back, there's a table and such."

Maki leads the way!

It's a therapy room, of course, which means there are posters on the walls and the same lively decor as the rest of the place.

It's a peaceful sort of room.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki nods at Maki's nonspecific response. They're in the same boat there. "Eventually, someday."

Psychology is Maki's game. Tamaki flashes her a thumbs-up and grins. "Yeah! Maybe we can help each other out there."

Her smile widens after Maki points out the unused workroom. "Fine by me."

Tamaki takes a seat at the table and places her bag on it to retrieve a textbook, pen, and notepad. Within moments, she's settled into the quiet nature of the room, with its decor and atmosphere contributing nicely to her ability to concentrate.

After a bit, she pipes up. "Hey, uh ... do you think what you're studying has any applications for Persona stuff? I know Jung's writings influenced a lot of our terminology for it, but uh ... I mean past Jung."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Maki Sonomura has posed.
<poem>
"Yes." She might get into it i a few; but for now...

Maki also proceeds to grab out some textbooks, a pen, and a notepad. It should be easy to concentrate in here, and Maki starts reviewing some notes she made. But when Tamaki speaks up...

"Yes," Maki answers, without hesitation. "...Not directly," she hedges a moment later. "It's nnot like I can learn 'Dia' by picking up another module in Psych classes. But I think anything that helps you understand yourself and others is going to make you better at wielding your Persona. Especially, but not only, with navigation abilities."

"Persona... is the power of the self, of the heart. The better you know yourself, the stronger your Persona."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki tilts her head and taps her cheek with her pen. "Yeah, yeah, I'm not talking about that aspect of it ..." She knits her brow while she tries to search for the words.

Eventually, the words come. "I mean when it comes to preventing or ending certain situations that crop up. Heck, I'd even take just understanding what gave rise to them."

She exhales out a sigh. "I'm alright with fighting monsters like Demons and Shadows, but I don't want to end up fighting people. I don't want to file them all under the same 'adversary' category."

With a somewhat guilty glance away from Maki, Tamaki mutters as she admits, "I've been pretty closed off for years. Tried to recuse myself as much as I could from all that, even tried to hide evidence that it existed, but ..."

"That's a lonely road, so I don't understand others as well, and I'm beginning to think I know myself less than I had thought."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Maki Sonomura has posed.
<poem>
Oh, not that type. But...

"Oh," Maki says, and shakes her head. "...No."

"What I've learned is... sometimes, even when you understand someone, you can't prevent coming into conflict."

"I thought about that a lot, myself."

"Nobody really knows themself completely," Maki says then. "Not unless you're some kind of... I dunno, a bodhisattva or something. But I've talked to Igor a lot about it. Sometimes I just go to the Velvet Room to listen, and see what I can hear in the songs there."

A look back to Tamaki. "But I think you're right not to want to file them away. We can't prevent a fight, but if you keep reaching out..."

"Maybe you can end one without having to hurt someone."

"That's what they did for me. It's part of why i want to study psychology in the first place."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki's gaze is distant and pensive. Conflict is likely inevitable. "You and me both, Sonomura-chan. You and me both."

'Nobody really knows themself completely' gets a self-deprecating chuckle out of Tamaki. "That's a relief, though it feels like I flipped over from experiencing the Dunning-Kruger effect to imposter syndrome."

Mention of the Velvet Room and the songs that its attendants play within it causes Tamaki to bite her lower lip and lean forward, supporting her forehead with a hand. Maki's unknowingly struck a wellspring of emotion within Tamaki, but she can't fault her for that.

She's quiet for a few moments as she tries to maintain her composure, then sniffles somewhat loudly. Despite it all, or perhaps ''in'' spite of it, Tamaki tries to smile at Maki. "Yeah, uh -- it hurts to listen. I have a lot of good memories of that place -- good at the time, but painful in retrospect."

Reiko Akanezawa was a member of the Music Club. Her singing voice, the music-related conversations the two of them had ... Tamaki's smile turns humorless. "Heh. Why does it ''have'' to be a music lounge?"

"We -- er, ''she'' did that once before. I was just kind of ... there. I know it's possible because of her." She briefly glances down at her notebook, then frowns. "Think it's even possible to do that for someone like the Joker Killer, though?"

"... what do you think happens to people who just stay in a cognitively-formed space like that? What happens to them when it collapses?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Maki Sonomura has posed.
<poem>
"Heh," Maki answers. "Even I don't, really. And I had kind of a head start. I got to meet 'me' more than onnce."

But the Velvet Room... Maki picks up on that emotion all right. She waits, quietly, for Tamaki to compose herself, or not. But at that smile, Maki offers a genntle one in return. "...That makes sense," she says. "Sometimes, being 'real'... hurts a lot."

But why? "...Because a 'smell lounge' would be the other good way to get people to introspect, and that'd be kind of weird?" Maybe the humor will help. Maybe not.

"I think it would be possible... if he wanted it to be," Maki says. "But I don't know that he does. There's too much I still don't know about the Joker Killer to say anything like that."

But, "...Mm."

"I've been in pretty 'deep' spaces, cognitively," Maki says. "I don't think I've been as far as there is to go. I think..."

"Where dreams are," she settles on. "That's where they go. Somewhere in there."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Maki got to meet 'herself' more than once -- Tamaki stares wide-eyed off into the distance of some poster on the far wall. "Like I said, you and me both."

The joke honestly helps to defuse the atmosphere and cause Tamaki to crack up a little. "''Snrrrrk''. Okay, ''fair''. Hahahahaaaa, when you put it that way, just about every other sense-based alternative seems worse."

Tamaki perks her head up curiously towards Maki. "He has to want it, too, you're saying?" She lowers her gaze to her desk and narrows her eyes as she chews on the thought for a moment, then nods firmly. "Yeah, that lines up with what else I've seen. Just because we reach out doesn't mean it always works. It might come to pass that you've just got to cut your losses."

''Where dreams are.''

That sounds better than 'nowhere.' That sounds better than obliteration. Quietly, Tamaki offers Maki a heartfelt, "... Thanks."

More sheepishly, with a furtive glance to each side before she settles on Maki again, she continues to ask, "How, er -- how do you get better at 'navigation'? Are there exercises or anything? I, er, finally started talking to Nameless again, but I figure I might get a more direct answer from you."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Maki Sonomura has posed.
<poem> oth of them... Well, at least the joke lands. Maki laughs too, caught up in Tamaki's reaction. "Right?" she asks.

But thenn, "Yes, that's just it. We can't forget that our enemies are still their own people--that they work just like we do." It linnes up for Tamaki, it seems; Maki's eyes stay on Tamaki now, her notes left on the table. "Right. And at a point... Sometimes that's all you can do."

She shakes her head. "I wish it weren't like that, though. That we could just... understand each other."

She considers it a tragedy still, that they couldn't save Kandori, too.

But, "Hm? Oh, well..."

"I meditate," she offers. "I can give you some prompts to think about. But it's really just practice; you have to learn how to separate the noise from the data. ...To separate out what you 'think' about something from what it 'is'."

"He'd probably say something about how many people think instead of the map when they're talking about the territory... or something. Fifty-two people have come here... Something like that."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki and Reiko got ''lucky'' that Hazama was so easily dissuaded, in the end. It could have been worse. As painful as the loss of both of them is, it could have been much, much worse.

... fast-forward to today, and now there are several things going on at once. She doesn't like the apparent odds of none of those going awry.

Tamaki hangs her head forward slightly. "As do I."

Maki offers meditation and the advice to practice, to separate signal from noise. Tamaki furrows her brow. "I mean, I'm getting good at that in a different sense; I took a course on logic and set theory, but that involves more active thought than intuitive perception." With a snicker, she adds, "Feels like I'm better at generating noise than separating it, too."

Tamaki gives Maki a flat stare at her apt description of Nameless. "That sure sounds like him. Guy loves his numbers." She almost doesn't give it any further thought, but then remembers something. "So like ... see past the phenomenon, try to see the noumenon?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Maki Sonomura has posed.
<poem>
They can agree on wishes; maybe they can agree on solutions, too.

"That's the difficulty," Maki agrees. "It's sort of... like having to achieve no-mind. It's completely distinct from active thought. For me, at least. I'm sure others can see it differently; my expereinncnes led me to this path." A soft laugh, then. "Generating noise is usually more fun, too. Sitting around is hard."

But that is like him. And then--

"...Yeah, actually," Maki says. "I've studied a little philosophy, too." So she knnows the term. "But it's just like that. Our ideas of what something is can interfere with our ability to really understand it."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Try to instead see the noumenon, even though the phenomenon ''is'' what exists once filtered through the senses. As Tamaki tries to process this paradoxical thought, her eyes start to cross and she starts to become dizzy.

She rubs her eyes with both hands as she tries to snap herself out of it. "Yeahhh, I might need to figure out my own route. ''Oof''." She shakes her head, then laughs and leans back in her seat. "You're something else. I don't know how you do it!"

'The idea of what something is can interfere with our ability to understand it.' Tamaki squints as she tries to understand. "... Like how almost everyone inside that Palace seemed faceless?"

Agitatedly, Tamaki taps her pen on her notepad a few times. "There's a lot going on still ... there's a Seven Sisters student who's gone missing. A friend texted me about it, but uhh ... I don't think I'd want to go in alone."

"Anything like that going on in your neck of the woods?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Maki Sonomura has posed.
<poem>
That's because Maki doesn't ''use'' her conventional senses for Navigating, though sometimes she can supplemennt innformation or explain in ''terms'' of her senses. ...But that is pretty head-trippy.

"Sorry," Maki says, that she cann't be more helpful. "Heh. Well, when your experiences are like mine... You learn to think a little differently about things, so you can survive."

She smiles though. And then--"Right!" Maki says, "Good example. Because he didn't care what the people around him were really like, his ideas of them didn't even have faces. It showed us his perspective. People were just interchangeable to him... and that was a weakness that helped us get through." She frowns. "Well, almost. It was still really rough..."

But a lot going on? Maki is thoughtful there. "If there's a missing student, I'd like to help. Annd honestly, not much supernatural has been going on for me. Igor tells me there's something out there that needs me... but he won't tell me what."

"Maybe it's this. Besides, my social calendar just freed up a lot."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki chuckles. "It's okay."

'You learn to think a little differently about things so you can survive.' Tamaki narrows her eyes at that. At first she sounds uncertain, but then finds her confidence midsentence. "Sssure ... I think you and I differ in our respective ways of doing that."

"Sometimes I feel like mundane life weighs me down so I can't see as well as you can, and it's like I'm working with blinders on." She tilts her head and closes her eyes. "But other times, when everything else feels overwhelming, when I start to feel small and insignificant, it feels less like being 'weighed down' and more like being 'anchored'."

Tamaki shrugs. "Probably not a good idea to stay tuned out like that ''permanently'', but a reprieve via sensory deprivation can help here or there."

Igor's got something in mind for Maki? Tamaki raises an eyebrow at that. "Curious. Wonder what he's on about with that ... I've been wondering if some SEBEC scientists with knowledge of the DEVA system got paperclipped onto some later projects going on today."

Tamaki nods. "And if it isn't, well, I'm sure she's not going to complain about getting help. We should rustle up the others and see what we can do."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Maki Sonomura has posed.
<poem>
"Everybody does, I think." Differ there. And Maki's experiences are different from anyone's that she knows.

"Anchored is a better way to think of it," Maki agrees. "...I try not to think about what I'd trade, or how I'd want things to be different. I'm content where I am. That has to be enough."

A reprieve... Hmm. "I guess that's true. Kind of like when you want to go in a dark room for a while."

"I wonder, too, but he just says that I have to find my own destiny. I guess it shows he does't think thigns are over for me...?"

DEVA. Maki frowns. "If that's the case," she says, "Then I definitely want to know."

"OK! Then, I'm in. Hopefully it goes better than last time... But even if it doesn't, it's important that we try."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki ''had'' someone who'd know her own experiences, but she's been gone.

'That has to be enough.' Tamaki sighs, then smiles. "Yeah, that rings familiar."

A dark room. To Tamaki, it brings to mind a cathedral of shadows sunken underneath the waves, no sensation but the sound of one Debussy's compositions playing in her ears. ''(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJILQWePbt4 Debussy - La cathédrale engloutie)''

For the first time in a while, the memory of that performance brings comfort rather than tears.

She clarifies, "Kind of. In my case, it's more like filling things up with noise so I don't fixate on something. Like coating medicine with candy."

Tamaki bites the inside of her cheek when Maki says she wants to know. "Fair warning, knowledge of it might get some dangerous people breathing down your neck."

She breathes in deeply, then exhales for just as long. "Yeah. We'll give it our best shot. Thanks."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Maki Sonomura has posed.
<poem>
For Maki, it's more mundane; she still gets overstimulated sometimes, especially with the supernantural inputs she gets sinnce the SEBEC incident. Those aren't all the time, but...

"Ohhh, OK," Maki says. "I see. That makes sense."

But, "That's fine," Maki says of getting dangerous people involved. "That's already true when someone mannages to get past the secrecy about SEBEC. I'm on borrowed time on that front in any case."

"Cool," Maki says.

"...Well, that didn't get a lot of studying done," she says with a wry smile. "Want to try again, or just accept that we've got other stuff on our mind today after all?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki nods. "It's different for everyone, like we've said, right?"

"Ah." Her utterance is sharp. She hadn't expected that but now feels that she should have. "In for a penny, in for a pound. Had I known that seal was already broken, I would have mentioned it sooner ..."

Tamaki breaks down into exasperated laughter at herself. "Yeah, uh. My bad there, we can try again." She solemnly places her hand over her chest. "I've got it out of my system for now, I swear. Thanks."

</poem>

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

2026-01-29: Only a Handful of Verses in History's Song

2026-02-03T17:40:32Z

Terra: Created page with "*'''Log: Only a Handful of Verses in History's Song''' *'''Cast:''' Tamaki Uchida, Rin Sasaki *'''Where:''' Kuzunoha Detective Agency *'''OOC Date:''' January 29, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' September 17, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Rin returns to the Kuzunoha Detective Agency to provide Tamaki and the Chief with the now-active Thread to Kenzo Sasaki's Atelier, having run it through the 'eye' of its associated 'needle.' The conversation then turns to the prospect of Rin acco..."

*'''Log: Only a Handful of Verses in History's Song'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Tamaki Uchida]], [[Rin Sasaki]]
*'''Where:''' Kuzunoha Detective Agency
*'''OOC Date:''' January 29, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' September 17, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Rin returns to the Kuzunoha Detective Agency to provide Tamaki and the Chief with the now-active Thread to Kenzo Sasaki's Atelier, having run it through the 'eye' of its associated 'needle.' The conversation then turns to the prospect of Rin accompanying an expedition to her husband's Atelier, and Tamaki answers with perhaps a brutally stark depiction of the risks and potential outcomes.''

----

(|======================== Kuzunoha Detective Agency =========================|)
-=================================================== Sumaru City/Aoba Ward ====-
The first thing that greets visitors to Kuzunoha Detective Agency is a giant
golden lucky cat statue that, with its left paw raised, bids a hearty welcome to
customers and opportunities alike. Inspect it, and a mewling voice will ask for
donations: 100 yen from students and other children, and 1000 yen from adults.

A pair of dark couches that frame a coffee table have an excellent view of the
massive HDTV and dual stereos on the far right wall. On the far left wall are
shelves upon shelves full of books, none of which definitely can slide to one
side. A large desk with a lamp and computer stands in front of it. This is where
the portly older ex-gumshoe, Chief Daisuke Todoroki, makes his business, as...
blessed... by the agency's original owner. He investigates (and will spread) all
manner of rumors to find out the truth (and change reality), assisted by veteran
Persona User Tamaki Uchida.

The back room is nothing special; it has a stove and a sink, so it's a simple
task to always have tea ready for customers. There's a bathroom there too, but
it seems like it's always occupied. Don't ask who's in there, meow.

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki's back to her part-time capacity as an apprentice detective, and has only recently arrived back in the office after returning from her university's campus now that classes have begun again. She hasn't quite settled down yet today, and is currently flipping through television channels to check various news programs. Ostensibly.

Chief Todoroki's the relatively more permanent fixture around here, and he's in the back, seated at his much larger desk. It's not uncommon for him to be on the phone and getting in touch with his contact network, and today proves no exception.

The lucky cat statue ... why, there's nothing strange about it. It's entirely inanimate, save for the mechanisms that detect when someone walks by so it can play its pre-canned audio messages to ask for donations.

''Click.'' ''Click.'' ''Click.'' Tamaki taps her foot impatiently as she goes through channel after channel, seemingly searching for some program. She's not going to find it, but that's the state that any visitor will find her in.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Rin Sasaki has posed.
<poem>

It's late afternoon when the front door to the agency opens gently, then closes again. The cat statue gives its tinny recording as the new arrival passes by it, and is summarily ignored.

Rin Sasaki arrives to the Kuzunoha Detective Agency for the third time and heads directly for Tamaki's desk, black heels clicking lightly on the floor. A long, flowing black skirt, a silky burgundy top; glittering earrings, gently teased wavy black hair, manicured nails, three silver rings on her left hand, a wedding ring on her right, understated, natural-appearing makeup. A bit of exhaustion in her hazel eyes, but perhaps that's understandable, given her present circumstances.

But there is utterly no sign that she actively falling apart as early as this time yesterday.

"Uchida-san," Rin greets quietly as she takes a seat on the client side of Tamaki's desk, but otherwise skipping past small talk for the moment. She sets down the handcrafted black leather laptop bag she was carrying over one shoulder and pulls out a by-now familiar print -- an ultrasound image, likely taken around nine weeks, dated June 7th, 2005 -- and places it gently down on the desk. Her expression is muted. "It is active now." There's less hesitation in her voice than there has been before, speaking on matters connected to the supernatural.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki's lip curls up into a sneer directed at the TV as she fails to find what she's looking for. The sight of Gozaburou Gessou, a local talk show host, causes her to linger on the channel and sneer even harder.

Rin is a much welcome distraction, and Tamaki's demeanor does a 180 as she shuts the TV off and hurls the remote behind her where it lands not-quite-on but at least beside one of the couches. "Sasaki-san! Good to see you!" The circumstances may not be the best, the occasion isn't a ''happy'' one by any measure, but she's committed to providing the best customer service that she can.

After Rin puts the image down on the desk, Tamaki follows, instead opting to lean on the desk with a hand as she inspects it. "Getting right to it, huh?" She stares at it as if she's trying to sense something -- for all she knows right now, she may or may not be able to discern any difference. "'Active' as in ... you took this photograph to the spot that's significant for your husband? His Atelier's accessible now, you think?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Rin Sasaki has posed.
<poem>
Rin is 'getting right to it' because she may lose her ability to project confidence if she doesn't. Not that she's earned much of it -- she is still very much an outsider looking in when it comes to these matters, understands only little, is entirely at the mercy of the help of strangers, and ''this'' matter in particular remains intensely personal.

But yesterday was humiliating, and even moreso ''after'' the fact, when she sobered up fully.

"Yes," she answers quietly to the question of the location. "I know that we discussed, before, the danger in the possibility of the Homunculus --" and here the personal is ''already'' bleeding through, because she can't quite keep the hatred out of her voice when she says the word, speaking it almost like a curse, "-- showing its face at the location, but I..." and here it bleeds through again, her expression downcast despite her best efforts to maintain a neutral facade. "I didn't want anyone else there."

She didn't want anyone else to see. She wanted, perhaps ''needed,'' to feel like there was ''something.'' however small, she could accomplish herself, faced as she was and is with a world of monsters and magical phantasams and creatures that can possess the unwitting and unwary.

"I thought I -- felt something," she continues, hesitating a moment, because it ''was'' a faint thing. Certainly far fainter than the crawling, sickening sensation she experienced when first encountering what she would later learn was the Homunculus. "But at the least, Yeo-san seemed certain that it was activated and useable for entry."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
It's a mindset that Tamaki recognizes, at least, having had to plow through difficult circumstances herself. She's good at getting down to brass tacks and interfacing with clients in the business sense. When it comes to certain topics, while she isn't known for being brusque, she doesn't feel confident enough to land that plane when it comes to a matter as sensitive as Rin's.

The last time that Rin had met with Tamaki, Tamaki's opinion of the supernatural was a bit more pessimistic and that this isn't something she would inflict on anyone. Now, however, she thnks that maybe there's something to how people like Eriko approach it -- this other framework lets them detach and view a problem from a different angle, one not so pointed.

"I get it, yeah." Tamaki tries to let her sympathy and sincerity come through in her tone. "I really, truly do." She gives a slow nod as she stands upright again. It was dangerous, but she's not going to chastise her for it. "Just glad you're alright. Relatively, y'know."

The mention of Myunghon's certainty elicits a raised eyebrow from Tamaki. "Huh. Well, I'm not one to second-guess their opinion, so if they're sure of it, then I am."

She (finally) maneuvers around to her own side of the desk and takes a seat to turn towards her computer. "Alright, so next steps after that ... I'd like to ask your permission for something. Can I inform other members of the Persona-user community about this so we can start our expeditions into his Atelier and excise what took him over?" She glances down at the ultrasound photograph. "We ... would also need to physically take that with us, if you're okay with that. Nakao-chan -- that teenager -- might be the best point of contact there."

Tamaki exhales. "Sorry about what I said last time, too. I'm flying blind here, too, and since then, I've had a talk with some people more in the know about Homunculi. Hell, I've even seen another one."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Rin Sasaki has posed.
<poem>
"Yes, of course," Rin responds to the question of informing the broader community. She has been told that there are deeply antagonistic forces among those that know the supernatural -- including those that are perfectly willing to commit atrocities on the unawakened -- along with those that would provide aid to a stranger, but she automatically assumes that Tamaki's chosen network is trustworthy.

Of course, this also requires the further underlying assupmtion that Tamaki herself is trustworthy, but Rin does not even slightly have the luxury of second-guessing the individuals that have offered to put their own safety on the line to save her husband -- and in some respects, herself by extension, because there is really only so long she can avoid returning home. So far as the world is concerned, the creature ''is'' Kenzo Sasaki, her husband. Its ability to ruin her life if it grows impatient with her absence is...something she's trying not to think too hard about until it becomes relevant.

"I thought ''you'' might keep possession of it..." is Rin's second response, a little pensively. While she appreciates Hauzki's passionate commitment to aiding her and her husband both, it's clear that she would personally feel more comfortable with the print being stewarded by someone that ''isn't'' a minor. "But whatever you think is best, Uchida-san," she follows up with right after, exhaling slowly. How these things typically progress is of course not something that is known to her, and she will defer to the opinion of the obvious expert in the room.

"There's another one?" Rin asks, her curiosity, as ever, getting the better of her, even as the idea leave a bitter, acrid taste in the back of her mouth. Another creature wearing another stolen face...

"And..." a moment's pause. Because 'last time' ended with not exactly her proudest moment; the anger that abruptly spilled out of her in response to something that, in retrospect, she may not entirely have understood. "What ''did'' you mean to say, last time?" she asks slowly. "And would it be -- different now?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Luckily for Rin, Tamaki's got a good heart. If she has anything to say about it, the supernatural wouldn't be a thing -- it's plagued her and people she cares about for far too long, by her estimation. She lost someone to it for good, and if at all possible, she's sincerely in it to prevent an ill fate from befalling Kenzo.

The problem might be in Tamaki's own blind spots about the true experts on Ateliers and ''their'' trustworthiness.

"Sure, sure, I'll hold onto it when it's not in use." Tamaki gives a placating wave of her hands. "I just mean that Nakao-chan may be the best person to rely on for the actual process inside the Atelier proper. There's also a boutique in Shimokitazawa that has more knowledge of the process than I do, a place called Peacock Silk."

She nods at the question of there being another. "Yes, a high school student at Shujin Academy. Normally an acerbic personality, she's suddenly turned into the model daughter and student overnight." The thought causes her to shudder. "I think that's the first time I've gotten a clear picture of the 'before' and 'after.'"

Tamaki meets Rin's gaze, then gives her a slow nod. "There are a wide variety of supernatural phenomena out there. Most of them, in my experience, are reflections of people as they are, whether they're beings formed from the collective thoughts of humanity in aggregate to the repressed thoughts of individual people, the parts of themselves which they reject out of hand to the detriment of their own psychological well-being."

She exhales heavily at a certain memory. "For instance, I once had to face an unpleasant aspect of myself. Point-blank. I was ... ''incendiarily'' envious of the attention that someone who I was in love with gave to others instead of me." After a beat of silence, she adds, "I was also fifteen. My own experience was also highly unique -- isolatingly so."

Tamaki gives another nod. "And yes, it would be different now. Homunculi are truly the exception to the pattern -- they do not come from within, they are invasive." So she's been told. "I hope that is some reassurance. To my knowledge, they are a recent phenomenon."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Rin Sasaki has posed.
<poem>
Rin does seem placated by this. "I see," she responds quietly. It does bring to mind something that Tamaki herself referenced before (even if the exact words used are a little hazy by now) -- something about, even among the Awakened, individuals being most focused on the aspects that affected them the most. And Hazuki's friend was the one previously afflicted by, and saved from, possession; moreover, Hazuki did mention her own Awakening coming about ''while'' trying to save that friend.

And now that ''that'' conversation has been refreshed in her mind, coupled with an offer presented to her yesterday -- a frightful offer, but one she finds she can't dismiss entirely -- Rin can't help but to wonder...

"So I've been told," she says after, regarding Peacock Silk.

Rin has no way of knowing that she actually once met the high school student in question, if briefly, but not even so terribly long ago in the scheme of things. She would likely be a little shaken by the sheer ''odds'' of such a coincidence if she did.

When Tamaki begins to detail her meaning in earnest, Rin retrieves the same notebook as before from her bag, again jotting careful notes in fastidious handwriting. Perhaps the supernatural will never actually carry any meaning for her after her husband is returned to her -- she remains, after all, entirely ''un''awakened -- and even now, it's apparent to her that the little bits and pieces she has learned of are only fragments of some much greater whole.

Even still, she has been given undeniable proof of the supernatural in the form of a Persona summoned in her presence long enough that she can carry that shard of certainty with her, that is more than the ''feeling'' that she received around the thing that is not her husband (even if it was a very strong feeling; certainly strong enough for her to flee her home and go searching desperately for answers). If the mechanics of the world stretch beyond and beneath the strictly physical, she would be...remiss, not to carry away what little bits of knowledge those with understanding are willing to share with her.

And so she listens, and she writes. "Who hasn't been, at least once..." Rin does murmur when Tamaki details being envious of the attention given away by the object of her own affections. "Especially at such a young age." She leans back a little in her chair, frowning thoughtfully. "It seems like something you should have been allowed to learn to face naturally, with time, rather than -- however it expressed itself supernaturally." Because of course Tamaki didn't detail exactly ''how'' it did, leaving it somewhat to Rin's imagination.

But then back to the Homuculus. About how it diverges from the normal patterns, putting context to Tamaki's previous words. There's an intensity in Rin's eyes as she looks at Tamaki directly. "So the Homunculus will be destroyed entirely, then?" she asks, unconsciously leaning forward slightly, her voice quietly bleeding her hatred again, and just a little bit of eagerness. (But then, it ''has'' stolen away her husband and made her an exile from her own home. As well as whatever may have happened before Rin first fled that night...)
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
"Yeah, I'm a good starting point, but what I do most often is ''triage'', I ''delegate''." Tamaki shakes her head and gives Rin a shrug. "I'm trying to capture everything I come across so that I can help bring people up to speed more quickly -- such as yourself."

Tamaki raises an eyebrow at Rin's reaction to the mention of Peacock Silk. "Oh, you knew about them already?" Her own expression isn't exactly happy, but it isn't disdainful either. She's uncertain, apprehensive. "... one of them just laughed when I mentioned I found out about Homunculi in the Dark Hour the hard way and nearly died. But they do good customization work, and they ''did'' tell me that killing the Homunculus in the Dark Hour would just kill the host, too -- killing it in the Atelier is the proper way to go about it."

Rin's jotted-down notes cause Tamaki to briefly peer over, then lean back to pull a binder off of her bookshelf. "Here -- it's by no means comprehensive, but it's written down somewhere already, so you can borrow it if you'd like." She adds with a grin, "Buuut the act of transcription does help people retain memory better, especially with writing implements instead of typing, so I get it if you still want to take notes as I go."

"I know a few people who haven't," she offers. "I think." She exhales a mournful sigh. "I would have very much preferred that, frankly. On one hand, central Tokyo might have had a new crater in place of a building if I hadn't been able to admit that about myself. On the other hand, I wouldn't have fallen in love in the first place if we hadn't been placed in that supernatural situation together."

Tamaki casts her gaze downwards. "... if it weren't for that, I would have gotten in the way of something more important that she had to do."

Back to Rin's plight though -- "As far as I'm aware, yes. It does leave some valuable materials behind, but in the one instance I've seen, it is excised from the host."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Rin Sasaki has posed.
<poem>
Rin waves a slightly-dismissive hand when Tamaki asks that she knew about them already. "I haven't been yet, but Nakao-san recommended them as a source of further information about Ateliers and Homunculus in particular. Also mentioned they had been very helpful with the previous Homunculus." Of course, Rin most certainly ''did'' notice how Hazuki's opinion on them evolved rather sharply over time. And Tamaki's tone and expression are impossible for her to miss

Rin purses her lips lightly as the detective continues. The laughter in the context outlined certainly reads as very strange, very callous, but the information Tamaki says they provided also seems ''very'' important. "That seems like a -- a ''very'' good thing to be known," she says quietly, stumbling just slightly over her words as Tamaki presents it as new information. It's certainly not hard to imagine why she might have strong feelings on it.

"Is there something else that bother you about them, or just the laughter?" she asks after, watching Tamaki's reactions closely. "Not that it isn't a -- bizarre reaction, at best, to what you described, but..." If there's more to it, she would of course like to know.

"Oh!" Despite the heaviness of the conversation, Rin well and truly brightens in a way that Tamaki has not actually witnessed before, when she offers for Rin to borrow the binder of notes. "Yes, Uchida-san; that would be ''wonderful'' -- thank you." If it's handed to her, she glances through it very briefly, gently, perhaps curious as to how much is contained therein. At the least, it's very likely she will makes copies of the entire thing before returning it.

Rin does not know if she understands nearly enough to speak further when Tamaki details further about being forced to confront her own envy (or else??), but she listens. "That..." she finally begins when the story is finished. Even for what she's learned already, the stakes (craters and destroyed buildings in Central Tokyo) sound outlandish to her ears, and it takes a moment to intentionally quiet her reflexive incredulity -- because is that ''really'' where she is going to arbitrarily draw the line at this point? "That's not something you should have been responsible for at such a young age," she says with some measure of conviction in her voice.

Of course, perhaps there is still something hollow about such a sentiment, because it seems that not only ''was'' she, but that there are other minors -- Hazuki included -- fighting battles in the supernatural to this very day. She can't help but be bothered by the thought of it...

"Uchida-san," she says abruptly. It's only been a day, but she can't entirely get it off her mind, not as much as it terrifies and somehow intrigues her. "I met another woman -- Watanabe-san -- who was able to recognize that there was something wrong with my huband, and also said she possessed a Persona." Maybe it's not correct to drop names this way, but she wonders if Tamaki knows anything about her reputation. "She wanted to help, and said she had...friends, or allies that also could. And she...she asked if I wished to come along, because of how...personal the matter is. Despite the danger."

She's trembling slightly now as she speaks on it. It obviously weighs heavy on her mind, now that it's been presented to her. "What...do you think? Of such an idea?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki rubs the back of her neck and closes her eyes. She still sounds uncertain. "Yeah, they're, uh. They're something, alright." Another thought of hers seems to mollify her, and she partially opens her eyes again. "There's something positive to be said for the overall outlook of their group. Here in Sumaru City, if there's a common motif to everyone's thoughts, then they can coalesce to a point where they can overwrite reality, but their insistence on individuality and self-expression may serve as a counterbalance against it."

"... It certainly is." Tamaki grimly nods at Rin's assessment of those consequences. "Not that I had any inclination to do so in the first place." It was only very recently that Tamaki seems to have finally accepted that there was a need for her to return to taking a direct hand in at least some supernatural matters -- prior to that, she would have vastly preferred to minimize the extent she so directly deals with it.

Tamaki pauses for a moment to consider Rin's question about if there's anything ''else'' about Peacock Silk ... and shrugs noncommittally. "Her laughter did strike a raw nerve, but she also pointed out that I still lived, and I can't dispute that. I don't know enough about them. They do stand to materially gain from the defeat of Homunculi, but -- " she looks around the Agency's interior. " -- so do we, so I don't think I should exactly cast stones there." It might just be at a meager 7000-yen-an-hour rate in the agency's case, but she doesn't know the true monetary value of the substance that Peacock Silk seems to be after, so she can't exactly quantify any difference between the two establishments' incomes.

-----

The binder has the limited extent of what Tamaki knows about various phenomena in broad strokes, serving as a glossary. The amount of information skews heavily towards the likes of Demons and the mythological tales they originate from, which she's far and away had the most experience with. Shadows have their own taxonomy vaguely outlined, but to a lesser extent -- she at least knows there is ''a'' distinction between the mindless Shadows of the Dark Hour, the ones in Mementos and Palaces which seem more closely tied to individual people and how they try to disguise themselves as Demons when confronted, and some minutiae on several methods on how she's witnessed different people Awaken and the methods with which they summon their Personas.

Sections on Ateliers, Homunculi, and Humors are ''incredibly'' sparse in comparison, afforded several sentences each at most. While she has practical experience in some steps -- the beginning and end, obtaining the thread, navigating an Atelier, and defeating the Homunculus for good -- the rest is left to theory and information obtained secondhand, such as Rin's solo journey to the graveyard. This section also omits any mention of any related Awakening -- that's currently a black box to her.

(Roger gets a special mention as a Humor who, bizarrely, seems to have turned into a person, coupled with a footnote that only reads "wtf???" Tamaki has no idea what to make of him yet.)

If it's of any consolation to Rin, there are yet more sections with even less ink committed to them than the topic which most closely affects her and her husband's life.

While she has some unique perspective given how far-removed she is from everyone else's affairs in the present day, this gives her knowledge more breadth than it does depth. While she does not specify how she had personally Awakened, she does have some notes which compare her own circumstances to those who have played the Persona Game or, perhaps more chillingly, those who summon their Personas with Evokers, save for the fact that she doesn't need one to mediate her own confrontation with death.

In some sense, this binder serves as a reflection of Tamaki's desire to find someone else who went through what she had -- this an impossibility, whether she knows it or not. In lieu of any answers she can gain for her own satisfaction, she hopes that it can provide some solace and orientation to newcomers to this side of the world so that she can spare them the bewilderment and confusion that comes with being thrown into the deep end of these murky waters. 'May this at least serve a signpost in the wilderness.'

A final page has some closing remarks which comment on how their collective present-day situations may only be a drop in the ocean, a speck in the universe, despite how important and dire they seem in the immediate moment. Theirs are only a handful of verses in history's song, each one sharing common motifs despite any differences in their phrasing.

-----

Rin's insistence that Tamaki shouldn't have gone through something at such a young age garners a dead-eyed stare from the latter. Bluntly, she replies with an ''exhausted'', "Yeah." She shakes her head to chase off that sense of ennui, approaching if not quite reaching her normal demeanor. "But I also got off easy, I'm still ali -- er. Not missing." She sinks back into moroseness. "I can't say the same for some others."

She has some more thoughts on the ages of Persona-users to add. "I can count the number of adult Persona-users on my fingers, and the number who gained the use of their Persona ''as'' an adult on even fewer. Most Awaken as teenagers. In one instance I'm aware of, someone gained their Persona at the age of ''eleven.''" Tamaki gestures widely with her arms, spreading them to the side as she explains, "If I seem hesitant to encourage the circumstances that would lead to someone's Awakening, this is why -- it is a threshold that, once crossed, it is impossible to turn back. It is a heavy burden, and all too often, it is placed on the shoulders of children."

The mention of Ayame causes Tamaki's mood to brighten, and she chirps, "Oh, Watanabe-san! Yeah, we work with each other on this kind of thing!" She winks at Rin. "If I were to go into your husband's Atelier, there's a good chance that I'd be on her crew." She grows serious when it comes to Rin's question about tagging along, however. Initially, she scowls, but the expression fades into contemplation. She's silent for a few moments as she curls a finger on her chin while she ponders. "I'm not exactly jazzed about it. You'd lack the physical and mental protection that a Persona grants you. It adds an additional layer of risk where we would have to contend with ensuring your safety, and there's no guarantee that you would survive."

Tamaki gives Rin a level stare. "I've seen it cut both ways. Within the previous month, I have failed to protect an un-Awakened client, and they lost their life in the process. Conversely, more recently, I have seen another Awaken in the midst of a life-or-death conflict. It is a gamble, and neither outcome is certain. Pressure can create diamonds, sure, but it can just as easily create rubble instead."

After a beat, in a faux-cheerful tone, she concludes, "It's certainly an idea where I would require you to sign a liability waiver." More seriously, she adds, "I'm not enthused at the prospect, but I won't dissuade you entirely. I can outline the stakes, I can promise to do my best when it comes to keeping you safe while acknowledging that my best may not be good enough, but the decision ultimately lies with you."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Rin Sasaki has posed.
<poem>
Rin visibly tenses a little when Tamaki references reality being overwritten -- even if it's given as an aside to another subject, somehow this way of phrasing it is far more unnerving to her than simply acknowledging that rumors can become reality if spread far enough. Perhaps it is because the examples that were given to her before were all...relatively inconsequential; cheerfully delivered by Tamaki as a service the agency itself provided. Still more than enough to make her head swim, but something about the way the detective phrases it this time...

If enough people in Sumaru truly believed one thing, just how severely ''could'' they alter reality? And what were the chances that it would ''actually'' be an improvement? (She feels it unlikely, given the general caliber of their countrymen). Has the effect ever gone beyond the boundaries of the city? Does the supernatural exist entirely because enough people across enough different cultures and times ''believed'' that something more than natural existed, in some bizarre, self-referential closed loop?

Rin does not speak any one of these sudden onslaught of worries aloud, which allows Tamaki to continue giving her opinion of Peacock Silk -- in turn providing something of a reminder to try and focus on what is immediately in front of her, instead of spiralling out in her own thoughts. Perhaps some of her myriad unspoken questions will be answered by Tamaki's notes when she has an opportunity to read them more closely later. Perhaps some of them ''no one'' can answer.

"Mm. I will certainly keep what you have said in mind," is how she finally responds, instead. "Although..." she begins after a short pause, in regards to the KDA 'materially benefitting.' She does not know how ''Peacock Silk'' benefits, but the rates the ''KDA'' charged her were shockingly low, all things considered. "You could very easily be charging ''several'' times more -- and your services would still be underpriced; given what you are able to provide..."

The invoice Tamaki handed her after the retrieval of Kenzo's Thread, especially given the danger that was ultimately involved, felt only a fractional-step removed from charity work.

Rin's glance through the binder is more than enough to know that she desperately wants more time with the material contained inside. Even at a glance, it's easy to see already that it will involve ''more'' information that will continue the work of upending of her understanding of the world -- an understanding that, not terribly long ago, included only the physical and the mundane.

Tamaki will receive the binder back within a few days, after Rin has had the opportunity to copy the contents; it will be in exactly the same condition it was when she lent it out.

Tamaki's dead-eyed stare and morose, exhausted reply to Rin's (ironically naive) declaration hangs heavy in the air, and Rin looks away, chastised and finding herself unable to maintain eye contact as the former adds more thoughts on the young ages of the Awakened. (...although, if there are few adults with a Persona, does that mean the phenomenon is new...or does it perhaps mean that few of the youths of the past survived long enough to have ''become'' adults...?)

But in the end, perhaps it ''shouldn't'' be children in the same way that there ''shouldn't'' be psychic parasites that supplant the personalities of the infected or there ''shouldn't'' be an entire hour that exists in the space between seconds every night. Preconceptions brought from a world where monsters and magical phantasms do not exist are likely not helpful in the world in which they ''do.''

That Tamaki and Ayame not only know each other, but have and do work together is a pleasant thing to hear, and also reinforces her previous perception regarding the size of the community. That Tamaki's first reaction to hearing of Ayame's offer is to scowl is not entirely unsurprising. Even Ayame herself said she didn't believe it was a ''good'' idea even as she presented it.

Even if Rin can't quite stop her hands from trembling in her lap as the subject is discussed, she does meet Tamaki's level stare as the latter elaborates upon the risk and her stance on it. "That is...very similar to what Watanabe-san said herself," she says quietly, regarding the additional risk taken on by attempting to ensure Rin's survival -- and the frank inability to honestly promise that she ''would'' survive. "And I understand that the idea is entirely irrational..."

Because of course it ''is.'' It ''is'' irrational. Safety at risk, death flatly outlined as a distinct possibility (and even if not death -- injury? maiming? how long does it take to reach the nearest hospital from inside a supernatural mindscape?), additional risk placed on people that are already taking a risk to help her and her husband, and even Ayame only thought that ''perhaps'' Rin's presence could ''maybe'' be of value, as someone that 'knows' the real man currently supplanted by the parasite.

So then why can't she stop thinking about it?

It's an idea that ''should'' have been dismissed immediately.

Rin continues after several shaky breaths. "It's only -- something I'm considering, since the idea was raised to me." Because she expressed her frustration at being unable to ''do'' anything further. Maybe that's why she can't shake the thought of it as easily as it deserves. Or is there something else...? Some shade of the night she was first gifted the opportunity to witness the supernatural with her own eyes, feel the ''spark'' and the ''energy'' of a 'Persona' summoned in front of her.

"But thank you, Uchida-san," she concludes shakily as she comes to her feet, collecting her bag and the binder of notes that was lent to her. Her expression is muted; deeply sober. "You've given me a -- great deal more to think about." Not ''just'' about the reckless half-impulse to witness the Atelier for herself, of course, but the entire conversation, also.
</poem>

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

2026-02-01: Does a Flower Have Expectations About a Portrait

2026-02-02T20:16:55Z

Terra: Created page with "*'''Log: Does a Flower Have Expectations About a Portrait?''' *'''Cast:''' Aigis, Fuuka Yamagishi *'''Where:''' Iwatodai Dormitory *'''OOC Date:''' February 01, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' September 11, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''After the attack on the SEES dormitory, Fuuka repairs Aigis after she had sustained a significant amount of damage. Afterwards, in Aigis' attempt to take Fuuka's mind off of the attack, they both talk about art a..."

*'''Log: Does a Flower Have Expectations About a Portrait?'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Aigis]], [[Fuuka Yamagishi]]
*'''Where:''' Iwatodai Dormitory
*'''OOC Date:''' February 01, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' September 11, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''After [[2026-01-16:_Kicking_the_Door_In|the attack on the SEES dormitory]], Fuuka repairs Aigis after she had sustained a significant amount of damage. Afterwards, in Aigis' attempt to take Fuuka's mind off of the attack, they both talk about art and fictional novels.''

----

(|============================ Iwatodai Dormitory ============================|)
-================================================== Iwatodai City/Iwatodai ====-
A large four-story dormitory used by the Specialized Extracurricular Execution
Squad, only five minutes from Iwatodai Station. Upon entering, one passes a desk
with a sign-in book for guests to find a large carpeted common room that's well
appointed for co-ed gatherings.

A TV is usually on with the local news or a movie that's been loaded into the
DVD player for a student to enjoy. A table for shared dinners, or more often
study sessions, takes up the other half of the dorm, as well as a kitchen should
one dare to show off their skills to their fellow students.

There are two winding staircases on either side. The one on the left simply says
'Boys' while the other on the right states 'No Boys Except By Invitation.' The
implicit threat of execution need not be written down for those who violate
these rules. The second and third stories are living spaces divided by gender
with common spaces that have study areas and bookshelves available.

The fourth story is the command center with surveillance capabilities for not
just different parts of the city but each room within the dorms. The Chairman
has assured all who live here that this capability is strictly necessary.

BGM - Dormitory Theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj-FrFI0qnM

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Later in the evening after Strega had attacked the SEES dorms, Aigis was in need of repairs. Her own dormitory room lacks the sense of personalization common to other students staying in the building, and among other things, a bed. Instead, it is furnished with a large Kirijo Group computer console attached to a chair on which she rests when recharging, desk drawers full of technical manuals and ammunition, and a currently-ample supply of replacement parts and limbs. (The more sensitive components of hers are, unfortunately, also more rare.)

While her voice synthesizer is currently damaged, knowing Fuuka to be a good hand with electronics, she had tapped her on the shoulder and gestured to her own dented chassis in a silent request for assistance.

She had been meaning to speak with Fuuka in any case, battle damage or no. This might give her a chance to do so, at least if it doesn't distract from the task at hand.

In any case, she will make absolutely sure to thank her.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
<poem>Aigis had requested Fuuka's help with repairs. Fuuka can see the damage - if they were to call in Kirijo Group technicians for help, she might be out of commission for a while they wait... and more importantly, unable to speak. She's a little nervous about working on a person, but Aigis needs her help and she has the skills, so she agrees.

...Her parents always wanted her to be a doctor. Fuuka grimly considers this probably isn't what they had in mind.

Her room, though... a chair, a console, and equipment. This is probably all she ''needs'', but... it still feels a little sad.

For now, though, she puts that thought aside.

"If anything hurts or feels off, let me know right away so I can fix it, alright, Aigis-san?" Fuuka asks. "Tap on the chair or shake your head."

With that, she gets to work. She's a fast learner, thankfully, and works quickly and delicately to replace the damaged parts with fresh new ones while trying to minimize stress. And once she's done... Fuuka steps back.

"How's that, Aigis-san? How do you feel?" She asks.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis' room puts into stark perspective how her designers had designed her to be a weapon, first and foremost. Even her personhood is only useful as far as how much it contributes to her battlefield performance. Any concern aside from that is extraneous.

As Fuuka asks Aigis to respond, Aigis turns her head to look at her and nod -- accompanied by a series of louder-than-normal whirring sounds. She comprehends.

The console has a readout of various systems and their current functional status. The vital parts, thankfully, seem to remain unaffected, aside from the known issue regarding the voice module.
</poem>
<nowiki>
> PaHe Core integrity: 100%
> Personality Module: OK!
> CPU: OK!
> Electronic Memory: OK!
> PaHe-PM Memory: 1 Warning(s): Minor anomaly detected. OK!
> Visual sensors: OK!
> Audio sensors: OK!
> Voice synthesizer module: Please refer to ERR-9903 in the technical manual for repair instructions.</nowiki>
<poem>
Another readout displays the damage suffered by her outer casing and joints, accompanied by a visual diagram.
</poem>
<nowiki>
> Left hand and fingers integrity: 9%
> Left forearm integrity: 32%
> Torso integrity: 53%
> Right hip servo range of motion impaired to 43% of normal
> Left hip servo range of motion impaired 12% of normal
> Recommendation: Replace with parts A7-225, A7-308, A7-492, A7-493. Refer to their entries in the
"Physical Components" index in the technical manual for further repair instructions.</nowiki>
<poem>

Throughout the process, Aigis does not feel any need to inform Fuuka if something hurts. This is not due to any stoicism or inability to feel pain on Aigis' part; Aigis' design incorporates the ability to feel a sensation at least analogous to pain, if not identical to it. Rather, Fuuka proves herself to be adept at the necessary repairs.

"That is ..." Aigis tests out the repairs by flexing the parts of herself which were broken, by testing the waters with a few simple words of speech. "Much better, Yamagishi-san." She stands to bow deeply. "Thank you very much. I will strive to avoid taking unnecessary risks so that you will not have to go through this much effort again."

Aigis glances to the door of her own room. Feeling the need to repay the favor, she asks, "Is there anything I can do for you, in turn? Are you unhurt after the attack?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
<poem>It makes it so much easier when there's a readout she can check. Fuuka refers to it often as she works. She's curious about some of these entries... but she doesn't want to pry. She focuses on what she's here for - and watches as Aigis tests out the repairs. She steps away to give her space to move and flex her parts, and when Aigis stands to bow, Fuuka offers her a small smile back.

"You're welcome, Aigis-san. I'm glad I could help." She shakes her head, then. "I don't mind doing it... but none of us want to see you hurt, either."

She hopes it's a long while before she has to help her with anything this intensive again. She's surprised, though, if Aigis asks if there's anything she can do for ''her''.

"I can't think of anything..." She replies. Is she unhurt? She pauses for a moment. "I'm alright physically, but..."

She hesitates for a second. A part of her feels like she shouldn't burden her with her problems, but she did ''ask''.

"...I ''am'' still a little... rattled." Fuuka admits. "I never expected anyone to attack us directly. It's... scary. So... it's nice to have something else to focus on."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
"The desire is mutual." There is no variation in how Aigis speaks or moves compared to normal. "I am relatively fortunate that I can be brought back to working order so easily. Humans are not afforded the same luxury."

There is still something which categorically separates her from everyone else, in other words. That's still how she perceives herself.

Aside from that one aforementioned 'warning', the console is lit up entirely in green. Effectively speaking, it reads:
</poem>
<nowiki>
> Everything: OK!</nowiki>
<poem>

Fuuka's claim lines up with what Aigis can discern with her sensors: no physical problems. That's good, at least ... but --

Aigis pauses to consider another topic which may help to hold Fuuka's focus away from other psychologically-distressing matters. "We can speak of other topics for a while, if you would like that. While we she and I were discussing extracurricular activities which I could participate in, Arisato-chan had mentioned you are a member of the art club. I think I would be interested in joining."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
<poem>'Humans'... Fuuka thinks about that distinction for a moment. But she nods reluctantly. It's true that if this situation were reversed, things would be... a lot more complicated. Everything might be OK for Aigis, but for her...

Best not to think about it.

For now, Aigis suggests speaking of other topics.

"Oh! Sure, that would be nice." Fuuka agrees, offering her a nod and a polite smile. It's a relief, honestly - she would've gone back to her room otherwise, and having someone else around is... a bit more reassuring. Aigis explains that Minako mentioned that she's a member of art club - and Aigis is interested in joining!

"Oh, you are?" Fuuka asks, curious. "You'd certainly be welcome. The people there are nice and glad to help. Do you know what kind of art you're interested in doing yet?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Other suggestions had gone through Aigis' mind, such as offering a meal or watching something. Unfortunately, the fridge is busted, and the television downstairs sports a brand-new bullet-hole. At best, she would be able to retrieve a drink from a vending machine.

This seemed like the most feasible choice to pursue.

Fuuka's question catches her somewhat off-guard. It isn't due to lack of knowledge on the types of art, rather -- it stems from an ''abundance'' of it coupled with a need for ''exacting specificity''. "Which kinds are you referring to? Do you mean which choice of medium I intend to work with, such as oil, acrylic, or watercolor paints? Or are you asking about which artistic style I wish to employ, such as impressionism, fauvism, cubism, et cetera? Or do you mean something else?"

The art club isn't the only topic she has in mind, either. "I have also been attempting to read various novels in order to gain a better grasp on ... people." She hesitates while she searches for that last word, lacking the vocabulary to more clearly state that she's trying to understand communication in writing, ethos, logos, pathos, kairos. The humanities aren't her strong point, sadly. "I was hoping to read something together with someone as an exercise so that I may check my understanding of its material with them. Would you like to do that sometime?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
<poem>Aigis asks for clarification. From medium, to artistic style, and beyond. ...Fuuka blinks, taken by surprise - though she admits to herself that she probably should've ''expected'' that response. It ''is'' kind of a broad topic.

"I'm curious about that, yes... but also what subjects you're interested in. I suppose I should have lead with that." Fuuka replies, a bit sheepishly. "I, for instance, like doing landscapes in watercolors, and other nature scenes. Animals and flowers, things like that..."

She smiles.

"It's alright if you don't know going into it, either - art club is for helping you broaden your artistic horizons among people who share your interests." She assures.

There's something ''else'' Aigis is interested in, too. Novels! As someone who greatly enjoys reading, it's clear this is a topic she's eager to talk about.

"Oh, you have? What have you read so far?" Fuuka asks."Yes, that sounds like a lot of fun! I'd love that."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
It certainly is a broad topic, and yet Aigis' mental model requires that every quality of a piece she may create be properly specified and listed. ... at least currently. "That does narrow it down, somewhat."

As for which subjects, Aigis visibly pauses for a few seconds while she considers her answer. Her replies usually come instantly, but this apparently took her some calculation. "I would like to start with depictions of life. Flowers, animals, people ... portraits. I do not yet know which medium or style, but I appear to already have a preference towards certain subjects. Thank you for clarifying."

About reading: at first, Aigis' expression is downcast. "I have tried to read some of our assignments for class." These are typically just excerpts from novels, but never a full book. "I struggle with those, but I wish to do well."

She brightens up when she continues further. "Another student suggested that I read a particular book. I am still making my way through it, but it is set in the 1960s. The main characters are members of a roving gang of bikers searching for purpose in the economic turmoil of the post-war era."

Her expression returns to something more neutral and muted as she admits, "... That is the only one so far."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
<poem>Aigis explains what her current interest is. Flowers, animals, people - portraits. Fuuka smiles.

"You're welcome. That sounds great, I think... There will be plenty of time to experiment, and of course you don't have to stick to just one medium and style. I'm looking forward to seeing how yours develops." Fuuka replies.

Her expression turns sympathetic as Aigis explains that she struggles with the assignments for class.

"Yes... it can be difficult when you don't have the full picture, isn't it?" She replies. ...Says the honor student, who tends to do pretty well with it anyway. "Reading more will probably help you achieve a better understanding of the material, I think... So it's a good start!"

Aigis has read ''one'' novel so far - but Fuuka can't miss how she brightens up when she describes it.

"Oh, that sounds interesting... I'd like to read that sometime, too. What did you like about it?" She asks. It's the only one so far, but... "Well... we can fix that."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis nods. "I believe that it should make for a good starting point. Do you anticipate your own preferred subjects or styles changing, and if so, what are you looking to try next?"

She isn't looking to follow in Fuuka's footsteps, necessarily. She's trying to see if that was true for her, too. "Or ... has it already evolved? Did you do something different before?"

Her expression turns thoughtful for a moment. "I could perhaps seek out the full novels which our textbook pulls from. However, I believe it may be more efficient to develop a better sense of general understanding so that I may comprehend even the smallest of excerpts."

What does she like about the biker gang book? "I have given some thought to what I might do once I have accomplished my mission. Humans tend to find purpose after they are born, they are not imbued with it as I have been." She briefly turns her head to avert her gaze. "Distant as it is, I am aware that there may come a time where I may lack any new purpose to work towards, having fulfilled what I strive for today. I would like to be prepared for that eventuality."

'We can fix that.' Aigis quietly stares back at Fuuka, as neutral as she normally is. "What do you like to read, yourself?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
<poem>Fuuka considers the question thoughtfully. Does she anticipate her own subjects or styles changing...?

"Well... I've been interested in trying digital art." Fuuka replies. "Oh - by that I mean... there are programs that provide art tools you can use on a computer. It'd be nice to be able do things at home, too. Materials can get... a little expensive."

She nods, though.

"It ''did'' take a while for me to settle on nature scenes, though. I wanted to draw people, at first, but... flowers turned out to be an easier subject to sit down with." She explains, just a bit sheepishly.

She nods, then, as Aigis says it might be more efficient to develop a better sense of general understanding.

"I think so, too." Fuuka agrees. She listens as Aigis explains what she liked. Purpose... Fuuka thinks about that for a moment. She hadn't thought about it that way... but it makes sense that Aigis would.

"I see... That's really interesting." She considers thoughtfully. As for ''herself''... Fuuka thinks for a moment. Just saying 'hard science-fiction' might, again, be a bit too broad.

"I like books that show a view of the future, or into different worlds." Fuuka explains. "The way the advances in technology or the difference in environments affect the people who live there, and how they go about their daily life because of it. I like to think about what it might be like to live in a world like that."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis inclines her head as she considers the economics of physical vs. digital art. "I see. I imagine that the programs simulate what would occur when applying an artistic implement to a page or canvas. It is similar to how one can simulate the experience of another life when playing Drake Adventure. You have more room to experiment, you do not need to commit to a decision so strongly -- and thus save on the cost of materials. Do I understand that correctly?"

"Oh." At first, Aigis looks slightly crestfallen when Fuuka says she turned her attention away from people to flowers due to their difficulty. When she properly considers the thought, it doesn't quite add up, though, and she turns from crestfallen to confused. "In what manner are they easier?" Such a task might seem simple to Aigis, but she can cheat and save a snapshot from her visual sensors to recall later. This may be a difference she is unaware of.

She smiles at Fuuka, polite and pleasant. "Thank you for answering, regardless. I do appreciate the insight."

Fuuka describes reading visions of how the future may come to pass. Aigis' own thoughts first turn to history, facts and figures from the past, dry statements about the effect of the industrialization of previously pastoral landscapes across Japan. The books which Fuuka speaks of extrapolate and continue that pattern further. "I see. That does complement your interest in technology overall."

Aigis slowly turns her head to the computer console and her resting/charging chair. "How ... do you find yourself adjusting to advances which manage to arrive within your own lifetime?"

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
<poem>
Fuuka is surprised when Aigis compares the act of digital painting to Drake Adventure, of all things. Not that it's inaccurate - but because she didn't expect it from her.

"Yes... that's it, exactly." Fuuka confirms. "It gives some peace of mind, while also allowing for colors and techniques that might be harder to accomplish with physical paints."

Fuuka sees that crestfallen look, as she says people are more difficult. She looks embarrassed, briefly. She didn't want to discourage her.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to -" She starts - but Aigis asks for clarification. She folds her hands together sheepishly. "W-well... Flowers don't care about the end result. A human model might have... expectations. It's just... difficult for me. Your experience might be different."

...It's hard, being a shy artist.

She smiles, though, as Aigis thanks her.

"You're welcome." She replies. ...She catches that slow turn.

"I'm adjusting well, I think." Fuuka replies. "I think it's important to learn and understand more. I don't want to be someone who lives in fear of change..."

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis looks pleased that she nailed that explanation! She has both Minato and Reiya to thank for her interest in Drake Adventure. Eagerly, she announces, "I comprehend."

She shakes her head at Fuuka's apology. "Do not worry." Fuuka speaks on the expectations of a human model. "Do you know that for certain? That a flower does not care about how it looks in a painting? It may just be that they do, but cannot communicate it. I wonder if Koromaru-san would have similar expectations."

That thought does give her an idea. "I do not know those answers, nor do I mean to chastise you. I am simply curious. Perhaps I should start with a portrait of Koromaru-san in order to experiment with this idea, then one day I can paint a picture that I know a flower will enjoy."

Aigis gives Fuuka a sheepish smile of her own. "I could just as easily be wrong, and flowers may truly be incapable of caring about the end result, but in the event they actually are, I am certain they would enjoy your works, Yamagishi-san."

To learn and understand more, to not live in fear of change. Aigis appears pensive for several long moments before she replies, "... I believe I feel the same as you do on that matter." She may remain constant, but everything else will change before her eyes, definitionally speaking.

"Do you wish to do anything else tonight?" There may be any number of other topics they can discuss, and Aigis is more than willing to provide Fuuka with some measure of comfort for some time yet. She's got nowhere to be. That's really up to Fuuka, though.

"I assume that visiting Tartarus today is out of the question."

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
<poem>
''Does'' she know that for certain? Fuuka pauses for a moment, thinking that over. She just assumed, took it for granted, but...

"...No, I don't." Fuuka admits. "I should probably consider them a bit more..."

A portrait of Koromaru... "That's a great idea. I'd like to see it, too."

Aigis wants to one day paint a picture that a flower can enjoy - and she's certain that they'd enjoy her works, too.

"Then... let's both do our best." Fuuka replies with a nod and a smile.

Aigis feels the same was she does, too, about not living in fear of change. Fuuka nods... and thinks about what else they can do tonight. The TV and the fridge remain at issue, but since they were just talking about flowers...

"I imagine everyone's too worn out, yes..." Fuuka agrees. "Would you like to go check on the plants with me? I'd like to see how they're doing."

</poem>

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

2026-01-25: Two Toughs Talk

2026-02-01T19:12:57Z

Terra: Created page with "*'''Log: Two Toughs Talk''' *'''Cast:''' Aigis, Moriko Kumamoto *'''Where:''' Iwatodai Dormitory *'''OOC Date:''' February 01, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' September 19, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Moriko encounters Aigis while she's reading a book on the SEES dorm common room's couch. They talk about various genres of fiction, ranging from the gangster novel which Aigis is reading to Moriko's suggestions of cyberpunk, sci-fi, and ... magical girls?'' ---- (|=============..."

*'''Log: Two Toughs Talk'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Aigis]], [[Moriko Kumamoto]]
*'''Where:''' Iwatodai Dormitory
*'''OOC Date:''' February 01, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' September 19, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Moriko encounters Aigis while she's reading a book on the SEES dorm common room's couch. They talk about various genres of fiction, ranging from the gangster novel which Aigis is reading to Moriko's suggestions of cyberpunk, sci-fi, and ... magical girls?''

----

(|============================ Iwatodai Dormitory ============================|)
-================================================== Iwatodai City/Iwatodai ====-
A large four-story dormitory used by the Specialized Extracurricular Execution
Squad, only five minutes from Iwatodai Station. Upon entering, one passes a desk
with a sign-in book for guests to find a large carpeted common room that's well
appointed for co-ed gatherings.

A TV is usually on with the local news or a movie that's been loaded into the
DVD player for a student to enjoy. A table for shared dinners, or more often
study sessions, takes up the other half of the dorm, as well as a kitchen should
one dare to show off their skills to their fellow students.

There are two winding staircases on either side. The one on the left simply says
'Boys' while the other on the right states 'No Boys Except By Invitation.' The
implicit threat of execution need not be written down for those who violate
these rules. The second and third stories are living spaces divided by gender
with common spaces that have study areas and bookshelves available.

The fourth story is the command center with surveillance capabilities for not
just different parts of the city but each room within the dorms. The Chairman
has assured all who live here that this capability is strictly necessary.

BGM - Dormitory Theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj-FrFI0qnM

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
It's been a few days since the attack on the SEES dorms and subsequent encounter with the Shadow of the artist who had been captured by the Joker Killer.

Today, Aigis is seated alone in the dormitory common area on the first floor as she reads through a novel. She's wearing the dress shirt and slacks combination which Moriko might recognize from the shopping trip out.

... She's trying to not dedicate too many computational cycles to the thought that Strega could attack again. The novel's purpose is to serve as a distraction.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.
<poem>Moriko has been out most of the day, coming back from a visit to the shrine! Even wearing a dress probably not too far from Aigis' as well as a pair of sandals. Slipping through the door, she closes it behind her. Lets her breath out for a moment as she doesn't hear anyone and immediately moves to slump a little. Working her shoulder and giving it a bit of a rub. She's sore and may or may not have been holding up out of some stubborn sense of pride.

Then she spots Aigis and stands up straight again. With a wince and calls out, "Hey Aigis-" Pausing when she spots her reading. Picking her way over, Moriko leans against the couch for support and to pretend casualness to try and peek at the book. "Not.. going to bother you too much if you want to read. Just curious."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis turns her head towards Moriko and smiles in the exact same manner she always does when someone approaches while she's reading -- machine-like precision, with minimal deviation. "Hello, Kumamoto-chan."

Moriko's shoulder movements don't escape her notice. A more socially-aware person might avoid saying something to spare Moriko's pride, but ...

"You are injured," she blithely comments. "Is it from the recent excursion to Tartarus? You should take the proper amount of time to rest."

"You are not bothering me at all." The novel's cover depicts a group of rowdy young men dressed in boiler suits standing in front of several parked motorcycles. "I am perfectly capable of reading while carrying on a conversation.

She looks up and to the side as if in recall, then returns her gaze to Moriko. "Would you care to sit with me for a bit? I will reiterate my suggestion that you take it easy. Suzuki-san had expressed some measure of concern for your well-being."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.
<poem>Moriko moves to take a seat. Still trying to peek at the book, mostly because she does like reading herself and all. And you know, sitting down helps. She's leaned forward. Knees together and hands on her knees. "I am a bit injured, yeah." She admits. She's not about to deny it. A second time even. "I'm fine though."

"I don't know if I recognize that one. What's it about?" She rubs the back of her head. then sits up suddenly with just the hint of a wince. "That is.. probably true actually." She admits. "I sometimes do it too."

"Suzuki-san did too?" She frowns. "I'm fine I'm fine. Please don't worry too much. And if you let me know what you like to read, I can share some too!" Changing the subject. It works right? Probably not
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Luckily for Moriko, being simple and direct with Aigis works incredibly well. She takes the request to not worry about her as a command. "Understood. Just as long as you do not overly strain yourself." She doesn't press the issue further today, but internally, she still does note:

> Reminder set: Ask M. Kumamoto to seek medical attention for her arm 24h00m00s from now.

"He did. You had already lost consciousness at the time, but I wished to convey his concern to you."

Aigis holds up the book more prominently. The cover reads: 'VENOM KINGS'. "It is a fictional novel about several members of a bosozoku gang as they ride through the countryside as they attempt to find their purpose in a post-World War Two Japan. They do not seem to have many opportunities for work so soon in the aftermath of the war."

Aigis pauses, glances to the book, then back to Moriko. "I find the topic material resonant in my own situation -- if not now, then in my future."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.
<poem>Moriko would not realize this right away. Despite the obvious, Moriko has had conversations with Aigis about fashion. She just sort of slips into the mindset that she should be treated like a person! She'll learn this later.

She frowns, "He had said he was worried before, but not that much." She shakes her head and looks vaguely confused, "Why call me to task for it, then tiptoe around it?" She seems genuinely confused at the idea. "Thanks I think." Either way.

She tilts her head again, looking at the book though. "I might have known a few guys like that growing up. Some of them are pretty nice." You know, when you've got ties higher up. It's fine.

"The finding work part, or just not knowing what you're going to do?" She does appreciate shifting her focus that way. Moving to lean against the chair's arm, head still propped up. She won't admit fatigue.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis calmly states, "I was not aware that you had encountered him again. I apologize if I repeated his sentiment, but I thought I should in case you had not."

Confusion appears on her face. "'Call you to task'? I was not aware that I had done so ... unless you mean to say that Suzuki-san had done so." She glances down at her own 'feet,' then back up at Moriko. "Additionally, I have not done any 'tiptoeing' as I have remained seated this entire time."

"You might have known 'a few guys like that'?" Aigis presses her hands together and smiles. "That stands to reason. You dress similarly and you share some of their hobbies. You own a motorcycle, correct?"

Aigis nods at the question about the book and her own thoughts. "The latter. I have started to give some thought to what I may do once the Dark Hour has ended. I am not overly concerned at the moment, however."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.
<poem>Moriko hesitates, "He wanted to make sure I was okay I think." She thinks at least. "So I was out at the shrine and just, talking."

She perks an eyebrow up at the confusion, leaning back slightly. "I did not mean it too negatively. It's something people do when they've messed up." Which, she did! Sort of. "And a figure of speech where you're being careful about a subject. Hemming around the edges?" There's a lot of phrases she takes for granted there. Huh.

She points to the book, "Yeah. Not the guys right after the way, the uh. Bosozoku, they used to show up for my grandfather from time to time." Which she never really used to question. Go figure.

Scratching her cheek, she asks, "Hm. Did this come about before or during the book?" Genuinely curious. "There's.. a lot of books that kind of approach it from a fictional side of things. You get the-" She wobbles her free hand, "What makes a person a person theme a lot."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis nods. "That is good, then. Please give him my regards the next time you see him."

"Understood. It is another figure of speech, but it was not a joke. I have a database of wordplay-related jokes in my systems, but ..." Her expression falters. "They are not very good for navigating regular conversation outside the context of a joke."

Moriko's assertions start to form a better picture in Aigis' head. "I see. The characters within the book are fictional, but the group has a basis in reality. Would you tell me more about them sometime?"

Aigis stares expressionlessly at Moriko as she answers. "During. A classmate had recommended that I read it, so I have indulged his request. What are some other books that grapple with such a topic, however?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.
<poem>Moriko considers, "It's a-" she pauses. Working on the word in her head, trying to make sure she doesn't completely mangle it, "Colloquialism." which then leads to trying to explain it. "Informal shorthand?" That might help. Right?

"Yeah, absolutely. Though probably not in person." She states, thinking on it. "The mechanic shop I work at has some interaction and the geezer there is... nice? And less worried about all sorts of structural things that we don't need to get into." Which is a lot of words for 'Don't introduce gangs to weaponized robots.

"If you're talking that subject? Probably a lot of historic books. You can even find them worldwide. For.. what I was suggesting?" She thinks about that. "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep maybe?" There's some thoughts on that. "We should do a movie night." Wait should they? "I'll discuss it with.. a few people on a few movies." For the books though. "You could look at some manga for an easier read. New Dominion Appleseed or something." She may be mixing a few names up trying to obfuscate! Or.. not. "Neuromancer maybe? There's a few games out there too and-" She frowns. "We could dive down that rabbit hole for a while. I read a lot of scifi so-" she pauses. "Don't share that."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis gives Moriko a mildly unimpressed look for a moment, but then her own expression falls when she realizes how she may have come across, herself. "I am aware of what a colloqualism is, the problem is that I am usually not aware of which phrases are colloqualisms."

"I am sure that I will be in need of mechanical repairs again at some point in the future. Yamagishi-san is skilled enough, though I would not mind your aid or theirs should the need arise."

She lowers her gaze for a moment as she considers the title of one of the books, then looks up and matter-of-factly states, "But I know the answer to that: yes, I have dreamed of electric sheep on at least one occasion." Movies... "I have watched several films with Mandai-san." She hasn't had any exposure to manga. "Understood. I will look up -- oh." Then Moriko keeps going and going. Aigis waits for her to stop, but she does take note of which pieces of media she has suggested. "... I will read or watch or play all of these, as per your suggestion."

Moriko's protest elicits another set of blank-faced blinks. "What should I not share? The fact that you read science fiction?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.
<poem>Moriko holds her hands up and says, "Not everyone knows the word and when you're working in other languages it's a problem too!" She points, "It's why it gets weird sometimes. Didn't mean it negatively."

"I don't know what Yamagishi-san specializes in, to be fair." She considers, "I do have the knowhow though." She then adds, as an aside, "If you have brakelines we're going to have to schedule though." There's a certain look about her that suggests brakelines are not her favorite thing.

"I mean that's.. definitely an answer." She doesn't ask the question on whether it's a screensaver or a dream. That seems mean even if she's sure it's a valid question.

"Had to think on which books were... good? That were uh. Widely good?" She seems lost for words on it. Safe maybe?

"I write some of it too and- yeah. Please?" She's embarrassed by that hobby. Don't worry about the strange dichotomy that is a tomboy worrying about also being a nerd.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Conveying the intended meaning is a problem in outgoing communication just as it is in receiving. "I did not think you had meant it negatively."

As to the question of brake lines, Aigis glances down at her own frame, then back up at Moriko. "I do not seem to be in possession of brake lines, but I cannot say for certain if I have other parts which work by similar mechanisms ..." Aigis tilts her head. "Perhaps all three of us could convene together sometime and talk. I am sure you and Yamagishi-san would have much to discuss."

Aigis nods. While Moriko doesn't ask, what she says may still serve as an answer. "That it is. I have had other dreams, too, most often formed by recombining footage of previous events in various permutations."

Besides, even in meat-based humans, what's the distinction between a dream and a screensaver? All 'i'm getting tired, guys, brb i need to show my brain a movie'?

Aigis shakes her head. "No, no, I was simply unsure of whether or not you had finished speaking. I am glad that you have recommended works of media which you consider 'widely good.'"

"I would be interested in reading what you have written," Aigis states. "And your secret is safe with me."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.
<poem>Moriko nods quickly, "Good. Just saw the look." She pats her collarbone like she was calming herself down. Maybe a bit of a joke of her own.

"Are they weird, or something else? I've always heard all sorts of theories on what they were supposed to be. I.. don't know more beyond that surface level thing though." She mutters, "Never had the awkward school test dreams at least."

As for the difference between the two, that depends on the person! Screensavers unintentionaly weird are usually critical errors!

"Oh." She admits. "I don't uh, talk books or manga that much." Which, her brain's fine with games. For whatever reason.

"I can..." she rubs her chin. "Come by later and I'll pull some of the printed ones." They're doujin, but still.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis pauses to consider if her dreams are 'weird' or 'something else.' "I am unable to make that distinction." She does add, "I have had the school test dream, but only as of starting my first semester a couple of weeks ago."

"Well, I am glad you have mentioned them to me, at least. Arisato-san and Aomori-san have also showed me a few video games, and Mandai-san has promised I could play in a tabletop game sometime."

Aigis has reread the rulebook for Blade World several times by now.

She smiles pleasantly at Moriko. "I would like that very much. What have you written about, if I might ask?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.
<poem>Moriko does actually sit up a little. And wince. "Wait which kind of dream was that?" Hey that's actually an interesting bit of insight! And maybe a little worrying. Is this a Weller thing?

"Wait.. who doesn't just do nerdy things?" She scowls. Muttering to herself, "If everyone's a geek I'm probably standing out m-" she cuts herself off and looks up. "Which games?" That's a good segway. Totally.

"Uh, magical girls. The one I'm trying to get going now is a sci-fi one though. Kinda... odd?" She wobbles her hand at that. "Big blasted landscape with just a clocktower standing."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
"Well, in my dream, I was at school, and I took a test." No mention of anxiety around it, no other strangeness ... just replaying the events of the day.

Aigis has no answer for Moriko's initial (rhetorical) question. She's not quite aware of the social dynamics. Her face DOES light up at the last question, however. "Entries in the Drake Adventure series. Perhaps you could talk with them about it?"

She isn't familiar with some of these terms; at least not in the sense Moriko's using them -- she doesn't recognize one of them as a genre yet. "'Magical' ... girls? Mixed with 'science' fiction." That seems paradoxical, but ... so do many other things.

The mention of only a clocktower left standing does cause her to tense up. Something about that hits eerily close to home. "I am sure that I will enjoy it -- or at least I would enjoy the opportunity to read what you have written."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.
<poem>Moriko scratches her cheek again, "Huh. I might ask you about some of that later." She decides on the spot. "Might help with what I'm writing to be more-" She considers. "Accurate? In depth?"

"Uh. Cute girls fighting monsters in dressup. Usually with a mixed bag of themes depending on if you're going for cute, exciting or horror."

"I will make sure to hand it over when you get a chance to stop by. Just uh, don't share the name at least? I do use a pseudonym. Lemme get used to someone actually knowing who I am."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis smiles that same pleasant smile again. "I would be happy to assist you in your endeavors."

The description of the genre causes Aigis to pause again. She briefly looks at her own hands, then down at her chassis and her mode of dress. "Kumamoto-chan. Might I ask if you and I qualify as these 'magical girls'?"

Moriko's further insistence on secrecy causes Aigis to temporarily avert her gaze again. "Of course. I have already agreed not to divulge that you are its author; I had not been planning on sharing your work at all."

"Besides, I am already well-versed on the importance of a good pseudonym." Did ... did she just wink??? Did ''Aigis'' just wink?

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.
<poem>Moriko considers that, then points one more time, "Got a deal. Maybe if you need uh, maintenance? Or something we can talk while I'm working." That way she doesn't feel like she's just eating Aigis' time or something. "Or just hang out. Either or."

"I think we're a bit far from magical girl." She admits. "We're more uh.." She glances down. "Adjacent maybe?" That's a funny thought and she snorts a little in laughter.

"Oh I know I know." She waves dismissively, "Not at you. I'm just-" She frowns. "Probably overthinking it." She tilts her head, "Not surprised though."

The wink catches her off guard though. She offers a smile even, "You're learning fast."
</poem>

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

2026-01-31: The Arcade Economy

2026-02-01T19:03:05Z

Terra:

*'''Log: The Arcade Economy'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Roger]], [[Tamaki Uchida]]
*'''Where:''' Electric Town - Gigolo Arcade
*'''OOC Date:''' January 31, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' September 18, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''On a rare visit to Akihabara, Tamaki spots Roger in the arcade, which makes sense in hindsight but she wasn't exactly expecting to see him out and about the real world. After they hold a friendly match of Night Parade together where Roger emerges victorious, Tamaki informs him of two more recent Homunculi forming, and Roger enthusiastically promises to lend his aid.''

----

(|====================== Electric Town - Gigolo Arcade =======================|)
-========================================================= Tokyo/Akihabara ====-
The Gigolo Arcade chain has a few locations across Tokyo, but the most popular
one is arguably the location at Akihabara, which is open all day and night.
After all, it sports not just booths for the hit shooting game Gun About, like
other locations, but it has the biggest and most robust selection of prizes in
its many UFO catcher games.

This includes several premium booths with deluxe boxed plushies of various
mascots. Supposedly, days ending in 7 (the 7th, the 17th, and the 27th) are
extra lucky and will boost your chances of taking them home.

The various games at the arcade take varying levels of money to play, so
change-making machines allow one to select exactly what coinage to get back.
Posters of cute mascots and anime girls line the walls over the machines.

<Pose Tracker> Roger has posed.
<poem> It's starting to get later in the mid-September day, out in Akihabara... but Gigolo Arcade's still open for business even overnight. Not that one is testing the present depths of night just yet, but, it won't be much longer here. Gun About remains the biggest draw here - and how! - but the newest iteration of Night Parade maintains significant presence.

