2025-07-18: Separation Anxiety
- Log: Separation Anxiety
- Cast: Shinjiro Aragaki, Eikichi Mishina, Umie Akabane, Julian Marlowe
- Where: Tartarus
- OOC Date: July 18, 2025
- IC Date: June 15, 2012
- Summary: Shinjiro's group of three (plus one tag-along) tackles Tartarus, but things go awry in a hurry.
(|================== Monad - Mission: Sneak Into Gekkoukan! ==================|)
-==== Round 1: Midnight Madness - Challenge Level 2 ===========================-
| Approach Options: Proficiency or Charm |
| Conditions: Annoying - Charm Down L2 and Ineptitude - Proficiency Down L2 |
-==== Challenge ===============================================================-
For your own reasons, you've decided to sneak into Gekkoukan /before/ the Dark
Hour strikes, tonight. Whether you're searching for Fuuka Yamagishi, or just
trying to uncover the secrets of the mysterious tower which the school
transforms into every night -- you need to be in Gekkoukan before the Dark Hour
begins. Your first problem, then, is /entering./
Breaking and entering is one route in -- but what kind of high schooler can bust
open a lock? If you thought ahead, you might have just unlocked a door before
the day ended, making it /look/ like you're a master lockpick. Another method
lies in the sercurity guards lazily plodding around the school -- if you can
/convince/ one of them that you left something super-mega-important at school,
they might unlock the way for you, /if/ they don't just throw you out. You'll
need to lose the guards if you sneak in that way, though! And then, of course,
there are even stranger methods of entry -- like finding a supply closet and
just hiding there until everyone's gone. Whatever method you use, just make sure
you're in position by the time midnight ends...
(|============================================================= Monad 1.0 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
"Follow me."
Shinjiro Aragaki leads towards the front entrance of Gekkoukan High School, keeping an eye on nearby guards. It's only when he spots one that he diverts towards a side entrance, waving a hand. He clearly knows the campus, despite not having attended regularly in years.
"If we get caught, I'll take the fall while you run. Don't worry about it."
Shinjiro is *not* stealthy, but he can keep his footsteps not too loud. Hiding isn't an option, so outpacing the guards is the only possibility.
The entrance to the closest path to the gym is locked. Shinjiro is prepared to just smash it in with the *goddamn makeshift battleaxe* he brought with him, but he turns to Umie and Eikichi. "Either of you have a lockpick?"
If they can pick the lock, he'll watch their backs. Otherwise, he'll bash the door in. Either way, he's helping!
MONAD: Shinjiro Aragaki has acted with Proficiency toward Midnight Madness! Base!
<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
Eikichi follows Shinjiro closely behind. Rather than any element of stealth, the Death Boss of Kasugayama High School is still dressed in his winter uniform, like most delinquents. It was just how he was. Another issue was that the punk was carrying a large Guitar case over his shoulder, holding on to the strap with one hand.
"We're not gonna get caught. We got this." Eikichi grins as he keeps low, following Shinjiro quickly behind.
He looks around finally, looking up when Shinjiro addresses him. "Uhhh. Never had to. Doors just kinda open for me." He looks at Umie, hoping she has the answer.
MONAD: Eikichi Mishina has acted with Charm toward Midnight Madness! Base!
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
The trick about a group of high schoolers breaking into a school is... to bring someone who is an adult. Unfortunately, the adult in this case is the fresh-faced age of twenty, and is easily dwarfed in height by the two here. This may be an advantage here, however!
Meeting up with Shinjiro at the designated meet-up point, Umie's white half-mask is ready, but not put on. "Okay, I'm..." She looks at Eikichi. "I'm just going to trust you because you don't know me from Adam, for right now." ... And neither does she know Eikichi, except from recognizing him from the meetup with the rumormonger.
This may change very soon.
"Sure, but... I'd prefer we don't leave behind the only one of us that has any idea of what this all is. You showed me the outside, but..." Umie blinks, as both Eikichi and Shinjiro look to her. "A lockpick? Sure. Hold on a minute." She pats herself down, then takes out a lockpick with a smug grin. "Let's see here..."
(why is it the Sevens High graduate who has the lockpick? It is a mystery~)
MONAD: Umie Akabane has acted with Can you do this? toward Midnight Madness! Specialty!
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
Julian Marlowe isn't involved with any of this, of course. Why on earth would he be? He's a teacher, and a Gentleman besides. Breaking into a school at night would be just about the last thing he'd be involved in. Right?
No, Shinjiro's crew are the ones breaking in here. He's just following them at a distance, periodically ducking behind trees and other convenient cover. No one would suspect the prim and proper English teacher to be particularly stealthy, but he in fact knows a number of tricks to mask the sound he makes in the process. There's probably a story there... but not one that will be told tonight.
