2025-07-10: Grim Tidings
- Log: Grim Tidings
- Cast: Umie Akabane, Tatsuya Suou, Shinjiro Aragaki, Remi Ryuuja, Shinobu Shimizu
- Where: Mementos - Path of Qimranut
- OOC Date: July 10, 2025
- IC Date: June 07, 2012
- Summary: It starts with an 'innocent' rumor: say 'Mementos' five times in a mirror without stopping, and something will happen. Turns out, the rumor is true.
MONAD: A party led by Umie Akabane has begun the event Mementos - Enter the Metaverse!.
(|================= Monad - Mementos - Enter the Metaverse! ==================|)
-==== Round 1: Crush Hour - Challenge Level 1 =================================-
| Approach Options: Guts or Proficiency |
| Conditions: Clumsy - Proficiency Down L1 and Scary - Guts Down L1 |
-==== Challenge ===============================================================-
How did you get here? Was it through a mysterious app on your smartphone? Was it
testing the Mementos Rumor in a bathroom mirror? Or perhaps you simply had the
daring to pull a trigger in a train station.
Whatever the case may be, you're here now.
A sickening nausea in the pit of your stomach, as you see sinew and ichor
festooning signs that make no sense, turnstiles that mark the way down
escalators to the station below.
There's a train pulled in right now, and as several listless looking human
shadows step inside, the door slams shut, before pulling away at blinding speed,
vanishing into the devouring darkness ahead.
Persona Users who have been here may have been forewarned as to what will happen
next, as the moment the train pulls away
... the escalators are flooded with Shadows descending down to the platform, a
whole mob of them. You only have seconds to expertly navigate the throng- before
you are trampled underfoot, or crushed against the platform walls by them.
Of course, you could always do something more daring to let them know to give
you a wide berth. They're Shadows of people
Do you field the risk of harming them?
(|============================================================= Monad 1.0 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
crapcrapcrapcrap
Umie knew as soon as soon as she tried the rumor, she was in trouble. The spike of dread she felt on saying 'Mementos' on the third time didn't stop her; it _challenged_ her.
'Afraid of a silly children's game, are we? This isn't Sumaru. What's the worst that can happen?' _Thanks a lot, Mai-chan_.
Even if her supernatural senses hadn't immediatedly yelled at her that she's now in a supernatural space, the surroundings make it *extremely* clear.
The shadows(?) here don't seem to act like anything she's encountered before, and, dressed in her usual casual gear, Umie doesn't have access to her weapon.
But she has something else, at least.
The form of Badb appears over Umie's head as the ground beneath her feet glows, attempting to part the mob of shadows(?) just enough to keep the short woman from being bowled over by the sheer mass of... people? What are these? In the heat of battle(?), she can't even tell if there's anyone nearby.
At least she changed out of her work uniform before she tried this stunt.
MONAD: Umie Akabane has acted with Bird's Eye View toward Crush Hour! Automap!
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Suou has posed.
Damnit.
Just what does she think she's doing? The Mementos rumour was clearly dangerous, goading people to lure them into spaces that they shouldn't be; it's not any different than the Joker Killer rumour or any of the other myriad haphazard, lethal rumours, as far as Tatsuya Suou is considered.
It didn't take long for him to recite the five words -- the curling sensation in his stomach was nothing compared to what he'd been through. He didn't know about this rumour from the Other Side. What--
There's a mass of Shadows descending down an escalator into a platform. A supernatural space, no doubt about it. Just what the hell is going on? This isn't anything like he'd ever seen before. What had changed this time to make this the way it is? The Shadows are inexorable, however, and he has to do something--
He witnesses Umie's Persona, Badb, rise not far away, and he propels himself into action.
"Begone!"
Tatsuya starts to confidently stride towards Umie, a rich-red humanoid Persona rising from the depths of his soul. Apollo casts a spell that he'd become very, very used to using, sweeping the area with one gesture of a hand--
And the Shadows start to shy away from him, cognitively understanding who is Master here, for he is more powerful.
Estoma.
"You shouldn't have done that," Tatsuya sounds angry at Umie, taking hold of her wrist if she allows to start shoving through with the bubble Estoma has provided them. "Let's get out of here."
MONAD: Tatsuya Suou has acted with Endgame toward Crush Hour! Specialty!
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
A FEW MINUTES AGO:
Shinjiro Aragaki stepped into a bathroom, carrying his usual weapon. Someone was washing his hands nearby. He knew the rumors, so...
"Get the fuck out of here."
The man turned to Shinjiro, a confused salaryman, before looking him over carefully. ...he has an axe. The man then grabbed a towel, wiped his hands, and made it out as fast as possible.
"Mementos. Mementos. Mementos. Mementos. Mementos."
Five times, right? Does this work?
NOW:
Shinjiro is coming up towards Umie when Tatsuya pushes his way forward, is rude to her, and then tries to get her to let him pull her through the sphere. His own action to work on the Shadows that aren't held back by the Estoma is...
"MOVE! You hear me? Move or get cut!" he calls out, brandishing his axe. No sign of an Evoker on him, for the curious.
And then, he pushes up to Tatsuya and Umie. "Tch, you have a problem with her? She's clearly got the power, let her make her own choices."
SHINJIRO ARAGAKI HAS JOINED YOUR PARTY!
HE WILL NOW GROUCH AT YOU.
MONAD: Shinjiro Aragaki has acted with Intimidation toward Crush Hour! Specialty!
<Pose Tracker> Remi Ryuuja has posed.
A new mission--investigate this so-called 'Mementos'. Apparently some kind of supernatural space? Only one she wasn't quite familiar with yet. Had the dare been a thing three and a half years ago? She couldn't quite remember--she'd been focused on different things, even if she'd tried to keep up with the rumors going around.
But apparently, word had gotten out that it could be accessed via Evoker, and that meant someone higher up the chain had taken an interest, which meant she now had to take an interest. Which suited Remi just fine, really. The more she learned, the better for her.
One seemingly ordinary woman in a long black trenchcoat had walked casually into a restroom at the train station, taken a stall, and a moment later...
A woman in an all black form-fitting bodysuit, with a black fencing mask covering her head appears, a heavy revolver held to her head. She quickly shoves it into a holster on her right thigh. She's wearing a small black backpack on her back, a rapier on her left hip, and a black sheath on the small of her back.
She's silent as she looks around, taking in the situation. Then--the mass of Shadows come pouring down the stairs. She reacts, a hand going quickly to the weapon on her hip, but she pauses-- No, the intent of these Shadows is different somehow. And starting a fight with so many would be... reckless.
So instead she just stares them down as she slowly walks foward. You can't see the stare, of course, through the mask, but it's still evident in her posture and body language. It's a dare--run into her, and then see what happens.
MONAD: Remi Ryuuja has acted with Unflinching Stare toward Crush Hour! Focus and Patra!