Here, is where a very strange young man (high school age, or young adult? it's vague) is happily whiling away the early evening hours. He's cheerful just having a time of things working down his set aside change for the all-important act of play. Currently, he's racked up a surprising streak off of a grappler-type character that the forming meta up to this point had considered very weak.

It is not certain that he is aware of this, or even cares. He's having fun! But this streak is about at end to a Yuki-Offa main, who seems to have locked in after figuring out the bizarre shenanigans involving a command normal going over a lot of things the character visually should not be. This impending loss will prove itself ample time, soon, for this curious figure to disengage and perhaps consider whether the best way to continue playing is to stop playing for now.

Said curious figure being... Roger, a friendly and helpful Shadow met within Taro Nakata's Atelier who somehow awakened to the power of Persona, took his leave, and is taking up residence in a world he was not meant to. A cursory investigation shows he technically lives in relative squalor and does not make that great a living as a mascot. But that's measuring it by human standards. He seems rather content with his lot, given his primary desire is to play. This need being met, he is happy.

So far he has been a polite visitor. It's not clear if he actually is capable of returning to the Atelier as one of its Shadows, but given how they were ignoring or even fighting him... he might really be spiritually homeless, in a manner of speaking.

This angst does not seem to register, before a flashing screen with bright characters and buttons to push, levers to maneuver, and everything.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
The arcade normally doesn't draw Tamaki's interest, much less most of Akihabara. Its culture is meant for some customer demographic which typically excludes people such as herself -- when it comes to games, she's mostly more into sports or board games. The operative word there, however, is 'most.' She does, on occasion, decide to visit the area to check out how the independent manga scene has been developing.

It's in this capacity that she's returning from a shopping trip with several new volumes in her bag, dressed in a wine red long-sleeved blouse, black slacks, and sunglasses. Her plan was to get in, get what she was after, then get out. This goes well enough, and it's a welcome reprieve from her classwork and work work, serving as a distraction from multiple open cases such as two different known Homunculi -- ''nope nope nope, this is Tamaki time, shake the thoughts of your job out of your head'', she thinks to herself.

Tamaki just so happens to glance towards the inside of Gigolo Arcade. First, she recognizes the Night Parade cabinet, that arcade game which so deeply influenced Taro Nakata's Atelier, but this alone isn't enough to cause her to stop.

Next, she registers that one of the seated players at one of the cabinets is Roger. ''This'' causes her to halt in her tracks, take a step back, raise her sunglasses and crane her neck to openly gawk at him, wide-eyed and blinking in disbelief.

This is enough for Tamaki to step through the doors of the arcade and quietly wave towards Roger while he seems to be between rounds. "Good to see you again. Tough matchup, isn't it?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Roger has posed.
<poem> Roger, in this human guise, is a heavy-set fellow with a noticeable underbite, a slightly upturned nose, and proportionally a smaller shoe size than someone his height ought to have - it's a kind of eccentric appearance that is all within 'possible' range for humans to have, but collectively it's a weird look. Fitting, for someone who really is not human.

He's lost his surprising win streak, but he doesn't seem bothered or upset in the least, affecting a much younger-seeming emotional reaction of someone who was just happy to be here. Simple niceties are exchanged to whoever beat him, and just as he gets up to make way for who wants to play next...

"Oh! Hello!" He smiles. The body language is one-for-one with that Shadow. Even the voice. It's him! He's here, in the human world! "It was... but I had a lot of fun!"

He tilts his head. "I'd play some more, but I'm also playing another game at the same time, too. The game that lets you play all the other games... managing money." It sounds harrowing, and in this economy, yes, it very much is. He has no actual family or resources to fall back on. There are so many points of failure before him that would make continuation here... difficult.

"...But it's fun too. There's strategy! Food, renting a booth..." He trails off a bit. "Did you come to play here? It's open all night! Hehe, working all day and then playing all night... oh, right. Sleep, too." Another head tilt. "Among other things..." The way he thinks about all of these is strange, indeed, as someone who is completely new to this concept and not someone who would have had twenty-ish years to come to grips with these realities and responsibilities.

"It's nice to see you again!" It's not the first time another Persona-user has been exasperated with him being around, but he's no less pleasant in a wholesome, guileless way.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
"Roger-kun, was it? I'm Tamaki Uchida, if you remember me." On the surface, Tamaki is cordial enough, speaking just as if she had encountered any other acquaintance. Whatever panic she had exhibited outside the arcade is apparently gone now.

Internally, her sense of alarm increases at a steady rate. In the notes she takes for work, already had difficulty in cataloguing Roger's existence and had simply drawn a crude bipedal piggy-bank sketch with a caption that simply read 'Roger' and a footnote that read 'wtf???'

Tamaki nods calmly as he calls the tough match-up 'fun.' Too calmly, with her frozen smile and her deer-in-headlights expression. "Well, I'm glad you had fun regardless. It's important to not get discouraged."

Then Roger describes a game that she's all too familiar with, and one that she doesn't particularly enjoy. Her facade collapses, but so too does her sense of alarm, now replaced by pity and concern. Looking at those aspects of life as if they're a game is certainly one way to do it, but ... she's never managed to see the fun in that.

When she hears him ask if she came here to play too, she snaps back upright. "Here? Me? Oh, no, I didn't intend to -- " She briefly deliberates on whether or not she should tell him that she only came in because she saw him, opting not to. " -- Well, personally, I tend to enjoy games that you only need to buy once but then you can play for as long as you'd like. Would you like me to show you some of those later?"

She then turns an eye to the Night Parade cabinets. This isn't an entry she's familiar with, but she wouldn't mind engaging with Roger's interests. One of them might have an attract mode, or she might get to glimpse the character select screen while other players are starting a match. "While we're here, though, would you care for a round?"

Oh. Oh no. He's too charming. He's quickly growing on her, she's gotta admit.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Roger has posed.
<poem> "I do!" He says, cheerfully. "It was, Uchida-san!" Remarkably polite, all considered.

He seems a bit non-plussed, in the moment, when Tamaki's expressions seem more worried or shocked at times, but as she drifts to a subject - *the* subject - that seems to capture the heart, mind, and soul (as applicable) of the entity before them...

"Oh! I know what you're talking about!" He smiles. "I like games of all kinds! I want to play with everyone as someone." A strange phrasing, but an earnest one, as if a simple mantra that has somehow imprinted itself on a psyche that has done its best to mold itself around a greater sense of comprehension and 'self'-ness beyond the simplistic instincts that are. That said...

An offer for a round, while a cabinet is free. "Oh! Sure. I can do one more game!" Roger cheerfully says, because any excuse to play with someone is good enough for him. "But only that. I need to save enough to play tomorrow after doing work, too. It is a very difficult game. But you win money, so it's fun too." It's not like he can avoid 'playing' that, but maybe framing it that way is a coping mechanism for a mind that is just grasping at the totality of the human world's nuances in a way it can touch but not fully hold in one's own (mental) hand.

He puts in the coin slot, and if Tamaki were hoping to build on what little she saw, guess again -

He selects 'random.' He wants to play as everyone, and has settled with this in order to fulfill that impossible desire of getting to play as all the characters at once.

He gets Kappa. There was a harrowing time in the Atelier when facing Taro Nakata's Homunculus and the horrible body-snatching creature's attempts to turn his traumas and foibles against him. The context of this scary arcade cabinet should be fresh, especially to one who fully awakened to the power of Persona amongst them in this critical moment.

He does not seem bothered by this at all. This is a fun game to play.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
"'Play with everyone as someone?'" The mantra doesn't escape Tamaki's notice. She pauses to consider those words, then cracks a smile. "I think I get what you mean." It's easier to develop a sense of 'self' when you pit yourself against others in competition, even if it's just a friendly match for sport. Even cooperation can inform someone about themself.

Tamaki fishes around in her bag for enough change for a game, then offers it to Roger. " -- oh, don't put yourself out on my account. Is it alright if I cover you for this one?"

On one hand, Tamaki is somewhat unsettled by how easily Roger can play this when it seems to have been the source of much of Taro Nakata's angst. Roger doesn't seem to bat an eye.

On the other hand, perhaps she could stand to learn a bit from how Roger seems to view work as play. Eriko certainly seems to become reinvigorated about topics which seem to fatigue Tamaki. Remaining ''dis''passionate is how Tamaki usually copes, herself, walling herself off from how she may otherwise feel. Maybe she just needs to view things from a different perspective. Kappa-Tamaki had such a perspective, being transformed had brought out a sense of joy that she had desperately attempted to bury.

"Right, it can be fun. What do you do for work, if you don't mind if I ask?"

Such is the wisdom that can come from the mouth of babes. Well, pigs, at least. -- well, Shadows with the current appearance of a human but once looked like a piggy bank.

Tamaki had no expectations when it came to getting the download on Roger's tactics. This is all new to her, she hasn't played a Night Parade game since the first one. Oh dear, there are more buttons on this cabinet. The cast has tripled in size, at ''least''. The timer on the character select screen is ticking down, and all Tamaki has to go on is pure vibes and half-remembered bits of returning characters. She hovers over several choices as she tries to decide, first lingering on Kaguya-Hime, then on Bakeduo-Neko, then on the oily-looking Noiribotocoat ...

In the end, she settles on Master Koto and locks her choice in right when the timer's at '01'.

This might have been a mistake.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Roger has posed.
<poem> "Oh! Thank you!" Roger beams with delight at this. "Okay!" He tilts his head. "I should pay you back... that's part of the rules of this 'money' game that's played, isn't it..." It's really not that much, but he is trying to wrap his head around just how complex a subject money is.

...In any case, playtime! Again!

"Oh! I wear myself and invite people to play!" Roger explains excitedly. By 'wear myself,' he must mean...

"I still look like as I did too," he clarifies, "but I look like this underneath. It's strange. But I don't mind. Everyone seems happy to see me..." Roger's Shadow shape is very mascot-like, and does have a few small traits in common with certain gaming characters. The overalls, for one. His mouth is very big and very wide, though, and had those prominent tusks. Which is a little scary and a far cry from more 'cute,' soft mascots with smaller mouths... well.

At least he doesn't bite!

Taro Nakata's angst was defined by just how much he was completely destroyed by Hazuki's skillful Yuki-Offa play. Even so, he was - is? - quite a skilled Kappa player, even if Hazuki ultimately dwarfed him in overall skill.

Roger...

Is clearly vibing. Not quite at the careless level of a masher, he just seems to do what he likes, and occasionally stumbles upon unconventional tactics that come off as a bit gimmicky at best. Night Parade has seen many changes over the years, but perhaps Tamaki's familiarity with the more trademark aspects of Master Koto will see her to victory!

Even if Roger has a knack for games - and there's a spark there, he was found in the Atelier of an avid gamer after all - the fact he just hits 'random' means he gets less proper match-up and play experience per character he plays. This does not stop him. He will play with everyone. That is his strength.

...Maybe in every sense of the word.
BBS: New BB message (7/14) posted to 'IC News And Rumors' by Jun Kashihara: Junko Kurosu Says "Gay Rights"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
"Ohhh, usually, yeah ..." Roger's remark on the 'rules' of money causes Tamaki to appear pensive for a moment. When she figures out how to properly explain this to someone with his level of understanding, she grins. "But! Consider this a one-time gift that you don't have to pay me back for. Don't worry about it just this one time, okay?"

Tamaki lightly chuckles as Roger explains he's a mascot. Of course he is. "Invite people to play where? Here, at this arcade?" At least his design stands out from an otherwise indistinct sea of such characters. Maybe that's his appeal, she supposes.

The pair seem like they're on equal footing when it comes to following -- or avoiding -- 'conventional' Night Parade play. Both Roger and herself are explorers in the vast uncharted wilderness of novel game states and situations, miles away from the well-documented peaks and valleys that form the Night Parade community's perception of the meta.

Tamaki plays Master Koto like a dancer following Roger's lead. Her approach is reactive: careful, cautious, wary. She is a reflection: when he mixes it up, so does she. Her experience with fencing has given her a keen sense for the fundamentals of proper spacing and distance which translates to this context, at least in part. Perhaps most surprisingly, she also has a good sense of musical rhythm and knowledge for which time signatures can disrupt Roger's approach.

She'll fall for a trick for the first few times, but if Roger starts to form a habit, she takes note of it. Unfortunately for her, without having studied the game beforehand, she remains unaware of all the options for counterplay which are available to her. While she may find some measure of success in punishing some of his favored tactics, others are suboptimal at best, and others still she simply cannot figure out in the space of a single match.

It isn't enough for her to win right now, not this time. However, she has at least proven herself to be formidable in her own right, if still rusty and rough around the edges. Some consistent practice might do her some good. She slumps over the cabinet and exhales loudly, burying her head in her arms, then bursts into giggles before she sits upright again. "Okay, that was honestly, really fun. I'll come back some other time and we can play more rounds then, okay?"

Can she justify buying the home console version of this with her finances? ... probably not for a while. There are also very likely more important things to consider for Roger's well-being, too, like food and shelter and -- other aspects.

That invitation doesn't mean she's done for today, though. She stands up and steps aside from the cabinet to let others play, then looks over at Roger. "Hey, so ... there might be two more Homunculi forming. Would you like to help us out with those?" She wouldn't blame him if he didn't have any interest in it, but she is flying a little bit blind when it comes to how Ateliers work, only going off of theory and lacking in practical experience.

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Roger has posed.
<poem> "Okay!" And so, matters of debts are circumvented for now. Anyway, play happens! It is a lot of fun, in the minutes of time it takes for the rounds to be decided. It's best of three, so it doesn't take long in the great cosmic scheme of seconds-to-minutes. But it is a fun time spent between them.

"Yahoo!" Roger cheers at the victory. It's exciting! One of the closer matches in some time! "We won! Are you good for--"

Tamaki, responsible adult, brings down the reality of it. "Oh... okay. Sure! I'll be happy to play again!" Roger is always happy to play. That is his driving force to exist. That is the way he wants to interact with this human world, as 'someone.' He tilts his head for a moment, in thought. Should he keep playing, now that he won?

...

A more important subject comes up, and Roger's eyes widen at the mention of there 'might be two more Homunculi.'

And then, an angry snort. "Homunculi?!" Uh, he should lower his voice. "I can't let that stand!" His face scrunches up as he stomps a foot.... but then, a nervous forward lean as he presses his fingers together. "...No Sanguin Humor worth their weight in mud," uh that's a weird way to phrase it but okay, "would let Homunculi do as they please..."

It's a serious enough subject he's stepped away from the cabinet entirely, stepping before Tamaki with a resolute look on his face. It's probably unnerving, how he's gone from fun-loving to ''that''.

"I'll go full boar in stopping 'em!" He asserts. "Let me at 'em!"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki goes wide-eyed and nervously glances around to see how the other patrons react. She raises her hands placatingly, then lowers them. "Hey, hey ... eeeaaasy. You've got the right mindset, but -- " She brings a finger to her lips in a shushing motion.

She can't say she's honestly surprised, though. Nakata's Homunculus yielded the same reaction in Roger before, and she had guessed that it wouldn't be much different this time. In hindsight, she could have picked a better place to break the news to him.

"Mud?" Confusion flickers across her face for a moment, but she shakes her head. "No, never mind that. I'm happy that you're willing to help, but, ah -- could we step outside at least, please?"

Kenzo Sasaki and Kazusa Motojima. Those are the two that she knows of, but she's more closely involved with the former's case. "What is it that you can do to help, just so I know?"

"I know that we already have the means to enter the Atelier for one of them. Someone who cares about the victim would like to go in, but she'll need some safekeeping." She narrows her eyes as she tries to figure out how to suggest something to Roger. "Have you played soccer? How good are you at playing goalie? Can you help in protecting her?"

The other one ... "I'm not sure how the other case is progressing. Are you in regular contact with anyone else? That Nakao girl, perhaps ..?" Tamaki's face shows a bit of hope as she asks. She doesn't know if she has the space to coordinate everything herself, but maybe she can do some delegating.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Roger has posed.
<poem> Taking it outside is a good call. Roger can be coaxed there, before things get dangerously awkward for everyone involved. And so, the two of them are outside, as Tamaki relinquishes the information.

Kenzo Sasaki, and... Kazusa Motojima. Roger flinches at the second name. "Her! Wasn't she... at that place with all the games and the cosplay?" And then something very scary happened with her and her father. "...N-Nevermind that! A Homunculus is a Homunculus!"

"Oh! So you already know how to thread through the Eye of a needle!" This is cryptic and caused problems before, but Roger assumes Tamaki's already on the level about that. "Good! That means we can get to work on dealing with that one!" He pumps a fist in the air.

"Soccer...? Oh! The one with the black and white ball you kick with your legs! That's very fun." Roger smiles. "I want to play that!" 'Want' does not mean 'proficient,' and Roger's build is not convincingly 'athletic,' but... this is a Shadow in a human guise. Who knows? "...Especially if it'll help get rid of that Homunculus!" Snorting, again.

"...Oh! You're speaking of Hazuki-chan! She's one of my best friends. I can reach her no problem!" He nods vigorously. "Um... there's a lot to say about going through an Atelier. I'd know! I'm a Sanguin Humor! Or was?" A head tilt. He straightens out again. "It'd be easier to explain once we bring together everyone who's going to play! I'll make sure we're all on the same page as to what to expect from Humors in the Atelier! And how we best deal with the Homunculus."

It's inevitable he'll have to give the rundown with every new Homunculus tackled. "Besides! Hazuki-chan and Ixquic will be more than happy to come play to defeat them!" Tamaki will have allies. She'll have help.

It's not really a 'game,' but considering this is a Shadow that seems to understand the urgency of the situation, she can count on him as an ally and information resource. "I'll do what I can!"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
"Uh -- " Tamaki has no idea about anything involving Kazusa, games, and cosplay. " -- well, you're already familiar with her, so that's good."

Tamaki firmly nods and gives Roger a thumbs-up about the Thread and Eye. "Yep! All set there. Just a matter of gathering people, first." Retrieving the Thread for Kenzo was a nightmarish experience for Tamaki, so she's interested in getting some closure and ending the matter for good.

Roger expresses the desire to play soccer, but no experience in it. Tamaki rubs her eyes. Maybe what she said was good enough to convey the idea, at least. "That's correct -- " about soccer, at least " -- but I don't know if protecting the host's wife will directly accomplish anything towards getting rid of the Homunculus." She's on the fence about letting Rin tag along, even ...

"Cool." Roger can reach Hazuki, no problem, and Tamaki can reach Hazuki, no problem. The chain of communication is established! The name 'Ixquic' only rings a very distant bell in her memory. "Yeah, best to wait until everyone's gathered to explain. I know several other people willing to help, too."

Tamaki gives a light bow and a smile. "I appreciate that very much, Roger-kun." There are still a few questions she has about his overall well-being, but ... those might be better-suited for Hazuki to answer. "I'll come back around sometime this week, okay? Thank you, the match was fun, and you've been a big help!"

</poem>

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

2026-01-31: The Arcade Economy

2026-02-01T18:58:29Z

Terra: Created page with "*'''Log: The Arcade Economy''' *'''Cast:''' Roger, Tamaki Uchida *'''Where:''' Electric Town - Gigolo Arcade *'''OOC Date:''' January 31, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' September 18, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''On a rare visit to Akihabara, Tamaki spots Roger in the arcade, which makes sense in hindsight but she wasn't exactly expecting to see him out and about the real world.'' ---- (|====================== Electric Town - Gigolo Arcade =======================|) -=========..."

*'''Log: The Arcade Economy'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Roger]], [[Tamaki Uchida]]
*'''Where:''' Electric Town - Gigolo Arcade
*'''OOC Date:''' January 31, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' September 18, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''On a rare visit to Akihabara, Tamaki spots Roger in the arcade, which makes sense in hindsight but she wasn't exactly expecting to see him out and about the real world.''

----

(|====================== Electric Town - Gigolo Arcade =======================|)
-========================================================= Tokyo/Akihabara ====-
The Gigolo Arcade chain has a few locations across Tokyo, but the most popular
one is arguably the location at Akihabara, which is open all day and night.
After all, it sports not just booths for the hit shooting game Gun About, like
other locations, but it has the biggest and most robust selection of prizes in
its many UFO catcher games.

This includes several premium booths with deluxe boxed plushies of various
mascots. Supposedly, days ending in 7 (the 7th, the 17th, and the 27th) are
extra lucky and will boost your chances of taking them home.

The various games at the arcade take varying levels of money to play, so
change-making machines allow one to select exactly what coinage to get back.
Posters of cute mascots and anime girls line the walls over the machines.

<Pose Tracker> Roger has posed.
<poem> It's starting to get later in the mid-September day, out in Akihabara... but Gigolo Arcade's still open for business even overnight. Not that one is testing the present depths of night just yet, but, it won't be much longer here. Gun About remains the biggest draw here - and how! - but the newest iteration of Night Parade maintains significant presence.

Here, is where a very strange young man (high school age, or young adult? it's vague) is happily whiling away the early evening hours. He's cheerful just having a time of things working down his set aside change for the all-important act of play. Currently, he's racked up a surprising streak off of a grappler-type character that the forming meta up to this point had considered very weak.

It is not certain that he is aware of this, or even cares. He's having fun! But this streak is about at end to a Yuki-Offa main, who seems to have locked in after figuring out the bizarre shenanigans involving a command normal going over a lot of things the character visually should not be. This impending loss will prove itself ample time, soon, for this curious figure to disengage and perhaps consider whether the best way to continue playing is to stop playing for now.

Said curious figure being... Roger, a friendly and helpful Shadow met within Taro Nakata's Atelier who somehow awakened to the power of Persona, took his leave, and is taking up residence in a world he was not meant to. A cursory investigation shows he technically lives in relative squalor and does not make that great a living as a mascot. But that's measuring it by human standards. He seems rather content with his lot, given his primary desire is to play. This need being met, he is happy.

So far he has been a polite visitor. It's not clear if he actually is capable of returning to the Atelier as one of its Shadows, but given how they were ignoring or even fighting him... he might really be spiritually homeless, in a manner of speaking.

This angst does not seem to register, before a flashing screen with bright characters and buttons to push, levers to maneuver, and everything.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
The arcade normally doesn't draw Tamaki's interest, much less most of Akihabara. Its culture is meant for some customer demographic which typically excludes people such as herself -- when it comes to games, she's mostly more into sports or board games. The operative word there, however, is 'most.' She does, on occasion, decide to visit the area to check out how the independent manga scene has been developing.

It's in this capacity that she's returning from a shopping trip with several new volumes in her bag, dressed in a wine red long-sleeved blouse, black slacks, and sunglasses. Her plan was to get in, get what she was after, then get out. This goes well enough, and it's a welcome reprieve from her classwork and work work, serving as a distraction from multiple open cases such as two different known Homunculi -- ''nope nope nope, this is Tamaki time, shake the thoughts of your job out of your head'', she thinks to herself.

Tamaki just so happens to glance towards the inside of Gigolo Arcade. First, she recognizes the Night Parade cabinet, that arcade game which so deeply influenced Taro Nakata's Atelier, but this alone isn't enough to cause her to stop.

Next, she registers that one of the seated players at one of the cabinets is Roger. ''This'' causes her to halt in her tracks, take a step back, raise her sunglasses and crane her neck to openly gawk at him, wide-eyed and blinking in disbelief.

This is enough for Tamaki to step through the doors of the arcade and quietly wave towards Roger while he seems to be between rounds. "Good to see you again. Tough matchup, isn't it?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Roger has posed.
<poem> Roger, in this human guise, is a heavy-set fellow with a noticeable underbite, a slightly upturned nose, and proportionally a smaller shoe size than someone his height ought to have - it's a kind of eccentric appearance that is all within 'possible' range for humans to have, but collectively it's a weird look. Fitting, for someone who really is not human.

He's lost his surprising win streak, but he doesn't seem bothered or upset in the least, affecting a much younger-seeming emotional reaction of someone who was just happy to be here. Simple niceties are exchanged to whoever beat him, and just as he gets up to make way for who wants to play next...

"Oh! Hello!" He smiles. The body language is one-for-one with that Shadow. Even the voice. It's him! He's here, in the human world! "It was... but I had a lot of fun!"

He tilts his head. "I'd play some more, but I'm also playing another game at the same time, too. The game that lets you play all the other games... managing money." It sounds harrowing, and in this economy, yes, it very much is. He has no actual family or resources to fall back on. There are so many points of failure before him that would make continuation here... difficult.

"...But it's fun too. There's strategy! Food, renting a booth..." He trails off a bit. "Did you come to play here? It's open all night! Hehe, working all day and then playing all night... oh, right. Sleep, too." Another head tilt. "Among other things..." The way he thinks about all of these is strange, indeed, as someone who is completely new to this concept and not someone who would have had twenty-ish years to come to grips with these realities and responsibilities.

"It's nice to see you again!" It's not the first time another Persona-user has been exasperated with him being around, but he's no less pleasant in a wholesome, guileless way.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
"Roger-kun, was it? I'm Tamaki Uchida, if you remember me." On the surface, Tamaki is cordial enough, speaking just as if she had encountered any other acquaintance. Whatever panic she had exhibited outside the arcade is apparently gone now.

Internally, her sense of alarm increases at a steady rate. In the notes she takes for work, already had difficulty in cataloguing Roger's existence and had simply drawn a crude bipedal piggy-bank sketch with a caption that simply read 'Roger' and a footnote that read 'wtf???'

Tamaki nods calmly as he calls the tough match-up 'fun.' Too calmly, with her frozen smile and her deer-in-headlights expression. "Well, I'm glad you had fun regardless. It's important to not get discouraged."

Then Roger describes a game that she's all too familiar with, and one that she doesn't particularly enjoy. Her facade collapses, but so too does her sense of alarm, now replaced by pity and concern. Looking at those aspects of life as if they're a game is certainly one way to do it, but ... she's never managed to see the fun in that.

When she hears him ask if she came here to play too, she snaps back upright. "Here? Me? Oh, no, I didn't intend to -- " She briefly deliberates on whether or not she should tell him that she only came in because she saw him, opting not to. " -- Well, personally, I tend to enjoy games that you only need to buy once but then you can play for as long as you'd like. Would you like me to show you some of those later?"

She then turns an eye to the Night Parade cabinets. This isn't an entry she's familiar with, but she wouldn't mind engaging with Roger's interests. One of them might have an attract mode, or she might get to glimpse the character select screen while other players are starting a match. "While we're here, though, would you care for a round?"

Oh. Oh no. He's too charming. He's quickly growing on her, she's gotta admit.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Roger has posed.
<poem> "I do!" He says, cheerfully. "It was, Uchida-san!" Remarkably polite, all considered.

He seems a bit non-plussed, in the moment, when Tamaki's expressions seem more worried or shocked at times, but as she drifts to a subject - *the* subject - that seems to capture the heart, mind, and soul (as applicable) of the entity before them...

"Oh! I know what you're talking about!" He smiles. "I like games of all kinds! I want to play with everyone as someone." A strange phrasing, but an earnest one, as if a simple mantra that has somehow imprinted itself on a psyche that has done its best to mold itself around a greater sense of comprehension and 'self'-ness beyond the simplistic instincts that are. That said...

An offer for a round, while a cabinet is free. "Oh! Sure. I can do one more game!" Roger cheerfully says, because any excuse to play with someone is good enough for him. "But only that. I need to save enough to play tomorrow after doing work, too. It is a very difficult game. But you win money, so it's fun too." It's not like he can avoid 'playing' that, but maybe framing it that way is a coping mechanism for a mind that is just grasping at the totality of the human world's nuances in a way it can touch but not fully hold in one's own (mental) hand.

He puts in the coin slot, and if Tamaki were hoping to build on what little she saw, guess again -

He selects 'random.' He wants to play as everyone, and has settled with this in order to fulfill that impossible desire of getting to play as all the characters at once.

He gets Kappa. There was a harrowing time in the Atelier when facing Taro Nakata's Homunculus and the horrible body-snatching creature's attempts to turn his traumas and foibles against him. The context of this scary arcade cabinet should be fresh, especially to one who fully awakened to the power of Persona amongst them in this critical moment.

He does not seem bothered by this at all. This is a fun game to play.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
"'Play with everyone as someone?'" The mantra doesn't escape Tamaki's notice. She pauses to consider those words, then cracks a smile. "I think I get what you mean." It's easier to develop a sense of 'self' when you pit yourself against others in competition, even if it's just a friendly match for sport. Even cooperation can inform someone about themself.

Tamaki fishes around in her bag for enough change for a game, then offers it to Roger. " -- oh, don't put yourself out on my account. Is it alright if I cover you for this one?"

On one hand, Tamaki is somewhat unsettled by how easily Roger can play this when it seems to have been the source of much of Taro Nakata's angst. Roger doesn't seem to bat an eye.

On the other hand, perhaps she could stand to learn a bit from how Roger seems to view work as play. Eriko certainly seems to become reinvigorated about topics which seem to fatigue Tamaki. Remaining ''dis''passionate is how Tamaki usually copes, herself, walling herself off from how she may otherwise feel. Maybe she just needs to view things from a different perspective. Kappa-Tamaki had such a perspective, being transformed had brought out a sense of joy that she had desperately attempted to bury.

"Right, it can be fun. What do you do for work, if you don't mind if I ask?"

Such is the wisdom that can come from the mouth of babes. Well, pigs, at least. -- well, Shadows with the current appearance of a human but once looked like a piggy bank.

Tamaki had no expectations when it came to getting the download on Roger's tactics. This is all new to her, she hasn't played a Night Parade game since the first one. Oh dear, there are more buttons on this cabinet. The cast has tripled in size, at ''least''. The timer on the character select screen is ticking down, and all Tamaki has to go on is pure vibes and half-remembered bits of returning characters. She hovers over several choices as she tries to decide, first lingering on Kaguya-Hime, then on Bakeduo-Neko, then on the oily-looking Noiribotocoat ...

In the end, she settles on Master Koto and locks her choice in right when the timer's at '01'.

This might have been a mistake.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Roger has posed.
<poem> "Oh! Thank you!" Roger beams with delight at this. "Okay!" He tilts his head. "I should pay you back... that's part of the rules of this 'money' game that's played, isn't it..." It's really not that much, but he is trying to wrap his head around just how complex a subject money is.

...In any case, playtime! Again!

"Oh! I wear myself and invite people to play!" Roger explains excitedly. By 'wear myself,' he must mean...

"I still look like as I did too," he clarifies, "but I look like this underneath. It's strange. But I don't mind. Everyone seems happy to see me..." Roger's Shadow shape is very mascot-like, and does have a few small traits in common with certain gaming characters. The overalls, for one. His mouth is very big and very wide, though, and had those prominent tusks. Which is a little scary and a far cry from more 'cute,' soft mascots with smaller mouths... well.

At least he doesn't bite!

Taro Nakata's angst was defined by just how much he was completely destroyed by Hazuki's skillful Yuki-Offa play. Even so, he was - is? - quite a skilled Kappa player, even if Hazuki ultimately dwarfed him in overall skill.

Roger...

Is clearly vibing. Not quite at the careless level of a masher, he just seems to do what he likes, and occasionally stumbles upon unconventional tactics that come off as a bit gimmicky at best. Night Parade has seen many changes over the years, but perhaps Tamaki's familiarity with the more trademark aspects of Master Koto will see her to victory!

Even if Roger has a knack for games - and there's a spark there, he was found in the Atelier of an avid gamer after all - the fact he just hits 'random' means he gets less proper match-up and play experience per character he plays. This does not stop him. He will play with everyone. That is his strength.

...Maybe in every sense of the word.
BBS: New BB message (7/14) posted to 'IC News And Rumors' by Jun Kashihara: Junko Kurosu Says "Gay Rights"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
"Ohhh, usually, yeah ..." Roger's remark on the 'rules' of money causes Tamaki to appear pensive for a moment. When she figures out how to properly explain this to someone with his level of understanding, she grins. "But! Consider this a one-time gift that you don't have to pay me back for. Don't worry about it just this one time, okay?"

Tamaki lightly chuckles as Roger explains he's a mascot. Of course he is. "Invite people to play where? Here, at this arcade?" At least his design stands out from an otherwise indistinct sea of such characters. Maybe that's his appeal, she supposes.

The pair seem like they're on equal footing when it comes to following -- or avoiding -- 'conventional' Night Parade play. Both Roger and herself are explorers in the vast uncharted wilderness of novel game states and situations, miles away from the well-documented peaks and valleys that form the Night Parade community's perception of the meta.

Tamaki plays Master Koto like a dancer following Roger's lead. Her approach is reactive: careful, cautious, wary. She is a reflection: when he mixes it up, so does she. Her experience with fencing has given her a keen sense for the fundamentals of proper spacing and distance which translates to this context, at least in part. Perhaps most surprisingly, she also has a good sense of musical rhythm and knowledge for which time signatures can disrupt Roger's approach.

She'll fall for a trick for the first few times, but if Roger starts to form a habit, she takes note of it. Unfortunately for her, without having studied the game beforehand, she remains unaware of all the options for counterplay which are available to her. While she may find some measure of success in punishing some of his favored tactics, others are suboptimal at best, and others still she simply cannot figure out in the space of a single match.

It isn't enough for her to win right now, not this time. However, she has at least proven herself to be formidable in her own right, if still rusty and rough around the edges. Some consistent practice might do her some good. She slumps over the cabinet and exhales loudly, burying her head in her arms, then bursts into giggles before she sits upright again. "Okay, that was honestly, really fun. I'll come back some other time and we can play more rounds then, okay?"

Can she justify buying the home console version of this with her finances? ... probably not for a while. There are also very likely more important things to consider for Roger's well-being, too, like food and shelter and -- other aspects.

That invitation doesn't mean she's done for today, though. She stands up and steps aside from the cabinet to let others play, then looks over at Roger. "Hey, so ... there might be two more Homunculi forming. Would you like to help us out with those?" She wouldn't blame him if he didn't have any interest in it, but she is flying a little bit blind when it comes to how Ateliers work, only going off of theory and lacking in practical experience.

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Roger has posed.
<poem> "Okay!" And so, matters of debts are circumvented for now. Anyway, play happens! It is a lot of fun, in the minutes of time it takes for the rounds to be decided. It's best of three, so it doesn't take long in the great cosmic scheme of seconds-to-minutes. But it is a fun time spent between them.

"Yahoo!" Roger cheers at the victory. It's exciting! One of the closer matches in some time! "We won! Are you good for--"

Tamaki, responsible adult, brings down the reality of it. "Oh... okay. Sure! I'll be happy to play again!" Roger is always happy to play. That is his driving force to exist. That is the way he wants to interact with this human world, as 'someone.' He tilts his head for a moment, in thought. Should he keep playing, now that he won?

...

A more important subject comes up, and Roger's eyes widen at the mention of there 'might be two more Homunculi.'

And then, an angry snort. "Homunculi?!" Uh, he should lower his voice. "I can't let that stand!" His face scrunches up as he stomps a foot.... but then, a nervous forward lean as he presses his fingers together. "...No Sanguin Humor worth their weight in mud," uh that's a weird way to phrase it but okay, "would let Homunculi do as they please..."

It's a serious enough subject he's stepped away from the cabinet entirely, stepping before Tamaki with a resolute look on his face. It's probably unnerving, how he's gone from fun-loving to ''that''.

"I'll go full boar in stopping 'em!" He asserts. "Let me at 'em!"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki goes wide-eyed and nervously glances around to see how the other patrons react. She raises her hands placatingly, then lowers them. "Hey, hey ... eeeaaasy. You've got the right mindset, but -- " She brings a finger to her lips in a shushing motion.

She can't say she's honestly surprised, though. Nakata's Homunculus yielded the same reaction in Roger before, and she had guessed that it wouldn't be much different this time. In hindsight, she could have picked a better place to break the news to him.

"Mud?" Confusion flickers across her face for a moment, but she shakes her head. "No, never mind that. I'm happy that you're willing to help, but, ah -- could we step outside at least, please?"

Kenzo Sasaki and Kazusa Motojima. Those are the two that she knows of, but she's more closely involved with the former's case. "What is it that you can do to help, just so I know?"

"I know that we already have the means to enter the Atelier for one of them. Someone who cares about the victim would like to go in, but she'll need some safekeeping." She narrows her eyes as she tries to figure out how to suggest something to Roger. "Have you played soccer? How good are you at playing goalie? Can you help in protecting her?"

The other one ... "I'm not sure how the other case is progressing. Are you in regular contact with anyone else? That Nakao girl, perhaps ..?" Tamaki's face shows a bit of hope as she asks. She doesn't know if she has the space to coordinate everything herself, but maybe she can do some delegating.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Roger has posed.
<poem> Taking it outside is a good call. Roger can be coaxed there, before things get dangerously awkward for everyone involved. And so, the two of them are outside, as Tamaki relinquishes the information.

Kenzo Sasaki, and... Kazusa Motojima. Roger flinches at the second name. "Her! Wasn't she... at that place with all the games and the cosplay?" And then something very scary happened with her and her father. "...N-Nevermind that! A Homunculus is a Homunculus!"

"Oh! So you already know how to thread through the Eye of a needle!" This is cryptic and caused problems before, but Roger assumes Tamaki's already on the level about that. "Good! That means we can get to work on dealing with that one!" He pumps a fist in the air.

"Soccer...? Oh! The one with the black and white ball you kick with your legs! That's very fun." Roger smiles. "I want to play that!" 'Want' does not mean 'proficient,' and Roger's build is not convincingly 'athletic,' but... this is a Shadow in a human guise. Who knows? "...Especially if it'll help get rid of that Homunculus!" Snorting, again.

"...Oh! You're speaking of Hazuki-chan! She's one of my best friends. I can reach her no problem!" He nods vigorously. "Um... there's a lot to say about going through an Atelier. I'd know! I'm a Sanguin Humor! Or was?" A head tilt. He straightens out again. "It'd be easier to explain once we bring together everyone who's going to play! I'll make sure we're all on the same page as to what to expect from Humors in the Atelier! And how we best deal with the Homunculus."

It's inevitable he'll have to give the rundown with every new Homunculus tackled. "Besides! Hazuki-chan and Ixquic will be more than happy to come play to defeat them!" Tamaki will have allies. She'll have help.

It's not really a 'game,' but considering this is a Shadow that seems to understand the urgency of the situation, she can count on him as an ally and information resource. "I'll do what I can!"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
"Uh -- " Tamaki has no idea about anything involving Kazusa, games, and cosplay. " -- well, you're already familiar with her, so that's good."

Tamaki firmly nods and gives Roger a thumbs-up about the Thread and Eye. "Yep! All set there. Just a matter of gathering people, first." Retrieving the Thread for Kenzo was a nightmarish experience for Tamaki, so she's interested in getting some closure and ending the matter for good.

Roger expresses the desire to play soccer, but no experience in it. Tamaki rubs her eyes. Maybe what she said was good enough to convey the idea, at least. "That's correct -- " about soccer, at least " -- but I don't know if protecting the host's wife will directly accomplish anything towards getting rid of the Homunculus." She's on the fence about letting Rin tag along, even ...

"Cool." Roger can reach Hazuki, no problem, and Tamaki can reach Hazuki, no problem. The chain of communication is established! The name 'Ixquic' only rings a very distant bell in her memory. "Yeah, best to wait until everyone's gathered to explain. I know several other people willing to help, too."

Tamaki gives a light bow and a smile. "I appreciate that very much, Roger-kun." There are still a few questions she has about his overall well-being, but ... those might be better-suited for Hazuki to answer. "I'll come back around sometime this week, okay? Thank you, the match was fun, and you've been a big help!"

</poem>

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

2026-01-30: Wanted! Rumor Demon: The Purple Mirror

2026-01-30T17:01:16Z

Terra:

*'''Cutscene: Wanted! Rumor Demon: The Purple Mirror'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Tamaki Uchida]], Daisuke Todoroki
*'''Where:''' Kuzunoha Detective Agency
*'''OOC Date:''' 2026-01-30
*'''IC Date:''' 2012-09-18
*'''Summary''': ''A new Rumor has begun to plague Sumaru City with bad luck. Tamaki discusses the workload strain with her boss, Chief Todoroki, and is happy to hear his prescribed solution.''

----
<poem>

Given the clientele that the Kuzunoha Detective Agency caters to with their tagline about how they handle 'anything from love affairs to ghosts,' it's no surprise that they receive a number of strange requests.

On occasion, those requests entail the elimination or pacification of Rumor Demons: a variety of Demon which is formed from the latest gossip circulating around Sumaru City. While the agency isn't directly involved in the business of tackling those Rumor Demons themselves (except on ''exceedingly'' rare occasion), they do collate the requests of their clients to form a bounty board to inform local Persona-users of threats they can tackle in exchange for payment.

The agency is a neutral intermediary in this regard, and in exchange for letting interested Persona-users know of such bounties in the first place, they receive a small cut of the reward once the Demon is confirmed gone, no matter who does it. This aspect isn't exactly recent news and has already been the case for at least several months, but ... there's a new wrinkle in things.

----

Lately, the Kuzunoha Detective Agency has been getting a deluge of inquiries from clients concerned about bad luck, of all things. News of the Purple Mirror and its curse has spread like wildfire throughout Sumaru City, especially in Rengedai Ward.

A weary-looking Tamaki Uchida answers inquiry after inquiry, phone call after phone call, email after email, even a slew of in-person visits. "Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. -- yeah, we've been hearing that a lot, the next yearly coming of age ceremony's a few months away. I get you." Hearing the same story for what must be the thirtieth time causes Tamaki to rub her eyes and stifle a yawn. "I'll mark you down."

In a vanishingly rare lull between client meetings, Tamaki drops a sizable binder on the desk of her boss, Chief Todoroki. She then firmly plants her hands on the desk and leans forward to emphasize her irritation with the current situation. "Look, boss, we're getting slammed here. This is on a whole new level of bad. We've gotta do something to get ahead of this."

"Agreed," Todoroki grumbles while stirring a mug of hot tea. "The main problem stems from its abstract, incorporeal nature. Most Rumor Demons manifest in a more immediately physical manner, such as the Cursed Taxi. This will require some investigation first."

Neither of them are willing to name the Purple Mirror in their conversation with each other, lest they reinforce the memory of the words behind the mechanism of the curse.

Despite that, it's a topic which Tamaki can't escape from. She gestures at her own desk by flailing both of her arms in its direction, then to Todoroki's phone and computer. "Meanwhile, our hands are tied with answering folks and keeping track of the pile of bounties. If I go out for some field work, that leaves only you to handle customers, and that's just leaving money on the table." An avaricious gleam shines in her eyes, and she swallows hard. The potential payday is hefty, most of it coming from wealthy families from Rengedai Ward, concerned for the futures of their children who attend the prestigious Seven Sisters High School. In light of that, even the small cut that the agency takes would immensely help out the quiet little two-person operation.

(Two-person? ''TWO-person?!'' Don't forget about another member, nya ...) (Well, it's true that Tsubasa Seki helps out in a currently unofficial capacity and that did briefly slip Tamaki's mind as she counted, but she can't remember anyone else!) (... nyaaa ...)

Never mind the fact that each new request more firmly re-asserts the cursed words' position in her brain. She's got her whole life ahead of her, she feels an anxious need to handle this before she graduates, or beyond that, before she becomes another piece of the dreaded 'christmas cake' at 25 ..! Tamaki turns away from Todoroki's desk and nervously paces back and forth as she tries -- and fails -- to push this matter away from her gray matter.

In stark contrast to Tamaki's rising agitation, Todoroki remains the picture of calm. Maybe he just has less to personally worry about at his age, or maybe he simply has more experience in these matters and consequently remains more grounded in his temperament. He takes a sip of his tea before he replies, "You are correct in that we lack the necessary resources and personnel to dedicate to the level of investigation that this would require. Perhaps we could establish a tip line in addition to our already-established 'bounty board'."

Tamaki pauses for a moment to process the suggestion. Once she does, she instantly regains her characteristic sunny mood, and the corners of her mouth twitch upwards to form a cheshire-cat-like grin. She sidles up to Todoroki's desk with her hands clasped and outright beams at him. "Oh, that's a wonderful idea!"

Todoroki closes his eyes and takes another sip of his tea, enjoying it to the fullest. "I know."

----

In the various channels that she communicates in -- whether it's personally contacting the Persona-users she's acquainted with, posting on the Dark Side of Sumaru message boards, or spreading the word to other well-known Rumormongers -- news of the tip line is out there. There's promise of a small payment for information which the agency can independently verify, and a larger final reward for those who manage to defeat the Rumor Demon and cleanse Sumaru City of its curse once and for all.

Print or digital announcements are covered with stickers of a cartoon smiling lucky cat giving a wink and a thumbs-up, stating:
<center>
'''The Kuzunoha Detective Agency wants YOU to give us information on how to rid Sumaru City of its recent misfortune!'''
'''(For certain reasons, we are unable to specify the name of the exact cognitohazard in question, but if you know, you ''know''.)'''
'''Walk-in inquiries welcome!'''
'''Please contact us at:'''
'''...'''
</center>
The announcement concludes with the agency's phone number, fax number, physical address, email address, and social media profiles.
</poem>

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

2026-01-30: Wanted! Rumor Demon: The Purple Mirror

2026-01-30T17:00:44Z

Terra:

*'''Cutscene: Wanted! Rumor Demon: The Purple Mirror'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Tamaki Uchida]], Daisuke Todoroki
*'''Where:''' Kuzunoha Detective Agency
*'''OOC Date:''' 2026-01-30
*'''IC Date:''' 2012-09-18
*'''Summary''': ''A new Rumor has begun to plague Sumaru City with bad luck. Tamaki discusses the workload strain with her boss, Chief Todoroki, and is happy to hear his prescribed solution.''

----
<poem>

Given the clientele that the Kuzunoha Detective Agency caters to with their tagline about how they handle 'anything from love affairs to ghosts,' it's no surprise that they receive a number of strange requests.

On occasion, those requests entail the elimination or pacification of Rumor Demons: a variety of Demon which is formed from the latest gossip circulating around Sumaru City. While the agency isn't directly involved in the business of tackling those Rumor Demons themselves (except on ''exceedingly'' rare occasion), they do collate the requests of their clients to form a bounty board to inform local Persona-users of threats they can tackle in exchange for payment.

The agency is a neutral intermediary in this regard, and in exchange for letting interested Persona-users know of such bounties in the first place, they receive a small cut of the reward once the Demon is confirmed gone, no matter who does it. This aspect isn't exactly recent news and has already been the case for at least several months, but ... there's a new wrinkle in things.

----

Lately, the Kuzunoha Detective Agency has been getting a deluge of inquiries from clients concerned about bad luck, of all things. News of the Purple Mirror and its curse has spread like wildfire throughout Sumaru City, especially in Rengedai Ward.

A weary-looking Tamaki Uchida answers inquiry after inquiry, phone call after phone call, email after email, even a slew of in-person visits. "Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. -- yeah, we've been hearing that a lot, the next yearly coming of age ceremony's a few months away. I get you." Hearing the same story for what must be the thirtieth time causes Tamaki to rub her eyes and stifle a yawn. "I'll mark you down."

In a vanishingly rare lull between client meetings, Tamaki drops a sizable binder on the desk of her boss, Chief Todoroki. She then firmly plants her hands on the desk and leans forward to emphasize her irritation with the current situation. "Look, boss, we're getting slammed here. This is on a whole new level of bad. We've gotta do something to get ahead of this."

"Agreed," Todoroki grumbles while stirring a mug of hot tea. "The main problem stems from its abstract, incorporeal nature. Most Rumor Demons manifest in a more immediately physical manner, such as the Cursed Taxi. This will require some investigation first."

Neither of them are willing to name the Purple Mirror in their conversation with each other, lest they reinforce the memory of the words behind the mechanism of the curse.

Despite that, it's a topic which Tamaki can't escape from. She gestures at her own desk by flailing both of her arms in its direction, then to Todoroki's phone and computer. "Meanwhile, our hands are tied with answering folks and keeping track of the pile of bounties. If I go out for some field work, that leaves only you to handle customers, and that's just leaving money on the table." An avaricious gleam shines in her eyes, and she swallows hard. The potential payday is hefty, most of it coming from wealthy families from Rengedai Ward, concerned for the futures of their children who attend the prestigious Seven Sisters High School. In light of that, even the small cut that the agency takes would immensely help out the quiet little two-person operation.

(Two-person? ''TWO-person?!'' Don't forget about another member, nya ...) (Well, it's true that Tsubasa Seki helps out in a currently unofficial capacity and that did briefly slip Tamaki's mind as she counted, but she can't remember anyone else!) (... nyaaa ...)

Never mind the fact that each new request more firmly re-asserts the cursed words' position in her brain. She's got her whole life ahead of her, she feels an anxious need to handle this before she graduates, or beyond that, before she becomes another piece of the dreaded 'christmas cake' at 25 ..! Tamaki turns away from Todoroki's desk and nervously paces back and forth as she tries -- and fails -- to push this matter away from her gray matter.

In stark contrast to Tamaki's rising agitation, Todoroki remains the picture of calm. Maybe he just has less to personally worry about at his age, or maybe he simply has more experience in these matters and consequently remains more grounded in his temperament. He takes a sip of his tea before he replies, "You are correct in that we lack the necessary resources and personnel to dedicate to the level of investigation that this would require. Perhaps we could establish a tip line in addition to our already-established 'bounty board'."

Tamaki pauses for a moment to process the suggestion. Once she does, she instantly regains her characteristic sunny mood, and the corners of her mouth twitch upwards to form a cheshire-cat-like grin. She sidles up to Todoroki's desk with her hands clasped and outright beams at him. "Oh, that's a wonderful idea!"

Todoroki closes his eyes and takes another sip of his tea, enjoying it to the fullest. "I know."

----

In the various channels that she communicates in -- whether it's personally contacting the Persona-users she's acquainted with, posting on the Dark Side of Sumaru message boards, or spreading the word to other well-known Rumormongers -- news of the tip line is out there. There's promise of a small payment for information which the agency can independently verify, and a larger final reward for those who manage to defeat the Rumor Demon and cleanse Sumaru City of its curse once and for all.

Print or digital announcements are covered with stickers of a cartoon smiling lucky cat giving a wink and a thumbs-up, stating:
<center>
'''The Kuzunoha Detective Agency wants YOU to give us information on how to rid the city of its recent misfortune!'''
'''(For certain reasons, we are unable to specify the name of the exact cognitohazard in question, but if you know, you ''know''.)'''
'''Walk-in inquiries welcome!'''
'''Please contact us at:'''
'''...'''
</center>
The announcement concludes with the agency's phone number, fax number, physical address, email address, and social media profiles.
</poem>

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

2026-01-30: Wanted! Rumor Demon: The Purple Mirror

2026-01-30T16:46:18Z

Terra: Created page with "*'''Cutscene: Wanted! Rumor Demon: The Purple Mirror''' *'''Cast:''' Tamaki Uchida, Daisuke Todoroki *'''Where:''' Kuzunoha Detective Agency *'''OOC Date:''' 2026-01-30 *'''IC Date:''' 2012-09-18 *'''Summary''': ''A new Rumor has begun to plague Sumaru City with bad luck. Tamaki discusses the workload strain with her boss, Chief Todoroki, and is happy to hear his prescribed solution.'' ---- <poem> Given the clientele that the Kuzunoha Detective Agency caters..."

*'''Cutscene: Wanted! Rumor Demon: The Purple Mirror'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Tamaki Uchida]], Daisuke Todoroki
*'''Where:''' Kuzunoha Detective Agency
*'''OOC Date:''' 2026-01-30
*'''IC Date:''' 2012-09-18
*'''Summary''': ''A new Rumor has begun to plague Sumaru City with bad luck. Tamaki discusses the workload strain with her boss, Chief Todoroki, and is happy to hear his prescribed solution.''

----
<poem>
Given the clientele that the Kuzunoha Detective Agency caters to with their tagline about how they handle 'anything from love affairs to ghosts,' it's no surprise that they receive a number of strange requests.

On occasion, those requests entail the elimination or pacification of Rumor Demons: a variety of Demon which is formed from the latest gossip circulating around Sumaru City. While the agency isn't directly involved in the business of tackling those Rumor Demons themselves (except on ''exceedingly'' rare occasion), they do collate the requests of their clients to form a bounty board to inform local Persona-users of threats they can tackle in exchange for payment.

The agency is a neutral intermediary in this regard, and in exchange for letting interested Persona-users know of such bounties in the first place, they receive a small cut of the reward once the Demon is confirmed gone, no matter who does it. This aspect isn't exactly recent news and has already been the case for at least several months, but ... there's a new wrinkle in things.

----

Lately, the Kuzunoha Detective Agency has been getting a deluge of inquiries from clients concerned about bad luck, of all things. News of the Purple Mirror and its curse has spread like wildfire throughout Sumaru City, especially in Rengedai Ward.

A weary-looking Tamaki Uchida answers inquiry after inquiry, phone call after phone call, email after email, even a slew of in-person visits. "Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. -- yeah, we've been hearing that a lot, the next yearly coming of age ceremony's a few months away. I get you." Hearing the same story for what must be the thirtieth time causes Tamaki to rub her eyes and stifle a yawn. "I'll mark you down."

In a vanishingly rare lull between client meetings, Tamaki drops a sizable binder on the desk of her boss, Chief Todoroki. She then firmly plants her hands on the desk and leans forward to emphasize her irritation with the current situation. "Look, boss, we're getting slammed here. This is on a whole new level of bad. We've gotta do something to get ahead of this."

"Agreed," Todoroki grumbles while stirring a mug of hot tea. "The main problem stems from its abstract, incorporeal nature. Most Rumor Demons manifest in a more immediately physical manner, such as the Cursed Taxi. This will require some investigation first."

Neither of them are willing to name the Purple Mirror in their conversation with each other, lest they reinforce the memory of the words behind the mechanism of the curse.

Despite that, it's a topic which Tamaki can't escape from. She gestures at her own desk by flailing both of her arms in its direction, then to Todoroki's phone and computer. "Meanwhile, our hands are tied with answering folks and keeping track of the pile of bounties. If I go out for some field work, that leaves only you to handle customers, and that's just leaving money on the table." An avaricious gleam shines in her eyes, and she swallows hard. The potential payday is hefty, most of it coming from wealthy families from Rengedai Ward, concerned for the futures of their children who attend the prestigious Seven Sisters High School. In light of that, even the small cut that the agency takes would immensely help out the quiet little two-person operation.

(Two-person? ''TWO-person?!'' Don't forget about another member, nya ...) (Well, it's true that Tsubasa Seki helps out in a currently unofficial capacity and that did briefly slip Tamaki's mind as she counted, but she can't remember anyone else!) (... nyaaa ...)

Never mind the fact that each new request more firmly re-asserts the cursed words' position in her brain. She's got her whole life ahead of her, she feels an anxious need to handle this before she graduates, or beyond that, before she becomes another piece of the dreaded 'christmas cake' at 25 ..! Tamaki turns away from Todoroki's desk and nervously paces back and forth as she tries -- and fails -- to push this matter away from her gray matter.

In stark contrast to Tamaki's rising agitation, Todoroki remains the picture of calm. Maybe he just has less to personally worry about at his age, or maybe he simply has more experience in these matters and consequently remains more grounded in his temperament. He takes a sip of his tea before he replies, "You are correct in that we lack the necessary resources and personnel to dedicate to the level of investigation that this would require. Perhaps we could establish a tip line in addition to our already-established 'bounty board'."

Tamaki pauses for a moment to process the suggestion. Once she does, she instantly regains her characteristic sunny mood, and the corners of her mouth twitch upwards to form a cheshire-cat-like grin. She sidles up to Todoroki's desk with her hands clasped and outright beams at him. "Oh, that's a wonderful idea!"

Todoroki closes his eyes and takes another sip of his tea, enjoying it to the fullest. "I know."

----

In the various channels that she communicates in -- whether it's personally contacting the Persona-users she's acquainted with, posting on the Dark Side of Sumaru message boards, or spreading the word to other well-known Rumormongers -- news of the tip line is out there. There's promise of a small payment for information which the agency can independently verify, and a larger final reward for those who manage to defeat the Rumor Demon and cleanse Sumaru City of its curse once and for all.

Print or digital announcements are covered with stickers of a cartoon smiling lucky cat giving a wink and a thumbs-up, stating:
<center>
'''The Kuzunoha Detective Agency wants YOU to give us information on how to rid the city of its recent misfortune!'''
'''(For certain reasons, we are unable to specify the name of the exact cognitohazard in question, but if you know, you ''know''.)'''
'''Walk-in inquiries welcome!'''
'''Please contact us at:'''
'''...'''
</center>
The announcement concludes with the agency's phone number, fax number, physical address, email address, and social media profiles.
</poem>

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

2026-01-27: Unending Coda

2026-01-27T19:51:42Z

Terra:

*'''Cutscene: Unending Coda'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Tamaki Uchida]]
*'''Where:''' Aoba Ward, The Velvet Room
*'''OOC Date:''' 2026-01-27
*'''IC Date:''' 2012-09-16
*'''Summary''': ''Tamaki makes her prodigal return to the Velvet Room. Nameless teases her for the length of her absence, but she gets over it.''

----

<poem>

''(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9U7JTGJLWM Void Stranger OST - Voided)''

With no university classes scheduled today and no immediately pressing work obligations, Tamaki had found herself with some free time on this particular Sunday afternoon.

She had found that keeping her mind and body occupied with some activity was a necessity – during moments of otherwise idle introspection, she often found herself prone to ruminating on old regrets, uselessly picking at old scabs. Since high school, paying attention to her bodily needs of food, hydration, and fitness had served as Tamaki “Muscle Freak” Uchida’s primary means of diverting her thoughts.

She now found joy in the banality of minor inconveniences and annoyances, grateful that she only had to reckon with the occasional stubbed toe or computer trouble. These mere everyday trifles were nothing compared to the more severe trials which she had had to endure some years ago.

Her choice of remedy today was exercise: a change into lighter clothes and a jog through the streets of Aoba Way. There was a period during August when she had dropped the habit – when she ''had to'' temporarily drop the habit.

She doesn’t like to recall why.

Despite her best efforts to avoid reminiscing, there was one blue-painted door which existed on Aoba Way, visible to a select few, detached from any building, simply standing out in the open. It was a kind of door which Tamaki was intimately familiar with from a prior context.

On every other routine jog, Tamaki had simply ignored it. She had done everything in her power to avoid entering its hallway once again – she had already done enough, or so she had thought. The degree of her avoidance was severe to the point that when it came to Skill Cards, she had preferred to utilize the services of a different vendor, the Time Count in his Castle over in Rengedai Ward. This preference of hers had overridden the convenience of this door’s closer proximity to her apartment, university, and workplace, all tidily located in Aoba Ward within walking distance from each other.

This time, however, the sight of this door to the Velvet Room had caused her to slow her pace to an eventual stop and blankly stare in its direction for several moments (perhaps causing some onlookers to wonder what she was looking at, unable to see the door themselves). Try as she might have to outrun her thoughts, they had caught up to her.

----

''(SFX: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URqW615hjes Void Stranger OST - Per aspera...)''

Why now? What was the difference?

Her own future was more uncertain now – roughly half a year ago, she had once had the rest of her life planned out, right up until her fiancé and his family received some unexpected news which would require his incredibly extended absence. Thoughts of the past had come flooding in to fill the vacuum left by this change of plans.

Perhaps it was a practical concern. The report she had heard from Hyousuke Suzuki about Dimitri Tachovsky’s Shadow in Tartarus had knocked loose some memories of the Demon Painter. She had sent Hyousuke his way, but was there any reason she shouldn’t pay him a visit herself? Does an adult woman such as herself really need to send a boy in her stead?

Her recent interactions with the pair of cousins-in-law Yua Ijuuin and Miho Ijuuin had brought on another surge of memories within Tamaki. As an avid sabre fencing hobbyist, Tamaki had been struck by the insistence of Miho’s oath to find and rescue Yua from whatever plight she had fallen into, televised on the 2008 Olympics. It had caused Tamaki to wonder – both then and now – if she had given up where Miho had succeeded, if she had made the wrong choice in her own life to respect the wishes of an old dear friend and move on.

Tamaki had found that Eriko Kirishima had a knack for stirring the parts of her heart which she had personally preferred to remain silent. Her old St. Hermelin High School fencing club teammate knew exactly how to renew her interest in the wonderful world of Personas, Demons, Shadows, and other supernatural phenomena. What had once seemed to be an impossible undertaking felt feasible once more in light of Eriko’s infectious enthusiasm, causing Tamaki to muse if she had mistaken what she had called pragmatism for what was actually cynicism.

Tamaki had once thought herself immune to the same concerns that had plagued a motorcycle-riding young man, the red leather-clad student with a Mark who Umie Akabane had once tutored. She had believed that she could serve as his example, she had told Umie that she aspired to be the kind of role model to others who she had wished she had in the past herself – these words had apparently stuck with Umie, who now endeavored to do the same. Tamaki had told the boy to later return to the Kuzunoha Detective Agency, listen to what she had gone through, and then tell her if he could relate to her or if she was, in her own words, “full of shit.”

She hadn’t seen that boy since – the invitation seems to have scared him off entirely.

Perhaps most painfully, Eikichi Mishina had made his way into the Kuzunoha Detective Agency’s office to request that he be informed of the Joker Killer’s whereabouts so that he may give him a proper thrashing. The Kasugayama High student’s request was innocent enough, but the fact that he was a musician was an unfortunate association, and it dredged up some long-since-buried feelings in Tamaki.

----

Every now and then when the tug of gravity reminds her of the weight of the choker around her neck, a loop tied through the center of six coins in the ''rokumonsen'' Buddhist funerary custom, she remembers a tale regarding the Song dynasty author Su Dongpo and his teacher Fo Yin.

Su Dongpo had composed one such poem:
<center>
''I bow to the Buddha,''
''Whose light of wisdom,''
''Shines on us all.''
''Sitting on my golden lotus,''
''Even the eight winds,''
''Cannot move me at all.''
</center>
Believing that his teacher would be pleased with the poem and his student’s progress towards transcendence, he sent it across the river to the temple that his teacher resided at.

Fo Yin, in turn, vandalized Su Dongpo’s poem with a word which can either mean ''“nonsense,”'' or more crudely ''“fart,”'' then sent it back across the river.

Enraged, Su Dongpo travelled across the river to demand the meaning of his teacher’s insult.

Fo Yin looked his old student directly in the face and skeptically posed the question: “The eight winds supposedly cannot move you, yet a ''mere fart'' blew you all the way across the river to me?”

Upon hearing this, Su Dongpo realized his mistake. Fo Yin had returned his humility to him.

----

''(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9GkTgg-Ou4 Velvet Room - Persona 2 Eternal Punishment (2000))''

Having now been humbled once more, Tamaki stepped towards the doors of the Velvet Room and finally – finally – walked through to re-enter it again. She winced upon hearing the song performed by the enigmatic ever-present figures of the blindfolded Nameless on the piano and Belladonna on the microphone, the same as it was back then. The Demon Painter paid Tamaki no mind, though her eyes went to him first, as her immediate business here was with him.

With a knowing twinkle in his eyes, Igor’s soul-piercing stare bore through Tamaki as he gestured from his seat to greet her, “Welcome, once again, to the Velvet Room.”

She tried to stifle any sardonic tone in her reply: “I’m home.”

Nameless spoke up next, though he didn’t turn from his seat nor interrupt his song. A teasing grin danced onto his face as his fingers continued to dance across the keys. “Assuming a rate of 92 beats per minute and a 4/4 signature, one particular coda has continued on for a minimum of 59,019,840 measures, or 236,079,360 beats – or 1782 nights, or 4 years, 10 months, and 16 days, or almost 64 full moons.”

His grin widened as he lifted his 10 fingers for 3 measures’ worth of silent full rests– precisely 18.4 seconds, according to that song’s characteristics. (Belladonna continued on uninterrupted.) “Did you finally return to pick something up from the lost-and-found?”

''Yeah, Su Dongpo’s humility,'' grumbled Tamaki’s inner monologue. The song wasn’t doing her mood any favors, but its absence unsettled her even more. Instead, she tilted her head to give Nameless an upward nod. “Keep playing,” she insisted, not wanting him to pay her mind any further.

That’s a ‘yes,’ Nameless surmised as he snickered and picked up the tune where Belladonna had continued it. “Or in other words, it has been at least – ”

Tamaki exhaled a sigh in aggravation, pinched the bridge of her nose, and shut her eyes. “Don’t say it.”

“ – as many days and nights since – “

Tamaki flung her arms to her sides and glared at Nameless as she protested again, more sharply this time, “I said don’t say it!”

“ – you had tried in vain to shutter the doors of your soul.”

They had still been open this entire time – or at least unlocked, only covered by Tamaki’s futile soundproofing efforts.

Tamaki loudly groaned as she buried her face in her hands and muttered a muffled curse, “''AAAUUUGHH''. Uggghhh. Damn it.” She seemed to deflate, her shoulders now slumped in defeat and resignation.

Despite her apparent irritation having reached a fevered pitch, she accepted that there was nothing to be done for it. When she had fully regained her composure, she dusted her hands before she folded her arms to indicate her annoyance with Nameless’ antics.

Knowing precisely what he had returned to Tamaki, Nameless quietly smiled and returned his full attention back to the piano before him. Roughly a minute later, now mollified by the aria which forever plays within the Velvet Room, Tamaki had relaxed enough to lower her arms and leaned against the wall to simply listen.

The ‘coda’ mentioned by Nameless had not ended with Tamaki’s prodigal return – no, her voice was separate from what he had meant. The start of this coda and the time of her departure had occurred at the same moment – the latter had now ended, but the former still carries on.

After they had completed several refrains of the song, Tamaki softly offered to Nameless and Belladonna, “Thank you.”

Soon, she would converse with the Demon Painter, but she was content to stay here for a while – here, at this intersection between thought and reality, mind and matter.

Tamaki now once more hoped that if she stayed here long enough, she would learn to pick up on what Nameless was able to perceive.

She had no firm proof of this, she had no scientific (nor psientific) basis for it, but she believed that Reiko Akanezawa’s voice might one day finally reach her ears again.
</poem>

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

2026-01-27: Unending Coda

2026-01-27T19:07:15Z

Terra:

*'''Cutscene: Unending Coda'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Tamaki Uchida]]
*'''Where:''' Aoba Ward, The Velvet Room
*'''OOC Date:''' 2026-01-27
*'''IC Date:''' 2012-09-16
*'''Summary''': ''Tamaki makes her prodigal return to the Velvet Room. Nameless teases her for the length of her absence, but she gets over it.''

----

<poem>

''(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9U7JTGJLWM Void Stranger OST - Voided)''

With no university classes scheduled today and no immediately pressing work obligations, Tamaki had found herself with some free time on this particular Sunday afternoon.

She had found that keeping her mind and body occupied with some activity was a necessity – during moments of otherwise idle introspection, she often found herself prone to ruminating on old regrets, uselessly picking at old scabs. Since high school, paying attention to her bodily needs of food, hydration, and fitness had served as Tamaki “Muscle Freak” Uchida’s primary means of diverting her thoughts.

She now found joy in the banality of minor inconveniences and annoyances, grateful that she only had to reckon with the occasional stubbed toe or computer trouble. These mere everyday trifles were nothing compared to the more severe trials which she had had to endure some years ago.

Her choice of remedy today was exercise: a change into lighter clothes and a jog through the streets of Aoba Way. There was a period during August when she had dropped the habit – when she ''had to'' temporarily drop the habit.

She doesn’t like to recall why.

Despite her best efforts to avoid reminiscing, there was one blue-painted door exists on Aoba Way, visible to a select few, detached from any building, simply standing out in the open. It was a kind of door which Tamaki was intimately familiar with from a prior context.

On every other routine jog, Tamaki had simply ignored it. She had done everything in her power to avoid entering its hallway once again – she had already done enough, or so she had thought. The degree of her avoidance was severe to the point that when it came to Skill Cards, she had preferred to utilize the services of a different vendor, the Time Count in his Castle over in Rengedai Ward. This preference of hers had overridden the convenience of this door’s closer proximity to her apartment, university, and workplace, all tidily located in Aoba Ward within walking distance from each other.

This time, however, the sight of this door to the Velvet Room had caused her to slow her pace to an eventual stop and blankly stare in its direction for several moments (perhaps causing some onlookers to wonder what she was looking at, unable to see the door themselves). Try as she might have to outrun her thoughts, they had caught up to her.

----

''(SFX: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URqW615hjes Void Stranger OST - Per aspera...)''

Why now? What was the difference?

Her own future was more uncertain now – roughly half a year ago, she had once had the rest of her life planned out, right up until her fiancé and his family received some unexpected news which would require his incredibly extended absence. Thoughts of the past had come flooding in to fill the vacuum left by this change of plans.

Perhaps it was a practical concern. The report she had heard from Hyousuke Suzuki about Dimitri Tachovsky’s Shadow in Tartarus had knocked loose some memories of the Demon Painter. She had sent Hyousuke his way, but was there any reason she shouldn’t pay him a visit herself? Does an adult woman such as herself really need to send a boy in her stead?

Her recent interactions with the pair of cousins-in-law Yua Ijuuin and Miho Ijuuin had brought on another surge of memories within Tamaki. As an avid sabre fencing hobbyist, Tamaki had been struck by the insistence of Miho’s oath to find and rescue Yua from whatever plight she had fallen into, televised on the 2008 Olympics. It had caused Tamaki to wonder – both then and now – if she had given up where Miho had succeeded, if she had made the wrong choice in her own life to respect the wishes of an old dear friend and move on.

Tamaki had found that Eriko Kirishima had a knack for stirring the parts of her heart which she had personally preferred to remain silent. Her old St. Hermelin High School fencing club teammate knew exactly how to renew her interest in the wonderful world of Personas, Demons, Shadows, and other supernatural phenomena. What had once seemed to be an impossible undertaking felt feasible once more in light of Eriko’s infectious enthusiasm, causing Tamaki to muse if she had mistaken what she had called pragmatism for what was actually cynicism.

Tamaki had once thought herself immune to the same concerns that had plagued a motorcycle-riding young man, the red leather-clad student with a Mark who Umie Akabane had once tutored. She had believed that she could serve as his example, she had told Umie that she aspired to be the kind of role model to others who she had wished she had in the past herself – these words had apparently stuck with Umie, who now endeavored to do the same. Tamaki had told the boy to later return to the Kuzunoha Detective Agency, listen to what she had gone through, and then tell her if he could relate to her or if she was, in her own words, “full of shit.”

She hadn’t seen that boy since – the invitation seems to have scared him off entirely.

Perhaps most painfully, Eikichi Mishina had made his way into the Kuzunoha Detective Agency’s office to request that he be informed of the Joker Killer’s whereabouts so that he may give him a proper thrashing. The Kasugayama High student’s request was innocent enough, but the fact that he was a musician was an unfortunate association, and it dredged up some long-since-buried feelings in Tamaki.

----

Every now and then when the tug of gravity reminds her of the weight of the choker around her neck, a loop tied through the center of six coins in the ''rokumonsen'' Buddhist funerary custom, she remembers a tale regarding the Song dynasty author Su Dongpo and his teacher Fo Yin.

Su Dongpo had composed one such poem:
<center>
''I bow to the Buddha,''
''Whose light of wisdom,''
''Shines on us all.''
''Sitting on my golden lotus,''
''Even the eight winds,''
''Cannot move me at all.''
</center>
Believing that his teacher would be pleased with the poem and his student’s progress towards transcendence, he sent it across the river to the temple that his teacher resided at.

Fo Yin, in turn, vandalized Su Dongpo’s poem with a word which can either mean ''“nonsense,”'' or more crudely ''“fart,”'' then sent it back across the river.

Enraged, Su Dongpo travelled across the river to demand the meaning of his teacher’s insult.

Fo Yin looked his old student directly in the face and skeptically posed the question: “The eight winds supposedly cannot move you, yet a ''mere fart'' blew you all the way across the river to me?”

Upon hearing this, Su Dongpo realized his mistake. Fo Yin had returned his humility to him.

----

''(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9GkTgg-Ou4 Velvet Room - Persona 2 Eternal Punishment (2000))''

Having now been humbled once more, Tamaki stepped towards the doors of the Velvet Room and finally – finally – walked through to re-enter it again. She winced upon hearing the song performed by the enigmatic ever-present figures of the blindfolded Nameless on the piano and Belladonna on the microphone, the same as it was back then. The Demon Painter paid Tamaki no mind, though her eyes went to him first, as her immediate business here was with him.

With a knowing twinkle in his eyes, Igor’s soul-piercing stare bore through Tamaki as he gestured from his seat to greet her, “Welcome, once again, to the Velvet Room.”

She tried to stifle any sardonic tone in her reply: “I’m home.”

Nameless spoke up next, though he didn’t turn from his seat nor interrupt his song. A teasing grin danced onto his face as his fingers continued to dance across the keys. “Assuming a rate of 92 beats per minute and a 4/4 signature, one particular coda has continued on for a minimum of 59,019,840 measures, or 236,079,360 beats – or 1782 nights, or 4 years, 10 months, and 16 days, or almost 64 full moons.”

His grin widened as he lifted his 10 fingers for 3 measures’ worth of silent full rests– precisely 18.4 seconds, according to that song’s characteristics. (Belladonna continued on uninterrupted.) “Did you finally return to pick something up from the lost-and-found?”

''Yeah, Su Dongpo’s humility,'' grumbled Tamaki’s inner monologue. The song wasn’t doing her mood any favors, but its absence unsettled her even more. Instead, she tilted her head to give Nameless an upward nod. “Keep playing,” she insisted, not wanting him to pay her mind any further.

That’s a ‘yes,’ Nameless surmised as he snickered and picked up the tune where Belladonna had continued it. “Or in other words, it has been at least – ”

Tamaki exhaled a sigh in aggravation, pinched the bridge of her nose, and shut her eyes. “Don’t say it.”

“ – as many days and nights since – “

Tamaki flung her arms to her sides and glared at Nameless as she protested again, more sharply this time, “I said don’t say it!”

“ – you had tried in vain to shutter the doors of your soul.”

They had still been open this entire time – or at least unlocked, only covered by Tamaki’s futile soundproofing efforts.

Tamaki loudly groaned as she buried her face in her hands and muttered a muffled curse, “''AAAUUUGHH''. Uggghhh. Damn it.” She seemed to deflate, her shoulders now slumped in defeat and resignation.

Despite her apparent irritation having reached a fevered pitch, she accepted that there was nothing to be done for it. When she had fully regained her composure, she dusted her hands before she folded her arms to indicate her annoyance with Nameless’ antics.

Knowing precisely what he had returned to Tamaki, Nameless quietly smiled and returned his full attention back to the piano before him. Roughly a minute later, now mollified by the aria which forever plays within the Velvet Room, Tamaki had relaxed enough to lower her arms and leaned against the wall to simply listen.

The ‘coda’ mentioned by Nameless had not ended with Tamaki’s prodigal return – no, her voice was separate from what he had meant. The start of this coda and the time of her departure had occurred at the same moment – the latter had now ended, but the former still carries on.

After they had completed several refrains of the song, Tamaki softly offered to Nameless and Belladonna, “Thank you.”

Soon, she would converse with the Demon Painter, but she was content to stay here for a while – here, at this intersection between thought and reality, mind and matter.

Tamaki now once more hoped that if she stayed here long enough, she would learn to pick up on what Nameless was able to perceive.

She had no firm proof of this, she had no scientific (nor psientific) basis for it, but she believed that Reiko Akanezawa’s voice might one day finally reach her ears again.
</poem>

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

2026-01-27: Unending Coda

2026-01-27T19:06:58Z

Terra: Created page with "*'''Cutscene: Unending Coda''' *'''Cast:''' Tamaki Uchida *'''Where:''' Aoba Way, The Velvet Room *'''OOC Date:''' 2026-01-27 *'''IC Date:''' 2012-09-16 *'''Summary''': ''Tamaki makes her prodigal return to the Velvet Room. Nameless teases her for the length of her absence, but she gets over it.'' ---- <poem> ''(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9U7JTGJLWM Void Stranger OST - Voided)'' With no university classes scheduled today and no immediately pres..."

*'''Cutscene: Unending Coda'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Tamaki Uchida]]
*'''Where:''' Aoba Way, The Velvet Room
*'''OOC Date:''' 2026-01-27
*'''IC Date:''' 2012-09-16
*'''Summary''': ''Tamaki makes her prodigal return to the Velvet Room. Nameless teases her for the length of her absence, but she gets over it.''

----

<poem>

''(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9U7JTGJLWM Void Stranger OST - Voided)''

With no university classes scheduled today and no immediately pressing work obligations, Tamaki had found herself with some free time on this particular Sunday afternoon.

She had found that keeping her mind and body occupied with some activity was a necessity – during moments of otherwise idle introspection, she often found herself prone to ruminating on old regrets, uselessly picking at old scabs. Since high school, paying attention to her bodily needs of food, hydration, and fitness had served as Tamaki “Muscle Freak” Uchida’s primary means of diverting her thoughts.

She now found joy in the banality of minor inconveniences and annoyances, grateful that she only had to reckon with the occasional stubbed toe or computer trouble. These mere everyday trifles were nothing compared to the more severe trials which she had had to endure some years ago.

Her choice of remedy today was exercise: a change into lighter clothes and a jog through the streets of Aoba Way. There was a period during August when she had dropped the habit – when she ''had to'' temporarily drop the habit.