He knew that they were planning this, of course. After all, he was there at the same time as Shinjiro, Eikichi and Umie, when they learned about the rumors regarding Fuuka's disappearance. He didn't discourage their plans at the time, implying that he would let them do as they pleased.
Secretly, he intended a little more than that. In fact, his plans are already in motion. Because he was at the school earlier today, bringing with him a secret weapon. The powerful secret weapon of an adult with a steady paycheck.
That's right - he bribed one of the guards on patrol to look the other way. It's not a foolproof plan, but he could hardly go around to bribe everybody. He just had to target the weakest link, hoping that things would fall apart from there.
Now, if all goes well, and they can manage to get that door open, he'll just have to keep following along, and see how things go. He'll be able to put the next part of the plan into action once the Dark Hour hits.
MONAD: Julian Marlowe has acted with Inspire toward Midnight Madness! Focus and Patra!
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Julian has bribed a guard. Somehow, this worked flawlessly.
And somehow, a guard begins APPROACHING THIS WAY. He's about to see the trio, he's about to see them... they're both two tall dudes hovering over a smaller woman, so it's very close...
"Shit, get that lock open!" Shinjiro calls out, before pushing the door shut once Umie succeeds and they're inside. "Let's go! Too close for comfort."
The guard rounds the bend. He does not enter the building, giving Julian a chance to enter through the same doorway.
"Why did you bring a guitar case-" he starts to ask Eikichi.
And then, midnight ticks over. Tick. Tick. Tick.
The world goes green.
MONAD: Umie Akabane has drawn a new Challenge!
(|================== Monad - Mission: Sneak Into Gekkoukan! ==================|)
-==== Round 2: Full Moon Rising - Challenge Level 3 ===========================-
| Approach Options: Proficiency or Academics |
| Conditions: Annoying - Charm Down L2, Clumsy - Proficiency Down L1, |
| Ineptitude - Proficiency Down L2, and Stupor - Academics Down L1 |
-==== Challenge ===============================================================-
The hour hits twelve, and the hour hidden behind twelve begins. A full moon
rises above Tartarus... and you don't pass through the entrance hall of
Tartarus, tonight. As the Dark Hour dawns, you will find yourself thrown into
one of the upper levels of a Block you haven't seen before, far above anywhere
you've previously travelled. Even if you made a habit of exploring Thebel,
before this -- the environment here is entirely different. Arqa Block is almost
/organic,/ with its glowing spines slung across the walls and the strange,
frightening masks laid into the walls. The floor appears like sand, bloodstains
splattered over it, and tentacles lift to reveal your path forward. Everything
here is bathed in sick magenta and purple... aside from the green glow of the
stairs, and the occasional green window facing out.
More to the point: you've been separated from anyone you came in here with.
Though finding your allies is extremely pressing, you'll find, as you fight your
way through your first floor of this strange new area of Tartarus, that no one
you came here with is nearby. You'll need to be fast and quiet to sneak past all
these Shadows, or use your brain to think of some way to get an advantage --
because right now, you're alone.
(|============================================================= Monad 1.0 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
Eikichi just gives a thumbs up to Shinjiro in response to his question. His weapon would probably blow the other student's mind...Might not go over with Umie though. He doesn't know her so 50/50 on how pulling out a machine gun could go.
That is about when the world starts to distort into green mystery.
Eikichi closes his eyes to adjust and when he opens them, everyone is gone. He looks around, clicking his tongue as he looks around swiftly. For the moment he's alone but Eikichi can hear SOMETHING moving around in the dim green light.
"Great. Some badass you are." Eikichi says under his breath, loosening the strap on his guitar case as he moves toward where he thinks someone is.
He isn't particularly quiet.
MONAD: Eikichi Mishina has acted with Proficiency toward Full Moon Rising! Base!
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
"Is this your first time going into here too?" Umie looks over at Eikichi, just as Shinjiro points out his guitar case. "... Oh, yeah, we should probably exchange-"
Names. Assurances. Information about what's in Eikichi's guitar case.
But there's no more time.
".... Gh...."
Umie had compared what they were possibly going to do as 'flinging herself into a giant shredder', after seeing how the school transmogrified into a giant tower every night.
So, when she and everyone else wakes up in random areas in who knows where, let's just say that Umie feels like she's still managed to luck out.
"Aragaki-san? Uh... Guitar....-san?" Umie gets up, putting her hands in the pockets of her oversized windbreaker as she glances around. Umie detects no one nearby, and likewise, everyone else will find out, in time, that it's the same for them.
Indeed, everyone will, when they wake up, as Shadows lurk on every floor. One or two shadows a night is more than enough for a single Dark Hour, but when there's twice that? Still too much.
Don't panic.
