2025-07-17: Gearing Up
- Log: 2025-07-17: Gearing Up
- Cast: Shizuka Kuroki, Yukari Takeba, Ririka Kawase
- Where: Paulownia Mall
- OOC Date: July 17, 2025
- IC Date: June 15, 2012
- Summary: With tensions running high after the briefing on the Fuuka operation, Shizuka, Yukari, and Ririka head to the mall the afternoon before the trek into Tartarus to prepare themselves.
<Pose Tracker> Shizuka Kuroki has posed.
In just a few hours, SEES would begin their mission into Tartarus to rescue Fuuka Yamagishi. Tensions are naturally high, both on the success of the operation and between the members of SEES themselves. Shizuka could have only imagined what the atmosphere in 2-F had been like during the school day, considering Yukari's outburst towards Minato during their briefing the night before.
However, what was important right now was the operation, and any operation requires sufficient preparation, which is why Shizuka had come right to the Paulownia Mall after school. Alongside the Aohige Pharmacy providing invaluable first aid items, Officer Kurosawa at the police station usually had some decent protective gear on call just for SEES. She really didn't know how that was possible, but she supposed the power of the Kirijo Group was more than a mere mortal like herself could ken.
"I could probably use some new knives if he's got some..."
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
"Well you can't just say that." Yukari says to Shizuka as if scandalized, "What if someone thought you were planning to stab someone? You've gotta be... you know, more... discreet."
Yukari has a shopping bag from Aohige already, though it has more than just items she intends to use for healing in it.
"Here let me handle it."
Opening the door to the police station, she heads up to the front desk and the far too serious expression of Officer Kurosawa.
"Hello Officer, we're here to... you know, 'browse'." The man looks at Yukari long and hard and-
"Never say that again. What would people think if they heard?"
Yukari's face goes a touch red, as she accidentally caused an outcome almost as embarrassing, "Aha, I guess they'd think you're running some kind of-"
"Maybe don't finish that sentence."
Cut off, her reply is much softer, "... Right."
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Yanagi had an outburst towards Minato, true--but she'd also had some choice words for Ririka, too, who'd naturally had some of her own to toss back. That might stand out, as Ririka normally tries to be nice and polite most of the time.
She'd gotten upset at Minato for going because he was asked, and upset at Ririka (and Suzume) for volunteering. As far as Ririka could tell, it seemed a bit contradictory. It was true she hadn't used an Evoker yet, but... she couldn't let herself stand by, while someone needed help, either.
She's yawning, though, as she walks beside Shizuka. "Why'd it have to be so noisy last night?" she half-whines quietly. "It kept me up the whole hour."
The Dark Hour was not particularly more or less noisy than it was any other night.
She glances to Shizuka, her expression pensive. "Can... we rally trust a cop...?" she asks quietly. Sure, the Kirijo Group has resources and pull, but... she's not starting off with the most positive opinion, apparently.
She's got her own bag, and her backpack. She looks over to Yukari, still not sure how to act around her. The go to speak to the officer and... Ririka opts to say silent and let Yukari handle the talking.
Which is off to a great start. Quietly, the fingertips of Ririka's free hand tap rhythmically at her thigh.
<Pose Tracker> Shizuka Kuroki has posed.
Shizuka definitely still felt a bit tense around Yukari, but had gotten pretty good at hiding her uneasiness in general. She chuckles and pats Ririka on the shoulder. "I get the hesitation, but Kurosawa's not too bad once you get to know him. Not much of a conversationalist, though." She follows Yukari into the station, leaning an elbow on the desk and smirks at Yukari.
"Well, you can't just say that."
Playing with fire? Absolutely. Could she help herself? Absolutely not.
"We're just looking for some items we lost. Has anyone turned anything in lately~?" She turns to Kurosawa and asks in, what she at least thinks, is a more down-low manner.
