2025-07-19: You Can Just Leave
- Log: You Can Just Leave
- Cast: Reiya Aomori, Mitsuru Kirijo, Shizuka Kuroki
- Where: Tartarus
- OOC Date: July 19, 2025
- IC Date: June 15, 2012 (Forward-dated)
- Summary: One of SEES's teams infiltrates Gekkoukan High School in the organization's daring ploy to save Fuuka Yamagishi. It proves difficult.
(|================== 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> Reiya Aomori has posed.
Reiya Aomori has been assigned to help with the mission to find Fuuka. ...He may or may not have already scoped out her house to ensure she's not hiding there. (The answer is yes. Yes, he did. It's Minato's fault.)
But today, he is in uniform as is standard for SEES--his winter uniform of course, with the jacket closed. He steps carefully and quietly. Mitsuru Kirijo has command of this group, and Shizuka is a third year, so Reiya is definitely the least senior...
But his steps are silent as he approaches the school. They do not reach the door that Junpei had opened. Instead he says, "Excuse me, senpai." to both of them when they reach the door.
Instead, Reiya scrambles up the wall, using handholds and a gutter, and climbs into the window in utter silence.
"I will unlock the door."
It takes a moment. He has to climb down again, after all. But in a few moments--
Click.
"We are ready."
MONAD: Reiya Aomori has acted with Ninjutsu toward Midnight Madness! Escape and Diligence!
<Pose Tracker> Mitsuru Kirijo has posed.
She's much too beholden to proper etiquette to admit it, but...
Mitsuru has to admit: it's exhilarating being on the front lines again.
Her ability to support S.E.E.S. from the backline has been growing weaker and weaker the deeper they got into Tartarus, and the graver the threats they faced. And now? Now, it feels practically useless. If nothing else... like this, helping the others infiltrate the school, Mitsuru Kirijo can feel -some- measure of value return to her. And frankly, well.
In the thick of it is always where she longs to be.
So the redheaded student council president is in top form today, stance regal and implacable and expression on the alert as she makes her way towards the door. She considers for a moment. Locked. Her head tilts. Dark red eyes glide Reiya's way.
"Aomori, if you could--"
Excuse me, senpai.
"Excellent. Thank you."
And, eyes shut, Mitsuru waits with a smile for exactly three whole seconds before her brows furrow. She opens her eyes again.
And then watches Reiya scale the wall in absolute silence with the quizzical cant of her head.
"... Ah. That's what you meant. Yes. That'll do, too," she decides, before making her way to the door, completely unalarmed by Reiya's SUDDEN NINJA TECHNIQUE.
Which begs the question -- what DID she think he was going to do--?
(blow it up; she thought he was going to blow up the lock)
MONAD: Mitsuru Kirijo has acted with Proficiency toward Midnight Madness! Base!
<Pose Tracker> Shizuka Kuroki has posed.
Shizuka, for what it's worth, has had her share of experience staying at school after hours. It was nice to have some private time at the art studio every once in a while, away from her dad's work. It was even on one of those fateful nights that she first found herself in the Dark Hour.
Usually, she would have just hid under one of the teachers' desks after school (being small has its perks), but seeing as this was a team mission, she couldn't really go off by herself like that. So she was on duty with Mitsuru and Reiya. Her eyes light up as Reiya climbs the wall and lets them in, suppressing a sound of surprise.
"Nice one, Ya-kun~" She says in a low voice as she slowly makes her way in.
MONAD: Shizuka Kuroki has acted with Proficiency toward Midnight Madness! Base!
(|============================= Monad - Results ==============================|) -==== Midnight Madness - Round 1 ==============================================- Mitsuru Kirijo Proficiency Failure Proficiency Base Fatigue: 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shizuka Kuroki Proficiency Failure Proficiency Base Fatigue: 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reiya Aomori Proficiency Success Ninjutsu Escape and Diligence Fatigue: 0 -============================= Party Conditions: ==============================- Starting Conditions: Annoying-2 and Ineptitude-2 Final Conditions: Annoying-1 and Ineptitude-1 -======================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====- -==== Reach: 1/6 |= | =====================================================- (|============================================================= Monad 1.0 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
Reiya could've blown the lock. But that would have left evidence of their passage! ...And damaged school property. One of those is probably important.