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Mementos. The mysterious rail line one encounters if they repeat its name five times in a mirror... Shinobu is familiar with the rumor. She's done it a few times, herself. She doesn't know the full breadth of it... but from what she understands, no one does, yet. Only that it's useful - and dangerous.
And so... Shinobu stands in front of a mirror in a bathroom. She's alone here. She doesn't mind if anyone sees her do it - she just doesn't want anyone to get dragged in with her.
"...Mementos." Shinobu concludes, finishing the final repetition - and the moment the word leaves her lips, the area around her shifts and changes. And then, once her vision settles once more...
...Here she is, Mementos, in its unsettling red and black. She can feel the oppressive atmosphere fall over her, but she shakes her head, trying to shake it off.
This is normal, everything's as she expected -
- but what she doesn't expect are that there are people here already. Aragaki she recognizes from his general attitude, but she doesn't recognize the rest... though some might recognize her as the 'Pika-san' who unmasked herself at the late-night Skill Card sale at the Cardboard Dragon.
A boy she doesn't know is trying to get a girl out of here, and Aragaki is saying that she can do what she wants... and a masked woman is staring down the Shadows. She knows that posture - that's the posture of someone who knows what they're doing.
"...This place is pretty dangerous. She can do what she wants, sure, but that doesn't mean anyone should be reckless." Shinobu says. She turns her attention toward the Shadows then... and then stops, tossing her head to the side.
"Move it, losers, out of the way!" She demands. Might as well help clear the path.
MONAD: Shinobu Shimizu has acted with Former Delinquent toward Crush Hour! Efficient and Bravery! <Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
"This shouldn't be happening outside of Sumaru City," Umie says, dumbfounded, as her former tutee confidently strides *right* into her little spot of safety.
Wait, is *this* the thing Tatsuya was talking about when they last met?
Oh hi, Shinjiro. "Aragaki-s--" Oh wait. He's not supposed to know who she is. Sure, the persona might tip him off, but is this really any time to be recongizing anybody from anything?
Remi employs the same tactic as Shinjiro, and is equally as impression in how the shadows of people maneuver away from them, rather than run her (at least, Umie is assuming it's her) over.
Shinobu, likewise, is from that night, though while Umie knows her, Shinobu will, hopefully, not know her back. "... Shimizu-san?"
Ah, what a web of deception Umie has woven, and it's already tripped her.
".... So, all of you know this is not a rumor," Umie states, as they get to a platform away from the flow of 'traffic'. "Where is 'here'? This isn't the green extra hour space, and it's not a supernatural zone, so what is it?" 'Green extra hour space'. "... .... ah, so that's why it's called the Dark Hour. Huh." She makes a face, like she just put two and two together.
(|================= Monad - Mementos - Enter the Metaverse! ==================|)
-==== Round 2: Manic Pixie Dream Horde!? - Challenge Level 1 ==================-
| Approach Options: Charm or Guts |
| Conditions: Annoying - Charm Down L2, Clumsy - Proficiency Down L1, and |
| Scary - Guts Down L1 |
-==== Challenge ===============================================================-
A plodding bulbous behemoth bursts out of the dark, the eyeholes of various
masks glittering. And upon striking you-!
It unravels, as if so many shadows were stitched together, the masks each
forming several distinct Shadows, they're-! They're!
A horde of pixies. As the violence begins, it's not too long before-
"Hey whoa! We surrender!"
"Do you feel big, bullying poor helpless little girls?"
Poor helpless little girls with access to Zio, that is.
"Why don't you just let us go, 'kay? We pretend this didn't even happen."
Hey wait a second, they attacked you! Should you really let them off that easy?
Maybe you want information, or a reward-
But you're gonna have to negotiate for that.
(|============================================================= Monad 1.0 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Suou has posed.
Tatsuya's eyes widen the moment he hears an intensely familiar voice yell out to MOVE behind him. He whips his head around -- there he is. Shinjiro Aragaki. He instantly question what he's doing with Umie, and there's a deep-set frown on his face as he speaks without... familiarity.
That's right. He hasn't met him before, here. ... he's just a ghost, here. No one anyone should be concerned with.
Try as he might, though, he can't hide the intensely sorrowful look that he casts Shinjiro for a brief moment -- before he looks away and lets go of Umie. "You didn't even bring a weapon with you, did you? We should focus on finding an exit."
Several more people have arrived -- Tatsuya isn't familiar with the masked woman with the rapier. Masks, however, isn't something that he's ever comfortable around. No, it's just a coincidence. Surely Remi isn't a member of the Masked Circle... or are they? The Phantom Thieves of Hearts certainly sound far too much like the Masked Circle to be coincidence. Their 'Change of Heart' may as well be absorbing the Ideal Energy from them...
No, don't get distracted.
Shinobu snaps him out of his reverie, telling them that the place is dangerous. Hmmm. He's also not familiar with this one, but she seems pretty confident in her skills. It'll be easier to move as a group. Tatsuya spares one last look at Shinjiro, before skulking forward in one direction that he hopes will be an exit.
It isn't long before an enormous behemoth lumbers out of the dark, and Tatsuya swiftly -- perhaps too swiftly -- unravels that shinai bag, which has an Actual-Ass Katana inside. There's a mark on it, like a family crest. It's Chief Todoroki's gift...
The youth doesn't even hesitate for a moment, savagely tearing into the beast before-- the beast unravels! Into a horde of Pixies! And it's not too long before--
"Hey whoa! We surrender!"
"Do you feel big, bullying poor helpless little girls!"
Tatsuya looks really unimpressed by this.
"Why don't you just let us go, 'kay? We pretend this didn't even happen."
"I don't have time for this..." Tatsuya grouses, threatening to raise his sword again. Perhaps the more charitable and charming folk in the group have something better than a blade point?
MONAD: Tatsuya Suou has acted with Guts toward Manic Pixie Dream Horde!?! Base!
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Shinjiro is cast a sorrowful look... the only thing he can process is that Tatsuya feels bad about bullying Umie! "Tch, whatever," he ends up saying, as he glances to Umie. "Do I know you somewhere?"
He doesn't know Remi at all. "This isn't fencing class," he says, before turning to Shinobu with a "Yeah, but at least she can decide if she wants to explore it."
And then, the PIXIES SHOW UP.
Shinjiro steps towards a Pixie, backing them towards a wall, before-
He slaps a hand on the wall. He doesn't even realize what he's doing entirely, but...
"Are you sure you have the *real* power here?"
He's hoping this scares them off. Hopefully, that's all it does.
MONAD: Shinjiro Aragaki has acted with Lone Wolf Method toward Manic Pixie Dream Horde!?! Amrita!
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
The crowd of Shadows parts. They're free to move on, now, but before that...
"Fair enough." Shinobu relies to Shinjiro with a shrug. Umie, then, says her name. Shinobu looks her way.
