2025-07-24: Poor Fortune
- Log: Poor Fortune
- Cast: Moriko Kumamoto, Yukari Takeba, Suzume Fukura, Tyler Gould
- Where: Moonlight Bridge
- OOC Date: July 24, 2025
- IC Date: June 15, 2012
- Summary: Moriko awakens to the Potential while returning home late at night. On patrol, SEES manages to find and assist her. Tyler gets his comeuppance.
<Pose Tracker> Multiboss has posed.
It is a very green evening, 12AM exactly. The Moonlight Bridge is the main traversal method between the islands that make up Tatsumi Port Island, often used for cars and motorcycles and the like. Right now, traffic is packed...
Because all the power went out and everyone's a coffin.
As one young woman crossed nearby on her bike, the Dark Hour arised. Instead of coffining up, however, she was left in a precarious position, and the Moonlight Bridge is the only place currently with good cover.
Several floating black dice with purple numbers and protruding green heads where the two should be float around, chilling the air around them. Icicle shards are launched at her, who has yet to be hit directly, as otherwise, she'd likely be dead.
SEES is on a routine patrol before the mission to rescue Fuuka. Can they make it in time...?
AS: Tyler Gould has readied for combat as Houdini! He is now fully healed! AS: Moriko Kumamoto has readied for combat as ! She is now fully healed! AS: Moriko Kumamoto has readied for combat as Otohime Gitsune! She is now fully healed! AS: Multiboss has readied for combat as Minor Fortune Shadows! It is now fully healed! Ready for 4 opponents!
<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.
Moriko's had a long day. Her studies hadn't suffered for it, though she was clearly split on her focus and as soon as the school day ended, she was out the door as quick as she could and on her way into the city. From there, it was a number of hours spent working on a bike from there. Only taking a break to eat a sandwich more or less by force when the owner of the shop kept poking her head with it until she caved.
She'd been lucky, that she wasn't caught and unlucky in that she underestimated just how bad the traffic was going to be. Wearing full leathers and a helmet, she was at least largely unrecognizable, probably helping things, all told. Pale blue-grey with a black and teal streaked helmet. The lights go out, the cars all stop, the lighting goes strange and she feels the engine stop. There's some muffled curses from behind that opaque visor and she slides from the bike, almost ignoring the strangeness at first as she gets the bike out of the road, onto the sidewalk. Giving it a few feeble attemps to start before giving up and determining it's a walk home.
It's only then that she sees how surreal everthing has gotten. Her grip going briefly slack. She has the wherewithal to drop the kickstand and starts to walk towards one of the coffins.
Only just barely does she spot the dice floating in the air. Scrambling back in a hurry and only barely managing to avoid knocking her bike over as she tries to get away from the icicles launching at her. She scrambles towards one of the cars, trying to find something resembling cover. "HEY!" She calls out, looking around hurriedly. Not having the presence of mind yet to strip her helmet yet. "SOMEONE HELP!" Then, with that out of the way. She begins to try and find anything that can help her out.
Can she throw a wrench? She's got her bag on her.
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
Patrol duty is always a creepy experience for Yukari. Green distorted landscapes, lorded over by the Moon on high. Coffins dotting the street, as a strange mist wafts over them...
... puddles of water become red like blood. She avoids stepping in them if she can, trying not to make a big deal about it.
But... a scream? Her eyes get drawn to a bridge... she remembers when it was opened up, so many years ago.
"... Is that? Let's go-!"
Yukari takes off at a suddenly quickened pace, her Evoker in hand, bow slung over her shoulders.
And once in range...
"Over here-! Run this way!"
... which may draw attention to her putting a firearm to her forehead, "Please help...! Io!" ...and pulling the trigger.
The Persona that forms, has a strange fey girl with features that might have been carved out of obsidian, raising her arms, and the Dice suddenly feel their ability to pursue her...
...slooowwiinnnngggg....
...dooownnnnn...
Which is likely quite helpful to their current predicament!