But Aomori indeed handles the door. Waiting in the heat of the summer night in winter uniforms is a little fatiguing, as is infiltration after a hard day of school... But it's fine.
He notes Shizuka's surprise (and nickname) and Mitsuru's lack of surprise. To both, he offers a small, proud smile. "Thank you," he says. "Please allow me to scout."
He steps through the door, closing it carefully behind them, and looks ahead to ensure there are no others here. Guards?
There might be.
MONAD: Mitsuru Kirijo 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> Mitsuru Kirijo has posed.
"Well done, Aomori."
Mitsuru takes her first steps past the door with that naturally regal gait of hers. One hand lifting to push burgundy locks from her hair, she looks back to the pair she's working with as she goes, eyes narrowed, expression serious.
"Be on your guard: the Dark Hour is almost here. We have no idea what may happen when the school shifts to Tartarus."
She's run through a few possible scenarios herself with at least one including 'they end up with a wall forming on top of them and their grisly, immediate ends' so, you know. She's prepared for almost any eventuality, here.
"So be on alert. And most importantly, stay--"
dong dong dong
D O N G
"--close."
Mitsuru blinks once as she finds herself in the heart of Thebel.
Completely alone.
"... tt. Of course."
The most annoying, but least fatal, of possibilities.
They've been separated.
Whatever comments Mitsuru might have, she keeps to herself. Instead? The SEES founder immediately goes on guard, sucking in a breath and flattening against a wall as a Shadow chitters its way past. She slowly - *slowly* - starts making her way through, navigating as best she can...
... and periodically, reaching out with Penthesilea, to try to feel out for Shizuka and Reiya's locations. The second she does? She's going in their direction.
She can handle herself fine. But their safety is paramount, right now.
MONAD: Mitsuru Kirijo has acted with Noblesse Oblige toward Full Moon Rising! Diligence and Empathy!
<Pose Tracker> Shizuka Kuroki has posed.
The Dark Hour overtakes the world, and Shizuka is alone inside Tartarus.
"Eh? Kirijo-san? Ya-kun?" She looks around, desperately looking for her companions. She had never been alone in the Dark Hour since... well, since the first time she found herself in 13:00 at night. "Oh no... I knew this was a bad idea..."
She finds herself beginning to shake as she pulls out the butterfly knives she had bought from Kurosawa earlier that day. For how long she had been with SEES, Shizuka would never admit to her teammates that she was still... incredibly scared of the Dark Hour and Tartarus.
Okay, focus... She thinks to herself. You're not gonna get anything done while you're panicking... She ducks into a side corridor and closes her eyes for a second, focusing her breath.
This was a tactic she used to prepare to start on a new piece. You're not going to find inspiration if your mind is full. Find the spark...
She opens her eyes and peeks out, taking a scan of the area. She noticed several side alcoves just like the one she was in right now. She could just follow in them to keep out from the Shadows until she found the others.
Just breathe.
MONAD: Shizuka Kuroki has acted with Inspired Tactics toward Full Moon Rising! Diligence and Focus!
<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
Reiya for some reason is particularly pleased at praise from Mitsuru. There could be any number of explanations for this, but the truth is unlikely to be guessed at by almost anyone around. He will be on his guard, in any case. "Yes," he says. He listens. Stay--
Ah. The Dark Hour comes, and Reiya, with the otehrs, is sent tumbling into Tartarus. He finds himself on the floor when he awakens. "Nnn..."
But he rises to his feet quickly, kipping up when he realizes where he is. He doesn't recognize it except by description. But there is a reason that Ikutsuki cleared him for this mission.
"..."
Reiya closes his eyes, and focuses. His Persona's special power allows him to evade notice; the Shadows he sees do not see him. However...