"That's me." She confirms. "Do I know you?"
...Wait a second. That voice, that Persona... She frowns, considering her for a second longer.
"Should I know you?" She asks, extending a possible out.
...Her words trip her up a little, though.
'This is not a rumor', she states.
"...That's complicated." Shinobu replies. "But this is Mementos. Think of it like a nest of Shadows taking the form of a subway station."
...And that's about all the information she has on the topic. There's a lot of mysteries that she - or anyone else, even - hasn't even begun to scratch the surface of.
The decision is made, it seems, to move as a group. Shinobu accepts that readily enough - so with a nod, she falls in with everyone as the proceed.
...And it isn't long before they come across the aforementioned Shadows. Shinobu unslings the duffel bag from her shoulder, drawing out the staff from within.
"Here they are." She says. She joins in the fight. The Shadow unravels into a horde of Pixies... and it isn't long before they speak up, asking for surrender.
...Shinobu doesn't fully trust it. She's watchful. Still...
"Alright. But first..." Shinobu starts. She's distracted, briefly, as Shinjiro towers over a Pixie. ...A part of her wonders if he knows. It's difficult to keep a straight face, even for her - so instead, she looks toward a less occupied pixie.
"...So, I heard from your friend Pixie," A different Pixie, obviously. "That you're cool. If that's true, think you could give us some directions?"
MONAD: Shinobu Shimizu has acted with I Know A Guy toward Manic Pixie Dream Horde!?! Specialty!
<Pose Tracker> Remi Ryuuja has posed.
Umie isn't the only one here weaving a web of deception... but she's got different stakes at play here than just having her identity revealed.
Luckily, her just going at it on her own does end up with her winding up with the rest of the group. This figure stands about 5'6" tall. But really, she could be anybody. "Presumably 'here' is 'Mementos,'" she says, crossing her arms. Not a supernatural space. "Isn't it?" She looks very pointedly at the summoned Personas that are here, and then to the Shadows. Whatever charm or whimsy her voice had the night before--not that she showed her face there, either--it's completely gone now.
She can't offer any comfort to Tatsuya, this particular woman appears to just be a very ominous fencer, dressed in all black... but one can regard that how they will.
Shinjiro comments on fencing class, and the figure tilts her head towards him. "Shouldn't you be in school?" she asks, pointedly.
But she deigns to walk with the group, and when the Pixies appear, Tatsuya isn't the only one who charges headlong into battle. There's barely a hesitation as Remi draws her sword in a flash, and overtakes the enemy with a burst of speed. She doesn't even summon her Persona.
She casts a glance aside to Tatsuya as the battle concludes, regarding him silently. That skill with the katana... hmm.
But she looks startled as the pixies begin to talk, her head snapping towards them. "Wha--" There's a surprised utterance that is the only brief break there's been in this woman's composure so far.
She studies them for a long moment, and then sheathes her rapier, stepping towards a Pixie to... kneel in front of it? Her voice, which was grim before, suddenly turns honeyed. "You were quite a challenge, Pixie." (They weren't.) "Your knowledge of this place must be as great as your skill. Would you kindly share with us some of what you know?"
MONAD: Remi Ryuuja has acted with Flattery toward Manic Pixie Dream Horde!?! Friendliness and Efficient!
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
How terrible. One person who claims to know Tatsuya, and another who Tatsuya actually knows... but he doesn't know back. As close as she is, Umie catches that sorrowful emotion on Tatsuya's face.
She's not sure what to think of it. "... I didn't think it'd work," she half-lies then, raising her shoulders in a nonchalant shrug. "Who brings a weapon into the bathroom with them just to test a rumor?"
Shinjiro and Shinobu both echo a similar 'do I know you' statement. With Umie's earlier 'test' proving successful, she should feel grateful, since it means her identity is, for the most part, still intact. The fact that _Tatsuya_ also didn't recognize her when they first met has made this a hollow victory.
Umie sighs, her head hanging down slightly. "We'll save the introductions for later," she says, dancing around the question altogether. See, that young woman in the Fencing Mask? She clearly knew what she was doing when she got in here. Umie will have to take notes...
After Tatsuya Deals With The Problem with his _katana_, Umie grimaces as she sees it's a bunch of pixies underneath.
You. Do. Not. Mess. With. _Pixies_.
She sighs. "Alright then. It's not so different, is it?" She wasn't *entirely* caught unawares, but this would still be a lie.
It's just that she refuses to let her hands sit idle. String, origami paper, it's all from the same reason. Shinobu and Remi have the same idea as her, it seems.
"A token of our appreciation," Umie says, after digging in her pockets. It's a tiny origami bird, done in a brilliant silver paper. "I've been trying to make them in different sizes," she coaxes, "so I hope this isn't too small for all of you."
MONAD: Umie Akabane has acted with String Theory toward Manic Pixie Dream Horde!?! Focus and Find!
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Suou has posed.
Shinjiro isolates a Pixie and gives her the Kabedon of her dreams. Shinjiro can basically see the Pixie he's singled out blobmelt in realtime into a simmering Shinji-simp, and even Marin Karin isn't going to generate hearts as intense as the ones coming out of her. "I--I guess not, sweetie! Do you want my Life Stone?"
he other Pixies are like, "Hey! Be a hot mess on your own time! We need backup!" before another one is singled out and Shinobu tells her... she's cool! Other Pixies have been gossiping about her and the verdict is in: Pixie is Cool!
"Whoa... really? I thought the other Pixies thought I was a loser," the Pixie ruminates. "Maybe one day I'll graduate to being a High-Pixie, even...!"
Your dreams can, indeed, come true.
Tatsuya does patiently listen, however. Shinobu has the most experience with this space -- a 'nest of Shadows, taking the form of a subway station'. Isn't this entirely too familiar to T...
No, again, don't get distracted. Remi cuts in on the action and the Pixie surrenders in fast fashion, but... whoa! Then Remi kneels in front of the Pixie and tells her she was a challenge!
"W-whoa. Uhum... khm. Okay... if you want to go up to the shallower floors, it's that way," Pixie points out. "I'm gonna tell Oberon and Titania I was a challenge!"
Just like high school, eh?
Tatsuya still, to this point, does not know Umie's identity. Perhaps that's still going to be a good thing? He still doesn't know at what points the seam that holds 'This Side' will hold together. Umie offers a little gift, in turn, to the Pixie that gives them intel --
"Whoa! Wowww... we're gonna go fly on it together now!" They all zip off, imagining that the tiny origami bird will be big enough for them to sail on. Well... in the cognitive world, weirder things can happen than an extremely tiny origami bird lifting you across a very tiny space.
"Mgh..." Tatsuya sounds somewhat strained as he sheathes his katana, and continues to walk, intent on being the vanguard. This place feels intensely wrong. It feels inverted. Like something else had happened as a result of his sin...