AS: Persona! Yukari Takeba has used the Almighty skill Sukunda on Multiboss! AS: Yukari Takeba's turn has ended. AS: Take! Multiboss takes 0 Almighty damage from Yukari Takeba's Sukunda. AS: Spd_Dn added!
<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
Suzume's actual experience, having only been recruited by SEES not quite two weeks ago, is pretty low. So sending her on a routine patrol so she gets used to the Dark Hour and the occasional Shadow is just good sense, especially if she's going to join them on bigger operations.
Which she is. She said so herself.
Suzume's first thought about a patrol like this: she could ride her bike. Unlike Mitsuru, she means an actual bike, not a motorcycle or even a scooter bike. There were no electronics on it, after all; just pedals and gears and a couple reflective strips.
Unfortunately for her that means she would get ahead of the group, so she is cursed to be on foot. She's dressed in her casual clothes rather than her uniform - jeans, a loose-fit green short-sleeved shirt - but she has put the red SEES armband on. Her tonfa are shoved into her belt, which isn't really effective; she needs to get some kind of carrier for them, because they keep banging against her thighs. She has her Evoker in her belt too, but at least that has an actual holster.
Suzume has lived through the Dark Hour enough times to ... well, not 'get used' to what it looks like. Can you even? But she's seen it before. She hates how *green* it is. It looks unnatural. Spooky, though she won't say that where anyone else in SEES can hear it if she can possibly help it. Spooky, empty, and ...
...with someone else in it?
Suzume straightens when she hears ice hit... something. The road? Ice in summer, though. That's unnatural. And then, a voice.
Suzume breaks into a sprint. "Catch up!" she calls back to the others from SEES, without giving them much more warning than that as she tears off. Suzume has a pretty good turn of speed, even if she is a bit out of practice from her track and field days, and she's small enough to dart between the stopped cars without sticking out much.
"Hey!" she calls, waving both arms at the figure. She does not recognize Moriko in her bike leathers, but she doesn't need to: "Over here!" Suzume brings the Evoker up and tenses up.
She's only done this once or twice. It takes her two tries this time, jabbing it roughly before firing -
"Come! ATALANTA!"
The lionskin-cloaked woman appears, her green cats-eyes glittering in the darkness. Suzume has the same basic idea as Yukari, but while Yukari slows the dice down, Suzume comes at it from the other direction; ripples surround Moriko, making it easier for her to move and get away!
AS: Persona! Suzume Fukura has used the Almighty skill Sukukaja on Moriko Kumamoto! AS: Suzume Fukura's turn has ended.
<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.
It's different, being part of a pack. A club. A team. But, once the mission was explained... it didn't take Tyler long at all to volunteer. For one, it meant an extra hour in the day to continue refining his Japanese. For two, the entire environment of the Dark Hour... is very suited to his tastes. Coffins lining the streets, the sickly green glow in the air, the bloody red puddles that are probably still water... it's beautiful.
For three? Keeping people safe from hostile paranormal entities?
Tyler Gould was born into this life. How could he really try and refuse fate, especially after being excluded from it by his family for so long?
He couldn't. It would be the worst kind of hypocrisy. So, he's here. Blending in with the night with his all-black attire, walking along with the rest of the small SEES patrol.
Of course, then there's the scream in the night, and Yukari's command to charge. Tyler, normally of long, steady strides is picking up the pace accordingly, though he's glad that the others are already making tracks by the time he starts.
"Is every night like this?"
It's certainly been every Dark Hour he's experienced so far! But with a threat in sight and a potential victim in need, the part that matters is putting that 'gun' to the side of his head with a steadiness that, to the observer, will likely cause more distress.
"It's showtime, Houdini."
He pulls the trigger. Glass breaks, and the artist in chains appears above. Said chains rattle angrily for a few moments, before starting to produce a green mist that seems rather similar to that which normally floods the Dark Hour, directed at one of those floating dice...
Only this isn't the kind anyone who wants to continue living wants to breathe in.