As he sneaks, keeping to the right and right turns, he will try to find the others--but the same power that conceals him from the Shadows will conceal him from Mitsuru's senses.
...If he were more experienced, maybe he could be selective, but his heart is beating too fast for that now. His internal landscape is far less collected than his demeanor.
MONAD: Reiya Aomori has acted with Ninjutsu toward Full Moon Rising! Escape and Diligence!
(|============================= Monad - Results ==============================|) -==== Full Moon Rising - Round 2 ==============================================- Mitsuru Kirijo Proficiency Success Noblesse Oblige Diligence and Empathy Fatigue: 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shizuka Kuroki Proficiency Success Inspired Tactics Diligence and Focus Fatigue: 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reiya Aomori Proficiency Success Ninjutsu Escape and Diligence Fatigue: 0 -============================= Party Conditions: ==============================- Starting Conditions: Annoying-1, Clumsy-2, Ineptitude-1, and Stupor-2 Final Conditions: Clumsy-1 and Stupor-1 -======================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====- -==== Reach: 2/6 |== | =====================================================- (|============================================================= Monad 1.0 ====|)
MONAD: Shizuka Kuroki has drawn a new Challenge!
<Pose Tracker> Mitsuru Kirijo has posed.
Where are they...
--There!
She can sense one of them. Shizuka. Mitsuru's eyes fly open and then narrow. She still can't feel Reiya; it's like he's a complete blank. Which can mean one of several things...
Mitsuru decides to assume the one that puts faith in Reiya's abilities, and pushes forward.
Thebel is dangerous. -All- of Tartarus is dangerous beyond - debatably - the ground floor (she has personally experience that suggests otherwise, but that's neither here nor there). But...
Mitsuru has also been doing this for over half of her life on this Earth so far. She, more than most, -knows- what she's doing.
So she maneuvers. She outpaces Shadows and, when she finds ones weak enough, just executes them outright. And eventually...
...
She's in the middle of doing just -that- when she finally finds Shizuka, spearing through a Shadow in perfect tandem with Penthesilea when her fellow member of SEES enters her line of sight. A refreshing, chill rush of wind blows through the stale confines of Thebel as Penthesilea disperses into countless sapphire shards, and Mitsuru hurriedly makes her way to her fellow Third Years' side.
"Kuroki! Are you unharmed?" asks the redhead, her brows knit in mild concern as she gives the bespectacled girl a once over. Only when she's satisfied does she nod towards the west.
"I found the stairs, this way. Come. We don't have much time to spare."
And off she goes again, without a word to be spared about the fact that Reiya is nowhere to be found.
From any outsiders' perspective, it might well look more than a little callous.
(|================== 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, |
| Scary - Guts Down L1, and Stupor - Academics 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> Shizuka Kuroki has posed.
Shizuka nearly drops her knives when Mitsuru jumps in, unable to suppress her gasp! She hops over to her, cheeks a bit red from stress. "Kirijo-san! There you are! Yeah, I'm okay!" She nods and gives a brave smile. Kirijo-san always made her feel braver.
As she and Mitsuru carry on, watching for Reiya, Shizuka perks up at a small sound in her ear. It's not like Tartarus didn't already have terrible ambient noise, but this was different... a person?
"Hey, Kirijo-san, you hear that?" She closes her eyes once again and cups a hand on her ear, cutting off one sense to strenghten the other.
At least that's how it worked in manga.
She figured Mitsuru, having mroe expertise as a navigator, might have a better sense of the area.
MONAD: Shizuka Kuroki has acted with Understanding toward Where Am I?! Base! <Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
It is a harrowing experience, being alone in Tartarus. Thebel is very dangerous, and Reiya has never explored it with the group, let alone on his own. But he was informed as to what to expect, and he will rely on that knowledge and his training.
...Seeing the faces in the wall, though, he wonders if they can see him, even if the Shadows seem not to.