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
Yukari doesn't answer on the idea of whether they can trust a cop, or not. Instead embarrassed on the spot, as Shizuka drags her for her words earlier.
"Yeah I earned that one..." She says, with a groan, as Officer Kurosawa looks at Shizuka.
"Sure kid. Come in the back and give me a full description."
And as he opens the counter's door to let them back, he lowers his voice subtly to Shizuka.
"Also maybe don't look so smug about it." He indicates, "People who have really lost something of value aren't nearly so happy."
He does eye Ririka in that moment, considering her, "Someone new joining you today." He indicates, "I guess that means you're going to need a little more attention."
Yukari actually nudges Ririka lightly, "Go on. It'll be okay."
Once securely in the back - door closed - with packed shelves of evidence and supplies, he asks Ririka, "You're not anyone I wrote a citation to for illegally skateboarding past curfew, right?"
Eyeing her critically, he seems to let that suspicion go, "Well, the past's the past. What do you need to fight? Got all kinds of armor and weapons here."
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Ririka looks at Shizuka uncertainly as her arm is pat. "I mean, even if he's okay..." She glances to the side, then mumbles to herself, "Maybe if it's Tatsumi's it's better..."
She's mostly staying quiet. And she's even tired, so she might look a little sad and distracted, which is the opposite of looking smug. She does freeze a little as Kurosawa turns his attention on her, standing up straighter. (Which says a lot, as she's 5'10". Someone new. "Yes, I'm... new."
Extra attention? Ririka blinks. "Um..."
She looks to Yukari, as her eblow is bumped, and actually relaxes a little from the support. She nods, just a little. "Thanks, Takeba-san."
She pales a bit as citations are brought up. There aren't any, but to be identified that easily... "N-no, sir!" She lets out a shakey breath as he dismisses that line of thought.
She looks around at what's on offer, a bit perplexed. She looks to Yukari and Shizuka. "Uh... so what do you usually get...?"
<Pose Tracker> Shizuka Kuroki has posed.
Shizuka looks around the evidence shelves, getting up on her tippy toes for a few of them. "Oh, there's usually some confiscated weapons here, some protective gear. People are always causing trouble and getting caught. Probably shouldn't get anything too heavy-duty right now, though. Stealth is key tonight!"
She picks up a pair of butterfly knives and turns them over in her hands, getting a feel for the weight. They were a bit heavier than her dad's carving knives, but that might be a bit of a benefit. "Just take a look and see if anything catches your eye."
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
Yukari just sorta nods at Ririka, encouragingly. Kurosawa however gives Ririka a dubious look, before letting it go. "Must have been some other girl."
As Ririka asks what they usually get, and Shizuka answers, Yukari keeps on answering. "Well, you'll need some better protection than clothing. Usually something light enough to wear under your clothes."
Before she realizes an important detail, "Don't worry if it doesn't cover everything, it'll still protect you anyway... I'm not sure exactly why it works like that, just that it does."
Kurosawa grunts, as he slides over a box full of confiscated body armor, of various shapes and sizes. "They say the more expensive it is, the better. I'm not sure why that is, but it works out as I'm not running a charity here... I gotta put it in logs to the city that we were fairly compensated for these forfeitures."
He then eyes Shizuka, "Careful with that, and don't let me catch you with it in public. I cover enough for you kids as is."
Yukari smiles awkwardly, "Yeahhhh... Thanks for helping by the way. I know it's putting your neck on the line too." Kurosawa nods at her, "It is, but that's preferable to a city that's overrun by... you know what, don't even tell me. It's better that I not know."
"You're right about that." Yukari agrees, before she looks towards Ririka, "I guess it's, whatever weapon fits you. For me I picked a bow and arrow... heh, I guess that's not really so surprising though, being in the archery club and all..."
Kurosawa gestures towards her, "Got some new bows in too. We had some dumb tourists come in last month thinking that they'd get around the firearms laws that way... hunting like that."