She doesn’t like to recall why.

Despite her best efforts to avoid reminiscing, there was one blue-painted door exists on Aoba Way, visible to a select few, detached from any building, simply standing out in the open. It was a kind of door which Tamaki was intimately familiar with from a prior context.

On every other routine jog, Tamaki had simply ignored it. She had done everything in her power to avoid entering its hallway once again – she had already done enough, or so she had thought. The degree of her avoidance was severe to the point that when it came to Skill Cards, she had preferred to utilize the services of a different vendor, the Time Count in his Castle over in Rengedai Ward. This preference of hers had overridden the convenience of this door’s closer proximity to her apartment, university, and workplace, all tidily located in Aoba Ward within walking distance from each other.

This time, however, the sight of this door to the Velvet Room had caused her to slow her pace to an eventual stop and blankly stare in its direction for several moments (perhaps causing some onlookers to wonder what she was looking at, unable to see the door themselves). Try as she might have to outrun her thoughts, they had caught up to her.

----

''(SFX: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URqW615hjes Void Stranger OST - Per aspera...)''

Why now? What was the difference?

Her own future was more uncertain now – roughly half a year ago, she had once had the rest of her life planned out, right up until her fiancé and his family received some unexpected news which would require his incredibly extended absence. Thoughts of the past had come flooding in to fill the vacuum left by this change of plans.

Perhaps it was a practical concern. The report she had heard from Hyousuke Suzuki about Dimitri Tachovsky’s Shadow in Tartarus had knocked loose some memories of the Demon Painter. She had sent Hyousuke his way, but was there any reason she shouldn’t pay him a visit herself? Does an adult woman such as herself really need to send a boy in her stead?

Her recent interactions with the pair of cousins-in-law Yua Ijuuin and Miho Ijuuin had brought on another surge of memories within Tamaki. As an avid sabre fencing hobbyist, Tamaki had been struck by the insistence of Miho’s oath to find and rescue Yua from whatever plight she had fallen into, televised on the 2008 Olympics. It had caused Tamaki to wonder – both then and now – if she had given up where Miho had succeeded, if she had made the wrong choice in her own life to respect the wishes of an old dear friend and move on.

Tamaki had found that Eriko Kirishima had a knack for stirring the parts of her heart which she had personally preferred to remain silent. Her old St. Hermelin High School fencing club teammate knew exactly how to renew her interest in the wonderful world of Personas, Demons, Shadows, and other supernatural phenomena. What had once seemed to be an impossible undertaking felt feasible once more in light of Eriko’s infectious enthusiasm, causing Tamaki to muse if she had mistaken what she had called pragmatism for what was actually cynicism.

Tamaki had once thought herself immune to the same concerns that had plagued a motorcycle-riding young man, the red leather-clad student with a Mark who Umie Akabane had once tutored. She had believed that she could serve as his example, she had told Umie that she aspired to be the kind of role model to others who she had wished she had in the past herself – these words had apparently stuck with Umie, who now endeavored to do the same. Tamaki had told the boy to later return to the Kuzunoha Detective Agency, listen to what she had gone through, and then tell her if he could relate to her or if she was, in her own words, “full of shit.”

She hadn’t seen that boy since – the invitation seems to have scared him off entirely.

Perhaps most painfully, Eikichi Mishina had made his way into the Kuzunoha Detective Agency’s office to request that he be informed of the Joker Killer’s whereabouts so that he may give him a proper thrashing. The Kasugayama High student’s request was innocent enough, but the fact that he was a musician was an unfortunate association, and it dredged up some long-since-buried feelings in Tamaki.

----

Every now and then when the tug of gravity reminds her of the weight of the choker around her neck, a loop tied through the center of six coins in the ''rokumonsen'' Buddhist funerary custom, she remembers a tale regarding the Song dynasty author Su Dongpo and his teacher Fo Yin.

Su Dongpo had composed one such poem:
<center>
''I bow to the Buddha,''
''Whose light of wisdom,''
''Shines on us all.''
''Sitting on my golden lotus,''
''Even the eight winds,''
''Cannot move me at all.''
</center>
Believing that his teacher would be pleased with the poem and his student’s progress towards transcendence, he sent it across the river to the temple that his teacher resided at.

Fo Yin, in turn, vandalized Su Dongpo’s poem with a word which can either mean ''“nonsense,”'' or more crudely ''“fart,”'' then sent it back across the river.

Enraged, Su Dongpo travelled across the river to demand the meaning of his teacher’s insult.

Fo Yin looked his old student directly in the face and skeptically posed the question: “The eight winds supposedly cannot move you, yet a ''mere fart'' blew you all the way across the river to me?”

Upon hearing this, Su Dongpo realized his mistake. Fo Yin had returned his humility to him.

----

''(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9GkTgg-Ou4 Velvet Room - Persona 2 Eternal Punishment (2000))''

Having now been humbled once more, Tamaki stepped towards the doors of the Velvet Room and finally – finally – walked through to re-enter it again. She winced upon hearing the song performed by the enigmatic ever-present figures of the blindfolded Nameless on the piano and Belladonna on the microphone, the same as it was back then. The Demon Painter paid Tamaki no mind, though her eyes went to him first, as her immediate business here was with him.

With a knowing twinkle in his eyes, Igor’s soul-piercing stare bore through Tamaki as he gestured from his seat to greet her, “Welcome, once again, to the Velvet Room.”

She tried to stifle any sardonic tone in her reply: “I’m home.”

Nameless spoke up next, though he didn’t turn from his seat nor interrupt his song. A teasing grin danced onto his face as his fingers continued to dance across the keys. “Assuming a rate of 92 beats per minute and a 4/4 signature, one particular coda has continued on for a minimum of 59,019,840 measures, or 236,079,360 beats – or 1782 nights, or 4 years, 10 months, and 16 days, or almost 64 full moons.”

His grin widened as he lifted his 10 fingers for 3 measures’ worth of silent full rests– precisely 18.4 seconds, according to that song’s characteristics. (Belladonna continued on uninterrupted.) “Did you finally return to pick something up from the lost-and-found?”

''Yeah, Su Dongpo’s humility,'' grumbled Tamaki’s inner monologue. The song wasn’t doing her mood any favors, but its absence unsettled her even more. Instead, she tilted her head to give Nameless an upward nod. “Keep playing,” she insisted, not wanting him to pay her mind any further.

That’s a ‘yes,’ Nameless surmised as he snickered and picked up the tune where Belladonna had continued it. “Or in other words, it has been at least – ”

Tamaki exhaled a sigh in aggravation, pinched the bridge of her nose, and shut her eyes. “Don’t say it.”

“ – as many days and nights since – “

Tamaki flung her arms to her sides and glared at Nameless as she protested again, more sharply this time, “I said don’t say it!”

“ – you had tried in vain to shutter the doors of your soul.”

They had still been open this entire time – or at least unlocked, only covered by Tamaki’s futile soundproofing efforts.

Tamaki loudly groaned as she buried her face in her hands and muttered a muffled curse, “''AAAUUUGHH''. Uggghhh. Damn it.” She seemed to deflate, her shoulders now slumped in defeat and resignation.

Despite her apparent irritation having reached a fevered pitch, she accepted that there was nothing to be done for it. When she had fully regained her composure, she dusted her hands before she folded her arms to indicate her annoyance with Nameless’ antics.

Knowing precisely what he had returned to Tamaki, Nameless quietly smiled and returned his full attention back to the piano before him. Roughly a minute later, now mollified by the aria which forever plays within the Velvet Room, Tamaki had relaxed enough to lower her arms and leaned against the wall to simply listen.

The ‘coda’ mentioned by Nameless had not ended with Tamaki’s prodigal return – no, her voice was separate from what he had meant. The start of this coda and the time of her departure had occurred at the same moment – the latter had now ended, but the former still carries on.

After they had completed several refrains of the song, Tamaki softly offered to Nameless and Belladonna, “Thank you.”

Soon, she would converse with the Demon Painter, but she was content to stay here for a while – here, at this intersection between thought and reality, mind and matter.

Tamaki now once more hoped that if she stayed here long enough, she would learn to pick up on what Nameless was able to perceive.

She had no firm proof of this, she had no scientific (nor psientific) basis for it, but she believed that Reiko Akanezawa’s voice might one day finally reach her ears again.
</poem>

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

2026-01-25: Imprimatura

2026-01-25T23:09:56Z

Terra:

*'''Log: Imprimatura'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Hyousuke Suzuki]], [[Tamaki Uchida]]
*'''Where:''' Kuzunoha Detective Agency
*'''OOC Date:''' 2026-01-25
*'''IC Date:''' Sat Sep 15 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Hyousuke interrupts Tamaki's impromptu training session to bring her news about the Joker Killer. Neither of them are sure about what's happening, but all involved agree that the looming art show is to be treated with suspicion.''

----

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
It's a Saturday afternoon at the Kuzunoha Detective Agency. Chief Todoroki is absent today, but who knows what he gets up to when he's not here? Definitely not Tamaki. The lucky cat silently waits at the entrance, as per usual, cajoling any who enter the Agency's doors for donations.

Tamaki is here, though without her boss keeping as close of an eye on her, she's standing closer to the middle of the room in the classical fencing stance, her sabre drawn. She constantly takes steps forwards and back, occasionally glancing downwards to see the position her feet are in, and on occasion, she springs forward to lunge or slash at the air.

... Is this really the best time for her to do some training exercises? Surely she could be doing something more closely tied with her profession, like compiling information about the Joker Killer or any other number of cases she's responsible for.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>
The train back from Iwatadoi had, as always, gotten him back swiftly and safely. Under normal circumstances, Hyousuke would not have thought much about it. However, 'normal' did not quite describe his circumstances. There were a million different things playing on his mind, each one clawing and scraping at his brain for attention, and he would have gladly welcomed a few more quiet moments to organise his thoughts and figure out what he was supposed to say to Tamaki. There was no small amount of information to pass on, after all, and he couldn't afford to have distractions clouding his mind.

With how often he'd walked through those doors to pick up or turn in a bounty, handing over the asked-for sum to the cat by the entrance had become an almost instinctive movement. His hand rifled through his pockets for the exact change, deposited with practised - almost surgical - precision, and he didn't have to even look down to make it happen. Some distant part of him was glad that he'd had that practice, as the sight of Tamaki swinging a blade around outside of a fight was one that had him tilting his head a little.

Knowing full well how it felt to be interrupted in the middle of training, Hyousuke was loathe to put an end to what he thought to be a flow state. However, the information he had was important, and he didn't much fancy waiting around for her to finish the routine, or to notice his presence.
"This a bad time?" He asked, head still canted a little. With his blonde hair shifting slightly from the earlier motion, he might have resembled some perplexed hound, were one to squint a little.
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Hyousuke's swift gesture catches the cat's plea midsentence, and it interrupts itself as it's instantly mollified. "Nya~ nya~ nya~! Inse -- ''Thank'' you, nya~!"

It's been a slow day, so maybe Tamaki can be forgiven a little for goofing off. While Hyosuke himself doesn't alert her, the cat's cries do, and she leaps up with a start and scrambles to hide her weapon behind her back -- fumbles, more like, as it jumps from hand to hand as she tries to regain her grip on the handle.

Hands behind her, Tamaki breaks out into a wide, nervous smile. "''HI!'' Ahem. Hello, Suzuki-kun. It's a good time, don't mind me. I was just, uh. Getting some practice in. I have a session scheduled with a practice partner who scares the piss out of me." Defeating the purpose of her efforts to hide it, she pulls out her sword in front of her again and gestures to it. At least in this non-supernatural context, the blade is perfectly blunt, incapable of piercing or cutting all but the most fragile of material.

She sets her sword back over on her desk and takes a moment to straighten out her clothes, then turns to Hyousuke. "How was your trip to Tartarus? I see you came back alive, at least."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>
At her mention of a formidable training partner, Hyousuke's body shook with a slight laugh, and his lips curled into a matching smile. It wasn't a mocking gesture, however. Rather, it was a sympathetic one, coupled with a small shrug.
"I know the feeling." he responded, taking a moment to glance quizzically over the blade before returning his focus to her. He didn't know much about swords - or blades in general, beyond those used in the kitchen or to separate one piece of wood from another - but he still seemed interested in surveying it.

That interest was quickly pushed to the side, though. There were other things that needed his immediate attention, and as pleasant as he found Tamaki's company, he'd not come there for a social call.
"Rough." Came his response. Terse as it was, it trailed off just enough to indicate that he had yet more to say on the subject. Telling her that he'd decided to go in alone, and it was only by luck that he'd found backup, was not included amongst that. The last thing he needed was an earful from her. "I think the Joker Killer was in there."
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
A wry grin spreads onto Tamaki's features. "Don't we all? Our own little series of trials and tribulations." She gives Hyousuke a friendly wink. "This is just for sport, though, none of the supernatural stuff. I like keeping in touch with the purely mundane aspects of life; I find that it helps keep me anchored."

Tamaki's choice of weapon is a fencing sabre intended for modern-day competitions, where referees or electric sensors judge on the validity of a strike. It is an entirely bloodless affair, as the flexible blade often bends before it can puncture anything. (Accidents do rarely happen, but they are mitigated by protective gear -- you know, the kind that makes the fencer look like some kind of swashbuckling beekeeper.) This specific one she owns was manufactured by a sports equipment company, and its faded brand logo is visible underneath its bell guard, now more prominently visible as it remains on the desk. Unusually, the sword's hilt and pommel are inlaid with a variety of pink and yellow gemstones -- that part must have been custom work.

Tamaki raises a quizzical eyebrow at Hyousuke's report. "... In ''Tartarus''? I'm surprised he would have made his way there. Who was his victim, if you know?" His mention that it was rough does cause her to scrutinize Hyousuke more closely. She jerks a thumb towards the back counter, where they keep a stockpile of first aid kits. "Do you need any patching up?"

GAME: Save complete.
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>
Hyousuke shook his head lightly at the offer of a first aid kit, and by all appearances, he was - for once - telling the truth. There was some bruising here and there, some scabs on his knuckles that hadn't quite fully healed, and some subtle signs of exhaustion creeping into his features, but there was little to indicate that he needed anything more than a hot shower and a long rest.
"I'm fine, I didn't get hit too bad." He said, speaking a little quicker than usual to try and dismiss what he perceived to be niceties.

Hyousuke diverted his gaze down for a moment so that he could scroll through his phone. A few short gestures later, he came to the picture he needed, but didn't hand it over to Tamaki - not quite yet, anyway.
"Nobody's died. Not yet. But there was this artist in there..." He very much regretted not spending more time rehearsing what he needed to say, especially in the pregnant pause that followed him trailing off. Then, he decided to start over, his train of thought not so much grinding to a halt as it did completely derail.

"You know that feeling in the warehouse? The weird one, where everything just felt *wrong?*" He didn't much like bringing the warehouse up. Even after getting everything off his chest to Ichika and Tsubasa, a twinge of tension crept into his expression at the thought of that night. His muscles tensed for a moment, as if recoiling from the very thought, though the moment passed quickly and his movements were slight at best - nearly imperceptible, if one was not paying close attention to him. "I felt that in Tartarus, and I went after it."

He didn't give her much time to digest that part of his story. He was well aware of how reckless that decision had been, and had no intention of lingering on it for any longer than was strictly necessary.
"But he wasn't there. There was this giant squid Shadow, and it had this dome on top of it that had an artist inside. I don't know if he was controlling it, if it was controlling him, or what, but I think he'd made a painting of the Killer. And *that* was what kept putting out that weird feeling."

He meant the Mark, of course, but hadn't the knowledge to describe it as such - only past experiences to compare it to.
"Some ninja guy and his friend cut the painting up, and that stopped things feeling fucky, and we and everyone else there kicked the Shadow's ass after. But the artist in there, he... he kept talking about some art show, and painting something big. Even after he got freed, he was talking about being forced to paint something." Hyousuke shook his head, letting out a noise that sounded somewhere between a grunt and a sigh. "There was... there's a lot going on."
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki had guessed as much that Hyousuke was in good enough health, but still felt the need to offer out of habit -- maybe there was something she couldn't see. Satisfied with that answer, she shrugs, not as insistent as before.

She narrows her eyes at the mention of 'that feeling' -- the Mark. "I'm familiar," she offers. Before he continues, she interjects, "Are you certain it was the Joker Killer, though? Others have that Mark, like the pair at the warehouse, but he wasn't there himself," but nods after he answers in full.

Hyousuke may find it strange that Tamaki doesn't chastise him for his self-perceived recklessness in going after that feeling. Recalling it is enough to cause herself to tense up in agitation, and she knows very well that it is a clarion call that compels people such as herself to answer. In fact, she even says as much: "Good on you. I believe that was the right course of action."

She remains eerily quiet as he finishes the story. Shadows are well outside of her expertise, and she doesn't initially know what to make of it. Something quietly scratches and scrabbles at the corners of her memory, but it doesn't manage to burrow its way to conscious thought, as if it had run into solid concrete instead of earthy loam. Whatever that was, it's gone just as quickly.

In its place, she pulls out a Skill Card from her jacket pocket and peers at it as she turns it over, alternating which side she views. "I think I know of the art show you're talking about, at least. Dimitri Tachovsky, correct?" As she ponders the card further, she adds, "So he captured the Joker Killer's essence in a painting?"

He isn't sure if the Shadow was controlling the artist, or if the artist was controlling the Shadow. Why does ''that'' cause a cold sweat to start to form on the back of her neck?

At his last comment, Tamaki gives a shrug and gestures at a mountain of binders on her desk. "You're telling me. There's no way I can take everything on myself, so I try my best to pick my battles. If it's too much, try to find someone else to tag in while you take a breather."
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>
Hyousuke was a little surprised that she'd not admonished him for recklessly barging in. He supposed that her opinion might have changed were she to be informed that he'd done so alone, and had had no expectation of assistance, but he was in no mood to test that theory. He did, however, display a momentary look of surprise at her telling him that it'd been the correct course of action, before continuing on with his story. It was only when he'd finished, and she'd raised a few other points to be addressed, that he elected to offer answers.

"I'm sure it was the Joker Killer. The picture was of him, and the feeling... it was the same as that art show in the park. The one where-" He cut himself off, hoping not to inadvertently reveal any information that might have clued Tamaki in on who precisely Phoenix was, and partly to suppress his own unpleasant memories and feelings. He considered his next words carefully over the split second that followed, before following up with something he hoped was innocuous enough to keep secret identities secret. "-Where the Killer started setting fire to everything."

He fished around in his pocket for his phone again as the topic shifted to the artist himself, and began to go through the process of unlocking it once more.
"He must've done something with Tachovsky." Hyousuke's pronunciation of the name was slow and stilted, with each syllable having to be sounded out so that he could be sure he'd said it right, but he barrelled through regardless. "Made him do some ghost stuff with the painting, put his essence in it or something like you said. But that ain't the end of it."

He turned his phone around to show Tamaki the screenshot he'd taken of the forum - more specifically, a set of posts talking about how the artist had gone missing.
"They're saying he's not gonna be showing up to his own event, and the client's gonna be presenting it instead." He placed it on the desk, turned around so that she could survey it while he expounded upon his point. "Artist goes missing in Tartarus and starts spouting off about shows and a weird painting. A painting that *feels* like that fucker shows up next to him. And now *this.* The Killer's planning something, I just... I don't know what..."
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Judging from Tamaki's prior experiences, Hyousuke very likely wouldn't have been alone. That sensation is a goddamn Persona-user magnet and it'll garner the attention of everyone in the vicinity.

Now, other actions he might have taken after he got there? Those could possibly be grounds for admonishment.

Tamaki curls her lip in disdain as she continues flipping the card in her fingers. "Yeah, at Aoba Park. I'm familiar with the incident." While she is completely in the dark about the truth of Tsubasa and Phoenix, she does know this: "Seki-kun was his target then, right? I've seen you and them together sometimes, like at that carnival on the beach -- the one with that clown running the show, if you remember. Are you two good friends?"

There's no way Tsubasa can be Phoenix, though: there's no way someone with Tsubasa's frame can wield that massive sword of Phoenix's. Furthermore, their approaches to matters are way different: Tsubasa's sharp as a tack and wily when it comes to picking up on minute out-of-place details where Phoenix hasn't yet demonstrated the same level of cunning in front of Tamaki, just raw berserker fury. No, they're just two separate people who cooperate, brains and brawn. She's a ''detective'', and she's assured herself that her instincts are ''obviously'' correct on this.

She narrows her eyes in suspicion of Phoenix, though. "I haven't seen Seki-kun in a bit, but Phoenix told me they're cool now, despite the latter joining with the Phantom Thieves. You know them both, right? Do you know if Seki-kun is really okay with that, or did Phoenix feed me a pile of bullshit?"

Hyousuke's confirmation of of the painting and essence causes her to glance more meaningfully at the card again, and she uses it to point at Hyousuke. "If you've got time sometime, I've got a couple of people to ask about that particular matter. Masao Inaba's an old classmate of mine, an artist and Persona-user himself. I think Seki-kun's met him before, too." She punctuates a pause in her suggestion with a shrug. "Maybe the Demon Painter in the Velvet Room knows something, too, but he's a pretty enigmatic guy and might just be all business and no conversation. Couldn't hurt to try."

Tamaki leans down to peer at the phone and nods. "Yeah, I've seen that thread already. I'm aware." She jerks a thumb back at her computer. "We also serve as information brokers in some sense, so it's one of the places we keep an ear to the ground." She stands upright, folds her arms, and pulls a hand up to curl a finger over her chin. "Still, it helps a lot knowing your first-hand account of things -- lends it a lot more credence."

"I've got some people I could notify about it, they're definitely interested in bringing the Joker Killer down." She stands there for a few more seconds before doing an about-face and making her way to the massive cabinets behind Todoroki's much larger and more impressive desk. "Well! Looks like I've got an art showing to attend soon. What to wear, what to wear ..."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>
Hyousuke's expression remained still when Tamaki brought up Tsubasa being the Joker Killer's target, even as he nodded in confirmation. His quick, affirmative, grunt didn't really give much of a clue about his feelings on the matter either - at least, he hoped it didn't. The last thing he needed was for Tamaki to clock that he knew more about Tsubasa than he let on. However, he was quick to affirm a few other things about them, once he was sure there was time to address such matters, and did so with slight emphasis in his voice.

"Tsubasa-san's a good friend." He said, as quickly and as casually as one might have assured another that water was wet. Their arguments aside, Tsubasa had his back, and that meant a great deal more to him than he cared to express at that very moment. What he wasn't so casual about answering was Tsubasa's relationship with Phoenix. Though he was vaguely aware that the Will of Rebellion provided some protection - even if he wasn't aware of the specifics - he was still loathe to let loose any information that could connect the two.

"...I trust Phoenix." Hyousuke said flatly, after having mulled the words over in his mind. Was that vague enough to not let on that he knew more than he said? He hoped so. He'd never have heard the end of it if it turned out that he was a key part of revealing people's secret identities. "If they say Tsubasa-san's cool with them, then that's how it is. Tsubasa-san seems fine with them, but they'd probably appreciate you asking about it personally." Though he did not care to presume people's feelings, he felt relatively safe in suggesting that, for reasons he hoped Tamaki would not inquire about.

"Speaking of contacts and the show, I need a favour." Hyousuke didn't bother to wait for a response. The only reason he paused, even for a moment, was to slip his phone back into his pocket - he didn't much care to reveal to Tamaki that his latest attempt at carving a bear from a chunk of wood was amateurish, even for a beginner. "I'm going in there too, and so's Ogre and Phoenix. If you figure anything out about this, you gotta let them know too. They promised they'd help, and I don't want anyone going in blind."

There was a great deal of emphasis on the word 'promise,' and a slight tensing of his jaw as well, but all of it only lasted for a moment.
"I'm gonna ask around, see if anyone else knows something that'd help. Might go ask the Velvet Room guys too. Igor creeps me out though..."
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
For all the careful and anxious verbal maneuvering that Hyousuke's doing when it comes to guaranteeing the Will of Rebellion's protection stays intact, it doesn't seem to be much of an issue in Tamaki's case. Her mind's already gone on to more ''important'' matters, like the appropriate dress attire for an art showing that'll blend in while still being combat-ready in case something Mark-powered shows up. "I wonder if Elly-chan has any suggestions ..."

Somewhere, something akin to a Security Level meter representing Tamaki's suspicion drops from an already empty 0% into the negatives to -2%.

She pulls out a clothes hanger with a top to inspect it. After Hyousuke reaffirms that Tsubasa's a friend and that he trusts Phoenix, Tamaki gives an absent-minded nod. She lets him continue with the rest of his request before she responds. "Good, good. Phoenix actually came by here during the Dark Hour one night and we had a chat. Figured I'd ask while you're here, but I'm a busy girl, and I just haven't gotten a chance to ask Seki-kun themself yet." She returns the article of clothing to the cabinet, then turns back to Hyousuke. "I'm just taking a temperature reading by asking you, you know? I'll get in contact with Seki-kun again soon enough."

She inhales a sharp intake of breath at Hyousuke's insistence that she contact Ogre and Phoenix. " I mean -- I'd love to, but as far as I know, only you and Seki-kun are my only ways to get in contact with them! How am I -- " Midsentence, she pauses and blinks several times before she turns her head to the computer monitor on her desk. " -- I suppose I could post something on the Phan-site, but that's about the best I can do there. Tell them to keep an eye out there, and I can pass on what I find out there. We got a deal?"

Tamaki fishes around in her jacket pocket again. "While you're at it, this could be educational for you. If you hit up the Velvet Room, take this with you." She pulls out another Skill Card -- kind of. This one's entirely blank. "At least you can make use of their services with this. The Joker Killer's not the only one with an artist on their side."

She looks over at a pile of binders on her desk. "You want to look at more requests that have come in? There's one from Rengedai Ward that ..." Either they can peruse the new series of hunts together, or Hyousuke can get going -- she offers, either way.
</poem>

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

2026-01-24: A Nostalgic Parallel

2026-01-25T15:20:55Z

Terra: Created page with "*'''Log: A Nostalgic Parallel''' *'''Cast:''' Tamaki Uchida, Miho Ijuuin *'''Where:''' Aoba Way *'''OOC Date:''' January 24, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' September 15, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Tamaki makes good on Yua's suggestion to visit the fencing hall where fellow sabre fencer Miho trains to ask for a practice session together, though her boldness is tempered by her nervousness at their skill disparity: Miho's an Olympics medalist, Tamaki's a hobbyist. Miho pulls Tama..."

*'''Log: A Nostalgic Parallel'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Tamaki Uchida]], [[Miho Ijuuin]]
*'''Where:''' Aoba Way
*'''OOC Date:''' January 24, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' September 15, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Tamaki makes good on Yua's suggestion to visit the fencing hall where fellow sabre fencer Miho trains to ask for a practice session together, though her boldness is tempered by her nervousness at their skill disparity: Miho's an Olympics medalist, Tamaki's a hobbyist. Miho pulls Tamaki into an office to speak away from the other fencers present -- somewhere they can speak more openly on certain topics.''

----

(|================================= Aoba Way =================================|)
-=================================================== Sumaru City/Aoba Ward ====-
Ample shopping can be found at the stores that dot Aoba Way, but not just the
normal kind. Aside from a door to the Velvet Room for Persona Users, one can
hear and spread all kinds of rumors at Kuzunoha Detective Agency. At the
internet cafe Double Slash, one can surf on the web to find some of those very
rumors *and* munch on various snacks served at the back bar by an apathetic
teenage boy. The blue carpeting and wall-to-wall aquariums lend the place a
relaxing atmosphere.

The bar Parabellum has a more noir vibe, with a mostly wooden interior, brown
leather seats, green glass lamps, and brick pillars along the walls. The elderly
barkeeper offers a number of unique mixed drinks, all named after weapons...
which might be a clever cover for the fact that, according to rumor, he sells
*real* weapons. The fashion boutique Rosa Candida offers the latest in trends
and (per rumor) armor, its decor stark yet stylish, with clothes and bags alike
on display for customers along the walls and on a central table. A pair of
changing rooms are naturally available; to use them, just get the permission of
the saleswoman in red first.

Etheria offers spa treatments to the weary among bright lamps, stained glass
windows, off-white decor, and an esthetician with a giant blue crystal crown.
The name of the place fuses "ether" and "materia," and the treatments are
effective: those who use this spa walk away feeling refreshed in mind and body.

And, of course, it's not Sumaru City without a local Satomi Tadashi Pharmacy
branch. This one looks the same as all the others: aisles and walls laden with
medicine of all kinds, overseen from the back counter where magazines are
available by one of seven identical sisters. Satomi Sister #1 runs this one; an
English-language piano version of the store's theme plays here. "Always in the
side of those who fight: our local... drug store~ o/`"

<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
<poem>
The card reads for one 'Aoba Hall', a humbly-named practice hall that nevertheless boasts some of the greatest fencers in Japan in the current day. While she cannot get here as often as she did in the leadup to the Olympics, Miho Ijuuin trains here.

It's an older building, very near to the point at which it ought to be rebuilt, with tall ceilings and trophies along the walls. Miho is not the only expert who trains here, though she is perhaps the most famous.

It has everything one might expect from such a hall--but there, with other sabre experts, is Miho, just taking off her mask after a few matches and thus visible to the eye.

There's a small crowd near her, though not quite ''around'' her, and in other places in the hall, fencers practice against each other, against targets, and so on. It is a veritable storm of swords.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Remi Ryuuja had once mentioned that she and Miho were classmates, though their preferred forms of swordplay differ, and Remi's stated purpose is for stage performance, not competition. Still, Tamaki had visibly been star-struck, having paid keen attention to the sport's Olympics matches. Similarly, in a prior chance meeting, Yua had encouraged Tamaki to visit the hall where Miho trains. Today, she's taken up Yua on that offer and given Miho's hall a visit ...

... though upon entering, Tamaki immediately feels out of her depth. She's no expert, a mere hobbyist who still trains today, but in the comparatively more humble environment of a rented-out gym space with like-minded enthusiasts with makeshift fencing strips fashioned out of markers taped to the floor, bereft of trophies -- nothing so dedicated as ''this''. She can't help but let out a low whistle of appreciation as she stands just past the entrance for a moment to take it all in, her sports bag slung over her shoulder.

Somewhat awkwardly, Tamaki tries to wave in Miho's direction and flag her down, but an uncharacteristic sense of nervousness starts to set in. What does she do? What does she say? Her head swivels around as she tries to see if there's someone at a desk she should speak with instead of being so direct. Regardless of precisely how she manages to get Miho's attention in the end, she finds her voice and stammers out, "I-Ijuuin-sama! If I may have a moment of your time -- y-yyyour -- "

Tamaki squelches the word she was ''about'' to speak and swallows hard. It certainly wasn't 'sister-in-law.' " -- your -- er, friend and new family member said I should stop by. For some practice. I hope I'm not imposing -- you don't have to -- sorry, I didn't think ahead -- "

Oh boy. Hopefully Miho can throw her a lifeline here ...

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
<poem>
It's a very nice place.

Miho notices Tamaki's wave. For a moment, she simply looks at her--but when Tamaki finds her voice, Miho gestures to the people who were about to try to talk to her, and instead begins walking over to Tamaki. Her...

Hmmm.

"You may," Miho answers, and closes the distance. "You are not. My... best friend, actually came to me after practice not unlike this, when we first met. For that nostalgic moment, I'll give you some time."

She walks close enough to actually talk without being overheard as easily, though of course--a few people are likely to try to listen in, their curiosity warring with their fear of Miho's disapproval.

"Tamaki Uchida-san, I presume," she says at that point. "You made an impression on her. I'd be happy to arrange some practice for or with you..."

"But first, why don't we talk? This way, there's an office. ...Unless you'd like to be the subject of the hall's gossip for the next while, of course."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Being direct was fine, it seems! On one hand, good, she's gotten the ear of Miho Ijuuin. On the other hand: ''It's Miho Ijuuin.'' That alone is enough to intimidate her and cause some trepidation to take hold.

'Best friend.' Tamaki files the term away in her head. The nostalgic parallel which Miho draws catches her by surprise. This, however, seems to cause her to regain her composure, and she waves a hand as if to dismiss some notion. She laughs airily, then replies, "Oh! Well, don't get the wrong idea. I just practice sabre fencing, myself. Have since high school. Big fan of your work. You've adapted to the recent rule changes quite well, whereas I've had trouble weaning myself off of now-illegal moves, and I was hoping to get some pointers -- "

The rest of her brain catches up with her as she starts to talk shop. If she sprinkles in some legitimate fencing terminology, ''maybe'' the gaggle of onlookers will correctly see Tamaki as someone whose admiration for Miho is strictly for her skill in the sport and lose interest in some more salacious possibility.

More to the point, she's afraid of getting wrecked and shown up during a practice session. A hobbyist against an Olympic medalist ... she's hardly worth Miho's time, yet here she is.

Her train of thought is interrupted as she processes the fact that Miho recognizes her and knows her by name. "You presume corre -- waaaiiit wait wait, I ''have''?" Tamaki boggles at the realization that ''she'' made an impression on ''Yua''. True, they had that conversation by the shrine, but overall ... relatively, she's a nobody, a normie, a middle-class bumpkin. Tamaki's own relationship to the pair of best friends is, at best, parasocial. Surely that information disparity is the same the other way around, right?

Tamaki's expression flattens as Miho confirms her suspicions of the gathering crowd and the prospect of being gossiped about. She clears her throat, then gestures for Miho. "I'd like some practice, yes. Office it is! Please, lead the way!"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
<poem>
Indeed; the crowd is a little less interested now that it's ''just'' fencing practice. Still interested, though; nobody who's here is here because they aren't interested in fencing!

...Besides; for gossip about ''Miho'' they're more inclined to talk about a certain actor, these days.

Miho will indeed give Tamaki that practice session, during which she may or may not be wrecked--and she'd do that much even without the personal connection. But given that it exists...

"You did," Miho confirms. She says no more on that for now, though. Instead, she leads the way to the office, and closes the door. It's a small room, with a desk and some cabinets and a computer, but also a couple of chairs in front of the desk. Miho pulls one out to a more conversational distance, and takes a seat, assuming Tamaki will take the other. She could've sat behind the desk... but it's not actually hers.

"So," she says, "I'll get the elephant in the room out of here, first. Yua mentioend you; she didn't use your name, and downplayed the conversation, though she did seem somewhat troubled... But since she downplayed it, I didn't look into more than just your name that I was given. So don't feel you're at too much a disadvantage. ...besides, she said your conversation would stay between you, so I won't ask."

"Instead, I'm interested in your fencing background. You say you practiced in high school?" A beat, "I went to Seven Sisters, myself. I started younger, of course--I wouldn't have made it to the Olympics, otherwise."

"What drew you to the sport?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki scurries behind Miho to spare herself from any more prying eyes and ears. Her brain hitches and she simply stands there like an idiot for a moment before she takes the chair offered to her.

Miho claims that she just knows Tamaki's name. In turn, Tamaki grows pensive and props her chin on a fist. She starts slowly, at first: "Well ... for full transparency, I am an apprentice at a local private detective agency." She then breaks out into a bright grin and beams at Miho. "Don't worry, though! If you were actually under investigation, I'd come a lot more prepared than this, ahaha!"

Tamaki sheepishly rubs her hand behind her neck. The gesture may cause her to initially seem green behind the ears to most -- less hardboiled detective, more 'straight from a new carton'.

If Miho's senses are sharp enough, however, she might be able to pick up on the telling manner in which Tamaki's eyes widen when she mentions how she'll let her conversation with Yua stay between them. "It was more personal than professional, yeah," she comments with a shrub. Maybe she shouldn't divulge it now, but instead, she offers, "If she's okay with revealing it to you, then I'm okay with it, too."

It is something she's dying to ask, after all. She's not smitten with Miho herself, but she's struck by the fervency with which Miho had promised to seek out Yua ''and'' had succeeded in doing so.

Miho went to Seven Sisters. "Yeah! Ryuuja-san had mentioned that you had gone there, too. I actually got my start in foil fencing, first at Karukozaka High, then after my family moved, later at St. Hermelin." She doesn't feel the need to repeat that foil's a common start for anyone's first few weeks or months of lessons; while it's complex in its own right and many do remain there, it forms a strong framework for those who later move to épée and sabre. "During middle school, I played a lot of chess, and I had heard others compare the game to foil."

The real story of how she had moved from foil to sabre will remain shrouded in mystery, if she can help it, but the surface explanation she cheerfully gives is this: "I've always been pretty athletic, too. A few months later, my instructor noticed that I had the right stuff to try something at a faster pace, so here we are today! It's my primary way of keeping fit -- that, and running around the city all day for field work, ahahaha!"

The real story is that Demons rarely adhere to the rules of sportsmanship and the plodding, strategical pace of foil fencing, and sometimes it's easier to cut one than it is to pierce one.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
<poem>
"I see," Miho answers. "I'm familiar with private detectives' work in general. It must be an interesting job." A laugh, then. "Don't worry. If I were under investigation I wouldn't be any less friendly."

It is a short laugh. She might not be kidding.

Miho doesn't comment on experience levels; instead she says, "A reasonable position. I appreciate that you're concerned with her privacy."

...In another world, Miho might insist; this is not that world. Yua has been given so little privacy in her life, and that's true lately, too...

But Ryuuja-san! "Ahh, so you're aware of her, too. She's a friend as well." Miho listens, and nods. "I see. Yes, that makes sennse." She doesn't need to hear that, though ''someone'' must appreciate the clarification. "I think that's an interesting comparison; I do find foil interesting... but a little slower-paced than I like. I'm not always a patient woman."

As if by some fate, it becomes obvious at that point; the heartbeat of resonance, the sensation of sulfur and iron. Miho does not comment on it immediately, though she does look thoughtfully at Tamaki.

"Good, good. I appreciate enthusiasm, and one's own reasons for acting. I'll be happy to practice with you."

"I was the opposite, as it happens; I started with the sabre, and wasn't very good at first. But I was very young, of course."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki's smile grows more taut as Miho calls her job 'interesting'. "Oh, you don't know the half of it!"

She cants her head slightly as Miho expresses her appreciation for her respect of Yua's privacy. "Why wouldn't I be? You're welcome, all the same."

"Ryuuja-san mentioned she was part of the Drama club, and your best friend had mentioned that they had both worked on a production of ''A Midsummer Night's Dream''." Tamaki lightly laughs behind a hand. "I like Shakespeare, myself, but I'm more a fan of kabuki and rakugo performances."

Miho finds foil slow ... perhaps frustratingly slow. Perhaps this admission of hers is something Tamaki may be able to exploit one day, though it could just as easily be a trap. "Hahaaa, well, I've found that I've had to cultivate a sense of patience in other areas of my life."

As if a reminder of the trials which tested her patience, Tamaki's own Resonance pulses in turn: coffee and honey flow together, the sustenance necessary to face the trials of a new day. Upon sensing Miho's, a more clear picture starts to form in Tamaki's mind as this information casts a new light on the events which Yua had alluded to. Yua may not have Resonance, but that isn't to say the form of her peril wasn't supernatural.

The likelihood that Yua is similar to Umie grows in Tamaki's mind -- but this is still merely a possibility without enough substance to firmly conclude.

Tamaki clasps her hands together as Miho agrees to a practice session. "Oh, wow, thank you! I hope I can at least hold my own, but I'll be happy if you can point out what I could stand to improve on ..."

Wait, she ''started with sabre''? That's unusual, but it would explain her prowess at it, especially having learned it as such a young age. "That makes sense, and you've had plenty of time to develop your talent. Far more than I have, at least!"

Her initial nervousness exhibited in the entryway returns. "When would you like to start? Is -- is now good, or should we schedule something -- "

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
<poem>
"Some people would be more inclined to curry favor than to respect an aquaintance's needs; I'm glad you aren't like that."

She indeed might know half of the matter of an interesting occupation... she cosnidered getting her own license, once. But she just pursued it through less legal means, instead.

"There's something to be said about the traditional Japanese arts," Miho says pleasantly, "But they're certainly less popular among the average high schooler. It was a good production, I remember. Very polished."

Perhaps it is, perhaps it isn't. "Ahhh," Miho says. "Well, it's a good quality to have."

Miho reflects on that resonance; Tamaki could be a foe, in the coming days. But then, that's true of most Persona-users she meets. It isn't relevant for the moment. Tamaki seems happy; this too is not surprising, it's not the first such person Miho's entertained. ...But the ones who are bold enough to come right to her she almost always gives the chance.

"I was used to getting what I wanted, as a young child. As an adult, I've had to learn that that isn't always possible. ...But I was very stubborn about sabre; I had been entirely enchanted."

Hmm.

"If you want a full session, I'll have to schedule it; I need to be at my job in an hour or so. But if you want just a match and some pointers, I have time now."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
"Ohhh." Instantly, the explanation Miho provides for her thanks makes some measure of sense. Tamaki gives a slow nod and her gaze grows distant as she states, "There are people like that out there, right, right. You probably get that a lot, huh ..." She shrugs and adds, "It'd be unprofessional were it about a client, but devoid of that context, I simply find it rude."

Tamaki chuckles as Miho catches her ... unusual tastes for her young age. "Fair enough. I'm just fond of the classics, I suppose." With a wistful sigh, she adds, "I'm sure their production was a sight to behold."

On the virtue of patience, Tamaki grins back at Miho. "So I've learned and come to appreciate." As Miho further explains her upbringing, that grin fades slightly as Tamaki realizes that they have come from two very different sets of circumstances. "Hmmm. Anything that I've ever found worth a damn, I've had to fight tooth and nail for."

Starting with sabre isn't entirely unheard of, either. Tamaki quietly surmises that maybe there's an element of class involved to it: perhaps it's most economically viable for instructors to encourage foil first so that newcomers of Tamaki's social stature and age don't run headlong into the difficulties posed by épée and sabre, then the ones who develop an appetite for it can branch out into other disciplines. If that isn't a concern, on the other hand, then as long as the same fundamentals get covered, there's no reason Miho would have had to not jump right in to what most appealed to her.

Of course, this is all conjecture, so who's to really say until she sits down to look at some actual data?

Rather than voice those thoughts, Tamaki continues down a different lingering curiosity like so: "What had enchanted you about sabre so, if I might ask?"

As Miho states that she'd need to set aside time in her schedule for a full session, Tamaki finds her footing again and silently makes a finger-gun motion at Miho. She then rummages around in her bag for a day-planner and a pen, then clicks the pen. "Scheduling it is, then. Let's see, I'm free around ..."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
<poem>
"Very rude," Miho agrees. "But not so you. That's good."

Miho actually smiles back. "I also appreciate the classics. But it really was."

Miho nods at that. "That's a good way to learn to fight. It's not to say I didn't work hard... But I didn't appreciate until I was older how much outside of sport needs to be fought and bled for--when it ''really'' matters."

There's definitely an element of class involved. But just what the data will say is a mystery until the data is available.

"The intricate dance of movement," Miho says. "So quick that I could't follow it with my eyes until later. ...Of course, the stories of ancient warriors and pirates didn't hurt," she says with some amusement. "But it wasn't until I actually saw the sport that I really latched on."

Finger-gun! "Perfect. Then I'm..."

They can schedule. Miho has a lot of demands on her time, but she can push something less interesting out of the way.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
As Tamaki had said earlier: She has cultivated a sense of patience. She has already had to wait years to hear more about Miho's search for Yua and potentially derive some wisdom from it, some indication about whether or not she had made the correct choice in her own life to ''not'' search for someone lost, whether she had mistaken cynicism for pragmatism.

Compared to the amount of elapsed time thus far, what's a mere few days more?

Tamaki clears her throat before she broaches the topic of their mutually-perceived Resonance as she replies in regards to fighting outside of sport. "You and me both. I think it's safe to let on that I've fought in more contexts than sport. What started as an extracurricular activity shortly became a skill I've had to hone out of necessity."

First Eriko, then Remi, now Miho has spoken of a similar sense of enchantment, something which Tamaki seems to lack in turn. At least she's found that Eriko can manage to nudge her out of it, and she's finding more and more people who may be capable of the same.

Scheduling occurs. Tamaki laughs behind a hand again. "I look forward to our first dance, then. Thank you very much, Ijuuin-san."

</poem>

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

2026-01-22: Heavy With Purpose

2026-01-24T00:19:37Z

Terra: Created page with "*'''Log: Heavy With Purpose''' *'''Cast:''' Vivienne Sournois, Tamaki Uchida *'''Where:''' Kagurazaka - Le Cinema du Monde *'''OOC Date:''' January 22, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' September 14, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''After having met in Mementos at odds with each other some time ago, Tamaki makes good on a promise to visit Le Cinéma du Monde and watch a special 'midnight showing' to see Vivienne in her capacity as a supernatural blacksmith. Tamaki's curious about what..."

*'''Log: Heavy With Purpose'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Vivienne Sournois]], [[Tamaki Uchida]]
*'''Where:''' Kagurazaka - Le Cinema du Monde
*'''OOC Date:''' January 22, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' September 14, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''After having met in Mementos at odds with each other some time ago, Tamaki makes good on a promise to visit Le Cinéma du Monde and watch a special 'midnight showing' to see Vivienne in her capacity as a supernatural blacksmith. Tamaki's curious about what it would take to modify an old sword of hers from her high-school days, and she talks with Vivienne about the value of their respective pasts.''

----

(|===================== Kagurazaka - Le Cinema du Monde ======================|)
-===================================================== Tokyo/Shinjuku Ward ====-
Le Cinéma du Monde is a single-screen movie theater in Kagurazaka, Tokyo run by
Vivienne Sournois. It has been renovated from the ground up to embody the
aesthetics of an old-fashioned theater, its marquee brightly displaying the
theater's name and the schedule of currently-playing pictures. Walking inside
feels like going back in time, with the carpet boasting a vintage geometric
pattern and the walls lined with movie posters from throughout the years. Within
the lobby is a refreshment booth and ticket stand, as well as some seats and a
table, and beyond that is the main auditorium. Le Cinéma du Monde plays movies
old and new, obscure and mainstream, from all around the world in a variety of
languages - the schedule is purely up to the whims of its owner, meaning that
almost anything might be playing at any given moment. Requests are also welcome,
should anyone wish to see a specific movie on the big screen.

Of course, a good, proper old-fashioned theater would not be complete without a
few secrets. There are secret passages leading to hidden rooms within the
theater, as well as a secret meeting room overlooking the auditorium behind
one-way glass. It is also said that if one requests a midnight showing of the
obscure French film 'La tragédie de l'armurier', the owner will meet them at the
refreshment stand during the Dark Hour to trade useful items and craft or
improve weapons for those who bring her materials gathered while fighting
supernatural foes.

<Pose Tracker> Vivienne Sournois has posed.
<poem>A midnight showing of 'La tragédie de l'armurier' has been requested. Accordingly, as the yellow moon rises in the sky to herald the beginning of the Dark Hour and a ill green glow coats the land... the doors of Le Cinéma du Monde remain unlocked, welcoming their appointed visitor inside.

It's almost unnerving, walking into the interior of the theater with its classic look. Seeing is no issue, at least - and as expected, the keeper of the theater is here, seated at the refreshment stand. Vivienne's face is lit more brightly by a lantern set on the counter, a Holy Gem glowing within.

Where in the daytime there were snacks and drinks of all kinds, the clear glass counter now displays various trinkets and accessories useful in a supernatural time and location such as this. Weapons are displayed on the wall behind her, as a show of her skill.

And as her visitor arrives, a smile crosses Vivienne's face.

"Welcome, madame. I'm glad you were able to make it, at this late hour." She greets.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Earlier in the day, Tamaki had decided to stop by Kagurazaka road for a Friday evening of leisure and entertainment by herself. Indeed, having grown up in the area, this street was where she had initially cultivated her love of fine cuisine in her youth. Her old high school -- the first of two, at least -- was on the street just down the alleyway.

She had dinner at a sushi place she'd had her eye on for a while, then arrived at La Cinema du Monde to follow up on news she'd heard of -- request a midnight showing of 'La tragédie de l'armurier', and a local blacksmith may just show up to talk shop. Accordingly, she's brought something of interest in a sports bag slung over her shoulder.

A shiver shoots up Tamaki's spine as she places her hand on the door to open the way to the theater. Normally, she's at home and safe in her bed during the Dark Hour. There have recently been several occasions which had disturbed that pattern. Ultimately, she does trust that she's safe here, but vigilance has a way of intruding where she'd least like it to.

The light of the Holy Gem lantern is heartening, at least, and her own demeanor brightens up right alongside it. "Oh, that's clever! I hadn't considered that use of a gem before." With a grin on her face, Tamaki interlaces her fingers together and stretches her arms and hands forward. "Whew! It's good to finally meet on friendlier terms, you know? How're you doing, ''madame Sournois''?" Her pronounciation of her surname is ... actually okay, if maybe a little clumsy.

Tamaki lightly snickers at the mention of the late hour, then winks at Vivienne. "Of course, of course! You came highly recommended, you know? Besides, I like visiting this part of the city every now and then. I've got history here."

She peruses the lineup of weapons and accessories interestedly, though she does have a question. She's hesitant as she asks it, but pushes through her reservations. "Could ... I ask you to take a look at something I've brought with me? It's been modified once already, but I'm curious about how one would even go about altering the blade."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Vivienne Sournois has posed.
<poem>"Why, thank you. It's a helpful little trick, isn't it?" Vivienne replies, pleased, as Tamaki comments on her use of the gem. It wasn't originally developed for use during the Dark Hour, but she was quite glad when she learned that it worked just the same.

"Yes, quite. I ''do'' enjoy a good battle, but it's hardly the best first impression, is it?" Vivienne replies with a chuckle. She doesn't comment on her pronunciation of her last name - either she's being polite, or she did well enough to pass her judgment. "I have been doing well, at any rate - certainly, I have no complaints... How about yourself?"

She looks pleased once more, as Tamaki mentions that she comes highly recommended.

"I'm quite flattered. But you do, do you...? What a remarkable turn of fate." Vivienne comments. She watches Tamaki with interest as she studies the shelves - and then, there's a question.

"I'd love to. Please, show me, show me." Vivienne replies, scooting forward eagerly. "There are a number of methods, of course - and this Hour affords some more esoteric than others..."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
"I'll have to keep it in mind. I'll be honest, I don't pay much mind to some of the more practical applications of this business." Tamaki rubs the back of her neck. "But maybe I've been skating by for a while ... I could stand to give it some more serious thought."

She curls a finger over her chin in thought and taps her foot a few times before she points in the air. "Yeah, actually, where I work gets a handful of requests to look into what they call ghosts or the like, but they often end up being some particularly weird and rare Demons. If you're ever after more materials, maybe I could give you some leads on where to go hunting for them, yeah?"

Tamaki's expression hitches slightly as Vivienne remarks on Tamaki's mention of 'history'. For a moment, nervousness slips through, though just as quickly it's gone again. "Yeah, I grew up around here. Something ... ''happened'' nearby, if you catch my drift, and ..."

" -- you know, let me show you what I mean." Talking about history actually dovetails nicely into the topic of blacksmithery. Tamaki unzips the sports bag and pulls out an electric sabre, then places it lengthwise on the counter for Vivienne to inspect. In mundane contexts, its edge is blunt, intended for use in practice and competition. It shows signs of age and wear, such as the faded remains of the manufacturer's brand logo under its bell guard. Its hilt and pommel are decorated with amber gemstones, which are clearly an after-market modification.

Whatever edge it gains in supernatural spaces seems to originate from the weight of the amount of conflicts and battles that it's seen since Tamaki had first wielded it.

Tamaki drums her fingers, then gestures at the weapon as if exasperated. "Yeah, I'd like it to remain blunt so I don't get questioned during the day, for one. That's where this all gets a bit too abstract for me to figure out if enhancing the blade portion is even feasible in the first place."

Some memory causes a twinge in her heart and floods her thoughts with bitterness, and she narrows her eyes. "... Not even sure if I want to." She cracks a wry grin. "You don't do trades, do you? Kidding, kidding!"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Vivienne Sournois has posed.
<poem>"For the average individual, the knowledge is simply a novelty... But it can be useful in a pinch. You find ways to get by, when you're in the field long enough. ...And the experimentation is also quite a convenient way to pass the time." Vivienne replies... then winks. "I would, of course, be glad to part with some for a small fee, if you'd like to start."

It's hard to tell if that's actually a joke or not...

She watches curiously as Tamaki's expression turns thoughtful. Particularly weird and rare Demons, hm...?

"I'm always on the lookout for materials. All the better to expand my repertoire, you know." Vivienne replies. "I would be grateful."

She catches that hitch in her expression, though - that slip of nervousness... Something 'happened', hm?

"Of course." She replies, with an understanding nod. Tamaki presents an electric sabre, then. Vivienne looks at it with interest, and reaches for it - though stops, before actually taking hold of it.

"May I?" Vivienne asks - and if approved, will lift it gently, studying the weapon cautiously. Taking it all in - the age and the wear...

She 'hm's to herself thoughtfully, as Tamaki explains that she'd like it to remain blunt - and chuckles, as Tamaki excuses her comment with a 'kidding, kidding'.

"This weapon has seen much. It grows heavy with purpose." Vivienne observes, setting it back down. "It wears its battles on its surface - cruel, hard-fought battles, no doubt... How long have you had it?"

She 'hm's to herself, then, considering the practicals.

"I can adjust the balance for you. Bring the blade to a smooth polish, make the gemstones shine like new... But as a ''weapon''," She taps her fingers against the glass surface of the counter. "I can infuse cognitive material into the blade to adjust its performance in supernatural spaces, depending on what enhancement you seek. ...Rest assured, of course, by day it will remain as if any other competition blade."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
At the very least Tamaki doesn't take Vivienne's offer as a joke, and she raises her eyebrows, intrigued. "No fooling? Maybe we could even do a trade instead, I'm drowning in Zan stones. Some cat keeps leaving them on my doorstep. I wouldn't mind having a bit more light to do some studying during the Dark Hour."

About those rare Demons: "Some people even post bounties for them, so if the materials end up being a bust, the pay's still good. My own dance card is ''way'' too full to take on those requests myself, so we encourage the community's Persona-users to take them on."

She blinks in surprise as Vivienne asks to see the sword more closely, then lightly nudges it closer to her with a grin. "Oh -- of course, go right ahead!"

How long has she had it? She gives a wary glance to the door behind her, then nods at Vivienne. "... Five years. I was a first-year in high school, then. And that they were."

Tamaki's choice of amber for the gemstones was deliberate. There is something about this sword and the memories associated with it which she wants to preserve ... or seal away. Possibly both. The events of the last few weeks have had her reconsidering that decision, however. A thought crosses her mind, but she'll speak it later: first, Vivienne speaks about the adjustments she can make.

Maintenance, she can do, but it might help to get a professional's expertise in that from time to time. The second part has her interested, though. "Huhhhh. Well, I don't have anything specific in mind right now, but if I just wanted to make it sharper, does that narrow it down any? What kind of materials would that take?"

She glances back out the door again. "And, uh ... truth be told, the sword's important because it reminds me of someone. I've been on the fence about if I should keep using that sword in particular, or if I should finally give it a rest and switch to something else. The second option feels like giving up the past, in a sense, so ... what would you do?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Vivienne Sournois has posed.
<poem>Tamaki takes her comment at face value and is interested in a trade. ...Vivienne, of course, is never one to turn down an opportunity to do business.

"Well now, that ''is'' an intriguing offer. Very well - I'd be amenable to a trade." Vivienne replies with a nod. "I'm certain I can find a use for them."

Tamaki explains about the bounties, too, and Vivienne listens with interest.

"My, my... That ''is'' intriguing. I can never say no to decent pay. I can take some of those requests off of your hands. I can pass them along to the others, as well." Vivienne replies.

She continues to listen as she examines the sword.

"Five years, hm...?" Vivienne considers. She can only tell so much by looking, of course - but she can see that there is ''meaning'' there. Accidents are rare, in things like this - decisions are made for a reason, consciously or not.

It makes for quite the ''marvelous'' mystery, truly. The blacksmith business is never dull.

"Sharper, hm? Then I would recommend challenging foes who prioritize physical attacks, or gathering materials in areas frequented by such." Vivienne replies. "With that proof of your efforts in hand, I can work my magic. When you face the fear of getting cut, your blade can become sharper in turn."

The sword's important because it reminds her of someone, though - and ''that'' draws Vivienne's interest immediately.

"Someone, hm...?" Vivienne replies. There's a nostalgic tinge to her words, as she thinks back to her own past. She offers a slightly wry smile.

"...I think I would be quite the hypocrite were I to suggest you divest yourself of your past. There are some things we can't give up." Vivienne admits. She's never quite been able to leave it behind, herself.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Zan stones and Demon hunts. Tamaki's burdens are getting lighter by the minute! She gives a nod as she chirps, "Oh, please do!"

Tamaki jerks a thumb back towards the door. "Yeah. Five years ago, just one street over." A short stroll down memory lane.

Tamaki nods at the explanation of which materials would ''make the cut'', but Vivienne's last statement causes her to bark out a quickly-suppressed laugh. "HAH -- sorry, sorry, I, uh." She clears her throat and adjusts her blouse's collar. "I get what you mean, the phrasing was just funny to me. You're more right than you know. Shame that the space next street over is gone now, otherwise I'd know just the place."

''Someone.'' "Yeah, ah ... old friend of mine. She's not coming back." Unwilling to discard it, reluctant to wield it. This piece, it seems, is intended to one day become strictly ceremonial, laid atop some kind of memorial.

Vivienne's words pique Tamaki's curiosity -- and give her a way to divert the conversation away from her own introspection. She glances around this part of the theater again, the 'refreshment stand' displaying its peculiar set of goods, then gestures to Vivienne with a hand. "If I may ask about your own past -- what brought you here in the first place? What led you to set up shop here, of all places? How did you come to learn your craft?"

Tamaki wonders: ''Just who are you?''

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Vivienne Sournois has posed.
<poem>"Excellent. We can conduct that shortly, then." Vivienne replies brightly. Five years ago, just one street over, hm...?

"...The world certainly has its way of toying with us, doesn't it?" She responds with a small laugh. Tamaki seems to appreciate her explanation, at least. She raises an eyebrow briefly - but smiles, when she apologises.

"It's quite alright." She assures. "Ah, that is a shame... But for better or worse, there are still other spaces with just thing you'd need."

An old friend, who isn't coming back...

"Ah... My condolences." Vivienne offers. And Tamaki asks about her ''own'' past. Vivienne chuckles.

"Nothing glamorous, I'm afraid. I moved to be closer to the people I know... and this place happened to be available for purchase. I've always had a love of movies, you see, so I saw it as a sign that it was time to pay that love back to others." Vivienne explains. None of it is a lie... but it's not difficult to tell that she isn't telling the full story, either. "As for my craft... It started with a simple love of prop-making. But over the years, I honed it into something more... applicable, to exploits such as those from the other day. A Hunter is at her best when she gathers her own materials, after all."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki laughs again at the Vivienne's thought that the world likes toying with them, albeit more good-naturedly this time. "Hoo, boy. You're telling me."

For better or worse. Worse, right? It's a bad thing when supernatural spaces crop up like this. And yet, this sort of upkeep is necessary. "Yeah, there's no shortage of them. I'll just need to update my notes. I had some beetle carapaces from Shadows a while ago, but I've already traded those away ..."

"Thanks." After her brusque reply, Tamaki shifts her weight to her other foot.

Vivienne recounts the parts of her own past that she's willing to, and Tamaki nods along. Lots of French people come to stay in Kagurazaka, so that doesn't stand out as unusual. Tamaki grins at the mention of movies. "I'll have to catch a matinee showing instead sometime, I'm curious about the collection you must have curated. Could you tell me some of your favorites?"

Prop-making leading to material-gathering. "Huh. So you've gone and fully embraced this." Tamaki's own aimed trajectory is different, but she doesn't say that like it's a bad thing. Eriko, for instance, seems to thrive in this world. "I don't see myself doing the same, but ... I don't know, plans change."

Tamaki reaches into her bag and retrieves a business card. "Well! I'll return someday soon for sure, but this has been an informative conversation. Here you go, and feel free to ask us about any Demons that need hunting down."

She feels she ought to buy ''something'' before she goes, then points at the Holy Gem lamp before rummaging around her own bag for the Zan stones. "Still want to do that trade?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Vivienne Sournois has posed.
<poem>Vivienne chuckles at Tamaki's agreement, and the nods.

"Indeed there are not. Ah, alas - those would've done nicely, but at least you know what sort of thing to look for." Vivienne replies.

She nods at Tamaki's thanks, and seems pleased when she seems interested in catching a movie.

"You're certainly welcome to!" Vivienne replies. Her favorites, though... "Hm... That's difficult to say. Film has been a constant companion for me, so it's difficult to pick favorites... I would say... Anything that affords me a look into another world - another life. I can provide some recommendations later. ...And, of course, I ''do'' enjoy 'La tragédie de l'armurier' as more than just a codeword."

It's a film about a crafter of weapons who is ultimately slain by the very weapon he forged. The irony of using ''that'' as a codeword for a set up like this amuses her.

"That I have." She agrees. "I suppose I've had time to make peace with it."

Tamaki retrieves a business card, and Vivienne accepts it gratefully.

"Of course. I do look forward to seeing you again - and I'll certainly do so." Vivienne agrees - then grins.

"Naturally. Now then... down to business!" She says.

It'll be a productive business exchange.
</poem>

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

2026-01-18: To See Something Grow

2026-01-19T15:58:21Z

Terra: Created page with "*'''Log: To See Something Grow''' *'''Cast:''' Aigis, Minako Arisato *'''Where:''' Iwatodai Dormitory *'''OOC Date:''' January 18, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' September 10, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Minako decides tp indulge her curiosity about Aigis and strikes up some conversation with her. They discuss clubs which Aigis could potentially join, then at Minako's suggestion, they head to the rooftop to tend to the plants where Aigis demonstrates one particular quirk the Ch..."

*'''Log: To See Something Grow'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Aigis]], [[Minako Arisato]]
*'''Where:''' Iwatodai Dormitory
*'''OOC Date:''' January 18, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' September 10, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Minako decides tp indulge her curiosity about Aigis and strikes up some conversation with her. They discuss clubs which Aigis could potentially join, then at Minako's suggestion, they head to the rooftop to tend to the plants where Aigis demonstrates one particular quirk the Chairman had left in her system.''

----

(|============================ Iwatodai Dormitory ============================|)
-================================================== Iwatodai City/Iwatodai ====-
A large four-story dormitory used by the Specialized Extracurricular Execution
Squad, only five minutes from Iwatodai Station. Upon entering, one passes a desk
with a sign-in book for guests to find a large carpeted common room that's well
appointed for co-ed gatherings.

A TV is usually on with the local news or a movie that's been loaded into the
DVD player for a student to enjoy. A table for shared dinners, or more often
study sessions, takes up the other half of the dorm, as well as a kitchen should
one dare to show off their skills to their fellow students.

There are two winding staircases on either side. The one on the left simply says
'Boys' while the other on the right states 'No Boys Except By Invitation.' The
implicit threat of execution need not be written down for those who violate
these rules. The second and third stories are living spaces divided by gender
with common spaces that have study areas and bookshelves available.

The fourth story is the command center with surveillance capabilities for not
just different parts of the city but each room within the dorms. The Chairman
has assured all who live here that this capability is strictly necessary.

BGM - Dormitory Theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj-FrFI0qnM

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
After school, Aigis has chosen to sit at the SEES dormitory dining table to do some studying. While she may have kept to herself during most of the summer, especially before Ken's Awakening, she has made more of an effort to be accessible and approachable.

Right now, she's trying to understand the assigned reading for literature class and answer some questions that were given alongside it. Given the expression on her face, it's clear that the questions are giving her some difficulty.

The assignment consists of texts -- excerpts from novels, but no full-length novels themselves. The questions she's supposed to answer seem far more complex to her compared to the tiny breadth of data in the excerpts; there are too many unknowns, too many things that she would have to assume or extrapolate.

... trying to force herself to understand right at this moment strikes her as an inefficient use of her time, and she closes her textbook before she glances around the area to see who else is present. Maybe they have some insight for her, or maybe she could spend the remaining time in the day with conversation.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
<poem>
Minako has been curious about Aigis ever since she arrived.

She seems familiar -- somehow, though she is sure she hasn't met her before (she would remember a robot, surely!) -- though she can't quite place how. Any connection to ten years ago has not occurred to her; she saw little of what her brother saw, as she dragged herself out of the wrecked ruin of their parents' car. But there is an ache, sometimes, when she sees Aigis.

She can't know why.

And she isn't quite honest with herself that she put off talking to her in depth, beyond the usual 'hellos' and group events. Minako walks into the common room, from the stairwell, and she glances at the study materials -- then at Aigis -- and she smiles. She lifts her hand and waves.

"Hey, Aigis-san," she says. "What're you studying?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis pleasantly smiles at Minako's approach. "Good afternoon, Arisato-san. I hope the day finds you well."

The ache, as it turns out, is mutual. While Aigis claims to have little memory of the events which led to her being greatly damaged, she ''does'' feel that she needs to ensure that neither sibling comes to harm.

Her presence around Minako so far has mostly consisted of passive monitoring, especially when compared to the lengths she has had to go to in order to keep tabs on her brother. For one, Aigis and Minato are more often separated by gender-restricted spaces, where Aigis and Minako are not.

To illustrate it more bluntly: Aigis has had to sneak into the boys' dorms in the middle of the night and pick the lock to Minato's door in order to evade detection. She is often more easily able to ascertain Minako's well-being with relatively little effort.

Make no mistake, however: her directive is to protect them both. Her attention instantly swivels to Minako, and those crystal-blue eyes of hers stare just as intently at her as they've done to her brother.

> No signs of injury detected. Appears to be in good health. Assessment: Continue as normal.

She glances at the closed textbook and frowns. "I am no longer studying at the moment. Rather, I have just finished for the day. I ''was'' attempting to study literature."

Aigis shakes her head and inquisitively looks back up at Minako. "Did you intend to study today as well, or did you have other plans tonight?"

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
<poem>
"All finished then?" Minako asks, with a smile.

She doesn't know, yet, the extents that Aigis will go to protect her -- or her brother. The latter would bother her ''far'' less than the former, but she has always tended to put her brother's well-being ahead of her own.

"I wasn't quite planning to study... even if I probably should study more," she says, with a little laugh. Minako crosses her arms -- and there's a little shake of her head. But she notably evades the question. Her plan was to come talk to Aigis, being the co-leader. But saying it aloud feels like the wrong move, somehow.

"How've you liked being in the dorms? And school?" Minako asks. "It seems like it must be new for you."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
"For now." (> ''Scheduling next attempt for the same time tomorrow, or next available after-school time segment.'') In a serious tone, she adds, "It is important to study, so yes, I agree: you should study more."

Machines aren't subject to the same limitations as a human. Damage can be repaired as long as one has the parts and expertise, and the process takes far less time than it does for wounds to heal or bones to mend. There are far fewer vital components at play, too.

Aigis will go to great lengths -- in her mind, the cost/benefit analysis is clear. If anyone is to sustain damage, as far as she's concerned, it /should/ be her.

At least thrice now, Aigis has been present for combat situations involving Minato, and none for Minako. Given that the latter is co-leader, however, Aigis assumes that it's only a matter of time.

Minako's evasive answer doesn't go unnoticed by Aigis. Her thinking is still a bit ... ''rigid.'' Aigis asked a question, and Minako has not provided a direct and clear answer. She concludes that clearly, she must ask again, this time more pointedly. "If you are not planning to study, then what are you planning to do instead?"

This approach has never gone wrong in the history of communication in humanity. Nope, never, not at all. (Or at least, Aigis is unaware of how blunt or tactless she may come across as.)

Minako has asked a question of her own, and accordingly, as per polite custom, Aigis answers clearly. Her expression brightens slightly, and her smile widens. "I have enjoyed being in the dorms. I have taken on a number of hobbies which can serve as conversation topics with my peers. Gardening with Aomori-san, playing games with your brother, watching films with Mandai-san, eating Aragaki-san's cooking, reading novels on my own ..."

Her smile shrinks as she recalls her time at school so far. "School, on the other hand, has been mildly fraught. I understand the material in the mathematics and science courses well enough, but not in other subjects. I am able to manage social situations where the number of people involved are fewer and I can establish some familiarity with them over time, but in such a large venue, that is difficult to do. I have had a few interactions which seem to have gone poorly, but I do not understand why."

After a beat, she adds, "... You are not the only one who has expressed concern. Takeba-san seems perturbed that I have the desk next to your brother, but she also refused it when I had offered it to her. I am unsure of what to make of it."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
<poem>
"I know, I know," Minako says with a sigh. "I have to be thinking of my future and all that."

She cracks a smile, then. She always smiled very easily -- and it only wavers a little when Aigis asks that point blank question. So much for an artful dodge! She tilts her head, and there is just a second of consideration on her part. "Well... I thought I'd come hang out with you," she says. It ends up sounding a little lame in tone. "Since we haven't had much of a chance yet."

Which isn't precisely a plan, yet.

Then, she tilts her head -- and her eyes widen for a second. Those are more hobbies than she expected, but that's good. It means that everyone here has been treating Aigis well, and making her feel at home. The school, though, sounds like a mixed bag; both for her grades and her social interactions.

"I'm glad everyone's been so helpful," she says. "And that you're having fun, Aigis-san. I was a little worried about it."

There's a beat -- a moment of thoughtful consideration, then, as she considers the matter of school. She might not be much help on the coursework, but she can talk to the others.

"To be fair," she says, her smile becoming a grin. "Takeba-chan doesn't seem to know why she might want the desk next to him, herself, yet," she says. "So don't take it personally, okay? But... uh. If you want help with talking to more people, I could do that."

Her nose wrinkles, as she considers. "Maybe... you could join a club?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
The future. Aigis starts to reply to that, but trails off mid-realization. "I ..." She turns her gaze to her textbook as she wonders: why is ''Aigis'' trying so hard at this? Her own future is unconventional, to say the least.

The others are studying for the sake of their futures, as college entrance exams loom on the horizon. Aigis' own purpose in attending school, however, is simply to keep watch over the Arisato siblings. As long as the ... ''situation'' remains as it currently does, there is an argument to be made for striving to perform well academically to minimize any friction in following them to university.

What should her course of action be if they go to different colleges? Can the Kirijo Group manage to rediscover the technology they seem to have lost and manufacture a second Aigis before then?

Ideally, however, they collectively eliminate the Dark Hour before that occurs. That way, she would have fulfilled her mission. Her own fate past that is irrelevant; even if Aigis were shelved or disassembled, she would be content with having successfully completed her duties.

Even in the short term, there are numerous benefits. The possession of a well-developed ego is necessary in order to be able to summon and effectively wield a Persona. By struggling with schoolwork in this manner, she undergoes the same trials and tribulations as the people who she is charged with protecting. She expands her horizons, builds bonds with other people, and in doing so, this increases Palladion's prowess.

It all comes back to being the weapon she was designed to be. Every action she takes is in accordance with her ultimate goal of eliminating Shadows. She has orders, and she is compelled to fulfill them.

(Is it ''really'' all for the sake of improving her own combat performance, though? If she completes her task, is there any chance she would continue to learn and socialize and form relationships with people for its own sake? Doesn't she feel sad about the thought of no longer being able to see them all one day?)

An unfamiliar sensation, small as it is, begins to well up within Aigis. She is unable to identify it.

Aigis turns her head upward to Minako and smiles again, albeit more plaintively this time. Finally, she resumes her previously-paused sentence: "... as well, must think about my future."

In comparison, her response to Minako's stated purpose is more chipper. "I would be glad to 'hang out' together." She tilts her head at Minako. "What would you like to do, more specifically?"

Minako mentions she was worried about it. Aigis runs through a number of possibilities in her mind about alternative actions she could have taken over the last several weeks. Her own conclusion matches Minako's. "I can understand why, and I appreciate the concern. Thank you for checking in on me."

"Okay. I did not take it personally, in any case," Aigis states matter-of-factly. "I find her behavior inconsistent and it confuses me slightly, but I do not feel slighted by her, if that helps to reassure any concerns you may have there."

On one hand: Aigis is incredibly observant, and she notices a lot of fine details. Given how direct she is, if she states those observations, it may be enough for others to get the picture or for Yukari to become incredibly flustered, but ...

On the other hand: Never in a million years is she going to be able to grasp the true nature of Yukari's words and actions unless Yukari were to grab her by the shirt collar and blurt it out loud.

Aigis is good at facts, but poor at synthesis.

The prospect of joining a club intrigues Aigis. "This is something I have considered, but I have not been able to decide on which one to join. I feel that I may have an unfair advantage in athletic clubs, for instance."

Everything comes back to her mission.

Aigis blinks twice and stares at Minako. "Which club are you in?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
<poem>
Minako pauses at Aigis's hesitation at the mention of her future. She blinks -- and tilts her head to the side. She cannot know what she considers; she can't know her thoughts about being a weapon. But she sees the hesitation -- and her smile turns more reassuring.

"Well... if you need to talk about it," Minako says, matter of factly. Then, she points to herself. "I'm your girl!"

There is a blink, though, at how readily Aigis accepts hanging out. She is used to dancing around it -- or trying to look cool. This, though, is straightforward. She pauses, and then she laughs a little. "Well... wanna check the rooftop gardens? I haven't done that in a bit, and I want to be more involved."

She smiles -- and takes the thanks for her concern. But she blinks, about Yukari, and nods. "Good," she says. "I--uh."

Which club is she in?

"I'm in the volleyball, art, and the fashion clubs!" she says. She hesitates for a second. "Any of those sound good?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis gives Minako a sidelong glance as her expression turns neutral. "I do not currently need to talk about it. Thank you, all the same. I will let you know if that changes."

She would very much not like to talk about it.

She stands as Minako suggests the rooftop gardens. "That sounds like a suitable activity to me. It provides me with a way to observe the cycle of life on a small scale. While I do not function the same way, it is useful to ..." Aigis pauses briefly before she corrects herself. "Rather, I would ''like'' to know more about the process of growth."

As for club choices: "I do not believe I should participate in the sport of volleyball, but if the team requires an assistant, I can serve in that capacity." The corners of her mouth twitch upward as she deviates from order: "The fashion club sounds appealing, as well. I would like to cultivate my sense of self-expression through my form of dress. I have a small start with my collection of clothing so far, but ... it is only a start."

Art's a trickier question that she has to spend some time on as she considers. If Minako were to look closely enough, she may literally see the gears turning in Aigis' head. "I am uncertain of how I will do in it, but I would at least like to try art club, as well."

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
<poem>
"Sure," Minako says, and it seems easily said enough. She keeps smiling -- even if there's a flicker of worry that she caused offense.

But Aigis stands up, and explains why she likes gardening. It does cause Minako to blink with surprise; clearly, it didn't bother her too much. She stands up, too, and dusts herself off. "The process of growth, huh...? That makes sense, Aigis-san. Even if you don't work the same way, you want to understand it?"

She tilts her head to the side. And then she blinks. Aigis wants to be in all three clubs. Well. Sort of in volleyball club -- to be fair, a combat robot might have an edge there. "We could use an assistant... tell you what, how about you come to the next meetings that you're free for?" she asks. "And--uh--Yamagishi-san is in Art Club, too. So more friends, right?"

Minako starts towards the stairs -- but at a slower pace, inviting Aigis to join her.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Minako's later assessment is correct: it didn't bother Aigis too much. She's just ... direct, and maybe a bit oblivious about which signals she unintentionally sends by being so direct. From her perspective, she is only concerned with the meaning her words convey. They have assigned meanings and common definitions which she can reference.

The fact that others might be able to pick up on her discomfort on a topic or derive meaning from something other than the words she said is ... maybe a little beyond her right now. She did not say that Minako had offended her, therefore Minako should have no reason to think she offended her -- or so it goes in her own thought process.

Aigis nods in response to Minako's question. "Yes. I have discovered that I find myself somewhat fascinated by the topic." Like so: Aigis' voice betrays no hint of envy towards the plants, but it's there, all the same.

She collects her things from the table and follows behind Minako. (On the way up, she'll take a slight detour to drop them off in her room.) "I would be glad to attend the volleyball team meeting."

Fuuka's in the Art Club too. Aigis smiles at this. "That is even more reason to try it, then. I have enjoyed speaking with Yamagishi-san so far."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
<poem>
"Mm-hm. I like the way that you can feel a sense of accomplishment. See something grow, and know... how it happened, that's because of what you did," Minako says. Instead of many things, where she can't know for certain if she did good or ill. Even if she ''wishes'' the world were simpler, sometimes.

But the universe doesn't consider Minako's wishes.

"I'd be glad to have you!" Minako says. "I can introduce you to the captain and the teammates. We lost a big game, recently, but... it'll be okay."

She waits for Aigis -- and as they start towards the door to the roof, Minako looks over her shoulder and smiles. "Great!" she says. "I can't wait to see what you make. Aaaaand..."

She opens the door up, and steps out onto the roof. "Hey, plants!" she says. "Me and Aigis-san are here to help you out!"

The plants offer no response.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis quietly stares at Minako after she finishes musing on how growing plants gives her a sense of accomplishment. 'Knowing how it happened, knowing that it's because of what you did.' "You find satisfaction in being a caretaker, then?"

"I can relate to that. My most fervent wish is for them to find happiness."

In that statement, she doesn't strictly mean just plants.