Reiya's steps are as silent as his resonance. But the words are not. A voice echoes through his head. "...?" he wonders, but sees no source. He starts to converge towards that location... but he finds the stairs after Mitsuru and Shizuka have already climbed them, on account of the fact taht he's traveling more slowly. And then, he reaches a point where the Shadow is directly in his path; thre is no way around it.
"..."
"A man must face fear without faltering," he murmurs to himself, and draws out his Evoker. "To find and protect the others..."
"!" He doesn't call out for his Persona, but his eyes flash, a cut-in of his gaze on the screen.
If he fails, he can run. But before running--
He must try.
MONAD: Reiya Aomori has acted with Man's Talk toward Where Am I?! Automap!
<Pose Tracker> Mitsuru Kirijo has posed.
Hey, Kirijo-san, you hear that?
By the tightening of ruby red lips and the narrowing of dark red eyes, even if Shizuka -didn't- receive a clear verbal answer...
The answer is obvious on its own merit.
"... Yes," Mitsuru finally answers, when she finds the space in her extremely strained focus to form the words. Her gloved hand falls to her rapier. "I believe it would be in our best interest to locate the source of that voice. Follow me, Kuroki; if I'm right..."
Does that voice unsettle her? Does -anything- here? If it does, she certainly doesn't show it: for the outside world, Mitsuru is cold steel, unbending and freezing to the touch as she takes that initial step forward towards the source of that voice.
... and it's only after that step that she shows any outward reaction at all in the way her eyes suddenly -fly- open in alert and alarm.
The -exact- moment Reiya's Persona manifests.
"Kuroki -- this way!"
It's not a suggestion -- it's an order. And one that is accompanied by a sudden and fierce pivot as Mitsuru backtracks towards the exit in a fearless, dizzying rush of movement, expression hardened into resolve and her teeth gritting as she unclasps the holster of her Evoker. "Aomori is this way! I can feel him -- and if I can feel him, that means --" she doesn't have time to explain. Instead:
"Prepare fr combat!"
If she can get there in time --
Reiya will find support in a blooming flower of ice, bursting onto the field with a mighty shout of,
"GO! PENTHESILEA!"
MONAD: Mitsuru Kirijo has acted with Guts toward Where Am I?! Base! (|============================= Monad - Results ==============================|) -==== Where Am I? - Round 3 ===================================================- Mitsuru Kirijo Guts Failure Guts Base Fatigue: 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shizuka Kuroki Understanding Success Understanding Base Fatigue: 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reiya Aomori Guts Success Man's Talk Automap Fatigue: 0 -============================= Party Conditions: ==============================- Starting Conditions: Clumsy-1, Hard-2, Scary-2, and Stupor-1 Final Conditions: Hard-1 and Scary-1 -======================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====- -==== Reach: 3/6 |=== | =====================================================- (|============================================================= Monad 1.0 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Shizuka Kuroki has posed.
Shizuka jumps and runs after Mitsuru, flipping her knives open and grabbing her Evoker from her shoulder holster. "Got it!"
Right behind Penthesilia, spires of stone come up from the ground, accompanied by,
"GALATEA!"
(|================== 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 ====|)
MONAD: Reiya Aomori has drawn a new Challenge! <Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
Penthesilia and Galatea come to the rescue; Reiya is not particularly a tank as Persona-users go, so when he sees that ice blossom onto the Shadow and a stone crush the other, he cannot hide the look of relief on his face. "I am pleased to see you both," he says. "I apologize for falling behind."
He smiles, though, despite the apology. "...My power allows me to hide," he says. "So I will scout slightly ahead and let you know what I see. ...I will not move far enough apart to be out of your sight, though."
That voice--"I hear a voice," he says. "Faint..."
"Kirijo-senpai, do you know what it is?"
He sees the Shadow, and returns to the group. "There is a powerful Shadow ahead," he says. "...But an item that may be of use to us, as well." He looks to Mitsuru and Shizuka. "...I am less experienced than the two of you in combat, but I believe I can reach the treasure without being noticed."
In this small group... a Shadow like that is still dangeorus to take on.