'Trust in your resonance-senses', Tatsuya told Umie, not too long ago. And here, Umie does; though her senses, as improved as they are over others, falls short.
Call out, and risk getting found by a shadow, or navigate through without being detected.
It's your choice.
MONAD: Umie Akabane has acted with Academics toward Full Moon Rising! Base!
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
"What-" Shinjiro starts about the thumbs up, before he realizes they *separated* during the Dark Hour transition. "SHIT!"
If they're separated... inside a high level of Tartarus... they're dead meat. He *has* to get to the others, now, or they're *all* as good as dead. You can't solo Tartarus.
Shinjiro sees a passage ahead, filled with Shadows. He takes a breath. He's going to try and sneak, as bad at it as he always has been, hugging the wall and moving to wait for them to turn around before beelining past them. Hopefully, his sense of timing, footwork, and how Shadows are thought to work can get him through.
MONAD: Shinjiro Aragaki has acted with Proficiency toward Full Moon Rising! Base!
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
So far, so good. In the dark, Julian can't tell whether the approaching guard was the one he could - presumably - count on to not raise alarm, but whether he didn't see or just pretended not to, the coast is soon clear enough for him to follow through the open door. Just in time. Once the Dark Hour hits, he'll be able to reveal himself, and then--
The Dark Hour does indeed hit, but it quickly becomes apparent that the rest of what he had planned has gone right out the window. Finding himself alone in a strange place is someone with a markedly different look than Julian Marlowe. The English teacher's fancy suit looks like a cheap hand-me-down compared to this masked man's perfectly tailored ensemble, Julian now clad in his cognitive appearance of a classy secret agent.
The plan was to reveal himself to the others at this point and assist them more directly in the form of his alter ego, Vesper. Except... the others are nowhere to be found, anymore. Instead, he's alone in an eerie environment vaguely reminiscent of Mementos. A heck of a first introduction to Tartarus.
"Well, this is a fine how-do-you-do," he mutters unders his breath. He's not one to immediately lose his composure under pressure, especially considering the stakes. If he is alone, that means it's likely Shinjiro, Eikichi and Umie got separated as well. He has no idea how equipped they are to handle this, or indeed if anyone can be... which means he'd better hurry.
For the time being, attracting undue attention would be more than a little unwise. For now, he can only count on attempting stealth, though the environment is poorly suited for it, and hope he runs into a friendly face before an unfriendly one.
MONAD: Julian Marlowe has acted with Proficiency toward Full Moon Rising! Base! <Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
Unfortunately, tonight has other plans in place for our crew. Eikichi's natural magnetism attracts the grabby hands of a chasing shadow he has to either run from upstairs, or waste valuable time and ammo gunning it down in a blaze of glory.
Meanwhile, as Shinjiro attempts to sneak by a passage, a crystalline structure tips over and shatters, attracking the shadows' attention. .... It would be wise to just run.
Julian likewise meets an unfriendly face before a friendly one, though the shadows, if they had wills, may disagree, as they're very happy to case the secret agent down if he's not fast enough to lose them.
Umie, well. "Aragaki?! Guitar guy?!" She's panicking, making her stealthy abilities completely useless at this moment as she flees down some stairs.
MONAD: Julian Marlowe has drawn a new Challenge!
(|================== Monad - Mission: Sneak Into Gekkoukan! ==================|)
-==== Round 3: Where Am I? - Challenge Level 2 ================================-
| Approach Options: Guts or Understanding |
| Conditions: Clumsy - Proficiency Down L1, Hard - Understanding Down L1, and |
| Scary - Guts Down L1 |
-==== Challenge ===============================================================-
"Where am I? Why am I here?"
A voice may echo through your head, faintly, as you make your way alone through
Tartarus -- it will be much easier to hear for those with strong Resonance like
Navigators, but even extremely /capable/ Navigators will realise they no right
of reply to the voice they're hearing.
Whether by following that voice, or just by climbing Tartarus, you'll be able to
find... /part/ of your party. Another loner or two converges on your location,
each of you trying to find each other, and it's surely a huge relief. But what
about the others? Your best clue might be heading towards the sound of those
faint whispers -- maybe your friends are hearing it, too. At least now, you're
better able to face down the Shadows which want to block your path. Merciless
Mayas and Muttering Tiaras stand in your path as you move forward -- one a
formless puddle of a Shadow wearing a mask and grasping with its arms, and the
other floating in the air, its head twisted into the shape of tiara as shadowy
fabric flutters beneath it.
(Note: It is suggested that you split your party into groups of 2 and 3, or
equivalent, to answer this Challenge.)