"Oh nice!" She says as she steps forward, "I mean... not the poaching and all, but at least I can put it to good use."
"My thoughts exactly."
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Ririka's been trying to be careful about her skateboarding. Especially since last summer. "Must've been..." she says and immediately hopes for a change of topic.
"But isn't the stuff that gets confiscated evidence...?" Ririka asks Shizuka quietly, while glancing sidelong at Kurosawa. Maybe in front of the officer illegally selling them weapons isn't the person to ask that in front of. "... Nevermind," she mumbles. "Nothing too heavy, got it."
She looks to Yukari and nods. "Under the clothes... okay." Makes sense her skateboarding pads wouldn't cut it. (Not that she's about to say that out loud...)
But Yukari has more widom, about coverage. "Really...? Huh." Kurosawa oprovides body armor, and Ririka looks hesitant to touch it initially. "This gets reported as a forfeiture?" She frowns a little in thought. Does that make it more above board or less? She's honestly not sure.
Eventually the practical reality of the night wins out, and she starts to sift through the body armor, looking for something that might actually fit her. A pretty... tall order, considering her height.
"Oh, yes, um." Ririka bows briefly after Yukari offers thanks. "Thank you for your assistance..."
She's still picking at body armor as the topic of weapons comes up. "I've never really used a weapon." She pauses a moment, and a sadder note enters her voice. "I used to watch niichan do kendo, though..."
<Pose Tracker> Shizuka Kuroki has posed.
"Won't be a problem, sir!" She smiles and closes the knives, walking over to the box of armor. "Not really gonna be keeping them in public anyway."
She sifts through the box, looking item after item over. "Hnn, they're all so big." Which made sense, considering the usual type of person who would have such gear to confiscate. At the bottom, she finds a chainmail vest, pulling it out and holding it up to herself. "Yeah, this'll do!"
Shizuka looks over to Ririka and shrugs. "Can't go wrong with a sword, then. There's so many confiscated here you'd think it was the Meiji period."
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
"Was evidence." Kurosawa clarifies, as if he fully heard Ririka despite her attempt at quiet, "Now that they've been prosecuted - it's a forfeiture. In other countries, they'd be auctioned off locally. Here on the Japanese mainland, we have to ship it to foreign companies to pawn them off for us. That's costly... so really, you're doing the city a favor by cutting out the middle man."
Still, it is definitely illegal. There's no way it's not, after all the weapons themselves are illegal to possess without very strict regulation.
As Ririka asks more questions though, he looks her way, scrutinizing, then deciding to explain more. "Look kid, I understand how this looks. And no - it's not legal. If you've got a problem with that, I get it, because I still question every day whether I should be doing this."
Despite that big preamble, he's quick to continue to speak more onto his motives.
"The law can't account for everything though. There are monsters running around in this city, and I realize I'm not someone who can do anything about it. So, do I just let people get killed? The way I see it... I'm taking responsibility towards my duty to protect people in the only way I can."
He gives Shizuka a sharp look, "That's what I like to hear." Before rattling off a price tag on the Chainmail vest.
When Ririka thanks him... "Thank me by doing whatever you kids do. Now... Kendo..." That gets him thinking, as he moves behind the shelves, and slowly hauls out a stack of...
Katanas!
Wakizashi!
Tachi!
Even one enormous Odachi!
"... Well. Here's what I've got." Before he glances towards Shizuka to clarify, "Nothing of historical value though. It's mostly replicas from enthusiasts who thought they were slick by ordering from a blacksmith online."
A beat.
"Dumb punks. Either way, their loss is your gain."
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
She looks to Shizuka, blinking. "Chainmail...? Did someone really get arrested with that...?" But she returns her attention to Kurosawa as he explains. Not evidence anymore, he clarifies. "So they were going to be sold anyway... That's good to know."
Okay, still totally illegal, but at least she's not, you know, actively disrupting the administration of justice. But Ririka at least seems a little less tense now. Still plenty concerned, though.