MONAD: Reiya Aomori has acted with Proficiency toward Please Answer Me! Base!
<Pose Tracker> Mitsuru Kirijo has posed.
Flakes of ice crumble and drift into the air as Mitsuru makes her way forward. The most subtle of winces that ebbs and flows within an eyeblink on fair features indicates it's -not- an encounter she emerged from unscathed. But...
For her, that's not important.
"Aomori."
The name comes, cool and collected and professionally distant as ever. It'd take an observant person to see: the clues aren't in what she says, but -how- she says it.
In the subtle undercurrents of relief as they find Reiya, whole and healthy, before the Shadowws can get to him.
"... You have nothing to apologize for," she says, as that commander's mindset reasserts itself. "We had no idea what we were walking into. ... Frankly, making it this far in one piece is impressive enough. All of this will be valuable knowledge for the future."
The tip of her head in acknowledgment of what Reiya has to offer about his abilities; she is, quietly, glad to see her assumption was right. As he offers to scout ahead, she nods in approval, indicating to her in Shizuka.
"Than Kuroki and I shall cover the rear. Proceed cautiously; our destination is the source of that voice."
Does she know what that -is-, though.
"... I have some idea," is all she offers by way of vague answer. "But speculation is moot. We'll know for certain once we get there."
Not that they will have a smooth sail to their destination, if Reiya's report is any indication. Mitsuru's eyes narrow in thought, lips pursing as Reiya offers his suggestion. A second passes.
"... Very well. Then allow us to provide you a distraction. Kuroki." That dark red gaze tilts Shizuka's way. "Your Persona controls earth-based magic, yes? Could you have it, perhaps, strike--" Mitsuru leans forward carefully, her voice hushed as she indicates towards the western end of that room ahead. "--the far west wall?"
Throwing rocks to get attention?
It's a more viable strategy than you'd think, okay??
MONAD: Mitsuru Kirijo has acted with Rich Talk toward Please Answer Me! Focus and Smarts!
<Pose Tracker> Shizuka Kuroki has posed.
"It's definitely not a Shadow, unless there are Shadows that can talk..." Shizuka puts her knives away, brushing off her skirt. They had to be getting closer. That was good.
She crouches at the ready at the sight of the Shadow by the chest. That was gonna be one tough cookie... Reiya offers to sneak past it, and Mitsuru points her towards the wall. Yeah, that made sense!
"Right, I remember from studying up on it... Shadows seem to respond strongly to sound. Or vibration. Either way. I'll just have to make the most noise..."
She pulls out her Evoker and holds it under her chin, making sure to aim close to a corner before pulling the trigger. The woman carved in stone appears behind her and shoots a rock out near the top of the corner, making sure the stone bounces and clatters as much as possible on the way down.
MONAD: Shizuka Kuroki has acted with Trivial Pursuit toward Please Answer Me! Smarts and Efficient!
(|============================= Monad - Results ==============================|) -==== Please Answer Me - Round 4 ==============================================- Mitsuru Kirijo Academics Success Rich Talk Focus and Smarts Fatigue: 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shizuka Kuroki Academics Failure Trivial Pursuit Smarts and Efficient Fatigue: 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reiya Aomori Proficiency Failure Proficiency Base Fatigue: 1 -============================= Party Conditions: ==============================- Starting Conditions: Boss-0, Box-0, Clumsy-2, Hard-1, Scary-1, and Stupor-2 Final Conditions: Clumsy-1 and Stupor-1 -======================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====- -==== Reach: 4/6 |==== | =====================================================- -==== Loot So Far: ============================================================- Items: 1, Money: 1, Gear: 0 (|============================================================= Monad 1.0 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
Reiya is not good enough at reading people to recognize the subtleties of Mitsuru's words, but he does appreciate that she says he has nothing to apologize for. Valuable knowledge for the future... "All right."
Definitely not a Shadow, though. "Hm. Yes." It is a sound strategy! The sound of that voice--Mitsuru has some idea, but won't be speculating. Reiya inclines his head. "All right."