She nods at Minako both times when she talks about the clubs. "I am looking forward to attending both of those. I am sorry that your team lost the game."

The plants offer no immediate verbal response, but from what Aigis had researched before, there is the possibility that speaking to plants facilitates their growth. Granted, the evidence and methodology are spotty, so there's no saying just how ''true'' that actually is.

This is why Aigis does not take it as strange that Minako speaks to the plants, and in fact, even joins in. "Lettuce take proper care of you," she says to them with a slight bow. (Ikutsuki's baleful influence shows up once again.)

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
<poem>
"Yeah... I'd say so," Minako says. She smiles -- there's a blink, but the idea of plants finding happiness is a nice one. Then she looks up at the sky for a moment, as she thinks about it for a moment. "I guess I never quite thought of it that way."

Then she glances sideways at Aigis, and shakes her head. "It's okay. We just gotta keep working at it."

Then, her eyes are back on the plants. She claps her hands together, starts to dust them off--

'Lettuce take proper care of you.'

Minako hangs her head for a moment. "Ikutsuki-san..." she groans. Then, more cheerfully: "Get ready for some TLC, plant friends!"

</poem>

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

2026-01-15: Quote Unquote Teenage Drama

2026-01-17T18:43:51Z

Terra: Created page with "*'''Log: Quote Unquote Teenage Drama''' *'''Cast:''' Yukari Takeba, Aigis *'''Where:''' Gekkoukan High School - Classroom Building *'''OOC Date:''' January 15, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' September 10, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''After Aigis' first few days of school, Yukari invites her to the roof to check on her and have a talk. Maybe she can clue Aigis in to some social norms that she's been woefully unaware of. Maybe.'' ---- (|================ Gekkoukan High School -..."

*'''Log: Quote Unquote Teenage Drama'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Yukari Takeba]], [[Aigis]]
*'''Where:''' Gekkoukan High School - Classroom Building
*'''OOC Date:''' January 15, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' September 10, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''After Aigis' first few days of school, Yukari invites her to the roof to check on her and have a talk. Maybe she can clue Aigis in to some social norms that she's been woefully unaware of. Maybe.''

----

(|================ Gekkoukan High School - Classroom Building ================|)
-======================================= Iwatodai City/Tatsumi Port Island ====-
Gekkoukan High School features a rich and lavish atrium which blends modern and
classical architecture, with wide-open windows welcoming students into an
entrance hall with massive Grecian pillars and an impressive stained-glass wall
at its other end. The Sword and Staff Statues displayed prominently here are a
popular meet-up point! Here, as well, one can find the event bulletin board,
various faculty and club rooms, the nurse's office... and most importantly, the
school store, where one can buy Gekkoukan's various popular breads. A classical
stone corridor outside passes by a beloved Persimmon tree in a garden where
students can relax on benches, before leading students to the gymnasium, where
one can enjoy the indoor swimming pool and running track available here.

Up the stairs, the halls are sleek and modern, with diamond- and square-tiled
flooring and traditional sliding doors. Corkboards on the hall walls are
decorated with a dozen club posters, advertising the many after-school
activities available to students here, and water fountains at the end of the
hall are available to quench one's thirst. Inside the classrooms, one finds more
of that square tiling, on which stand desks and chairs two a row. A raised
podium allows teachers to lecture behind a blackboard or a projector screen
which can be pulled down to display their slides, while a desk off to the side
at the front of the class gives them a place to seat themselves down. The
windows are wide and expansive, covering an entire wall; there are windows
leading out into the hall, as well, and they can be slid back for the curious to
peek into the classroom. The back of the room features a second blackboard,
alongside shelving for books. (And... manga? Who put those here...?)

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
<poem>
While Yukari seemed quite supportive of the 'Aigis goes to School' plan in the beginning, her mood seemed to sour some when a boy ditched class with perfect timing to open up a seat next to Minato.

Enough that Aigis might catch a glance over her shoulder every so often, just- a quick one. This goes on for several days, not enough to make a fuss, though Yukari sometimes seems to 'react' to some of the things Aigis says.

Ms. Toriumi takes it all as ''teenage drama''.

Changing Seasons -Reload- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9TdQCdtUeo

Then there's today, wherein Minato has club after school... and Yukari passed Aigis a note during a break.

'Hey just checking in on you. Let's talk. On the roof after school.'

Whether Aigis has read anything to know the context behind inviting someone onto the school roof, she'll find Yukari leaving class the moment school ends.

And waiting for her up top, facing out towards the wind turbines gently turning in the distance, her bag left upon a marble bench. Whether Aigis comes right away or takes her time, when she does get there she turns, hands laced behind her back and takes a few steps forward-

"Hey there. Just wanted to check in... and well the whole dorm pestering you for an update feels like a lot of pressure to put on you."

Her tone is a little, awkward there, like she's still getting used to the idea of treating a robot like they're a girl, when sometimes she just says things no girl would ever say!

She's pretty sure about that.

"How are you taking to school so far? Is it something you're enjoying?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis is (almost) entirely oblivious to any negative feelings Yukari may have about the seating arrangement. Her primary reason for her attendance, at least in her mind, is to keep watch over the Arisato twins. Being seated directly next to Minato better aids that purpose.

She can't fathom any possible reason for Yukari to be upset, so while she may sense something amiss, it's lost in the noise of all of the other aspects of her new social environment which she's adjusting to.

If there's anything Aigis is good at, it's following instructions. She does well with the structured nature of the school day, segmented out into various time blocks as it is. As such, as per Yukari's note, Aigis heads to the roof right away. She was told to go to the roof after school, and it is now 'after school,' therefore: roof.

While she ''has'' been exposed to some reading and watching material, those are the likes of yakuza stories or horror films or Drake Adventure. None of those cover school rooftop discussions, so she has no idea what to expect. At least this doesn't fill her with trepidation, since she's simply fulfilling the request of another member of SEES.

Aigis opens the rooftop door and gives Yukari a typical greeting of "Takeba-san," neither cold nor warm, simply polite, cordial, and neutral. She tilts her head slightly in mild confusion as Yukari continues. "Pressure? I would not worry about that, but I appreciate you asking, all the same."

A slight smile breaks out onto her face. "I am enjoying school, yes. It is difficult to acclimate to dealing with so many people at once, but it does provide me with ample activities to do during the day outside of the Dark Hour. I had little to occupy my time with otherwise."

She pauses for a beat, then holds up a finger with a look of slight consternation. "I am struggling with some subjects. ... but I enjoy those struggles, too."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
<poem>
That's part of what's so awkward about it. Aigis seems to have difficulty reading the room, which is understandable given that she's been inactive for ten years...

... Ten Years...

"Well I mean- okay, if you're sure." She replies re: ''Pressure''. That's weird enough as is, dealing with someone who's a classmate, a fellow ''teen girl''. Who doesn't seem to feel ''pressure''.

"Oh?" A faint tilt of her head at the idea of it being difficult to acclimate to dealing with so many people, "Is everyone crowding you more than you'd like? Sorry about that... new transfers are always basically the talk of the school." Looking sideways she considers that idea, "Yeah, I can imagine- you'd probably not have all that much to do back at the dorm. Except watch TV and... do chores I guess? I'd hope no one would expect you to be our maid if that were the case..."

Her eyes narrow faintly, like she's thinking of Junpei doing so already, like 'While you're at it, how about doing my laundry?'

Struggling with some subjects? "You're struggling?" She starts somewhat, "I... actually didn't expect that. I guess we just think of you being really good at things like that."

She may be engaging in some ~stereotyping~ here for robots in general. Because even Aigis seems to have a hard time with social cues... wouldn't she have whole... what are they called? 'Memory Banks' to draw from?

"Huh... well what kind of things are you struggling with? Maybe I can help."

She's not really gotten to the meat of the problem she has right now, but it's well- how do you even bring that up?

It's embarrassing! She has already ''been'' embarrassed about this subject.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Ten years. Not like that lines up with any other important events, right?

Aigis nods to confirm Yukari's tentative reply and matter-of-factly states, "I am sure, yes." If the dorm were to clamor for that information all at once, then she'll relay that information. That's what people do on a regular basis, right? Exchange information?

"There is that, yes," Aigis says regarding people crowding her, "but I seem to have offended some male students by declining their offers to 'hang out' after school." Bluntly, that is, with a hard 'no' instead of providing some polite excuse to spare their feelings. "Another time, a girl became upset with me because I did not verbally respond while in the library." It might have been okay to at least whisper, though. "Finally, when I tried to observe Arisato-san during his club activities, I received a lot of odd looks from his team members."

Yukari's not too far off with her thoughts of 'memory banks.' Aigis has no problem with rote memorization and following formulas, but. "Aspects of literature and history. I do well when it comes to the rules of grammar or recalling an exact timeline of events. However, when it comes to essay questions, I've been told that my analysis is too shallow."

It's the abstract parts of it that Aigis has trouble with, in other words. She can cite her sources well enough, but her arguments are weak; she has no sense for synthesis.

Still, Aigis smiles and places her hands together. "I do well in mathematics and the sciences, on the other hand. If you would like any assistance in those subjects, I would be glad to lend you my aid, in turn."

As for how Yukari could bring ''that'' up ... well, maybe there are a few avenues in what Aigis has just said.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
<poem>
Just exchange information. If only human interaction could be so simple.

"Wha-" Yukari starts as Aigis indicates she offended some guys. "... Really? You've been here less than two weeks and they're already at it." She grimaces. She nods at the second incident. "Gotcha..." And the third causes her eyes to widen a little, like she's having some kind of reaction to it.

"Hmmm." She holds off for a moment, while deciding how to phrase it. Whereas... when it comes to the subject matter of literature and history.

"Huh. Well I suppose that's not ''that'' surprising. You probably haven't done a lot of reading. Whereas all of us have been- learning how to think about what we've read for as long as we've been in school."

She considers the idea some, "I think the best thing to do is- to try to do some reading in your free time with one of us. And if there's something you don't understand, we can help you work through it."

But Aigis offers her aid in- mathematics and science!?

"O-Oh well, if you're offering... maybe I'll take you up on that. It seems only fair."

She clears her throat, having figured out an approach now, "As for the rest... well, maybe it'd be easier if you understand what's going on there... so Aigis? The boys aren't really asking you to 'hang out'. They're trying to be indirect about asking to go out with you... on a date."

There's this, grimace on her expression again, "Like, for you to be their girlfriend- romantically. That's why they're getting upset. Because it's like you're rejecting their feelings. But well, there's nothing wrong with that? Maybe it's a bit impolite but ... I turn down guys like that all the time because I want them to stop asking."

Incident #2! "As for the library, well - girls like to be pretty social with other girls, even in places like that. It's okay to whisper, so long as you're really quiet. But being silent, she probably thought you were giving her the cold shoulder- ignoring her."

Now the last one- this one is important to ''her'' so she chooses her words carefully, "The way you... hover around Arisato-kun all the time. People are going to get the idea that you're... interested in him, romantically. Likeeeee you want him to be your boyfriend." She explains. "That's why you're getting those looks, because all the guys think you're 'into' him. It's... better as a girl to keep some distance, so people don't get the wrong idea."

There, solid, she gave a great explanation without giving away that she doesn't ''want'' people to get the wrong idea about Aigis and Minato.

This is definitely a foolproof plan.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis has one small (very likely to be grating) correction to make: "I have also been learning how to think about what I have read as long as I have been in school. You have, however, been at it for far longer." She briefly pauses to consider something, then adds, "Do you think Aragaki-san has the same trouble?"

Yukari suggests reading together. "I see, thank you. I have been reading on my own, and I believe I understand, but maybe I could ask someone questions as I read in order to verify that I understand ''correctly''." She smiles again when Yukari seems receptive to her offer. "Of course!"

Then comes the social situation breakdown.

Some small amount of surprise registers on her face as Yukari explains about being asked out. "Truth be told, it is not the first time I had encountered such behavior. Others on the beach at Yakushima made similar inquiries, but only a few of those seemed genuinely upset, such as Iori-san." A small hint of Operation: Babe Hunt. "I would also like for them to stop asking, so if it works for you, then I will continue as I have in that regard."

Aigis appears remorseful about the misunderstanding in the library. "Oh. The rules do say to be quiet when inside, but not to which degree. I did wish to respond to her, but the librarian is the authority there, not her, so I felt that her directive took precedence. Is there a target decibel level so I can know how much I should limit my output?"

Come to think of it, other posted rules may have implicit instructions, too ... like the 'Boys / No Boys Allowed' divide in the SEES dorms.

Finally, about her tendency to hover: Aigis shakes her head, again, honestly surprised at the notion. "I was not aware that I was giving anyone that impression. It is not accurate to how I feel." Jury's out on if she's even capable of feeling that way, herself. "It is more that I ..." She lowers her gaze and narrows her eyes as an edge creeps into her voice. "... simply must remain close. Nothing more. It is vitally important that I protect him and his sister."

She does enjoy spending time with him, it's true, but if she did not have her ''priority mission'', would she feel the same? By her current estimation, no: she views her friendship with him as a means to an end.

After a beat, despite that tense moment, she smiles after she finally gets something. "Oh, this is why you protested about our seating arrangement in class! I get it now, you were concerned about the impression I was giving others!"

It is ''mostly'' a foolproof plan. It has greatly succeeded in cluing Aigis in to some vital nuances in social norms. Aigis gives Yukari a polite bow. "Thank you for explaining this to me. I hope that I can more gracefully handle myself in the future, and I will strive to do so."

On the other hand:

Aigis considers what Yukari has said. "However ... if it is 'better as a girl to keep some distance,' how am I to interpret your behavior? You were with him on the beach when the Dark Hour came. You very swiftly came to his aid at the shrine. You sometimes walk to school together." And ''maybe'' there's another reason she's made a fuss about the desk.

"Is this how you know? Are you speaking from firsthand experience? -- is it only a problem if your feelings for someone are not romantic? What should you do if you truly did feel that way?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
<poem>
Grating is the word for it.

"Right..." At least she takes it pretty well in stride as Aigis being very literal. It was jarring at first but she's at least... well not ''used'' to it, but at least familiar with it.

The question about Shinjiro... she has to think about it some, "Hmmm nah. He hasn't been out of school that long. Only like... a year I think. And I get the impression he reads more than he lets on?"

Aigis at least seems to get the idea of how to learn to analyze what she reads real quick, "Exactly! It'll be like- a study group in that way, where we all help each other out."

While SEES isn't always on the best of terms, there is a certain solidarity in the possibility of academic ''doom''... they study together fairly often, especially around exam time.

Then comes the social situation breakdown!

The moment she hears 'Iori-san' she makes a frustrated noise, "Hnnnnn- of course he did. That idiot is so desperate for a girlfriend that he just asks whoever comes into his field of vision." She looks sideways, miffed some by the fact that he ''asked Aigis himself''.

Of course, she doesn't know that Junpei didn't realize she was a robot at the time. That might change things and make it funnier.

"It does. Like you can pick your own way to do it- buttttt I guess I have kind of a reputation around here?" She certainly sounds displeased, letting out a sigh, "I guess the guys consider it kind of a challenge- so they just keep asking, and daring each other to ask too..."

The library incident, "A target... decibel level!? Uhhhhh..." Why doesn't she remember this part of science class!? She knows if she's off here, then people will get an earful.

She steps forward towards Aigis, trying to whisper pretty low as she leans in, "It's like this." If Aigis has the instruments to measure, it's about 30 dB give or take.

She hopes that's enough of a demonstration, before she raises her voice, "That's how a lot of people talk in areas where you're supposed to be quiet, if that helps. Though you should still try to be sparing... you don't want to be rude either way."

Okay... then for Minato, most important, she may be holding her breath some (Breathing is 10dB after all.) "Oh! Well, that's... simple then, if it's not accurate."

But Aigis then explains, and she blinks, looking somewhat weirded out by it, but then introspective about it. How could she know the two of them if she'd been deactivated for so long?

The very idea is so upsetting that she has to put it away, even pinching her eyes closed for a moment, "W-Well. People aren't going to understand that. If you say things like that - they will think that... you want to be his girlfriend... very badly actually. 'I want to protect him' is kinda a big... line that everyone grows up on hearing when it comes to romance."

She almost asks at least for a little more detail on that - without voicing that painful suspicion.

ALMOST! But Aigis asks a question.

"Exactly! A girl saying in front of everyone 'I want to sit by him' means... you have a crush! And I was trying to signal that to you but- in class it's kind of hard, especially when I sit in front."

There, perfect amazing - five star explanation. Everything is great, now she won't think a thing-

'However ...'

"... Wha..." One might wonder which of the two is actually a robot in that moment, as Yukari's brain blue screens and requires a reboot. And when it comes back up-

She's bright red by the time the start up screen is present, look at how hot she's running, her fan must be broken. "That's- he was very supportive... that night at the beach. He came when nobody else did when I was having a very hard time. I'm... very grateful." She fumbles over the words...

But that wasn't the only thing. "He's... also saved me... a lot. I just want to repay the favor. You know - balance the scales out."

But isn't that the same thing as what she said before? Another way of phrasing 'I want to protect him' and perhaps 'I want to protect her' from his direction.

Yukari Takeba is now a flustered mess, as someone who never expected that she was so ''obvious'' that a ''robot'' who knows ''so little'' about social situations HAS NOTICED!

"Ummm... back when the school year started, I had to show him to the school and- everyone started a rumor the two of us were dating because we walked together. So it kinda... proves my point."

But...

"Uhhhh I don't have really any first hand experience with this kind of thing, I've never dated anyone..." She reaches across to nervously rub her opposite arm, "But if you feel like that for a boy you're supposed to do kinda... what you do? You say things like that to- hint at your feelings. Or say them outright, if you're brave enough."

A beat.

"Most girls aren't and just kinda hope ''he'' would be the one who falls for you instead..."

What does that say about her, since if she confesses her feelings, then it's an admission of defeat for being a 'strong independent woman' in the way she always imagined...

... that she sits around hoping that he'll be the one to ask her out ''again'', since she turned him down the first time.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Shinjiro also has as much life experience as the other students, not just reading experience. That counts for at least a little bit in his favor, too. "I see ..."

About the study group, "It is another avenue in which we can combine our strengths," Aigis says with a smile. "Similar to our Personas. Even if I am accustomed to solo missions, I do not think Palladion is truly meant to work alone." What good is a symbol of protection with no one to perceive it, with no one to protect? May she serve as one of SEES' battle standards come exam time.

"That was before SEES had realized I am not truly human. Most of them have not behaved in the same manner after that," she says of the events on the beach, then she pauses for a moment. Doubt shows on her face. "Aragaki-san ''did'' ask for me to have lunch with him one day, but ... this does not seem to line up with your assertion that being asked to hang out is a subtle way to express romantic interest."

Yukari leans in to whisper at the acceptable library volume level of approximately 30 dB. Aigis nods. "I comprehend." Mostly.

Even with Yukari pinching her eyes, Aigis' next words likely may not help to ease that 'painful suspicion.' She gestures with a hand, and while her tone of voice is as neutral as ever, her choice of words may be more curt: "Do not misunderstand. It is not that I 'want' to protect them. It is that I 'must.' It is not a statement of desire, but of necessity. Is this only a problem when it comes to Minato-san and not Minako-san?"

In this sense, Aigis means 'MUST' as per the specification outlined in RFC 2119:

> '''MUST''': This word, or the terms "REQUIRED" or "SHALL", mean that the definition is an absolute requirement of the specification.

'I just want to repay the favor.' Aigis averts her gaze -- there's something she needs to repay, too, but it is no favor, it is righting a wrong. She says, "I understand," but for once she means it to express empathy, not the statement of acknowledgment that it usually is. "I was unaware that you were having a hard time then, but having heard the details since, I believe that is understandable. I am glad that he was able to help you."

To be fair, Aigis has noticed ''details'', but she is not so good at putting together their meaning. Observation: great. Understanding: not so much. It wasn't that she drew a particular conclusion, but more that she didn't get why she was being advised on something when Yukari didn't seem to always follow that same advice. She was just seeking some clarity on the topic! She's going to poke at what seem like contradictions merely because they do not immediately make sense to her.

'Everyone started a rumor.' Aigis nods, her own confusion lifting somewhat. "So you do have firsthand experience, then ... not of dating, but at least in navigating this aspect of social life and in not giving off incorrect impressions."

(Besides, it's not like rumors become true here, right?)

In stark contrast to Yukari's ideas on what one is supposed to do in such a situation, Aigis plainly states, "I am brave enough. If I were to feel that way about someone, I would simply say it." Though -- it's really more like she doesn't know any better ...

Aigis looks down at the ground in contemplation, then raises her head again to make Yukari an offer: "If Ms. Toriumi were to allow it, would you like to switch desks? If you are there to 'balance the scales out', I believe that aligns with my purposes, as well."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
<poem>
"Yeah... yeah! That makes a lot of sense." Yukari says, because well - even if she wants to be strong and independent, she's a team player, and realizes she can't do much alone... at least, now she does.

"You did a great job protecting the two of us that day, so- I think you're right."

Maybe it's just intuition rather than knowing this ''for sure''... but, it feels right to her. "But you're used to solo missions... huh? Do you... remember a lot of them?" She asks, like she's trying to tip toe around the subject of where Aigis was... before she shut down.

However, Aigis clarifies that SEES did not realize, "Hmmm... well if you say so..." Maybe she's being too hard on Junpei Iori. Maybe. "... Still, it's weird to walk up and hit on literal strangers, at least to me it is. I know guys do it but... it just never sat right with me..."

Shinjiro asked for her to have lunch with him, "Maybe not. Or maybe he's just the type of guy who isn't looking at it that way... I guess, he's a pretty kind person." She considers the subject with a shrug, "Either way, most people would still see it that way, even if it isn't that way- is the problem."

Yukari Takeba at least - and most of Japan was brought up on a singular idea. 'Men and Women can't be friends. It has to be romantic... otherwise, in a sense, it's a strange rivalry.'

Aigis thankfully doesn't hold her to asking for a specific number, there's no way she'd remember. She'd probably say something which would cause her to shout like a jet engine or something...

The clarification of 'want' to 'must' doesn't seem to clear things up at all for Yukari, unfortunately, "W-Well sure but! Most people won't really see that distinction." She flusters, even after Aigis' clarification. "Even how it sounds... since they don't know about what you are and what you were made to do- they wouldn't understand."

Must. That word sticks in her head. Why ''must'' she?

Why?

"You do?" Is Yukari's response to her saying 'I understand'. "Uh, yeah-" She continues with a painful awkwardness, "I just... wish I was able to help him more. It feels like he's saving me more than I save him."

It feels... unequal, like there's a gap she can't cross because she's a girl, and he's a boy. It's not like she hates being a girl, she just hates feeling helpless to balance the scales because of that immutable truth.

Unfortunately Yukari isn't self-aware enough to convey her own contradictory nature - or the contradictory nature of people. The fact is, many people ''are'' hypocrites when tested on their beliefs, aren't consistent...

... she's definitely not being so right now, or more accurately when she is, she's lying about it.

"Yes! Right, exactly... I have a lot of experience with navigating being a girl in these situations, not in romance. As for Arisato-kun and me ... we stopped walking together for the longest while because, weeeee didn't want to give people the wrong idea."

More accurately, she didn't. Minato would have probably been happy to make it official.

"Now that everyone knows we're living in the same dorm, it's a littttlleeee more acceptable so long as we're just walking home. Anything else- they'd read into."

Aigis though, says she's brave enough, and Yukari tries to keep her expression neutral, "... I've noticed." If there's a touch of ugliness on those two words, it's at least decently hidden. "Well, there's nothing ''wrong'' with that... I guess."

It's... is she jealous of a robot, being able to just ''say'' those things so openly?

Maybe she really is a terrible person...

She's ruminating on that thought when Aigis makes her offer, "... ... ... ... Wha?" She blanks, taking about two seconds to comprehend, "Wait- no no no! I- ah- at this point it'd feel weird if I switched out of nowhere! People would read into it... and it would give everyone the wrong impression that if I asked for it!"

She nervously scratches at her chin, "A-And Toriumi-sensei would think the same thing... that it's some teenage romance thing! I mean it'd probably be okay if you switched with the boy whose... desk it was originally though. But even that might get people to talk..."

Maybe this plan wasn't so foolproof given that she didn't know in WHAT WAYS she wanted Aigis to keep her distance from Minato!

Stupid Jealousy...

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
"And you excel in revitalizing those who have been hurt!"

Does she remember those solo missions? "I say 'missions', but that might be inaccurate. I do remember some simulated training scenarios, at least. Laboratory conditions, diagnostics checks, engineers making sure that I function as expected."

"I do recall some details of at least one real mission, but my memory of it seems to have been greatly damaged. I am told that the rest of me was greatly damaged then, as well."

That night, ten years ago? Faintly. Anything 'real' prior to that? Not consciously. Her hand finds its way to the ribbon on her chest, but she soon finds herself surprised by this and questions her own gesture. What an odd association.

"It is a relief to know that it is weird in general. I was initially concerned that I was doing something wrong," she says of Junpei and the other boys who have hit on her at first sight. "I will bear this in mind," she says of Shinjiro.

Aigis is quiet for a few moments after Yukari explains that most people won't really see the distinction between 'wants to' and 'must'. She stares at Yukari with no small amount of concern in her own eyes. "If you say so. I will attempt to devise a way to simultaneously meet both directives, then."

If no one observes Aigis observing the Arisato twins, then ... problem solved! She just has to be more covert about it.

'It feels like he's saving me more than I save him.' Aigis averts her gaze to the side. She fears that Yukari's more right than she knows.

While Aigis may seem to run on pure logic, upon closer examination, she's just as full of contradictions, herself. She is a machine with a Persona. She is tool made with the intent to mindlessly serve her superiors while utilizing a power derived from her sense of self-actualization.

Something's bound to give.

Aigis nods as Yukari confirms where she thought she had experience. It's just like she said, and there's no other way in which she can imagine an alternate interpretation. "I see."

Whatever feelings Yukari may have on the subject of Aigis' openness, Aigis continues to brusquely stride over them. "Whether there is something wrong with it or not is irrelevant. I have not felt that way towards anyone, so I have not expressed such a sentiment to anyone, let alone Minato-san."

Yukari's insistence that the seating arrangement stays as it is does cause Aigis to stare at her in confusion for some moments, though she does come to the conclusion that it matches her earlier statement about how she and Minato kept their distance when walking to school. "Okay."

The jealousy isn't mutual, at least. Still, if she knew of it, she would want to avoid pressing on it, and even ''that'' seems like a tall order.

"School is more complicated than I had originally thought ..."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
<poem>
Aigis does speak to her biggest strength. Which, is complimentary.

"Uhhh yeah! It's... what I'm good at!" Unfortunately she's a ball of insecurity that that isn't good enough, or it's too feminine a role and she can't do other things, or you know, she's kind of a mess.

But in silence she listens to Aigis speak of what was mostly what sounds like time within a lab - or some training facility.

Then one real mission, in which her memory was damaged...

"Uh-huh. Well... I'm glad they repaired you, and you're with us now."

She could ask. It lines up, she knows Minato and Minako were in Tatsumi Port Island.

That they lost their parents that night.

That there's only one way Aigis could know them both.

She's... not going to ask.

That night is painful for all of them it seems, one way or another. If she doesn't remember it... there must be a good reason.

Even the idea of asking makes her stomach turn. Digging into the past only turned everything she believed about her Father upside down.

"Oh no! You definitely didn't do ''anything'' wrong."

Yukari says with the certainty of a girl who just believes the worst of most guys... "You should. And if they keep acting badly towards you- what you do is you call them a creep! That'll show them."

She herself gets more physical than that, but she suspects if Aigis slapped a guy they'd have facial fractures. Best not to use herself as an example.

Simultaneously meeting both directives might be rough here and she at least tries to show some sympathy, "Right... I know this might seem strange to you, figuring these things that don't seem to make much sense out- but you've learned so much already, in such a short time? I think... it'll come naturally to you eventually."

Two girls full of contradictions walk onto a rooftop, sounds like the start of a joke... given one is flesh and blood, another is a robot.

You're often jealous of things that someone else has and you don't. Perhaps in Aigis' case, it's that kind of courage.

"Huh." She looks like she's studying Aigis as she says that she's not felt that way about anyone, "... first name basis even..." She says quietly before, "Alright. Well, so long as you can tell people that clearly, then maybe it'll be okay?"

Maybe. She kinda doubts it given what a wreck she's been over the fact Minako and now AIGIS kinda suspected her feelings there...

... what a world...

"Well... yeah, but- for someone who's being thrust into the deep end - right into the middle of high school. I think you're doing great!" Yukari says, now more cheerfully that Aigis has made it clear she's not feeling romantically for him.

Such a relief...

"And well if you ever have questions about situations like that, you can probably ask any of the girls? For me at least, my door is always open."

Maybe don't say that one Yukari given how Aigis has a propensity to break into dorm rooms at night.

"Anyhow, let's head back- though, would you want to come with me to run a few errands on the way?"

It's still weird thinking of a robot as any other girl - and she's definitely not entirely there... but, Aigis makes it a lot easier, just by being who she is.

</poem>

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

2026-01-02: You've Got a Really Logical Mind, Don'cha

2026-01-07T20:35:11Z

Terra: Created page with "*'''Log: You've Got a Really Logical Mind, Don'cha?''' *'''Cast:''' Hitomi Mandai, Aigis *'''Where:''' Iwatodai Dormitory *'''OOC Date:''' January 02, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' September 04, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Hitomi happens upon Aigis in the SEES dorm, and they talk about horror movies, games, and Buddhism. Hitomi realizes just how literal Aigis takes things.'' ---- (|============================================================================|) (|=========..."

*'''Log: You've Got a Really Logical Mind, Don'cha?'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Hitomi Mandai]], [[Aigis]]
*'''Where:''' Iwatodai Dormitory
*'''OOC Date:''' January 02, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' September 04, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Hitomi happens upon Aigis in the SEES dorm, and they talk about horror movies, games, and Buddhism. Hitomi realizes just how literal Aigis takes things.''

----

(|============================================================================|)

(|============================ Iwatodai Dormitory ============================|)
-================================================== Iwatodai City/Iwatodai ====-
A large four-story dormitory used by the Specialized Extracurricular Execution
Squad, only five minutes from Iwatodai Station. Upon entering, one passes a desk
with a sign-in book for guests to find a large carpeted common room that's well
appointed for co-ed gatherings.

A TV is usually on with the local news or a movie that's been loaded into the
DVD player for a student to enjoy. A table for shared dinners, or more often
study sessions, takes up the other half of the dorm, as well as a kitchen should
one dare to show off their skills to their fellow students.

There are two winding staircases on either side. The one on the left simply says
'Boys' while the other on the right states 'No Boys Except By Invitation.' The
implicit threat of execution need not be written down for those who violate
these rules. The second and third stories are living spaces divided by gender
with common spaces that have study areas and bookshelves available.

The fourth story is the command center with surveillance capabilities for not
just different parts of the city but each room within the dorms. The Chairman
has assured all who live here that this capability is strictly necessary.

BGM - Dormitory Theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj-FrFI0qnM

<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
IWATODAI DORMITORY
1:22 PM

There is no school in session. Try not to get sent to prison.

The Dark Hour is a long way away... chronologically, anyway. It's actually right beneath the skin of -- yeah, it's a long way away.

Hitomi Mandai emerges from the kitchen space carrying a treasure in her hand. What is that treasure? It's a sandwich: one on a lovely crusty bread roll, one of the several survivors from a sack of something fresh-baked and vaguely authentic sourced from a bakery in town! (Hitomi didn't buy them.) It has been cut open and filled with a little bit of cold yakisoba and some leftover thin-sliced griddled beef along with a dollop of kimchi and some brown sauce.

Hitomi wanted lunch, you see, and she had been working on something upstairs in her room. Now, though, she is downstairs; she is wearing that sundress again, the one she brought to Yakushima -- no, this one's slightly different. That one was more cool-toned, this one's shading towards something warmer. Still; the cut is near identical. There must have been a sell at UNIPLO.

Raising the roll to her mouth, Hitomi takes a savory cool bite and contemplates the common room before her.

It's pretty empty, but she can see one person.

Hitomi's footsteps cross the space as she approaches that one person, taking another bite of her sandwich as she goes.

She doesn't speak with her mouth full, but there might have been a certain amount of *chew* in the immediate moments before she speaks.

"So," Hitomi says, followed by a slight delay, enough to be awkward without being a full stop: "Hey. Ah - are you settling in alright? Everything OK? I realized we hadn't really... talked."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
During daylight hours, Aigis has largely kept to the confines of the dormitory, despite now having the start of a normal wardrobe so she can actually blend in with other people out in the open. Today, donning a dark teal dress, she sits on one of the common area couches, reading a book she has placed in her lap.

This is what she's chosen to occupy herself with while she tries to figure out the right balance between staving off what Minato calls boredom and overstimulation. While she can look normal to others without them immediately taking notice of her, that illusion still requires her to ''act'' normal when under closer scrutiny -- that is, her conversational skills may need some practice.

Aigis glances up from her book and smiles politely at Hitomi after she's addressed. "Good afternoon, Mandai-san. I hope the day finds you well." This smile is practiced, but stiff: more the result of a team of Kirijo Ergo engineers and programmers than it is a reflection of her actual self.

"We have not spoken much, yes," Aigis replies. "I believe I have been acclimating well enough. My charging unit in my room is functional. Arisato-san and Aomori-san have shown me Drake Adventure, and we've begun discussion of the series. I accompanied several girls on a shopping trip in order to obtain some clothing. Incidents during the Dark Hour have been mostly under control, including Amada-san's safe return. Aragaki-san made some lunch the other day, and we shared a meal together."

She waits for a beat after having rattled off that list. "However, eventful as that may sound, I still find plenty of time remaining in the day."

It takes her some consciously deliberate effort to connect the dots rather than simply leave it there -- had she not done so, Aigis would have left Hitomi's statement as a simple observation and agreed that it's accurate and said nothing more without additional prompting.

Aigis looks up at Hitomi as she continues, awkward but earnest. "Would you perhaps like to start by telling me a bit about yourself, Mandai-san? Or do you have any questions for me?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
It is good, to not be a robot in public. Society has yet to learn that robots are the future.

Hitomi looks down. At the girl, and at her book.

She's reading a book? thinks Hitomi, who takes another smaller nibble from the sandwich. The smile comes. Is it forced? Automatic? Hitomi's eyes meet Aigis's for a moment.

Are they even eyes?

These questions cross Hitomi's mind, while she's chewing, and then she swallows. "Oh, hah," she says. "That game's a classic... there's a lot of entries in it, too, if you get bored or anything." She steps around. "Are you... going to be joining us in class and stuff?"

Another long pause.

"Aah," Hitomi half-laughs, with something like nervousness. "A self-introduction... that kinda answered a couple of questions, I think." She takes a deep breath and rests her sandwich-free hand over her heart: "I'm Hitomi Mandai, I'm a second-year who transferred in last year. My favorite hobbies are games and watching horror movies. I like spicy food and love Korean flavors, and I grew up in a temple!"

At this point Hitomi moves to sit on the armrest of one of the adjacent couches -- perching, as it were. Still facing Aigis.

"... I do," she continues, "have questions, I mean, but uh... I don't want to be rude or anything. When everything happened it was honestly really quick and I was sort of trying to navigate everything with my game face on, if that makes sense... I felt like people were really affected. Thank you, by the way; uh, for bailing out Takeba and everyone."

Hitomi laughs. It's rather morbid, more of a chuckle. "I was scared it was gonna be... just me, pretty much. That would've..."

Hitomi trails off and takes a bite out of her sandwich, watching Aigis. Her posture is alert, though not terrified.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
The book that Aigis was reading seems to be a novel of a roaming motorcycle gang set in post-war Japan, full of disaffected roughnecks and rowdy young men. The content stands in stark contrast to the gentle appearance of the young woman reading it.

She doesn't ''strain'' to smile, at least. It's automatic, but it lacks some spark to it. While her outward smile does, in fact, align with her actual inner response, there is still a ''disconnect'' present, a bicameral split between her faculties, a failure of something to properly translate from feeling to motion.

Should Hitomi look too closely at Aigis' eyes, she might see the 'iris' occasionally rotate and adjust focus around the 'pupil', accompanied by the faint sound of mechanical whirring, betraying its true construction as part of a camera lens.

Aigis listens intently to Hitomi's self-introduction and questions. "I will be in the second year, as well," she comments, "despite not having gone through the previous years of schooling."

Internally, she notes everything down (the mention of flavors especially after her discussion with Shinjiro the other day). "Games and horror movies ... do you have any particular favorites of either?" ''There'' it is, that earlier smile breaks into something which looks more genuine.

She remains quiet while Hitomi mentions the events on Yakushima. "I feel as if thanking me for such a thing is the same as thanking a clock for keeping time or an air conditioning unit to regulate a building's temperature, but you are welcome, all the same. I was merely acting in accordance with my mission. A Shadow was present and an imminent threat to at least one human being. Their elimination is the express purpose I was designed and constructed for for."

Hesitantly, she adds, "I had not noticed that it had affected others so. Thank you for bringing this to my attention." She glances aside. "A good number of others came to the aid of Arisato-san and Takeba-san, as well. Collectively, together, you are all still quite formidable."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
They are cameras, thinks Hitomi. But then another thought crosses her mind: Aren't *mine* cameras, too?

"Oh," she says, when another question comes, and it has a smile that seems a little less like Smile.mov, and Hitomi answers, "So horror MOVIES I kind of go back and forth but I'm usually sort of mixed on the ones that are really bloody. Since on the one hand, like," Hitomi gestures with her sando, "you CAN just get an effect that's amazing with hardly any blood at all. There's a western film, Psycho, and just like the name it's kind of the strongest. You ever see it?"

Hitomi munches for a moment.

"They did," she says afterwards, "but I kind of have a responsibility in situations like that and I try to take it seriously? I mean, nobody told me to do it, I just figured it out."

Another beat. "Oh... for games I usually like... physical ones. Like cards and stuff. Or Blade World; do you know about Blade World?"

It feels awkward. Hitomi keeps talking.

"And, uh. I guess it's kind of a relief to know your purpose, huh. I mean, a lot of people really struggle with that, and there's a lot of ways you can get into a cycle of suffering and everything, ask me how I know, hah... But I guess you can probably just..."

She exhales.

"What's it like for you, if you watched a movie or a show or something?"

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis shakes her head. "I have not seen Psycho, no. I am aware that people often find the sight of blood horrific, but I do not share that quality." She briefly glances down in consideration before returning her gaze to Hitomi. "If this Psycho film presents more abstract elements, however, I believe I might find those unsettling."

Her expression falters at the mention of 'responsibility.' "We share a similarity in that regard, then."

They told her to eliminate Shadows. No one told her to protect Minato and Minako.

"I am not familiar with Blade World, nor any games which are not video games. I have found some video games to serve as a means to simulate interaction with other people with ample opportunity to learn from mistakes in a controlled environment." She leans forward with keen interest. "Tell me more of this 'Blade World.'"

She glances away when Hitomi mentions getting into a 'cycle of suffering and everything.' "I may have some idea of what that is like. Imagine having a purpose, but failing to meet it."

Aigis takes Hitomi's invitation to 'ask her how she knows' literally, as she's prone to do. Completely deadpan in this game of call-and-response, she asks, "Okay. How do you know?"

The last question yields a look of confusion from Aigis. "What is ... ''what'' like, precisely?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
Psycho gets Hitomi talking. "The thing about that movie is - okay - I won't tell you the plot. But there's a scene where a lady gets stabbed in the shower. BUT."

Hitomi raises her hands, including the sandwich. "Here's the thing. They've gone through it, frame by frame, shot by shot. The sequence is really disorienting and terrifying, which, makes sense, because that's what it would be like to get stabbed in the shower, but at no point do you actually see the knife go into her body. It's just this unbearable tension, then this dizzying away, then SOMETHING - it's dark so you ASSUME it's blood - going into the drain."

She munches a little more sandwich material.

"... Blade World's... hm. It's like an imaginary game... basically, it's like you're talking about something that's happening. So for instance if I"m the game mistress, 'GM,' I'm like: You've come inside of an elven temple, ruined but peaceful. You can see signs of tracks to the north, but there's also a golden box to one side, weirdly well preserved."

"Then you'd say 'I follow the tracks' or 'I open the box, what's inside?' and I answer that - it actually is kinda like being the director of a movie, now that I think about it."

Hitomi then falters.

"Oh -- um -- well, I... I don't know if you have the files but I'm here because I kind of messed up ''incredibly'' badly. And, you know, suffering! Plus Buddhism and everything, you know?"

And now another question. The robot outmaneuvers her!!

"... I mean, um... do you experience as a sequence of events in the story? Or is it just like flashing images you have to thread together? Or... if it was a DVD or something, could you just-- download it, and it'd be like you watched the whole movie? I'm sorry if this is a dumb question, hah--" Another bigger bite of the sandwich. You don't have to talk when you're eating! SAFETY.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Hitomi describes Psycho's most pivotal scene, much to Aigis' growing dismay and intrigue. Horror of horrors (at least to her): ''implications.'' "I see ... that does seem quite unsettling. That is the purpose of a horror movie, is it not?"

"So Blade World is a more open-ended experience than Drake Adventure?" She tilts her head as she considers this, then places her hands together as she smiles. "I would very much like to play it sometime!"

Aigis shakes her head about 'the files.' "I am completely unaware of such events and have no access to any files regarding your history." More somber, she adds, "We are both here because we 'messed up', as they say." She scrunches her face up about the rest, though: "I do not know what you mean about 'suffering' or 'Buddhism', however."

Hitomi clarifies her question. "Oh, I see. While I am capable of instantly experiencing media in that way, I prefer not to do so. It risks causing ..." Aigis glances to the side, away from Hitomi, as she searches for the words. "A disconnect, a drifting, a ... hm."

She finds them, and states them bluntly. "Loss of Persona synchronization. There is a more complex explanation, but I feel it would be best to leave it at that for now."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
"It is," Hitomi says about the horror movies. "It's really sick! ... In a positive way I mean, like, it's thrilling. But you're safe, because you aren't actually in the shower there or anything."

Blade World, however. "Oh, sure. I've been running stuff for people, I'll... tag you, next time if you're interested. Do you have a phone number or anything? Sometimes it's easier to text people even if they're just..."

DOES Aigis have a phone number?

A different question.

But first, an answer. Hitomi blinks, twice, when Aigis speaks of 'Persona synchronization'. Theories, thoughts, cross her mind; she takes a bite of her sandwich as much to cover over the awkwardness she was feeling as anything else. Most of the theories drift away. A couple linger.

Her eyes seem to gleam differently now. As she nudges her glasses up her nose, Hitomi swallows. "Then I guess if we're both screw-ups we'll be great comrades, right?" It's somehow a sweeter tone than her normal voice, though the gradiation is subtle.

And it doesn't really last. "For suffering, uh... so I could tell you temple stuff all day, but the really short version is -- Suffering is real, suffering is inevitable, suffering *can* be escaped though, and there's a path you can follow to escape the suffering. Suffering here is like... it's everything."

Hitomi fumbles. Then: "You don't want to have that disconnect from watching a movie with the -- whatever thingy, because it makes you feel bad. That's suffering, and you're already going towards a right action because you wanna avoid it. A lot of people, though, are sometimes like 'oh, this makes me suffer but I'm going to do it anyway,' which is one thing if you're like... rescuing people, but it's another if it's like ordering food you hate at a restaurant."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
"Experiencing something vicariously ..." Aigis nods before she announces, "I comprehend." She briefly looks at the TV and DVD player before she asks, "Would you like to watch it later today?"

Aigis brightly smiles again. "I would like to! So please do contact me."

"Oh." Aigis blinks. "A phone number, no, but I have several instant messaging accounts." Aigis looks to the side as she tries to figure out the process involved in acquiring a phone and plan.

Her smile in return to Hitomi is warm. "We will." She listens to Hitomi's talk on suffering, but doesn't quite 'get it' at this moment. "I see ..." she says, mostly out of politeness, but Hitomi's explanation only causes the look of confusion on Aigis' face to become even more apparent.

The reason ''why'' she's confused: "If loss of Persona synchronization is also suffering, then I may be doomed to suffer either way. What is my path, then?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
Hitomi is quiet for a moment, as if shocked. Then: "Sure. We might have to keep Amada out, though." This makes her chuckle, for some reason, maybe a sense of the mild absurdity. 'Sorry kid, no murders on film for you'

After this she takes another bite out of her sandwich - no, before she does, Hitomi says, "Oh, that's cool, LINE? I'll give you mine when I get my phone out, it's lame." Her username, presumably. After that, munch: she's down to the last bits of the sandwich, now, pressing it together with her fingers.

'What is my path, then?' asks the robot.

Hitomi looks momentarily surprised, eyes wide.

"Oh... you..."

Her lips are about to part, but she hesitates then. They purse for a moment. Her eyes turn, for some reason, towards the stairwell and the entrance door past it, before returning to Aigis.

Hitomi leans forwards slightly. "There's one way that I always heard about... you have to follow right action, and a bunch of other 'rights.' It's not that hard once you get used to it, but there's just one problem with that method. It works, don't get me wrong, but..."

Her lip quirks up. "It's kinda boring..."

"So what you ought to do is to find out what it is that you desire," Hitomi says, "and chase after that. Chase it as hard as you can, and you'll definitely catch it... or at least you're gonna have fun racing after it. If you're really lucky, it'll be something you can catch and keep catching. But..."

Hitomi straightens up, her head lifting up a little. Her eyes turn to the side, a side-wise look at Aigis as her little glint of intensity fades. "Well... that's the kind of thinking that got me in trouble. So you probably shouldn't listen to me on that one."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis is willing to accept this. "I suppose it would be inappropriate for a child his age to watch, yes. I cannot use my own discomfort levels with material as a basis to extend to others."

She nods. "LINE is one such application, yes. Bear in mind that I do not have wireless communication capabilities, and will have to access it from an external device, the same as anyone else."

Can you ''imagine'' the security concerns of someone potentially hijacking an armed robot over wi-fi? Kirijo Ergonomics did, thankfully, especially since the state of wireless technology was still new in 2002, when Aigis was manufactured. WPA wasn't even available yet! It's a whole can of worms, and keeping Aigis air-gapped was just a safer option overall.

The start of this explanation seems to make sense to Aigis. "In other words, to minimize overall suffering. What I chase after is to undo the consequences of a sin that I've committed in pursuit of my original mission. If it's boring, then ... I can endure boring."

A curious look crosses her face as Hitomi asserts that she'll 'have fun racing after it.' Having fun isn't her intent, but admittedly, it has been.

Hitomi's last statement brings up confusion on Aigis' face again. "A paradox. Am I also to disregard your advice on disregarding your advice?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
Hitomi pops the last bit of the sandwich into her mouth.

"Mm," Hitomi says, while chewing, because it's more of a sound. Then she swallows.

"Well," she says, afterwards, still with that sideways smile. "That's one way you can look at it, 'minimizing overall suffering.' I suppose you mean everything with Takeba's dad...? That was frightening," Hitomi says, straightening out her head, "but I have weird reactions to stuff. So, I don't know if that's normal."

the origin of the dark hour?? a company breaking time?? that might be like really normal to be scared of

Hitomi then takes in a breath at the paradoxical question.

"You've got a really logical mind, don'cha," Hitomi observes. Then her eyes crinkle up as a wide, sunny smile dawns.

"I like you."

After this, she opens her eyes and messes with her glasses, folding up the papertowel she was using to keep the crumbs under control. She does it one handed. There aren't any spilled crumbs.

"You should look into Zen stuff sometime... but maybe when it gets cold, I don't wanna overload you. Anyway, that's really interesting that they did it like that," Hitomi continues. "So you're just completely separated from cellular data and stuff? It'd be really convenient if you could just open websites in your -- I guess in your mind," Hitomi considers.

"But would it be like having a second monitor?"

"It'd actually be fun to kind of explain the cinema stuff in Psycho if you want," Hitomi muses. "I can just go get it right now, but it might be better if we waited til it got dark. The nights are so short now!"

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis tilts her head at Hitomi's mention of Yukari's father. "I suppose that fits within the category, but it is not what I originally had in mind." Precisely what ''was'', however, she does not say.

At Hitomi's description of what she finds 'normal', Aigis nods. "I believe we have that in common. Granted, I have good reason to be less afraid of some things which people normally fear." She smiles calmly -- the same initial smile that she had given at the start of their conversation. "All the better for a weapon to serve its purpose, is it not?"

Aigis has had to reconstruct some facsimile of socio-emotional skills from first principles. Hitomi's correct in this. A simple "Yes," is all Aigis provides in reply, and a subsequent pleased "Thank you," at being told that Hitomi likes her.

Zen. Are the principles of Zen similar to the foundations behind Orgia Mode, which also causes her system to overheat? She takes Hitomi's warning dead seriously and intones, "I will wait until the seasons have progressed to winter before I research this."

"That is correct," Aigis confirms about Hitomi's guess as to her connectivity. "I am intended to be wholly autonomous. The possibility of a cyber-attack would have devastating consequences for many, and this outweighs any such convenience. As for internal mental displays, I am ... capable of doing so, but rather than a second monitor, it is more accurate to describte it as having multiple frame buffers in memory that I can write to and read from in parallel, limited only by mental and processing capacity, not by the number of physical displays."

As it comes time to consider watching Psycho, Aigis comments, "We can wait until it's dark, but I strongly suggest that we account for its runtime in relation to the Dark Hour. I would like for our viewing to end at least half an hour before midnight so that I may begin my usual nightly sweep of the vicinity for Shadows. In the meantime, is there anything I would need to prepare for Blade World ..?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
"That's so cool," Hitomi says about the memory.

She smiles, then, and says, "It's one hour, forty-nine minutes, unless you want to watch the extended features? So call it two hours, since I'm sure we'll get distracted or have to pause sometime."

The smile brightens more.

"I'll get you my copy of the book and you can check it out overnight, if you want. You just have to think of a character, the instructions are super straightforward!"

The smile becomes somehow more menacing.

"Just be prepared for anything, alright?"

</poem>

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

2025-12-27: Find Your Guiding Star

2026-01-07T20:25:12Z

Terra: Created page with "*'''Log: Find Your Guiding Star''' *'''Cast:''' Tamaki Uchida, Yukari Takeba *'''Where:''' Paulownia Mall *'''OOC Date:''' January 07, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' September 06, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Tamaki and Yukari meet in a rented-out booth in Mandragora to talk and trade information about various supernatural happenings. Yukari fills Tmakai in about the Kirijo Group and her father, Tamaki informs Yukari about a little bit of the history about the Mikage-cho inciden..."

*'''Log: Find Your Guiding Star'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Tamaki Uchida]], [[Yukari Takeba]]
*'''Where:''' Paulownia Mall
*'''OOC Date:''' January 07, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' September 06, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Tamaki and Yukari meet in a rented-out booth in Mandragora to talk and trade information about various supernatural happenings. Yukari fills Tmakai in about the Kirijo Group and her father, Tamaki informs Yukari about a little bit of the history about the Mikage-cho incident, and they talk about how to keep going on after tragedy.''

----

(|============================== Paulownia Mall ==============================|)
-======================================= Iwatodai City/Tatsumi Port Island ====-
A great glass dome surrounds Paulownia Mall, its name displayed in great letters
on its rim. Within this circular structure, made beautiful with water features,
the mall bustles. A central fountain pours out, eternally, surrounded by benches
for weary shoppers; two more pools stand by the entrance, decorated by
well-trimmed hedges behind them. The brown patterning on the floor emphasises
the circular nature of this place, all carved to equal segments; pillars
surrounding the sides provide structure and guidance, separating each store from
the other.

And the shops one can find here are many. Game Parade is a popular arcade,
particularly amongst nearby Gekkoukan students, and its crane game has foiled
many a hopeful date. Kenneth Arnold offers music albums, while Mandragora
Karaoke Bar, up a flight of stairs nearby, offers live music experiences for
those who prefer active participation. Club Escapade is another great option for
music-lovers, alongside those seeking Fortune-Telling services or looking for
shady informants -- but it's only open at night, and technically, it's only for
people who are over 18. Practically speaking, teenagers sometimes sneak in,
anyway... but curious teens ought to be careful, because a few shops over, one
can find the Tatsumi East Police Station. Chagall Cafe, at least, is both open
during the day and open to all ages! Aohige Pharmacy offers pharmaceuticals to
cure any ailment, while Be Blue V offers an eclectic variety of items and
treatments to improve one's health and wellbeing. Finally, Mayoido Antiques
offers unique weapons and armour for those who bring in supernatural
materials... and the proprietor seems to know more than she really ought to
about that world.

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
<poem>
When you get contacted by someone you know from a Detective Agency that wants to ask a few questions... well, what do you do?

Perhaps she's more nervous about it than she ordinarily would be, which is why she shows up early. The booths are checkered white and red between each section of the seats- and the walls are green, perhaps to evoke 'Mandragora'.

Setting down her bag, Yukari's dressed in a pink halter top and skinny jeans, a white choker with a heart surrounding her neck in a Kogal style.

"Well here we are and... a half hour early. Surely this won't take longer than a half hour? I hope... well, maybe she'll reimburse me if we run over... ahaha..."

Tapping on her phone, she tries to settle her nerves by killing the time, "... and now... we wait."

-=-=-

When Tamaki eventually gets there, she'll be lead to the booth Yukari rented for the occasion, and upon the door opening...

Do you Remember Love? - Karaoke Ver. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-io5Om8GSoM

Yukari Takeba is clutching a microphone, a hand near her chest, as she sings her heart out as lights strobe around a darkened room.

/o~ -time when our eyes first met?
/o~ Do you remember? The time when our hands first touched?
/o~ That was the very first time I set out on the journey of love.
/o~ I loveeeee you-

She turns as if she were about to make a pose, and that's when she locks eyes with Tamaki Uchida... turning a little red.

"O-Oh Uchida-san! Is it that time already? Ahaha..."

Fumbling for the button to shut the song off prematurely, the lighting brightens, as she puts both her hands behind her back, microphone held in them.

"... I was just... you know, killing time while I waited. Like... you do."

Yeah there's nothing that's not embarrassing about her losing track of time while singing a retro love song.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
When Tamaki arrives, it is a little bit earlier than they'd agreed on, as well -- but in her defense, she has a bit of a longer trip to make. This visit to a karaoke establishment is for work, not for hanging out, so she's in her usual pantsuit, albeit in a dark blue instead of her usual brown-and-beige.

To spare Yukari any potential embarrassment (it'd be rude to watch without her knowing!), after Tamaki opens the door, she at least knocks to announce her presence and greets her with an amicable smile. "Hello, Takeba-san! I'm a bit earlier than anticipated, but ... well, if we end up going over, I'll cover it!"

Yukari explains that she was singing karaoke in a karaoke booth. There's nothing odd about that at all! That's what it's ''there for.'' Tamaki nods and beams back at Yukari, "As you do! I think my parents were fond of that one."

Tamaki spots that she seems a bit nervous. Rather than probe further, she gives Yukari an 'out'. "In my own high school days, I sung it many a time while alone in the sports equipment room, just to practice my confidence ..!" She places one hand on her hip and crosses the other one over her chest, then gives Yukari a smug grin. "I dare say the practice paid off finely."

She closes the door behind her, sets her own bag on the table, then takes a seat. "Now, then ... much as I'd love to partake in some karaoke, myself, we don't have too much time." She pulls out her notepad and a pen from her bag, then turns to Yukari. "My investigations in other matters have pointed me in many directions -- one of those being the Kirijo Group and the tower that appears during the Dark Hour. Would you be willing to speak with me on those topics?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
<poem>
The knock at least helps alert her that she's there rather than thinking she's been watching for ''some time now''.

"Oh! Well - thank you! Iiiii appreciate that. I'm trying to save up." A nervous chuckle, before- "Yeah, mine too. My Mom played it all the time when I was growing up."

It at least helps settle the nerves some...

"Oh wow, really?" Yukari seems surprised by the anecdote, "I could never. I think I'd be too worried about someone on my Archery team walking in when I least expected it..."

Yukari has some issues with confidence but, what teenage girl doesn't? Before-

"... Right." She then sits down and... that question, "Getting right down to it, huh?" She looks a little tense again, as she collects her thoughts and...

"... Wellll a lot of new information has come to light fairly recently and... I don't mind sharing it tooooo much but before I get started... how much of this is likely to be made... public, as a result of this investigation?"

Her Dad's reputation is already bad enough without... his own daughter confirming the allegations on Dark Side of Sumaru.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki grins. "'Played it?' Oh, wonderful! On the piano, or something else?"

She snickers at Yukari's reaction to her anecdote. "Yes, really! That's the ''entire point''. Eventually, you get used to it."

Tamaki nods as they 'get right into it.' She calmly urges Yukari, "Take your time."

What's the likelihood of this being made public? Tamaki frowns as she considers the question. "That's always difficult to gauge. Matters of clear governmental or corporate malfeasance demand to be brought to light ... or at the very least, they call for someone to take responsibility, to be culpable."

Her frown softens into a more neutral expression, and she pauses briefly before continuing. "But in practice, when it comes to these supernatural incidents, historically the full details never get out, only half-truths. Leadership changes hands, companies get absorbed into others, politicians resign ... but thus far, the full details aren't revealed to the public out of a shared sense of concern for the people with less financial and political power."

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
<poem>
On the piano? "Uhhhh- Oh no, we weren't really a family of musicians or anything. On our stereo... she had an old cassette tape, actually."

She wishes she could be that ''cavalier'' about the idea she'd just get used to it, but she supposes she's not as brave as Tamaki here!

Offering to take her time is appreciated, as she nods, collecting those thoughts... even as Tamaki answers her, "That'd be rather hard to do in this case..."

When it comes to investigation of corporate malfeasance. However, Tamaki has it in one, following up with the rest.

"... Yeah, exactly." There's a long sigh, like part of her just withers at the thought. In the past - she would have wanted the Kirijo Group to take accountability.

Now... now things are far more complicated.

"Alright, well... I was investigating the Kirijo Group myself for... personal reasons that'll become more clear after I've told you the whole story..."

She shifts on her booth seat uncomfortably, "... and well, eventually after we confronted Kirijo-senpai... I mean Mitsuru Kirijo with our findings, she told us the truth. Her Grandfather was studying Shadows, in an attempt to create a 'Time Manipulation Device' using their powers."

There's a small nervous laugh as she relays that, "I know that's difficult to believe... but apparently, it's actually true. They- built a lab here where Gekkoukan High now is, and began conducting all kinds of experiments. And well, the people that became involved in this... changed. They became affected by the Shadows... such that what was probably... well-intentioned, became an obsession that began to threaten the whole world. Uh-"

She looks again at Tamaki like she's worried she might not be believed, "-at least, that's what the head researcher at the lab confessed to, in a video we all watched that he filmed, just before he died."

Pause.

"Uh... and by head researcher, I mean... my Dad, Eiichiro Takeba..." She trails off for a moment, "... A little over ten years ago he pulled the plug on the experiments, because he thought the world would end otherwise. He knew that, it would cause a huge disaster, but I guess he thought it needed to be done. He released the Shadows being held in the lab- and a lot of people died, himself included. And welll... doing that, it created the Dark Hour... and Tartarus... on the site of that lab."

... Well, this is, probably an easier investigation than Tamaki expected here, at least - for getting the information, whether it can be believed.

Speculation by Persona Users for years on how it all came about - and... this girl just knows it now, because of her personal involvement with one of the participants in it's creation.

"... Yeah." She finishes with, softer now, apparently not knowing what to say after letting all that go.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki quietly listens as Yukari proceeds, taking notes as she goes.

Mention of some kind of time manipulation device garners a raised eyebrow. That may explain the temporal nature of the Dark Hour ...

Furthermore, it doesn't sound the slightest bit strange to her. "No, I can absolutely see that being the case. I've seen things just as strange as that -- at least twice now."

Her eyes narrow as she hears more. The experiments continued, the researchers growing more and more obsessed. The thought brings up that loathsome science teacher of hers to mind again: Otsuki. She wonders if something similar happened to him, since he really seemed to lose it during that particular incident.

Yukari's father is -- apparently -- responsible. A soft, delayed "ah," escapes Tamaki's mouth. She pauses her writing, refraining from capturing that in text form. "I can see your concerns about making aspects of this public."

Tamaki closes her eyes as she processes everything that she's just heard. There's a lot for her to consider, given everything else she knows. Karukozaka, the DEVA system, the Nanjo Group ...

Before she gets to any of that, she has a promise to fulfill, first and foremost. She opens her eyes and looks at Yukari with utmost seriousness. "I have several further questions beyond this, but the most pressing one I have for you right now is this: do you believe that the Kirijo Group -- or what remains of them -- is acting in the best interests of yourself and your peers? If the answer to that ''ever'' becomes 'no', please do not hesitate to contact me or someone else you trust who isn't affiliated with them."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
<poem>
"''Twice''?"

Yukari says, as if incredulous, because it's not every day the world gets broken like the Dark Hour, but - Tamaki is a Persona User. And she supposes if something like that happened and got resolved...

... she'd never know about it.

Looking sideways as if a little embarrassed at Tamaki's statement, "It kind of was already... in a sense. Just, it was about the disaster everyone knew about. They... said he was responsible, and I guess as a kid, I didn't want to believe it of my Dad... it led to everyone being really cruel to me and my mom. We even had to move a few times because... it kept following us around wherever we went..."

It even made the Rumor Circuit in Sumaru City, but that was a long time ago, and old Rumors that far back are barely ever even talked about.

"... I wanted to prove he didn't do it, but..."

She closes her eyes, and shakes her head. She doesn't want to say that some part of her still believes in him, still ''wants'' to believe it isn't true.

But that'd be a childish denial of reality, wouldn't it?

Her subsequent questions- Yukari finally can bring herself to look at Tamaki again, "... I guess? It's kind of hard to tell. The current head of the group, Kirijo-senpai's Dad says their current goal is to... atone, and bring an end to the Dark Hour. I, want to believe that's true?"

Pause.

"But there are things that... do make me wonder. Uhhh... part of our investigation was into..."

She hesitates, then, "Let me back up. The Kirijo Group invented the Evoker- which we saw different models of Evoker in Sumaru in the hands of that group of cop-killers called the NWO? We brought it up but... never got a satisfactory answer until recently. He says that many of their scientists were... let go, after the incident, and he believes they joined them. If that's true then... well..."

There's a shrug of her shoulders, "I guess? But even if things turned out differently than I thought... I'm trying to maintain some healthy skepticism. Right now I think - 'yes'? but I doubt they actually told us ''everything''."

Then she concludes upon, "If I ever think they're... not, then I have a plan for us to get out at least. It's not like they're keeping us under guard or anything. Our lives are pretty normal? So... yeah."

Just you know, bedroom surveillance - which isn't creepy at all.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki nods in solemn confirmation. "Twice. High schools both times, if you'll also believe that. Gekkoukan makes at least three."

Yukari recounts the early rumors about her dad, as well as the cruelty that followed her and her mother because of it. Those predate Tamaki's own time in Sumaru; they had likely faded from relevance before she moved there when starting university. "... Look, just because I was a part of some things a few years ago, myself, that doesn't mean I know everything about what had actually happened. There's a hell of a lot that still eludes me to this day."

There's hope somewhere in that ambiguity. Hope that Hazama was misled by some darker force, hope that Takeba's father ultimately wasn't responsible ... hope that remains just as long as you don't look too closely past what lies beyond the fog.

Something about that last thought causes Tamaki to bite the inside of her cheek.

"Even if his actions led to the formation of the Dark Hour, is there possibly any comfort in believing he had made the right call?"

Tamaki's eyes widen as Yukari mentions the NWO. She knew there must have been some connection, of course, but to hear this from one of the SEES students is a sign that their paths might be crossing after all, that she isn't simply seeing patterns where there are none. "I thought as much. Those two assailants at the warehouse were members of the NWO, and as you say, one of them used an Evoker. Our clients were seeking protection in exchange for leaked information they had obtained."

She looks away from Yukari and grows quiet after that. That night didn't end well for anyone involved.

After a few moments, she morosely continues, "... That particular group is my personal highest concern. Mine and several of us working together in Sumaru City." Todoroki, Maya, Ulala, Katsuya, Umie, Ayame ... Tatsuya, wherever he's gone off to now. And that's just the start of the list.

She turns back to Yukari, having regained her composure by now, speaking more firmly again. "The Kirijo Group was spun off from the Nanjo Group, correct? To my understanding, they still work closely to this day. At least one of the incidents I was a part of, as I've only ''recently'' come to find out since then," thanks to Maki Sonomura, "was caused by the technological developments of a company which was later bought out by the Nanjo Group. I'm curious just how much of what my classmates and I dealt with back then has made its way into the hands of the Nanjo Group, the Kirijo Group, and the NWO ... in addition to Evokers, apparently."

The current-day Kirijo Group's aim is to end the Dark Hour. That sounds ... good, at least on the surface. "One of my old classmates says that they trust a particular person within the Nanjo Group, another classmate, Kei Nanjo. Even if the company's corrupt as a whole, there may be people within either conglomerate who are trustworthy. Some healthy skepticism is good -- just don't cut yourself off from potential allies, such as your senpai."

She has a plan to get out. "That's good. Don't hesitate to reach out if you need our help, either."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
<poem>
"... I- and you dealt with it both times?" She looks astounded, "That's incredible. We're struggling pretty hard to even get through this one..."

Tamaki notes however that just because she was a part of those things, she doesn't know everything that happened.

"Well... it seems pretty clear what did happen... but, I guess I do keep hoping we'll find something else- something more."

'Even if his actions led to the formation of the Dark Hour, is there possibly any comfort in believing he had made the right call?'

Yukari's eyes drift down, and something in them begins to grow more distant, abstracted. "... You know my Mom and I were in Iwatodai City at the time. I guess, he made the decision and didn't have enough time to even warn us to get out. It makes it... the world's biggest... what do you call it again? 'Trolley Problem'?"

Her eyelids shut, and she needs a moment, "Do I think he made the right call? Well yeah - if he hadn't, the world might have ended..." Then, so hushed as to nearly be inaudible, she mumbles, "...but... it's, not really that comforting either."

It's not the Father she remembers. Not the kind man who would never hurt a fly. Who would do everything in his power to...

...to...

She takes another breath, and opens her eyes, glad to move on to the topic of the NWO. "Yeah, apparently the leader of the NWO... the Foreign Minister, believe it or not tried to recruit Kirijo-senpai's Dad... after the incident, but he turned him down."

She shifts within her seat, "... They're pretty concerning to me too. I've had nothing but bad experience after bad experience with them."

The question of the Nanjo Group- "Yeah, it's even in our school's lobby, on the statues- uh how does it go... 'Two in harmony surpasses one in perfection?'" She says, as she's forced to recall the inscription on a dime.

"Wait- what, ''really''?" That startles her, but- as she listens to the rest of it, some things start to click, from- "That... makes a surprising amount of sense. Would that be, the whole SEBEC thing? That's... when Apathy Syndrome started appearing on the news. But... it's really been around since, after what my Dad did."

The look on her expression still seems like she's not certain what to make of it, "So you were involved in all that? I'm- whoa." The advice, causes her to rub her other arm and-

"... Kirijo-senpai and I don't exactly get along... but it's not like, I hate her or anything. Just-"

She looks like she's swallowing a bitter pill, and rather than finishing, she instead accepts that advice, "I'll keep that in mind." She eventually answers, on not cutting her off.

"Yeah don't worry... There's a lot of people in Sumaru City I can get in touch with if we're ever in trouble like that. You included... well, kinda?"

There's a small smile, "I guess I do have your number now."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki sighs and lets her neck go slack. "Myself and another classmate dealt with the first one as a pair, and I was a lot more involved with that one. For the second one, I just bunkered down to protect those in my class who didn't have Personas while a different group went to resolve the real issue. I had to hear from them only just after the fact."

She shrugs lazily. "So for some definition of 'dealt with it,' sure. Don't -- don't go thinking it wasn't a struggle in either case, though. It always is. Even in my limited role the second time around, it ''still'' was."

You fight. You experience hardship. You emerge victorious. Then something else happens again. After having gone through this cycle several times, apparently now entering her third one, it's enough to make those victories feel small and insignificant, like they're stories that had never mattered in the first place.

Yukari quietly answers that such a thought is the coldest of comforts, if one at all. "... Yeah. I apologize, perhaps I shouldn't have put it that way."

Kouetsu turned the NWO down? "Well, that's a relief, at least. And you already know about Tatsuzou Sudou's involvement. That's not too surprising, given your proximity to Aragaki-san ..."

Tamaki nods firmly as Yukari mentions the SEBEC Scandal. "The very same, the Mikage-cho incidents, including the SEBEC Scandal. If it didn't cause Apathy Syndrome, is it a reasonable enough guess that it at least ''exacerbated'' it? Or at least there's some relation ..."

There's a dark thought that Tamaki isn't too proud of: when she had initially heard that this awfulness didn't start with the events at Karukozaka High, that there was something that went further back than five years, she had actually felt some sense of relief. Yet, here before her sits one of the survivors most deeply impacted by that. Color rushes to her cheeks with the shame that comes with such a realization.

'So you were involved in all that?' Tamaki glances away and scratches the side of her cheek, then gives Yukari a sheepish grin. "Kiiiiind of. Like I said, I hung back to protect other people. Relative to that first ordeal, it was a bit of a breather ... but I was still at ground zero for it."

Talk of Mitsuru causes Yukari to hesitate. There's some dynamic there she isn't familiar with -- noted, tread lightly around that.

Tamaki nods. "We've each got our own fronts to fight on, but we still look out for each other. Consider it thanks for your help those other times."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
<poem>
"Huh... that's... still pretty incredible if you think about it? Resolving something like that with just two people."

She's definitely not gonna like - start gushing or treating Tamaki like her 'Persona Senpai' or something, but it does help her put things into perspective some.

Unfortunately, doing so - only shows her just how weak she truly is... because it's filtered through those insecurities of her own.

"Nah it's... fine. I mean- what does someone even say to something like that? ''I'' still don't even know what to say to that...!"

How do you deal with the knowledge? How do you move on? How do you ''live''? She wishes she knew the answer to all those questions.

Or any of them.

"Yeah... though I haven't had much... exposure to him, more his 'friends' from that weird group of theirs... Strega."

Well that confirms one thing - she thought it was only a rumor on the Dark Side message boards, but- the SEBEC Scandal really was something supernatural.

"It makes a certain amount of sense... they say it's been one mental health crisis after another following it. Sometimes people in a bad place wake up during the Dark Hour and- well, if they get attacked by Shadows..."

Yeah - it becomes really easy to connect ''why'' it only felt like it started appearing significantly after SEBEC.

"Well- protecting people that way, is still pretty important I'd say... I'm not sure I'd be able to manage under the same circumstances."

Her powers are mostly good at supporting other Persona Users.

If a student gets injured... there's not much she can do there.

"Our own fronts... huh?" She considers that subject for a time, then- "Well. The way I see it... maybe our focus is on the Dark Hour but - don't be afraid to give me a call if you need any help in Sumaru City. After all I've seen there... I don't want to look away just because we have our own battles."

Pause.

"Uhhh..." She checks her phone, "... guess we still have time left? So we won't have to ask for an extension."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki flatly deadpans, "It is simultaneously both less and more incredible than whatever you're imagining. Stubbornness won the day there, and there were some unique circumstances that can't -- " more accurately, ''shouldn't'', 'can't' is a pipe dream " -- be repeated."

For all of Tamaki's prior experience, the recent months have shown her that there's so much more that she still has yet to learn. (If she were privy to Yukari's thoughts about how she narrowly dodged being seen as a 'Persona Senpai', her reaction would be one of relief. She's most often there to provide ''commiseration'', not ''expertise''.) She rubs the back of her neck and turns her gaze aside. "I know enough to be dangerous, but I definitely don't have all of the answers. It's like I said back when we ran into each other a while back at Chagall: the game keeps changing and evolving."

'What does someone even say to something like that?' "... Find a reason to keep going on. Define it for yourself. Treat that as your guiding star. Have something to work towards, a vision of the world you want to see. That's what I did, at least."

The title of a page in her case files briefly flashes through Tamaki's mind: ''Missing Persons: 2.'' After several years, that trail's gone entirely cold. Rather than look back, it's better to move on.

"Ending the Dark Hour's a good aim as any, at least as a start. As for myself, I want to do what I can so our society doesn't just ... discard people. I do this so that what happened to cause that first incident doesn't happen again."

She nods at Yukari's mention of Strega. "I have reason to believe I ran into one of their members during the Dark Hour -- ran into him while he was trying to forcibly pull someone out of a coffin during the Dark Hour. He summoned a swarm of Shadows, which ..." Yukari mentions what happens when someone gets attacked by Shadows during the Dark Hour, implying that it has to do with Apathy Syndrome. "... well, good thing we saved him."

"It lines up with their apparent MO, that whole revenge website thing." She rankles her nose as she recalls how Jun said they followed him around for a bit. "Through some comedy of errors, they were also interested in a ... well, friend of a friend. Still not sure what to make of that."

Tamaki beams at Yukari as she offers help. "Oh, of course. That's what I'd meant! We have our respective focus areas, but if I've got the capacity for it, I'm all for helping out elsewhere." She cracks a grin. "It might do us some collective good in keeping us all cooperative to point out how our disparate battles really are one and the same. Why do you think I run around from locale to locale?"

At ''that'' particular reminder that they have some time left to make use of this booth's intended purpose, a glimmer flashes in Tamaki's eyes. She grins and picks up a microphone, twirling it in her fingers before bringing it to a halt. "Well! In the spirit of our cross-group coordination, I know ''just'' the song."

(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Fw6WL8UQ20 Rainbow Connection - as covered by Takako Matsu)

o/` - I've heard it too many times to ignore it
o/` It's something that I'm s'posed to be
o/` Someday we'll find it
o/` The rainbow connection
o/` The lovers, the dreamers and me

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
<poem>
"You know the more you say it's 'not as incredible as whatever you're imagining' - the more it sounds like a real feat..." Yukari points out, at Tamaki downplaying it.

'Changing and Evolving'... she tips her head into a nod, "It feels like the more I learn about what's out there, the less I know, to be honest."

The advice though- 'find a reason' gets her thinking of what would be her 'guiding star'? Could it really be as simple as what Minato said? Or should she just... walk out, since she doesn't have a reason of her own.

"Mmm. I don't really have anything like a 'vision'... I guess a world without the Dark Hour? A world where normal people don't get caught up in things like this..."

It's at least ''something'' for now.

As the conversation circles back to Strega, she nods, "... Yeah be real careful about them. They don't mind showing up in situations where... you can't utilize your Persona at all. One member of their group showed up at our school. The whole thing felt like a threat... but then she just wanted to hang out?" A hand rubs her opposite arm, self-consciously, "I'm glad you saved him though... I can't imagine what it'd be like to be pulled out only to face... that."

With a smile and a weak chuckle, she at least tells her, "Well yeah, I kinda do the same myself..."

She's about to pick up her things, but then Tamaki brandishes the microphone, and Yukari's jaw drops, "Wait you really want to... well I guess you did say-"

-=-=-

Once the song is over, she applauds, "Hey that was great!" Don't ask her if she understood the fine details of a song in English though, she got the gyst. "Wow... look at that score."

When Tamaki looks, she'll see the Karaoke machine has registered...

Score: 90! Naisu!
</poem>

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

2026-01-04: Infringe All You Want

2026-01-07T20:04:15Z

Terra: Created page with "*'''Log: Infringe All You Want''' *'''Cast:''' Shinjiro Aragaki, Tamaki Uchida *'''Where:''' Kuzunoha Detective Agency *'''OOC Date:''' January 04, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' September 05, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Tamaki and Shinjiro trade notes about the Joker Killer and other topics. The conversation turns to their respective pasts, and Tamaki shares her own outlook on life with Shinjiro.'' ---- (|======================== Kuzunoha Detective Agency ==================..."

*'''Log: Infringe All You Want'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Shinjiro Aragaki]], [[Tamaki Uchida]]
*'''Where:''' Kuzunoha Detective Agency
*'''OOC Date:''' January 04, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' September 05, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Tamaki and Shinjiro trade notes about the Joker Killer and other topics. The conversation turns to their respective pasts, and Tamaki shares her own outlook on life with Shinjiro.''

----

(|======================== Kuzunoha Detective Agency =========================|)
-=================================================== Sumaru City/Aoba Ward ====-
The first thing that greets visitors to Kuzunoha Detective Agency is a giant
golden lucky cat statue that, with its left paw raised, bids a hearty welcome to
customers and opportunities alike. Inspect it, and a mewling voice will ask for
donations: 100 yen from students and other children, and 1000 yen from adults.

A pair of dark couches that frame a coffee table have an excellent view of the
massive HDTV and dual stereos on the far right wall. On the far left wall are
shelves upon shelves full of books, none of which definitely can slide to one
side. A large desk with a lamp and computer stands in front of it. This is where
the portly older ex-gumshoe, Chief Daisuke Todoroki, makes his business, as...
blessed... by the agency's original owner. He investigates (and will spread) all
manner of rumors to find out the truth (and change reality), assisted by veteran
Persona User Tamaki Uchida.

The back room is nothing special; it has a stove and a sink, so it's a simple
task to always have tea ready for customers. There's a bathroom there too, but
it seems like it's always occupied. Don't ask who's in there, meow.