But who wouldn't be, with what they were facing later?
But she does hear Kurosawa out as he explains his stance. Ririka really seems to consider that for a long moment, her expression turning thoughtful. "So you see this as part of your duty..."
She looks down as she considers that, then nods, first slowly, and then with more conviction. "... Okay." She takes a deep breath. "Then I'll try to do my part, too."
She's distracted by the body armor by the arrival of swords, though. "Oh!" She sets her bag down on the floor, then reaches out to geingerly pick up a katana. She takes it in both hands, feels the weight of it, and then takes a step back away from everyone else. "I think I remember..."
Deep breath, and then slowly, at very slow speed and very mindful of everyone and everything else present, she tries to replicate a few, slow slashes she remembered her brother doing. "... The balance is different from his shinai," she murmurs quietly as she keeps testing the weight.
Eventually she tightens her grip on the hilt, then stands upright. "I'll take it," she says firmly.
<Pose Tracker> Shizuka Kuroki has posed.
"What did I tell you? Kurosawa's a cool guy! And he's right, we're doing a community service!" Shizuka places her knives and chainmail down so they can be "rung up," feeling confident in her choices.
She claps for Ririka as she tests the blade. "There ya go, Rika-chan! Now you got it! We'll get you busting Shadows in no time!" She still keeps her distance, though.
She turns over to Kurosawa with another smile. "So, what's the damage come to, officer?" She pulls out her wallet, counting up the bills inside. This was never cheap, but it was worth it.
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
"That's all that I ask." He says of Ririka doing their duty, after all.. he's taking quite a risk, but he understands it. This is his role as an adult, to support the kids in doing what needs to be done.
His response to Shizuka though, is a simple, "Hmmph. Just don't think that flattery will get you any more special privileges."
He picks up a clipboard, checking through the logs and...
"45,750 yen... minus the discount for what you're saving us in shipping costs." He says as he 'rings up Shizuka'.
Yukari winces, "Yikes. At those prices... well, guess I'll have to be pretty thrifty for a while."
Yukari heard Ririka say 'Nii-chan' though, and she watches her as she picks up the blade... easing it into her hands, and testing it's weight out.
Maybe it'd be easy for her to get jealous, but she heard that sadness as she said it. She knows what it likely means...
... but she's not the type to ask on it. "Well, I think it suits you pretty well." She says instead, as if she understands the role of sentimentality in moments like these.
"That's the difference between bamboo and real steel." Officer Kurosawa says, brusquely, to it being different from a Shinai.
Yukari eventually selects a metallic recurve, and- "Hmm, this one. Think I'll wait on any new armor... I'm pretty good where I'm at right now."
Kurosawa nods, and totals it up to, "20,390 yen." Which Yukari counts out, one bill at a time, then empties some change with a sigh. "Worth it. Definitely worth it."
Kurosawa though looks at Ririka and after appraising her, "Tell you what kid, since it's your first time. Take a discount: 5,355. I'll foot the bill for the rest of it from my check."
"Oh man, lucky. I definitely didn't get a first time discount."
"Can't imagine why." Officer Kurosawa says brusquely, as Yukari withers a little.
<Pose Tracker> Shizuka Kuroki has posed.
Shizuka sucks air in through her teeth at the damage and simply pulls everything out of her wallet. "I'm not even gonna bother counting... Guess I'm gonna be a starving artist." She sighs dramatically as she plunks the bills down.
"Hopefully Dad feels a little generous after his gallery opening next week." She tucks her now-empty wallet into her bag, tucking the chainmail and knives all the way in the bottom.
"Well, Yuka-chan already got our pharmacy needs handled, anything else you two can think we gotta knock out before it's showtime?"
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
"Calling it a community service might be a bit much, but as long as it doesn't hurt anything..." Aside from, you know, putting them at immense physical risk, but sshhh. She is careful with that katana, though, lowering it as soon as she's done figuring out the weight. "Thanks, Kuroki-senpai."