(|============================================================= Monad 1.0 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
Things are definitely not going according to plan anymore, now. Julian is no stranger to battling shadows, but he isn't too well-versed in their many variants. Not knowing how strong his opponents are, and having no way of knowing where the exit is, are too many disadvantages for him to have a good feeling about engaging with them. So he has to stay hidden--
"Damnation," he exclaims, as he's spotted by a masked entity, which quickly draws more to his position. His best bet now is to flee and hopefully lose his pursuers, locate a way out, or what he would prefer the most right about now - find someone else to join up with.
The cat and mouse game goes on for longer than he would have liked. He's going to quickly get worn down at this rate. But just as it starts to feel like he may never hear a friendly voice again...
Where am I? Why am I here?
He doesn't know that soft, barely audible voice. But it's a voice in need, and if there's one thing that can keep his drive alive in a hopeless situation, it's knowing there's someone who needs help. There is some guesswork involved in the path he chooses to take, but as luck would have it--
He almost shouts 'Mister Mishina', when he runs into Eikichi, who has his own Shadow problems to deal with. Which means it's time to change his approach. There's someone he needs to keep safe now, at all costs.
"You there!" the masked stranger calls out to Kasu High student. "If you can fight, now is the time! If you do not fancy your chances, there's no shame in staying back - in that case, I will handle this matter." Placing a hand on his mask, stark white starts to glow with blue flames.
"There will be no more victims on my watch! RAFFLES!"
In a blaze of blue, Vesper a.k.a. Julian summons his Persona: a humanoid figure that's half gentleman, half cricket player, holding an enormous bat, which it sends crashing down on the dark masked creatures menacing the both of them.
He can only do so much at a time... for now, he can only hope that Shinjiro and Umie are faring well, wherever the both of them may have found themselves.
MONAD: Julian Marlowe has acted with Counsel toward Where Am I?! Focus and Empathy!
<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
Eikichi jumps when something touches him. Some kind of weird black monster with a weird face. The punk isn't so much scared as startled, glaring at the monster.
Without much forethought, The punk whips around the Guitar case, aiming with the "neck" while he seems to have a handle toward the middle of the body.
"Get the hell back...whatever you are!" Eikichi opens fire with a single quick spray on the shadow, revealing his trump card to whoever is near by.
Eikichi looks over to the English as hell man who just revealed himself. The guitar case is still smoking as Eikichi is suddenly tongue tied as he didn't expect to run into someone new.
He opens his mouth to say something, looking over to his guitar case nervously. "I...I can fight. Don't worry!" He forces a confidant grin. "So what do we do?"
MONAD: Eikichi Mishina has acted with Guts toward Where Am I?! Base!
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
As Shinjiro *runs* away instead of sneaking, he curses out loud. "Shit! Fuck! FUCK!"
Luckily, another voice is panicking. As Umie calls out, Shinjiro does as well. "Akabane, I'm here!"
He gets close to her, having lost his Shadows. Now that they're together, they can reliably fight... but a single axe wielder would hinder her. As the enemy Shadows approach, Shinjiro takes a breath, a shaky hand moving to his jacket pocket.
He draws a gun, the Evoker moving slowly up to his temple. He doesn't want to do this. He shouldn't do this.
He's made a lot of mistakes throughout his life, and a death on his conscience cannot be another one. Even if Umie decided to help him because he refused to use his Persona - it was for her and Eikichi that he's using it at all.
"Go to hell! Castor!"
Point. Click. Bang.
A blue aura surrounds Shinjiro, as his Persona manifests for the first time in quite a while. The hobby-unicorn riding skeleton with a spear sticking out of his chest charges forth, smashing straight into the nearest shadows with a powerful striking attack. It's an incredibly intimidating sight to see. Even as he sacrifices health for damage, Shinjiro takes a step forth. "Keep going. We need to find Mishina before he gets killed."
MONAD: Shinjiro Aragaki has acted with Intimidation toward Where Am I?! Specialty!
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
"... Huh?" Umie looks up at a voice. Unfortunately, even if she did think of somehow trying to answer back with her own mind, she'd be far from being able to.
The first step would be to find out what the hell a navigator even is.
But the voice at least draws back some of Umie's courage. That's right, she's here, because of a girl, perhaps, the one whose voice she's hearing now.
And she came here with... "Aragaki!" The san has been dropped by now; she grew tired of formalities one floor ago. 'Guitar' is likewise; if she meets Julian it may as well be 'mask man' if Julian doesn't introduce himself properly in time.
"Badb, come to me." Umie breathes in; from her mind's eye the Badb appears, a red-mouthed feminine being cloaked in ash grey and red.
The Badb's presence on the field could spell misfortune, but for Shinjiro...
Well, it's not like death's far off in one way or another.
".... You're sure about this." Umie saw the Evoker and felt the wave of resonance that followed; there's no question.