AS: Persona! Tyler Gould has used the Almighty skill Poisma on Multiboss! AS: Tyler Gould's turn has ended. AS: Take! Multiboss takes 0 Almighty damage from Tyler Gould's Poisma. AS: Poison added! AS: Tyler Gould gains 1 Limit from Schadenfreude! AS: Take! Moriko Kumamoto takes 0 Almighty damage from Suzume Fukura's Sukukaja. AS: Spd_Up added!
<Pose Tracker> Multiboss has posed.
As Moriko dodges the Bronze Dice, they're relentlessly fast. Up until Io comes in via Yukari to slow them down. They stagger, giving her room to proceed towards Suzume, who buffs Moriko up with her own speed. With the two boosts, Moriko can casually get away from them.
Tyler's poison washes over the Bronze Dice, causing one to reel backwards. It stings! But then, the Dice roll forward, moving to bash into Yukari, slash (?! they don't have hands, is it the sharp edges?) at Suzume, and pierce (ONCE AGAIN) at Tyler. They then roll around in the direction of Moriko, intimidating and threatening, but no damage is dealt...yet.
AS: Weapon! Multiboss has used the Strike skill Shadow Punch on Yukari Takeba! AS: You still have 3 regular actions and 0 bonus Weak actions! AS: Weapon! Multiboss has used the Pierce skill Shadow Stab on Tyler Gould! AS: You still have 2 regular actions and 0 bonus Weak actions! AS: Weapon! Multiboss has used the Slash skill Shadow Cut on Suzume Fukura! AS: You still have 1 regular actions and 0 bonus Weak actions! AS: Multiboss: Loses 37 HP from Poison! AS: Multiboss's turn has ended. AS: Avoid Best! Yukari Takeba takes 37 Strike damage from Multiboss's Shadow Punch. AS: Counter Neutral! Suzume Fukura takes 79 Slash damage from Multiboss's Shadow Cut. Critical Hit! AS: COUNTER! Multiboss takes 36 Slash damage in return for its attack! AS: Multiboss gains 1 Limit from Momentum! AS: Avoid Best! Tyler Gould takes 39 Pierce damage from Multiboss's Shadow Stab.
<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.
"I swear I'm going to hit the old man for whatever the hell he made that sandwich with." Moriko's talking to herself. She's clearly high on something. Bloody pools of water, magic dice that aren't loaded dice, people shooting monsters out of their head. She doesn't want to risk it though. She feels... well, faster and she can tell the dice are moving slower, so she rolls from behind the car she'd been using to protect herself and makes a sprint straight towards what she can only hope are real people and aren't something snapping in her head.
"Thanks!" She calls as she nears them. Still wearing the bike helmet. And she's about to keep running, but she slows down. She knows MOST of these people and if they're real, even if this isn't, she needs to at least- can she help? She goes briefly wobbly and grabs a car for support.
Then she turns and puts her hands up like she's ready to brawl with the things. "I'm not leaving you to this alone-" she gestures with her right, forward hand. In a quieter voice, "And if I'm hallunicating, sorry if I punch...ed you." Was that said out loud?
This is too surreal to be a hallunication from a sandwich right? Guy wouldn't have done that to her anyway.
"I've got your backs." She has no idea what she's getting into!
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
"Not every night. Honestly? This is pretty rare." Yukari answers Tyler on the matter, even as one of the Dice comes in to bash her and-!
Yukari does a quick sidestep, hands near her head! Like she'd just avoided a dodgeball in gym, rather than something that would have flattened her outright.
"Phew... close." She says as she looks down where that Dice struck, nervously... because she knows that.
It's not normal to be able to dodge that quickly either.
Moriko runs towards them, and declares they're joining in as Yukari answers- "No offense but - no. Just get down and out of sight! You're only gonna be in the way like this."
It's not that dissimilar to what she said to Suzume and Ririka, now is it? Except, it's not actually the same thing.
"Io!"