That's good enough for him. And his report...
So he tries it. Unfortunately, Reiya's expertise can't be fully brought to bear here; trying to stay perceived by his Team precludes hiding from the Shadow as effectively as before, and his new powers are as yet barely tested. Add to that that the Shadow berserks instead of checking out the sound of the earth...
They do have a fight. Mitsuru's leadership ensures that the fight is over in short order, at least.
"...Not entirely to plan," Reiya admits, "But we did acquire the treasure."
It's a potent healing item! "...If our objective is hurt, then this would help."
MONAD: Mitsuru Kirijo 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> Mitsuru Kirijo has posed.
Well.
It was the right idea.
Mitsuru stands by that.
The end result, however, is inevitably: violence.
Frost clings to corners and overhanging structures within the Tartarus chamber in the aftermath of that fight. Mitsuru, rapier in hand, rises from her crouched position as she exhales a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Flipping errant strands of ruby red over her shoulder as if for all the world her most important priority was maintaining that impeccable presentation, the SEES leader looks over her shoulder Shizuka and Reiya's way, brows furrowed.
"... C'est fini. Kuroki. Aomori. Are you alright?"
... But it's only once she's confirmed the wellbeing of her teammates that Mitsuru -actually- seems to relax to any measurable degree in the aftermath of that encounter, let alone decide to press on.
"Keep that on hand, Aomori. Depending on what we face ahead... that may become very useful indeed."
Further on they press. Mitsuru's goal is clear: whenever that voice speaks, she shifts directions until it leads them -closer- to it. Potentially dangerous -- who knows what is REALLY the source of that voice? -- but it seems the decision that Mitsuru has made, and she has no intention of reconsidering now.
Between various encounters and unexpected dangers, they've made good headway by the time they reach that empty room with its grand, arched window. Mitsuru walks towards it, pressing a gloved palm on the pane as she stares at that sickly green moon above.
For a precious moment, Mitsuru looks lost in thought, and not in any particularly -good- thoughts.
"..."
There and gone in a moment. She shuts her eyes. And then, she turns her attention back on the others.
"... Are you two well?" she repeats, more than a little stiffly. Her Persona manifests partially in a blue haze, as if trying to assess for herself. "Should it come to it, I am proficient in first aid. ... Not that I question your abilities, but. We are far past the point of turning back now."
Is she -- trying to make small talk? Is this what small talk is for Mitsuru?
God help us all.
MONAD: Mitsuru Kirijo has acted with Radio Communication toward Is Someone There?! Patra and Efficient!
<Pose Tracker> Shizuka Kuroki has posed.
Shizuka wipes the sweat off her brow, letting out a weary sigh. This was a lot... She looks over to Mitsuru, cool and collected as ever. How did she do it, honestly? "I'm fine, Kirijo-san. Man, that plan was a bust. The theory was... sound, though."
She turns her head towards where she feels the voice is coming from, glancing over to Reiya and Mitsuru. She means... there's nothing else that voice could be, right? Why are we so afraid to just say it? But who really knew in Tartarus?
She looks back over to Mitsuru as she checks up on her and Reiya. Okay, so maybe Kirijo-san can't do everything.
She lets out a small chuckle and a casual shrug, rolling her shoulders to show her condition. "Don't worry about that, Kirijo-san. I'm about as well as you are well-off!"
MONAD: Shizuka Kuroki has acted with Understanding toward Is Someone There?! Base!
(|============================= Monad - Results ==============================|) -==== Is Someone There? - Round 5 =============================================- Mitsuru Kirijo Understanding Failure Radio Communication Patra and Efficient Fatigue: 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shizuka Kuroki Understanding Success Understanding Base Fatigue: 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reiya Aomori Academics Success Academics Base Fatigue: 1 -============================= Party Conditions: ==============================- Starting Conditions: Bless-0, Clumsy-1, Hard-2, Stupor-1, and Stupor-2 Final Conditions: Hard-1 and Stupor-1 -======================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====- -==== Reach: 6/6 |=====| =====================================================- -==== Loot So Far: ============================================================- Items: 1, Money: 1, Gear: 0 (|============================================================= Monad 1.0 ====|)
(|================== Monad - Mission: Sneak Into Gekkoukan! ==================|)
-==== Round 6: Are You... Human? - Challenge Level 2 ==========================-
| Approach Options: Charm or Understanding |
| Conditions: Passage - Completion. |
-==== Challenge ===============================================================-
"Who's there? Are you... human?"