"... Ahhh. So Guitar-san *does* have a name. Got it." And like that, Umie's back to being Umie. "Lead the way." She smirks. "Castor, and we're in Tartarus. Pretty appropriate, eh?" She'll ask if Shinjiro heard that girl's voice later.
MONAD: Umie Akabane has acted with Bird's Eye View toward Where Am I?! Automap!
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
Julian isn't at all surprised to hear that Eikichi would choose to fight. He's a little more surprised at him having brought a weapon like that. Good foresight, but where did he even get something like that? Never mind that right now. For now, a grin and nod of approval will have to do.
"Follow my lead," he states with the confidence of someone who knows exactly what he's doing - forcing that sort of thing comes easy when it's to reassure others. "I will keep them at bay - you provide support from a distance with your ranged weaponry!"
Saving his strength after the landing the initial powerful blow from his Persona, Vesper leaps into melee to strike with... his umbrella? That seems to work just fine for him, darting in and out to deliver quick swipes from what might be a fencing stance. Between that and another hail of gunfire, the two of them handily clear the immediate problem.
"Good effort," the well-dressed man states with a tip of his hat. "We make a rather good team." He then briefly lifts that hat, finally getting to a brief version of the introduction he'd originally intended to be a lot more grandiose. "Vesper's the name, Supernatural Investigator extraordinaire. I assume you're here because of the rumor? Well, details can come later - for now we should make haste. This place isn't exactly safe, as you've noticed."
Meanwhile, with guidance from Umie, Shinjiro taps into a power he hadn't in a very long time, likewise finding resolve in keeping others safe. With the immediate threats past on both sides, will they be able to join up once again as they proceed further into the bizarre labyrinth of Tartarus?
MONAD: Eikichi Mishina has drawn a new Challenge!
(|================== Monad - Mission: Sneak Into Gekkoukan! ==================|)
-==== Round 4: Please Answer Me - Challenge Level 3 ===========================-
| Approach Options: Academics or Proficiency |
| Conditions: Boss - Add 1 Fatigue on failure., Box - Add 1 Item/Money/Gear., |
| Clumsy - Proficiency Down L1, Hard - Understanding Down L1, Scary - Guts |
| Down L1, and Stupor - Academics Down L1 |
-==== Challenge ===============================================================-
"Please, answer me..."
There's that voice again -- growing a little louder, a little easier to hear
even if you're not the most Resonant Persona-user out there. Here, on the third
floor of this mysterious purple-tinged Arqa Block, you'll come across something
that will surely help you -- a glittering rare treasure chest lying in your
path. There's just one problem...
... the Shadow patrolling in front of it is wreathed in strange red flames. It's
clearly a more formidable enemy than the ones you've been facing, and you still
haven't found all your friends! Facing it in your current state would be
incredibly risky, but whatever you might claim from that chest might be key to
your survival. You'll need to be quick enough to dart in while its back is
turned -- or clever enough to think up a distraction. Getting caught out in a
fight would /definitely/ suck.
How will each group solve this problem, split up as they are?
(|============================================================= Monad 1.0 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
Eikichi follows Vepser's lead, providing long distance sprays from behind him. He grins at the man, posing with his "guitar case". "Hell yeah, we do! Mishina Eikichi, the Death Boss of Kasugayama High School. At your service!" He lets the guitar case sling back on his shoulder as they move on after finishing off the shadow.
"Yeah. I heard the rumor about the girl and if she's survived here for so long, she's gotta be some kind of bad ass."
He stops when he hears the voice, looking around for a moment.
The large glowing Shadow seems to be patrolling the chest, not yet noticing anyone who gets near.
"What do you think we should do?" Eikichi looks to Vesper with a flat expression, unsure if some "treasure" was really worth it in here.
The Shadow continues to wind around the box, crawling slowly and confidently as it waits for someone to get close and it can strike.
MONAD: Eikichi Mishina has acted with Academics toward Please Answer Me! Base!
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
As the two continue forth, Shinjiro nods to Umie. "I can't be the only one with just a goddamn axe. It's not fair to others." He's grunting from the pain of using it for the first time in so long, but there might be Pain Of Something Else there (and oddly, it's not an emotional metaphor).
"You hear a girl back there? You think it's the student?" So, he did hear it, as he asks his question.
And then there's a chest! The plan is, really, easily, simple. Umie gets the chest while Shinjiro gets himself hurt.
Once they've Agreed on this plan, he's scraping the axe across the ground once Umie moves forward, trying to drag the Shadow towards him. "Hey, asshole. When I'm done with you, I'm going to cut you into pieces. Probably sashimi-style. Would you prefer *thin* or *thick* slices?"
He's just yapping. He needs to keep the attention On Him at all times.
If the Shadow actually comes after him... he can try and run away. Or die! That's also an option.
MONAD: Shinjiro Aragaki has acted with Cooking Talk toward Please Answer Me! Diligence and Focus!