(|================= Monad - Mementos - Enter the Metaverse! ==================|)
-==== Round 3: Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark - Challenge Level 2 ==========-
| Approach Options: Academics or Guts |
| Conditions: Annoying - Charm Down L2, Curse - -1 to Group Roll (Per |
| Character), Stupor - Academics Down L1, and Terrifying - Guts Down L2 |
-==== Challenge ===============================================================-
It's very dark on this floor.
Too dark.
Before long, one hears the heart pounding sound of chains rattling in the dark.
RUN!
You must run, your resonance tells you that if you don't, something awful will
happen.
Find your way down, or back up - or else.
Do you try to figure out where to go quickly based on where you've already been,
or do you charge blindly ahead into the dark, in the hopes of making it out of
here alive.
(|============================================================= Monad 1.0 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Some of the Pixies are intimidated - but others are convinced to offer information. ...Or very charmed.
"I see. ...Thanks. Good luck with that." Shinobu says, offering the Pixie a farewell with a nod. She looks toward Remi. She's not just a fighter, she has a way with words, too... Shinobu takes note of that, though also her brief surprise.
She looks toward Tatsuya, then, hearing his strain.
"...You alright?" She asks. This place is exhausting, even for people who are familiar with it. Soon enough, they start forward. The Pixies directed them toward the shallower floors, so that way they go.
...Though as they ascend the stairs, they come to a floor covered in complete darkness. Shinobu feels a chill run up her spine.
"Lachesis." Shinobu calls out. There's a brief flash of blue light, indicative of a called Persona - though even that is nearly swallowed by the darkness, making it difficult to perceive the form of Shinobu's other self. "Kouha."
A light spell. Lachesis raises her spell. A bolt of light is formed at the tip of her staff... and through concentration, held there, to provide a light source as they continue to make their way through the floor.
It's dim, in this darkness. But it's better than nothing... especially when, a moment later, they hear the rattling of chains in the darkness. Shinobu feels her breath caught in her throat. For a moment, she freezes in place.
She can feel it, a primal fear deep within her being. Her senses scream, warning her of danger.
"Run! Go! Move!" Shinobu practically shouts, though she doubts she needs to tell them that, breaking into a run. There's no telling how far they are from the next floor - but if they try to backtrack now, who knows how long they'll be turned around?
Long enough for the thing in the darkness to catch up to them?
MONAD: Shinobu Shimizu has acted with Former Delinquent toward Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark! Efficient and Bravery!
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
"..."
Shinjiro has no idea how to handle the Pixie misunderstanding, but FOOLISHLY, he takes the Life Stone. Is this... a promise to meet again?
(no)
He instead turns back to the group, no embarassment on his face but a scowl. "Tch. No," he tells Remi. He's DEFINITELY student age.
As they reach the pitch black and hear the rattle, though, Shinjiro calls out as he tries to follow the others. "If it gets too close, just keep running!" There's an unspoken 'I'll deal with it if so' there, not that many could realize that. (Perhaps Tatsuya might?)
For now, he's trying to cut through the darkness with the others, barreling ahead and using his axe to find walls and open spots as a reach tool, and calling the others towards him if he finds the way forawrd.
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Suou has posed.
"I'm fine. It's not tiredness..." Tatsuya answers Shinobu, looking a little more together. Just keep a single-minded approach and don't think about unnecessary things. They step into total darkness, though, and once more, Tatsuya is already instantly on guard.
Tatsuya's about to reach for Pisaca to cast Lightoma before realising--
Shoot. He *doesn't* have the gift of the Wild Card anymore! That's why the Velvet Room looked different! He's trapped with just Apollo! Argh!
Is this another taunt by 'him'? Give him power, but not all of his power, wait until he realises what's different at a pivotal moment?
Shinobu creates a flash of light with Kouha, however, as she summons Lachesis -- Lachesis? Where has he seen that before... no! Don't be distracted. There's something incredibly dangerous here. He's sensed this before. His gut nearly convulses as he hears Shinjiro tells them to keep running, however. The strong sense of deja vu is slamming him up against a wall, and not the hot kabedon kind either. No, this is a reminder of the death of a close friend...
"Follow me," Tatsuya decides to harness some of that leadership that's guided his dearest friends through trouble, Apollo rising in a column of Blue and snapping its fingers to create flame and simultaneously guide through the light of fire -- and also perhaps attract the beast's attention towards him, if needed.
MONAD: Tatsuya Suou has acted with Guts toward Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark! Base!
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
"...." Umie looks at where the origami bird sails away with an incredulous blink. "... I... was not expecting that."
..... And later....
She wasn't expecting something it to be pitch dark down here, either. "..... Can't see a thing..." Umie groans. Still, something crudles in the bottom of her soul. She's never sensed anything like it before.
".... We need to get out of here. As in, yesterday." She hears chains rattle in the distance.
Tatsuya and Shinjiro stand as a barrier, whether unspoken or not, against whatever's beyond.
She forgets herself, for a second. It's almost... inspirational.
"Badb." Umie's experience in getting away shouldn't be let to go to waste here. She's gotten out of similar situations before! The blue light summons the grey-clad figure of the Badb, looking not too disimilar to the Reaper, if it gets even close to be looked at.
".... I still can't see shit," Umie says, in a naked admittance of her inconpentance, but she adds, "you might have some luck... yeah. Shinjiro, check nearby. It might lead us further down, but I think we'll be just fine taking the longer route."
It's coincidence, if this works. Or, her Badb nature just might lead them that much closer to death.
MONAD: Umie Akabane has acted with Bird's Eye View toward Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark! Automap!
<Pose Tracker> Remi Ryuuja has posed.
Remi glances to Umie as she asks who would bring a weapon into a bathroom. She's got three, if you count them closely enough. (Though one of them's not a weapon per se...)
Remi watches a Shadow blobmelt out of the corner of her eyes. What in the world...? That might be the strangest thing she's seen yet. Then again, she tried flattering one, on a whim.
"Up to the shallower levels... thank you, Pixie." Telling Oberon and Titania. "... You do that."
Remi has a way with words... though she hasn't attempted to quote Shakespeare yet. (There is a temptation to, however, as the Fairies mention Oberon and Titania.)
Shinjiro says 'no', and Remi just looks at him flatly from behind her mask. "Suit yourself."
But the area they reach is dark. Shifnobu summons her Persona to call out light... but Remi isn't about to rely on someone else's Persona. With a smooth, well-practiced motion she pops open the cover on her hip holster, withdraws a rather heavy looking recolver, and...
Puts it to her head!?!?!?
This act might be familiar to one person in particular here. If it can be made out in the gloom.
But there's barely a flinch or a hesitation as she says "Persona" and pulls the trigger.