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>Shinjiro told Tamaki he'd trade her info, and he meant to keep that promise. Therefore, he's stepping into the Kuzunoha Detective Agency, ignoring the cat statue should it call out to him.

He's in his red coat and beanie, even in the summer, and he's got a perpetual Resting Brusque Face on, but Tamaki would at least know he's good for info, as both a Persona User and a guy with his ear to the streets.

There's a notebook in his hand, as he looks for Tamaki.

"Uchida, you here? Hope this isn't a bad time. I'd like to talk about the Killer if you've got the bandwidth."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki doesn't look like she's slept very well last night. Right about now, she lays flat on the couch. In fact, Shinjiro's entry is what wakes her. She stirs, then rises from her position with wrinkled clothes and disheveled hair.

The day prior, she had attended a wedding ceremony. In the same night, she had a visitor to the Agency during the Dark Hour.

She blinks blearily in Shinjiro's direction, then rapidly stands on her feet. " -- Aragaki-san! Right!"

Knowing how this must look, she stammers out, "I-I've got bandwidth, just give me a moment to make some tea -- " and dashes back to the kitchenette.

She peeks her head back out to Shinjiro and calls out, "Take a seat on the couch! Would you like anything while I'm here?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>Shinjiro pauses, concern on his face as he sees her passed out on the couch. But when she awakens and says she's fine, he sighs with a nod. Sadly, supernatural serial killers don't wait.

"Tea sounds fine, thank you." He is remarkably polite for a clear delinquent, even if he's rough around the edges.

Taking a seat on the couch, he looks over his notebook, getting his information in order.

He'll let Tamaki start the conversation once she's back. She's the professional, even if he wonders how much they both know.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Several minutes later, Tamaki's mad dash ends with two cups of tea on the table between the pair of couches in the center of the office. She sits ready with her own pen and notepad in hand, ready to take notes.

She stares at him intently. "Okay. You said you had thoughts on how the Joker Killer gets around? Anything else, for that matter?"

"More and more people keep showing up, wanting a piece of him ..." Tamaki glances down at her notepad and bites the end of her pen. "Mostly high school kids. I don't think they quite understand what they're getting into."

She looks up at Shinjiro again. "Takeba-san told me that the group he's involved with also approached the Kirijo Group, but they turned them down. They seem to have poached some researchers, at least, as Evokers have gotten into the hands of non-Kirijo groups, however."

Tamaki inhales. " -- I don't know how much of what I know would just be retreading what you know, so let's start with you. Hit me."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>Shinjiro takes a listen from Tamaki, nodding. "I thought it was teleporting alone, which is definitely part of it. But I also think... he's actually free. I saw him - the real him - at that weird circus. He was on a bluetooth call."

The thing about high school kids wanting a piece of him... SHinjiro doesn't respond. She'll probably think the same about him when this is through, but at least he has a motive.

'Takeba-san' though gets an eyebrow raise. "She told you that stuff? I don't think he's actually part of the New World Order. I think he's aligned with a group known as Strega, a bunch of asshole nihilists who have access to Kirijo stuff, probably through the NWO. I know them for... reasons, we have connections and I'm friends with one of them, but..." He shakes his head.

But then, Tamaki asks Shinjiro to start. He trusts her enough, even if he doesn't know her that well. "The Joker Killer is named Tatsuya Sudou, son of the foreign minister. Ten years ago, he burned down an orphanage in Tatsumi Port Island. A young girl, a Miki Sanada, was killed in the fire."

The way he says it is a VERY personal bent, unable to mask his utter distaste for the killer.

"His father eventually put him in an institution, but he clearly has free roam. He's also clearly batshit insane. THe Sumaru PD is covering this up, probably due to who he is, but also becasue they're likely embedded with corruption in general."

A sigh.

"He's dangerous. No matter how many people he fights, he always escapes. I'm still considering how I'll capture him in my head."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki nods at the mention of seeing him at the circus. "Right, I saw him there, too. Didn't want to start anything with regular people around, though." She pauses for a beat, then adds, "Figured you and the others thought the same."

She rubs her temples as Shinjiro brings up Strega. "She did. I had some questions about the Kirijo Group and the Nanjo Group for ... what I ''thought'' was a separate investigation. Thanks for the clarification. Yeah, I've run into one of their members, too. I was with Akabane-san at the time."

"... I saw Tartarus with my own eyes, too. Didn't go inside yet, but it sure is real." She exhales. "Its size is downright staggering."

Shinjiro says that Tatsuya Sudou is the Joker Killer. Tamaki nods in confirmation. "Right ..."

Then he gets to the next bit. "... Didn't know that detail. About ten years ago, I mean."

Tamaki nods when he says he's dangerous. That much is apparent. Something about his phrasing gives her pause, however. "You'll capture him? You, singular? Uh -- "

First the other Tatsuya, then Hyousuke, then Eikichi, now Shinjiro. At least Ulala had the sense to just use herself as bait instead of wanting to tackle him alone.

Something else important is in the mix, as well. " -- back up, before we cover that: You say that as if you have an idea of how to cut off his escape. How?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>"Tartarus is fucking huge, yeah," SHinjiro snorts.

But about Miki Sanada and the orphanage... "Because most don't. It was before he was the Joker Killer."

Then, there's pushback on capture and cutting off his escape. "...if I have to. It's probably safest for everyone else that way. My Persona is strong, and collateral is a risk when my emotions get heated."

He sighs, though, but he thinks about the cutting off his escape. His facial expression betrays before his words that he doesn't actually have a real solution, as he sighs.

"I was going to appeal to his self-aggrandizing personality, knock him out, and then drag him straight to my contact. If he tried to teleport, I'd figure it out. It's... this isn't something I can overlook. He killed Miki. He's threatening people I care about, like Umie. I *can't* let him continue to get away with it."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
"Reminds me of somewhere, come to think of it," she says of Tartarus. Her frown deepens further, and she adds, "Several somewheres, even."

For once, Tamaki has heard an answer borne of consideration and tactical thinking, not simply grim determination or machismo. "I see. I've received comments on how I've recklessly handled mine at times, and I've been Awakened for several years now. I can certainly see how it could get worse if someone weren't in full control."

She places a hand on her chest and looks at Shinjiro gratefully. "So, thank you for that, at least. I've heard no end of half-cocked plans by people who just want to go in swinging at him. You've thought about this."

Recalling what she had witnessed a few days ago, she places a hand under her chin. "How do you lose control of a Persona though, though? When you lose your Evoker ..?"

Tamaki exhales out a sigh. "Yeah, I know Akabane's in his sights, too. He mentioned her in that video that's been going around online."

He can't let him continue to get away with it. "I get that. I really do. I'm still not sure if your plan will be enough."

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>"...It's all I think about," Shinjiro admits. "There's not enough time, especially when he's endangering those who matter to me, to sit around doing nothing. I'm constantly trying to wrap my head around how to stop him."

But, about losing control of a Persona... "I'm not a usual case. Has nothing to do with the Evoker. I'm... on medicine to control it."

When it comes to Akabane, though... "...you have to be careful with that video. I think he's telling the truth, or thinks he is, at least partially. There's weirder shit out there than time travel." Not to mention, Kirijo's plans...

"...probably *won't* be enough. But if I can stop him, it's worth any risk to my life."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki gestures at the bookshelf full of binders behind her desk. "You and me both! I've been going at this from every angle I can think of!" She inhales sharply, leans forward, and steeples her hands together. "I -- may have stumbled across some research I shouldn't have, in the process. A lot more esoteric and abstract than just conking him out."

Medicine. She peers more closely at Shinjiro. "Um. Not to be too graphic, but do you ... happen to cough up blood without it?"

As Shinjiro advises her to be careful about the video, Tamaki's face falls remembers the vague protestations that Tatsuya Suou had given her and Umie. Morosely, she answers, "Yeah, uh. I know."

'There's weirder shit out there than time travel.' "Takeba-san mentioned something to that effect about the Kirijo Group, too." Her expression and tone go flat. "And trust me, in my time, I have seen far, far stranger."

'It's worth any risk.' That claim causes Tamaki's blood to run cold. Her hand idly reaches for her necklace again, a frequent enough tic around certain conversation topics that Shinjiro may have noticed by now.

"... is it, really?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>"I get it. He's a real threat."

Shinjiro, however, pauses as she asks about the medicine. He considers, before his face falls as well, clearly a serious subject. "With it, too. It's... I don't recommend the medicine to anyone."

"The Kirijo Group's done some fucked up things. I will say that the heir, Mitsuru Kirijo, isn't... I can't believe she'd ever support that kind of stuff. She's my age and a good friend. I trust her."

But then, Tamaki's blood runs cold, as she grabs her necklace. Does she have issues with mortality? He gets a guilty look on his face, considering.

"...I don't have a future, Uchida. If something happens to me, I'd at least like it to matter for someone else."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
"I see." Tamaki lowers her gaze to the table and takes a sip of her tea.

Tamaki nods at his description of Mitsuru. "That's the gist I got from Takeba-san, too."

Shinjiro tells her about his own situation, his own lack of future. "After what I went through, myself, I'm acutely aware of the fact that ..."

She trails off, considering her words carefully. "This is my answer, at least, gleaned from the road I had to take. It's not ''the'' answer, but it's ''mine'', you know?"

Tamaki glares fiercely in Shinjiro's direction as she instructs, "You only get one shot. You had ''better'' damn well make it count."

She turns her gaze to the table again. More meekly, she adds, "Don't ... tell anyone this, but I've died before."

"Not everyone gets as lucky as I did. Hardly anyone."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>Shinjiro listens intently to Tamaki. And then... he breathes, as she instructs him. "I know. I've been trying. I don't want to die."

It's her secret that puts him over the edge. He puts both hands on the side of his neck, exhaling. If she gave him a secret, trusted him enough right now, then...

"I have less than a year. The medicine, it's causing chronic organ failure. Kirijo's best doctors are trying to do something, but I don't have enough hope, not with what they've told me. She's gotta carry that for me."

A breath. "So if I can stop the Joker Killer before I go, maybe clear the Dark Hour forever, then... then that's enough."

A pause. "Not that many people know. It's... for two years, I lived on the streets. I caused this, so I had to isolate. I couldn't let my friends down, couldn't cause them pain. But that causes them pain, too. Stupid fucking catch-22."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
It's here that Shinjiro makes clear to Tamaki the stark difference in the luxury she has today compared to the timer running short that he has to reckon with.

She remains quiet as she processes the news, and drains the remainder of her tea as she does so.

Chronic organ failure in exchange for, what, retaining control of your Persona? That's a forked road with time bombs waiting at the end of either trail.

Eventually, she finds her words. "I can understand the haste, then. I apologize if I spoke out of turn. I know how I feel in my circumstances, but I can't say I'd feel differently in your shoes."

Bitterly, she adds, "Stupid fucking catch-22."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>One time bomb already detonated, even, as Shinjiro drinks his own tea. He's not going to tell her about Amada - she's a private detective, that's just opening problems - but he did feel he could trust her enough to let her know about his condition, with how many Sumaru-oriented individuals he's told.

"It's fine. I don't... I was recommended to start a bucket list. Try and find ways to experience life in this time, give the people around me memories to cherish. But... if I knew it would truly make a difference, I'd take the risk of leaving sooner." A sigh.

"I did decide to go back to school, though. Still sucks, but... I promised Kirijo and Aki I'd try to graduate with them."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
It might be opening problems for a more nosy type, sure, but ... If Tamaki ever found out about Ken, odds are that she wouldn't look at it unless explicitly asked to do so, and paid for it, especially if someone else is already on the task. She only has so many hands, so many hours during the day. Being a little bit ''mercenary'' in how she chooses what to spend her own finite time on helps her triage and prioritize what she feels is actually important.

And it keeps her Pact-bound Demon happy, too, nya~.

Tamaki leans back in her seat and folds her arms. "A bucket list is one way to do it, sure." She tilts her head. "I don't think there's any singular right way to make the most of it. Myself, I just regularly partake in simple pleasures. Food's one of them -- dining, not cooking."

Her face turns to a scowl. "I've made my difference, though. Several times. The way I see it, life owes me some normalcy."

Tamaki scratches at her cheek as she realizes how callous that might sound. "Er. At least, I used to feel that way. At this point, I think it owes you more."

"Keeping a promise, going to school ... that's all well and good. Just make sure you're truly aligned with whatever it is you decide to do, you know?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>"I cook. I've considered what it'd be like if I could do something with it, but now, it's just one of the few things that makes me happy. The fact I can share that happiness with others helps," Shinjiro explains.

At the least, he doesn't see Tamaki as callous, nodding. "...I feel like this life is the one of the worst things that can ever happen to someone. Everyone deserves normalcy. If there was a big red button that removed all the magic from the world, there's a chance I'd push it. I get that... there's a lot of good we do. But we're burning ourselves out to do it, and there's a lot of bad we can do, too."

Tamaki says to be aligned... and Shinjiro exhales, nodding. "Yeah. Learning you gotta be selfish. It's hard."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki grins when Shinjiro mentions he cooks. "Aheheh. Yeah, I remember hearing you talk recipes with the izakaya ma'am. But hey! That counts as a worthwhile endeavor in my book."

Her voice goes flat again, completely deadpan. "I'd push that button in a heartbeat. Zero hesitation."

Despite her words just now, she does pause to contemplate what she's just said. "You're right in that it's not all bad, but I'm of the mind that the bad vastly outweighs the good."

She scowls again, her brows furrowing as she considers the full implications of that decision. "And ... yeah, there's a few people we both know whose lives are improved with it being a thing." Umie, at the least. Tamaki figures that odds are low that Shinjiro knows Maki. Then there's the people they managed to save based on the intel Phoenix had found in Kamiya's Palace.

Tamaki narrows her eyes and holds up her finger and thumb pressed close together. "Okay. Maybe ''some'' slight hesitation."

More firmly, she states, "You're entirely correct in that everyone deserves normalcy."

"Being selfish is easy. Being selfless is easy. Striking the right balance between the two is what's hard." Tamaki stands up and stretches her arms before walking over to the kitchenette. "Right now, my body's tea balance is still too low. I'm getting a refill."

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>"I used to work at a place called Hagakure in Port Island. Taught me everything I know," Shinjiro says with a light smile.

But on the subject of magic, he does consider what she has to say about it improving lives. "...I'd hesitate too. But so many teenagers are involved in this. My peers... they deserve a chance to just live their life."

As Tamaki gets up to get tea, Shinjiro shifts. "Should I leave you to it, then?" Though on the subject of a balance... "I do agree. There's just... in my case, it's that it feels like I don't have the right to infringe on the living. I'm walking dead, after all."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki's eyes sparkle with keen interest when Shinjiro reveals his former workplace. "You did?! I've been there a couple of times! The special's ''so good''; you must be very capable if you learned from there."

Is she drooling? She might be drooling.

Tamaki nods at Shinjiro's mention of teenagers. "That's a big reason behind why I answered so quickly. My gut instinct is to slam that button down. I'm sick of seeing it happen so damn often." Karukozaka. Mikage-cho. Seven Sisters, Kasugayama, Gekkoukan, Shujin. Is she missing anything? (Why is it always ''high schools''?)

"It's not even limited to just teenagers, I saw a man probably twice your age Awaken and get further drawn into matters. He just wanted to live a regular life, and I ..." Tamaki trails off as she curls her fingers into a fist. That ... might actually be her fault, at least in part. That's definitely a mark in the 'push the button and undo magic' column.

"... that's one of the reasons I don't talk much about what I went through five years ago. I wouldn't wish this on anyone. I even kept the guy I was dating for a while in the dark."

As Shinjiro asks if he should leave, "Oh! Uh -- " Tamaki peeks her head back out of the kitchenette. "Hold on, actually, change of plans." She emerges again. "Let me at least see you off. And ... I could stand to get some -- " ''What time is it.'' "-- Breakfast. I'm ... assuming you've already eaten, but can I at least trouble you for your thoughts on what I should get?"

At his insistence that he doesn't want to infringe, Tamaki ''scoffs''. "Screw it. Infringe all you want. We're all the walking dead, just to varying extents. The way I see it, you're just a bit further ahead on the road than the rest of us."

She puts on her jacket and opens the door, choosing to walk out herself. "C'mon, let's make this day a good one. Whattaya say?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>"Yeah. Chef taught me himself. I'll bring you something I've made next time I'm coming to the area," Shinjiro decides spontaneously.

"I don't blame you. We all keep our secrets, for ourselves and for others." He has things he hasn't told her tonight, too.

"Sure," he says, standing up. But, there's a pause. "We're all the walking dead, huh... wish it felt that way, but I get your point."

But then, there's a small grin, pushing past the uncertainty. "Yeah. I guess not every day has to suck. ...if I decide to go after him, I'll let you know before I do anything," he reassures Tamaki. And then he'll help her decide breakfast! After pulling up a search engine to see what's all in Aoba. (He usually frequents Hirasaka, after all.)
</poem>

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

2026-01-05: World of Envy

2026-01-06T19:11:46Z

Terra: fixing some formatting and inconsistent tense

*'''Cutscene: World of Envy'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Tamaki Uchida]], Reiko Akanezawa, Ideo Hazama, Yumi Shirakawa, Shinji ‘Charlie’ Kuroi, Akira Miyamoto, "Lilith"
*'''Where:''' Karukozaka High School, Shinjuku Ward
*'''OOC Date:''' 2026-01-05
*'''IC Date:''' 2007-10-??
*'''Summary''': ''Tamaki and Reiko journey through Ideo Hazama's newfound 'empire.' They reach the fourth strange world and are soon faced with their next trial.''
*'''Content Warnings''': ''Death by poisoning.''
----
<poem>

''(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iupkH9zvJA8 Game Over - SMT if... OST)''

An October that never ends. Time remains frozen in this place.

Tamaki Uchida has, once again, woken up in the hallways of the first floor of this distorted mirror version of Karukozaka High School.

It is far from the first time, and it will be far from the last.
----

The front doors of the school no longer allowed passage. Even when unlocked and open, passage through is impossible. The very air outside of the school felt entirely solid.

(Tamaki would later recognize this phenomenon during the Mikage-cho incident, but that's in a couple more years' time.)

Here, most of the students and teachers have managed to barricade themselves in relative safety in club and faculty rooms. The upper floors have Demons roaming about, as do the passages out to the gym and beyond. The occasional lone stray Fairy or Jack Frost makes its way past the defenses, but their temperaments are lighter and they are, more often than not, easy enough to turn back around after satisfying them with some form of play or gift.

The Demons to ''really'' worry about were the ones which remain further from the confines of safety, closer to the gym and beyond: beasts of legend, mythical figures from folk tales and history alike, demons written about in occult tomes, divine beings from the planes above. They were all manner of strange and terrifying entities, spun from the stories humanity tells itself, coalesced from mind into matter.

The gym now leads to a stone hallway and an expanse of doors, each one leading to strange realms according to the inscription carved above them. These were the worlds which Tamaki had explored, with the help of her fellow first-year, Reiko Akanezawa.
----

Before the school had been sealed off from the rest of existence, most of Reiko’s peers had considered her cold and intimidating. She was an honor roll student with a mature temperament, and she made no trouble for her teachers, but she had always kept quiet and distant from the rest of her classmates. At times, it seemed to them like she bore some grudge against them, but no one could recall having done anything to her, so most of them dismissed the feeling.

When Ideo Hazama (the self-proclaimed 'Deity Emperor') had plunged the school into a Demon-filled purgatory of his making, it was Reiko who had sought out Tamaki. Reiko had seen that Tamaki had been asking others for help in figuring out some way out of their shared predicament. Others had ability on-par with Tamaki’s, but not the attitude.

Yumi Shirakawa may have appeared kind-hearted on the surface and wanted to return the entire school to normal, but she simply did not vibe with people who failed to neatly fit in with societal expectations. Yumi, notably, had let the feeling that Reiko held some grudge get under her skin. Behind Reiko’s back, she had called her a ‘stuck-up princess.’

Shinji ‘Charlie’ Kuroi was, on the other hand, a wild child who deliberately went against the grain. It wasn’t his criminal convictions that had disqualified him in Reiko’s assessment, but his selfishness. Unlike Yumi, Charlie had a ‘fuck you, got mine’ mentality, and he was simply looking to save his own skin.

Akira Miyamoto had designs of his own and no desire to return to the real world. It would simply be impossible for him and Reiko to work together.

From what Reiko had witnessed of Tamaki in their first semester together, she struck the right balance of characteristics: strength of mind and body as evidenced by her good grades and performance in the fencing club, the desire for overall social stability, and the compassion to reach out to those ostracized by their peers.

After Tamaki had asked high and low, running from room to room on the first floor while asking anyone and everyone she came across for help, Reiko saw her moment.

Before Tamaki could get to Yumi. Before she could get to Charlie. Before she could get to Akira. Now was the time.

Reiko slowly opened the doors from the Music Club room and beckoned for Tamaki to come closer.

“Akanezawa-san?” Tamaki’s eyes widened in surprise. She could scarcely believe it. The person she had figured as one of the least likely to cooperate with her had asked ''her'' for help, while everyone else she had asked had been too shell-shocked or selfish to do so.

Upon Tamaki’s approach, Reiko told her, “I know who's behind all of this, and I have an idea of what we're going to have to do.”

Reiko hesitated as she once again went over the possibilities in her mind. She stuck her head out of the door and gave each side of the hallway a nervous glance before she returned her focus to Tamaki. She stared at her pleadingly while she searched for her own voice once again.

Having finally once again found it, Reiko implored Tamaki, “You're the only one I think will be able to help. So please, give me a hand!”

----

Tamaki Uchida has, for the ''first'' time, woken up in the hallways of the first floor of this distorted mirror version of Karukozaka High School,

<div style="text-align: center;">entirely alone.</div>

For the first time since they had teamed up, Reiko was no longer with her.

It would not be the last.

----

Together, Tamaki and Reiko had ventured beyond safety and into the gym. There, they found a formidable Demon: Melusine, a serpentine spirit of fresh water, said to be found in sacred springs and rivers. Upon Melusine’s defeat, she faded away and left behind a ring: a simple copper band. Carved on the inside of the ring was a single word: ''humility.''

In the center of the gym was a newly-erected doorway, its foul energy leaking into the school. Presumably, this was the source of what had kept them trapped here.

The pair entered this door and had soon found themselves in a different realm – not separate from the school, but now ''connected'' to it, now a part of it. Before them, they saw what appeared to be an ancient tomb, its imposing structures carved out of stone in some design both alien and familiar. The layout of this place consisted of a circular hallway with multiple closed doors on the outer wall and a large pillar in the center.

Inscribed above each doorway was the title and description of what existed beyond:

<div style="text-align: center;">
BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF PRIDE
FOR THOSE FOOLISH ENOUGH TO RELY SOLELY ON THEIR OWN STRENGTH.
MAY YOU CEASELESSLY PERISH UNTIL YOU TRULY COME TO UNDERSTAND JUST HOW INADEQUATE YOU ARE.

BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF GLUTTONY
FOR THE EXCESSIVELY RAVENOUS WHO CONTINUE TO CONSUME FAR BEYOND THE POINT OF NECESSITY.
MAY YOU BE CONSUMED BY ONE WITH AN APPETITE GREATER THAN YOUR OWN.

BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF SLOTH
FOR THOSE CAPABLE WHO DO NOTHING EVEN IN TIMES OF IMPENDING CRISIS.
MAY YOU TOIL FOREVERMORE UNTIL YOUR SOUL BREAKS FROM THE TEDIUM YOU PLACED ON THOSE WHO TOOK ON YOUR BURDENS.

BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF ENVY
FOR THOSE WHO TAKE THEIR OWN BONDS FOR GRANTED AND ARE BLIND TO THE DESIRES OF OTHERS.
MAY YOU WANDER ALONE BEREFT OF COMPANY.

BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF GREED
FOR THOSE WITH HOLLOW HEARTS WHO AMASS WEALTH UPON WEALTH YET REMAIN UNSATISFIED.
MAY ITS LUSTER NEVER ILLUMINATE THE EMPTY DARKNESS WITHIN YOURSELF.
</div>

The Worlds of Wrath and Lust had inscriptions containing only their title, but no doorways and no description. Perhaps they were under construction … or the contents of the hallway were more tailor-made for its visitors.

----

“Sooo … you said you know what we have to do? Do you have any idea what this occult stuff is about?” As they both stood in the stone hallway, Tamaki inquisitively looked up at Reiko and waited for her answer. Given how stand-offish Reiko usually was, it made sense to Tamaki that her classmate might have some odd interests no one knows about.

Unfortunately, Reiko was just as bewildered as she was. “Eh?! What? I mean, I do, but in more of an abstract sense. Closer to the end of things.” Reiko’s eyes bounced from door to door to Tamaki to door to Tamaki again as her nervousness grew. “I don’t know what any of … ''this'' … is about.” She trailed off as she admitted, “I don’t know the way to reach there …”

Reiko peered up at the hallway and continued. “... but this place is like a temple. It’s like Hazama to build something like this.”

A look of confusion appeared on Tamaki’s face. “Huh. Okay, then.” Unsatisfied with that line of inquiry, she turned her attention to her environment. She paced around the hallway and read the inscriptions above each door. After having completed a lap, she commented to Reiko, “Well, these are all cardinal sins, at least according to some western religious ideas. If they’re ‘locked’ by a sin, then maybe the ‘key’ has something to do with the corresponding virtue?”

Reiko nodded at Tamaki’s reasoning, then retrieved the ''humility-''inscribed ring from her bag. “Then this one unlocks the door about pride, right?”

Tamaki looked up to read the inscription above the door to the World of Pride, then turned back to Reiko to confidently beam at her. “Yeah! Give it a shot!”

Reiko stepped in front of the door to the World of Pride, the ring held in both of her hands, and concentrated. She felt the ring lift into midair of its own accord. At the same time, the door’s stone slab and the ring began to exude light – moments later, they vanished into a mist of bright motes.

As their way forward had been cleared, Tamaki broke out into triumphant laughter, her voice ringing through the stone hallway. She turned to Reiko with a bright grin and proclaimed, “I don’t think we have to worry about the warning, either. We aren’t alone, we’ve got each other!”

Reiko paused to peer at Tamaki curiously before she replied. Her blank expression broke out into a timid smile, and she answered, “Yes. We certainly do. It’s a shame no one else wanted to help, but you did ask around first …” Tamaki noticed Reiko’s hesitation, but she had attributed this to a notion that Reiko had still been in the middle of finding her own resolve until Tamaki’s had shone brightly enough to reach her.

A grinning Tamaki grabbed Reiko by the hand and pulled her forward as she ran. “C’mon! We’ve got this!”

----
Eventually, Tamaki and Reiko had made their way through the Worlds of Pride, Gluttony, and Sloth. Each of them held their own challenge and punishment. Pride did, indeed, require the cooperation of more than one person. Gluttony and Sloth seemed to instead be designed for other people within the school – Gluttony for the faculty, Sloth for the students – and Tamaki and Reiko rescued the others from their torment.

Prior to Tamaki’s most recent re-awakening in front of the nurse’s office, they had begun exploring the World of Envy. Most of the mazelike passages were blanketed in thick fog, and no matter how they tried to track their steps and form a map of the area as they went, the walls defied the conventional laws of physics. They wandered blind for what had seemed like ages, but miraculously, they had managed to remain together until the fog before them had faded.

At the sight of the walls of the World of Envy – literally anything besides fog would have done – Tamaki collapsed to crawl on the ground and cried grateful tears of laughter and relief. “Thank goodness ..! I was going to go crazy in there, hahaha … how are you holding up, Reiko-chan?”

Reiko stood beside her, but she remained silent as her eyes remained transfixed on another person in front of them. A boy, one of their upperclassmen, stood in the hallway in front of them. He reached a hand forward and called out, “Reiko! I’m so glad you’re safe. Come here, and let me watch over you now.”

Tamaki wiped away the moisture from her eyes, and her smile flattened into a skeptic look at the boy. “Hey, how did he get here? I thought we were the only ones who had gotten this far – ”

Reiko’s feet slowly drifted forwards towards the boy, the object of her affections. Her body slackened, and the light had faded from her eyes. Tamaki’s voice rose in alarm as she hurriedly stood up. “Reiko-chan?! ''Reiko?!'' What’s with you – ”

Reiko coldly turned back to Tamaki. “I don’t need you anymore. I’m satisfied with him.”

Tamaki stood in stunned silence. She couldn’t bring herself to speak. She could scarcely believe what she was hearing. She felt something burn in her heart.

Reiko continued. “You’re a girl. What will you do for me? Will you protect me the same way he does? Will you show me the same kindness?”

Tamaki started to protest. “I have done nothing ''but'' – you were the one that asked ''me'' to come along! We’ve come so far!”

Reiko silently stared at Tamaki in the same manner that she had done so many times before. Probing. Searching. Testing. What Tamaki had mistaken for appreciation had, in reality, been disappointment. “You haven’t done what’s most important to me. I may have made you come with me, and I had hoped you would prove to be up to the task before us, but …”

<div style="text-align: center;">“I’m done with you now.”</div>

The words crushed Tamaki’s spirit like a pile of bricks had fallen on it. She boggled incredulously at Reiko. That didn’t feel to her like some cruel thing Hazama had put in Reiko’s mouth as part of some teenage boy’s idea of a mind game.

It felt like she had ''meant it''.

The handsome boy stepped forward and brushed aside his hair to reveal his smug self-aggrandizing smirk. His appearance was different, but his voice was that of the ‘Deity Emperor’ responsible for trapping the school in this realm. “You've got me quite entertained. It's beautiful to see two friends helping each other, but I'll show you how brittle and fleeting the bonds between humans are!”

His eyes began to glow yellow as his face contorted, and his body melted into amorphous dark ichor before reforming into an androgynous woman, unclothed save for the large snake coiled around her body. This Shadow wore the guise of the Demon Lilith, but Tamaki didn’t know the distinction.

All Tamaki had cared for at that moment was Reiko.

“What did you ''do'' to her, you ..!” Righteous fury growing inside her, Tamaki rushed forward to Lilith and brandished her sword, the two-headed form of her Persona manifesting beside her: Janus, Roman god of duality and doorways.

The corners of Lilith’s mouth turned upwards into a malicious knowing grin.

In her haste, Tamaki failed to notice the snake wrapped around Lilith uncoil. It struck, sinking its fangs into her and sending its venom coursing through her veins.

In truth, this snake had bitten Tamaki long, long ago.

“Foolish girl,” Lilith cooed. “It’s so unbecoming for you two young ladies to fight over me. Alas, I chose ''her'', not ''you''.”

Tamaki’s advance slowed to a stop and she doubled over in pain, but still stood for a few moments more. She turned her head up to sneer at Lilith and the entranced Reiko through vision growing more blurred and dark by the moment. She was no stranger to her own death by now, and her expression was not of shock, but of stubborn defiance.

In-between ragged breaths, Tamaki struggled to reply and could only coarsely whisper through a grimace and grit teeth, “What – the hell – are you talking about ..?” Lilith’s claim made no sense to her: the Shadow spoke as if Tamaki was envious of ''Reiko''.

Lilith reared her head back, and her confidence faded for a brief moment. “I had it wrong?” She peered more closely at Tamaki, and having discerned something, she leaned forward again with keen interest and a cold smile. “Ohh? Jealousy ''does'' still cloud your heart, after all. I see, I ''see''. How hilarious!”

In her last moments, this incarnation of Tamaki remained silent until she collapsed and her body succumbed. Lilith’s raucous laughter echoed through the golden stone hallways of the World of Envy.

----

Tamaki Uchida has, once again, woken up in the hallways of the first floor of this distorted mirror version of Karukozaka High School.

It was far from the first time, and it will be far from the last.

Unusually, Reiko was not with her anymore. She was, as she said, “done with her.”

Strangely, Tamaki still felt some burning in her veins, even though the poison from Lilith’s snake no longer coursed through them. She sat up against the wall and pulled her knees close to her chest. Out of habit, Tamaki held the necklace of coins around her neck.

This string of coins is otherwise known as a ''rokumonsen'' as per Buddhist funerary custom, symbolizing the fee paid to the ferryman in payment for transit across the Sanzu River. Just as it appeared in the dreams she had each time she died, this was - and still is - the item which her Guide had imbued with the power to summon her Persona.

Janus did not appear. In his place instead was a white horse with a spiral horn protruding from its forehead: the mythical Unicorn, a steed which lets pure-hearted humans ride it and whose touch is said to cleanse poison.

The fact that it was different from Janus was no surprise to her by now. A new cycle of death and rebirth in this Deity Emperor’s expanse sometimes means a new Persona. Each time, she was shattered and reforged, unmade and remade anew.

What ''did'' surprise her was that she had once had Unicorn as her Persona before Janus. She had regressed. She had backslid. She had grown ''weaker'', not stronger. Not only did this mean that she would have to find her way back to Lilith alone, she would have to do so at an even greater disadvantage than when she had initially entered the halls of the World of Envy with Reiko.

At this realization, Tamaki leaned her head back to hit the wall with a forceful ''thud.'' She didn’t relish the thought of the hardships placed before her.

<div style="text-align: center;">''What hope do I possibly have now?''</div>

Tamaki’s face contorted into some expression inscrutable to herself. She didn’t want to think about what she’s feeling. She didn’t want to be conscious of it. She wanted to put it as far away from her mind as possible.

In one moment, Unicorn vanished into thin air as Tamaki pulled the six-coined necklace off from her neck.

In the next, she hurled it against the far wall of the faculty hallway. The coins clattered loudly and landed to the floor, leaving a dent in the wall where they struck.

For the next few hours, Tamaki simply sat there with her head bent down into her arms and knees, and she could only barely manage to muffle her sobs.

The World of Envy had been squarely meant for her, and it had struck unerringly true in the heart of its intended target.

</poem>

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

2026-01-05: World of Envy

2026-01-06T04:32:47Z

Terra: correcting an instance of calling Lilith a Demon instead of a Shadow

*'''Cutscene: World of Envy'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Tamaki Uchida]], Reiko Akanezawa, Ideo Hazama, Yumi Shirakawa, Shinji ‘Charlie’ Kuroi, Akira Miyamoto, "Lilith"
*'''Where:''' Karukozaka High School, Shinjuku Ward
*'''OOC Date:''' 2026-01-05
*'''IC Date:''' 2007-10-??
*'''Summary''': ''Tamaki and Reiko journey through Ideo Hazama's newfound 'empire.' They reach the fourth strange world and are soon faced with their next trial.''
*'''Content Warnings''': ''Death by poisoning.''
----
<poem>

''(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iupkH9zvJA8 Game Over - SMT if... OST)''

An October that never ends. Time remains frozen in this place.

Tamaki Uchida has, once again, woken up in the hallways of the first floor of this distorted mirror version of Karukozaka High School.

It is far from the first time, and it will be far from the last.
----

The front doors of the school no longer allowed passage. Even when unlocked and open, passage through is impossible. The very air outside of the school felt entirely solid.

(Tamaki would later recognize this phenomenon during the Mikage-cho incident, but that's in a couple more years' time.)

Here, most of the students and teachers have managed to barricade themselves in relative safety in club and faculty rooms. The upper floors have Demons roaming about, as do the passages out to the gym and beyond. The occasional lone stray Fairy or Jack Frost makes its way past the defenses, but their temperaments are lighter and they are, more often than not, easy enough to turn back around after satisfying them with some form of play or gift.

The Demons to ''really'' worry about were the ones which remain further from the confines of safety, closer to the gym and beyond: beasts of legend, mythical figures from folk tales and history alike, demons written about in occult tomes, divine beings from the planes above. They were all manner of strange and terrifying entities, spun from the stories humanity tells itself, coalesced from mind into matter.

The gym now leads to a stone hallway and an expanse of doors, each one leading to strange realms according to the inscription carved above them. These were the worlds which Tamaki had explored, with the help of her fellow first-year, Reiko Akanezawa.
----

Before the school had been sealed off from the rest of existence, most of Reiko’s peers had considered her cold and intimidating. She was an honor roll student with a mature temperament, and she made no trouble for her teachers, but she had always kept quiet and distant from the rest of her classmates. At times, it seemed to them like she bore some grudge against them, but no one could recall having done anything to her, so most of them dismissed the feeling.

When the self-proclaimed ‘Divine Emperor’ had plunged the school into a Demon-filled purgatory of his making, it was Reiko who had sought out Tamaki. Reiko had seen that Tamaki had been asking others for help in figuring out some way out of their shared predicament. Others had ability on-par with Tamaki’s, but not the attitude.

Yumi Shirakawa may have appeared kind-hearted on the surface and wanted to return the entire school to normal, but she simply did not vibe with people who failed to neatly fit in with societal expectations. Yumi, notably, had let the feeling that Reiko held some grudge get under her skin. Behind Reiko’s back, she had called her a ‘stuck-up princess.’

Shinji ‘Charlie’ Kuroi was, on the other hand, a wild child who deliberately went against the grain. It wasn’t his criminal convictions that had disqualified him in Reiko’s assessment, but his selfishness. Unlike Yumi, Charlie had a ‘fuck you, got mine’ mentality, and he was simply looking to save his own skin.

Akira Miyamoto had designs of his own and no desire to return to the real world. It would simply be impossible for him and Reiko to work together.

From what Reiko had witnessed of Tamaki in their first semester together, she struck the right balance of characteristics: strength of mind and body as evidenced by her good grades and performance in the fencing club, the desire for overall social stability, and the compassion to reach out to those ostracized by their peers.

After Tamaki had asked high and low, running from room to room on the first floor, asking anyone and everyone she came across for help, Reiko saw her moment.

Before Tamaki could get to Yumi. Before she could get to Charlie. Before she could get to Akira. Now was the time.

Reiko slowly opened the doors from the Music Club room and beckoned for Tamaki to come closer.

“Akanezawa-san?” Tamaki’s eyes widened in surprise. She could scarcely believe it. The person she had figured as one of the least likely to cooperate with her had asked ''her'' for help, while everyone else she had asked had been too shell-shocked or selfish to do so.

Upon Tamaki’s approach, Reiko told her, “I know who's behind all of this, and I have an idea of what we're going to have to do.”

Reiko hesitated as she once again went over the possibilities in her mind. She stuck her head out of the door and gave each side of the hallway a nervous glance before she returned her focus to Tamaki. She stared at her pleadingly while she searched for her own voice once again.

Having finally once again found it, Reiko implored Tamaki, “You're the only one I think will be able to help. So please, give me a hand!”

----

Tamaki Uchida has, for the ''first'' time, woken up in the hallways of the first floor of this distorted mirror version of Karukozaka High School,

<div style="text-align: center;">entirely alone.</div>

For the first time since they had teamed up, Reiko was no longer with her.

It would not be the last.

----

Together, Tamaki and Reiko had ventured beyond safety and into the gym. There, they found a formidable Demon: Melusine, a serpentine spirit of fresh water, said to be found in sacred springs and rivers. Upon Melusine’s defeat, she faded away and left behind a ring: a simple copper band. Carved on the inside of the ring was a single word: ''humility.''

In the center of the gym was a newly-erected doorway, its foul energy leaking into the school. Presumably, this was the source of what had kept them trapped here.

The pair entered this door and had soon found themselves in a different realm – not separate from the school, but now ''connected'' to it, now a part of it. Before them, they saw what appeared to be an ancient tomb, its imposing structures carved out of stone in some design both alien and familiar. The layout of this place consisted of a circular hallway with multiple closed doors on the outer wall and a large pillar in the center.

Inscribed above each doorway was the title and description of what existed beyond:

<div style="text-align: center;">BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF PRIDE
FOR THOSE FOOLISH ENOUGH TO RELY SOLELY ON THEIR OWN STRENGTH.
MAY YOU CEASELESSLY PERISH UNTIL YOU TRULY COME TO UNDERSTAND JUST HOW INADEQUATE YOU ARE.

BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF GLUTTONY
FOR THE EXCESSIVELY RAVENOUS WHO CONTINUE TO CONSUME FAR BEYOND THE POINT OF NECESSITY.
MAY YOU BE CONSUMED BY ONE WITH AN APPETITE GREATER THAN YOUR OWN.

BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF SLOTH
FOR THOSE CAPABLE WHO DO NOTHING EVEN IN TIMES OF IMPENDING CRISIS.
MAY YOU TOIL FOREVERMORE UNTIL YOUR SOUL BREAKS FROM THE TEDIUM YOU PLACED ON THOSE WHO TOOK ON YOUR BURDENS.

BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF ENVY
FOR THOSE WHO TAKE THEIR OWN BONDS FOR GRANTED AND ARE BLIND TO THE DESIRES OF OTHERS.
MAY YOU WANDER ALONE BEREFT OF COMPANY.

BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF GREED
FOR THOSE WITH HOLLOW HEARTS WHO AMASS WEALTH UPON WEALTH YET REMAIN UNSATISFIED.
MAY ITS LUSTER NEVER ILLUMINATE THE EMPTY DARKNESS WITHIN YOURSELF.
</div>

The Worlds of Wrath and Lust had inscriptions containing only their title, but no doorways and no description. Perhaps they were under construction … or the contents of the hallway were more tailor-made for its visitors.

----

“Sooo … you said you know what we have to do? Do you have any idea what this occult stuff is about?” As they both stood in the stone hallway, Tamaki inquisitively looked up at Reiko and waited for her answer. Given how stand-offish Reiko usually was, it made sense to Tamaki that her classmate might have some odd interests no one knows about.

Unfortunately, Reiko was just as bewildered as she was. “Eh?! What? I mean, I do, but in more of an abstract sense. Closer to the end of things.” Reiko’s eyes bounced from door to door to Tamaki to door to Tamaki again as her nervousness grew. “I don’t know what any of … ''this'' … is about.” She trailed off as she admitted, “I don’t know the way to reach there …”

Reiko peered up at the hallway and continued. “... but this place is like a temple. It’s like Hazama to build something like this.”

A look of confusion appeared on Tamaki’s face. “Huh. Okay, then.” Unsatisfied with that line of inquiry, she turned her attention to her environment. She paced around the hallway and read the inscriptions above each door. After having completed a lap, she commented to Reiko, “Well, these are all cardinal sins, at least according to some western religious ideas. If they’re ‘locked’ by a sin, then maybe the ‘key’ has something to do with the corresponding virtue?”

Reiko nodded at Tamaki’s reasoning, then retrieved the ''humility-''inscribed ring from her bag. “Then this one unlocks the door about pride, right?”

Tamaki looked up to read the inscription above the door to the World of Pride, then turned back to Reiko to confidently beam at her. “Yeah! Give it a shot!”

Reiko stepped in front of the door to the World of Pride, the ring held in both of her hands, and concentrated. She felt the ring lift into midair of its own accord. At the same time, the door’s stone slab and the ring began to exude light – moments later, they vanished into a mist of bright motes.

As their way forward had been cleared, Tamaki broke out into triumphant laughter, her voice ringing through the stone hallway. She turned to Reiko with a bright grin and proclaimed, “I don’t think we have to worry about the warning, either. We aren’t alone, we’ve got each other!”

Reiko paused to peer at Tamaki curiously before she replied. Her blank expression broke out into a timid smile, and she answered, “Yes. We certainly do. It’s a shame no one else wanted to help, but you did ask around first …” Tamaki noticed Reiko’s hesitation, but she had attributed this to a notion that Reiko had still been in the middle of finding her own resolve until Tamaki’s had shone brightly enough to reach her.

A grinning Tamaki grabbed Reiko by the hand and pulled her forward as she ran. “C’mon! We’ve got this!”

----
Eventually, Tamaki and Reiko had made their way through the Worlds of Pride, Gluttony, and Sloth. Each of them held their own challenge and punishment. Pride did, indeed, require the cooperation of more than one person. Gluttony and Sloth seemed to instead be designed for other people within the school – Gluttony for the faculty, Sloth for the students – and Tamaki and Reiko rescued the others from their torment.

Prior to Tamaki’s most recent re-awakening in front of the nurse’s office, they had begun exploring the World of Envy. Most of the mazelike passages were blanketed in thick fog, and no matter how they tried to track their steps and form a map of the area as they went, the walls defied the conventional laws of physics. They wandered blind for what had seemed like ages, but miraculously, they had managed to remain together until the fog before them had faded.

At the sight of the walls of the World of Envy – literally anything besides fog would have done – Tamaki collapsed to crawl on the ground and cried grateful tears of laughter and relief. “Thank goodness ..! I was going to go crazy in there, hahaha … how are you holding up, Reiko-chan?”

Reiko stood beside her, but she remained silent as her eyes remained transfixed on another person in front of them. A boy, one of their upperclassmen, stood in the hallway in front of them. He reached a hand forward and called out, “Reiko! I’m so glad you’re safe. Come here, and let me watch over you now.”

Tamaki wiped away the moisture from her eyes, and her smile flattened into a skeptic look at the boy. “Hey, how did he get here? I thought we were the only ones who had gotten this far – ”

Reiko’s feet slowly drifted forwards towards the boy, the object of her affections. Her body slackened, and the light had faded from her eyes. Tamaki’s voice rose in alarm as she hurriedly stood up. “Reiko-chan?! ''Reiko?!'' What’s with you – ”

Reiko coldly turned back to Tamaki. “I don’t need you anymore. I’m satisfied with him.”

Tamaki stood in stunned silence. She couldn’t bring herself to speak. She could scarcely believe what she was hearing. She felt something burn in her heart.

Reiko continued. “You’re a girl. What will you do for me? Will you protect me the same way he does? Will you show me the same kindness?”

Tamaki started to protest. “I have done nothing ''but'' – you were the one that asked ''me'' to come along! We’ve come so far!”

Reiko silently stared at Tamaki in the same manner that she had done so many times before. Probing. Searching. Testing. What Tamaki had mistaken for appreciation had, in reality, been disappointment. “You haven’t done what’s most important to me. I may have made you come with me, and I had hoped you would prove to be up to the task before us, but …”

<div style="text-align: center;">“I’m done with you now.”</div>

The words crushed Tamaki’s spirit like a pile of bricks had fallen on it. She boggled incredulously at Reiko. That didn’t feel to her like some cruel thing Hazama had put in Reiko’s mouth as part of some teenage boy’s idea of a mind game.

It felt like she had ''meant it''.

The handsome boy stepped forward and brushed aside his hair to reveal his smug self-aggrandizing smirk. His appearance was different, but his voice was that of the ‘Deity Emperor’ responsible for trapping the school in this realm. “You've got me quite entertained. It's beautiful to see two friends helping each other, but I'll show you how brittle and fleeting the bonds between humans are!”

His eyes began to glow yellow as his face contorted, and his body melted into amorphous dark ichor before reforming into an androgynous woman, unclothed save for the large snake coiled around her body. This Shadow wore the guise of the Demon Lilith, but Tamaki didn’t know the distinction.

All Tamaki had cared for at that moment was Reiko.

“What did you ''do'' to her, you ..!” Righteous fury growing inside her, Tamaki rushed forward to Lilith and brandished her sword, the two-headed form of her Persona manifesting beside her: Janus, Roman god of duality and doorways.

The corners of Lilith’s mouth turned upwards into a malicious knowing grin.

In her haste, Tamaki failed to notice the snake wrapped around Lilith uncoil. It struck, sinking its fangs into her and sending its venom coursing through her veins.

In truth, this snake had bitten Tamaki long, long ago.

“Foolish girl,” Lilith cooed. “It’s so unbecoming for you two young ladies to fight over me. Alas, I chose ''her'', not ''you''.”

Tamaki’s advance slowed to a stop and she doubled over in pain, but still stood for a few moments more. She turned her head up to sneer at Lilith and the entranced Reiko through vision growing more blurred and dark by the moment. She was no stranger to her own death by now, and her expression was not of shock, but of stubborn defiance.

In-between ragged breaths, Tamaki struggled to reply and could only coarsely whisper through a grimace and grit teeth, “What – the hell – are you talking about ..?” Lilith’s claim made no sense to her: the Shadow spoke as if Tamaki was envious of ''Reiko''.

Lilith reared her head back, and her confidence faded for a brief moment. “I had it wrong?” She peered more closely at Tamaki, and having discerned something, she leaned forward again with keen interest and a cold smile. “Ohh? Jealousy ''does'' still cloud your heart, after all. I see, I ''see''. How hilarious!”

In her last moments, this incarnation of Tamaki remained silent until she collapsed and her body succumbed. Lilith’s raucous laughter echoed through the golden stone hallways of the World of Envy.

----

Tamaki Uchida has, once again, woken up in the hallways of the first floor of this distorted mirror version of Karukozaka High School.

It was far from the first time, and it will be far from the last.

Unusually, Reiko was not with her anymore. She was, as she said, “done with her.”

Strangely, Tamaki still felt some burning in her veins, even though the poison from Lilith’s snake no longer coursed through them. She sat up against the wall and pulled her knees close to her chest. Out of habit, Tamaki held the necklace of coins around her neck.

This string of coins is otherwise known as a ''rokumonsen'' as per Buddhist funerary custom, symbolizing the fee paid to the ferryman in payment for transit across the Sanzu River. Just as it appeared in the dreams she had each time she died, this is the item which her Guide had imbued with the power to summon her Persona.

Janus did not appear. In his place instead was a white horse with a spiral horn protruding from its forehead: the mythical Unicorn, a steed which lets pure-hearted humans ride it and whose touch is said to cleanse poison.

The fact that it was different from Janus was no surprise to her by now. A new cycle of death and rebirth in this Deity Emperor’s expanse sometimes means a new Persona. Each time, she was shattered and reforged, unmade and remade anew.

What ''did'' surprise her was that she had once had Unicorn as her Persona before Janus. She had regressed. She had backslid. She had grown ''weaker'', not stronger. Not only did this mean that she would have to find her way back to Lilith alone, she would have to do so at an even greater disadvantage than when she had initially entered the halls of the World of Envy with Reiko.

At this realization, Tamaki leaned her head back to hit the wall with a forceful ''thud.'' She didn’t relish the thought of the hardships placed before her.

<div style="text-align: center;">''What hope do I possibly have now?''</div>

Tamaki’s face contorted into some expression inscrutable to herself. She didn’t want to think about what she’s feeling. She didn’t want to be conscious of it. She wanted to put it as far away from her mind as possible.

In one moment, Unicorn vanished into thin air as Tamaki pulled the six-coined necklace off from her neck.

In the next, she hurled it against the far wall of the faculty hallway. The coins clatter loudly and land to the floor, leaving a dent in the wall where they struck.

For the next few hours, Tamaki simply sat there with her head bent down into her arms and knees, and she could only barely manage to muffle her sobs.

The World of Envy had been squarely meant for her, and it had struck unerringly true in the heart of its intended target.

</poem>

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

2026-01-05: World of Envy

2026-01-06T04:27:13Z

Terra: added the bgm link i forgot

*'''Cutscene: World of Envy'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Tamaki Uchida]], Reiko Akanezawa, Ideo Hazama, Yumi Shirakawa, Shinji ‘Charlie’ Kuroi, Akira Miyamoto, "Lilith"
*'''Where:''' Karukozaka High School, Shinjuku Ward
*'''OOC Date:''' 2026-01-05
*'''IC Date:''' 2007-10-??
*'''Summary''': ''Tamaki and Reiko journey through Ideo Hazama's newfound 'empire.' They reach the fourth strange world and are soon faced with their next trial.''
*'''Content Warnings''': ''Death by poisoning.''
----
<poem>

''(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iupkH9zvJA8 Game Over - SMT if... OST)''

An October that never ends. Time remains frozen in this place.

Tamaki Uchida has, once again, woken up in the hallways of the first floor of this distorted mirror version of Karukozaka High School.

It is far from the first time, and it will be far from the last.
----

The front doors of the school no longer allowed passage. Even when unlocked and open, passage through is impossible. The very air outside of the school felt entirely solid.

(Tamaki would later recognize this phenomenon during the Mikage-cho incident, but that's in a couple more years' time.)

Here, most of the students and teachers have managed to barricade themselves in relative safety in club and faculty rooms. The upper floors have Demons roaming about, as do the passages out to the gym and beyond. The occasional lone stray Fairy or Jack Frost makes its way past the defenses, but their temperaments are lighter and they are, more often than not, easy enough to turn back around after satisfying them with some form of play or gift.

The Demons to ''really'' worry about were the ones which remain further from the confines of safety, closer to the gym and beyond: beasts of legend, mythical figures from folk tales and history alike, demons written about in occult tomes, divine beings from the planes above. They were all manner of strange and terrifying entities, spun from the stories humanity tells itself, coalesced from mind into matter.

The gym now leads to a stone hallway and an expanse of doors, each one leading to strange realms according to the inscription carved above them. These were the worlds which Tamaki had explored, with the help of her fellow first-year, Reiko Akanezawa.
----

Before the school had been sealed off from the rest of existence, most of Reiko’s peers had considered her cold and intimidating. She was an honor roll student with a mature temperament, and she made no trouble for her teachers, but she had always kept quiet and distant from the rest of her classmates. At times, it seemed to them like she bore some grudge against them, but no one could recall having done anything to her, so most of them dismissed the feeling.

When the self-proclaimed ‘Divine Emperor’ had plunged the school into a Demon-filled purgatory of his making, it was Reiko who had sought out Tamaki. Reiko had seen that Tamaki had been asking others for help in figuring out some way out of their shared predicament. Others had ability on-par with Tamaki’s, but not the attitude.

Yumi Shirakawa may have appeared kind-hearted on the surface and wanted to return the entire school to normal, but she simply did not vibe with people who failed to neatly fit in with societal expectations. Yumi, notably, had let the feeling that Reiko held some grudge get under her skin. Behind Reiko’s back, she had called her a ‘stuck-up princess.’

Shinji ‘Charlie’ Kuroi was, on the other hand, a wild child who deliberately went against the grain. It wasn’t his criminal convictions that had disqualified him in Reiko’s assessment, but his selfishness. Unlike Yumi, Charlie had a ‘fuck you, got mine’ mentality, and he was simply looking to save his own skin.

Akira Miyamoto had designs of his own and no desire to return to the real world. It would simply be impossible for him and Reiko to work together.

From what Reiko had witnessed of Tamaki in their first semester together, she struck the right balance of characteristics: strength of mind and body as evidenced by her good grades and performance in the fencing club, the desire for overall social stability, and the compassion to reach out to those ostracized by their peers.

After Tamaki had asked high and low, running from room to room on the first floor, asking anyone and everyone she came across for help, Reiko saw her moment.

Before Tamaki could get to Yumi. Before she could get to Charlie. Before she could get to Akira. Now was the time.

Reiko slowly opened the doors from the Music Club room and beckoned for Tamaki to come closer.

“Akanezawa-san?” Tamaki’s eyes widened in surprise. She could scarcely believe it. The person she had figured as one of the least likely to cooperate with her had asked ''her'' for help, while everyone else she had asked had been too shell-shocked or selfish to do so.

Upon Tamaki’s approach, Reiko told her, “I know who's behind all of this, and I have an idea of what we're going to have to do.”

Reiko hesitated as she once again went over the possibilities in her mind. She stuck her head out of the door and gave each side of the hallway a nervous glance before she returned her focus to Tamaki. She stared at her pleadingly while she searched for her own voice once again.

Having finally once again found it, Reiko implored Tamaki, “You're the only one I think will be able to help. So please, give me a hand!”

----

Tamaki Uchida has, for the ''first'' time, woken up in the hallways of the first floor of this distorted mirror version of Karukozaka High School,

<div style="text-align: center;">entirely alone.</div>

For the first time since they had teamed up, Reiko was no longer with her.

It would not be the last.

----

Together, Tamaki and Reiko had ventured beyond safety and into the gym. There, they found a formidable Demon: Melusine, a serpentine spirit of fresh water, said to be found in sacred springs and rivers. Upon Melusine’s defeat, she faded away and left behind a ring: a simple copper band. Carved on the inside of the ring was a single word: ''humility.''

In the center of the gym was a newly-erected doorway, its foul energy leaking into the school. Presumably, this was the source of what had kept them trapped here.

The pair entered this door and had soon found themselves in a different realm – not separate from the school, but now ''connected'' to it, now a part of it. Before them, they saw what appeared to be an ancient tomb, its imposing structures carved out of stone in some design both alien and familiar. The layout of this place consisted of a circular hallway with multiple closed doors on the outer wall and a large pillar in the center.

Inscribed above each doorway was the title and description of what existed beyond:

<div style="text-align: center;">BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF PRIDE
FOR THOSE FOOLISH ENOUGH TO RELY SOLELY ON THEIR OWN STRENGTH.
MAY YOU CEASELESSLY PERISH UNTIL YOU TRULY COME TO UNDERSTAND JUST HOW INADEQUATE YOU ARE.

BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF GLUTTONY
FOR THE EXCESSIVELY RAVENOUS WHO CONTINUE TO CONSUME FAR BEYOND THE POINT OF NECESSITY.
MAY YOU BE CONSUMED BY ONE WITH AN APPETITE GREATER THAN YOUR OWN.

BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF SLOTH
FOR THOSE CAPABLE WHO DO NOTHING EVEN IN TIMES OF IMPENDING CRISIS.
MAY YOU TOIL FOREVERMORE UNTIL YOUR SOUL BREAKS FROM THE TEDIUM YOU PLACED ON THOSE WHO TOOK ON YOUR BURDENS.

BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF ENVY
FOR THOSE WHO TAKE THEIR OWN BONDS FOR GRANTED AND ARE BLIND TO THE DESIRES OF OTHERS.
MAY YOU WANDER ALONE BEREFT OF COMPANY.

BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF GREED
FOR THOSE WITH HOLLOW HEARTS WHO AMASS WEALTH UPON WEALTH YET REMAIN UNSATISFIED.
MAY ITS LUSTER NEVER ILLUMINATE THE EMPTY DARKNESS WITHIN YOURSELF.
</div>

The Worlds of Wrath and Lust had inscriptions containing only their title, but no doorways and no description. Perhaps they were under construction … or the contents of the hallway were more tailor-made for its visitors.

----

“Sooo … you said you know what we have to do? Do you have any idea what this occult stuff is about?” As they both stood in the stone hallway, Tamaki inquisitively looked up at Reiko and waited for her answer. Given how stand-offish Reiko usually was, it made sense to Tamaki that her classmate might have some odd interests no one knows about.

Unfortunately, Reiko was just as bewildered as she was. “Eh?! What? I mean, I do, but in more of an abstract sense. Closer to the end of things.” Reiko’s eyes bounced from door to door to Tamaki to door to Tamaki again as her nervousness grew. “I don’t know what any of … ''this'' … is about.” She trailed off as she admitted, “I don’t know the way to reach there …”

Reiko peered up at the hallway and continued. “... but this place is like a temple. It’s like Hazama to build something like this.”

A look of confusion appeared on Tamaki’s face. “Huh. Okay, then.” Unsatisfied with that line of inquiry, she turned her attention to her environment. She paced around the hallway and read the inscriptions above each door. After having completed a lap, she commented to Reiko, “Well, these are all cardinal sins, at least according to some western religious ideas. If they’re ‘locked’ by a sin, then maybe the ‘key’ has something to do with the corresponding virtue?”

Reiko nodded at Tamaki’s reasoning, then retrieved the ''humility-''inscribed ring from her bag. “Then this one unlocks the door about pride, right?”

Tamaki looked up to read the inscription above the door to the World of Pride, then turned back to Reiko to confidently beam at her. “Yeah! Give it a shot!”

Reiko stepped in front of the door to the World of Pride, the ring held in both of her hands, and concentrated. She felt the ring lift into midair of its own accord. At the same time, the door’s stone slab and the ring began to exude light – moments later, they vanished into a mist of bright motes.

As their way forward had been cleared, Tamaki broke out into triumphant laughter, her voice ringing through the stone hallway. She turned to Reiko with a bright grin and proclaimed, “I don’t think we have to worry about the warning, either. We aren’t alone, we’ve got each other!”

Reiko paused to peer at Tamaki curiously before she replied. Her blank expression broke out into a timid smile, and she answered, “Yes. We certainly do. It’s a shame no one else wanted to help, but you did ask around first …” Tamaki noticed Reiko’s hesitation, but she had attributed this to a notion that Reiko had still been in the middle of finding her own resolve until Tamaki’s had shone brightly enough to reach her.

A grinning Tamaki grabbed Reiko by the hand and pulled her forward as she ran. “C’mon! We’ve got this!”

----
Eventually, Tamaki and Reiko had made their way through the Worlds of Pride, Gluttony, and Sloth. Each of them held their own challenge and punishment. Pride did, indeed, require the cooperation of more than one person. Gluttony and Sloth seemed to instead be designed for other people within the school – Gluttony for the faculty, Sloth for the students – and Tamaki and Reiko rescued the others from their torment.

Prior to Tamaki’s most recent re-awakening in front of the nurse’s office, they had begun exploring the World of Envy. Most of the mazelike passages were blanketed in thick fog, and no matter how they tried to track their steps and form a map of the area as they went, the walls defied the conventional laws of physics. They wandered blind for what had seemed like ages, but miraculously, they had managed to remain together until the fog before them had faded.

At the sight of the walls of the World of Envy – literally anything besides fog would have done – Tamaki collapsed to crawl on the ground and cried grateful tears of laughter and relief. “Thank goodness ..! I was going to go crazy in there, hahaha … how are you holding up, Reiko-chan?”

Reiko stood beside her, but she remained silent as her eyes remained transfixed on another person in front of them. A boy, one of their upperclassmen, stood in the hallway in front of them. He reached a hand forward and called out, “Reiko! I’m so glad you’re safe. Come here, and let me watch over you now.”

Tamaki wiped away the moisture from her eyes, and her smile flattened into a skeptic look at the boy. “Hey, how did he get here? I thought we were the only ones who had gotten this far – ”

Reiko’s feet slowly drifted forwards towards the boy, the object of her affections. Her body slackened, and the light had faded from her eyes. Tamaki’s voice rose in alarm as she hurriedly stood up. “Reiko-chan?! ''Reiko?!'' What’s with you – ”

Reiko coldly turned back to Tamaki. “I don’t need you anymore. I’m satisfied with him.”

Tamaki stood in stunned silence. She couldn’t bring herself to speak. She could scarcely believe what she was hearing. She felt something burn in her heart.

Reiko continued. “You’re a girl. What will you do for me? Will you protect me the same way he does? Will you show me the same kindness?”

Tamaki started to protest. “I have done nothing ''but'' – you were the one that asked ''me'' to come along! We’ve come so far!”

Reiko silently stared at Tamaki in the same manner that she had done so many times before. Probing. Searching. Testing. What Tamaki had mistaken for appreciation had, in reality, been disappointment. “You haven’t done what’s most important to me. I may have made you come with me, and I had hoped you would prove to be up to the task before us, but …”

<div style="text-align: center;">“I’m done with you now.”</div>

The words crushed Tamaki’s spirit like a pile of bricks had fallen on it. She boggled incredulously at Reiko. That didn’t feel to her like some cruel thing Hazama had put in Reiko’s mouth as part of some teenage boy’s idea of a mind game.

It felt like she had ''meant it''.

The handsome boy stepped forward and brushed aside his hair to reveal his smug self-aggrandizing smirk. His appearance was different, but his voice was that of the ‘Deity Emperor’ responsible for trapping the school in this realm. “You've got me quite entertained. It's beautiful to see two friends helping each other, but I'll show you how brittle and fleeting the bonds between humans are!”

His eyes began to glow yellow as his face contorted, and his body melted into amorphous dark ichor before reforming into an androgynous woman, unclothed save for the large snake coiled around her body. This Shadow wore the guise of the Demon Lilith, but Tamaki didn’t know the distinction.

All Tamaki had cared for at that moment was Reiko.

“What did you ''do'' to her, you ..!” Righteous fury growing inside her, Tamaki rushed forward to Lilith and brandished her sword, the two-headed form of her Persona manifesting beside her: Janus, Roman god of duality and doorways.

The corners of Lilith’s mouth turned upwards into a malicious knowing grin.

In her haste, Tamaki failed to notice the snake wrapped around Lilith uncoil. It struck, sinking its fangs into her and sending its venom coursing through her veins.

In truth, this snake had bitten Tamaki long, long ago.

“Foolish girl,” Lilith cooed. “It’s so unbecoming for you two young ladies to fight over me. Alas, I chose ''her'', not ''you''.”

Tamaki’s advance slowed to a stop and she doubled over in pain, but still stood for a few moments more. She turned her head up to sneer at Lilith and the entranced Reiko through vision growing more blurred and dark by the moment. She was no stranger to her own death by now, and her expression was not of shock, but of stubborn defiance.

In-between ragged breaths, Tamaki struggled to reply and could only coarsely whisper through a grimace and grit teeth, “What – the hell – are you talking about ..?” Lilith’s claim made no sense to her: the Demon spoke as if Tamaki was envious of ''Reiko''.

Lilith reared her head back, and her confidence faded for a brief moment. “I had it wrong?” She peered more closely at Tamaki, and having discerned something, she leaned forward again with keen interest and a cold smile. “Ohh? Jealousy ''does'' still cloud your heart, after all. I see, I ''see''. How hilarious!”

In her last moments, this incarnation of Tamaki remained silent until she collapsed and her body succumbed. Lilith’s raucous laughter echoed through the golden stone hallways of the World of Envy.

----

Tamaki Uchida has, once again, woken up in the hallways of the first floor of this distorted mirror version of Karukozaka High School.

It was far from the first time, and it will be far from the last.

Unusually, Reiko was not with her anymore. She was, as she said, “done with her.”

Strangely, Tamaki still felt some burning in her veins, even though the poison from Lilith’s snake no longer coursed through them. She sat up against the wall and pulled her knees close to her chest. Out of habit, Tamaki held the necklace of coins around her neck.

This string of coins is otherwise known as a ''rokumonsen'' as per Buddhist funerary custom, symbolizing the fee paid to the ferryman in payment for transit across the Sanzu River. Just as it appeared in the dreams she had each time she died, this is the item which her Guide had imbued with the power to summon her Persona.

Janus did not appear. In his place instead was a white horse with a spiral horn protruding from its forehead: the mythical Unicorn, a steed which lets pure-hearted humans ride it and whose touch is said to cleanse poison.

The fact that it was different from Janus was no surprise to her by now. A new cycle of death and rebirth in this Deity Emperor’s expanse sometimes means a new Persona. Each time, she was shattered and reforged, unmade and remade anew.

What ''did'' surprise her was that she had once had Unicorn as her Persona before Janus. She had regressed. She had backslid. She had grown ''weaker'', not stronger. Not only did this mean that she would have to find her way back to Lilith alone, she would have to do so at an even greater disadvantage than when she had initially entered the halls of the World of Envy with Reiko.

At this realization, Tamaki leaned her head back to hit the wall with a forceful ''thud.'' She didn’t relish the thought of the hardships placed before her.

<div style="text-align: center;">''What hope do I possibly have now?''</div>

Tamaki’s face contorted into some expression inscrutable to herself. She didn’t want to think about what she’s feeling. She didn’t want to be conscious of it. She wanted to put it as far away from her mind as possible.

In one moment, Unicorn vanished into thin air as Tamaki pulled the six-coined necklace off from her neck.

In the next, she hurled it against the far wall of the faculty hallway. The coins clatter loudly and land to the floor, leaving a dent in the wall where they struck.

For the next few hours, Tamaki simply sat there with her head bent down into her arms and knees, and she could only barely manage to muffle her sobs.

The World of Envy had been squarely meant for her, and it had struck unerringly true in the heart of its intended target.

</poem>

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

2026-01-05: World of Envy

2026-01-06T04:26:32Z

Terra:

*'''Cutscene: World of Envy'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Tamaki Uchida]], Reiko Akanezawa, Ideo Hazama, Yumi Shirakawa, Shinji ‘Charlie’ Kuroi, Akira Miyamoto, "Lilith"
*'''Where:''' Karukozaka High School, Shinjuku Ward
*'''OOC Date:''' 2026-01-05
*'''IC Date:''' 2007-10-??
*'''Summary''': ''Tamaki and Reiko journey through Ideo Hazama's newfound 'empire.' They reach the fourth strange world and are soon faced with their next trial.''
*'''Content Warnings''': ''Death by poisoning.''
----
<poem>

(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iupkH9zvJA8 Game Over - SMT if... OST)

An October that never ends. Time remains frozen in this place.

Tamaki Uchida has, once again, woken up in the hallways of the first floor of this distorted mirror version of Karukozaka High School.

It is far from the first time, and it will be far from the last.
----

The front doors of the school no longer allowed passage. Even when unlocked and open, passage through is impossible. The very air outside of the school felt entirely solid.

(Tamaki would later recognize this phenomenon during the Mikage-cho incident, but that's in a couple more years' time.)

Here, most of the students and teachers have managed to barricade themselves in relative safety in club and faculty rooms. The upper floors have Demons roaming about, as do the passages out to the gym and beyond. The occasional lone stray Fairy or Jack Frost makes its way past the defenses, but their temperaments are lighter and they are, more often than not, easy enough to turn back around after satisfying them with some form of play or gift.

The Demons to ''really'' worry about were the ones which remain further from the confines of safety, closer to the gym and beyond: beasts of legend, mythical figures from folk tales and history alike, demons written about in occult tomes, divine beings from the planes above. They were all manner of strange and terrifying entities, spun from the stories humanity tells itself, coalesced from mind into matter.

The gym now leads to a stone hallway and an expanse of doors, each one leading to strange realms according to the inscription carved above them. These were the worlds which Tamaki had explored, with the help of her fellow first-year, Reiko Akanezawa.
----

Before the school had been sealed off from the rest of existence, most of Reiko’s peers had considered her cold and intimidating. She was an honor roll student with a mature temperament, and she made no trouble for her teachers, but she had always kept quiet and distant from the rest of her classmates. At times, it seemed to them like she bore some grudge against them, but no one could recall having done anything to her, so most of them dismissed the feeling.

When the self-proclaimed ‘Divine Emperor’ had plunged the school into a Demon-filled purgatory of his making, it was Reiko who had sought out Tamaki. Reiko had seen that Tamaki had been asking others for help in figuring out some way out of their shared predicament. Others had ability on-par with Tamaki’s, but not the attitude.

Yumi Shirakawa may have appeared kind-hearted on the surface and wanted to return the entire school to normal, but she simply did not vibe with people who failed to neatly fit in with societal expectations. Yumi, notably, had let the feeling that Reiko held some grudge get under her skin. Behind Reiko’s back, she had called her a ‘stuck-up princess.’

Shinji ‘Charlie’ Kuroi was, on the other hand, a wild child who deliberately went against the grain. It wasn’t his criminal convictions that had disqualified him in Reiko’s assessment, but his selfishness. Unlike Yumi, Charlie had a ‘fuck you, got mine’ mentality, and he was simply looking to save his own skin.

Akira Miyamoto had designs of his own and no desire to return to the real world. It would simply be impossible for him and Reiko to work together.

From what Reiko had witnessed of Tamaki in their first semester together, she struck the right balance of characteristics: strength of mind and body as evidenced by her good grades and performance in the fencing club, the desire for overall social stability, and the compassion to reach out to those ostracized by their peers.

After Tamaki had asked high and low, running from room to room on the first floor, asking anyone and everyone she came across for help, Reiko saw her moment.

Before Tamaki could get to Yumi. Before she could get to Charlie. Before she could get to Akira. Now was the time.

Reiko slowly opened the doors from the Music Club room and beckoned for Tamaki to come closer.

“Akanezawa-san?” Tamaki’s eyes widened in surprise. She could scarcely believe it. The person she had figured as one of the least likely to cooperate with her had asked ''her'' for help, while everyone else she had asked had been too shell-shocked or selfish to do so.

Upon Tamaki’s approach, Reiko told her, “I know who's behind all of this, and I have an idea of what we're going to have to do.”

Reiko hesitated as she once again went over the possibilities in her mind. She stuck her head out of the door and gave each side of the hallway a nervous glance before she returned her focus to Tamaki. She stared at her pleadingly while she searched for her own voice once again.

Having finally once again found it, Reiko implored Tamaki, “You're the only one I think will be able to help. So please, give me a hand!”

----

Tamaki Uchida has, for the ''first'' time, woken up in the hallways of the first floor of this distorted mirror version of Karukozaka High School,

<div style="text-align: center;">entirely alone.</div>

For the first time since they had teamed up, Reiko was no longer with her.

It would not be the last.

----

Together, Tamaki and Reiko had ventured beyond safety and into the gym. There, they found a formidable Demon: Melusine, a serpentine spirit of fresh water, said to be found in sacred springs and rivers. Upon Melusine’s defeat, she faded away and left behind a ring: a simple copper band. Carved on the inside of the ring was a single word: ''humility.''

In the center of the gym was a newly-erected doorway, its foul energy leaking into the school. Presumably, this was the source of what had kept them trapped here.

The pair entered this door and had soon found themselves in a different realm – not separate from the school, but now ''connected'' to it, now a part of it. Before them, they saw what appeared to be an ancient tomb, its imposing structures carved out of stone in some design both alien and familiar. The layout of this place consisted of a circular hallway with multiple closed doors on the outer wall and a large pillar in the center.

Inscribed above each doorway was the title and description of what existed beyond:

<div style="text-align: center;">BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF PRIDE
FOR THOSE FOOLISH ENOUGH TO RELY SOLELY ON THEIR OWN STRENGTH.
MAY YOU CEASELESSLY PERISH UNTIL YOU TRULY COME TO UNDERSTAND JUST HOW INADEQUATE YOU ARE.

BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF GLUTTONY
FOR THE EXCESSIVELY RAVENOUS WHO CONTINUE TO CONSUME FAR BEYOND THE POINT OF NECESSITY.
MAY YOU BE CONSUMED BY ONE WITH AN APPETITE GREATER THAN YOUR OWN.

BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF SLOTH
FOR THOSE CAPABLE WHO DO NOTHING EVEN IN TIMES OF IMPENDING CRISIS.
MAY YOU TOIL FOREVERMORE UNTIL YOUR SOUL BREAKS FROM THE TEDIUM YOU PLACED ON THOSE WHO TOOK ON YOUR BURDENS.

BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF ENVY
FOR THOSE WHO TAKE THEIR OWN BONDS FOR GRANTED AND ARE BLIND TO THE DESIRES OF OTHERS.
MAY YOU WANDER ALONE BEREFT OF COMPANY.

BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF GREED
FOR THOSE WITH HOLLOW HEARTS WHO AMASS WEALTH UPON WEALTH YET REMAIN UNSATISFIED.
MAY ITS LUSTER NEVER ILLUMINATE THE EMPTY DARKNESS WITHIN YOURSELF.
</div>

The Worlds of Wrath and Lust had inscriptions containing only their title, but no doorways and no description. Perhaps they were under construction … or the contents of the hallway were more tailor-made for its visitors.

----

“Sooo … you said you know what we have to do? Do you have any idea what this occult stuff is about?” As they both stood in the stone hallway, Tamaki inquisitively looked up at Reiko and waited for her answer. Given how stand-offish Reiko usually was, it made sense to Tamaki that her classmate might have some odd interests no one knows about.

Unfortunately, Reiko was just as bewildered as she was. “Eh?! What? I mean, I do, but in more of an abstract sense. Closer to the end of things.” Reiko’s eyes bounced from door to door to Tamaki to door to Tamaki again as her nervousness grew. “I don’t know what any of … ''this'' … is about.” She trailed off as she admitted, “I don’t know the way to reach there …”

Reiko peered up at the hallway and continued. “... but this place is like a temple. It’s like Hazama to build something like this.”

A look of confusion appeared on Tamaki’s face. “Huh. Okay, then.” Unsatisfied with that line of inquiry, she turned her attention to her environment. She paced around the hallway and read the inscriptions above each door. After having completed a lap, she commented to Reiko, “Well, these are all cardinal sins, at least according to some western religious ideas. If they’re ‘locked’ by a sin, then maybe the ‘key’ has something to do with the corresponding virtue?”

Reiko nodded at Tamaki’s reasoning, then retrieved the ''humility-''inscribed ring from her bag. “Then this one unlocks the door about pride, right?”

Tamaki looked up to read the inscription above the door to the World of Pride, then turned back to Reiko to confidently beam at her. “Yeah! Give it a shot!”

Reiko stepped in front of the door to the World of Pride, the ring held in both of her hands, and concentrated. She felt the ring lift into midair of its own accord. At the same time, the door’s stone slab and the ring began to exude light – moments later, they vanished into a mist of bright motes.

As their way forward had been cleared, Tamaki broke out into triumphant laughter, her voice ringing through the stone hallway. She turned to Reiko with a bright grin and proclaimed, “I don’t think we have to worry about the warning, either. We aren’t alone, we’ve got each other!”

Reiko paused to peer at Tamaki curiously before she replied. Her blank expression broke out into a timid smile, and she answered, “Yes. We certainly do. It’s a shame no one else wanted to help, but you did ask around first …” Tamaki noticed Reiko’s hesitation, but she had attributed this to a notion that Reiko had still been in the middle of finding her own resolve until Tamaki’s had shone brightly enough to reach her.

A grinning Tamaki grabbed Reiko by the hand and pulled her forward as she ran. “C’mon! We’ve got this!”

----
Eventually, Tamaki and Reiko had made their way through the Worlds of Pride, Gluttony, and Sloth. Each of them held their own challenge and punishment. Pride did, indeed, require the cooperation of more than one person. Gluttony and Sloth seemed to instead be designed for other people within the school – Gluttony for the faculty, Sloth for the students – and Tamaki and Reiko rescued the others from their torment.