And again, the Persona appears with a shattering sound and blue flames at her feet, brown eyes reflecting azure, as suddenly energy spirals...
... and twists...
... until the Dice Shadows would not know which way is up and which way is down.
AS: Persona! Yukari Takeba has used the Almighty skill Pulinpa on Multiboss! AS: Yukari Takeba's turn has ended. AS: Nerve Up! Multiboss's SP +8! AS: Take! Multiboss takes 0 Almighty damage from Yukari Takeba's Pulinpa. AS: Panic added!
<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
"It's never happened for me on a night I went out," Suzume agrees with Yukari. The trip to Mementos doesn't count. It wasn't the Dark Hour then.
Suzume hops up on top of the car that, until moments ago, Moriko was hiding behind. Someone's going to find sneaker prints on their roof and be very confused by them later. (Nobody told her she *couldn't*, and it's not like it's moving right now...)
She expected Moriko to bail immediately. Except... she isn't. She's got her fists up.
---
BACK THEN
Suzume has her right tonfa held length-out, so she can strike with it like a club, and her hands are clearly shaking; her eyes are wide and she's taking shallow, frightened breaths. But she can't run - oh, she can, but the person she's standing in front of can't, a fallen student.
She takes a wild swing at the Pixies and is rewarded with more high-pitched laughter...
> Suzume struck!
> But Suzume's attacks can't connect now...
---
NOW
It's just like then, she thinks to herself. Which means: "What are you doing?" she calls down to Moriko. "Get out of here! You actually *can't* hurt them! I'll protect you but I can't do it if you're trying to hit them!" A pause, just for a beat, and then a confused: "Kumamoto?" From the arcade?
One of the dice slams into Suzume, edge-first, painfully. Her reaction is instinctive; she hammers on it with her tonfa, striking downward. She feels it press harder against her chest and stomach before she gets enough *down* on her impact to leapfrog over it.
Except there's not enough car for her to land on after that.
Suzume hits the road and rolls like someone who is used to taking a tumble. She pops back up, a bouncing stance with one tonfa raised, almost but not quite a boxer's guard. "Come out!" she calls, and not to Moriko.
Atalanta reappears, raising her bowgun-equipped arm. Pink sparkles glimmer along it, forming into an arrow - and when she fires it, it leaves a golden contrail in the air, bursting into pink and gold sparkles on impact!
<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
"It's never happened for me on a night I went out," Suzume agrees with Yukari. The trip to Mementos doesn't count. It wasn't the Dark Hour then.
Suzume hops up on top of the car that, until moments ago, Moriko was hiding behind. Someone's going to find sneaker prints on their roof and be very confused by them later. (Nobody told her she *couldn't*, and it's not like it's moving right now...)
She expected Moriko to bail immediately. Except... she isn't. She's got her fists up.
---
BACK THEN
Suzume has her right tonfa held length-out, so she can strike with it like a club, and her hands are clearly shaking; her eyes are wide and she's taking shallow, frightened breaths. But she can't run - oh, she can, but the person she's standing in front of can't, a fallen student.
She takes a wild swing at the Pixies and is rewarded with more high-pitched laughter...
> Suzume struck!
> But Suzume's attacks can't connect now...
---
NOW
It's just like then, she thinks to herself. Which means: "What are you doing?" she calls down to Moriko. "Get out of here! You actually *can't* hurt them! I'll protect you but I can't do it if you're trying to hit them!" A pause, just for a beat, and then a confused: "Kumamoto?" From the arcade?
One of the dice slams into Suzume, edge-first, painfully. Her reaction is instinctive; she hammers on it with her tonfa, striking downward. She feels it press harder against her chest and stomach before she gets enough *down* on her impact to leapfrog over it.
Except there's not enough car for her to land on after that.
Suzume hits the road and rolls like someone who is used to taking a tumble. She pops back up, a bouncing stance with one tonfa raised, almost but not quite a boxer's guard. "Come out!" she calls, and not to Moriko.