Shattering glass. And blue flame that resolves into the shape of an androgynous figure in a red straightjacket. Without prompting, La Maupin gestures with their sword, and a bright flame appears. An Agi spell, to light the way.
She sheathes the gun just as quickly, following along with the others. But from the darkness... Remi pauses, turning back to scrutinize the dark. Is the thinking about fighting it!?
Whether she thinks about it or not, she turns and starts running too. Can't stare down something you can't see, after all.
MONAD: Remi Ryuuja has acted with Guts toward Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark! Base! MONAD: Shinjiro Aragaki has acted with Guts toward Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark! Base!
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
"Alright." Shinobu replies with a nod, as Tatsuya explains that it isn't tiredness. If he doesn't need a rest, then they can keep going -
And they need to keep going now, as the ominous sound of rattling chains pursues them.
"Yes." Shinobu agrees with Umie. Yesterday at the latest.
Several of them produce light, in some fashion, through their Personas, and those who don't have other methods of finding their way around. Tatsuya says to follow him and, right now, there's no time to really second guess it - so Shinobu does. Shinjiro barrels forward, too, to find walls and open spots with his axe.
Just keep running. At this point, that's the only thing they can do. The thing chasing them is beyond them, right now.
The sound gets closer, closer, closer, they finally see stares, they ascend them -
- and leave the darkness behind. The sense of being hunted recedes... though there's always that prickle of fear in the back of one's mind, warning that it could happen again.
Shinobu shuts her eyes, trying to shake it off.
"...Everyone alright? Everyone still here and accounted for?" She asks, glancing back at the others to take a headcount.
(|================= Monad - Mementos - Enter the Metaverse! ==================|)
-==== Round 4: IS THAT THE GRIM REAPERRRRRR? - Challenge Level 4 ==============-
| Approach Options: Proficiency or Guts |
| Conditions: Curse - -1 to Group Roll (Per Character), Ineptitude - |
| Proficiency Down L2, Reaper - Add 1 Fatigue., Stupor - Academics Down L1, |
| Terrifying - Guts Down L2, and Terrifying - Guts Down L2 |
-==== Challenge ===============================================================-
Despite your best efforts, it caught up to you. And now you see it. An enormous
figure, towering, chains encircling its torso in a continuous orbiting
ouroboros, its face hidden by a hooded mask, each hand sporting a long-barreled
revolver of antique make.
IS THAT THE GRIM REAPER!?
Yes, yes it is.
Survive. It's recommended that you try to escape as soon as possible, though it
will do your best to prevent that.
OOC Note: There are no circumstances under which the party defeats the Reaper at
this time. Success is represented by running and surviving the encounter.
(|============================================================= Monad 1.0 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
As the group approaches out of the darkness, there is light. The next corridor is ahead----
It catches up to them.
An enormous figure, towering, chains encircling its torso in a continuous orbiting ouroboros, its face hidden by a hooded mask, each hand sporting a long-barreled revolver of antique make.
The Reaper.
"Shit! SHIT! Run! I'll catch up!"
Shinjiro has heard rumors, but he's never seen it before... a monster that tears apart those who aren't careful. He swings his axe as a glancing blow as they run past, slowing down to give the others time to escape faster.
If they die, it's a tragedy. if he dies...
The attack does zero damage!
It's a statistic.
A chain slips out, entangling his foot loosely. He's slowed down just enough to turn back his head...
A gun is pointed directly to his face. Tatsuya's closest, but if someone doesn't help Shinjiro *right now*, he's a goner.
MONAD: Shinjiro Aragaki has acted with Lone Wolf Method toward IS THAT THE GRIM REAPERRRRRR?! Amrita!
<Pose Tracker> Remi Ryuuja has posed.
They escape... whatever it was. Remi comes to a stop once they reach... well, whatever relative level of safety they've reached, compared to before. "I'm fine," she says, and she barely sounds bothered.
Except... they haven't gotten away. She whips around again as the figure of the Grim Repaer approaches. "Is that..." Shere's a tone of mild surprise to her voice.
But not quite fear. There should probably be more fear there.
But Shinjiro is tripped--and Remi and her La Maupin both speed into action. La Maupin attacks with a rapier from one side, while Remi simultanouesly attacks from the other. They're both fast, and they both move without Remi calling out any commands.
"Get him up and run!" she demands, in between attacks as she and her Persona circle around to take another swing.
They're just trying to buy enough time for Shnijiro to break free, and then they'll take off running too.
MONAD: Remi Ryuuja has acted with Dramatis Persona toward IS THAT THE GRIM REAPERRRRRR?! Diligence and Focus!
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Suou has posed.
Despite his earlier protests, Tatsuya is feeling a measure of fatigue. He's careful to not show it, however, lest the others become concerned. "Yes," Tatsuya answers Shinobu gently. Remi's persona does catch his eye in the dark -- it's not one that he's seen before in the 'Other Side' as he recalls... so whoever is under the mask is also likely not someone he's intimately run into before. Not one of the Masked Circle.
It doesn't mean Remi isn't dangerous, still, but...
"Trust in your resonance-senses," is Tatsuya's quiet advice when Umie says she can't see shit. "That was how you picked me out of the crowd before, right?"
But they didn't quite escape the darkness as well as they thought. The beast in the dark did catch up to them, and Shinjiro's the first one to urge them to run. Just as he's about to move, however, he hears the telltale horror noise of the chains, and the click of a revolver--
He's going to die.
Shinjiro's going to die... he's going to die! This was supposed to be the kind world where Maya-nee didn't die, and the others lived beautiful lives where the horrific things that happened to them never did...!! The world that he wasn't supposed to be part of... but Shinjiro has a place here!
Shinjiro thinks he's a statistic.
He isn't a statistic! This was supposed to
be the kind world that was kinder to him... he can't die in an even more dismal, meaningless way than in the 'Other Side'...
He can't die for a ghost like him.
And so. It's beyond time for subtleties.
In a singular, ENORMOUS burst of power, Apollo erupts in a powerful column of Blue once more, and then--
Time... stops.
Tick. Tick. Tick. In the blink of an eye, Apollo has disappeared behind the enormous towering figure, shrouded in cloaks and a perpetual ouroboros of chains. In both of his palms, Apollo has twinned infant stars, indefatigably bright and unrestrainedly Nuclear in its wake.
Tatsuya sprints forward at this point and throws both his arms underneath Shinjiro's shoulders and forcefully lifts him up with supernatural, Persona-endowed strength and hauls them out of the way of the revolver.
And thus... time resumes.
There's a BLUR of motion, but in an instant, Shinjiro is suddenly not where he is anymore -- he and Tatsuya are somewhat sprawled along Mementos grounds, as if just having experienced the end of a sudden lunging motion.
And then Nova Kaiser happens, as Apollo DUNKS the Birth of a Microscopic Star with unrestrained, unrelenting power into the Reaper.