Prior to Tamaki’s most recent re-awakening in front of the nurse’s office, they had begun exploring the World of Envy. Most of the mazelike passages were blanketed in thick fog, and no matter how they tried to track their steps and form a map of the area as they went, the walls defied the conventional laws of physics. They wandered blind for what had seemed like ages, but miraculously, they had managed to remain together until the fog before them had faded.

At the sight of the walls of the World of Envy – literally anything besides fog would have done – Tamaki collapsed to crawl on the ground and cried grateful tears of laughter and relief. “Thank goodness ..! I was going to go crazy in there, hahaha … how are you holding up, Reiko-chan?”

Reiko stood beside her, but she remained silent as her eyes remained transfixed on another person in front of them. A boy, one of their upperclassmen, stood in the hallway in front of them. He reached a hand forward and called out, “Reiko! I’m so glad you’re safe. Come here, and let me watch over you now.”

Tamaki wiped away the moisture from her eyes, and her smile flattened into a skeptic look at the boy. “Hey, how did he get here? I thought we were the only ones who had gotten this far – ”

Reiko’s feet slowly drifted forwards towards the boy, the object of her affections. Her body slackened, and the light had faded from her eyes. Tamaki’s voice rose in alarm as she hurriedly stood up. “Reiko-chan?! ''Reiko?!'' What’s with you – ”

Reiko coldly turned back to Tamaki. “I don’t need you anymore. I’m satisfied with him.”

Tamaki stood in stunned silence. She couldn’t bring herself to speak. She could scarcely believe what she was hearing. She felt something burn in her heart.

Reiko continued. “You’re a girl. What will you do for me? Will you protect me the same way he does? Will you show me the same kindness?”

Tamaki started to protest. “I have done nothing ''but'' – you were the one that asked ''me'' to come along! We’ve come so far!”

Reiko silently stared at Tamaki in the same manner that she had done so many times before. Probing. Searching. Testing. What Tamaki had mistaken for appreciation had, in reality, been disappointment. “You haven’t done what’s most important to me. I may have made you come with me, and I had hoped you would prove to be up to the task before us, but …”

<div style="text-align: center;">“I’m done with you now.”</div>

The words crushed Tamaki’s spirit like a pile of bricks had fallen on it. She boggled incredulously at Reiko. That didn’t feel to her like some cruel thing Hazama had put in Reiko’s mouth as part of some teenage boy’s idea of a mind game.

It felt like she had ''meant it''.

The handsome boy stepped forward and brushed aside his hair to reveal his smug self-aggrandizing smirk. His appearance was different, but his voice was that of the ‘Deity Emperor’ responsible for trapping the school in this realm. “You've got me quite entertained. It's beautiful to see two friends helping each other, but I'll show you how brittle and fleeting the bonds between humans are!”

His eyes began to glow yellow as his face contorted, and his body melted into amorphous dark ichor before reforming into an androgynous woman, unclothed save for the large snake coiled around her body. This Shadow wore the guise of the Demon Lilith, but Tamaki didn’t know the distinction.

All Tamaki had cared for at that moment was Reiko.

“What did you ''do'' to her, you ..!” Righteous fury growing inside her, Tamaki rushed forward to Lilith and brandished her sword, the two-headed form of her Persona manifesting beside her: Janus, Roman god of duality and doorways.

The corners of Lilith’s mouth turned upwards into a malicious knowing grin.

In her haste, Tamaki failed to notice the snake wrapped around Lilith uncoil. It struck, sinking its fangs into her and sending its venom coursing through her veins.

In truth, this snake had bitten Tamaki long, long ago.

“Foolish girl,” Lilith cooed. “It’s so unbecoming for you two young ladies to fight over me. Alas, I chose ''her'', not ''you''.”

Tamaki’s advance slowed to a stop and she doubled over in pain, but still stood for a few moments more. She turned her head up to sneer at Lilith and the entranced Reiko through vision growing more blurred and dark by the moment. She was no stranger to her own death by now, and her expression was not of shock, but of stubborn defiance.

In-between ragged breaths, Tamaki struggled to reply and could only coarsely whisper through a grimace and grit teeth, “What – the hell – are you talking about ..?” Lilith’s claim made no sense to her: the Demon spoke as if Tamaki was envious of ''Reiko''.

Lilith reared her head back, and her confidence faded for a brief moment. “I had it wrong?” She peered more closely at Tamaki, and having discerned something, she leaned forward again with keen interest and a cold smile. “Ohh? Jealousy ''does'' still cloud your heart, after all. I see, I ''see''. How hilarious!”

In her last moments, this incarnation of Tamaki remained silent until she collapsed and her body succumbed. Lilith’s raucous laughter echoed through the golden stone hallways of the World of Envy.

----

Tamaki Uchida has, once again, woken up in the hallways of the first floor of this distorted mirror version of Karukozaka High School.

It was far from the first time, and it will be far from the last.

Unusually, Reiko was not with her anymore. She was, as she said, “done with her.”

Strangely, Tamaki still felt some burning in her veins, even though the poison from Lilith’s snake no longer coursed through them. She sat up against the wall and pulled her knees close to her chest. Out of habit, Tamaki held the necklace of coins around her neck.

This string of coins is otherwise known as a ''rokumonsen'' as per Buddhist funerary custom, symbolizing the fee paid to the ferryman in payment for transit across the Sanzu River. Just as it appeared in the dreams she had each time she died, this is the item which her Guide had imbued with the power to summon her Persona.

Janus did not appear. In his place instead was a white horse with a spiral horn protruding from its forehead: the mythical Unicorn, a steed which lets pure-hearted humans ride it and whose touch is said to cleanse poison.

The fact that it was different from Janus was no surprise to her by now. A new cycle of death and rebirth in this Deity Emperor’s expanse sometimes means a new Persona. Each time, she was shattered and reforged, unmade and remade anew.

What ''did'' surprise her was that she had once had Unicorn as her Persona before Janus. She had regressed. She had backslid. She had grown ''weaker'', not stronger. Not only did this mean that she would have to find her way back to Lilith alone, she would have to do so at an even greater disadvantage than when she had initially entered the halls of the World of Envy with Reiko.

At this realization, Tamaki leaned her head back to hit the wall with a forceful ''thud.'' She didn’t relish the thought of the hardships placed before her.

<div style="text-align: center;">''What hope do I possibly have now?''</div>

Tamaki’s face contorted into some expression inscrutable to herself. She didn’t want to think about what she’s feeling. She didn’t want to be conscious of it. She wanted to put it as far away from her mind as possible.

In one moment, Unicorn vanished into thin air as Tamaki pulled the six-coined necklace off from her neck.

In the next, she hurled it against the far wall of the faculty hallway. The coins clatter loudly and land to the floor, leaving a dent in the wall where they struck.

For the next few hours, Tamaki simply sat there with her head bent down into her arms and knees, and she could only barely manage to muffle her sobs.

The World of Envy had been squarely meant for her, and it had struck unerringly true in the heart of its intended target.

</poem>

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

2026-01-05: World of Envy

2026-01-06T03:23:03Z

Terra:

*'''Cutscene: World of Envy'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Tamaki Uchida]], Reiko Akanezawa, Ideo Hazama, Yumi Shirakawa, Shinji ‘Charlie’ Kuroi, Akira Miyamoto, "Lilith"
*'''Where:''' Karukozaka High School, Shinjuku Ward
*'''OOC Date:''' 2026-01-05
*'''IC Date:''' 2007-10-??
*'''Summary''': ''Tamaki and Reiko journey through Ideo Hazama's newfound 'empire.' They reach the fourth strange world and are soon faced with their next trial.''
*'''Content Warnings''': ''Death by poisoning.''
----
<poem>

An October that never ends. Time remains frozen in this place.

Tamaki Uchida has, once again, woken up in the hallways of the first floor of this distorted mirror version of Karukozaka High School.

It is far from the first time, and it will be far from the last.
----

The front doors of the school no longer allowed passage. Even when unlocked and open, passage through is impossible. The very air outside of the school felt entirely solid.

(Tamaki would later recognize this phenomenon during the Mikage-cho incident, but that's in a couple more years' time.)

Here, most of the students and teachers have managed to barricade themselves in relative safety in club and faculty rooms. The upper floors have Demons roaming about, as do the passages out to the gym and beyond. The occasional lone stray Fairy or Jack Frost makes its way past the defenses, but their temperaments are lighter and they are, more often than not, easy enough to turn back around after satisfying them with some form of play or gift.

The Demons to ''really'' worry about were the ones which remain further from the confines of safety, closer to the gym and beyond: beasts of legend, mythical figures from folk tales and history alike, demons written about in occult tomes, divine beings from the planes above. They were all manner of strange and terrifying entities, spun from the stories humanity tells itself, coalesced from mind into matter.

The gym now leads to a stone hallway and an expanse of doors, each one leading to strange realms according to the inscription carved above them. These were the worlds which Tamaki had explored, with the help of her fellow first-year, Reiko Akanezawa.
----

Before the school had been sealed off from the rest of existence, most of Reiko’s peers had considered her cold and intimidating. She was an honor roll student with a mature temperament, and she made no trouble for her teachers, but she had always kept quiet and distant from the rest of her classmates. At times, it seemed to them like she bore some grudge against them, but no one could recall having done anything to her, so most of them dismissed the feeling.

When the self-proclaimed ‘Divine Emperor’ had plunged the school into a Demon-filled purgatory of his making, it was Reiko who had sought out Tamaki. Reiko had seen that Tamaki had been asking others for help in figuring out some way out of their shared predicament. Others had ability on-par with Tamaki’s, but not the attitude.

Yumi Shirakawa may have appeared kind-hearted on the surface and wanted to return the entire school to normal, but she simply did not vibe with people who failed to neatly fit in with societal expectations. Yumi, notably, had let the feeling that Reiko held some grudge get under her skin. Behind Reiko’s back, she had called her a ‘stuck-up princess.’

Shinji ‘Charlie’ Kuroi was, on the other hand, a wild child who deliberately went against the grain. It wasn’t his criminal convictions that had disqualified him in Reiko’s assessment, but his selfishness. Unlike Yumi, Charlie had a ‘fuck you, got mine’ mentality, and he was simply looking to save his own skin.

Akira Miyamoto had designs of his own and no desire to return to the real world. It would simply be impossible for him and Reiko to work together.

From what Reiko had witnessed of Tamaki in their first semester together, she struck the right balance of characteristics: strength of mind and body as evidenced by her good grades and performance in the fencing club, the desire for overall social stability, and the compassion to reach out to those ostracized by their peers.

After Tamaki had asked high and low, running from room to room on the first floor, asking anyone and everyone she came across for help, Reiko saw her moment.

Before Tamaki could get to Yumi. Before she could get to Charlie. Before she could get to Akira. Now was the time.

Reiko slowly opened the doors from the Music Club room and beckoned for Tamaki to come closer.

“Akanezawa-san?” Tamaki’s eyes widened in surprise. She could scarcely believe it. The person she had figured as one of the least likely to cooperate with her had asked ''her'' for help, while everyone else she had asked had been too shell-shocked or selfish to do so.

Upon Tamaki’s approach, Reiko told her, “I know who's behind all of this, and I have an idea of what we're going to have to do.”

Reiko hesitated as she once again went over the possibilities in her mind. She stuck her head out of the door and gave each side of the hallway a nervous glance before she returned her focus to Tamaki. She stared at her pleadingly while she searched for her own voice once again.

Having finally once again found it, Reiko implored Tamaki, “You're the only one I think will be able to help. So please, give me a hand!”

----

Tamaki Uchida has, for the ''first'' time, woken up in the hallways of the first floor of this distorted mirror version of Karukozaka High School,

<div style="text-align: center;">entirely alone.</div>

For the first time since they had teamed up, Reiko was no longer with her.

It would not be the last.

----

Together, Tamaki and Reiko had ventured beyond safety and into the gym. There, they found a formidable Demon: Melusine, a serpentine spirit of fresh water, said to be found in sacred springs and rivers. Upon Melusine’s defeat, she faded away and left behind a ring: a simple copper band. Carved on the inside of the ring was a single word: ''humility.''

In the center of the gym was a newly-erected doorway, its foul energy leaking into the school. Presumably, this was the source of what had kept them trapped here.

The pair entered this door and had soon found themselves in a different realm – not separate from the school, but now ''connected'' to it, now a part of it. Before them, they saw what appeared to be an ancient tomb, its imposing structures carved out of stone in some design both alien and familiar. The layout of this place consisted of a circular hallway with multiple closed doors on the outer wall and a large pillar in the center.

Inscribed above each doorway was the title and description of what existed beyond:

<div style="text-align: center;">BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF PRIDE
FOR THOSE FOOLISH ENOUGH TO RELY SOLELY ON THEIR OWN STRENGTH.
MAY YOU CEASELESSLY PERISH UNTIL YOU TRULY COME TO UNDERSTAND JUST HOW INADEQUATE YOU ARE.

BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF GLUTTONY
FOR THE EXCESSIVELY RAVENOUS WHO CONTINUE TO CONSUME FAR BEYOND THE POINT OF NECESSITY.
MAY YOU BE CONSUMED BY ONE WITH AN APPETITE GREATER THAN YOUR OWN.

BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF SLOTH
FOR THOSE CAPABLE WHO DO NOTHING EVEN IN TIMES OF IMPENDING CRISIS.
MAY YOU TOIL FOREVERMORE UNTIL YOUR SOUL BREAKS FROM THE TEDIUM YOU PLACED ON THOSE WHO TOOK ON YOUR BURDENS.

BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF ENVY
FOR THOSE WHO TAKE THEIR OWN BONDS FOR GRANTED AND ARE BLIND TO THE DESIRES OF OTHERS.
MAY YOU WANDER ALONE BEREFT OF COMPANY.

BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF GREED
FOR THOSE WITH HOLLOW HEARTS WHO AMASS WEALTH UPON WEALTH YET REMAIN UNSATISFIED.
MAY ITS LUSTER NEVER ILLUMINATE THE EMPTY DARKNESS WITHIN YOURSELF.
</div>

The Worlds of Wrath and Lust had inscriptions containing only their title, but no doorways and no description. Perhaps they were under construction … or the contents of the hallway were more tailor-made for its visitors.

----

“Sooo … you said you know what we have to do? Do you have any idea what this occult stuff is about?” As they both stood in the stone hallway, Tamaki inquisitively looked up at Reiko and waited for her answer. Given how stand-offish Reiko usually was, it made sense to Tamaki that her classmate might have some odd interests no one knows about.

Unfortunately, Reiko was just as bewildered as she was. “Eh?! What? I mean, I do, but in more of an abstract sense. Closer to the end of things.” Reiko’s eyes bounced from door to door to Tamaki to door to Tamaki again as her nervousness grew. “I don’t know what any of … ''this'' … is about.” She trailed off as she admitted, “I don’t know the way to reach there …”

Reiko peered up at the hallway and continued. “... but this place is like a temple. It’s like Hazama to build something like this.”

A look of confusion appeared on Tamaki’s face. “Huh. Okay, then.” Unsatisfied with that line of inquiry, she turned her attention to her environment. She paced around the hallway and read the inscriptions above each door. After having completed a lap, she commented to Reiko, “Well, these are all cardinal sins, at least according to some western religious ideas. If they’re ‘locked’ by a sin, then maybe the ‘key’ has something to do with the corresponding virtue?”

Reiko nodded at Tamaki’s reasoning, then retrieved the ''humility-''inscribed ring from her bag. “Then this one unlocks the door about pride, right?”

Tamaki looked up to read the inscription above the door to the World of Pride, then turned back to Reiko to confidently beam at her. “Yeah! Give it a shot!”

Reiko stepped in front of the door to the World of Pride, the ring held in both of her hands, and concentrated. She felt the ring lift into midair of its own accord. At the same time, the door’s stone slab and the ring began to exude light – moments later, they vanished into a mist of bright motes.

As their way forward had been cleared, Tamaki broke out into triumphant laughter, her voice ringing through the stone hallway. She turned to Reiko with a bright grin and proclaimed, “I don’t think we have to worry about the warning, either. We aren’t alone, we’ve got each other!”

Reiko paused to peer at Tamaki curiously before she replied. Her blank expression broke out into a timid smile, and she answered, “Yes. We certainly do. It’s a shame no one else wanted to help, but you did ask around first …” Tamaki noticed Reiko’s hesitation, but she had attributed this to a notion that Reiko had still been in the middle of finding her own resolve until Tamaki’s had shone brightly enough to reach her.

A grinning Tamaki grabbed Reiko by the hand and pulled her forward as she ran. “C’mon! We’ve got this!”

----
Eventually, Tamaki and Reiko had made their way through the Worlds of Pride, Gluttony, and Sloth. Each of them held their own challenge and punishment. Pride did, indeed, require the cooperation of more than one person. Gluttony and Sloth seemed to instead be designed for other people within the school – Gluttony for the faculty, Sloth for the students – and Tamaki and Reiko rescued the others from their torment.

Prior to Tamaki’s most recent re-awakening in front of the nurse’s office, they had begun exploring the World of Envy. Most of the mazelike passages were blanketed in thick fog, and no matter how they tried to track their steps and form a map of the area as they went, the walls defied the conventional laws of physics. They wandered blind for what had seemed like ages, but miraculously, they had managed to remain together until the fog before them had faded.

At the sight of the walls of the World of Envy – literally anything besides fog would have done – Tamaki collapsed to crawl on the ground and cried grateful tears of laughter and relief. “Thank goodness ..! I was going to go crazy in there, hahaha … how are you holding up, Reiko-chan?”

Reiko stood beside her, but she remained silent as her eyes remained transfixed on another person in front of them. A boy, one of their upperclassmen, stood in the hallway in front of them. He reached a hand forward and called out, “Reiko! I’m so glad you’re safe. Come here, and let me watch over you now.”

Tamaki wiped away the moisture from her eyes, and her smile flattened into a skeptic look at the boy. “Hey, how did he get here? I thought we were the only ones who had gotten this far – ”

Reiko’s feet slowly drifted forwards towards the boy, the object of her affections. Her body slackened, and the light had faded from her eyes. Tamaki’s voice rose in alarm as she hurriedly stood up. “Reiko-chan?! ''Reiko?!'' What’s with you – ”

Reiko coldly turned back to Tamaki. “I don’t need you anymore. I’m satisfied with him.”

Tamaki stood in stunned silence. She couldn’t bring herself to speak. She could scarcely believe what she was hearing. She felt something burn in her heart.

Reiko continued. “You’re a girl. What will you do for me? Will you protect me the same way he does? Will you show me the same kindness?”

Tamaki started to protest. “I have done nothing ''but'' – you were the one that asked ''me'' to come along! We’ve come so far!”

Reiko silently stared at Tamaki in the same manner that she had done so many times before. Probing. Searching. Testing. What Tamaki had mistaken for appreciation had, in reality, been disappointment. “You haven’t done what’s most important to me. I may have made you come with me, and I had hoped you would prove to be up to the task before us, but …”

<div style="text-align: center;">“I’m done with you now.”</div>

The words crushed Tamaki’s spirit like a pile of bricks had fallen on it. She boggled incredulously at Reiko. That didn’t feel to her like some cruel thing Hazama had put in Reiko’s mouth as part of some teenage boy’s idea of a mind game.

It felt like she had ''meant it''.

The handsome boy stepped forward and brushed aside his hair to reveal his smug self-aggrandizing smirk. His appearance was different, but his voice was that of the ‘Deity Emperor’ responsible for trapping the school in this realm. “You've got me quite entertained. It's beautiful to see two friends helping each other, but I'll show you how brittle and fleeting the bonds between humans are!”

His eyes began to glow yellow as his face contorted, and his body melted into amorphous dark ichor before reforming into an androgynous woman, unclothed save for the large snake coiled around her body. This Shadow wore the guise of the Demon Lilith, but Tamaki didn’t know the distinction.

All Tamaki had cared for at that moment was Reiko.

“What did you ''do'' to her, you ..!” Righteous fury growing inside her, Tamaki rushed forward to Lilith and brandished her sword, the two-headed form of her Persona manifesting beside her: Janus, Roman god of duality and doorways.

The corners of Lilith’s mouth turned upwards into a malicious knowing grin.

In her haste, Tamaki failed to notice the snake wrapped around Lilith uncoil. It struck, sinking its fangs into her and sending its venom coursing through her veins.

In truth, this snake had bitten Tamaki long, long ago.

“Foolish girl,” Lilith cooed. “It’s so unbecoming for you two young ladies to fight over me. Alas, I chose ''her'', not ''you''.”

Tamaki’s advance slowed to a stop and she doubled over in pain, but still stood for a few moments more. She turned her head up to sneer at Lilith and the entranced Reiko through vision growing more blurred and dark by the moment. She was no stranger to her own death by now, and her expression was not of shock, but of stubborn defiance.

In-between ragged breaths, Tamaki struggled to reply and could only coarsely whisper through a grimace and grit teeth, “What – the hell – are you talking about ..?” Lilith’s claim made no sense to her: the Demon spoke as if Tamaki was envious of ''Reiko''.

Lilith reared her head back, and her confidence faded for a brief moment. “I had it wrong?” She peered more closely at Tamaki, and having discerned something, she leaned forward again with keen interest and a cold smile. “Ohh? Jealousy ''does'' still cloud your heart, after all. I see, I ''see''. How hilarious!”

In her last moments, this incarnation of Tamaki remained silent until she collapsed and her body succumbed. Lilith’s raucous laughter echoed through the golden stone hallways of the World of Envy.

----

Tamaki Uchida has, once again, woken up in the hallways of the first floor of this distorted mirror version of Karukozaka High School.

It was far from the first time, and it will be far from the last.

Unusually, Reiko was not with her anymore. She was, as she said, “done with her.”

Strangely, Tamaki still felt some burning in her veins, even though the poison from Lilith’s snake no longer coursed through them. She sat up against the wall and pulled her knees close to her chest. Out of habit, Tamaki held the necklace of coins around her neck.

This string of coins is otherwise known as a ''rokumonsen'' as per Buddhist funerary custom, symbolizing the fee paid to the ferryman in payment for transit across the Sanzu River. Just as it appeared in the dreams she had each time she died, this is the item which her Guide had imbued with the power to summon her Persona.

Janus did not appear. In his place instead was a white horse with a spiral horn protruding from its forehead: the mythical Unicorn, a steed which lets pure-hearted humans ride it and whose touch is said to cleanse poison.

The fact that it was different from Janus was no surprise to her by now. A new cycle of death and rebirth in this Deity Emperor’s expanse sometimes means a new Persona. Each time, she was shattered and reforged, unmade and remade anew.

What ''did'' surprise her was that she had once had Unicorn as her Persona before Janus. She had regressed. She had backslid. She had grown ''weaker'', not stronger. Not only did this mean that she would have to find her way back to Lilith alone, she would have to do so at an even greater disadvantage than when she had initially entered the halls of the World of Envy with Reiko.

At this realization, Tamaki leaned her head back to hit the wall with a forceful ''thud.'' She didn’t relish the thought of the hardships placed before her.

<div style="text-align: center;">''What hope do I possibly have now?''</div>

Tamaki’s face contorted into some expression inscrutable to herself. She didn’t want to think about what she’s feeling. She didn’t want to be conscious of it. She wanted to put it as far away from her mind as possible.

In one moment, Unicorn vanished into thin air as Tamaki pulled the six-coined necklace off from her neck.

In the next, she hurled it against the far wall of the faculty hallway. The coins clatter loudly and land to the floor, leaving a dent in the wall where they struck.

For the next few hours, Tamaki simply sat there with her head bent down into her arms and knees, and she could only barely manage to muffle her sobs.

The World of Envy had been squarely meant for her, and it had struck unerringly true in the heart of its intended target.

</poem>

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

2026-01-05: World of Envy

2026-01-06T03:20:59Z

Terra: formatting changes, added centering

*'''Cutscene: World of Envy'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Tamaki Uchida]], Reiko Akanezawa, Ideo Hazama, Yumi Shirakawa, Shinji ‘Charlie’ Kuroi, Akira Miyamoto, "Lilith"
*'''Where:''' Karukozaka High School, Shinjuku Ward
*'''OOC Date:''' 2026-01-05
*'''IC Date:''' 2007-10-??
*'''Summary''': ''Tamaki and Reiko journey through Ideo Hazama's newfound 'empire.' They reach the fourth strange world and are soon faced with their next trial.''
*'''Content Warnings''': ''Death by poisoning.''
----
<poem>

An October that never ends. Time remains frozen in this place.

Tamaki Uchida has, once again, woken up in the hallways of the first floor of this distorted mirror version of Karukozaka High School.

It is far from the first time, and it will be far from the last.
----

The front doors of the school no longer allowed passage. Even when unlocked and open, passage through is impossible. The very air outside of the school felt entirely solid.

(Tamaki would later recognize this phenomenon during the Mikage-cho incident, but that's in a couple more years' time.)

Here, most of the students and teachers have managed to barricade themselves in relative safety in club and faculty rooms. The upper floors have Demons roaming about, as do the passages out to the gym and beyond. The occasional lone stray Fairy or Jack Frost makes its way past the defenses, but their temperaments are lighter and they are, more often than not, easy enough to turn back around after satisfying them with some form of play or gift.

The Demons to ''really'' worry about were the ones which remain further from the confines of safety, closer to the gym and beyond: beasts of legend, mythical figures from folk tales and history alike, demons written about in occult tomes, divine beings from the planes above. They were all manner of strange and terrifying entities, spun from the stories humanity tells itself, coalesced from mind into matter.

The gym now leads to a stone hallway and an expanse of doors, each one leading to strange realms according to the inscription carved above them. These were the worlds which Tamaki had explored, with the help of her fellow first-year, Reiko Akanezawa.
----

Before the school had been sealed off from the rest of existence, most of Reiko’s peers had considered her cold and intimidating. She was an honor roll student with a mature temperament, and she made no trouble for her teachers, but she had always kept quiet and distant from the rest of her classmates. At times, it seemed to them like she bore some grudge against them, but no one could recall having done anything to her, so most of them dismissed the feeling.

When the self-proclaimed ‘Divine Emperor’ had plunged the school into a Demon-filled purgatory of his making, it was Reiko who had sought out Tamaki. Reiko had seen that Tamaki had been asking others for help in figuring out some way out of their shared predicament. Others had ability on-par with Tamaki’s, but not the attitude.

Yumi Shirakawa may have appeared kind-hearted on the surface and wanted to return the entire school to normal, but she simply did not vibe with people who failed to neatly fit in with societal expectations. Yumi, notably, had let the feeling that Reiko held some grudge get under her skin. Behind Reiko’s back, she had called her a ‘stuck-up princess.’

Shinji ‘Charlie’ Kuroi was, on the other hand, a wild child who deliberately went against the grain. It wasn’t his criminal convictions that had disqualified him in Reiko’s assessment, but his selfishness. Unlike Yumi, Charlie had a ‘fuck you, got mine’ mentality, and he was simply looking to save his own skin.

Akira Miyamoto had designs of his own and no desire to return to the real world. It would simply be impossible for him and Reiko to work together.

From what Reiko had witnessed of Tamaki in their first semester together, she struck the right balance of characteristics: strength of mind and body as evidenced by her good grades and performance in the fencing club, the desire for overall social stability, and the compassion to reach out to those ostracized by their peers.

After Tamaki had asked high and low, running from room to room on the first floor, asking anyone and everyone she came across for help, Reiko saw her moment.

Before Tamaki could get to Yumi. Before she could get to Charlie. Before she could get to Akira. Now was the time.

Reiko slowly opened the doors from the Music Club room and beckoned for Tamaki to come closer.

“Akanezawa-san?” Tamaki’s eyes widened in surprise. She could scarcely believe it. The person she had figured as one of the least likely to cooperate with her had asked ''her'' for help, while everyone else she had asked had been too shell-shocked or selfish to do so.

Upon Tamaki’s approach, Reiko told her, “I know who's behind all of this, and I have an idea of what we're going to have to do.”

Reiko hesitated as she once again went over the possibilities in her mind. She stuck her head out of the door and gave each side of the hallway a nervous glance before she returned her focus to Tamaki. She stared at her pleadingly while she searched for her own voice once again.

Having finally once again found it, Reiko implored Tamaki, “You're the only one I think will be able to help. So please, give me a hand!”

----

Tamaki Uchida has, for the ''first'' time, woken up in the hallways of the first floor of this distorted mirror version of Karukozaka High School,

<div style="text-align: center;">entirely alone.</div>

For the first time since they had teamed up, Reiko was no longer with her.

It would not be the last.

----

Together, Tamaki and Reiko had ventured beyond safety and into the gym. There, they found a formidable Demon: Melusine, a serpentine spirit of fresh water, said to be found in sacred springs and rivers. Upon Melusine’s defeat, she faded away and left behind a ring: a simple copper band. Carved on the inside of the ring was a single word: ''humility.''

In the center of the gym was a newly-erected doorway, its foul energy leaking into the school. Presumably, this was the source of what had kept them trapped here.

The pair entered this door and had soon found themselves in a different realm – not separate from the school, but now ''connected'' to it, now a part of it. Before them, they saw what appeared to be an ancient tomb, its imposing structures carved out of stone in some design both alien and familiar. The layout of this place consisted of a circular hallway with multiple closed doors on the outer wall and a large pillar in the center.

Inscribed above each doorway was the title and description of what existed beyond:

<div style="text-align: center;">BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF PRIDE
FOR THOSE FOOLISH ENOUGH TO RELY SOLELY ON THEIR OWN STRENGTH.
MAY YOU CEASELESSLY PERISH UNTIL YOU TRULY COME TO UNDERSTAND JUST HOW INADEQUATE YOU ARE.

BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF GLUTTONY
FOR THE EXCESSIVELY RAVENOUS WHO CONTINUE TO CONSUME FAR BEYOND THE POINT OF NECESSITY.
MAY YOU BE CONSUMED BY ONE WITH AN APPETITE GREATER THAN YOUR OWN.

BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF SLOTH
FOR THOSE CAPABLE WHO DO NOTHING EVEN IN TIMES OF IMPENDING CRISIS.
MAY YOU TOIL FOREVERMORE UNTIL YOUR SOUL BREAKS FROM THE TEDIUM YOU PLACED ON THOSE WHO TOOK ON YOUR BURDENS.

BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF ENVY
FOR THOSE WHO TAKE THEIR OWN BONDS FOR GRANTED AND ARE BLIND TO THE DESIRES OF OTHERS.
MAY YOU WANDER ALONE BEREFT OF COMPANY.

BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF GREED
FOR THOSE WITH HOLLOW HEARTS WHO AMASS WEALTH UPON WEALTH YET REMAIN UNSATISFIED.
MAY ITS LUSTER NEVER ILLUMINATE THE EMPTY DARKNESS WITHIN YOURSELF.</div>

The Worlds of Wrath and Lust had inscriptions containing only their title, but no doorways and no description. Perhaps they were under construction … or the contents of the hallway were more tailor-made for its visitors.
---- “Sooo … you said you know what we have to do? Do you have any idea what this occult stuff is about?” As they both stood in the stone hallway, Tamaki inquisitively looked up at Reiko and waited for her answer. Given how stand-offish Reiko usually was, it made sense to Tamaki that her classmate might have some odd interests no one knows about.

Unfortunately, Reiko was just as bewildered as she was. “Eh?! What? I mean, I do, but in more of an abstract sense. Closer to the end of things.” Reiko’s eyes bounced from door to door to Tamaki to door to Tamaki again as her nervousness grew. “I don’t know what any of … ''this'' … is about.” She trailed off as she admitted, “I don’t know the way to reach there …”

Reiko peered up at the hallway and continued. “... but this place is like a temple. It’s like Hazama to build something like this.”

A look of confusion appeared on Tamaki’s face. “Huh. Okay, then.” Unsatisfied with that line of inquiry, she turned her attention to her environment. She paced around the hallway and read the inscriptions above each door. After having completed a lap, she commented to Reiko, “Well, these are all cardinal sins, at least according to some western religious ideas. If they’re ‘locked’ by a sin, then maybe the ‘key’ has something to do with the corresponding virtue?”

Reiko nodded at Tamaki’s reasoning, then retrieved the ''humility-''inscribed ring from her bag. “Then this one unlocks the door about pride, right?”

Tamaki looked up to read the inscription above the door to the World of Pride, then turned back to Reiko to confidently beam at her. “Yeah! Give it a shot!”

Reiko stepped in front of the door to the World of Pride, the ring held in both of her hands, and concentrated. She felt the ring lift into midair of its own accord. At the same time, the door’s stone slab and the ring began to exude light – moments later, they vanished into a mist of bright motes.

As their way forward had been cleared, Tamaki broke out into triumphant laughter, her voice ringing through the stone hallway. She turned to Reiko with a bright grin and proclaimed, “I don’t think we have to worry about the warning, either. We aren’t alone, we’ve got each other!”

Reiko paused to peer at Tamaki curiously before she replied. Her blank expression broke out into a timid smile, and she answered, “Yes. We certainly do. It’s a shame no one else wanted to help, but you did ask around first …” Tamaki noticed Reiko’s hesitation, but she had attributed this to a notion that Reiko had still been in the middle of finding her own resolve until Tamaki’s had shone brightly enough to reach her.

A grinning Tamaki grabbed Reiko by the hand and pulled her forward as she ran. “C’mon! We’ve got this!”

----
Eventually, Tamaki and Reiko had made their way through the Worlds of Pride, Gluttony, and Sloth. Each of them held their own challenge and punishment. Pride did, indeed, require the cooperation of more than one person. Gluttony and Sloth seemed to instead be designed for other people within the school – Gluttony for the faculty, Sloth for the students – and Tamaki and Reiko rescued the others from their torment.

Prior to Tamaki’s most recent re-awakening in front of the nurse’s office, they had begun exploring the World of Envy. Most of the mazelike passages were blanketed in thick fog, and no matter how they tried to track their steps and form a map of the area as they went, the walls defied the conventional laws of physics. They wandered blind for what had seemed like ages, but miraculously, they had managed to remain together until the fog before them had faded.

At the sight of the walls of the World of Envy – literally anything besides fog would have done – Tamaki collapsed to crawl on the ground and cried grateful tears of laughter and relief. “Thank goodness ..! I was going to go crazy in there, hahaha … how are you holding up, Reiko-chan?”

Reiko stood beside her, but she remained silent as her eyes remained transfixed on another person in front of them. A boy, one of their upperclassmen, stood in the hallway in front of them. He reached a hand forward and called out, “Reiko! I’m so glad you’re safe. Come here, and let me watch over you now.”

Tamaki wiped away the moisture from her eyes, and her smile flattened into a skeptic look at the boy. “Hey, how did he get here? I thought we were the only ones who had gotten this far – ”

Reiko’s feet slowly drifted forwards towards the boy, the object of her affections. Her body slackened, and the light had faded from her eyes. Tamaki’s voice rose in alarm as she hurriedly stood up. “Reiko-chan?! ''Reiko?!'' What’s with you – ”

Reiko coldly turned back to Tamaki. “I don’t need you anymore. I’m satisfied with him.”

Tamaki stood in stunned silence. She couldn’t bring herself to speak. She could scarcely believe what she was hearing. She felt something burn in her heart.

Reiko continued. “You’re a girl. What will you do for me? Will you protect me the same way he does? Will you show me the same kindness?”

Tamaki started to protest. “I have done nothing ''but'' – you were the one that asked ''me'' to come along! We’ve come so far!”

Reiko silently stared at Tamaki in the same manner that she had done so many times before. Probing. Searching. Testing. What Tamaki had mistaken for appreciation had, in reality, been disappointment. “You haven’t done what’s most important to me. I may have made you come with me, and I had hoped you would prove to be up to the task before us, but …”

“I’m done with you now.”

The words crushed Tamaki’s spirit like a pile of bricks had fallen on it. She boggled incredulously at Reiko. That didn’t feel to her like some cruel thing Hazama had put in Reiko’s mouth as part of some teenage boy’s idea of a mind game.

It felt like she had ''meant it''.

The handsome boy stepped forward and brushed aside his hair to reveal his smug self-aggrandizing smirk. His appearance was different, but his voice was that of the ‘Deity Emperor’ responsible for trapping the school in this realm. “You've got me quite entertained. It's beautiful to see two friends helping each other, but I'll show you how brittle and fleeting the bonds between humans are!”

His eyes began to glow yellow as his face contorted, and his body melted into amorphous dark ichor before reforming into an androgynous woman, unclothed save for the large snake coiled around her body. This Shadow wore the guise of the Demon Lilith, but Tamaki didn’t know the distinction.

All Tamaki had cared for at that moment was Reiko.

“What did you ''do'' to her, you ..!” Righteous fury growing inside her, Tamaki rushed forward to Lilith and brandished her sword, the two-headed form of her Persona manifesting beside her: Janus, Roman god of duality and doorways.

The corners of Lilith’s mouth turned upwards into a malicious knowing grin.

In her haste, Tamaki failed to notice the snake wrapped around Lilith uncoil. It struck, sinking its fangs into her and sending its venom coursing through her veins.

In truth, this snake had bitten Tamaki long, long ago.

“Foolish girl,” Lilith cooed. “It’s so unbecoming for you two young ladies to fight over me. Alas, I chose ''her'', not ''you''.”

Tamaki’s advance slowed to a stop and she doubled over in pain, but still stood for a few moments more. She turned her head up to sneer at Lilith and the entranced Reiko through vision growing more blurred and dark by the moment. She was no stranger to her own death by now, and her expression was not of shock, but of stubborn defiance.

In-between ragged breaths, Tamaki struggled to reply and could only coarsely whisper through a grimace and grit teeth, “What – the hell – are you talking about ..?” Lilith’s claim made no sense to her: the Demon spoke as if Tamaki was envious of ''Reiko''.

Lilith reared her head back, and her confidence faded for a brief moment. “I had it wrong?” She peered more closely at Tamaki, and having discerned something, she leaned forward again with keen interest and a cold smile. “Ohh? Jealousy ''does'' still cloud your heart, after all. I see, I ''see''. How hilarious!”

In her last moments, this incarnation of Tamaki remained silent until she collapsed and her body succumbed. Lilith’s raucous laughter echoed through the golden stone hallways of the World of Envy.

----

Tamaki Uchida has, once again, woken up in the hallways of the first floor of this distorted mirror version of Karukozaka High School.

It was far from the first time, and it will be far from the last.

Unusually, Reiko was not with her anymore. She was, as she said, “done with her.”

Strangely, Tamaki still felt some burning in her veins, even though the poison from Lilith’s snake no longer coursed through them. She sat up against the wall and pulled her knees close to her chest. Out of habit, Tamaki held the necklace of coins around her neck.

This string of coins is otherwise known as a ''rokumonsen'' as per Buddhist funerary custom, symbolizing the fee paid to the ferryman in payment for transit across the Sanzu River. Just as it appeared in the dreams she had each time she died, this is the item which her Guide had imbued with the power to summon her Persona.

Janus did not appear. In his place instead was a white horse with a spiral horn protruding from its forehead: the mythical Unicorn, a steed which lets pure-hearted humans ride it and whose touch is said to cleanse poison.

The fact that it was different from Janus was no surprise to her by now. A new cycle of death and rebirth in this Deity Emperor’s expanse sometimes means a new Persona. Each time, she was shattered and reforged, unmade and remade anew.

What ''did'' surprise her was that she had once had Unicorn as her Persona before Janus. She had regressed. She had backslid. She had grown ''weaker'', not stronger. Not only did this mean that she would have to find her way back to Lilith alone, she would have to do so at an even greater disadvantage than when she had initially entered the halls of the World of Envy with Reiko.

At this realization, Tamaki leaned her head back to hit the wall with a forceful ''thud.'' She didn’t relish the thought of the hardships placed before her.

<div style="text-align: center;">''What hope do I possibly have now?''</div>

Tamaki’s face contorted into some expression inscrutable to herself. She didn’t want to think about what she’s feeling. She didn’t want to be conscious of it. She wanted to put it as far away from her mind as possible.

In one moment, Unicorn vanished into thin air as Tamaki pulled the six-coined necklace off from her neck.

In the next, she hurled it against the far wall of the faculty hallway. The coins clatter loudly and land to the floor, leaving a dent in the wall where they struck.

For the next few hours, Tamaki simply sat there with her head bent down into her arms and knees, and she could only barely manage to muffle her sobs.

The World of Envy had been squarely meant for her, and it had struck unerringly true in the heart of its intended target.

</poem>

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

2026-01-05: World of Envy

2026-01-06T03:16:51Z

Terra:

*'''Cutscene: World of Envy'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Tamaki Uchida]], Reiko Akanezawa, Ideo Hazama, Yumi Shirakawa, Shinji ‘Charlie’ Kuroi, Akira Miyamoto, "Lilith"
*'''Where:''' Karukozaka High School, Shinjuku Ward
*'''OOC Date:''' 2026-01-05
*'''IC Date:''' 2007-10-??
*'''Summary''': ''Tamaki and Reiko journey through Ideo Hazama's newfound 'empire.' They reach the fourth strange world and are soon faced with their next trial.''
*'''Content Warnings''': ''Death by poisoning.''
----

An October that never ends. Time remains frozen in this place.
Tamaki Uchida has, once again, woken up in the hallways of the first floor of this distorted mirror version of Karukozaka High School.

It is far from the first time, and it will be far from the last.
---- The front doors of the school no longer allowed passage. Even when unlocked and open, passage through is impossible. The very air outside of the school felt entirely solid.

(Tamaki would later recognize this phenomenon during the Mikage-cho incident, but that's in a couple more years' time.)

Here, most of the students and teachers have managed to barricade themselves in relative safety in club and faculty rooms. The upper floors have Demons roaming about, as do the passages out to the gym and beyond. The occasional lone stray Fairy or Jack Frost makes its way past the defenses, but their temperaments are lighter and they are, more often than not, easy enough to turn back around after satisfying them with some form of play or gift.

The Demons to ''really'' worry about were the ones which remain further from the confines of safety, closer to the gym and beyond: beasts of legend, mythical figures from folk tales and history alike, demons written about in occult tomes, divine beings from the planes above. They were all manner of strange and terrifying entities, spun from the stories humanity tells itself, coalesced from mind into matter.

The gym now leads to a stone hallway and an expanse of doors, each one leading to strange realms according to the inscription carved above them. These were the worlds which Tamaki had explored, with the help of her fellow first-year, Reiko Akanezawa.
---- Before the school had been sealed off from the rest of existence, most of Reiko’s peers had considered her cold and intimidating. She was an honor roll student with a mature temperament, and she made no trouble for her teachers, but she had always kept quiet and distant from the rest of her classmates. At times, it seemed to them like she bore some grudge against them, but no one could recall having done anything to her, so most of them dismissed the feeling.

When the self-proclaimed ‘Divine Emperor’ had plunged the school into a Demon-filled purgatory of his making, it was Reiko who had sought out Tamaki. Reiko had seen that Tamaki had been asking others for help in figuring out some way out of their shared predicament. Others had ability on-par with Tamaki’s, but not the attitude.

Yumi Shirakawa may have appeared kind-hearted on the surface and wanted to return the entire school to normal, but she simply did not vibe with people who failed to neatly fit in with societal expectations. Yumi, notably, had let the feeling that Reiko held some grudge get under her skin. Behind Reiko’s back, she had called her a ‘stuck-up princess.’

Shinji ‘Charlie’ Kuroi was, on the other hand, a wild child who deliberately went against the grain. It wasn’t his criminal convictions that had disqualified him in Reiko’s assessment, but his selfishness. Unlike Yumi, Charlie had a ‘fuck you, got mine’ mentality, and he was simply looking to save his own skin.

Akira Miyamoto had designs of his own and no desire to return to the real world. It would simply be impossible for him and Reiko to work together.

From what Reiko had witnessed of Tamaki in their first semester together, she struck the right balance of characteristics: strength of mind and body as evidenced by her good grades and performance in the fencing club, the desire for overall social stability, and the compassion to reach out to those ostracized by their peers.

After Tamaki had asked high and low, running from room to room on the first floor, asking anyone and everyone she came across for help, Reiko saw her moment.

Before Tamaki could get to Yumi. Before she could get to Charlie. Before she could get to Akira. Now was the time.

Reiko slowly opened the doors from the Music Club room and beckoned for Tamaki to come closer.

“Akanezawa-san?” Tamaki’s eyes widened in surprise. She could scarcely believe it. The person she had figured as one of the least likely to cooperate with her had asked ''her'' for help, while everyone else she had asked had been too shell-shocked or selfish to do so.

Upon Tamaki’s approach, Reiko told her, “I know who's behind all of this, and I have an idea of what we're going to have to do.”

Reiko hesitated as she once again went over the possibilities in her mind. She stuck her head out of the door and gave each side of the hallway a nervous glance before she returned her focus to Tamaki. She stared at her pleadingly while she searched for her own voice once again.

Having finally once again found it, Reiko implored Tamaki, “You're the only one I think will be able to help. So please, give me a hand!”
---- Tamaki Uchida has, for the ''first'' time, woken up in the hallways of the first floor of this distorted mirror version of Karukozaka High School,

entirely alone.

For the first time since they had teamed up, Reiko was no longer with her.

It would not be the last.
---- Together, Tamaki and Reiko had ventured beyond safety and into the gym. There, they found a formidable Demon: Melusine, a serpentine spirit of fresh water, said to be found in sacred springs and rivers. Upon Melusine’s defeat, she faded away and left behind a ring: a simple copper band. Carved on the inside of the ring was a single word: ''humility.''

In the center of the gym was a newly-erected doorway, its foul energy leaking into the school. Presumably, this was the source of what had kept them trapped here.

The pair entered this door and had soon found themselves in a different realm – not separate from the school, but now ''connected'' to it, now a part of it. Before them, they saw what appeared to be an ancient tomb, its imposing structures carved out of stone in some design both alien and familiar. The layout of this place consisted of a circular hallway with multiple closed doors on the outer wall and a large pillar in the center.

Inscribed above each doorway was the title and description of what existed beyond:

BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF PRIDE

FOR THOSE FOOLISH ENOUGH TO RELY SOLELY ON THEIR OWN STRENGTH.

MAY YOU CEASELESSLY PERISH UNTIL YOU TRULY COME TO UNDERSTAND JUST HOW INADEQUATE YOU ARE.

BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF GLUTTONY

FOR THE EXCESSIVELY RAVENOUS WHO CONTINUE TO CONSUME FAR BEYOND THE POINT OF NECESSITY.

MAY YOU BE CONSUMED BY ONE WITH AN APPETITE GREATER THAN YOUR OWN.

BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF SLOTH

FOR THOSE CAPABLE WHO DO NOTHING EVEN IN TIMES OF IMPENDING CRISIS.

MAY YOU TOIL FOREVERMORE UNTIL YOUR SOUL BREAKS FROM THE TEDIUM YOU PLACED ON THOSE WHO TOOK ON YOUR BURDENS.

BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF ENVY

FOR THOSE WHO TAKE THEIR OWN BONDS FOR GRANTED AND ARE BLIND TO THE DESIRES OF OTHERS.

MAY YOU WANDER ALONE BEREFT OF COMPANY.

BEYOND HERE LIES THE WORLD OF GREED

FOR THOSE WITH HOLLOW HEARTS WHO AMASS WEALTH UPON WEALTH YET REMAIN UNSATISFIED.

MAY ITS LUSTER NEVER ILLUMINATE THE EMPTY DARKNESS WITHIN YOURSELF.

The Worlds of Wrath and Lust had inscriptions containing only their title, but no doorways and no description. Perhaps they were under construction … or the contents of the hallway were more tailor-made for its visitors.
---- “Sooo … you said you know what we have to do? Do you have any idea what this occult stuff is about?” As they both stood in the stone hallway, Tamaki inquisitively looked up at Reiko and waited for her answer. Given how stand-offish Reiko usually was, it made sense to Tamaki that her classmate might have some odd interests no one knows about.

Unfortunately, Reiko was just as bewildered as she was. “Eh?! What? I mean, I do, but in more of an abstract sense. Closer to the end of things.” Reiko’s eyes bounced from door to door to Tamaki to door to Tamaki again as her nervousness grew. “I don’t know what any of … ''this'' … is about.” She trailed off as she admitted, “I don’t know the way to reach there …”

Reiko peered up at the hallway and continued. “... but this place is like a temple. It’s like Hazama to build something like this.”

A look of confusion appeared on Tamaki’s face. “Huh. Okay, then.” Unsatisfied with that line of inquiry, she turned her attention to her environment. She paced around the hallway and read the inscriptions above each door. After having completed a lap, she commented to Reiko, “Well, these are all cardinal sins, at least according to some western religious ideas. If they’re ‘locked’ by a sin, then maybe the ‘key’ has something to do with the corresponding virtue?”

Reiko nodded at Tamaki’s reasoning, then retrieved the ''humility-''inscribed ring from her bag. “Then this one unlocks the door about pride, right?”

Tamaki looked up to read the inscription above the door to the World of Pride, then turned back to Reiko to confidently beam at her. “Yeah! Give it a shot!”

Reiko stepped in front of the door to the World of Pride, the ring held in both of her hands, and concentrated. She felt the ring lift into midair of its own accord. At the same time, the door’s stone slab and the ring began to exude light – moments later, they vanished into a mist of bright motes.

As their way forward had been cleared, Tamaki broke out into triumphant laughter, her voice ringing through the stone hallway. She turned to Reiko with a bright grin and proclaimed, “I don’t think we have to worry about the warning, either. We aren’t alone, we’ve got each other!”

Reiko paused to peer at Tamaki curiously before she replied. Her blank expression broke out into a timid smile, and she answered, “Yes. We certainly do. It’s a shame no one else wanted to help, but you did ask around first …” Tamaki noticed Reiko’s hesitation, but she had attributed this to a notion that Reiko had still been in the middle of finding her own resolve until Tamaki’s had shone brightly enough to reach her.

A grinning Tamaki grabbed Reiko by the hand and pulled her forward as she ran. “C’mon! We’ve got this!”
---- Eventually, Tamaki and Reiko had made their way through the Worlds of Pride, Gluttony, and Sloth. Each of them held their own challenge and punishment. Pride did, indeed, require the cooperation of more than one person. Gluttony and Sloth seemed to instead be designed for other people within the school – Gluttony for the faculty, Sloth for the students – and Tamaki and Reiko rescued the others from their torment.

Prior to Tamaki’s most recent re-awakening in front of the nurse’s office, they had begun exploring the World of Envy. Most of the mazelike passages were blanketed in thick fog, and no matter how they tried to track their steps and form a map of the area as they went, the walls defied the conventional laws of physics. They wandered blind for what had seemed like ages, but miraculously, they had managed to remain together until the fog before them had faded.

At the sight of the walls of the World of Envy – literally anything besides fog would have done – Tamaki collapsed to crawl on the ground and cried grateful tears of laughter and relief. “Thank goodness ..! I was going to go crazy in there, hahaha … how are you holding up, Reiko-chan?”

Reiko stood beside her, but she remained silent as her eyes remained transfixed on another person in front of them. A boy, one of their upperclassmen, stood in the hallway in front of them. He reached a hand forward and called out, “Reiko! I’m so glad you’re safe. Come here, and let me watch over you now.”

Tamaki wiped away the moisture from her eyes, and her smile flattened into a skeptic look at the boy. “Hey, how did he get here? I thought we were the only ones who had gotten this far – ”

Reiko’s feet slowly drifted forwards towards the boy, the object of her affections. Her body slackened, and the light had faded from her eyes. Tamaki’s voice rose in alarm as she hurriedly stood up. “Reiko-chan?! ''Reiko?!'' What’s with you – ”

Reiko coldly turned back to Tamaki. “I don’t need you anymore. I’m satisfied with him.”

Tamaki stood in stunned silence. She couldn’t bring herself to speak. She could scarcely believe what she was hearing. She felt something burn in her heart.

Reiko continued. “You’re a girl. What will you do for me? Will you protect me the same way he does? Will you show me the same kindness?”

Tamaki started to protest. “I have done nothing ''but'' – you were the one that asked ''me'' to come along! We’ve come so far!”

Reiko silently stared at Tamaki in the same manner that she had done so many times before. Probing. Searching. Testing. What Tamaki had mistaken for appreciation had, in reality, been disappointment. “You haven’t done what’s most important to me. I may have made you come with me, and I had hoped you would prove to be up to the task before us, but …”

“I’m done with you now.”

The words crushed Tamaki’s spirit like a pile of bricks had fallen on it. She boggled incredulously at Reiko. That didn’t feel to her like some cruel thing Hazama had put in Reiko’s mouth as part of some teenage boy’s idea of a mind game.

It felt like she had ''meant it''.

The handsome boy stepped forward and brushed aside his hair to reveal his smug self-aggrandizing smirk. His appearance was different, but his voice was that of the ‘Deity Emperor’ responsible for trapping the school in this realm. “You've got me quite entertained. It's beautiful to see two friends helping each other, but I'll show you how brittle and fleeting the bonds between humans are!”

His eyes began to glow yellow as his face contorted, and his body melted into amorphous dark ichor before reforming into an androgynous woman, unclothed save for the large snake coiled around her body. This Shadow wore the guise of the Demon Lilith, but Tamaki didn’t know the distinction.

All Tamaki had cared for at that moment was Reiko.

“What did you ''do'' to her, you ..!” Righteous fury growing inside her, Tamaki rushed forward to Lilith and brandished her sword, the two-headed form of her Persona manifesting beside her: Janus, Roman god of duality and doorways.

The corners of Lilith’s mouth turned upwards into a malicious knowing grin.

In her haste, Tamaki failed to notice the snake wrapped around Lilith uncoil. It struck, sinking its fangs into her and sending its venom coursing through her veins.

In truth, this snake had bitten Tamaki long, long ago.

“Foolish girl,” Lilith cooed. “It’s so unbecoming for you two young ladies to fight over me. Alas, I chose ''her'', not ''you''.”

Tamaki’s advance slowed to a stop and she doubled over in pain, but still stood for a few moments more. She turned her head up to sneer at Lilith and the entranced Reiko through vision growing more blurred and dark by the moment. She was no stranger to her own death by now, and her expression was not of shock, but of stubborn defiance.

In-between ragged breaths, Tamaki struggled to reply and could only coarsely whisper through a grimace and grit teeth, “What – the hell – are you talking about ..?” Lilith’s claim made no sense to her: the Demon spoke as if Tamaki was envious of ''Reiko''.

Lilith reared her head back, and her confidence faded for a brief moment. “I had it wrong?” She peered more closely at Tamaki, and having discerned something, she leaned forward again with keen interest and a cold smile. “Ohh? Jealousy ''does'' still cloud your heart, after all. I see, I ''see''. How hilarious!”

In her last moments, this incarnation of Tamaki remained silent until she collapsed and her body succumbed. Lilith’s raucous laughter echoed through the golden stone hallways of the World of Envy.
---- Tamaki Uchida has, once again, woken up in the hallways of the first floor of this distorted mirror version of Karukozaka High School.

It was far from the first time, and it will be far from the last.

Unusually, Reiko was not with her anymore. She was, as she said, “done with her.”

Strangely, Tamaki still felt some burning in her veins, even though the poison from Lilith’s snake no longer coursed through them. She sat up against the wall and pulled her knees close to her chest. Out of habit, Tamaki held the necklace of coins around her neck.

This string of coins is otherwise known as a ''rokumonsen'' as per Buddhist funerary custom, symbolizing the fee paid to the ferryman in payment for transit across the Sanzu River. Just as it appeared in the dreams she had each time she died, this is the item which her Guide had imbued with the power to summon her Persona.

Janus did not appear. In his place instead was a white horse with a spiral horn protruding from its forehead: the mythical Unicorn, a steed which lets pure-hearted humans ride it and whose touch is said to cleanse poison.

The fact that it was different from Janus was no surprise to her by now. A new cycle of death and rebirth in this Deity Emperor’s expanse sometimes means a new Persona. Each time, she was shattered and reforged, unmade and remade anew.

What ''did'' surprise her was that she had once had Unicorn as her Persona before Janus. She had regressed. She had backslid. She had grown ''weaker'', not stronger. Not only did this mean that she would have to find her way back to Lilith alone, she would have to do so at an even greater disadvantage than when she had initially entered the halls of the World of Envy with Reiko.

At this realization, Tamaki leaned her head back to hit the wall with a forceful ''thud.'' She didn’t relish the thought of the hardships placed before her.

''What hope do I possibly have now?''

Tamaki’s face contorted into some expression inscrutable to herself. She didn’t want to think about what she’s feeling. She didn’t want to be conscious of it. She wanted to put it as far away from her mind as possible.

In one moment, Unicorn vanished into thin air as Tamaki pulled the six-coined necklace off from her neck.

In the next, she hurled it against the far wall of the faculty hallway. The coins clatter loudly and land to the floor, leaving a dent in the wall where they struck.

For the next few hours, Tamaki simply sat there with her head bent down into her arms and knees, and she could only barely manage to muffle her sobs.

The World of Envy had been squarely meant for her, and it had struck unerringly true in the heart of its intended target.
[[Category:Cutscenes]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 1]]

2026-01-05: World of Envy

2026-01-06T03:08:30Z

Terra: getting the page up, may use wysiwig to get the rest in

*'''Cutscene: World of Envy'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Tamaki Uchida]], Reiko Akanezawa,
*'''Where:''' Karukozaka High School, Shinjuku Ward
*'''OOC Date:''' 2026-01-05
*'''IC Date:''' 2007-10-??
*'''Summary''': ''<A short summary of the log. One or two sentences.>''
*'''Content Warnings''': ''Poisoning''

----

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

2025-12-29: The Day I Flame Out, I'm Dead

2026-01-01T17:24:41Z

Terra: Created page with "*'''Log: The Day I Flame Out, I'm Dead''' *'''Cast:''' Tamaki Uchida, Eikichi Mishina *'''Where:''' Kuzunoha Detective Agency *'''OOC Date:''' December 29, 2025 *'''IC Date:''' September 02, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Eikichi Mishina, Death Boss of Kasugayama High and Frontman of Gas Chamber, pays the Kuzunoha Detective Agency a visit. His request: track down the Joker Killer so he can kick his ass. Tamaki's willing to help, but tries to set forth some realistic expe..."

*'''Log: The Day I Flame Out, I'm Dead'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Tamaki Uchida]], [[Eikichi Mishina]]
*'''Where:''' Kuzunoha Detective Agency
*'''OOC Date:''' December 29, 2025
*'''IC Date:''' September 02, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Eikichi Mishina, Death Boss of Kasugayama High and Frontman of Gas Chamber, pays the Kuzunoha Detective Agency a visit. His request: track down the Joker Killer so he can kick his ass. Tamaki's willing to help, but tries to set forth some realistic expectations.''

----

(|======================== Kuzunoha Detective Agency =========================|)
-=================================================== Sumaru City/Aoba Ward ====-
The first thing that greets visitors to Kuzunoha Detective Agency is a giant
golden lucky cat statue that, with its left paw raised, bids a hearty welcome to
customers and opportunities alike. Inspect it, and a mewling voice will ask for
donations: 100 yen from students and other children, and 1000 yen from adults.

A pair of dark couches that frame a coffee table have an excellent view of the
massive HDTV and dual stereos on the far right wall. On the far left wall are
shelves upon shelves full of books, none of which definitely can slide to one
side. A large desk with a lamp and computer stands in front of it. This is where
the portly older ex-gumshoe, Chief Daisuke Todoroki, makes his business, as...
blessed... by the agency's original owner. He investigates (and will spread) all
manner of rumors to find out the truth (and change reality), assisted by veteran
Persona User Tamaki Uchida.

The back room is nothing special; it has a stove and a sink, so it's a simple
task to always have tea ready for customers. There's a bathroom there too, but
it seems like it's always occupied. Don't ask who's in there, meow.

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kix1dGDVhZE Kuzunoha Detective Office - Persona 2 Innocent Sin (PSP))

Summer has drawn to a close. The atmosphere in the Kuzunoha Detective Agency office is mildly hectic as the pair of Tamaki Uchida and Chief Daisuke Todoroki run about trying to finish organizing their case files before Tamaki has less time to actually aid in doing so.

Her university courses resume tomorrow, you see. Between the boss and subordinate pair, Chief calls the shots and handles the Agency's overall logistics, and Tamaki's the youthful one who's at least a little bit more physically capable.

Tamaki inspects the spine of a binder before she looks at Todoroki to ask, "Sir, what section does file ... D-96 go?"

Todoroki types on his keyboard for a moment, peers at his computer screen through his glasses, then rumbles in reply, "Ahaaaaa, I remember that one. Put it with the asset tracing cases ..."

And so this back-and-forth goes on like this for some time.

Just beyond the entrance lies that ever present lucky cat statue, its left paw raised, its speakers emitting tinny little mewling cries for monetary donations, nya~. For children and teenagers, it asks for 100 yen donations, and for adults, it asks for 1000 yen. (The question remains: How does it know?)

Should a visitor walk through those doors, however, that takes priority over the duo's re-organizing work.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
<poem>One such visitor does arrive!

The teenager was dressed in a "Axewell's Gold Hammer" shirt with frayed sleeves and dark blue jeans that clung to his slender body. He also seemed to be wearing quite a bit of make up, giving him the look of a rocker.

The boy looks mysterious for a moment...until he stops in front of the cat. He locks eyes with the cat.

STARE.

Finally, he grins smugly and donates to the cat, nodding as if he discovered some hidden truth only he could understand.

Eikichi grins when he notices Tamaki. "Greetings...I'm looking for the Kuzunoha Detective Office. Someone directed me here and I'm hoping we can work on something together."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
When Eikichi arrives through the doors, Tamaki and Todoroki share a brief nod at each other. Todoroki's attention returns to his computer, while Tamaki places a binder on her desk and zips over to the front door to greet the Death Boss with her sunniest smile and her hands clasped together.

Several beads of condensation form on the back of the lucky cat statue's head after Eikichi stares at it long enough. Odd, something must be up with the air conditioning unit ...

Rather than give her usual greeting to strangers, Tamaki seems to recognize Eikichi. "Mishina-san! It's good to see you, what brings you here?" Within moments, she realizes how strange this may sound to him, and she hits her fist into her open palm. " -- ah, pardon me, I'm already familiar with you, but I don't think we've had the opportunity to formally meet yet."

Tamaki gives Eikichi a light bow, then rises back up with a grin. "Tamaki Uchida, Assistant Private Detective of the Kuzunoha Detective Agency! Now, what can I do for you? What'd you have in mind?"

She angles her finger and thumb into an L-shape and places it under her chin as she scrutinizes Eikichi more closely. She may have something in mind already ...

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
<poem>Eikichi blinks when Tamaki already knows him. He actually looks kinda impressed, like someone who saw a magic trick. "Oooo, you're good."

The Death Boss puts a hand under his chin as he looks around, coming to look at the Lucky Cat briefly against. Something about it felt off, whether it was the sudden moisture or the fact Eikichi swears he heard SOMETHING from it. Curious. Probably some kind of trick to keep visitors on their toes.

Actually, this place was kinda nostalgic in some way. Eikichi just couldn't really tell why.

"I guess you know me already, heh...But for the old guy over there! Eikichi Mishina, the Death Boss of Kasugayama High School, Future Ambassador of the concept of Beauty, and Rock Star...Did I leave out anything?" Eikichi thinks for a moment, counting on his fingers real quick before confidently affirming his titles.

"As for what I'm here for...I'd like you to help me find the Joker Killer so I can kick his ass." Eikichi says this like it is the most normal request in the world. "I'm sure my creative mind will be an absolute boon to the investigation/justified beat down."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki's reply starts off as if it ''might'' be boastful, "Hahahahaaa! I -- "

Her face falls as she remembers the exact circumstances in which she knows him from. She slumps forward. " -- well, I had some help there. A contact of mine informed me who the next Joker Killer victim was going to be."

Unbeknownst to Eikichi, said 'contact' is just a meter or so behind him ..!

She stands upright again and adjusts her coat to straighten it after she had wrinkled it with her exaggerated body language. "It came at some personal expense. Worth it in the end, but uhhh." She glances back at Todoroki, then back to Eikichi. " -- it hit us in the budget pretty hard. I can't requisition anything with company funds for a good long while."

Tamaki also counts on her fingers as Eikichi lists off his titles. As he finishes, she nods and flashes him a thumbs-up. "Sounds like you got them all to me -- at least to my knowledge. How's Gas Chamber doing these days?"

Eikichi mentions why he came here, and Tamaki's eyes go wide as saucers in panic. "Whoooaaa, kid, are you entirely sure about that? You'll need to get in line, first off. Second, and just trust me on this, the guy's several leagues above other criminals."

Tamaki's friendliness fades into apprehension. She narrows her eyes, taking in Eikichi's full measure, assessing what he's capable of. "I'm deadly serious here. There's a sign that says you gotta be this tall to ride without it turning into a suicide mission." She gives Eikichi an upward nod. "So tell me what you've got. What do you already know about him, and what can you bring to the table?"

"There's already a few other clients we've got who are also interested in taking him on, but they've got ..." Tamaki quirks an eyebrow as she finishes that sentence. "certain ''qualifications''."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
<poem>"Huh...Still impressive you clocked me so easily." Eikichi nods authoritatively.

"Huh...So the Joker Killer info isn't cheap." Eikichi considers this, finding a place to lean on as he thinks about what to do next.

He snaps out of his thoughts when Gas Chamber is mentioned. Immediately, Eikichi's demeanor gets -bigger- as the excitement of his band still generating discussions sets in. "Heh, we're looking for new members but I think our next move is going to blow everyone away."

Eikichi grins even bigger when Tamaki freaks out over the Joker Killer. He doesn't flinch from his spot. "Well considering the bastard already tried to kill me once and it didn't stick, I figure that oughta trip a guy like that up. I'm also the strongest guy in a high school where that kinda thing is necessary."

Eikichi continues to watch Tamaki as he continues. "Bastard is probably still looking for me. Heh, so lets turn the tables. He's not gonna expect his prey to charge him."

Qualifications? Eikichi blinks, tilting his head to the side. "Huh? You mean I gotta take a class or something to punch this guy?" He strokes his chin, thinking to himself. What kind of qualifications could you need for a ass kicking?

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
To be fair, Eikichi has a rather distinct appearance and several other notable traits. Rumors get around, and even ''Tamaki'''s heard of the one about how the Death Boss knows if someone lights up a cigarette on campus.

"It can be cheap if I take my time, but in this situation, time was of the essence. Damn extortionist." For a moment, it seems as if Tamaki glares past Eikichi. There's no one there but the statue, however...

Her cheerfulness briefly reappears as he talks about Gas Chamber. "That's good to hear!" ''What does 'blow everyone away' mean?!''

Eikichi's boasting garners an eye-brow raise from Tamaki. "... I shared a similar distinction in my first high school as something like 'the strongest', but trust me on this: he's in a league of his own."

She knows of another plan by a group intending to ambush him. Even then, their prospect of success seems ... unlikely.

Tamaki shrugs, having sensed Eikichi's Resonance strongly enough to know that he's Awakened. "No class necessary. You've got a Persona, it seems like, so I don't need to beat around the bush with you like I would for people not initiated in that world."

"What else do you know about him?" she probes. "Are you gonna just wait for him to come for you again? Or do you think that it'd be better for you to set the terms of engagement somehow?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
<poem>Eikichi blinks, not really understanding the delicate science of Rumormongering. Instead, he just nods like he understands why spreading rumors cost so much damn money.

"Heh, league of his own, eh? Tch, pisses me off that the guy got the drop on me. He could be immortal and I'd still need to face him." Eikichi crosses his arms while he considers everything from Tamaki's apprehension to what he knew about the Joker Killer. The more he considered the Joker Killer and his situation, the more his plot seemed to track. It was either wait for the Joker Killer to come on his terms or to go to the Joker Killer with -Eikichi's- terms.

"Just the rumors and what I remember from our fight." Eikichi turns to look at Tamaki, getting a somewhat serious look on his face. "Call him and he shows up. There are some specifics...Also I remember that guy using a lot of fire. Lucky for me, my Persona knows a lot of water magic..."

The questions make Eikichi pause for a moment, retaining his serious expression as he considers what he would do. "There needs to be a way to find the Joker Killer when he isn't expecting it. So the game isn't on his terms. Even if it wasn't an element of surprise completely---you get one over on someone in a fight? Sometimes that will spiral and give you all sorts of openings."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki nods as Eikichi continues. "We know his ... place of residence," she says this first bit with some uncertainty about if that's even the right term, but she continues with more confidence, "and we know his identity." She furrows her brow in consternation. "If it was easy as waltzing in to surprise him, we'd have done it already."

'Call him and he shows up.' Tamaki nods. "That's about the long and short of it. Calling your own number ends up getting him on the other line, and you tell him the name of the person you want dead. Someone was gunning from you, from the sound of it."

"You've got water, huh?" Tamaki takes a slight step back from Eikichi. She tries to smile, but she trails off into nervous, uncertain laughter. "Whattaya know, me and the Joker Killer share a ... weakness ... ahaha haaa ..." Still, the fact that he mentioned a property like that unprompted means he isn't bullshitting about having a Persona.

"I've tried looking at every angle for an approach, but so far, I've got nothing. And for the non-conventional methods I've started to research, well ..."

Speak of the devil. Tamaki flips open her phone as it buzzes with a notification. 'Gas Leak in Yumezaki.' She was there, and she knows firsthand that that wasn't a gas leak. " -- it's gotten us some attention by other people. Just by us sniffing around, they knew enough to get the drop on us."

She finds this answer to be unsatisfactory, however, and after a pause, she gives Eikichi a fiercely determined stare. "... all I'm saying is that bravado isn't going to be enough. I'm looking at this realistically and sharing the challenges that myself and a few others are currently struggling with. If you want to help, I've at least heard enough to not turn you down."

This does jog her memory about a video she had recently seen. She steps over to her computer to pull it up and waves Eikichi over. "C'mere. Did you know the Joker Killer mentioned you specifically? Said he showed you 'mercy'."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
<poem>"You know who and where he is? Then why aren't we figuring out a way to get him?" Eikichi says as if it was as simple as that. He groans as he tries to picture what kind of person the Joker Killer was in his day to day. Nothing useful comes to his mind. Only insulting charactures that make the blue haired punk smile.

"Eh? You and the Joker Killer huh? Small world I guess."

"Being brave isn't exactly what I got." Eikichi sighs and lets his arms fall to his sides. "I know that the Joker is going to come for me. Sooner or later, it's going to be him or me. Now I don't bragging rights, I got -plenty- of those already. Nah, I need to punch that guy in the teeth until he stops fucking with people. That isn't bravery...that's resignation to my fate." He meets eyes with Tamaki. "So yeah, I'll help y'all. Whatever it takes...Just want a few punches in the fight."

Eikichi stands up from his leaning position and stands behind Tamaki as she shows the video. The punk is silent through out the video, waiting until it finishes to click his tongue. "Uh huh. That was mercy?" He finds himself laughing lightly before continuing. "Tch, only reason he says that is because he couldn't finish me off...Exactly why I need to fight him again."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Why aren't Tamaki and the others going after him if they know where and who he is?

Tamaki tries not to ''slam'' her hands on her desk, but she firmly places them there and leans forward towards Eikichi and slightly raises her voice. "Because our sniffing around got the attention of ''hit squads'' from the other people he's associated with!"

Like at that bar in Yumezaki just last night ..!

Todoroki brusquely clears his throat from the other side of the room, and Tamaki flinches back from her desk and glances back his way to offer an embarrassed and recalcitrant, "Err. Sorry, sir. And my apologies, Mishina-san."

Eikichi restates his motivations for wanting to help with the Joker Killer. Tamaki's face softens, and she nods in understanding. "Long as it stops, that's what matters."

Tamaki frowns as the video proceeds, listening to the Joker Killer as he mentions more names than just Eikichi's.

By this point, there's not a single name she doesn't know on the list. Small world, indeed.

"I'll talk to the other people I'm working on the case with and ask them what they think of you coming in to help out. Failing that, there's a few other people closer to your age who I could get you in contact with. Failing ''that'', we can work out some arrangement like what I've got with Seki-kun, if you know them."

She looks Eikichi over. "About that water magic, though. Come the Dark Hour, how do you feel about practicing with me sometime? As a friendly sparring match."

"Show me how well you can ''capitalize'' on a weakness like that."

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
<poem>"Hit Squads?" Eikichi blinks and tilts his head in confusion. He mostly takes the raised voice in stride. He knows this is a sore subject for some and he didn't have anything to prove.

"Eh? You're fine."

The punk listens to Tamaki's offer, nodding his head. "Works for me. You obviously know what I can do so please don't sell my strengths short." He shoots her a grin, finding another place to lean or sit. "Whatever it takes for this to end, I'm in."

"Sure. I could use my practice anyway. While I'm not green in a fight, I'm still figuring out this...weird stuff. The last guy I was going to ask isn't there anymore so I've been working on figuring out as much as I can myself."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki firmly nods at Eikichi. "Well ... let me put it this way. Are your band members also Persona-users? If they don't, do you have a plan in case they get targeted? Do you know who called the Joker Killer on you in the first place?"

She holds up a finger. "I promise not to sell you short. I would like to see what you're capable of, first, that's all!"

Tamaki stretches her arms in front of her to crack her knuckles. "Personally, I Awakened about five years ago, so I've had a little bit more time to acclimate." She hangs her head to the side. "Really thought things would stop after that first incident, though."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
<poem>"My band is...I'm rebuilding it from scratch. That said I know my former bandmates and they don't have the abilities as far as I know." Eikichi is thinking about this situation and sighs. "I don't have a plan as of yet. However, whatever I fall on, I know I can't handle it entirely myself."

Eikichi then sighs and puts his head in hand. "As for who called...I got some ideas but when you're the top of the pecking order, everyone wants a piece of ya..."

"Sure. I don't mind auditioning some." Eikichi grins devilishly and cracks his knuckles.

"Yeah...My awakening was just this year so I don't got much a lot of experience but I've had a few fights...This is where I'm kinda new to all of this."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki leans back against the wall and folds her arms. "Well, that's good, at least. Long as whoever's after you won't go after your bandmates, too."

She tilts her head and winks at Eikichi. "See, this is why I keep a low profile. Less unwanted attention that way."

Tamaki exhales out a heavy sigh of her own. "If it's any consolation, the more I find out, the less I feel like I know overall." She gestures at the bookshelf next to her desk, rife with binders. "We're both having trouble keeping track of it. Every situation's different from the next, but they all rhyme, nonetheless. Sticking to the rules of one place makes wandering the hallways of another feel like a visit to a distorted mirror funhouse."

"Which is why I want you to be involved somewhere, at least. There's a lot of us who just want the chaos to end, and we're derelict in our duties if we let someone just twist in the wind."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
<poem>"Hmm. We'll deal with that bullshit when someone gets stupid enough to try it." Eikichi says, wondering how he'd react if someone hurt Miyabi or any of his friends. Spoilers: Not good.

Eikichi smirks, puffing out his chest as he places a hand under his chin flamboyantly. "It's not in my nature to be subtle. The day I flame out, I'm dead."

"Wait there are other things too? How many ways are there for someone to get a Persona? Ugh...Forget it, I need to head home so table that for now." Eikichi sighs, dropping his flamboyant edge ever so slightly.

"Heh, truth be told, I was going to go dial the number and kick his ass myself if you weren't open to collaboratin'...Like I'm willing to walk the road solo if I gotta but I got a better chance of coming home if I got some people watching my back." Eikichi looks rather resigned at talking about death. It is hard to say if he gets the implication or not. "Thanks for hearin' me out."

"Anyway, I need to head back home before my Dad sees how I'm dressed." Eikichi groans, hoping he doesn't have to wash his hair in a public restroom again. "Anyway, lets exchange numbers and keep each other informed. My contact doubles as the number 1 news source for all things Gas Chamber and Michelle aka MOI."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
It takes no small amount of restraint for Tamaki to grimace at Eikichi's 'we'll deal with that when it happens' attitude. She's a meticulous planner, herself! She does at least view this as a simple difference in preference, not as some kind of personal failing.

Tamaki silently counts on her fingers as she tries to answer Eikichi's question. "I know of at ''least'' three, off the top of my head. Perhaps four. But!" She mimes placing something on her desk. "Consider the topic tabled."

She grows more quiet when he talks about going solo. "... I've been there before. You're very welcome, Mishina-san."

"Leeeet me get you a business card." Tamaki reaches over to her desk, picks up a card, then holds it out to Eikichi, placed on the top of both of her hands. "Try not to send anything too sensitive over phone or text."

She covers her mouth with a hand and quietly laughs. "And I promise not to tell your dad about your fashion."

</poem>

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

2025-12-29: Love: Unquantifiable, but Still Present

2026-01-01T17:01:53Z

Terra: Created page with "*'''Log: Love: Unquantifiable, but Still Present''' *'''Cast:''' Shinjiro Aragaki, Aigis *'''Where:''' Iwatodai Dormitory *'''OOC Date:''' December 29, 2025 *'''IC Date:''' September 02, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Shinjiro prepares a lunch meal for both himself and, of all people, Aigis. Aigis initially has trouble understanding the purpose of his gesture beyond an inefficient means of recharging her energy, but Shinjiro patiently explains different parts of human cu..."