Atalanta reappears, raising her bowgun-equipped arm. Pink sparkles glimmer along it, forming into an arrow - and when she fires it, it leaves a golden contrail in the air, bursting into pink and gold sparkles on impact!
AS: Persona! Suzume Fukura has used the Pierce skill Holy Arrow on Multiboss! AS: Suzume Fukura's turn has ended. AS: Avoid Neutral! Multiboss takes 90 Pierce damage from Suzume Fukura's Holy Arrow. Critical Hit! AS: Charm added! Panic removed! Explosion! 40 damage! AS: Suzume Fukura gains 1 Limit from Schadenfreude!
<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.
Tyler had hoped that these things would fight him at a distance instead of getting close enough to try and (somehow) stab him. Put him in a normal fistfight, and he's gonna be in trouble. At least in the battles of the Dark Hour, he's got more tricks up his sleeve than usual to dish out.
But, those hopes were for naught, as he feels the pointy end of the thing slam into him. There's a yelp of pain, but it's mostly superficial -- the leather of his trenchcoat definitely helped ease some of the blow.
"Believe it or not, I'm not a," English, "voodoo doll," Japanese. "We should fight like proper magical beings..." is he trying to reason with the dice? Can they even hear him? He has no clue, but he definitely plans to make the point.
The innocent(?) in this ordeal comes towards the SEES group. Wants to help. He was in those shoes just a night ago.
There was a reason he left the Ouija Board at home, and grabbed an extra Evoker. Just in case a moment like this happened.
"Guess I'm just a lucky charm then, girls." But is it *good* luck or *bad* luck?
His attention turns to Moriko, free hand dipping down into his pocket and withdrawing -- no, not salt this time -- a second Evoker!
"You wanna fight, you're gonna need this." he tells Moriko, voice staying the same morose monotone as usual. Sorry, Yukari. He's extending the gun the newcomer's way. "Just do what I do."
The *other* hand raises his original Evoker up to his head, hand turned so that Moriko can see exactly what he's doing -- and how it doesn't harm him. "Freeze them, Houdini." The trigger is pulled.
Two can play at the ice game, as the escape artist proves as a field of icy spreads out from his chains and lash out at the group of dice!
AS: Persona! Tyler Gould has used the Water skill Mabufu on Multiboss! AS: Tyler Gould's turn has ended. AS: Block Worst! Multiboss takes 53 Water damage from Tyler Gould's Mabufu. Resist! AS: Bind added!
<Pose Tracker> Multiboss has posed.
Yukari creates a spiral of twisting energy... and the Dice start to roll. It doesn't seem controlled, as they're panicking in the only way a mindless Shadow knows how to panic. They roll around, not attacking.
Up until Suzume's Holy Arrow looses from Atalanta's bow, impacting straight on. The panic shatters into a charmed nature as ichor starts spilling out of the impact site, as the dice begin rolling into each other and trying to get the others to go away!
Tyler comes forth with an Evoker for Moriko and another blast of ice. The field of ice spreads outwards, knocking them backwards even as they exist the worst of it, clearly not an effective maneuver against them.
In return, the three dice roll into each of the Evoker'd up SEES, trying to give them a touch of dark energy that'll surely make them sick if it works. This is followed by a blast of sheer frost to the whole group, even Moriko, trying to chill them out! Moriko has just enough time to Awaken before it goes if she's lucky... but will she be able to resist the cold?