MONAD: Tatsuya Suou has acted with Endgame toward IS THAT THE GRIM REAPERRRRRR?! Specialty!
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
'Trust in your resonance-senses. That was how you picked me out of the crowd before, right?' Umie mutely nods.
She's supposed to be the senpai here. So why does Tatsuya already know this much? Did this all happen in the space of... what, it could've only been a year, at the most. Umie would've known otherwise.
Remi is embracing death, rather than face whatever lies beyond. Umie's slightly cynical manner is broken completely, as her eyes widen. "Wait!"
What... that was... she summoned her persona?! _How_?!
The shock of it is barely slipping off, when, at the next area, Shinobu asks that question.
Huh. Umie tilts her head. Well, if Tatsuya says to trust it, then... ".... No, it's following us."
Death comes to all, one day.
It feels like an illustration come to life; there's no mistaking what this is meant to resemble. "... Is that a... grim _reaper_...?"
Shinjiro follows his battle logic like he did the first time Umie met him and Shinobu.
She can't... do anything, can she?
'This wouldn't be the first time you've had a hand in someone's death. What's another? All that matters is survival.'
That burst of resonance; she's felt it before. No, it wasn't illusion when it happened before, it was... ah.
"Keep your eyes on that thing!" Umie shouts, as she coordinates with Remi's side, standing back with a blast of:
Not Dark. Nooooo nonono. _Water_.
".... Huh. The skill cards work," Umie comments.
This is far from being enough, but. All that matters is survival.
MONAD: Umie Akabane has acted with Can you do this? toward IS THAT THE GRIM REAPERRRRRR?! Specialty!
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
They leave the darkness - but the darkness does not leave them. That feeling of overwhelming fear suddenly intensifies as the Reaper emerges from the dark, with Umie's comment that it's still following them as their only warning.
"Shit." Shinobu exhales through gritted teeth. Her body is wracked with the opposing instincts to run and to freeze in place - she grips her staff tightly and starts to run, but the Reaper is quicker than any of them. A chain lashes out, grabbing Shinjiro. Shinobu's eyes open wide.
"Aragaki!" Shinobu calls out, and grits her teeth. "Lachesis!"
The Moirai Sister moves forward. The ball of light that had lit their path before is hurled toward the Reaper, right before driving her measuring rod right toward the Reaper's mask even as Remi and her Persona move into action, and Umie blasts it with water -
And then, Shinobu feels a burst of power blazing across her resonance. One moment Shinjiro is there, and the next - he's gone, and he and Tatsuya are on the ground a distance away with Apollo bringing fury down upon the Reaper.
"He's away! Let's run!" Shinobu shouts.
MONAD: Shinobu Shimizu has acted with Esoteric Skillset toward IS THAT THE GRIM REAPERRRRRR?! Patra and Focus! <Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Shinjiro is a dead man. Until he isn't.
First, Remi draws attention of one of the revolvers, striking with blade and Persona along at the Reaper. It turns its gun on her and is prepared to shoot, when-
Shinjiro's gone.
He's in a heap on the floor, rescued by one Tatsuya Suou, and is slowly rising as the others make their attack.
The water blast hits, but Reaper seems unamused, until it provides an opening for it to get stunned by a bash to the mask from Shinobu.
And then, Nova Kaiser.
The fury of the sun blasts into Reaper, causing it to skid even further back, aim thrown off. It needs a moment from the *sheer damage* done in one attack.
The good news: The Reaper is stunned long enough for Shinjiro and Tatsuya to rise, and the others to regroup away.
The bad news: The group got no loot, because the Reaper is still at large, undefeated. Better hope it doesn't return...
They still haven't found an exit, but the moment they have breathing room, Shinjiro stops against a wall. "Everyone okay? We'll proceed out of here when ready."
He uses his Life Stone to recover the Morale Damage done. Thanks, Pixie.
(|================= Monad - Mementos - Enter the Metaverse! ==================|)
-==== Round 5: Get Off My Cognitive Lawn! - Challenge Level 2 =================-
| Approach Options: Understanding or Proficiency |
| Conditions: Boss - Add 1 Fatigue on failure., Clumsy - Proficiency Down L1, |
| Hard - Understanding Down L1, Ineptitude - Proficiency Down L2, and |
| Terrifying - Guts Down L2 |
-==== Challenge ===============================================================-
Tracks twist and contort into impossible angles and then the ground suddenly
sinks beneath all of you - you fall! Fall through the floor, and fall into a
portal pulsing with crimson distortion.
Inside, there's the Shadow of a middle aged man, his feet swirling with dark
distortion, a cavern, isolated off - with veins sliding along the walls, until
they all vanish into a crack behind him.
"Looks like my setup caught some intruders. Hey punks, you think you can just
waltz in here and do what you want? A man's home is his castle. You don't step
foot here without my say so."
Stepping forward, the entire cavern begins to rumble, before his form shifts and
twists, into a tall canine like figure, wielding a long metal club.
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/megamitensei/images/f/fb/00118_Kobold.png/revi
sion/latest?cb=20220808104352
"I'll teach you kids a lesson you'll NEVER FORGET!"
You could try to deescalate the situation by being understanding of his
position, but it might be pretty difficult at this point. Or you could just
fight him.
OOC Note: This is not a target known to the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, and thus
would not have a calling card sent to him at this time. Killing him is possible,
if you're that persuasion of character, otherwise you'll have to subdue him. You
could also try to run!
(|============================================================= Monad 1.0 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Remi Ryuuja has posed.
Remi is plenty dangerous. But no, this Persona would not have appeared on The Other Side... at least, not in its current form.
Trust in your Resonance senses. Remi doesn't have the skills of a Navigator but she has had a lot of practice with her senses, regardless. There is a rather large explosion of Resonance all of a sudden. Large enough to make both Remi and La Maupin stop in their tracks, for just a moment.
And suddenly everything's changed. Shinjiro is just gone, and suddenly Apollo is right there. "What the--!?" A rare moment of shock from her. But the danger is clear.
La Maupin gestures with her rapier, and a burst of wind explodes around Remi's, Umie's, and Shinobu's feet, before circling upwards to enwrap them in its buff. Masukukaja, offering better evasion through boosted speed. "Move" is all she says before she takes off running to escape Nova Kaiser.
Umie is surprised by Remi's method of summoning a Persona--but Remi's not about to offer explanations while the danger still lurks... and not even then, most likely.
But she is winded as she regroups with the others, panting a little for breath. But she's looking sidelong at Tatsuya. She doesn't say anything, but she has a lot of questions.
"... We should find the exit quickly," she suggests, instead, and starts moving forward.
And then the ground opens up beneath all of them, sending them through a portal... Remi lands nimbly on her feet, and then turns to stare at the Shadow.
A middle-aged man, who tells them they can't set foot in here without his say-so.