*'''Log: Love: Unquantifiable, but Still Present'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Shinjiro Aragaki]], [[Aigis]]
*'''Where:''' Iwatodai Dormitory
*'''OOC Date:''' December 29, 2025
*'''IC Date:''' September 02, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Shinjiro prepares a lunch meal for both himself and, of all people, Aigis. Aigis initially has trouble understanding the purpose of his gesture beyond an inefficient means of recharging her energy, but Shinjiro patiently explains different parts of human culture and customs around meal prep and consumption. Over the meal, they also talk about some of their similarities, such as their plans for school and vague mentions of the debts they owe some of their dormmates.''

----

(|============================ Iwatodai Dormitory ============================|)
-================================================== Iwatodai City/Iwatodai ====-
A large four-story dormitory used by the Specialized Extracurricular Execution
Squad, only five minutes from Iwatodai Station. Upon entering, one passes a desk
with a sign-in book for guests to find a large carpeted common room that's well
appointed for co-ed gatherings.

A TV is usually on with the local news or a movie that's been loaded into the
DVD player for a student to enjoy. A table for shared dinners, or more often
study sessions, takes up the other half of the dorm, as well as a kitchen should
one dare to show off their skills to their fellow students.

There are two winding staircases on either side. The one on the left simply says
'Boys' while the other on the right states 'No Boys Except By Invitation.' The
implicit threat of execution need not be written down for those who violate
these rules. The second and third stories are living spaces divided by gender
with common spaces that have study areas and bookshelves available.

The fourth story is the command center with surveillance capabilities for not
just different parts of the city but each room within the dorms. The Chairman
has assured all who live here that this capability is strictly necessary.

BGM - Dormitory Theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj-FrFI0qnM

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>Shinjiro's trying to get his head on straight lately. The concert was a good way to remember his priorities - living despite what he's done to Ken and Akihiko, helping his allies, and...

Preparing for school tomorrow.

Shinjiro has made lunch, to start. He actually invited Aigis to come eat if he saw her, because he wants to welcome her despite his initial misgivings about her existence and what it means about the Kirijo Corp.

Two plates of tonkatsu have been set up on the table, where Shinjiro is seated, wearing his usual red coat. The tonkatsu is well-made, as a teen who could easily go professional, and smells delicious.

Despite the quiet to Shinjiro as he sets the food, however, his body is tense. Something's probably stressing him out.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
During the daytime, at least before having started school proper, Aigis has a good amount of idle hours on her hands. She was quick to accept Shinjiro's lunch invitation for that reason, among others.

She arrives at the dining table, dressed in a casual outfit consisting of an off-white dress shirt, light-blue blouse, and light-grey ankle-length skirt. Tied in a bow, her red ribbon emblazons her chest.

Aigis calmly smiles as she greets Shinjiro. "Hello, Aragaki-san. How does the day find you so far?"

Her eyes glance to the laid-out meal. To her, at least in this current moment, it registers as a collection of sensory stimuli: visual and olfactory for now, and soon, tactile. All facts and knowledge, but lacking in true comprehension.

She returns her gaze to Shinjiro with some concern. (If he's looking closely, he might see them adjust and rotate as a camera lens does when it changes focus.) Perhaps tactlessly, she asks him, "Is something troubling you? Are you feeling unwell?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>As Aigis arrives, Shinjiro nods. "Hey, Aigis." (He has never used an honorific and doesn't plan to. They feel paradoxically rude to him.)

"I'm fine," he says, with all the tone of someone who is used to saying it. "It's been pretty uneventful. Thought you could use a real homecooked meal for what I assume is the first time. Tonkatsu... it's fried and breaded pork cutlet. Pretty staple, honestly."

But as she shows concern to him, with those camera-like eyes he can't help but look away from slightly, he brushes the back of his hatted head, sheepish. "It's nothing, it's nothing," he lies through his teeth. "School starts tomorrow," he does admit, but doesn't expound on it just yet.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Something about Shinjiro's lack of honorific does bother her, but ... having witnessed Shinjiro in other interactions, it seems that he treats everyone this way. It goes against the grain of what her knowledge of politeness protocols dictate, but relatively speaking, it is only minor discomfort.

Ikutsuki, on the other hand, only seems to omit the use of an honorific for Aigis specifically. Shinjiro doesn't single her out in this manner, but Ikutsuki does. She considers this an interesting data point, uncertain about what it means just yet.

She doesn't understand why, but she feels that when Shinjiro does it, it doesn't sting as much.

Aigis turns her attention to the pork cutlet on the table and considers its composition.
</poem><pre>> INGREDIENTS: Pork (primary ingredient), vegetable oil, breadcrumbs, flour, egg, salt, pepper.
> ESTIMATED TOTAL MASS: 166g
> NUTRITION: 540 kcal (!), 43g fats, 12g carbohydrates, 27g proteins, 98mg cholesterol, 222mg sodium.
> ESTIMATED FINAL ENERGY CONVERSION FROM CONSUMPTION: 1.193% of maximum charge capacity.</pre><poem>
In fewer words: that sure is a pork cutlet, alright, just like Shinjiro said. In this analysis, taste does not seem to be a factor.

"I comprehend." He says he's fine, so she won't press on it further for now. "It has been pretty uneventful. Arisato-san says that I am capable of experiencing boredom, and after having spent several days in idle mode, I am ... now inclined to believe him." The way she says it, 'boredom' is a new concept to her.

"A homecooked meal?" Aigis blinks in mild confusion. "I do not think I understand the importance of whether a meal is cooked at home or prepared elsewhere. Is it more of a cultural matter, or does it actually alter the nutritional substance of the food?"

'Pretty staple, honestly.' She peers at the plated cutlet before her. It doesn't seem to resemble a staple, much less a paper clip. The closest office supply equivalent she can think of is a paperweight.

'It's nothing, it's nothing.' Aigis has no response to this just yet, other than another "... I comprehend," more distant and doubtful than the previous one.

About Shinjiro's deft topic change to school, she replies, "Are you attending, as well? I was told that I should, and after hearing some more of the details, I agreed. Perhaps it will stave off this 'boredom'."

Namely, she can remain close to the Arisato siblings and continue her surveillance of them. Her most vital mission.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>Shinjiro watches Aigis as she's staring at the pork cutlet. "Feel free to try it first," he says.

And then, she comprehensd, and also says she can feel bored. "Ah, yeah... it's hard to just sit around all day. Maybe we can get you some hobbies," he suggests.

About homecooked meals, his eyes brighten lightly, despite the lack of face shift. "Well, like. So, in my opinion, there's three kinds of meals. There's processed and packaged stuff, the kind you microwave or get from a cheap fast food place. There's a restaurant-quality meal, the kind that's usually really nice and you don't have to work on yourself at all. And then there's a homecooked meal, which... you can kinda feel the love of the art more? It's not a team of chefs, it's usually just one person making it."

In other words, it's cultural.

But Aigis asks if he's also attending, and there's a light hitch of his breath that she's equipped to notice, a shift in tension and resting heart rate. "Yeah. Not everyone knows, though. I haven't had the time to tell them, as I haven't gone actively in... two years." A pause.

"So you're going as well? Wonder what Kirijo will do for your records." He's not even doubting that she can pull it off. "What do you know about it?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
"Minato-san and Aomori-san have shown me Drake Adventure, and I have started to make progress in the first volume which Aomori-san let me borrow. I have also attempted to gain a better understanding of fashion after Takeba-san, Yamagishi-san, Kawase-san, and Kumamoto-san took me clothes shopping." This ''is'' one of the outfits she got from that trip -- it's not the usual Gekkoukan winter uniform she's had to borrow before.

Aigis takes a seat at the table. She does seem capable of using chopsticks. Her first bite is quick, utilitarian, and she takes no time to savor the taste of her portion of pork. Down the hatch it goes -- quite literal, in her case.
</poem><pre>> FLAVOR PROFILE: Primarily umami, moderately salty.</pre><poem>
Aigis nods after she listens to Shinjiro's explanation with keen interest. "I see. This is of the third variety, I take it. What does this 'love of the art' feel like?" She returns her attention to the rest of the cutlet before her and attempts to analyze it through her typical means.
</poem><pre>> LOVE: Unquantifiable.
> (At least currently.)</pre><poem>
She continues to peer at it curiously, but ultimately comes up with nothing.

Aigis actually looks mildly crestfallen at her failure to discern this quality.

"Perhaps I would be able to tell the difference if I sampled tonkatsu of the other two varieties to compare."

Shinjiro admits that he'll be going, too. This causes her to smile pleasantly. "I look forward to attending with you, then."

Two years of an absence is highly unusual compared to most of the student body, but ... "Even with such a gap, you have attended school for far longer than I have. My own attendance is one single continuous discontinuity."

"I am unsure of what the Kirijo Group will do in that regard. I am told they have it well in hand, however." He might have meant just Mitsuru, but Aigis took that to mean the entire group as a whole.

She looks up at the ceiling as she recalls what she knows of school so far. "I know that high school is not compulsory for teenagers, but attending does improve one's career prospects. Students are assigned a classroom while teachers move from classroom to classroom to provide lessons for each time segment during the day. Exam preparation is a key component of these lessons. Subjects include mathematics, science, history, literature, foreign languages. Club attendance after school is often expected, and it is irregular to not belong to a club. Shall I continue?"

As typical for Aigis, she understands the ''facts'', but ...

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>"Those sound like good hobbies. What is it a volume of?" Shinjiro asks curiously, taking his own bite of food after Aigis tries it.

"Yeah. It's kinda... so, cooking is an art. Say a recipe says to add salt, or a certain ingredient. It's up to the cook to decide how much, to eyeball it, to customize their dish. Home cooking often involves a lot of little tweaks that come from the experiences of the cook, from their tastes, and you kinda... get to taste food how they like it? It's a closeness you can't recreate easily in a restaurant setting."

He does laugh a bit as she... apparently can't tell the difference. "The foods are all going to taste different just by recipe. The love is... kinda metaphorical, but I think also kinda not? It's not something you can just observe. You just feel it."

For such a tough, brusque guy, he has a lot of interesting philosophy... Shinjiro takes another bite.

"...yeah," Shinjiro says about the gap and attendign with her. The tension is a little off - is this what's bugging him? "Well, I hope you enjoy it."

And then, a shake of the head. "No need to continue. I think you should also consider like... what is the intention of being in a club? How do you socialize with your peers? If you're bored, you should make friends, you know?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
"By the first volume, I mean the first game in the series. Drake Adventure 1." After a beat, she clarifies further, "... the '1' is not present in the title, but it is implicit."

aigis, uh. aigis, i think he got it. you don't need to explain something implicit.

Shinjiro continues about the art of cooking. "I see. I had thought of it as applied chemistry, but humans possess a neurological system with connections to their taste receptors ... and variations in those exist from person to person. So it is a matter of customizing it for that person's particular neurology, is it not? It is both applied chemistry and neurochemistry."

Aigis balks at Shinjiro as he insists that you can't just taste it, you just 'feel' it. Some alarm manages to escape into her voice. This impossibility seems to have unsteadied her. "Feel? With -- with what sense???"

At least on the subject of school, she pipes up, once again chipper and pleasant. "I hope you enjoy it, too!"

As for clubs and socializing, "I do not have an immediate answer, but I will think on this. I have made several friends within the SEES dorms, at least..."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>"Oh, gotcha," Shinjiro nods. And then nods again when she continues. "I just thought you also read a manga or something, my bad. I usually think of it as the 'first game' instead of the 'first volume'."

Shinjiro considers about APPLIED CHEMISTRY and NEUROCHEMISTRY. He's honestly amused by her - she's certainly a robot, but it's not an unpleasant conversation at all. "Sort of? Everyone will like different things. Some people prefer more salt, or less. Some people prefer spicy or mild."

But her alarm over the feel causes him to frown. "Like... with your mind? Your heart? It's... you know how humans often have strong emotions about things? Sometimes those emotions come from just understanding the care the other person put into it to make it their way. It makes the meal more enjoyable."

He's still eating, and nods as she hopes he enjoys it too. "I'll try. I'm trying to... fulfill a promise to graduate with Kirijo and Aki. It's more about that than the school itself."

Shinjiro smiles at the lack of an immediate answer. "Then think on it, yeah. You don't need to rush it, but it's good to like... when dealing with humans, you gotta consider social and emotional contexts, too."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
The first game, not the first volume. "I see. I have updated my understanding of this terminology to reflect this."

Aigis excitedly places her hands together and smiles as Shinjiro confirms her thoughts on applied (neuro-)chemistry. "As I said! Variations exist between people in the responses to the stimuli they experience, such as salt or spice levels, as you say."

Shinjiro asserts that love is felt through the mind or heart. This ...

This actually puts her more at ease. It's not something she can put a hard number to, but more abstract parts of her thoughts and feelings do exist. "I understand better now. It is not something I am yet accustomed to feeling."
</poem><pre>> LOVE: Still unquantifiable.
> (But present, nonetheless.)</pre><poem>
Thinking back on the difference between how Shinjiro and Ikutsuki omit honorifics (Shinjiro globally, Ikutsuki selectively), Aigis remains quiet for a few moments, then without making eye contact with Shinjiro, she asks,

"Is it possible to feel a lack of affection? A negative amount? Relative to a common baseline value, at least."

Aigis nods at Shinjiro's promise. "Understood. You have a reason, even if it differs from what is common." She considers her own reasons, then continues after a beat, "As do I."

'You have to consider social and emotional contexts, too.' Aigis nods in silent compliance. Those are difficult topics for her, but she does sincerely wish to properly consider those.

She takes another bite of the tonkatsu, but more slowly, this time. Maybe with less haste involved, she'll be better able to perceive the love in it.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>"I guess, yeah." Shinjiro agrees on the variations, but when she comes to the Love subject, he nods. "You'll get there, hopefully."

But she asks about the lack of affection... and he glances to her at that. "Yeah, definitely. Dislike, hate, distaste... there's people who just don't get along."

SHinjiro nods, as Aigis too has an 'abnormal' reason. "I hope it works for you."

As he eats, though, Shinjiro's hands shake a little. He's perhaps not the healthiest person, just based on visual signs. But even so, he's still pushing forward.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis finishes her bite, then nods. "Hopefully."

Shinjiro lists off dislike, hate, distaste ... "Hmm. I do not think it is any of those ..."

Aigis nods in return. "I hope you are able to fulfill your promise."

She notices his hands shaking, he pallor, his general unease. He seems to say otherwise, but after continually seeing signs to the contrary with a sensory array that she can't turn off or filter out, she feels compelled to ask, "... Are you unwell, Aragaki-san? Do you require rest or more nutrition?"

If he really is unwell, the reason behind his promise begins to make a bit more sense to her now, at least.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>"Thank you," Shinjiro says about the promise. But when Aigis asks if he's unwell... he turns towards her. "No, I'm fine-"

This is the third time he's said that, and he ends up sighing. You can't really lie to a robot like her. "It's not something I can take care of with rest or nutrition. I just gotta see it through. I don't really talk about it, so just don't worry about it."

He's not angry or malicious, but Shinjiro is indeed tense about it. It's hard to talk about.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis nods. "I comprehend." That answer suffices enough for her to leave the subject alone for now.

She stares more closely at him for a few more moments, wondering if she made a mistake, but -- no, she does not see Death, only the shadow of lowercase-d death.

Awkwardly, she continues, "... What would you like to talk about instead?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>As the awkwardness builds, Shinjiro just eats his food quietly. At least, she's leaving it alone for now...

"...is there anything you're looking forward to?" he asks her. It's a simple enough question, but it's a good gauge of her dreams or passions, if any... and perhaps it's just something he can help with, if she doesn't have anything.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis quietly contemplates Shinjiro's question. "I would like to better understand gardening, at least. I look forward to the next crop. I wish to better cultivate a sense of expression with my fashion choices. I want to work through each Drake Adventure game in sequence."

These are all short-term goals, which are well and good, but ...

"Last, but not least, I did not specifically make a promise, but I do have a sense of duty to uphold. A responsibility to fulfill." She hesitates before she continues, but adds, "... Separate from my primary mission. A debt incurred that I must repay."

She lowers her eyes. "... Unbeknownst to those who I am indebted to."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>"...those are nice. I hope you enjoy the Drake Adventures, and if you need any gardening tips, let me know," Shinjiro says, awkwardness subsiding only slightly, until she mentions her duty.

As she says that last part, lowering her eyes, his expression softens. "...I get it. I'm the same way." He doesn't mean the school promise, either. "Can't tell the person you need to protect... so you just have to do it under their nose."

He starts to finish his plate.

"I'm rooting for you in accomplishing it. I won't pry, but if you need anything, you're free to ask."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis listens quietly for the most part. Her eyes widen when he says he has a similar burden. "I see."

As Shinjiro mentions protection, she tilts her head at him. She didn't mention that part to him out loud. Either she was patently obvious (entirely likely), or his own duty involves protecting someone, too.

Aigis gives a sidelong glance towards the dormitory hallway and stairs. "Likewise, on all three counts. I cannot think of anything for now, but it does help to know that I may ask for your support -- and in turn, you may ask for mine."

She looks down at her pork cutlet, then back up at Shinjiro. "May I ask to whose preferences you prepared this for? Yourself, or someone else?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>"Thank you. I'll keep that in mind," Shinjiro responds to Aigis about the support. As she glances outwards, he doesn't say anything further.

Until she asks about the food again. "Mine. Unless making something specific for someone... I make things like how I want to eat them. That's how I was taught how to cook. I want people to feel *my* take on food, step into my shoes a little bit."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
"Understood. I have noted this formulation of tonkatsu as 'the way Shinjiro likes it,'" she announces.

Aigis frowns as she considers how she would do the same if she ever tried cooking. "I am uncertain if I will ever be able to follow that approach, myself. I do not have a preference, and lacking certain biological features, I do not know if I will ever be able to form one."

"... But perhaps I can archive the preferences of other people."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>Shinjiro smiles lightly at that. "Sure, go ahead." He rubs the back of his head. "You could always go off texture, honestly."

But then, he nods, taking his dish and standing up. "Thanks for chatting with me, Aigis. I think that's a good idea... knowing what people like means you can connect with them further, right? That's a way you can understand them better."
</poem>

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

2025-12-22: Uchida-senpai Mostly Explains It All

2025-12-23T03:36:41Z

Terra: Created page with "*'''Log: Uchida-senpai Mostly Explains It All''' *'''Cast:''' Tamaki Uchida, Maya Amano *'''Where:''' Kuzunoha Detective Agency *'''OOC Date:''' December 22, 2025 *'''IC Date:''' August 29, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Maya pays the Kuzunoha Detective Agency a visit. Tamaki natters her ear off about cognitive psience, one Sojiro Sakura, and some ancient history.'' ---- (|======================== Kuzunoha Detective Agency =========================|) -===============..."

*'''Log: Uchida-senpai Mostly Explains It All'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Tamaki Uchida]], [[Maya Amano]]
*'''Where:''' Kuzunoha Detective Agency
*'''OOC Date:''' December 22, 2025
*'''IC Date:''' August 29, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Maya pays the Kuzunoha Detective Agency a visit. Tamaki natters her ear off about cognitive psience, one Sojiro Sakura, and some ancient history.''

----

(|======================== Kuzunoha Detective Agency =========================|)
-=================================================== Sumaru City/Aoba Ward ====-
The first thing that greets visitors to Kuzunoha Detective Agency is a giant
golden lucky cat statue that, with its left paw raised, bids a hearty welcome to
customers and opportunities alike. Inspect it, and a mewling voice will ask for
donations: 100 yen from students and other children, and 1000 yen from adults.

A pair of dark couches that frame a coffee table have an excellent view of the
massive HDTV and dual stereos on the far right wall. On the far left wall are
shelves upon shelves full of books, none of which definitely can slide to one
side. A large desk with a lamp and computer stands in front of it. This is where
the portly older ex-gumshoe, Chief Daisuke Todoroki, makes his business, as...
blessed... by the agency's original owner. He investigates (and will spread) all
manner of rumors to find out the truth (and change reality), assisted by veteran
Persona User Tamaki Uchida.

The back room is nothing special; it has a stove and a sink, so it's a simple
task to always have tea ready for customers. There's a bathroom there too, but
it seems like it's always occupied. Don't ask who's in there, meow.

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Summer is officially almost over, as the end of August draws near. Sunlight streams in through the Kuzunoha Detective Agency's window.

Chief Todoroki sits at his desk closer to the back and occupies his attention with various forms of correspondence to his network of contacts, bouncing between phone conversations (both voice and SMS), emails, and faxes.

The Agency's maneki-neko statue looms at the entrance, the same as it ever does. It always watches for visitors to the Agency, nya~.

Tamaki has, by now, made her peace with summer's end. Her university courses resume shortly, and she'll have less time to focus on work as an assistant private investigator. Before that happens, she's taking some time to get her case files properly organized. Binders, pages and pages of notes, tabs and dividers lay strewn and scattered across her desk.

She's been at this for hours. Eventually, her attention dwindles to the point that she sits back from her desk to crack open some canned coffee and take a break.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
<poem>
Maya's hair is usually down, but today it's up in a ponytail. It might be nearing the end of summer, but it doesn't yet feel like it. Beads of sweat cling to her neck and she's grateful that the ponytail gives the skin there some room to breathe.

Maya really wishes that she had a pool she could swim in. Back during her school days (which were not that far behind her), she had fairly easy access to a pool. Now as an adult, she isn't even sure where she'd find one.

Maya gives the lucky cat's head a rub as she pushes the door to the Kuzunoha Detective Agency open. "Hey there!" she calls out before she's even confirmed the person she's here to visit is even there. She's just really friendly like that.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
The lucky cat statue meows pitifully, asking for donations in its usual manner, its tinny cry for 1000 yen coming emerging from what sounds like speakers installed in the statue.

Tamaki's first thought on hearing this is ''Oh thank goodness, a distraction.'' In a flash, she's up from her desk to greet Maya by the door with her sunniest smile. "Amano-san! So good to see you! What brings you here today?"

She leans in more closely as she peppers Maya with questions about her visit's purpose. "Got a rumor to spread? Need to track someone down? Some magazine sweepstakes entries you'd like me to submit? Oh! I won a full set of skill cards from Miracle, so if you need to borrow one, we could arrange something -- "

After a beat, Tamaki pauses, then glances back at her messy, in-the-middle-of-being-organized desk. "Iiiii've been trying to get my thoughts sorted before classes pick up again. Mostly having to do with the Joker Killer." Turning back to Maya, she adds, "I could get you caught up on what I've pieced together so far."

She casts another lingering stare back at her desk, getting lost in the maze of her own thoughts on that particular topic. A few moments later, she soon comes back to reality and excitedly waves a hand in the air. " -- Right! Sorry to get ahead of myself, you came in here and I haven't even let you say what occasion brings you here."

Tamaki presses her hands together and leans forward to Maya again and looks at her expectantly. "So! For real, this time: What brings you here?"

... That canned coffee's really doing a number on her today, huh?
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
<poem>
"It sounds like you already figured it out!" Maya says with a laugh. Tamaki's pretty energetic today and it's rare that Maya finds anyone her age that matches her energy -- let alone exceeds it. It's pretty refreshing!

"I was hoping that you could fill me in on what you know about the Joker Killer... and maybe we could talk about Sakura-san, too." Maya wasn't sure if anyone really knew anything about him.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki's got her ups and downs; every so often, her battery ''does'' drain. Talking to a person instead of staring at an organizational system is a nice change of pace for her right now, too!

She snaps her fingers on one hand and points at Maya. "One of those has a much shorter explanation than the other. I'll start with Sakura-san first, if you don't mind?" After this, she motions to the couches surrounding a table in the center of the office. "Take a seat, though, we might be here a while."

Tamaki leans forward in her seat on the couch and exhales, her demeanor growing more somber as she prepares to talk about Sojiro. "I don't know exactly if I'm at liberty to talk about every aspect here, so forgive me if I skip a few details."

"Watanabe-san was who I first started talking about this with -- I don't know how well the two of you are acquainted. We didn't start with Sakura-san, but more broadly, we figured we wanted to look into the topic of cognitive psience."

She gives Maya a pointed glance. "This ... isn't exactly my first rodeo when it comes to the supernatural stuff like this. There was a big flurry of activity in academia about the topic for about a year after something that happened in Mikage-cho, which both of us were present for. In the wake of that, this energy company called SEBEC took responsibility for what happened, SEBEC's stocks tanked, and the Nanjo Group buys it up."

"Then near the tail end of 2009, opinion sours on cognitive psience, and it gets derided as a pseudoscience. The government starts cutting funding for its research programs, publications in academic journals get retracted left and right, and soon there's nothing left of the topic anywhere except for ''maybe'' a few saved digital copies floating out in some very obscure parts of the internet." Tamaki briefly lowers her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "If you ask me, I have a hunch that there's some causal relationship between what happened at Mikage-cho and the topic's popularity."

Tamaki sheepishly places the tips of her index fingers together and gives Maya a guilty smile. "I managed to get my hands on a copy of one of the earliest published papers on the subject. So through a ... ''roundabout'' way, I found out that Sakura-san wasn't one of these researchers credited on the paper, but someone who seemed to be well-acquainted with one of them."

The part that Tamaki isn't saying out loud is that Sojiro is now the adopted daughter of one of the now-dead researchers -- and over her blood-related family, at that. That's at least part of what she feels she isn't at liberty to talk about -- that's for Sojiro to tell, not her.

Tamaki had recognized 'Sayuri' in that photo in LeBlanc.

"So I bring up Sakura-san to Watanabe-san, thinking he's as good a lead as any on what the topic actually entails, if he managed to find out anything through the mother of his adoptive daughter. Watanabe-san asked him about cognitive psience and mentioned that I pointed her in his direction, it went ''very'' poorly, then a few days later, he comes knocking around ''here'', saying that the topic's supposed to be scrubbed entirely from the web."

She rubs the back of her neck, then leans back in her seat, having nearly finished this topic. "We're still trying to get him to come around. He knows something about cognitive psience, he says nothing good can come of it, but I call bullshit."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
<poem>
"You mind if I take notes?" Maya asks as she takes a seat. She pulls out her mobile. Most reporters were still taking notes the old-fashioned way -- with a proper pen and notebook -- but Maya found it much easier to use a smartphone. Plus she could record things if she needed to, so she wasn't relying on shorthand notes to re-construct a conversation. Of course, this wasn't a proper interview and Maya didn't want to give the impression it was, either, so there'd be no use of the recording app today.

When Tamaki gives the OK, Maya's fingers move at a breakneck pace as she opens up her Notes app and starts typing. Somehow, Maya manages to keep her eyes up during most of Tamaki's explanation, only briefly glancing down to ensure that her fingers hadn't unintentionally shifted on the keyboard screen and spelled out a bunch of gibberish.

"Once something's on the web, it's pretty tough to scrub it off. I always save anything I find during my investigation immediately, just in case it gets pulled." And sometimes it did. "Do you know anything about him personally? Beyond the cognitive psience stuff, I mean."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki's 'OK' for note-taking comes in the form of this: "Long as we're off the record for anything journalistic. This shit would get Public Security angrily breathing down Coolest's neck."

Her own note-taking style is a good old-fashioned pen-and-paper notepad, but that's mainly due to the Dark Hour being a thing that she's had to contend with for almost five years now, and Tamaki's cell phone doesn't quite work during those times!

"Yeah, when it's out there, it's out there." Tamaki scratches behind an ear. "He seemed to be a little bit confused at that notion, thinking that the project was top-secret from the get-go, but to be fair, they've otherwise done a good job of cleaning it up. I had to go through some real obscure channels to get just the basics of the basics, real Intro to Cogpsi 101 stuff. I don't blame him for getting mixed-up, either: from the sounds of it -- this is speculation on my part, I don't know for sure -- when an interested party's knowledge on the topic advanced far enough, I'd guess that it suddenly ''became'' top-secret after the fact."

Tamaki hisses an intake of breath at Maya's last question. "Ooooh. Yes, ''but'', mostly they're the kinds of things I'm not at liberty to say. Uhh. He runs a curry and coffee shop called LeBlanc -- no, you were there, you know that now." She drums her fingers against each other. "Let's see, let's see ..."

"I've mentioned he adopted the daughter of a researcher who died. He's the guardian of another kid, too, though I don't know the details there. Past that ... Sojiro Sakura isn't his original name or identity, and I'm not telling you what it originally was, but my impression of him is that he's someone who very much wants to just run his curry shop in peace and obscurity and leave an unfortunate chapter of his life behind ... himself ..."

Tamaki's head droops as she finally says that last part out loud. "... yeah, I can relate, honestly."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
<poem>
Maya nods her asset. She doesn't intend to report on any of this for Coolest. Right now her focus is on the Joker Killer. Anything else not directly related to it that lead her there was completely off-the-record.

Besides, top secret research and government conspiracies weren't exactly the primary interest of Coolest's typical reader. Kismet had other magazines that covered conspiracies and the paranormal and they didn't have many teenage readers.

Though with how strange things have gotten over the last half-year, Maya was surprised that the readership for those magazines hadn't significantly increased. It wasn't as though she was the only one looking for answers, either.

"Does that mean you have something you want to leave behind too?" Maya sets her cell phone down on the couch face-down. This isn't research.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki twiddles her thumbs together. "Yeah, and I've been successful so far. I've already been a part of two supernatural incidents. The second one was that SEBEC scandal in Mikage-cho that I'd mentioned. Watanabe-san and Kirishima-san -- the lady in the jumpsuit that came with me -- were both there, too. Out of all of us, Kirishima-san knows the most of what happened there."

She half-closes her eyes as she averts her gaze from Maya. One of her hands finds its way to idly fiddle with the choker comprised of six coins adorning her neck. "What I want to leave behind has to do with the first incident. More accurately, if the public caught wind of the full story, they'd ... reduce it to some narrative where I was the hero and the person responsible for causing it was unquestionably a villain."

Tamaki swallows hard as she considers her next point. "What's more, I shudder to think of the evil acts that someone ''more ambitious'' could commit with what the ... 'villain' did. If whatever group behind the Joker Killer were able to do that at a larger scale, we would all be well and truly cooked."

She gives Maya an apologetic glance. "So if anyone else outside of our little circle of contacts asks about me, I had a perfectly normal high life."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
<poem>
"Got it," Maya says, giving Tamaki a firm salute. "If I was going to be known for anything, I'd rather it be for my reporting than anything I did with my Persona." This was 100% true. Even though Maya was fairly open with other Persona-users about being one, she didn't want to be the subject of a story; she'd rather be the one reporting it!

"Though... I'm thinking that I should call you Uchida-senpai now," she teases. "It sounds like you've been involved with the supernatural a lot longer than I have. I just discovered I had a Persona earlier this year."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki hangs her head -- though this time, with a comedically-exaggerated air to her movements. "I've been getting that a lot, recently ..."

She pulls herself back upright and huffs in irritation. "Seriously, though. Imagine taking care of the Joker Killer once and for all, there's as happy of an ending that you're going to get, that chapter of your life ends, and then ..."

"And then it doesn't, actually. You experience the Dark Hour every night. More incidents keep happening. You get a new job, move somewhere else, move onto something new, but something similar happens in your new life. That gets resolved, so then surely ''that'''s the proper end of things, right?"

Tamaki sighs and leans back on the couch, her expression now forlorn. "Then it just keeps happening more and more, with seemingly no end in sight. That's ... what it's like."

She's silent for several more moments, but she eventually continues. "I can ... ''intimately'' understand Sakura-san's temptation to start fresh somewhere new and try to hide from some powerful people with malicious designs on the world. I've very much wished I could do the same, but ..."

Tamaki casts her gaze back to Maya, a ferocious determination once more showing in her eyes. "I can't just look away from everything I've seen. I don't have the luxury of turning a blind eye anymore."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
<poem>
"That's how I feel, too!" Maya says, nodding. "There are so many teenage Persona-users. I can't shield them from their new reality --" And they probably wouldn't want to be shielded, either. At least not all of them. "-- but I want to do what I can to keep them safe."

Maya rubs the lobe of her ear, the way she always does when she's thinking. "That's why I want to deal with the Joker Killer quickly. There's a lot of teens that aren't taking it seriously and are calling their number on dares or out of curiosity. You can't stop teenagers from doing stuff like that --" Maya had done her fair share of stupid things as a teenager. "-- so all you can really do is stop the cause of it."

Maya places her hands on her lap and bends forward, lips curled into a smile. "I think the two of us are going to be good friends, Uchida-''senpai''."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>
Tamaki nods at Maya's sentiment about protecting teenagers. "You and me both on that count. The way I phrase it, I want to be the person that I could have used as a kid when I didn't have ''anyone''."

Her expression shifts uneasily as she thinks of other teenagers who definitely don't want to be shielded. Like Tatsuya. She can give him some material aid here and there, some first aid kits, replacement motorcycle leathers, but ... that's about all. He'll go off on his own no matter what she says.

She glances at her desk of notes that still need ''proper'' organizing. "Aw, hell. Explaining things about the Joker Killer is going to take a bit more of a ... prepared speech, let's say. In other words, I've got to arrange that mess together into something coherent."

Tamaki stands up and stretches her arms. "I get the same feeling, Amano-san." She gives Maya a level stare, then smirks lightly and quirks an eyebrow. "Careful, there. Don't push it, or otherwise I'll think of a fitting nickname for you in revenge."

</poem>

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

2025-12-19: The Worst Possible Luck

2025-12-20T16:29:09Z

Terra: content warnings, though someone else might have a better idea

*'''Log: Aigis - 2025-12-19'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Ken Amada]], [[Shinjiro Aragaki]], [[Minako Arisato]], [[Minato Arisato]], [[Reiya Aomori]], [[Hitomi Mandai]], [[Yukari Takeba]], [[Ririka Kawase]], [[Suzume Fukura]], [[Fuuka Yamagishi]], [[Aigis]]
*'''Where:''' Iwatodai Dormitory
*'''OOC Date:''' December 19, 2025
*'''IC Date:''' August 28, 2012
*'''Summary:''' ''The day after SEES rescues Ken Amada and Koromaru from a Shadow attacking Naganaki Shrine, they gather together to discuss events and what to do in the aftermath. Both Koromaru and Ken express their desires to join SEES.''
*'''Content Warnings:''' ''Child endangerment, animal harm''

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(|============================ Iwatodai Dormitory ============================|)
-================================================== Iwatodai City/Iwatodai ====-
A large four-story dormitory used by the Specialized Extracurricular Execution
Squad, only five minutes from Iwatodai Station. Upon entering, one passes a desk
with a sign-in book for guests to find a large carpeted common room that's well
appointed for co-ed gatherings.

A TV is usually on with the local news or a movie that's been loaded into the
DVD player for a student to enjoy. A table for shared dinners, or more often
study sessions, takes up the other half of the dorm, as well as a kitchen should
one dare to show off their skills to their fellow students.

There are two winding staircases on either side. The one on the left simply says
'Boys' while the other on the right states 'No Boys Except By Invitation.' The
implicit threat of execution need not be written down for those who violate
these rules. The second and third stories are living spaces divided by gender
with common spaces that have study areas and bookshelves available.

The fourth story is the command center with surveillance capabilities for not
just different parts of the city but each room within the dorms. The Chairman
has assured all who live here that this capability is strictly necessary.

BGM - Dormitory Theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj-FrFI0qnM

<Pose Tracker> Ken Amada has posed.
<poem>
Iwatodai Dorm generally bustles with activity, thanks to the sheer number of people staying within it. It's been especially busy today after Ken Amada wandered out into the Dark Hour last night and encountered a horde of Shadows attacking Naganaki Shrine. Koromaru had been injured fending them off until SEES arrived to protect both of them--until Shinjiro Aragaki had defended Ken from the fist of death--but with everyone's help, the Shadows had been defeated...

Ken had, in fact, Awakened to help defeat them.

They'd all returned afterwards, including Ken and Koromaru. People have had a chance to sleep, and other members of SEES who weren't present have been informed of the situation. A meeting was called on the ground floor common area--again, not everyone present, given the last-minute nature of it--to discuss the matter of the two new Persona Users.

Koromaru is doing well; Yukari healed most of his wounds last night with a Mediarama, and he's bounced back from his exhaustion with a bit of rest. He's technically not a ''new'' Persona User, but he's new as far as SEES is concerned. His tongue lolls as he pants and wags his curly tail.

Ken has been quiet. He's seated by himself on the seat at the end of the coffee table, eyes down, hands curled on his knees. He's been lost in thought a lot since last night... It's hardly surprising. But it might still be concerning. After all, he's an eleven-year-old boy who just awoke to a Persona.

The one actually describing what happened last night might be surprising, given that it's Shinjiro "Grumpy Ol'" Aragaki... but he ''was'' the first one on site last night.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>Shinjiro was the first one there last night. He's still reeling from it all. One might be forgiven to think it's just the shock of an elementary schooler awakening to their hell of a life.

But, someone needs to give an explanation, so he's volunteered, positioning himself close to the dining table, where Ken sits. He's leaning against the wall instead of sitting, and when people arrive...

"Last night, Amada must have woken up in the middle of the Dark Hour. I heard him making noise in the bathroom and saw him leave before I could reach him, so I grabbed a fire axe and chased after."

Shinjiro gets straight to 'why he was there first'. He's not in a good mood.

"Found him cornered by one of those giant ones, with the bad hairdo, followed by a swarm of smaller ones. Arisato arrived soon after, followed by Yamagishi bringing everyone else she could. We were able to stop it, but couldn't have taken it out without..."

He glances between Ken and Koromaru, sighing.

"...their help. Koromaru is apparently a Persona User, and a strong one. Amada... he Awakened. I don't know what was going through his head, but..."

That's a lie. He's meditated on what was going through Ken's head and his words all day. Shinjiro hasn't told anyone about the panic attack he had... they wouldn't understand even if he did.

"He's alive. That's what's important."

There's a glance to Ken at that. If Ken wants to talk, he will. Shinjiro's not third-personing him because he doesn't have a say, but because it's the easiest way to explain... and also allows him some distance in the moment.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
<poem>
Minako hadn't been there for the fight -- but she heard about it after, that Shadows had attacked Ken and Koromaru. Hearing that Koromaru-chan was hurt gave her quite a fright. She hurries in, now, and she comes into the room.

She sits on one of the sofas -- and she glances at Shinjiro. She listens as he explains. Then, she nods; she just accepts a dog having a Persona.

"That is important," she agrees with Shinjiro. "I'm glad you could stop it. And... I'm sorry I wasn't there."

She looks at Ken, then. "Amada-kun. How do you feel? After all of this?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Minato Arisato has posed.
<poem>
Minato stands, hands in the pockets of his jeans -- yes, it's dark jeans and a white shirt again today, no, he's never heard of fashion, that's for girls to worry about -- as he looks over the new (and old) Persona-Users.

He might be the Leader... but he isn't much of a ''talker.'' Which explains why he's listening to Shinjiro explain it, instead.

"A dog..." He muses, mostly to himself, as he slouches off to the side. ... it's entirely unlike the way Minako immediately involves herself in asking about Ken's welfare, huh?

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
Reiya wasn't there last night; he had an outing of his own to take care of. He heard what had happened, of course, faster than most. He's like that. But now, he's in the common area, dressed in his usual nice csaual clothes, thoughtful as he regards Koromaru and Ken.

"Another non-human Persona-user," Reiya reflects. "...I knew Koromaru-san was dutiful, but I did not know the depths of his courage."

Reiya turns towards Ken, then. Minako asks how he feels...

"There is much in the dark that is hard to un-see. For all that the circumstances are unfortunate... you did well."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
Hitomi looks somewhat disheveled as she sits, wearing that self-same sundress she'd either gotten or unearthed for the celebration of Summer. Even though there's damn little sun here!

Hitomi is not the most immaculately-poised girl at the best of times, even if there's a certain energetic charm, but her hair is kind of a mess. She has changed styles to the 'giant ponytail clasped near the back of the head' which she had adopted on Yakushima, perhaps in deference to the fact that it is Hot and Sunny and you can't get away from that on an island. What it's doing now is accenting the frizz.

She got some leftover croquettes out of the fridge and didn't heat them up, in favor of a squirt of hot mustard sauce on the side of the plate.

One of the croquettes is in her hand, having been toyed with idly. She watches Shinjiro; she accepts, perhaps, what he says. Her attention is resting on Ken but she's being low-key about it. It can hurt, to stare.

"It's pretty scary stuff, huh?" she comments, after Minako breaks the ice. Her attention rests on Minato as he speaks what they're all thinking: 'A dog.' Sauce is swept up and the croquette is munched.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
<poem>
Suzume and Yukari came back a litttleee later than the rest after their patrol for 'Mayas' which was definitely not anything else.

Still, it's the day after, and everyone's hale and hearty - which is good news since her healing can't exactly do anything unless it's the Dark Hour.

What would they even do if Koromaru was badly injured!? Take him to a vet?

Yukari however mostly has her eyes on Ken, who's quiet- and she's just as quiet. She at least ''tries'' not to let him catch her looking.

She didn't want him to get involved all this, but it was kinda inevitable, wasn't it?

Shinjiro explains, and Yukari looks his way from her seat upon the couch, listening to the recounting.

"... Yeah." She says to what's important. However, she looks at Minako reaching out to him, then- doesn't say anything for a time.

She's not gonna stop anyone from trying to reach out to him, she just worries that- well... when you're coming to terms with the death of the parent...

... she knows it's hard to open up. At least it was for her...

'A dog...' is Minato's musing on the subject, and Yukari only speaks up then, "Yeah... what's up with that? I've seen a lot of Persona Users but - never a ''dog'' running around while we're fighting?"

A beat, she rethinks that.

"Then again... Koro-chan is a pretty special dog." Is it weird that she relates to his loyalty? To a dog!? She hopes it's not weird, so she's not repeating that again.

"Could be he's the only dog that can use a Persona in all of Japan... honestly that'd be kind of fitting."

After all, he's a Shiba Inu. There are few dogs more Japanese than that.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Last night was... certainly a shock. Certainly, finding out that Koromaru had a Persona, and even ''more'' that Ken had Awakened, into a life that no eleven-year-old should have to reckon with. (Not that... any of the rest of them really 'should' be dealing with it either...)

But Ririka's mind keeps going back to one line:

'YOU killed my mom?!'

That harrowing scream that followed soon after.

She doesn't know Ken's situation, but the bit that she does know... makes her heart ache in sympathy.

She's seated, quiet, listening as the others talk... and absently tapping at her thigh in tune to some melody nobody else can hear.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Suzume *was* here last night. She'd taken a detour back with Yukari for scouting purposes, and since no Mayas bothered Ken and Koromaru and the others on the way back from the temple, it must have been successful!

...yeah.

Unfortunately she is not here today, because of the hastiness of the meeting being called. That's life!
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
<poem>Last night was a lot. Fuuka is just glad everyone was able to get there in time, and that Shinjiro and Minato noticed what was happening soon enough to give them time to even get there. She's definitely been fussing over Koromaru, but thanks to Yukari, it seems like he's okay right now.

Which just leaves... Ken. There are some things a Mediarama can't heal. She looks to him, concern in her eyes. Minako asks how he's feeling, and Fuuka doesn't crowd him by asking again, but the question is in her eyes.

Reiya speaks of how dutiful Koromaru is, and a small smile crosses her face.

"Yes... Doing his best to protect his shrine... Koro-chan must be a super dog." Fuuka agrees brightly. "Still, I'm impressed... I didn't expect that, either. I wonder how long he's had his Persona...?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis squats in front of Koromaru to see if he has anything to say, then stands and turns to the rest of those gathered.

This might be the first calm moment that Ken's really gotten a chance to look at her, at least not without her slipping away out of sight. She's clearly mechanical in nature, demonstrated by her visible shoulder and hip joints. ... Then again, he ''does'' have more pressing concerns.

As usual, she watches the Arisato siblings. She can't help but play back Ken's words from last night in her own mind as she does so.

Her gaze turns to Reiya when he mentions another 'non-human' Persona-user. As true as that may be of her own case, that ... no, wait, it is true. Why did she feel the kneejerk urge to protest so?

"I find both Koromaru-san and Ken courageous in what they have had to face thus far. That being said ... what next?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ken Amada has posed.
<poem>
To Ken, it's very kind of the gruff Shinjiro to say that what matters is that he's alive. It's a kindness that follows naturally from the way he'd jumped to his rescue, physically shielding him from a blow that could've been lethal

(could've reduced him to a red puddle

(just like his mom))

but wasn't, because he was there. Minato too... If Shinjiro hadn't been there, he would've been, for all that he's been contributing little to the conversation itself. Still, when Minako asks him about how he feels, he blinks up at her.

"It's... hard to say," he admits. "Everything happened all at once... I'm calmer than I was last night, but I'm still sorting through everything. I... already knew about SEES and Personas and the Dark Hour," he glances at Minato, even though it was not Minato who first told him about all that, "but it was very different to see it all for myself."

Much less awaken to his own Persona... much less encounter the ''thing'' that killed his mother. He avenged his mom, so why does he still feel so... unsatisfied...? Like there's something inside him still restless, still searching for justice... He clutches his shirt over his chest, expression haunted. ...Ririka, in her own silence, can no doubt guess his thoughts; it's been echoing in her mind since last night, after all.

Hitomi calls it scary stuff. "Yeah... I was pretty overwhelmed at first." His cheeks color when Reiya praises him, though. "Th-thank you. A-and I'm sorry for worrying you all."

"Arf," Koromaru barks, tail wagging when Minato acknowledges him. 'I ''am'' a dog,' Aigis might translate. Reiya too acknowledges his courage, and Yukari his specialness, and his fluffy ears perk. Super dog! Fuuka is ''absolutely correct''.

What next, though? Aigis' question is well-timed, for she's the one who'll have to pass it on to the others: "Bark! Bark bark!" 'You all helped me protect my old home. Allow me to return the favor and fight with you all!'
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>Everyone takes it in stride... Shinjiro's still having a hard time. When Ken says he already knew...

"...tch," he says, glancing around. Did one of them tell him? Or was it...?

But Ken continues, he waves a hand. "You did worry us... but it's okay. We'll have to figure out what to do from here. Take it one step at a time," he says, surprisingly soft on the kid. He glances over to Koromaru when he barks to Aigis.

The dog wants to join them... "I'm alright with it," he says. "Koromaru's strong, and the alternative is leaving him in the Dark Hour on his own."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
<poem>
"...Yeah," Minako says, with a glance at Reiya. Then, she nods; there is a lot that's hard to unsee. She can't just look away, as she has said before.

Then, she glances sideways at Yukari -- and she flashes her a grin. "He really is a special dog," she says. "We just didn't know ''how'' special."

She looks at Ken, then. She hesitates for a second, before she nods. "I understand, Amada-kun," she says. "It is a lot. I'm... glad you're doing better, though. And if you need anything, let us know, okay?"

She looks at Aigis. A mysterious one, her -- and someone Minako hasn't had a chance to get to know yet. The redhead hesitates. Then, she says: "Well... that's their choice, Aigis-san. We won't insist they fight with us, and..."

She hesitates. Ken is just a kid.

But he should get a choice, too, as long as it's an informed one. And besides--

She looks at Aigis and grins. "Thanks, Koro-chan. We're counting on you, okay?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Minato Arisato has posed.
<poem>
'Another'? No, Reiya, Aigis is a girl. Look at her. Totally girl-shaped.

Minato glances back to Ken, when he says he already knew; there's a light upwards quirk of his brow, before he nods.

And perhaps it looks, to the crowd, as if he ''had'' told them.

"Take your time," he advises Ken, mildly. ''Somehow,'' Joker doesn't burst through the window of the dormitories to steal back the loading screen catchphrase he just BRUTALLY STOLE from his fellow MC, ''which is really like double thievery because stealing is Joker's bit!!'' (Sorry, Joker. It's a pretty standard phrase. Good advice, though.)

And to Koromaru, he says: "That's right." You ARE a dog.

There is the beat of a pause.

Another beat.

Minato turns to Aigis, as ''actual surprise'' registers on his face and his tone. "Aigis-san, you can speak dog?"

Congratulations, Aigis, on actually shaking Minato out of his cool slouched lurking position.

Looking from Aigis, to Koromaru, and back again, Minato tries to reclaim his cool disaffected expression. "Then let's rely on Koromaru-chan from now on."

...

dog...

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
Reiya doesn't understand Aigis's glance at him. For him, nonhuman is value-neutral, and he doesn't understand that it very much ''hasn't'' been for many.

"Oh," Reiya says, "So you were aware. That makes certain things simpler." He pauses, and considers the matter. Ken lost his mother to Shadows... How can he address that? What can he say to that?

It is easier, for the moment, to talk to Koromaru. "I'll be honored to fight with you," Reiya says with a nod.

Ken ''is'' just a kid, but... Reiya would've felt the need to fight, at his age. It'll be improtant not to try to influecne him...

"A 'super dog'..."

He trades on Fuuka's words for a little longer for more time to think.

Then he stares a moment because he's not very good at the talking part.

He doesn't remember to say something... He just stoically looks on.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
<poem>
Yukari follows Ken's sight line to Minato. Did Minato tell him already? ... Actually she can't get mad at that. She'd much rather know than ''not know'' if this were going to happen.

It's just, he's ''eleven''.

"I can imagine. It must have been really shocking."

She says back to Ken, before- "Don't worry about that." To his apology, "We'd do what we did for anyone who lives here with us. And well- we all had a night, like that... kinda?" Before she decides upon, "Mostly!"

It is true that the majority of them had a very dramatic and dangerous awakening to their powers as a Persona User.

There's a small chuckle at Minako's statement, "Yeah - I knew he was special before just- this is really something else!" And super dog!? "Right?" She says to Fuuka, "I mean he'd have to be right?"

Koromaru barks and Yukari manages a smile, "Good boy!" But then Aigis - starts to ''translate''. "Huh-? Wait..." Minato voices it first, before her, asking if she can speak dog?! "How does - how does that even work?"

Now she's utterly flabbergasted. She's encountered talking animals before, but Koromaru isn't talking, right?

RIGHT!?

No he definitely isn't otherwise why would Aigis need to translate him...? Think Takeba think!

"Uhhhh, well- sure! We were happy to help, and he's right about you being reliable."

You know at this point she's learned she has no choice but to embrace the madness some.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
The topic of the moment turns to Koromaru, which Hitomi is kind of glad to hear, because Koromaru is a dog and not a human. Hitomi contemplates Aigis's crouched consideration of their canine comrade. This is not something she wants to dig deep in on. Maybe she wants to pet him, Hitomi thinks. That's normal.

"Mm," Hitomi concurs about the observation, sweeping up more sauce and munching the cold cruncy potato. Her eyes rest on Ken as he speaks. She smiles, a little, but her eyes stay half-lidded. She's slouching in her chair.

"That dog has guts," Hitomi comments when the translation reaches her.

A second passes.

When Minato speaks, Hitomi frowns.

By the time it reaches Yukari, she's looking thunderstruck.

Rather than allow this shocking reveal to go further, she eats another croquette. NOW she's looking at Koromaru (and also Aigis, for related but not identical reasons)

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
<poem>Fuuka listens as Ken explains. Surprise crosses her face when he reveals he already ''knew'', though. When did that happen...?

"I'm... sorry you had to see it that way." Fuuka murmurs in apology. Just like her, he got thrown right into the deep end... "I'm glad you're okay, Amada-kun..."

She nods, as Minako tells him to let them know if he needs anything.

"Yes, please." She agrees.

Yukari agrees that he ''must'' be a super dog and Fuuka nods seriously. Aigis asks an important question, though. What's next? Fuuka looks up to her - and then to Koromaru, as he barks his answer.

...And then to Aigis again, as she translates. ...She's still ''incredibly'' impressed that she speaks dog. She looks back to Koromaru.

"Are you sure, Koro-chan? Well... I agree with everyone else. I'd be glad to have you with us." Fuuka agrees. How can she say no to that face?
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
At Koromaru's response, Aigis turns to Minato and relays: "Koromaru-san confirms that your assessment is correct in that he is, in fact, a dog." Just in case any doubt had remained, Hitomi.

She pleasantly smiles at Minato. "It is more accurate to say that I am able 'understand' several kinds of animals and they can 'understand' me. This includes dogs. The channels involved are not limited only to vocal communication." Like so many other things about herself, however, "I am afraid I do not know how to further explain how this functions."

Aigis shakes her head at Ken. "I do not feel that there is any need for you to apologize, Amada-san."

Even when referring to an eleven-year-old, Aigis will unfailingly default to the -san honorific. Even when referring to a dog!

To Minako, she firmly nods. "We are in agreement, then." Like she had spoken to Reiya about earlier, if she had been reactivated sooner, perhaps the youth of SEES could been spared from being ... encouraged, gently or otherwise, to fight against Shadows. She already has her reservations about the fact that teenagers took to the front lines, but now someone even ''younger'' ...

She inclines her head to Koromaru again when he answers her, then turns her head back to those assembled to translate. "Koromaru-san wishes to express his gratitude for protecting his 'old' home by joining us."

Confusion grows on her face as she ponders if she holds the same reservations towards a dog joining their cause, but in this case, those concerns fade as soon as they came. No, Koromaru more closely resembles herself than Ken: they are both loyal and dutiful.

Now that she no longer takes umbrage to Reiya's 'non-human' comment -- wait, she never did -- her mind turns to the greater questions about that, which is a topic that Yukari had also wondered aloud about (and one that Minako had simply accepted). "Both Koromaru's abilities and my own cause me to wonder about precisely what is required in order to wield a Persona."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka looks to Ken with concern when he admits he already knew about the Dark Hour--and SEES. That's... concerning. But she's a little more concerned with how he's handling everything.

"Amada-kun... it's okay if it takes a while to sort through your feelings," she offers softly. (She should probably take her own advice, but that's neither here nor there.) "... I'll listen if you want someone to talk to."

She looks to Koromaru. She's been visiting that shrine a lot recently--well, as of 'starting two years ago' recent. "I knew ou were really dedicated, Koro-chan... but I didn't realize how much." But when Koromaru asks to join, she blinks. "Are you sure you're okay with that...?" He was so dedicated to the shrine, after all.

Then she stops and blinks, looking to Aigis. "Wait, Aigis-chan, you can understand Koro-chan?" Is Aigis some kind of... Navigator for Dogs??

Aigis wonders about what's required. "Well... Peacock Silk has a Peacock that can use a Persona... and I think the Phantom Thieves have a cat, too...? So he's not the first animal using a Persona we've seen..."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
<poem>
"Prettttty sure they're not animals..." Yukari replies with a drawling note of skepticism, "... I mean have you seen that cat? Much less what the Peacock looks like when they're in an Atelier..."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
Koromaru is satisfied with this.

But Ken listens to each person in turn. He doesn't seem to notice Shinjiro's reaction for the moment; instead, he nods. "Thank you," he says of the matter of worrying people being OK. If he needs anything, let them know. 'Take his time'. There are so many things that they all want to say to him, even as Reiya kind of just... stares, which unsettles him a bit. But what Yukari says--"You did," he repats, have a night like that.

Fuuka is glad he's okay, but apologizes, too. "Then..."

"Would you tell me?" Ken wonders, nodding to Aigis next. "Thank you, Aigis-san. But will you all tell me? How it is that you joined. What happened to each of you."

"Because..."

He rises from his seat, and bows. "I'm asking that you allow me to join you as well!"

Reiya is one of the first to speak up. "I was wondering," he says, "If you would ask that."

"...I lost my father to Shadows," he says. "To Apathy Syndrome."

He doesn't say what that means... But he doesn't tell Ken 'no', either.

He looks to the others, to gauge opinions, as Ken remains bowed at the waist waiting for his answer.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>Shinjiro listens. Everyone approves of the good boy Koromaru, and agrees that Ken needs time. Good.

Ken then asks them to tell him why they joined. Shinjiro starts to formulate what he'll say, when-

''I'm asking that you allow me to join as well!''

His heart shatters in many pieces at the sound of it, his face falling in a near instant. He looks between the others, before immediately turning to Ken after Reiya.

"...what?"

It comes strong, fast, and very, very worried, perhaps a little too worried.

"...This isn't a game... you can't just throw your life away, Amada! I... back me up, yeah?" He looks to the others, from person to person. This is deeply serious to him, even if he hasn't explicitly said no - his opinion can probably be inferred.

"I can't..." he trails off, moments later. Hm.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
<poem>
Minako shoots a glance at Fuuka -- and she smiles for a second. They now have a ''dog companion''. She suspects that Fuuka is as excited about this as she is. Then, she looks back at Yukari, and she nods.

"Mm-hm!" she murmurs, emphatically. Then, there's a glance at Aigis. On the subject of Aigis's ability to speak dog, Minako determines:

"Well, why not?"

Then, she does a glance to Aigis.

"It does seem like there's more to it than we thought, doesn't there?" Minako says with a look at Aigis. "But, Aigis-san... maybe it also means we all have a lot more in common than we thought, too."

Ken makes up his mind, then. She looks at him -- and she hesitates. Her eyes turn to her brother, nervous, before she looks back at Ken. She exhales, and she hesitates for a moment. There is a nervous glance at Shinjiro.

"Amada-kun... it's your decision," she says. "But--you have to understand how dangerous this is."

She frowns.

"For me..." She shakes her head. "...Once I knew about this, I couldn't just look away. I couldn't stand by and do nothing."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Minato Arisato has posed.
<poem>
Aigis explains her mythical capacities -- ''understanding of dog'' -- Minato listens, carefully, and his initial surprise is supplanted by a nod of his own understanding.

Aigis... sure is talented.

And so, given her translation, Minato confirms to Koromaru: "Super dog."

Okay, at this point, it's ''probably'' a joke. It's just impossible to tell with that guy!

(Minato and Reiya share the foible of lacking words, apparently.)

But Ken's asking them for their perspectives, and Shinjiro...

Minato looks him in the eye. "It's difficult to stand aside and let other people handle things... once you have the power of Persona."

He doesn't need to tell Shinjiro that he's talking about him; he's ''talking to Shinjiro.'' He'll know.

He looks to his sister, then. "... I think he knows." How dangerous this all is, that is. If Shadows killed his mother...

No, Minato thinks.

Ken must have been preparing for this... long before he came to the dorms.

"When I came here," he explains, turning to Ken, "there was a weird atmosphere... when I had someone to protect, I couldn't treat it carelessly. For a while, I fought because I was asked to... it wasn't until we rescued Yamagishi-san that I realised I wanted to."

(A brief nod, to Fuuka. An apology, perhaps, for putting her on the spot.)

"I'll practice with you," he says, "while you're getting up to speed."

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
<poem>
Aigis notes that she's able to understand several kinds of animals and they can 'understand' her. "Whoa... Aigis... what can't you do?" She asks, sounding genuinely impressed, before correcting herself, "Oh sorry! ''Aigis-san''. That was a little too familiar of me, huh?" She scratches a single finger against her chin awkwardly.

But Aigis muses on what is required to wield a Persona, "I'm... not sure actually. It feels like some of us have a connection to the events that created the Dark Hour though... and I guess we're all... pretty young?" A beat, "Then again, I know a lot of adults who use them too... just, not like we do."

Minato however repeats 'Super Dog.' and Yukari lets out a small laugh, "Hey... you don't have to keep saying it."

Ken however, asks them to tell them about those nights they had which she brought up-! And Yukari seems startled, "H-Huh!? I mean, sure I guess..."

But he wants to join? Yukari looks to Shinjiro as he gets upset about it, "If it were before he gained a Persona... I would have agreed with you. But, now what do we do? Tell him to look away? Pretend this all isn't happening?" It's similar to what Minako said there too, "... He can't escape reality either, just like us."

It's clear that she's hesitant too, but at the same time, there's no practical solution. And she knows that. So many have joined who she at the time thought didn't belong there...

... but she realizes how absurd it is to tell people to go on with their lives anyway, once they're aware of all this. She listens to Minato and 'when I had someone to protect' causes her to feel... embarrassed? But also touched? Yeesh feelings are complicated about that!

She turns to Ken, "As for me... I guess Ikutsuki-san had an inkling that I had 'the Potential' because he made some weird pun to me the day before? Anyhow... I woke up that night, in a daze at the girl's dorm. At first it was like sleepwalking I guess, then? I was suddenly wide awake, and saw everything... the pools of blood, the coffins."

She looks sheepish, "I was pretty freaked actually. Then Kirijo-senpai was there... and she brought me here to explain everything."

There's more context. The letter - her literally running into Shuji's office to demand answers. She's not about to mention that part though.

"Anyhow... I lost my Dad, too." She says coming off of Reiya's comment, "The Kirijo Group... it was doing an experiment ten years ago on Shadows to make a time manipulation device, and it got out of hand apparently... the whole world was threatened."

She takes a deep breath, her expression looking sullen, this is still difficult for her.

"My Dad, he shut it down... but... to do that he also created a big disaster which resulted in the Dark Hour. It killed a lot of people. The Shadows we're fighting all came from that, I guess...?"

It's pretty heavy, but she doesn't hold back the truth from Ken Amada. If he's going to be here... he deserves to know.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
Aigis is encouraging to Ken - which is good. Hitomi is dealing with the dawning existential horror of dogs being capable of sharing intelligible speech with their precious li'l mouths that are definitely often JUST eating the most horrible thing imaginable before they want to come and give you kisses.

(Hitomi is a cat person, even if she's not opposed to dogs.)

But there is something else that Ken Amada has to say.

He wants to join them.

Hitomi doesn't answer him right away. She shifts her plate out of the way and rests her elbows on the table; her fingers lace together, and as she leans forwards, her thumbs come up, pressing in a bit to her cheeks, just beneath her cheekbones.

Shinjiro speaks. Hitomi's eyes turn to look at him. Her mouth is veiled by the posture of her hands but her eyes seem to crinkle as if she's smiling. She shifts - she'd had her legs crossed while she was sitting, but now she's kind of bouncing the house-slipper she has on on the upraised foot.

Minato makes his offer. Yukari tells the truth; the story she herself had to take on, so recently. Hitomi's eyes turn back towards Yukari and there isn't a smile in them. Sympathy, perhaps, or sorrow.

Then she looks back at Ken.

"Amada-kun," Hitomi says, her voice neutral.

"You've got as much right to all of this as any of us, I think. But, first, I want to say - if you back up from this, or if you change your mind in a few days, I'm not going to think any less of you. Everyone has to build their strategy, and even the wisest only know how little they do know."

"So if you stay in... we're going to be relying on you. Are you OK with that? It's alright if you need to think. But if you're in..."

"We're team-mates," Hitomi concludes, "and I take that seriously."

(after this she looks back at Shinjiro for some reason)

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
When it comes to be Aigis' turn to answer, she extends a hand forward, palm-up. She keeps her tone matter-of-fact and clinical. "I am a machine. I was manufactured with the express intent to eliminate Shadows. I knew nothing else. I was not operational for very long before I was present for a battle with a powerful Shadow approximately ten years ago. I was greatly damaged in that battle and rendered inoperational until only several weeks ago."

Having ended that portion of her explanation, she folds her hands in front of her, fingers laced together. "Beyond the extent of my original mission parameters, I do feel as if I bear some responsibility for collateral damage that the city had incurred. Additionally, had I been reactivated sooner, perhaps I could have mitigated any need for the other SEES members to join or become involved. I had failed at my sole function, but now, I wish to make up for lost time and truly fulfill my mission, as it were."

Minako surmises that Aigis has something in common with the rest of them. At first, this puzzles even herself, but Yukari comments on an apparent common connection to the events which created the Dark Hour. Aigis had pointedly neglected to mention just which battle that was, exactly, even as Yukari describes. that. very. same. one.

"I comprehend." That's all that Aigis contributes to Minako and Yukari on that subject, in her usual stiff and formal manner of speaking.

Aigis blankly stares at Shinjiro. While her face is devoid of expression, she is usually much quicker to form her responses, but this moment is different: she is silent for several long moments.

"... I believe that I feel the same way that you do, Aragaki-san. I feel the same way about all of everyone else's involvement, in fact, but ..."

She turns to Yukari and nods. "They each have compelling arguments of their own to which I can not help but relent."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka looks to Yukari. "I mean, that's true, but... if Pernelle isn't a peacock then what is he?"

But KEn asks ''that'', and Ririka tenses for a moment. "... I got caught out in the Dark Hour without knowing what it was, but some of tghe people here saved me. I joined because of that, but..."

She's been turning it over in her mind. What she heard from Shadow Eiji in the palace, how Reiya and Yukari have both, in their own ways, asked her what her goal was.

She stares down at her lap, her voice growing firm for a moment. "... now there's some answers I'm looking for."

She hasn't had a chance to tell most of her fellow SEES members what she's looking for, but Fuuka and Hitomi know.

Shinjiro has concerns, and frankly Ririka does too. "Aragaki-senapi, I get what you're saying, and I'm worried too, but... isn't it better if we can watch his back, rather than let him get involved on his own?"

It's not a ''good'' option, just... maybe the less bad one.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
<poem>Fuuka meets Minako's glance, smiling back. Minako's suspicions are right on the money. It's more than a little exciting to have Koromaru with them - and she, too, assumes that Minako is ''also'' happy about this turn of events.

And he wants to express his gratitude... it's no wonder. But Aigis asks an important quesstion - what is required to wield a Persona?

"...I don't know." Fuuka admits. "They say we had the 'Potential'... but then there's other Persona users, too, who don't need Evokers, who do things differently than us. It feels like there's as many different methods as there are people..."

It's hard to trace, to find one uniting source, because of that.

But, Ken has a question. How did they join? What happened to each of them?

He wants to join...

Fuuka looks uncertain, for a moment. He's so young... She looks toward Shinjiro, as he tells him not to throw his life away. Minako stresses how dangerous this is - and how she couldn't just look away. Minato recounts his own story - and then Yukari does ''hers'', and Aigis, her own. And Hitomi... offers him reassurance. She's surprised, briefly - but she nods, too, to agree with her point.

Ririka says she's looking for answers and Fuuka glances briefly her way - but she doesn't comment on it. She's aware of what she means.

Fuuka is quiet for a moment.

She nods back to Minato - and that feels as much as a good point for her own story as any.

"When you were outside... Did you see that tower, Tartarus, standing over the city?" Fuuka asks. "...That's our school - what it turns into during the Dark Hour. And I was... locked inside the gym, just as it was about to turn midnight."

She swallows.

"Because of that... I was trapped inside, with the Shadows, for ten hours - but on the outside, it was ten full days. I only survived because I was able to sense the presence of Shadows and avoid them, and because everyone came to rescue me." Fuuka explains. She hesitates for a moment. "I still feel... behind everyone, sometimes. I'll never get those days back..."

It's a feeling she's never really expressed. It's the sort of thing that feels difficult for anyone else to understand. She closes her eyes for a moment.

"If you want to join us... that's the sort of thing you'll have to face. There's no telling what we'll encounter in the future... That's why I'm here - to help anyone else who might find themselves in the position I was in."

It might be... more frank than she's comfortable with. But he wanted to hear her story. She has to be level with him - especially since he's already experienced loss due to the Dark Hour.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
"My mother might know more," Reiya says of the nature of Personas and who can use them. "...But I'm not sure."

But Ken. Ken, here, and now, stays bowed. When Shinjiro speaks up--

"Please!" Ken says.

But Shinjiro asks them to back him up. Reiya waits for the others to say what they have to say. And Ken? Ken listens to each one. Yukari tells her story, and wonders what other choice he has. Minato... says he'll practice with him, after telling his own story. And Minako says it's his decision.

Hitomi says he can bow out...

Tha they're teammates, now.

Reiya looks to Yukari as she tells her story. He says nothing, but he doesn't look as angry as he did, the first time he heard it. He seems to have little xpression at all.

Ken though... Ken's expression is tight, though few can see it. He listens to Aigis. "You've been fighting since ten years ago..."

Reiya says, "I believe you have the right to pursue this," Reiya says. "You were granted that right, as one who was hurt by the Shadows, and as one who has the power of Persona." He nods to Yukari, and to Hitomi. "...I'm sorry, Aragaki-senpai. But I can't oppose him. However... We will have to ask the Chairman." A look to Aigis. "I know how you feel. I admit, part of me feels the same way; I have combat training ''outside'' that of Personas, and so I feel better-equipped to take on our missions..."

But Aigis is right, he doesn't have to say. The arguments are persuasive, and admittedly--he didn't need much persuading, in this case. If Ken's mother died to Shadows...

But Ken has more to say. "...It's why I was brought to this dorm in the first place, isn't it?" Ken wonders as he rises from his deep bow. "...Because I had this 'Potential'."

He looks to Fuuka. "So you were trapped for that long..." And Yukari, "And your father..."

He doesn't inquire about Ririka's brother; he doesn't know. But Aigis at least is persuaded.

"I'll talk to the Chairman too," he says. "But Mandai-san..."

"i want to be your teammate. I'll work hard."

He looks over the group. "To keep up with all of you." He looks at all of them. Shinjiro, too.

"...I know it's not a game. And I won't treat it that way."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>Shinjiro doesn't get the support he needs. He frowns apologetically to Hitomi as he realizes why she's looking at him like that, taking a breath from his place near the wall. He's trying to prevent himself from having another panic attack as subtly as he can. Yukari has a point in that he's Awakened, and he doesn't know how to counter.

"...I'm an orphan. I've never had parents. Never had adults to support me. Just me and Aki... you know, Sanada... I've lost nearly everything in my life, and I've never had much, all thanks to this power. It's the worst possible luck you can have to awaken to a Persona."

Shinjiro sighs. There's not much he can do. And to continue to protest...

"If you're so sure, I'll help watch over you. But you can quit at any time. ...remember you still have things to look forward to, to live for."

Another shaky breath.

"Alright?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
<poem>
Minako is also very excited to team up with a dog. But, with Ken talking to them, her attention is fully on him. She glances at Fuuka and nods, before she looks back at him. Everyone explains their stories -- the tragedies that brought them here and the dangers they face.

And, much as she said that Koromaru and Aigis are like them, so is Ken -- they're all united in this.

Aigis says she has been fighting for ten years, now. And Minako looks forward, and--

...

She looks at Ken, and then -- finally -- she nods after what Aragaki says. "In that case, Amada-kun," she says. "As one of the combat leaders, I'll be relying on you."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Minato Arisato has posed.
<poem>
Minato watches Aigis, with a distant expression, and says nothing. The others, too, of course; though he looks a little less far-away, regarding people like Ririka and Hitomi and Yukari.

And Shinjiro.

The worst possible luck...

Minato finds he disagrees, though he's an orphan, too. He rotates that feeling around, in his mind, considering it thoughtfully.

It's... the same feeling he had when they said there were only so many of those Full Moon Shadows left, before the Dark Hour would disappear forever.

Of course, it's better for these things to not exist.

But... is that how he feels?

"Yeah," Minato nods, when Minako speaks up. "Same for me."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
Hitomi's eyes crinkle up and there's a smile in her voice as she answers Ken: "Then let's do our best, alright?"

Rather minor. Rather modest. After this, her hands unfold and she leans back into her seat, slouching and smiling again - this time with her face visible. As she pushes her glasses up her nose, "I guess you've been here a while already, so it won't be ''totally'' different."

except for the dark hour part

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
<poem>
"A... Monster Peacock? I don't even know." Yukari answers Ririka, uncertain. "He sure looks like a monster when he's fighting..."

Aigis' words... surprise Yukari. It's not that she's not cognizant of the fact that Aigis is a robot girl, it's just she seems so much like a person - asserts herself like a person, that it's weird to hear her put it like...

... like...

... she'd keep fighting even if the rest of them weren't there. Her mission... what was her mission? Why is now the Arisatos?

"And well... it becomes safer the more of us there are... for all of us. Aigis-san too." She then looks at Shinjiro, "And Amada-kun."

Fuuka explains more, about Tartarus - how she was trapped inside, and Yukari feels self-conscious. She argued against... going to save her.

And yet now she couldn't imagine life here without her.

Ken at least treats it seriously and well...

"I'm the last person that can say anything against someone choosing to fight for a reason like yours, Amada-kun."

If she were eleven, she'd be saying the same thing. She'd fight - for the same reason she joined SEES in the first place, to find out the truth.

Eventually though, Shinjiro relents and Yukari finally says after him, to Ken, "We'll all look after each other. That's what... being teammates means." She agrees to that. "And I guess you're a part of this team now. And... Koro-chan too. Though, how is he gonna use an Evoker?" As she then remembers he summoned Cerberus anyway, "Does he even ''need'' one?"

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
<poem>Even after all that, hearing everything they've been through and the dangers they'll face... Ken still wants to join. Fuuka has her concerns and misgivings... but at this point, she can't tell him no. Would it even deter him if she did? Or would it just encourage him to do things more dangerously on his own?

...Maybe it's better this way. Fuuka nods quietly.

"Then... We'll welcome you. I'll do everything in my power to support you, just as I would for everyone here." Fuuka replies with a nod. At this point, looking out for him may be the best thing she can do for him - and she nods, when Yukari says that they'll all look after each other.

...She pauses, though, when she brings up the question she hadn't considered yet.

"...I'm not sure. Maybe we should ask the Chairman about that, too..." She considers.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Sorry, Shinjiro. But they can't change what happened with Ken and his Awakening.

She looks to Yukari and considers it. "I guess that's true..." She says of Pernelle. "But he still looks normal outside an Atelier... One more mystery about Personas, I guess?" And Fuuka already brought up that others summon them in different ways, too.

Ririka looks up and nods to Ken as he says he wants to work with them, to keep up. "Then... I'll make sure to support you as best I can."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis may have jinxed herself several hours earlier this same day when she had told Reiya that she hadn't yet encountered a situation that had caused her to become unsettled which didn't have a pragmatic solution that she could immediately work towards. This is one of the first times she has to simply stew in an emotion.

Truth be told, her own mental state somewhat mirrors Shinjiro's, but she lacks the human biology for her feelings to bubble up as semiautonomous physiological responses. She's simply better at hiding it.

What's more, her attempt was intended to provide Shinjiro with support, but that may have backfired. She's on his side, but she may have erred in pre-emptively revealing that she, too, has no counter to Yukari's argument. Ken's Awakening is no happy occasion -- if anything, it's bittersweet, heavy on the 'bitter'.

She does at least correct Ken on one small matter: "I have been continuously fighting for a duration of several months, at most. As I said, I was rendered entirely nonfunctional for a little under ten years."

Shinjiro's sentiment that Awakening to a Persona is the worst luck someone can experience. She doesn't press the point further right now, but she may bring it up again later.

Finally, she gives Ken a bow of her own. "I, too, will do assist in all ways in which I am able to do so. All that I ask is that you strive to have no need to apologize for causing us worry again."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
Ken adopts a determined expression. "Thank you, everyone! I promise I won't let you down!"

He doesn't answer Shinjiro directly, except to bow to him as well. "I'll make sure not to trouble the group."

"...But I don't plan to quit."
</poem>

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

2025-12-19: The Worst Possible Luck

2025-12-20T16:21:00Z

Terra: Created page with "*'''Log: Aigis - 2025-12-19''' *'''Cast:''' Ken Amada, Shinjiro Aragaki, Minako Arisato, Minato Arisato, Reiya Aomori, Hitomi Mandai, Yukari Takeba, Ririka Kawase, Suzume Fukura, Fuuka Yamagishi, Aigis *'''Where:''' Iwatodai Dormitory *'''OOC Date:''' December 19, 2025 *'''IC Date:''' August 28, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''The day after SEES rescues Ken Amada and Koromaru from a Shadow attacking Naganaki Shrine, they gather together..."

*'''Log: Aigis - 2025-12-19'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Ken Amada]], [[Shinjiro Aragaki]], [[Minako Arisato]], [[Minato Arisato]], [[Reiya Aomori]], [[Hitomi Mandai]], [[Yukari Takeba]], [[Ririka Kawase]], [[Suzume Fukura]], [[Fuuka Yamagishi]], [[Aigis]]
*'''Where:''' Iwatodai Dormitory
*'''OOC Date:''' December 19, 2025
*'''IC Date:''' August 28, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''The day after SEES rescues Ken Amada and Koromaru from a Shadow attacking Naganaki Shrine, they gather together to discuss events and what to do in the aftermath. Both Koromaru and Ken express their desires to join SEES.''

----

(|============================ Iwatodai Dormitory ============================|)
-================================================== Iwatodai City/Iwatodai ====-
A large four-story dormitory used by the Specialized Extracurricular Execution
Squad, only five minutes from Iwatodai Station. Upon entering, one passes a desk
with a sign-in book for guests to find a large carpeted common room that's well
appointed for co-ed gatherings.

A TV is usually on with the local news or a movie that's been loaded into the
DVD player for a student to enjoy. A table for shared dinners, or more often
study sessions, takes up the other half of the dorm, as well as a kitchen should
one dare to show off their skills to their fellow students.

There are two winding staircases on either side. The one on the left simply says
'Boys' while the other on the right states 'No Boys Except By Invitation.' The
implicit threat of execution need not be written down for those who violate
these rules. The second and third stories are living spaces divided by gender
with common spaces that have study areas and bookshelves available.

The fourth story is the command center with surveillance capabilities for not
just different parts of the city but each room within the dorms. The Chairman
has assured all who live here that this capability is strictly necessary.

BGM - Dormitory Theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj-FrFI0qnM

<Pose Tracker> Ken Amada has posed.
<poem>
Iwatodai Dorm generally bustles with activity, thanks to the sheer number of people staying within it. It's been especially busy today after Ken Amada wandered out into the Dark Hour last night and encountered a horde of Shadows attacking Naganaki Shrine. Koromaru had been injured fending them off until SEES arrived to protect both of them--until Shinjiro Aragaki had defended Ken from the fist of death--but with everyone's help, the Shadows had been defeated...