AS: Persona! Multiboss has used the Almighty skill Evil Touch on Suzume Fukura! AS: Charm results in party damage! Multiboss takes 40 damage! AS: You still have 3 regular actions and 0 bonus Weak actions! AS: Persona! Multiboss has used the Almighty skill Evil Touch on Yukari Takeba! AS: Charm results in party damage! Multiboss takes 40 damage! AS: You still have 2 regular actions and 0 bonus Weak actions! AS: Persona! Multiboss has used the Almighty skill Evil Touch on Tyler Gould! AS: Charm results in party damage! Multiboss takes 40 damage! AS: You still have 1 regular actions and 0 bonus Weak actions! AS: Persona! Multiboss has used the Water skill Mabufu on Suzume Fukura, Tyler Gould, Yukari Takeba, and Moriko Kumamoto! AS: Charm results in party damage! Multiboss takes 40 damage! AS: Multiboss: Loses 40 HP from Poison! Poison removed! AS: Multiboss's turn has ended. AS: Take! Yukari Takeba takes 0 Almighty damage from Multiboss's Evil Touch. AS: Sick added! AS: Avoid Neutral! Yukari Takeba takes 82 Water damage from Multiboss's Mabufu. Critical Hit! AS: Multiboss gains 1 Limit from Momentum! AS: Take! Suzume Fukura takes 0 Almighty damage from Multiboss's Evil Touch. AS: Sick added! AS: Block Neutral! Suzume Fukura takes 46 Water damage from Multiboss's Mabufu. AS: Take! Tyler Gould takes 0 Almighty damage from Multiboss's Evil Touch. AS: Sick added! AS: Block Neutral! Tyler Gould takes 58 Water damage from Multiboss's Mabufu. Critical Hit! Resist! AS: Multiboss gains 1 Limit from Momentum! AS: Avoid Neutral! Moriko Kumamoto takes 40 Water damage from Multiboss's Mabufu.
<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.
Moriko shoots Yukari a look and says, "What's that?" Sounding like she's trying to keep heself standing as much as anything. A challenge? She grew up surrounded by the culture and she's not about to back down! It might have had the opposite effect of what was intended. "I know my footwork." She points an accusatory finger. Though she is.. also a decent distance behind the others. She HAD been worried about getting in the way.
"Wait-" She frowns. Face masked still, "This isn't a hallucination?" There's some self doubt there at least.
That Suzume is ALSO telling her to leave gets a moment of hesitation though. "I've always intervened. I'm not about to abandon someone when they do the same for me!" That she doesn't know she can't punch the monsters probably doesn't help really.
The strange guy hands her a gun though, after talking to her. She gives him a look that is, you know, still hidden behind a visor. She finally pulls the helmet up and away. Putting it on the car nearby. It will help with the whole hearing and being heard thing.
She takes the gun after that brief hesitation. Watching the action unfold before her.
She can't help it, her first instinct was to point the thing at the dice and had been halfway to doing just that when he made it painfully clear what she was actually supposed to do.
"I'm haunting you if this is a cruel joke."
She lifts the gun with her left hand, hesitating long enough to push the thoughts away. This is either a bizarre dream, she's about to do something stupid or this is necessary. And she's not going to let the others fight for her. That's her job!
The barrel is pressed near the back of her jaw, angled up. She keeps her eyes open when she pulls the trigger. Staring.. mostly at the guy. She meant it about haunting him.
With a sound of shattering glass, an elegantly dressed, regal looking fox appears above her head. Twisting to face the dice before lunging forward and fading away. Her head recoils to the side. A spark of light forms, hovering briefly before the confused biker before spiraling forawrd at the closest dice. Die?
That's morbid. She barely gets her bearings together in time to scramble out of the way of the ice spell. Frost forming on her leathers and almost causing her to stumble away.
AS: Persona! Moriko Kumamoto has used the Light skill Kouha on Multiboss! AS: Moriko Kumamoto's turn has ended. AS: Avoid Neutral! Multiboss takes 85 Light damage from Moriko Kumamoto's Kouha. Weak! AS: Haze added! Bind removed! Explosion! 40 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
"Well you throwing salt at a bunch of Shadows and surviving is pretty lucky... but I'm not about to consider you my lucky charm."
Why is it so common recently? Yukari can't say she knows, since she hardly understands why people wake up during the Dark Hour.
She doesn't even know why she did, except that it was apparently a predictable event. There's at least some relief at Suzume backing her up on this.
There's literally nothing that can be done.
"I'm not going to argue with you! Just get in cover now!"