And then promptly turns into a giant monster. "So you talk as well..." Remi muses to herself. When he screams he'll teach them a lesson, Remi just raises her rapier in tandem with La Maupin's. "... I think not." Persona and User both take off, flanking this new opponent.
MONAD: Remi Ryuuja has acted with Dramatis Persona toward Get Off My Cognitive Lawn!! Diligence and Focus!
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Suou has posed.
Tatsuya also does slump against that wall, this time actually unable to mask the fatigue and exhaustion that has actually stumped right up against his nerves and senses. Utilising that much power at once is something he doesn't really want to do -- it always hits like a truck right after. "Yeah," he still tries to play it off as cool, but it's not cool. The power of Sukukaja does help, however, lightening his body and making the exhaustion feel more feeble.
He can feel Remi's eyes on him, even underneath that black fencing mask. There's questions there. It's tipping his hand too much at once, as well. There's so many shadows here, not even Shadows... and even benign shadows can see that power and be reminded of what they shouldn't. Once he sees shadows in things, there's no stopping it -- everything casts a shadow, after all.
Don't look into the shadows. Look into the light.
They walk for a while -- and then suddenly fall into a trap, and there's a grimace as Tatsuya realises there's nothing he can do about it. They've fallen into a portal with a crimson distortion... what are the rules in this place? Tatsuya watches the middle-aged man, distorted from the bottom up, isolated...
This is just a normal denizen of the world. But he's manifested here as a dark mirror, so much so that he can transform into a-- Demon? An Archetype?
He doesn't have a lot of power left. This is a bad situation. He only has one extremely salient point of warning here, raising his voice to be clear:
"Don't kill him. This is this man's Shadow. If you kill him, you'll cause a..." A pause. Shoot. He shouldn't spell it out so plainly. He's already said too much. He should just not care what happens to this man... should he? The leaked information could send powerful consequences that he didn't intend and cause even more grave consequences.
"It'll be bad. This guy will die in real life. Just try to take it easy, no matter how much he pisses you off."
Tatsuya's already shown too many cards -- already positioned himself as someone who knows more than he should. This is bad for staying anonymous. Umie's only going to be more curious and be more relentless in her pursuit. That's only going to make it harder to stay separate and not risk more things unravelling... urghhh...
He can hear 'his' laughter, even though there's no laughter.
MONAD: Tatsuya Suou has acted with Proficiency toward Get Off My Cognitive Lawn!! Base!
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
As the group proceeds forward, Shinjiro is still hefting his axe, as damaged as it is from hitting the reaper. When they see the Shadow, though...
Didn't Strega post something about this?
"Yeah, listen to him. Let's get the fuck out of here... taking a life is a weight you can't lift."
He pointedly doesn't help the flank, instead, turning to the group, especially Tatsuya.
"...I owe you, I guess. If I ever have access to a kitchen, I'll cook something for you."
Wait. is this kid *homeless*? Based off his patched clothes and same exact outfit every time they meet him... probably.
As he moves to try and guide the others to escape the Shadow, only attacking in self-defense, he continues.
"I'll make tonkatsu. It takes some effort, but..."
He trails off, as he looks for the exit. Hopefully, they can survive.
Now he's thinking about food. Shit. This is the wrong place for that.
MONAD: Shinjiro Aragaki has acted with Cooking Talk toward Get Off My Cognitive Lawn!! Diligence and Focus!
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
A burst of wind explodes around Shinobu's feet. Speed-enhancing - she can tell instinctively. She doesn't waste time with a vocal confirmation. She nods and she keeps running.
...And eventually, they regroup. She's a little out of breath, herself. She looks up at Shinjiro, nodding.
"Y-yeah. Still good. You?" Shinobu replies, offering a half-hearted thumbs-up. He's still alive, at least. That's the important thing. It takes her just a little longer - but once everyone's ready, she moves forward with them. Her heart still pounds in her chest. She's not sure it'll stop for a while. She nods toward Remi. Finding the exit sounds really good, right now.
...But as they continue, the ground gives way beneath their feet. It sinks... and then they fall through a pulsing red portal.
Shinobu lands on her feet - though not quite with Remi's grace. She straightens up, looking into the face of...
...A middle-aged man.
Shinobu groans.
"I do not care about your damn castle, old man. We're just looking for the way out of here - so move it, and we'll be out of your hair before you know it." Shinobu retorts. ...But he isn't interested in talking. He transforms, into a canine-like figure wielding a club. Shinobu clicks her tongue. "...Damn, alright. Guess we're doing this."
She readies her staff, preparing to strike - but Tatsuya's words stop her. This is his Shadow. A real person's Shadow. She might not like his attitude... but that doesn't mean she'd be alright if she ended up killing him, either. Shinjiro echoes the sentiment.
"...Alright. Thanks for the warning. Distract him for a second." Shinobu backs up and then she breaks into a run, readying her staff. But at the last second -
- rather than strike out at the old man, she plants the staff in the ground. Like a pole vault, she uses it to propel herself over the Kobold.
"I'll take you up on that." Shinobu replies to Shinjiro. She turns in mid-air, landing on the other side of the Kobold - then takes her staff up in both hands, swinging it toward the back of the Shadow's knees in an attempt to knock his legs out from under him and give them a chance to escape.
MONAD: Shinobu Shimizu has acted with Esoteric Skillset toward Get Off My Cognitive Lawn!! Patra and Focus!
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
As others take note, Umie finally seems to notice Tatsuya's lagging. What did she say, whenever he was lagging in his studies? It didn't help that she was learning how to be actually helpful, rather than fool someone until thinking she was a perfectly normal person. While absolutely calling him that nickname.
"Hey... Takkun." Umie made sure to make that greeting at a lower volume, at least. She looks aside. "You... came in after me, didn't you?" She breathes in, rocks on her heels once, and sighs. "... I was the one trying to keep you in the dark. Back when I tutored you, even. Now, you're the one teaching me. I'm not sure how or why it's happened, but. Thank you. We'll get through this, okay?"
She won't tell him everything, but she'll tell him that much.
Later, as the ground distorts, Umie immediately flinches backwards, nimble as a cat, but her feet fail to find purchase on anything solid. She hops again, just that much more agile thanks to Remi's earlier buff, but it's not enough.
This is likely a trap.
'Inside', a man confronts them, and transforms...
"..." A person... turned into a demon? Umie freezes, her eyes wide.
'Who died and made him king?'
"... Who died and made you king?"
A smirk erupts across Umie's face as she recovers semi-instantly with that singsong retort, almost ready to summon her persona.
"...!?" She stops, looking at Tatsuya. She nods.
Right. Charm them, then.
Badb's grimly smiling self beckons the transformed demon with curling fingers; it's an attempt to charm the being, but if it goes wrong, well, it'll still hopefully distract him.
MONAD: Umie Akabane has acted with Can you do this? toward Get Off My Cognitive Lawn!! Specialty!