Yukari's suspicions are, likely, very correct. Ririka looks over to Yukari though, with some surprise at the compliment. "... you really think so...?" Okay, so she still can't get a good read on Yukari, but... she appreciates the sentiment, regardless. "Thank you," she says softly. Far too softly for someone holding a katana.
Bamboo and steel. Ririka nods. "I understand. I'll handle it with care." But she looks surprised at the offer of a discount. "Oh! Thank you very much, but I really don't want to put you out... I still need to get some armor, too."
She gingerly sets the katana down on a countertop and and pulls out something simple and sets it with the katana. "This too, please."
She looks to Shizuka. "Gallery opening? Where at?" But then she shrugs a little at the question of supplies. "I don't know."
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
"Don't mention it." Yukari says casually, as they're thanked. At this point, she realizes there's nothing she can do to change anyone's minds.
Maybe they have their own reasons for being here, just like her. She's not so sure about that, but... there's nothing else she can do.
"Wasn't even eighty years ago that we were sending kids your age to war. It's not me wishing for those times again, just understanding this is where we're at... back then it was a convenient excuse for the adults to use kids like you to fight their battles."
Kurosawa ruminates on the matter, "Times really haven't changed all that much. Maybe how I could fight these battles is just another thing I 'don't wanna know'."
Here is a man at least who has thought on the matter long and hard of what he's doing here. Is there really nothing he could do, to prevent kids being sent to do this?
Tabulating the armor in addendum, he nods, "Let's go for 11,000 for the lot." And after making the transactions, "... Be safe out there."
Shizuka asks about other needs as they step out, "Not really, I guess we can always go sit down at Chagall for a while. It's not like we don't have a few hours before we have to head back."
She cants her head to the side, "Then again there's always some window shopping... I did see the cutest ensemble that would fit you Kawase-chan."
As she pauses and second guesses that.
"Yeah maybe we'd better not, right now the temptation to go further than just 'window shop' might extend my diet a lot longer than I'd like..."
The conversation on the gallery, she lets Shizuka answer that rather than weighing in.
<Pose Tracker> Shizuka Kuroki has posed.
"Yeah, it'd just be sitting down for me... can't even afford a cup of coffee..." She playfully wipes fake tears from her eyes. Please feel bad for her.
She straightens up as Ririka asks about her dad. "Yeah, my dad's got a small collection going on display at a museum in Osaka. When they go well, he gives me some extra allowance. He's pretty excited about this one, too. Hasn't had too much stuff on display outside Tokyo, and it's his first big showing since the whole Madarame thing. Dad never liked him to begin with, so he's been relishing the fall from grace."
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Sorry, Yukari. Ririka missed her chance to put the genie back in the bottle. If she even really had that chance to begin with. Ririka just gives her a small nod as she says not to mention it.
She does listen, somberly, as Kurosawa ruminates on the past. Sending kids to war... she's seen those shadows. She's had to run away from them, in a frenzied panic. "... I don't know," she says quietly, to his musings.
But she gets the price and nods, taking out her wallet and counting out the money. Then she bows politely. "Thank you very much for offering the discount." She quickly moves to stash everything away, out of sight.
But she's quick to smile, as they step out, and Yukari mentions spotting an outfit. "Really, Takeba-chan? Let's check it out." But budgeting... "... Maybe we could come back another time, then?" she suggests.
She looks to Shizuka. "Well... what if I bought coffee for everyone? Since I did get that discount... and that way I can thank you both for showing me around in this."
She listens, as Shizuka explains. "Oh, that's exciting, I hope it goes well for him!" But Madarame... "Yeah, I still can't believe it..." she says with a frown. "And didn't I hear one of the people involved goes to our school?"
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
"Oh please. You all but said you're just gonna beg your Dad for money." Yukari replies in regards to Shizuka's crocodile tears... seemingly unsympathetic to her lack of funding.