Climbing another floor of Tartarus, you manage to track down that voice -- at
the same time as every /other/ group which was trapped in Tartarus tonight.
Before you can ask questions about that, though, a girl steps out from behind a
strange rocklike formation -- it's Fuuka Yamagishi, scared and unsure. You might
not know the people you've just run into, but you're /all/ trapped in Tartarus,
right now, and there's strength in numbers. Together, you find a teleporter to
take Fuuka back to the entrance.
Whether you came in here to save her or not -- you can surely call this mission
a success.
(This Monad leads directly into Battle Royale! See the scenepost for more
details.)
Final Loot: 1 Item and 1 boxes of Money!
(|============================================================= Monad 1.0 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
"I am uninjured," Reiya answers specifically at the question of being all right. He does notice that she doesn't seem to relax until she knows, this time--but, well. That's what a leader is supposed to do, right?
"Understood."
The window... and the moon. It is a whole lot. "It is a grim moon," he says. "...Why does the phase not match the moon in the normal world...?"
To hear the voice. And the question--
"I am," Reiya says. "Tartarus is... more enervating than I had expected. But it is good to test my skills. And I am hopeful that we may achieve our objective."
A pause. "But I have no injuries. Thank you for offering."
Reiya is OK at small talk, but it doesn't occur to him that that's what's happening here. Instead, Shizuka makes a joke! "Oh," he says. "I understand. It's funny because you are healthy and Kirijo-senpai is wealthy."
MONAD: Reiya Aomori has acted with Academics toward Is Someone There?! Base! <Pose Tracker> Mitsuru Kirijo has posed.
"... The Dark Hour is out of sync with conventional space and time. It's... a consequence of its creation."
The answer to Reiya's question comes after pensive delay. It's also not elaborated upon; Mitsuru thinks that is, frankly, answer enough. And besides... she has to at least -try- to soften the mood. For morale, you see.
The results, are. Well.
Don't worry about that, Kirijo-san. I'm about as well as you are well-off!
"I don't believe that's physically possible."
... Well, you see.
There's a moment after that very direct assessment where one is left to wonder just what Mitsuru means by that. Maybe she's leaning into the joke. Maybe she's just unsure what Shizuka is trying to say and taking her literally. Maybe--
Oh. I understand. It's funny because you are healthy and Kirijo-senpai is wealthy.
"... Ah. You were making a joke."
...
Did she-- was she just saying it's literally impossible for Shizuka's health to match the sheer size of the Kirijo estate--??
(really it's probably an objective statement)
To her credit: Mitsuru's calm poker face does not shift an -inch- even as she grapples with internal embarrassment. This might just make the optics of it even worse, especially as she smoothly pivots away to start marching onward past the others.
"... Well then. If you're both healthy, then let's press on. Judging by the sound of the voice, we should be well on our way."
When you encounter something that makes you feel awkward, just remember:
YOU CAN JUST LEAVE
And it is with this wise advice in mind that Mitsuru takes the lead well away from any other possible socialization, just in time to find...
The others.
And a girl.
"Yamagishi-san. Thank god--"
Just in the nick of time.
In many, many ways.
<Pose Tracker> Shizuka Kuroki has posed.
Between Reiya's complete explanation of the joke and Mitsuru's complete sandbagging of the joke, Shizuka's shoulders come down in a slump.
"Tough crowd."
Well, when a joke falls flat, just remember:
YOU CAN JUST LEAVE.
And here's their ticket out of here in one Fuuka Yamagishi! "Yamagishi-san! We're here to get you home!"