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
".... Aragaki." Still no -san; they're battle buddies now. "You hear that? A girl's voice. It's getting closer." Umie thinks of her vision days before; already, they're far off base, but that's to be expected. Anymore, they feel more like broadcasts of anxieties than a view into a possible future or fate.
Still, her mouth feels dry, and it's not from running around everywhere. "If you can hear it, it's possible Mishina-san will too and go towards it. We'll meet up, this way."
But before that... there's a shadow, unlike any she's managed to find in Sumaru City. ".... That's... reading as pretty strong. But that may be a valuable item in there." She thinks. "Badb can cloak me to a certain point, so I can be right up in its business until it notices I'm there." She hesitates. "... It... sounds really dumb when I put it like that, but, if its attention is elsewhere, it's not going to notice me." She almost sounds smug when she says it.
How does Umie know this? Lots, and lots, and *lots* of trial and error (mostly error).
".... It needs to be paying attention to something else." She quickly interjects, "It doesn't have to be you. Just.... throw something. It sounds weird, like I'm just explaining how things'd normally operate, but that's just how my powers work." She doesn't have time to demostrate, even if it'd be a better explanation. "Anyway." She puts a finger to her lips. "Bye." If Shinjiro looks back at the Shadow and then back, Umie will be gone. Just... Gone.
Except, when he manages to think about Umie and look, she's there, sneaking by, and trying to get into the chest.
MONAD: Umie Akabane has acted with Can you do this? toward Please Answer Me! Specialty!
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
Vesper laughs, boisterously, at Eikichi's introduction. "That's a very reassuring title! Well then, I look forward to working with you, Mishina-kun. Considering the situation, I'll waive my usual fee for services rendered."
There are fees?? It didn't sound like he was making a joke. Julian was never really going to charge Eikichi of course, it's all part of the role he's playing right now. His true priorities remain the same as ever. Locate Shinjiro and Umie, locate an exit, and locate the missing girl. The order doesn't particularly matter, so long as none of the objectives fail, and they can all make it to exit in the end.
...If there even is an exit. He can't help but notice that the stairs have all been going up. In which case he sure hopes they were sent to the basement, otherwise an exit is generally unlikely to be up. Then again, who knows, these spaces don't exactly make the most logical sense.
Regardless, what really matters is, "Determining whether Fuuka Yamagishi does indeed live, and if so getting her out of here, that's my mission here. Rest assured, I succeed in my missions without fail, everything will be fine now that I'm here."
Things are immediately not fine, as the voice leads them straight to a Shadow that gives off bad vibes all around. But that treasure...
"We need that," is Vesper's simple answer to Eikichi. In an unexpected situation, anything that may give them an edge is crucial, by his reckoning. And since he'd never volunteer anyone else... "I will retrieve it. ...Get ready to run."
He's kind of expecting this to go badly, but he needs to try. He's has some home-made lockpicks on hand, hopefully they'll do they trick... and quickly.
MONAD: Julian Marlowe has acted with Proficiency toward Please Answer Me! Base! <Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
"Fees? People get paid to do this?!" Eikichi's mouth kinda fell open thinking about how skulking around whatever this place could earn someone money. He nods when the chest's value is hinted at. He swings the barrel of his guitar case around, ready to support.
What follows is a juxtaposition between two very different battle outcomes. In two different locations.
Hehinjiro's assault and Umie's stealth catch the powerful shadow off guard. The powerful Axe strikes throw the Shadow off balance, leaving the chest wide open.
The other battle goes wrong almost right away. As Vesper goes in for the strike, the Shadow turns around just then suddenly, getting the drop on the British gentlemen. While it isn't life ending, it does put a potential chill down the spine of those involved. The Chest is being guarded by the SHadow, who seems damned if anyone gets into it.
Eikichi Mishina says, "Sigh I hate my laptop"
MONAD: Shinjiro Aragaki has drawn a new Challenge!
(|================== Monad - Mission: Sneak Into Gekkoukan! ==================|)
-==== Round 5: Is Someone There? - Challenge Level 2 ==========================-
| Approach Options: Academics or Understanding |
| Conditions: Bless - +1 to Group Roll (Per Character), Clumsy - Proficiency |
| Down L1, Hard - Understanding Down L1, Stupor - Academics Down L1, and |
| Stupor - Academics Down L1 |
-==== Challenge ===============================================================-
This time, when you climb another floor, both of your groups are able to reunite
with each other. Thank goodness! With everyone reunited, you'll have a much
easier time fighting even the more difficult enemies in Arqa Block. It's still a
challenge, but now, at least, you don't have to worry about whether your friends
are hurt out here.