(|================= Monad - Mementos - Enter the Metaverse! ==================|)
-==== Round 6: Want To See My Stamp Collection? - Challenge Level 1 ===========-
| Approach Options: None |
| Conditions: Revelation - The best result. |
-==== Challenge ===============================================================-
On your way out, a cherubic young boy(?), at least he looks kind of like a boy
with some artificial features, greets all of you. "Hey Mister! Hey Miss! I've
been following your progress down here, and I've got to say, I'm pretty
impressed."
Beaming he suggests, "Maybe we can be of help to each other in the future."
>You've made contact with An Unusual Child!
>You learn about Jose's services!
Jose tells you about collecting his stamps, which will make Mementos more
lucrative in the future for people who take advantage of it.
Down here, you need all the friends you can get.
OOC Note: If you've received this card before, then Jose will instead take the
Stamps you've collected, and strike one of Mementos Pressure points with a
Cartoon mallet to make things more lucrative. If you'd like to ask Jose
questions, then please submit a request to staff! Note, he will not directly
answer any questions on where he came from.
(|============================================================= Monad 1.0 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Remi Ryuuja has posed.
It's okay, Tatsuya. You're not the only one to show off a card or two today. Though... yours certainly have had a certain magnitude to them, haven't they?
Remi and La Maupin attack in tandem, one darting in while the other retreats to keep the Shdow off balance. But there is a pause, as Tatsuya calls out that if they kill this Shadow... and Shinjiro backs up that claim. Remi glances between the two and then gives a short nod. "Very well."
She's not out here to kill a man. Not today.
But Shinobu asks for a distraction, and Remi nods. She can do that. So she and La Maupin continue to harry the man while Shinobu vaults up, over, and then goes for a classic: swinging at the back of the knees.
The Shadow roars as the harrying stings of two rapiers annoy him, and then a whack to the legs brings him to his knees. But he's distracted, then, when Umie does her best to Charm him. His eyes go out of focus for a moment as sht charm takes hold... and Remi nods to Shinobu. 'Let's go' is the silent message.
Remi hears Shinjiro's offer to make food, and realizes she has, a day later, fallen into Myunghon's trap.
She can't eat food with this mask on, but to take it off... curses.
Either way, they're all able to make their way out, away from the Shadow... when they're stopped by a young boy. Remi draws up short, staring at him with a look one might consider... confusion. Maybe? With the mask it's hard to tell, but she doesn't seem to say anything. "... You don't feel like a shadow..." she mutters eventually.
"You've been following us?" There's surprise in her voice. She didn't detect him. But she does listen to what he has to offer. "I see... I may have some questions for you." But she looks to the others, first, to see how they react.
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Suou has posed.
Tatsuya blinks once, before -- before looking back to Shinjiro, as he offers to make him some tonkatsu. He knew Shinjiro was homeless, often is -- sometimes, people offer him charity and clemency, but it's difficult for him, to get close... he didn't understand it fully before on the 'Other Side'.
But now? As the ghost he is? He's sure that he knows Shinjiro better than possibly anyone else outside his personal circle of friends he met on the 'Other Side' now.
And to that end...
"... it's fine, don't mention it," Tatsuya has to rebuff him. That same intense sorrow is there. The words of someone who shouldn't make promises, because they won't be here for long. Keep him at arms' length. From one dead man to another...
"Please make Shimizu-san an extra-delicious tonkatsu instead, Aragaki-san."
Umie, however, correctly identifies that he came in after her. That frown attempts to creep back onto his face, but he's too tired to really make a real go at glaring daggers again. She makes good on a promise to get through it together, but...
"Please... don't get involved," Tatsuya once more rebuffs her, his face excruciated. "This isn't something we can 'get through together'. This is a sin that I have to atone for. You can tell that to my brother too."
... that's saying far too much, in earshot of everyone here. That black-masked fencer is definitely one to keep an eye out for... but they were pretty stable and steadfast in this tear through Mementos. Still, as he's showing, he has reason to keep allies away, let alone potential enemies.
This moment is somewhat undercut -- or perhaps SUPERCUT! -- by a weird boy with an eggshell-shaped haircut who's all about dem Stamps. Tatsuya accepts a stamp. Wow, it makes Mementos more lucrative, the more you visit it, the more you take advantage?
Sounds like a SUPER deal for an Ultra Hustler. Who knew Mementos could be such a lucrative side-hustle? It's not at all like this place is an embodiment of the rat race or anything... the underground cognitive monument of capital...
Sadly, Tatsuya is not an Ultra Hustler. He's a teenage mutant who comes out of manholes and doesn't have pennies for a Peace Burger, let alone pizza. And with that, he disappears into the exit.
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
"TCH!"
As they finish the mission, Shinjiro steps past Tatsuya. It seems like he'll let it go...
"Don't give me that crap. You think you're some hotshot who can deal with everything himself? That's a lonely, miserable life."
A pause, as he knows this is probably hypocritical, even if none of them will know him.
"I told you I'm making you that tonkatsu, so that's that. I don't let favors go unpaid. Whatever you're facing..."
He trails off. He doesn't know this guy, and it's *definitely* hypocritical.
But, as he leaves, he doesn't like being shown up in this way, especially when he's paying back a favor. Holding on to those... in a year, it'll be bad for the soul.
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Through teamwork, the Kobold is toppled, and an opening is made.
"Don't mess with anyone else." Shinobu shoots back as she breaks into a run. They make their way out of the distorted zone he called his castle... and soon enough, the entrance is in sight. Shinobu glances toward Tatsuya as he rejects Shinjiro's offer, and as asks Umie not to get involved.
...Whoever he is, he's got a lot going on. And that power... He's definitely wrapped up in something big - but he doesn't seem like the type to say anything even if she asked. Still, she smirks just a little as Shinjiro rects that.
But they aren't alone here! There's an unusual boy.
"Uh... this is a pretty dangerous place, kiddo, are you sure you should be here?" Shinobu asks. ...But it seems like he might know more about Mementos than even they do. Shinobu massages the back of her neck.
"...Well, that's my job, I guess. I'll help you out where I can. Name's Shimizu." She introduces herself. It never hurts to know more people - even strange, mysterious children you meet in the subway from hell.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
Again, Umie wonders if this is what it feels like, to be at the other end. Then again, she... just avoided any time she sensed a moving person during the Dark Hour.
She waves a hand. "... Sorry, but I already am, whether you're involved or not. I have my goals too. With luck... you may not even realize it's me." Pause. "... This was... a hiccup."
Instantly, she feels bad, for saying just that. They all put their lives in danger, for each other. "... Well, that is..."
Awkward pause? Jose to the rescue!
Looking over her shoulder at Shinjiro, she smirks. "I'm going to see what sorts of deals this guy can get me. Not sure what he is, but... I do like a good bargain."