"Huh. Osaka..." Yukari considers the matter in context of Shizuka, before deciding...
"That explains a lot."
She's not gonna bring up Minako at least, even with the two on the rocks at the moment - that's still a secret.
Still, on coming back another time, that's easy enough for her to agree to. Even seem pretty happy about it even. "Yeah sure. It's easy enough to get here on the way home, so why not check it out once we've had some time to recover from this..."
Their health? Nah. Their wallets.
But, on buying coffee? "You sure? Well... I wouldn't exactly turn you down, especially since we're gonna be up late for the operation."
A beat.
"Guess, we'll just owe you one."
The talk of Madarame though, gets a sour look, "Ugh... yeah. I heard about him even before the scandal... Kitagawa-san I think? They say he's pretty handsome... but also a real weirdo. Maybe it's an artist thing?"
And now she looks downright irritated, like it's getting to her thinking about it all over again, "Anyway, I'm glad Madarame's going to prison... I just wish it hadn't converted so much of our school into being part of that whole 'Phandom' thing... it's kinda the worst, seeing it."
Apparently Yukari has opinions on the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.
<Pose Tracker> Shizuka Kuroki has posed.
"You're the best, Rika-chan! Good to see someone is generous around here~" Just gonna keep touching that stove, Kuroki? "Just a quick cup before heading back. Don't want Kirijo-san getting angry at us for being late."
She considers the Phantom Thieves. Just a year or so ago, she would have thought it was some kind of scam, but was changing hearts really all that different from what they did with the Dark Hour and Apathy Syndrome? Plus, she had to admit, it made for excellent drama. Mangaka everywhere must be tripping over themselves to capitalize. She made a note to herself.
"I think people are always just gonna be driven to that kinda stuff, especially high schoolers. These kinda stories have been popular for centuries, after all."
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Easy enough to get to. "It really is, isn't it?" She pauses for a moment. "... I'm still getting used to going to the different dorm..." She nods to Yukari. "Even if they don't have that ensemble anymore, I'm sure we'll find something else," she says hopefully.
Wallet recovery is important...
"I'm sure," she says to Yukari next. "... Yeah, there's that too..." she stiffles a yawn. "Maybe I'd better get a large. I didn't sleep too well last night." She shakes her head. "You don't have to owe me, I'm happy to do it."
"Kitagaw, that was it." Pretty handsome. "Oh, that's nice," she says, entirely politely. "But is he a good artist, though...? I guess he'd have to be..." She nods to Yukari next. "Yeah, how do you think they even did that? That's kind of weird that they could make him confess all of a sudden, after he'd gotten away with it for so long... do you think it's some kind of blackmail?"
Ririka smiles to Shizuka. "Ehheh, well, since I saved the money, I don't know if I'd say generous, exactly..." She pauses as Shizuka mentions Mitsuru. "Yes!" she says a touch too emphatically. "We shouldn't keep her waiting!"
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
She rolls her eyes at the implication that she's not generous from Shizuka, "Please. You think I'm not hurting too? Like I said earlier, my diet has been indefinitely extended. Your loss really - I was thinking of buying you an actually fashionable hat just to show you how generous I can be."
Ririka however indicates they can go back, and she hears the hope there. She doesn't want to lead her on - but at the same time, it's fine.
Things like this are safe.
"We'll figure it out... maybe next week, or better make that two."
Yukari doesn't actually seem 'taken' by him being handsome either, though it's less polite, more just 'having something to say'.
"He is on some kind of art scholarship... so probably, then again his master was some kinda... plagiarist, so... I dunno. It's not like I know enough about art to tell if his student is the real deal."
Ririka though asks how they did it, and Yukari looks her way, reshouldering her purse, and shifting her bags to make them easier to carry.
"I don't know how they do it - but I think it's pretty obvious it's not normal. That whole 'make you confess your sins with your own mouth' part."