You'll get a moment to breathe, thanks to your combined strength. An arched
window shows the vista outside of Tartarus -- and the Full Moon which hangs in
the sky. Perhaps the cycles of the moon mean something, to you... or perhaps
it's just some eerie imagery, as far as you're concerned. But not only is this a
moment to collect your thoughts -- it's a moment for you all to compare notes on
that voice you've been hearing. Pressingly, you hear her /again,/ as indistinct
as ever: "Is someone there?"
Whoever it is, she sounds like she needs help. Before you do anything else, you
have to keep climbing until you find her.
(|============================================================= Monad 1.0 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
"It's fine. I'll live, probably." It's not like Shinjiro wants to die. It's just that... he doesn't have too much care if he does.
Shinjiro survives! He doesn't even get hurt, as they flee with the TREASURE. What was it?
Well, he's not wearing *that*, whatever it is, that's for sure. Maybe Umie would.
And then, the groups converge. As Shinjiro spots Eikichi and... guy, he nods to Eikichi. "You alright? Who's your pal?" He's not surprised there's others here, but... is this guy also removed from his group? Who is he?
As they start continuing, he spots the moon, and hears the voice. "You ever notice that the moon in the Dark Hour is different from the moon normally? Why the fuck is it like that?"
As he considers, wracking his brain to continue climbing, Shinjiro starts coughing. It's sudden - he must have overexerted himself with all those Shadows and being separated. It's not clear *why*, he doesn't look the Healthiest but he's in relatively good shape. He puts a hand up to his mouth, as if to staunch the coughing, before pre-empting. "I'm fine."
He's not fine. There's the tiniest droplets of blood on his hand, which he's concealing with a closed fist.
"Let's get to her."
MONAD: Shinjiro Aragaki has acted with Academics toward Is Someone There?! Base!
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
"Yeah, but if you die, I'll be on my lonesome again," Umie shoots back as she holds up the treasure. Hm... Some... sort of earring? She pins it in one ear. "Ta-da," she says, deadpan, as she holds up her hands. ".... Though, on second though, I shouldn't immediately wear strange earrings I find." Too late, she's decided to just continue walking on. "Ah well, that's a lesson for later."
Continuing on, Umie looks up. "Aha, Gui-tar-san." Apparently, Umie wanted to get away with calling Eikichi 'Guitar-san' at least once. "And... someone... else?"
At the new person with Eikichi, Umie's eyes widen; her gloved hand instantly goes for her plain half mask, which she puts into place. "No offense, Mask-san, but I'm particular about my identity too." Still... who... is this person? Someone navigating around in the supernaural space in such fancy clothing; she wishes she could step around them and try to examine them, but, alas.
It would be extremely rude.
What Umie didn't notice is the moon; not until Shinjiro points it out, at least. "... You know... I've just always assumed it was like that. Maybe, because it's a full moon tonight... we're just beginning to question it." She shrugs. "I mean, we're in a tower that sprouted from the ground."
Her eyes narrow through the holes at her mask, as she notices the droplets of blood. "Damn it, Aragaki." She sighs. "An earring isn't worth this much. We're staying put." She draws out a roll of bandages from her coat, addings, wryily, "I'd offer cough drops, but I didn't pack that." What is she, a road trip mom? "Guitar-san. Mask-san. Either of you need some bandaging up?"
'Is someone there?' Umie looks up.
"... She's close by."
MONAD: Umie Akabane has acted with Academics toward Is Someone There?! Base!
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
"Of course," Vesper deadpans in response to Eikichi. "One does not simply ask someone to risk their life without offering something in return. Though I keep my rates quite reasonable, I assure you."
Sometimes, money can even be found in chests such as the one they stumbled upon. Let's be real, it probably was just money. It's always just money when you really needed an helpful item of some sort. They don't get to find that out however, with how wrong Vesper's plan goes, until to sneak by the Shadow without getting noticed.
"Damnation," he mutters under his breath as she decides to cut his losses rather than risk the battle. "Time for a strategic retreat. Come, Mishina-kun!"
The less said about that incident, the better. Thankfully there is a very welcome distraction from it - the other members of the Eikichi's group. Julian's relief doesn't show on his face, not even on the uncovered lower part of it, though he chuckles at the nickname. Once given the chance, he's quick to seize the initiative in repeating his introduction with another hat-tip. "While 'Mask-san' does have its charms... the name's Vesper, Supernatural Investigator extraordinaire. Pleased to meet your acquaintance. I wasn't aware Mishina-kun came here with others." He lies smoothly, like someone fully accustomed to telling lies.
At least he gets 'Aragaki' as a freebie later, but as for Miss Particular-About-Her-Identity... "And what should I call you then, miss? Half-Mask-san? Doesn't quite roll off the tongue so well."
He lets the matter of the cough go at Shinjiro's insistence, and waves off the offer a bandage with, "I, too, am just fine, thank you." That Shadow from earlier did actually get him a little bit, he's keeping up appearances here.