Ken had, in fact, Awakened to help defeat them.

They'd all returned afterwards, including Ken and Koromaru. People have had a chance to sleep, and other members of SEES who weren't present have been informed of the situation. A meeting was called on the ground floor common area--again, not everyone present, given the last-minute nature of it--to discuss the matter of the two new Persona Users.

Koromaru is doing well; Yukari healed most of his wounds last night with a Mediarama, and he's bounced back from his exhaustion with a bit of rest. He's technically not a ''new'' Persona User, but he's new as far as SEES is concerned. His tongue lols as he pants and wags his curly tail.

Ken has been quiet. He's seated by himself on the seat at the end of the coffee table, eyes down, hands curled on his knees. He's been lost in thought a lot since last night... It's hardly surprising. But it might still be concerning. After all, he's an eleven-year-old boy who just awoke to a Persona.

The one actually describing what happened last night might be surprising, given that it's Shinjiro "Grumpy Ol'" Aragaki... but he ''was'' the first one on site last night.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>Shinjiro was the first one there last night. He's still reeling from it all. One might be forgiven to think it's just the shock of an elementary schooler awakening to their hell of a life.

But, someone needs to give an explanation, so he's volunteered, positioning himself close to the dining table, where Ken sits. He's leaning against the wall instead of sitting, and when people arrive...

"Last night, Amada must have woken up in the middle of the Dark Hour. I heard him making noise in the bathroom and saw him leave before I could reach him, so I grabbed a fire axe and chased after."

Shinjiro gets straight to 'why he was there first'. He's not in a good mood.

"Found him cornered by one of those giant ones, with the bad hairdo, followed by a swarm of smaller ones. Arisato arrived soon after, followed by Yamagishi bringing everyone else she could. We were able to stop it, but couldn't have taken it out without..."

He glances between Ken and Koromaru, sighing.

"...their help. Koromaru is apparently a Persona User, and a strong one. Amada... he Awakened. I don't know what was going through his head, but..."

That's a lie. He's meditated on what was going through Ken's head and his words all day. Shinjiro hasn't told anyone about the panic attack he had... they wouldn't understand even if he did.

"He's alive. That's what's important."

There's a glance to Ken at that. If Ken wants to talk, he will. Shinjiro's not third-personing him because he doesn't have a say, but because it's the easiest way to explain... and also allows him some distance in the moment.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
<poem>
Minako hadn't been there for the fight -- but she heard about it after, that Shadows had attacked Ken and Koromaru. Hearing that Koromaru-chan was hurt gave her quite a fright. She hurries in, now, and she comes into the room.

She sits on one of the sofas -- and she glances at Shinjiro. She listens as he explains. Then, she nods; she just accepts a dog having a Persona.

"That is important," she agrees with Shinjiro. "I'm glad you could stop it. And... I'm sorry I wasn't there."

She looks at Ken, then. "Amada-kun. How do you feel? After all of this?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Minato Arisato has posed.
<poem>
Minato stands, hands in the pockets of his jeans -- yes, it's dark jeans and a white shirt again today, no, he's never heard of fashion, that's for girls to worry about -- as he looks over the new (and old) Persona-Users.

He might be the Leader... but he isn't much of a ''talker.'' Which explains why he's listening to Shinjiro explain it, instead.

"A dog..." He muses, mostly to himself, as he slouches off to the side. ... it's entirely unlike the way Minako immediately involves herself in asking about Ken's welfare, huh?

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
Reiya wasn't there last night; he had an outing of his own to take care of. He heard what had happened, of course, faster than most. He's like that. But now, he's in the common area, dressed in his usual nice csaual clothes, thoughtful as he regards Koromaru and Ken.

"Another non-human Persona-user," Reiya reflects. "...I knew Koromaru-san was dutiful, but I did not know the depths of his courage."

Reiya turns towards Ken, then. Minako asks how he feels...

"There is much in the dark that is hard to un-see. For all that the circumstances are unfortunate... you did well."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
Hitomi looks somewhat disheveled as she sits, wearing that self-same sundress she'd either gotten or unearthed for the celebration of Summer. Even though there's damn little sun here!

Hitomi is not the most immaculately-poised girl at the best of times, even if there's a certain energetic charm, but her hair is kind of a mess. She has changed styles to the 'giant ponytail clasped near the back of the head' which she had adopted on Yakushima, perhaps in deference to the fact that it is Hot and Sunny and you can't get away from that on an island. What it's doing now is accenting the frizz.

She got some leftover croquettes out of the fridge and didn't heat them up, in favor of a squirt of hot mustard sauce on the side of the plate.

One of the croquettes is in her hand, having been toyed with idly. She watches Shinjiro; she accepts, perhaps, what he says. Her attention is resting on Ken but she's being low-key about it. It can hurt, to stare.

"It's pretty scary stuff, huh?" she comments, after Minako breaks the ice. Her attention rests on Minato as he speaks what they're all thinking: 'A dog.' Sauce is swept up and the croquette is munched.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
<poem>
Suzume and Yukari came back a litttleee later than the rest after their patrol for 'Mayas' which was definitely not anything else.

Still, it's the day after, and everyone's hale and hearty - which is good news since her healing can't exactly do anything unless it's the Dark Hour.

What would they even do if Koromaru was badly injured!? Take him to a vet?

Yukari however mostly has her eyes on Ken, who's quiet- and she's just as quiet. She at least ''tries'' not to let him catch her looking.

She didn't want him to get involved all this, but it was kinda inevitable, wasn't it?

Shinjiro explains, and Yukari looks his way from her seat upon the couch, listening to the recounting.

"... Yeah." She says to what's important. However, she looks at Minako reaching out to him, then- doesn't say anything for a time.

She's not gonna stop anyone from trying to reach out to him, she just worries that- well... when you're coming to terms with the death of the parent...

... she knows it's hard to open up. At least it was for her...

'A dog...' is Minato's musing on the subject, and Yukari only speaks up then, "Yeah... what's up with that? I've seen a lot of Persona Users but - never a ''dog'' running around while we're fighting?"

A beat, she rethinks that.

"Then again... Koro-chan is a pretty special dog." Is it weird that she relates to his loyalty? To a dog!? She hopes it's not weird, so she's not repeating that again.

"Could be he's the only dog that can use a Persona in all of Japan... honestly that'd be kind of fitting."

After all, he's a Shiba Inu. There are few dogs more Japanese than that.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Last night was... certainly a shock. Certainly, finding out that Koromaru had a Persona, and even ''more'' that Ken had Awakened, into a life that no eleven-year-old should have to reckon with. (Not that... any of the rest of them really 'should' be dealing with it either...)

But Ririka's mind keeps going back to one line:

'YOU killed my mom?!'

That harrowing scream that followed soon after.

She doesn't know Ken's situation, but the bit that she does know... makes her heart ache in sympathy.

She's seated, quiet, listening as the others talk... and absently tapping at her thigh in tune to some melody nobody else can hear.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Suzume *was* here last night. She'd taken a detour back with Yukari for scouting purposes, and since no Mayas bothered Ken and Koromaru and the others on the way back from the temple, it must have been successful!

...yeah.

Unfortunately she is not here today, because of the hastiness of the meeting being called. That's life!
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
<poem>Last night was a lot. Fuuka is just glad everyone was able to get there in time, and that Shinjiro and Minato noticed what was happening soon enough to give them time to even get there. She's definitely been fussing over Koromaru, but thanks to Yukari, it seems like he's okay right now.

Which just leaves... Ken. There are some things a Mediarama can't heal. She looks to him, concern in her eyes. Minako asks how he's feeling, and Fuuka doesn't crowd him by asking again, but the question is in her eyes.

Reiya speaks of how dutiful Koromaru is, and a small smile crosses her face.

"Yes... Doing his best to protect his shrine... Koro-chan must be a super dog." Fuuka agrees brightly. "Still, I'm impressed... I didn't expect that, either. I wonder how long he's had his Persona...?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis squats in front of Koromaru to see if he has anything to say, then stands and turns to the rest of those gathered.

This might be the first calm moment that Ken's really gotten a chance to look at her, at least not without her slipping away out of sight. She's clearly mechanical in nature, demonstrated by her visible shoulder and hip joints. ... Then again, he ''does'' have more pressing concerns.

As usual, she watches the Arisato siblings. She can't help but play back Ken's words from last night in her own mind as she does so.

Her gaze turns to Reiya when he mentions another 'non-human' Persona-user. As true as that may be of her own case, that ... no, wait, it is true. Why did she feel the kneejerk urge to protest so?

"I find both Koromaru-san and Ken courageous in what they have had to face thus far. That being said ... what next?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ken Amada has posed.
<poem>
To Ken, it's very kind of the gruff Shinjiro to say that what matters is that he's alive. It's a kindness that follows naturally from the way he'd jumped to his rescue, physically shielding him from a blow that could've been lethal

(could've reduced him to a red puddle

(just like his mom))

but wasn't, because he was there. Minato too... If Shinjiro hadn't been there, he would've been, for all that he's been contributing little to the conversation itself. Still, when Minako asks him about how he feels, he blinks up at her.

"It's... hard to say," he admits. "Everything happened all at once... I'm calmer than I was last night, but I'm still sorting through everything. I... already knew about SEES and Personas and the Dark Hour," he glances at Minato, even though it was not Minato who first told him about all that, "but it was very different to see it all for myself."

Much less awaken to his own Persona... much less encounter the ''thing'' that killed his mother. He avenged his mom, so why does he still feel so... unsatisfied...? Like there's something inside him still restless, still searching for justice... He clutches his shirt over his chest, expression haunted. ...Ririka, in her own silence, can no doubt guess his thoughts; it's been echoing in her mind since last night, after all.

Hitomi calls it scary stuff. "Yeah... I was pretty overwhelmed at first." His cheeks color when Reiya praises him, though. "Th-thank you. A-and I'm sorry for worrying you all."

"Arf," Koromaru barks, tail wagging when Minato acknowledges him. 'I ''am'' a dog,' Aigis might translate. Reiya too acknowledges his courage, and Yukari his specialness, and his fluffy ears perk. Super dog! Fuuka is ''absolutely correct''.

What next, though? Aigis' question is well-timed, for she's the one who'll have to pass it on to the others: "Bark! Bark bark!" 'You all helped me protect my old home. Allow me to return the favor and fight with you all!'
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>Everyone takes it in stride... Shinjiro's still having a hard time. When Ken says he already knew...

"...tch," he says, glancing around. Did one of them tell him? Or was it...?

But Ken continues, he waves a hand. "You did worry us... but it's okay. We'll have to figure out what to do from here. Take it one step at a time," he says, surprisingly soft on the kid. He glances over to Koromaru when he barks to Aigis.

The dog wants to join them... "I'm alright with it," he says. "Koromaru's strong, and the alternative is leaving him in the Dark Hour on his own."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
<poem>
"...Yeah," Minako says, with a glance at Reiya. Then, she nods; there is a lot that's hard to unsee. She can't just look away, as she has said before.

Then, she glances sideways at Yukari -- and she flashes her a grin. "He really is a special dog," she says. "We just didn't know ''how'' special."

She looks at Ken, then. She hesitates for a second, before she nods. "I understand, Amada-kun," she says. "It is a lot. I'm... glad you're doing better, though. And if you need anything, let us know, okay?"

She looks at Aigis. A mysterious one, her -- and someone Minako hasn't had a chance to get to know yet. The redhead hesitates. Then, she says: "Well... that's their choice, Aigis-san. We won't insist they fight with us, and..."

She hesitates. Ken is just a kid.

But he should get a choice, too, as long as it's an informed one. And besides--

She looks at Aigis and grins. "Thanks, Koro-chan. We're counting on you, okay?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Minato Arisato has posed.
<poem>
'Another'? No, Reiya, Aigis is a girl. Look at her. Totally girl-shaped.

Minato glances back to Ken, when he says he already knew; there's a light upwards quirk of his brow, before he nods.

And perhaps it looks, to the crowd, as if he ''had'' told them.

"Take your time," he advises Ken, mildly. ''Somehow,'' Joker doesn't burst through the window of the dormitories to steal back the loading screen catchphrase he just BRUTALLY STOLE from his fellow MC, ''which is really like double thievery because stealing is Joker's bit!!'' (Sorry, Joker. It's a pretty standard phrase. Good advice, though.)

And to Koromaru, he says: "That's right." You ARE a dog.

There is the beat of a pause.

Another beat.

Minato turns to Aigis, as ''actual surprise'' registers on his face and his tone. "Aigis-san, you can speak dog?"

Congratulations, Aigis, on actually shaking Minato out of his cool slouched lurking position.

Looking from Aigis, to Koromaru, and back again, Minato tries to reclaim his cool disaffected expression. "Then let's rely on Koromaru-chan from now on."

...

dog...

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
Reiya doesn't understand Aigis's glance at him. For him, nonhuman is value-neutral, and he doesn't understand that it very much ''hasn't'' been for many.

"Oh," Reiya says, "So you were aware. That makes certain things simpler." He pauses, and considers the matter. Ken lost his mother to Shadows... How can he address that? What can he say to that?

It is easier, for the moment, to talk to Koromaru. "I'll be honored to fight with you," Reiya says with a nod.

Ken ''is'' just a kid, but... Reiya would've felt the need to fight, at his age. It'll be improtant not to try to influecne him...

"A 'super dog'..."

He trades on Fuuka's words for a little longer for more time to think.

Then he stares a moment because he's not very good at the talking part.

He doesn't remember to say something... He just stoically looks on.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
<poem>
Yukari follows Ken's sight line to Minato. Did Minato tell him already? ... Actually she can't get mad at that. She'd much rather know than ''not know'' if this were going to happen.

It's just, he's ''eleven''.

"I can imagine. It must have been really shocking."

She says back to Ken, before- "Don't worry about that." To his apology, "We'd do what we did for anyone who lives here with us. And well- we all had a night, like that... kinda?" Before she decides upon, "Mostly!"

It is true that the majority of them had a very dramatic and dangerous awakening to their powers as a Persona User.

There's a small chuckle at Minako's statement, "Yeah - I knew he was special before just- this is really something else!" And super dog!? "Right?" She says to Fuuka, "I mean he'd have to be right?"

Koromaru barks and Yukari manages a smile, "Good boy!" But then Aigis - starts to ''translate''. "Huh-? Wait..." Minato voices it first, before her, asking if she can speak dog?! "How does - how does that even work?"

Now she's utterly flabbergasted. She's encountered talking animals before, but Koromaru isn't talking, right?

RIGHT!?

No he definitely isn't otherwise why would Aigis need to translate him...? Think Takeba think!

"Uhhhh, well- sure! We were happy to help, and he's right about you being reliable."

You know at this point she's learned she has no choice but to embrace the madness some.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
The topic of the moment turns to Koromaru, which Hitomi is kind of glad to hear, because Koromaru is a dog and not a human. Hitomi contemplates Aigis's crouched consideration of their canine comrade. This is not something she wants to dig deep in on. Maybe she wants to pet him, Hitomi thinks. That's normal.

"Mm," Hitomi concurs about the observation, sweeping up more sauce and munching the cold cruncy potato. Her eyes rest on Ken as he speaks. She smiles, a little, but her eyes stay half-lidded. She's slouching in her chair.

"That dog has guts," Hitomi comments when the translation reaches her.

A second passes.

When Minato speaks, Hitomi frowns.

By the time it reaches Yukari, she's looking thunderstruck.

Rather than allow this shocking reveal to go further, she eats another croquette. NOW she's looking at Koromaru (and also Aigis, for related but not identical reasons)

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
<poem>Fuuka listens as Ken explains. Surprise crosses her face when he reveals he already ''knew'', though. When did that happen...?

"I'm... sorry you had to see it that way." Fuuka murmurs in apology. Just like her, he got thrown right into the deep end... "I'm glad you're okay, Amada-kun..."

She nods, as Minako tells him to let them know if he needs anything.

"Yes, please." She agrees.

Yukari agrees that he ''must'' be a super dog and Fuuka nods seriously. Aigis asks an important question, though. What's next? Fuuka looks up to her - and then to Koromaru, as he barks his answer.

...And then to Aigis again, as she translates. ...She's still ''incredibly'' impressed that she speaks dog. She looks back to Koromaru.

"Are you sure, Koro-chan? Well... I agree with everyone else. I'd be glad to have you with us." Fuuka agrees. How can she say no to that face?
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
At Koromaru's response, Aigis turns to Minato and relays: "Koromaru-san confirms that your assessment is correct in that he is, in fact, a dog." Just in case any doubt had remained, Hitomi.

She pleasantly smiles at Minato. "It is more accurate to say that I am able 'understand' several kinds of animals and they can 'understand' me. This includes dogs. The channels involved are not limited only to vocal communication." Like so many other things about herself, however, "I am afraid I do not know how to further explain how this functions."

Aigis shakes her head at Ken. "I do not feel that there is any need for you to apologize, Amada-san."

Even when referring to an eleven-year-old, Aigis will unfailingly default to the -san honorific. Even when referring to a dog!

To Minako, she firmly nods. "We are in agreement, then." Like she had spoken to Reiya about earlier, if she had been reactivated sooner, perhaps the youth of SEES could been spared from being ... encouraged, gently or otherwise, to fight against Shadows. She already has her reservations about the fact that teenagers took to the front lines, but now someone even ''younger'' ...

She inclines her head to Koromaru again when he answers her, then turns her head back to those assembled to translate. "Koromaru-san wishes to express his gratitude for protecting his 'old' home by joining us."

Confusion grows on her face as she ponders if she holds the same reservations towards a dog joining their cause, but in this case, those concerns fade as soon as they came. No, Koromaru more closely resembles herself than Ken: they are both loyal and dutiful.

Now that she no longer takes umbrage to Reiya's 'non-human' comment -- wait, she never did -- her mind turns to the greater questions about that, which is a topic that Yukari had also wondered aloud about (and one that Minako had simply accepted). "Both Koromaru's abilities and my own cause me to wonder about precisely what is required in order to wield a Persona."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka looks to Ken with concern when he admits he already knew about the Dark Hour--and SEES. That's... concerning. But she's a little more concerned with how he's handling everything.

"Amada-kun... it's okay if it takes a while to sort through your feelings," she offers softly. (She should probably take her own advice, but that's neither here nor there.) "... I'll listen if you want someone to talk to."

She looks to Koromaru. She's been visiting that shrine a lot recently--well, as of 'starting two years ago' recent. "I knew ou were really dedicated, Koro-chan... but I didn't realize how much." But when Koromaru asks to join, she blinks. "Are you sure you're okay with that...?" He was so dedicated to the shrine, after all.

Then she stops and blinks, looking to Aigis. "Wait, Aigis-chan, you can understand Koro-chan?" Is Aigis some kind of... Navigator for Dogs??

Aigis wonders about what's required. "Well... Peacock Silk has a Peacock that can use a Persona... and I think the Phantom Thieves have a cat, too...? So he's not the first animal using a Persona we've seen..."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
<poem>
"Prettttty sure they're not animals..." Yukari replies with a drawling note of skepticism, "... I mean have you seen that cat? Much less what the Peacock looks like when they're in an Atelier..."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
Koromaru is satisfied with this.

But Ken listens to each person in turn. He doesn't seem to notice Shinjiro's reaction for the moment; instead, he nods. "Thank you," he says of the matter of worrying people being OK. If he needs anything, let them know. 'Take his time'. There are so many things that they all want to say to him, even as Reiya kind of just... stares, which unsettles him a bit. But what Yukari says--"You did," he repats, have a night like that.

Fuuka is glad he's okay, but apologizes, too. "Then..."

"Would you tell me?" Ken wonders, nodding to Aigis next. "Thank you, Aigis-san. But will you all tell me? How it is that you joined. What happened to each of you."

"Because..."

He rises from his seat, and bows. "I'm asking that you allow me to join you as well!"

Reiya is one of the first to speak up. "I was wondering," he says, "If you would ask that."

"...I lost my father to Shadows," he says. "To Apathy Syndrome."

He doesn't say what that means... But he doesn't tell Ken 'no', either.

He looks to the others, to gauge opinions, as Ken remains bowed at the waist waiting for his answer.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>Shinjiro listens. Everyone approves of the good boy Koromaru, and agrees that Ken needs time. Good.

Ken then asks them to tell him why they joined. Shinjiro starts to formulate what he'll say, when-

''I'm asking that you allow me to join as well!''

His heart shatters in many pieces at the sound of it, his face falling in a near instant. He looks between the others, before immediately turning to Ken after Reiya.

"...what?"

It comes strong, fast, and very, very worried, perhaps a little too worried.

"...This isn't a game... you can't just throw your life away, Amada! I... back me up, yeah?" He looks to the others, from person to person. This is deeply serious to him, even if he hasn't explicitly said no - his opinion can probably be inferred.

"I can't..." he trails off, moments later. Hm.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
<poem>
Minako shoots a glance at Fuuka -- and she smiles for a second. They now have a ''dog companion''. She suspects that Fuuka is as excited about this as she is. Then, she looks back at Yukari, and she nods.

"Mm-hm!" she murmurs, emphatically. Then, there's a glance at Aigis. On the subject of Aigis's ability to speak dog, Minako determines:

"Well, why not?"

Then, she does a glance to Aigis.

"It does seem like there's more to it than we thought, doesn't there?" Minako says with a look at Aigis. "But, Aigis-san... maybe it also means we all have a lot more in common than we thought, too."

Ken makes up his mind, then. She looks at him -- and she hesitates. Her eyes turn to her brother, nervous, before she looks back at Ken. She exhales, and she hesitates for a moment. There is a nervous glance at Shinjiro.

"Amada-kun... it's your decision," she says. "But--you have to understand how dangerous this is."

She frowns.

"For me..." She shakes her head. "...Once I knew about this, I couldn't just look away. I couldn't stand by and do nothing."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Minato Arisato has posed.
<poem>
Aigis explains her mythical capacities -- ''understanding of dog'' -- Minato listens, carefully, and his initial surprise is supplanted by a nod of his own understanding.

Aigis... sure is talented.

And so, given her translation, Minato confirms to Koromaru: "Super dog."

Okay, at this point, it's ''probably'' a joke. It's just impossible to tell with that guy!

(Minato and Reiya share the foible of lacking words, apparently.)

But Ken's asking them for their perspectives, and Shinjiro...

Minato looks him in the eye. "It's difficult to stand aside and let other people handle things... once you have the power of Persona."

He doesn't need to tell Shinjiro that he's talking about him; he's ''talking to Shinjiro.'' He'll know.

He looks to his sister, then. "... I think he knows." How dangerous this all is, that is. If Shadows killed his mother...

No, Minato thinks.

Ken must have been preparing for this... long before he came to the dorms.

"When I came here," he explains, turning to Ken, "there was a weird atmosphere... when I had someone to protect, I couldn't treat it carelessly. For a while, I fought because I was asked to... it wasn't until we rescued Yamagishi-san that I realised I wanted to."

(A brief nod, to Fuuka. An apology, perhaps, for putting her on the spot.)

"I'll practice with you," he says, "while you're getting up to speed."

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
<poem>
Aigis notes that she's able to understand several kinds of animals and they can 'understand' her. "Whoa... Aigis... what can't you do?" She asks, sounding genuinely impressed, before correcting herself, "Oh sorry! ''Aigis-san''. That was a little too familiar of me, huh?" She scratches a single finger against her chin awkwardly.

But Aigis muses on what is required to wield a Persona, "I'm... not sure actually. It feels like some of us have a connection to the events that created the Dark Hour though... and I guess we're all... pretty young?" A beat, "Then again, I know a lot of adults who use them too... just, not like we do."

Minato however repeats 'Super Dog.' and Yukari lets out a small laugh, "Hey... you don't have to keep saying it."

Ken however, asks them to tell them about those nights they had which she brought up-! And Yukari seems startled, "H-Huh!? I mean, sure I guess..."

But he wants to join? Yukari looks to Shinjiro as he gets upset about it, "If it were before he gained a Persona... I would have agreed with you. But, now what do we do? Tell him to look away? Pretend this all isn't happening?" It's similar to what Minako said there too, "... He can't escape reality either, just like us."

It's clear that she's hesitant too, but at the same time, there's no practical solution. And she knows that. So many have joined who she at the time thought didn't belong there...

... but she realizes how absurd it is to tell people to go on with their lives anyway, once they're aware of all this. She listens to Minato and 'when I had someone to protect' causes her to feel... embarrassed? But also touched? Yeesh feelings are complicated about that!

She turns to Ken, "As for me... I guess Ikutsuki-san had an inkling that I had 'the Potential' because he made some weird pun to me the day before? Anyhow... I woke up that night, in a daze at the girl's dorm. At first it was like sleepwalking I guess, then? I was suddenly wide awake, and saw everything... the pools of blood, the coffins."

She looks sheepish, "I was pretty freaked actually. Then Kirijo-senpai was there... and she brought me here to explain everything."

There's more context. The letter - her literally running into Shuji's office to demand answers. She's not about to mention that part though.

"Anyhow... I lost my Dad, too." She says coming off of Reiya's comment, "The Kirijo Group... it was doing an experiment ten years ago on Shadows to make a time manipulation device, and it got out of hand apparently... the whole world was threatened."

She takes a deep breath, her expression looking sullen, this is still difficult for her.

"My Dad, he shut it down... but... to do that he also created a big disaster which resulted in the Dark Hour. It killed a lot of people. The Shadows we're fighting all came from that, I guess...?"

It's pretty heavy, but she doesn't hold back the truth from Ken Amada. If he's going to be here... he deserves to know.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
Aigis is encouraging to Ken - which is good. Hitomi is dealing with the dawning existential horror of dogs being capable of sharing intelligible speech with their precious li'l mouths that are definitely often JUST eating the most horrible thing imaginable before they want to come and give you kisses.

(Hitomi is a cat person, even if she's not opposed to dogs.)

But there is something else that Ken Amada has to say.

He wants to join them.

Hitomi doesn't answer him right away. She shifts her plate out of the way and rests her elbows on the table; her fingers lace together, and as she leans forwards, her thumbs come up, pressing in a bit to her cheeks, just beneath her cheekbones.

Shinjiro speaks. Hitomi's eyes turn to look at him. Her mouth is veiled by the posture of her hands but her eyes seem to crinkle as if she's smiling. She shifts - she'd had her legs crossed while she was sitting, but now she's kind of bouncing the house-slipper she has on on the upraised foot.

Minato makes his offer. Yukari tells the truth; the story she herself had to take on, so recently. Hitomi's eyes turn back towards Yukari and there isn't a smile in them. Sympathy, perhaps, or sorrow.

Then she looks back at Ken.

"Amada-kun," Hitomi says, her voice neutral.

"You've got as much right to all of this as any of us, I think. But, first, I want to say - if you back up from this, or if you change your mind in a few days, I'm not going to think any less of you. Everyone has to build their strategy, and even the wisest only know how little they do know."

"So if you stay in... we're going to be relying on you. Are you OK with that? It's alright if you need to think. But if you're in..."

"We're team-mates," Hitomi concludes, "and I take that seriously."

(after this she looks back at Shinjiro for some reason)

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
When it comes to be Aigis' turn to answer, she extends a hand forward, palm-up. She keeps her tone matter-of-fact and clinical. "I am a machine. I was manufactured with the express intent to eliminate Shadows. I knew nothing else. I was not operational for very long before I was present for a battle with a powerful Shadow approximately ten years ago. I was greatly damaged in that battle and rendered inoperational until only several weeks ago."

Having ended that portion of her explanation, she folds her hands in front of her, fingers laced together. "Beyond the extent of my original mission parameters, I do feel as if I bear some responsibility for collateral damage that the city had incurred. Additionally, had I been reactivated sooner, perhaps I could have mitigated any need for the other SEES members to join or become involved. I had failed at my sole function, but now, I wish to make up for lost time and truly fulfill my mission, as it were."

Minako surmises that Aigis has something in common with the rest of them. At first, this puzzles even herself, but Yukari comments on an apparent common connection to the events which created the Dark Hour. Aigis had pointedly neglected to mention just which battle that was, exactly, even as Yukari describes. that. very. same. one.

"I comprehend." That's all that Aigis contributes to Minako and Yukari on that subject, in her usual stiff and formal manner of speaking.

Aigis blankly stares at Shinjiro. While her face is devoid of expression, she is usually much quicker to form her responses, but this moment is different: she is silent for several long moments.

"... I believe that I feel the same way that you do, Aragaki-san. I feel the same way about all of everyone else's involvement, in fact, but ..."

She turns to Yukari and nods. "They each have compelling arguments of their own to which I can not help but relent."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka looks to Yukari. "I mean, that's true, but... if Pernelle isn't a peacock then what is he?"

But KEn asks ''that'', and Ririka tenses for a moment. "... I got caught out in the Dark Hour without knowing what it was, but some of tghe people here saved me. I joined because of that, but..."

She's been turning it over in her mind. What she heard from Shadow Eiji in the palace, how Reiya and Yukari have both, in their own ways, asked her what her goal was.

She stares down at her lap, her voice growing firm for a moment. "... now there's some answers I'm looking for."

She hasn't had a chance to tell most of her fellow SEES members what she's looking for, but Fuuka and Hitomi know.

Shinjiro has concerns, and frankly Ririka does too. "Aragaki-senapi, I get what you're saying, and I'm worried too, but... isn't it better if we can watch his back, rather than let him get involved on his own?"

It's not a ''good'' option, just... maybe the less bad one.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
<poem>Fuuka meets Minako's glance, smiling back. Minako's suspicions are right on the money. It's more than a little exciting to have Koromaru with them - and she, too, assumes that Minako is ''also'' happy about this turn of events.

And he wants to express his gratitude... it's no wonder. But Aigis asks an important quesstion - what is required to wield a Persona?

"...I don't know." Fuuka admits. "They say we had the 'Potential'... but then there's other Persona users, too, who don't need Evokers, who do things differently than us. It feels like there's as many different methods as there are people..."

It's hard to trace, to find one uniting source, because of that.

But, Ken has a question. How did they join? What happened to each of them?

He wants to join...

Fuuka looks uncertain, for a moment. He's so young... She looks toward Shinjiro, as he tells him not to throw his life away. Minako stresses how dangerous this is - and how she couldn't just look away. Minato recounts his own story - and then Yukari does ''hers'', and Aigis, her own. And Hitomi... offers him reassurance. She's surprised, briefly - but she nods, too, to agree with her point.

Ririka says she's looking for answers and Fuuka glances briefly her way - but she doesn't comment on it. She's aware of what she means.

Fuuka is quiet for a moment.

She nods back to Minato - and that feels as much as a good point for her own story as any.

"When you were outside... Did you see that tower, Tartarus, standing over the city?" Fuuka asks. "...That's our school - what it turns into during the Dark Hour. And I was... locked inside the gym, just as it was about to turn midnight."

She swallows.

"Because of that... I was trapped inside, with the Shadows, for ten hours - but on the outside, it was ten full days. I only survived because I was able to sense the presence of Shadows and avoid them, and because everyone came to rescue me." Fuuka explains. She hesitates for a moment. "I still feel... behind everyone, sometimes. I'll never get those days back..."

It's a feeling she's never really expressed. It's the sort of thing that feels difficult for anyone else to understand. She closes her eyes for a moment.

"If you want to join us... that's the sort of thing you'll have to face. There's no telling what we'll encounter in the future... That's why I'm here - to help anyone else who might find themselves in the position I was in."

It might be... more frank than she's comfortable with. But he wanted to hear her story. She has to be level with him - especially since he's already experienced loss due to the Dark Hour.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
"My mother might know more," Reiya says of the nature of Personas and who can use them. "...But I'm not sure."

But Ken. Ken, here, and now, stays bowed. When Shinjiro speaks up--

"Please!" Ken says.

But Shinjiro asks them to back him up. Reiya waits for the others to say what they have to say. And Ken? Ken listens to each one. Yukari tells her story, and wonders what other choice he has. Minato... says he'll practice with him, after telling his own story. And Minako says it's his decision.

Hitomi says he can bow out...

Tha they're teammates, now.

Reiya looks to Yukari as she tells her story. He says nothing, but he doesn't look as angry as he did, the first time he heard it. He seems to have little xpression at all.

Ken though... Ken's expression is tight, though few can see it. He listens to Aigis. "You've been fighting since ten years ago..."

Reiya says, "I believe you have the right to pursue this," Reiya says. "You were granted that right, as one who was hurt by the Shadows, and as one who has the power of Persona." He nods to Yukari, and to Hitomi. "...I'm sorry, Aragaki-senpai. But I can't oppose him. However... We will have to ask the Chairman." A look to Aigis. "I know how you feel. I admit, part of me feels the same way; I have combat training ''outside'' that of Personas, and so I feel better-equipped to take on our missions..."

But Aigis is right, he doesn't have to say. The arguments are persuasive, and admittedly--he didn't need much persuading, in this case. If Ken's mother died to Shadows...

But Ken has more to say. "...It's why I was brought to this dorm in the first place, isn't it?" Ken wonders as he rises from his deep bow. "...Because I had this 'Potential'."

He looks to Fuuka. "So you were trapped for that long..." And Yukari, "And your father..."

He doesn't inquire about Ririka's brother; he doesn't know. But Aigis at least is persuaded.

"I'll talk to the Chairman too," he says. "But Mandai-san..."

"i want to be your teammate. I'll work hard."

He looks over the group. "To keep up with all of you." He looks at all of them. Shinjiro, too.

"...I know it's not a game. And I won't treat it that way."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>Shinjiro doesn't get the support he needs. He frowns apologetically to Hitomi as he realizes why she's looking at him like that, taking a breath from his place near the wall. He's trying to prevent himself from having another panic attack as subtly as he can. Yukari has a point in that he's Awakened, and he doesn't know how to counter.

"...I'm an orphan. I've never had parents. Never had adults to support me. Just me and Aki... you know, Sanada... I've lost nearly everything in my life, and I've never had much, all thanks to this power. It's the worst possible luck you can have to awaken to a Persona."

Shinjiro sighs. There's not much he can do. And to continue to protest...

"If you're so sure, I'll help watch over you. But you can quit at any time. ...remember you still have things to look forward to, to live for."

Another shaky breath.

"Alright?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
<poem>
Minako is also very excited to team up with a dog. But, with Ken talking to them, her attention is fully on him. She glances at Fuuka and nods, before she looks back at him. Everyone explains their stories -- the tragedies that brought them here and the dangers they face.

And, much as she said that Koromaru and Aigis are like them, so is Ken -- they're all united in this.

Aigis says she has been fighting for ten years, now. And Minako looks forward, and--

...

She looks at Ken, and then -- finally -- she nods after what Aragaki says. "In that case, Amada-kun," she says. "As one of the combat leaders, I'll be relying on you."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Minato Arisato has posed.
<poem>
Minato watches Aigis, with a distant expression, and says nothing. The others, too, of course; though he looks a little less far-away, regarding people like Ririka and Hitomi and Yukari.

And Shinjiro.

The worst possible luck...

Minato finds he disagrees, though he's an orphan, too. He rotates that feeling around, in his mind, considering it thoughtfully.

It's... the same feeling he had when they said there were only so many of those Full Moon Shadows left, before the Dark Hour would disappear forever.

Of course, it's better for these things to not exist.

But... is that how he feels?

"Yeah," Minato nods, when Minako speaks up. "Same for me."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
Hitomi's eyes crinkle up and there's a smile in her voice as she answers Ken: "Then let's do our best, alright?"

Rather minor. Rather modest. After this, her hands unfold and she leans back into her seat, slouching and smiling again - this time with her face visible. As she pushes her glasses up her nose, "I guess you've been here a while already, so it won't be ''totally'' different."

except for the dark hour part

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
<poem>
"A... Monster Peacock? I don't even know." Yukari answers Ririka, uncertain. "He sure looks like a monster when he's fighting..."

Aigis' words... surprise Yukari. It's not that she's not cognizant of the fact that Aigis is a robot girl, it's just she seems so much like a person - asserts herself like a person, that it's weird to hear her put it like...

... like...

... she'd keep fighting even if the rest of them weren't there. Her mission... what was her mission? Why is now the Arisatos?

"And well... it becomes safer the more of us there are... for all of us. Aigis-san too." She then looks at Shinjiro, "And Amada-kun."

Fuuka explains more, about Tartarus - how she was trapped inside, and Yukari feels self-conscious. She argued against... going to save her.

And yet now she couldn't imagine life here without her.

Ken at least treats it seriously and well...

"I'm the last person that can say anything against someone choosing to fight for a reason like yours, Amada-kun."

If she were eleven, she'd be saying the same thing. She'd fight - for the same reason she joined SEES in the first place, to find out the truth.

Eventually though, Shinjiro relents and Yukari finally says after him, to Ken, "We'll all look after each other. That's what... being teammates means." She agrees to that. "And I guess you're a part of this team now. And... Koro-chan too. Though, how is he gonna use an Evoker?" As she then remembers he summoned Cerberus anyway, "Does he even ''need'' one?"

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
<poem>Even after all that, hearing everything they've been through and the dangers they'll face... Ken still wants to join. Fuuka has her concerns and misgivings... but at this point, she can't tell him no. Would it even deter him if she did? Or would it just encourage him to do things more dangerously on his own?

...Maybe it's better this way. Fuuka nods quietly.

"Then... We'll welcome you. I'll do everything in my power to support you, just as I would for everyone here." Fuuka replies with a nod. At this point, looking out for him may be the best thing she can do for him - and she nods, when Yukari says that they'll all look after each other.

...She pauses, though, when she brings up the question she hadn't considered yet.

"...I'm not sure. Maybe we should ask the Chairman about that, too..." She considers.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Sorry, Shinjiro. But they can't change what happened with Ken and his Awakening.

She looks to Yukari and considers it. "I guess that's true..." She says of Pernelle. "But he still looks normal outside an Atelier... One more mystery about Personas, I guess?" And Fuuka already brought up that others summon them in different ways, too.

Ririka looks up and nods to Ken as he says he wants to work with them, to keep up. "Then... I'll make sure to support you as best I can."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis may have jinxed herself several hours earlier this same day when she had told Reiya that she hadn't yet encountered a situation that had caused her to become unsettled which didn't have a pragmatic solution that she could immediately work towards. This is one of the first times she has to simply stew in an emotion.

Truth be told, her own mental state somewhat mirrors Shinjiro's, but she lacks the human biology for her feelings to bubble up as semiautonomous physiological responses. She's simply better at hiding it.

What's more, her attempt was intended to provide Shinjiro with support, but that may have backfired. She's on his side, but she may have erred in pre-emptively revealing that she, too, has no counter to Yukari's argument. Ken's Awakening is no happy occasion -- if anything, it's bittersweet, heavy on the 'bitter'.

She does at least correct Ken on one small matter: "I have been continuously fighting for a duration of several months, at most. As I said, I was rendered entirely nonfunctional for a little under ten years."

Shinjiro's sentiment that Awakening to a Persona is the worst luck someone can experience. She doesn't press the point further right now, but she may bring it up again later.

Finally, she gives Ken a bow of her own. "I, too, will do assist in all ways in which I am able to do so. All that I ask is that you strive to have no need to apologize for causing us worry again."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
Ken adopts a determined expression. "Thank you, everyone! I promise I won't let you down!"

He doesn't answer Shinjiro directly, except to bow to him as well. "I'll make sure not to trouble the group."

"...But I don't plan to quit."
</poem>

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

2025-12-18: Double Duty

2025-12-19T11:45:26Z

Terra: put the actual log title in the header

*'''Log: Double Duty'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Reiya Aomori]], [[Aigis]]
*'''Where:''' Iwatodai Dormitory
*'''OOC Date:''' December 18, 2025
*'''IC Date:''' August 27, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Two duty-bound individuals discuss how they calm themselves down when they feel anxious or unsettled. And Drake Adventure. More Drake Adventure.''

----

(|============================ Iwatodai Dormitory ============================|)
-================================================== Iwatodai City/Iwatodai ====-
A large four-story dormitory used by the Specialized Extracurricular Execution
Squad, only five minutes from Iwatodai Station. Upon entering, one passes a desk
with a sign-in book for guests to find a large carpeted common room that's well
appointed for co-ed gatherings.

A TV is usually on with the local news or a movie that's been loaded into the
DVD player for a student to enjoy. A table for shared dinners, or more often
study sessions, takes up the other half of the dorm, as well as a kitchen should
one dare to show off their skills to their fellow students.

There are two winding staircases on either side. The one on the left simply says
'Boys' while the other on the right states 'No Boys Except By Invitation.' The
implicit threat of execution need not be written down for those who violate
these rules. The second and third stories are living spaces divided by gender
with common spaces that have study areas and bookshelves available.

The fourth story is the command center with surveillance capabilities for not
just different parts of the city but each room within the dorms. The Chairman
has assured all who live here that this capability is strictly necessary.

BGM - Dormitory Theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj-FrFI0qnM

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
It's a lovely day near the end of summer break. The sun is shining. And that means... the plants need some tending.

For Reiya Aomori, tending to the plants is meditative; checking the soil, eyeing the health of the stalks, ensuring that everything is where it should be...

Each detail is important, and each detail can be inhabited for some time.

He's in ordinary clothes; a button-down short-sleeve shirt and trousers--and is currently crouched in front of one of the planters.

He's been here a little bit now; earlier, he was in his room.

In general he can be hard to pin down... Like he's some kind of ninja or something.

Hmm.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
With no clothes aside from her red ribbon to hide her obvious nature as a robot, Aigis currently does not have much to do during daylight hours.

That suits her perfectly fine, but time is a finite resource. Rather than stay cooped up at her charging station for the non-secret 24 hours in the day, she tries to find something to do to expand her skillset or increase her knowledge.

Today, it's getting a rooftop view of Iwatodai City to better prepare her navigation for Dark Hour Shadow sweeps -- or at least that was her intent when she wandered up this way.

There, she sees Reiya. That's odd, her sensors indicated that his last known position was in his room. How did he elude even her ..?

She calmly announces, "Hello, Aomori-san. I was not expecting anyone to be up here. I hope I am not interrupting." She approaches him and the planters and leans down slightly. "May I ask what you are doing?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
Reiya turns his head towards Aigis at her calm announcement. The truth is, she's quieter than a robot should be, too! He wasn't expecting her.

But his laconic ways make that less than obvious. "Hello, Aigis-san."

"I spend a lot of time here. It is... soothing, to see the city from a higher position."

He pauses. "You aren't interrupting; my work is almost done. I am tending to the plantbeds. By removing weeds and undesirable competition, checking the soil, and so on I can ensure that our plants will grow healthy."

"...Mother taught me to garden. I find that it helps me clear my mind."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis considers her response. "It is soothing, you say? I do remember you staring at the ocean whan you had approached me on the dock. Was that soothing, as well?"

Turning her attention back to the planters, she nods. "I see. You're taking care of something smaller and more fragile than yourself. I can relate to that, on some level."

By removing Shadows and other dangerous elements, staying close to the people she's responsible for, and so on, she can ensure that they'll grow healthy -- despite what's happened.

His mother taught him to garden. The thought of his mother causes Aigis to grow more pensive. "... I see. Do you frequently require such calming activities?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
"Yes," Reiya says. "But also pleasing. The ocean is... pleasant. It is good to look out on it regardless of my mood."

"...Yes. I suppose you could. Humans are not generally smaller than you are, but we are more fragile."

"Not usually," he admits of calming activities. "But lately, yes. I am troubled over what we've learned about the origins of the Dark Hour. I knew most of it... but not all of it. And I'm troubled that Mother kept it from me--and that in turn, I've kept parts of it from others."

He finishes checking over the last plant and rises to his feet, letting the tools stay down for the moment.

"And you?" Reiya wonders. "When you feel unsettled, what do you do?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis stands upright again and places her hands together while she ponders her answer. 'When you feel unsettled, what do you do?'

That's ... a difficult one. She doesn't often find herself unsettled.

She extends a hand as she explains. "For the few occasions where I have felt anxiety, I have been able to immediately do something about it. There is the current state of the world, then there is the target state that my programming desires it to be in, and I formulate and enact a plan in order to bring the current state closer to the target state."

She holds her hands together and lowers them in front of her again. "Admittedly, the solutions to those current- and target-state discrepancies often involve dispatching a Shadow. There is only one problem which I have encountered where that is not the case, but there is still something I can do about it."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
Reiya turns twoards Aigis and listens. "Hmm."

"I suppose that's ''why'' i'm unsettled; I prefer to do the same as you. It's better to be able to act, or at least make a plan as to how to act."

Some people might say that sounds robotic, but it makes sense to Reiya, anyway.

"One of my problems can be solved by dispatching many Shadows, but we have to find them first. Unfortunately, my other concerns have little to do directly with the Shadows... I cannot dispatch a Shadow to understand my mother."

"May I ask what that lingering problem is? It's fine if you prefer not to say. I would understand."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
"I imagine that such is the case with many people. I am merely fortunate in that most of my problems have been simple thus far during what little time I have been operational." Aigis cranes her head slightly further up towards the sky. "I do not think there is any guarantee I will be so fortunate forever."

Aigis returns her attention to Reiya again as he mentions his mother. "I see. It is something interpersonal, then. I, too, desire to understand her better, but perhaps in a different way than you do."

Beyond that, though ... a tool has little reason to question its maker. She had corrected Ikutsuki before, but that was ultimately in the service of maintaining her sense of personhood to better synchronize with her Persona. It's a very fine line for her to walk as this machine bestowed with the gift of consciousness.

She lowers her eyes as she admits what she's comfortable admitting to Reiya. "It has to do with the battle I was in ten years ago. I was not able to prevent a sizable amount of collateral damage to the city. I feel some measure of responsibility for it, and strive to make up for my failings back then."

It's a half-truth. She's certainly demonstrated that she's capable of telling half-truths before. Isn't that right, Hiwa Komi?
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
"I suppose they would be; they didn't let you out much, did they? ...I guess they wouldn't. They wouldn't want to risk your operational status unnecessarily." Still, it seems sad to him, not to let Aigis out of her box, so to speak.

"Probably different," he says, "But I can answer what questions you might have. I may not know all the answers, but I do know her well. I just... don't understand why she advised that I keep things from a certain person, when it turns out to have been unnecessary from SEES as a whole."

"Ah... Yes, I see," he says. "When things go badly, there is often no simple way to fix them. I worry that there will be battles in which this is the case for us. It's been very close already."

Reiya considers for a moment. "I would like in general to hear more of what you think," he says. "Mother told me a lot about the Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapons, but she never told me what you were ''like'', beyond your combat capabilities. I know that she wished she could reactivate you and the others sooner."

"Mm, that sounds too... mechanical, ironically enough."

"If possible, Aigis-san, I would like to be friends. That is what I mean. We share a duty, and i'm curious about who you are, as a person. I know that in the face of duty, it can be hard to be 'yourself'. ...I've experienced that, too."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
'They didn't let you out much, did they?' They said they had tried to reactivate her, didn't they? So she must have kept herself shut in. She was unable to perceive any action that she could have taken to fix things, so she must have been the one to refuse to come out of her box rather than her handlers refuse to let her out.

She only came out when she sensed a second chance.

... That ''is'' how it went, right?

Aigis nods and simply says, "I suppose so."

'I can answer what questions you have.' Strangely, one thing comes to mind above all else, and she offers: "Your method of running. You and I seem to be the only ones who utilize it. Is it not ... more common among humans?"

Aigis shakes her head. "Not to worry, I believe I understood your meaning even without your clarification. You mean to say that she wished to reactivate us sooner so that she could ''socialize'' with us sooner." She places her hands together and pleasantly smiles. "I would like to be friends as well, Aomori-san."

The thought of an Aigis who's 'herself' aside from her duty sounds impossible -- paradoxical, even. That is, at least thus far, the entire basis of her identity.

There is, however, an interest she's developed lately.

"... What do you know of Drake Adventure?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
That's true; Reiya didn't think of it that way, but he may realize it later, that it must have been that way. He is still under the somewaht naive impression that the scientists were in control.

"It is not," Reiya says. "But it is common among people like my mother and I--ninja, from Japan's past some centuries ago. It is a useful way of running while retaining quick access to one's armaments."

"That's my wish," Reiya says. "I believe she mostly wished that you could do what SEES is doing now. ...Of course, now it is too late to avoid youths like myself being involved. I suppose she's made peace with that."

But he smiles back. "Good," he says.

"Drake Adventure is a video game for an older game system which popularized the 'role playing game' genre. It became a series of games which persists into the modern day. The hero, Ordrick, arrives and then engages in a quest to rescue a princess from a dragon, and eradicate the monsters about the world."

A subject he knows!! This is good.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Well. Who really knows? Memory's a funny thing.

Quick access to armaments? Aigis holds up her hands, palms-up, and inspects them. Yep, her armaments are right inside her fingers and wrists, just as she thought.

She returns her gaze to Reiya with a quizzical look. "If I had external armaments as you do, perhaps. I have noticed a way in which I still benefit: leaning forward allows gravity to do more work towards propelling myself rather than exerting more force on my own, thus saving approximately three percent on power spent on running."

"In place of SEES, you mean?" Aigis lowers her eyes again. "It is a shame I was not reactivated sooner, then." Her confidence returns to her, and she pumps her fists at her sides. "I am here now, though. I will do my best in order to lighten your load."

Aigis nods. "I am somewhat familiar with it. I saw Arisato-san playing it. If I do encounter a situation where I feel that I need to calm myself, I might like to try playing it in order to do so. Do you know how I could go about this?"

She holds a finger to her chin in thought. "... Come to think of it, while I was not initially 'unsettled', I did feel relatively calmer from spending time with him and simply watching him play it."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
"That would be especially important given your composition," he supposes, which is ''dangerously'' close to calling a girl heavy but she's a robot she probably doesn't mind. "That is good, then. Mother would know more of the advantages; she, as far as I know, modeled some of the movement systems you and the others used. So I suppose you run like her."

A shame! "Yes," Reiya says. "But that's all right; I would... oppose, not being allowed to help. So there's no need to consider yourself any more or less than one of the team. ...I'm more confident with you with us, though."

Familiar... Hmm. "That's a good idea," he thinks.

"There are multiple ways; you can get the original console it was made for somewhat cheaply, and it has been remade for more recent consoles over time. There's currently a version you can play on a cellphone, or on a recent console that I happen to own... I could lend it to you, if you wished."

But hmmm.

"He's like that," Reiya thinks. "He's a very calming influence. I think you're not the only one who has that experience."

Though...

He seems important to Aigis, for some reason. Him and Minako both.

Well, Reiya doesn't get it, and what he's saying is still true. "I consider him a friend, myself."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
"Every bit counts, as they say. As does every nibble and byte." Aigis smiles expectantly at Reiya. Did -- did she just make a joke?

"Perhaps there is somewhere I can find out more on ninjas." She pauses to regard Reiya, then nods. "If I happen across any insight on your mother's motivations that you were previously unaware of, I will let you know."

Aigis nods at being told she's not any more or less part of the team. "I am likewise more confident with SEES, as well. I have been accustomed to solo missions, but I have already seen the benefits of working within a team."

She grows pensive for a moment as she turns her attention to the planters again. "... Palladion seems ill-suited for solo situations, in fact. She is a symbol of protection, but what good is that with no one else around to extend said protection to? No, she is a force multiplier."

Aigis listens to the various ways she could play it. Minato played it on his laptop, which Reiya hadn't listed. Maybe it was a remake for computers? Reiya offers to lend it, and Aigis calmly smiles back at him. "I would like to borrow it, yes. I will be sure to return it as soon as I am able. We could talk about it after I have completed it."

Minato has a calming influence on others, but ... the dynamic might be different in Aigis' case. "Is that so? I see."

She closes her eyes and smiles relaxedly. "Him and his sister both seem like they easily make friends. I am glad to hear this."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
Every bit. And nibble. And--It takes Reiya a moment but he quirks a smile and laughs softly. "I see," he says. "You're good at humor, too. I almost missed it."

"Most of the information on our ways is fictional, of course, but some of it is real. Udonto for instance is an anime that ascribes us mystical powers... but so far as I know, any ninja with such abilities is a Persona-user like myself."

"Thank you." For letting him know.

He doesn't answer immediately when Aigis seems to have more to say. And so she does. "I see. Yes, that is a good tactical assessment. I'm also accustomed to solo missions, but my Persona's stealth abilities are suited to it, as are my own." He pauses. "...But I prefer to fight with the group. They're very reliable."

Minato must have been EMULATING on the laptop, but Reiya does not know of this crime. "Excellent. Then when we return to the common areas, I will fetch it. I'll have to give it to you there; I'm not allowed on the girls' side of the dorms."

Just like all the boys. Even Minato!

"Yes," he agrees. "They do. It's quite notable about them both. I think we are lucky to have them as our field leaders."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
"There is a sizable amount of such jokes located within my knowledge stores." Aigis stares flatly ahead. The amount of disk space used ... it's unconscionable. "I am unsure of what the purpose of this is."

"Udonto ... I see." Aigis inclines her head to the side. "While it may be fictonal, is it a cultural touchstone, all the same? Perhaps I could watch it in order to have something to talk about with people."

"Stealth abilities ... that may explain why I still thought you were in your room downstairs. Your skill must be impressive if you managed to elude even my sensors." She seems pleased at this, glad to have Reiya on her side.

Aigis smiles as Reiya agrees to lend Drake Adventure to her. "Thank you! Girls are, however, allowed on the boys' side of the dorms, correct? Could I not accompany you?" Well ... maybe technically so, but there may be some other implications that Aigis doesn't quite understand yet. Either that or she just got away with it earlier.

Her smile flickers, fading only momentarily as she considers just ''why'' the Arisato siblings may make such good field leaders. "Yes. We are lucky."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
"I see. Perhaps they are meant to give you something to initiate conversation?" he wonders. "Minato-kun might enjoy them."

That is definitely not why.

"True," he says. "You may as well. It's entertaining. And not all of it is ''completely'' off-base, for the past."

Stealth! "That may be," Reiya says. "I am pleased that my skill is sufficient for that." 'Thank you', in other words. "I will scout ahead on missions where necessary."

But girls are allowed on the boys' side of the dorm... "I think Takeba-san would consider that a breach in propriety," Reiya reflects. "At least, if we were to go alone. While you may not be human, you are still a 'girl'."

But that flicker-fade... Hmm. There's definitely something...

"Yes. Now, shall we? I'll go fetch the game."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
"The thought had occurred to me ..." Aigis grows wide-eyed with interest at the prospect of Minato possibly liking the pun database. "He might? I may have to give them a closer look, then. Hmm ..."

More about Udonto. "I see! Perhaps we could watch some of it while we're in the common area."

Aigis smiles as Reiya mentions he will scout ahead where necessary. "Even so, at least when you do that, you are not truly solo. You are retrieving information for the rest of us to utilize."

A breach in propriety? "I do not quite understand why she would ... but I will try to comply. I may have to ask for a more in-depth explanation behind her rationale." After that, Aigis gives Reiya a bright smile. "Speaking of, Takeba-san and Minato-san seem close, do they not?"

Aigis bows towards Reiya and gestures to the door back downstairs. "We shall. I will follow close behind. Before I start it for myself, I did want to ask what you liked about it."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
Puns! Maybe Minato likes them. Maybe he will learn to like them.

"That would be good," Reiya says.

"True," he says. "And I've been asked not to stray too far, in any case. It worries the Navigators."

"Yes, that would be best," Reiya says, because he does not want to be the one to explain boys and girls to the Aigis. For Takeba and Minato though... "Yes," he agrees. "They do. It is... nice." He'd like to see Yukari happier, anyway. Even if that's a low bar...

But Reiya starts along. He considers. "I like the creative spell names," he starts with. "And the story. I've kept up with the series, in fact..."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Maybe even Aigis will learn to like them! (Don't count on it.)

Reiya going too far would worry the Navigators. Aigis nods at this. "I imagine it would. I've found Kawase-san's abilities to be helpful on multiple occasions. She has prevented me from taking less-than-optimal actions against several adversaries now. First in the Palace, then when we found Amada-san ..."

She lowers her gaze and briefly stops walking. "I hope that he will be okay." She regains her composure in short order and continues following Reiya.

Right, the explanation was meant to be 'sometime,' not necessarily now. She does beam at Reiya as she's glad to hear that Reiya agrees about it being nice, though!

"The creative spell names? Like Defendestrate, or Anneyehilate?" That's what she saw in the spell menu when Minato played, at least. "So it is a series, like I thought. You mentioned a dragon and a princess, but which one has a daughter-hero and an underworld..?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
Reiya stops what he was about to mention, and instead considers what Aigis mentions. "They're very helpful," he agrees, but Ken...

"I heard about what happened," he said. "I was out at the time, but..." He nods. "I also hope so. ...He's been through an ordeal."

But Reiya won't dwell; he will see to Ken when he can. Instead...

"Yes," he answers. "I think that they're funny and memorable." A dragon and a princess...

"That's the third entry. It's set many years before the first two, in a different world. It's notable in part because the player can select a boy or a girl for their Hero, rather than only a boy as is usual. The daughter-hero thus stands out."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis nods. "I suppose he does know of my true nature now. Perhaps we will be able to talk more openly, rather than avoid each other. In any case ..."

So Minato was playing the third one. She smiles up at Reiya. "I see. I suppose I will see more for myself when I play."

Minato had mentioned something about being able to experiment and the importance of immersion ... Aigis reasons that maybe the choice of gender better lets someone see themself represented in the game. Either that, or it gives them an opportunity to experience something they normally wouldn't. There seems to be no optimal choice.

Still, she's talking to Reiya right now. As they continue down the stairs, she asks, "Which entry is your favorite? And if it's not the first or third, what is its story like?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
"That would be good."

"Yes. There's much to discover in this series. I think it will be an interesting experience for you."

A robot playing video games! Well, that's neat.

Reiya would agree with Aigis's reasoning, but as it happens, she asks him a question. So as they move down the stairs, he considers it.

"I like many of them for different purposes," he says. "But I think my favorite is..."

He will deliver a clear, firm answer!! and them elaborate on the story, before he breaks off to get the game console.

But it is a mystery to the audience...
</poem>

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

2025-12-18: Double Duty

2025-12-19T03:57:32Z

Terra: Created page with "*'''Log: Aigis - 2025-12-18''' *'''Cast:''' Reiya Aomori, Aigis *'''Where:''' Iwatodai Dormitory *'''OOC Date:''' December 18, 2025 *'''IC Date:''' August 27, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Two duty-bound individuals discuss how they calm themselves down when they feel anxious or unsettled. And Drake Adventure. More Drake Adventure.'' ---- (|============================ Iwatodai Dormitory ============================|) -===============================================..."

*'''Log: Aigis - 2025-12-18'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Reiya Aomori]], [[Aigis]]
*'''Where:''' Iwatodai Dormitory
*'''OOC Date:''' December 18, 2025
*'''IC Date:''' August 27, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Two duty-bound individuals discuss how they calm themselves down when they feel anxious or unsettled. And Drake Adventure. More Drake Adventure.''

----

(|============================ Iwatodai Dormitory ============================|)
-================================================== Iwatodai City/Iwatodai ====-
A large four-story dormitory used by the Specialized Extracurricular Execution
Squad, only five minutes from Iwatodai Station. Upon entering, one passes a desk
with a sign-in book for guests to find a large carpeted common room that's well
appointed for co-ed gatherings.

A TV is usually on with the local news or a movie that's been loaded into the
DVD player for a student to enjoy. A table for shared dinners, or more often
study sessions, takes up the other half of the dorm, as well as a kitchen should
one dare to show off their skills to their fellow students.

There are two winding staircases on either side. The one on the left simply says
'Boys' while the other on the right states 'No Boys Except By Invitation.' The
implicit threat of execution need not be written down for those who violate
these rules. The second and third stories are living spaces divided by gender
with common spaces that have study areas and bookshelves available.

The fourth story is the command center with surveillance capabilities for not
just different parts of the city but each room within the dorms. The Chairman
has assured all who live here that this capability is strictly necessary.

BGM - Dormitory Theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj-FrFI0qnM

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
It's a lovely day near the end of summer break. The sun is shining. And that means... the plants need some tending.

For Reiya Aomori, tending to the plants is meditative; checking the soil, eyeing the health of the stalks, ensuring that everything is where it should be...

Each detail is important, and each detail can be inhabited for some time.

He's in ordinary clothes; a button-down short-sleeve shirt and trousers--and is currently crouched in front of one of the planters.

He's been here a little bit now; earlier, he was in his room.

In general he can be hard to pin down... Like he's some kind of ninja or something.

Hmm.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
With no clothes aside from her red ribbon to hide her obvious nature as a robot, Aigis currently does not have much to do during daylight hours.

That suits her perfectly fine, but time is a finite resource. Rather than stay cooped up at her charging station for the non-secret 24 hours in the day, she tries to find something to do to expand her skillset or increase her knowledge.

Today, it's getting a rooftop view of Iwatodai City to better prepare her navigation for Dark Hour Shadow sweeps -- or at least that was her intent when she wandered up this way.

There, she sees Reiya. That's odd, her sensors indicated that his last known position was in his room. How did he elude even her ..?

She calmly announces, "Hello, Aomori-san. I was not expecting anyone to be up here. I hope I am not interrupting." She approaches him and the planters and leans down slightly. "May I ask what you are doing?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
Reiya turns his head towards Aigis at her calm announcement. The truth is, she's quieter than a robot should be, too! He wasn't expecting her.

But his laconic ways make that less than obvious. "Hello, Aigis-san."

"I spend a lot of time here. It is... soothing, to see the city from a higher position."

He pauses. "You aren't interrupting; my work is almost done. I am tending to the plantbeds. By removing weeds and undesirable competition, checking the soil, and so on I can ensure that our plants will grow healthy."

"...Mother taught me to garden. I find that it helps me clear my mind."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis considers her response. "It is soothing, you say? I do remember you staring at the ocean whan you had approached me on the dock. Was that soothing, as well?"

Turning her attention back to the planters, she nods. "I see. You're taking care of something smaller and more fragile than yourself. I can relate to that, on some level."

By removing Shadows and other dangerous elements, staying close to the people she's responsible for, and so on, she can ensure that they'll grow healthy -- despite what's happened.

His mother taught him to garden. The thought of his mother causes Aigis to grow more pensive. "... I see. Do you frequently require such calming activities?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
"Yes," Reiya says. "But also pleasing. The ocean is... pleasant. It is good to look out on it regardless of my mood."

"...Yes. I suppose you could. Humans are not generally smaller than you are, but we are more fragile."

"Not usually," he admits of calming activities. "But lately, yes. I am troubled over what we've learned about the origins of the Dark Hour. I knew most of it... but not all of it. And I'm troubled that Mother kept it from me--and that in turn, I've kept parts of it from others."

He finishes checking over the last plant and rises to his feet, letting the tools stay down for the moment.

"And you?" Reiya wonders. "When you feel unsettled, what do you do?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis stands upright again and places her hands together while she ponders her answer. 'When you feel unsettled, what do you do?'

That's ... a difficult one. She doesn't often find herself unsettled.

She extends a hand as she explains. "For the few occasions where I have felt anxiety, I have been able to immediately do something about it. There is the current state of the world, then there is the target state that my programming desires it to be in, and I formulate and enact a plan in order to bring the current state closer to the target state."

She holds her hands together and lowers them in front of her again. "Admittedly, the solutions to those current- and target-state discrepancies often involve dispatching a Shadow. There is only one problem which I have encountered where that is not the case, but there is still something I can do about it."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
Reiya turns twoards Aigis and listens. "Hmm."

"I suppose that's ''why'' i'm unsettled; I prefer to do the same as you. It's better to be able to act, or at least make a plan as to how to act."

Some people might say that sounds robotic, but it makes sense to Reiya, anyway.

"One of my problems can be solved by dispatching many Shadows, but we have to find them first. Unfortunately, my other concerns have little to do directly with the Shadows... I cannot dispatch a Shadow to understand my mother."

"May I ask what that lingering problem is? It's fine if you prefer not to say. I would understand."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
"I imagine that such is the case with many people. I am merely fortunate in that most of my problems have been simple thus far during what little time I have been operational." Aigis cranes her head slightly further up towards the sky. "I do not think there is any guarantee I will be so fortunate forever."

Aigis returns her attention to Reiya again as he mentions his mother. "I see. It is something interpersonal, then. I, too, desire to understand her better, but perhaps in a different way than you do."

Beyond that, though ... a tool has little reason to question its maker. She had corrected Ikutsuki before, but that was ultimately in the service of maintaining her sense of personhood to better synchronize with her Persona. It's a very fine line for her to walk as this machine bestowed with the gift of consciousness.

She lowers her eyes as she admits what she's comfortable admitting to Reiya. "It has to do with the battle I was in ten years ago. I was not able to prevent a sizable amount of collateral damage to the city. I feel some measure of responsibility for it, and strive to make up for my failings back then."

It's a half-truth. She's certainly demonstrated that she's capable of telling half-truths before. Isn't that right, Hiwa Komi?
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
"I suppose they would be; they didn't let you out much, did they? ...I guess they wouldn't. They wouldn't want to risk your operational status unnecessarily." Still, it seems sad to him, not to let Aigis out of her box, so to speak.

"Probably different," he says, "But I can answer what questions you might have. I may not know all the answers, but I do know her well. I just... don't understand why she advised that I keep things from a certain person, when it turns out to have been unnecessary from SEES as a whole."

"Ah... Yes, I see," he says. "When things go badly, there is often no simple way to fix them. I worry that there will be battles in which this is the case for us. It's been very close already."

Reiya considers for a moment. "I would like in general to hear more of what you think," he says. "Mother told me a lot about the Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapons, but she never told me what you were ''like'', beyond your combat capabilities. I know that she wished she could reactivate you and the others sooner."

"Mm, that sounds too... mechanical, ironically enough."

"If possible, Aigis-san, I would like to be friends. That is what I mean. We share a duty, and i'm curious about who you are, as a person. I know that in the face of duty, it can be hard to be 'yourself'. ...I've experienced that, too."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
'They didn't let you out much, did they?' They said they had tried to reactivate her, didn't they? So she must have kept herself shut in. She was unable to perceive any action that she could have taken to fix things, so she must have been the one to refuse to come out of her box rather than her handlers refuse to let her out.

She only came out when she sensed a second chance.

... That ''is'' how it went, right?

Aigis nods and simply says, "I suppose so."

'I can answer what questions you have.' Strangely, one thing comes to mind above all else, and she offers: "Your method of running. You and I seem to be the only ones who utilize it. Is it not ... more common among humans?"

Aigis shakes her head. "Not to worry, I believe I understood your meaning even without your clarification. You mean to say that she wished to reactivate us sooner so that she could ''socialize'' with us sooner." She places her hands together and pleasantly smiles. "I would like to be friends as well, Aomori-san."

The thought of an Aigis who's 'herself' aside from her duty sounds impossible -- paradoxical, even. That is, at least thus far, the entire basis of her identity.

There is, however, an interest she's developed lately.

"... What do you know of Drake Adventure?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
That's true; Reiya didn't think of it that way, but he may realize it later, that it must have been that way. He is still under the somewaht naive impression that the scientists were in control.

"It is not," Reiya says. "But it is common among people like my mother and I--ninja, from Japan's past some centuries ago. It is a useful way of running while retaining quick access to one's armaments."

"That's my wish," Reiya says. "I believe she mostly wished that you could do what SEES is doing now. ...Of course, now it is too late to avoid youths like myself being involved. I suppose she's made peace with that."

But he smiles back. "Good," he says.

"Drake Adventure is a video game for an older game system which popularized the 'role playing game' genre. It became a series of games which persists into the modern day. The hero, Ordrick, arrives and then engages in a quest to rescue a princess from a dragon, and eradicate the monsters about the world."

A subject he knows!! This is good.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Well. Who really knows? Memory's a funny thing.

Quick access to armaments? Aigis holds up her hands, palms-up, and inspects them. Yep, her armaments are right inside her fingers and wrists, just as she thought.

She returns her gaze to Reiya with a quizzical look. "If I had external armaments as you do, perhaps. I have noticed a way in which I still benefit: leaning forward allows gravity to do more work towards propelling myself rather than exerting more force on my own, thus saving approximately three percent on power spent on running."

"In place of SEES, you mean?" Aigis lowers her eyes again. "It is a shame I was not reactivated sooner, then." Her confidence returns to her, and she pumps her fists at her sides. "I am here now, though. I will do my best in order to lighten your load."

Aigis nods. "I am somewhat familiar with it. I saw Arisato-san playing it. If I do encounter a situation where I feel that I need to calm myself, I might like to try playing it in order to do so. Do you know how I could go about this?"

She holds a finger to her chin in thought. "... Come to think of it, while I was not initially 'unsettled', I did feel relatively calmer from spending time with him and simply watching him play it."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
"That would be especially important given your composition," he supposes, which is ''dangerously'' close to calling a girl heavy but she's a robot she probably doesn't mind. "That is good, then. Mother would know more of the advantages; she, as far as I know, modeled some of the movement systems you and the others used. So I suppose you run like her."

A shame! "Yes," Reiya says. "But that's all right; I would... oppose, not being allowed to help. So there's no need to consider yourself any more or less than one of the team. ...I'm more confident with you with us, though."

Familiar... Hmm. "That's a good idea," he thinks.

"There are multiple ways; you can get the original console it was made for somewhat cheaply, and it has been remade for more recent consoles over time. There's currently a version you can play on a cellphone, or on a recent console that I happen to own... I could lend it to you, if you wished."

But hmmm.

"He's like that," Reiya thinks. "He's a very calming influence. I think you're not the only one who has that experience."

Though...

He seems important to Aigis, for some reason. Him and Minako both.

Well, Reiya doesn't get it, and what he's saying is still true. "I consider him a friend, myself."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
"Every bit counts, as they say. As does every nibble and byte." Aigis smiles expectantly at Reiya. Did -- did she just make a joke?

"Perhaps there is somewhere I can find out more on ninjas." She pauses to regard Reiya, then nods. "If I happen across any insight on your mother's motivations that you were previously unaware of, I will let you know."

Aigis nods at being told she's not any more or less part of the team. "I am likewise more confident with SEES, as well. I have been accustomed to solo missions, but I have already seen the benefits of working within a team."

She grows pensive for a moment as she turns her attention to the planters again. "... Palladion seems ill-suited for solo situations, in fact. She is a symbol of protection, but what good is that with no one else around to extend said protection to? No, she is a force multiplier."

Aigis listens to the various ways she could play it. Minato played it on his laptop, which Reiya hadn't listed. Maybe it was a remake for computers? Reiya offers to lend it, and Aigis calmly smiles back at him. "I would like to borrow it, yes. I will be sure to return it as soon as I am able. We could talk about it after I have completed it."

Minato has a calming influence on others, but ... the dynamic might be different in Aigis' case. "Is that so? I see."

She closes her eyes and smiles relaxedly. "Him and his sister both seem like they easily make friends. I am glad to hear this."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
Every bit. And nibble. And--It takes Reiya a moment but he quirks a smile and laughs softly. "I see," he says. "You're good at humor, too. I almost missed it."

"Most of the information on our ways is fictional, of course, but some of it is real. Udonto for instance is an anime that ascribes us mystical powers... but so far as I know, any ninja with such abilities is a Persona-user like myself."

"Thank you." For letting him know.

He doesn't answer immediately when Aigis seems to have more to say. And so she does. "I see. Yes, that is a good tactical assessment. I'm also accustomed to solo missions, but my Persona's stealth abilities are suited to it, as are my own." He pauses. "...But I prefer to fight with the group. They're very reliable."

Minato must have been EMULATING on the laptop, but Reiya does not know of this crime. "Excellent. Then when we return to the common areas, I will fetch it. I'll have to give it to you there; I'm not allowed on the girls' side of the dorms."

Just like all the boys. Even Minato!

"Yes," he agrees. "They do. It's quite notable about them both. I think we are lucky to have them as our field leaders."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
"There is a sizable amount of such jokes located within my knowledge stores." Aigis stares flatly ahead. The amount of disk space used ... it's unconscionable. "I am unsure of what the purpose of this is."

"Udonto ... I see." Aigis inclines her head to the side. "While it may be fictonal, is it a cultural touchstone, all the same? Perhaps I could watch it in order to have something to talk about with people."

"Stealth abilities ... that may explain why I still thought you were in your room downstairs. Your skill must be impressive if you managed to elude even my sensors." She seems pleased at this, glad to have Reiya on her side.

Aigis smiles as Reiya agrees to lend Drake Adventure to her. "Thank you! Girls are, however, allowed on the boys' side of the dorms, correct? Could I not accompany you?" Well ... maybe technically so, but there may be some other implications that Aigis doesn't quite understand yet. Either that or she just got away with it earlier.

Her smile flickers, fading only momentarily as she considers just ''why'' the Arisato siblings may make such good field leaders. "Yes. We are lucky."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
"I see. Perhaps they are meant to give you something to initiate conversation?" he wonders. "Minato-kun might enjoy them."

That is definitely not why.

"True," he says. "You may as well. It's entertaining. And not all of it is ''completely'' off-base, for the past."

Stealth! "That may be," Reiya says. "I am pleased that my skill is sufficient for that." 'Thank you', in other words. "I will scout ahead on missions where necessary."

But girls are allowed on the boys' side of the dorm... "I think Takeba-san would consider that a breach in propriety," Reiya reflects. "At least, if we were to go alone. While you may not be human, you are still a 'girl'."

But that flicker-fade... Hmm. There's definitely something...

"Yes. Now, shall we? I'll go fetch the game."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
"The thought had occurred to me ..." Aigis grows wide-eyed with interest at the prospect of Minato possibly liking the pun database. "He might? I may have to give them a closer look, then. Hmm ..."

More about Udonto. "I see! Perhaps we could watch some of it while we're in the common area."

Aigis smiles as Reiya mentions he will scout ahead where necessary. "Even so, at least when you do that, you are not truly solo. You are retrieving information for the rest of us to utilize."

A breach in propriety? "I do not quite understand why she would ... but I will try to comply. I may have to ask for a more in-depth explanation behind her rationale." After that, Aigis gives Reiya a bright smile. "Speaking of, Takeba-san and Minato-san seem close, do they not?"

Aigis bows towards Reiya and gestures to the door back downstairs. "We shall. I will follow close behind. Before I start it for myself, I did want to ask what you liked about it."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
Puns! Maybe Minato likes them. Maybe he will learn to like them.

"That would be good," Reiya says.

"True," he says. "And I've been asked not to stray too far, in any case. It worries the Navigators."

"Yes, that would be best," Reiya says, because he does not want to be the one to explain boys and girls to the Aigis. For Takeba and Minato though... "Yes," he agrees. "They do. It is... nice." He'd like to see Yukari happier, anyway. Even if that's a low bar...

But Reiya starts along. He considers. "I like the creative spell names," he starts with. "And the story. I've kept up with the series, in fact..."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Maybe even Aigis will learn to like them! (Don't count on it.)

Reiya going too far would worry the Navigators. Aigis nods at this. "I imagine it would. I've found Kawase-san's abilities to be helpful on multiple occasions. She has prevented me from taking less-than-optimal actions against several adversaries now. First in the Palace, then when we found Amada-san ..."

She lowers her gaze and briefly stops walking. "I hope that he will be okay." She regains her composure in short order and continues following Reiya.

Right, the explanation was meant to be 'sometime,' not necessarily now. She does beam at Reiya as she's glad to hear that Reiya agrees about it being nice, though!

"The creative spell names? Like Defendestrate, or Anneyehilate?" That's what she saw in the spell menu when Minato played, at least. "So it is a series, like I thought. You mentioned a dragon and a princess, but which one has a daughter-hero and an underworld..?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
Reiya stops what he was about to mention, and instead considers what Aigis mentions. "They're very helpful," he agrees, but Ken...

"I heard about what happened," he said. "I was out at the time, but..." He nods. "I also hope so. ...He's been through an ordeal."

But Reiya won't dwell; he will see to Ken when he can. Instead...

"Yes," he answers. "I think that they're funny and memorable." A dragon and a princess...

"That's the third entry. It's set many years before the first two, in a different world. It's notable in part because the player can select a boy or a girl for their Hero, rather than only a boy as is usual. The daughter-hero thus stands out."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis nods. "I suppose he does know of my true nature now. Perhaps we will be able to talk more openly, rather than avoid each other. In any case ..."

So Minato was playing the third one. She smiles up at Reiya. "I see. I suppose I will see more for myself when I play."

Minato had mentioned something about being able to experiment and the importance of immersion ... Aigis reasons that maybe the choice of gender better lets someone see themself represented in the game. Either that, or it gives them an opportunity to experience something they normally wouldn't. There seems to be no optimal choice.

Still, she's talking to Reiya right now. As they continue down the stairs, she asks, "Which entry is your favorite? And if it's not the first or third, what is its story like?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
"That would be good."

"Yes. There's much to discover in this series. I think it will be an interesting experience for you."

A robot playing video games! Well, that's neat.

Reiya would agree with Aigis's reasoning, but as it happens, she asks him a question. So as they move down the stairs, he considers it.

"I like many of them for different purposes," he says. "But I think my favorite is..."

He will deliver a clear, firm answer!! and them elaborate on the story, before he breaks off to get the game console.

But it is a mystery to the audience...
</poem>

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