Yukari confides quietly, "I think they're doing something supernatural... I'm not sure what... but it bothers me. It's not right to do that kind of thing to normal people... even if they are awful criminals."
She then gives Shizuka a lengthy look, "So yeah even if people are drawn to figures like that, they shouldn't be. Changing people like that against their will... no one should be on board with something like that. Think about what else they could do with it."
...
"Like... even just small things. What if they're using it to get dates even? Eugh... it gives me the creeps just thinking about what else someone who's willing to go this far might do with it..."
<Pose Tracker> Shizuka Kuroki has posed.
"I like my hat!" Shizuka pouts, puffing out a cheek in protest.
"I've seen some of Kitagawa-san's stuff, and I'm pretty sure he's the real thing. I've never actually met him face to face, though. Dad wouldn't like me being exposed to 'peddlers of mass-market pabulum,' but he calls a lot of things that, so..."
She gives a couple nods at Yukari's objections. "I guess I get where you're coming from there. Imagine what Pei-kun could do with that kinda power!" She playfully shudders. "If they really are like that, though, they'll probably end up biting off more than they can chew at some point. Go after someone who knows they're coming and step into some trap. Who knows what resources the kinda guys they target have access to."
Shizuka takes a look at her watch. "Ooh, it's starting to get time. If we're gonna grab our coffee, we should get to it now."
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
There's always something new at the mall, at least. It's fine. "The mall still still be here next week," Ririka agrees.
"An art scholarship would make sense... And even if it's a horrible thing to do, you probably wouldn't want to plagiarize someone who wasn't good, right...?" She makes a face. "Ick. I don't want to think about that. I know I'd hate it if someone tried to steal my music, that'd suck."
"Not normal?" Ririka asks curiously. "Well it is weird, but do you mean..." She immediately hushes her voice as 'supernatural' is brought up. "Oh, wow. Is that even possible? I didn't even think of that..." Since she's only known about the supernatural for a week and change.
"Yeah, I agree that... altering people like that is bad, but..." She looks down for a moment, lost in thought. "... I dunno. Is it better to let them keep getting away with hurting people? Or not be punished at all?"
Ririka shivers. "Okay, using it for that would definitely be creepy."
She looks to Shizuka. "Well if you say he's good I'll take your word for it. But... 'Peddlers of mass-market pabulum'? Did he really say that about Kitagawa-san...?"
But she nods at the mention of the time. "Yeah. Then let's get going. I'll buy coffee, and we can take it to go." She turns to make to walk off in that direction.
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
"Your hat makes you look like a little orphan boy in some Charles Dickens TV special."
Yukari doesn't hold back on that one bit on Shizuka defending her hat, "I mean it - if you keep this up, guys are gonna harass you for the rest of your life about wanting you for some weird... fetish they have for petite girls."
Even the thought of that makes her groan hard on the matter, just at the thought of some guy wanting Shizuka because the hat makes her both short and youthful.
Ririka though considers the matter, "I guess, I dunno for sure how someone would do it. Like - there's a lot about the supernatural we don't know about. You go to other places and they grapple with... different problems than us."
She doesn't specify, after visiting Sumaru but...
"I mean... that's what we have the cops for right? We deal with the supernatural because they can't. Why not leave Madarame to them? It's gotta be better than... brainwashing."
...
"Yeah, I guess just - once you start using the supernatural for that, the temptation to use it for other things? Who can say how someone like that thinks? The moment you start thinking you can change the people around you because you don't like who they are, or what they're doing... I'm not sure I could ever trust someone like that."
Again, Yukari doesn't want to comment on peddlers of mass market pabulum, but she finally does, "Yeahhhhh I hope not. If he did then - well, you're not really selling me to the idea your Dad isn't super-pretentious."
Really she just wants to get off the subject of fathers... it makes her super jealous. "Anyhow, yeah, to-go it is."