He strains his ears, listening again for that voice... and possible trouble. "...We shouldn't tarry," he speaks at last. "Assuming that it is in fact Fuuka Yamagishi who's been speaking to us, she appears to be calling out for assistance. While the question remains how she is able to reach out like this, we must consider how long she will retain the ability to do so."
MONAD: Julian Marlowe has acted with Counsel toward Is Someone There?! Focus and Empathy!
<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
After dealing with everything, Eikichi is visibly tired from each and every set back. As if all that fatigue was finally starting to hit his slender body. He is glad Vepser orders a strategic retreat because damn it was getting hard to fight in this weird time of day. He holds up a hand to greet Shinjiro, giving a casual 'Yo' as they get close.
Eikichi leans, letting the weight of his guitar case hang down. "Oh this is Vepser. I didn't really get a lot of chance to get to know him but he's saved my ass a couple of times. This place isn't a joke though. Not like the kind of stuff I deal with at all."
Eikichi doesn't elaborate on what he does deal with. Maybe he meant punks in the school. Maybe Eikichi was a detective who did battle with the forces of evil by night....Really it was the former and his special ability helped him maintain that power balance. Luckily, he hadn't had to pull out that trump card just yet.
Eikichi cranes his head over to look at Umie on 'Guitar-san.' He doesn't quite get it in the state he's in but he strikes a pose nonetheless. "Nice to see you again..." He doesn't have a clever nickname for this woman. "Uh...I'm Mishina Eikichi, the Death Boss of Kasugayama High School. Nice to meet cha."
Eikichi's eyes go over to Shinjiro as he waxes poetic on the moon and the Dark Hour. "First time seeing it but yeah it's kinda different. This whole place is weird and hard to be in." He keeps an eye on Shinjiro when he starts coughing. He can tell that comment about him being fine is bullshit. It was the typical macho BS they all pulled. Like a hero in a manga. He also knows that this isn't the place to confront him about whatever illness he does or doesn't have. For the moment, he just keeps moving.
MONAD: Eikichi Mishina has acted with Pep Talk toward Is Someone There?! Amrita!
(|================== Monad - Mission: Sneak Into Gekkoukan! ==================|)
-==== Round 6: There's A Teleporter! - Challenge Level 2 ======================-
| Approach Options: Guts or Proficiency |
| Conditions: Withdraw - Complication ensues. |
-==== Challenge ===============================================================-
Climbing another floor of Tartarus, you find yourselves cornered and embroiled
in another battle with one of those flaming red Formidable Enemies -- but what's
/worse/ is the normal shadows who join the fight, too. Despite any desires you
might have to continue following the voice you heard, you find yourselves far
too exhausted to continue on. Luckily, one of you spies a Teleporter, and you're
able to escape back down.
Because you had to retreat earlier than the others, you might just find
yourselves helping the ground team with a problem they're now facing. If you've
received the 'Withdraw' card, you will run into Yukari and Mitsuru as they find
themselves facing the Emperor and Empress Shadows -- you'll be able to try and
help them fight these terrible foes, and in turn, you'll find yourselves needing
rescue by the other groups who climbed Tartarus tonight.
(This Monad leads directly into Battle Royale! See the scenepost for more
details.)
Final Loot: 2 boxes of Money!
(|============================================================= Monad 1.0 ====|)
MONAD: Invalid approach.
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
As Umie puts on her mask, Shinjiro nods once. But she spotted the blood... shit. "Shit, no, we're already this far. I'll live." For now. If he was truly croaking from that, he'd have way more blood and way more signs. He ends up shaking his head at the bandages. "...thanks, but what are you gonna do, put it in my mouth?"
Vesper gets a nod. "Sure. Shinjiro Aragaki. We're all here for the same goal, so let's get her out of here. Others are ahead, probably."
Eikichi gets a nod as well. "Well, seems Death Boss isn't just for show."
But as the group makes it up, there's even more of those enemies. This time, Shinjiro gets some blood on the outside, too, and the group is forced to retreat to the teleporter.
Sooner than he'd like, Shinjiro will have an uncomfortable reunion as the group returns to the base level. He was hoping he could get the girl to safety and ditch. That's no longer an option.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
"Death Boss. Mishina-san. Got it." Umie nods once, trying not to think about the name too much, and then looks to the masked man to nod again. "Vesper. Got it."
A name. A name. That *would* be useful, wouldn't it? A codename? "... I really should come up with a name, shouldn't I."
(Yes, Umie got this far without thinking of one.)
She sighs, and shrugs.
"... Well... Badb, I guess. For now." If it gets Shinjiro to not move for a moment, she'll lag a little.
"But yeah. Lead the way."