Which is when Tyler just hands over their Evoker!? "Hey!?" As she pivots to face him, both shocked and... angry, "What do you think you're doing! Don't just give that to her! She has no idea what's even happening-!"
Yukari storms up like she's going to simply knock the Evoker out of Moriko's hands... "Let go of that thing!" -if not for the intervention of the dice, which exploit her distraction by rolling dark energy her way, causing Yukari to suddenly feel nauseous, "Hghhh-uhhh!" She dry heaves once during a stutter step, and turns around, even as ice forms in the air, and Io-
Intercepts, the ice freezing the Persona in that brief moment... before it breaks free of the Ice.
And when she looks up, to see the barrel at her jaw, "Don't-!" But it's too late.
...
Yukari just stares again, as someone else gets caught up in this world. A world they didn't need to. Maybe tomorrow, she could have forgotten about this.
Maybe.
Now she can't look away.
"... Great. Just... great." She grouses, before turning around and putting the Evoker to her head again, and pulling the trigger, healing energy flooding Suzume as Io appears again, becoming an energy heart around her of cerulean, with a smell like a breeze near a freshwater pool.
Before she then takes a knee, nocking an arrow - and fires at one of the Dice in one smooth motion. With the intensity through which she does it...
... one might suspect it's not the Dice that she wants to hit right now, but she'll settle for them.
AS: Yukari Takeba spends Limit on Exploit! Yukari Takeba can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Persona! Yukari Takeba has used the Recovery skill Naiad Diarama on Suzume Fukura! AS: Weapon! Yukari Takeba has used the Pierce skill Please Hit! on Multiboss! 2 Hits! AS: Yukari Takeba: Loses 8 SP from Sick! Sick removed! AS: Yukari Takeba's turn has ended. AS: Take! Suzume Fukura takes 98 Recovery healing from Yukari Takeba's Naiad Diarama. AS: Yukari Takeba gains 1 Limit from Supporter! AS: Avoid Best! Multiboss takes 39 Pierce damage from Yukari Takeba's Please Hit!. Critical Hit! AS: Avoid Worst! Multiboss takes 41 Pierce damage from Yukari Takeba's Please Hit!.
<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
On one hand, Suzume hates that Moriko argued with her and stuck around instead of running away. Someone sensible would have run away. Jiro would have run away.
But on the other hand, Suzume *really* can't object to Moriko wanting to help.
---
BACK THEN
Suzume slowly turns the Evoker around to point it at herself. "Nobody dies to rescue me," she says, nearly inaudible. "I'll do it - myself...!"
---
NOW
Because she'd do exactly the same thing. And did.
(Does she just want to be the hero today? Or is there something else there...?)
"Just - " Suzume realizes she can't even give good advice, because she's been in so few battles, and almost none with SEES. Her gaze flicks over to Yukari briefly, then Tyler with a rather sharper look. "You had a spare? What the hell do you have that for? Don't tell me they gave you one just to hand out!"
She isn't sure what to make of that. But her attention is drawn back toward Moriko and her... "Is that a *fox*?" Suzume asks, baffled. She really didn't get the fox feel from Moriko the one time they met. In the arcade.
...maybe she's not really qualified to make that judgement.
But if it's anything like the time she fought, Moriko won't be able to do it for long, her first time. Suzume looks up, toward where Atalanta keeps appearing, then back down, clenching her hands around her tonfa grip. She's still trying to guard herself, moving toward Moriko to cover *her* too for what little good that gives.
Ice builds up around Suzume's feet, spiking upward. She braces with her tonfa, sliding back but with her guard broken, arms forced open by the force of the rising ice... which is when Yukari summons the scent of the sea, a shining energy heart.
"...Thanks." Suzume feels momentarily guilty for reasons she's not entirely clear on, but she has the energy to bring her fists back up. "Gonna end this. Atalanta! Help me!"
Wind starts to build around Suzume, swirling around her, a green-blue whirling gust. It rises past her knees, toward her waist, toward her chest, whipping her hair and loose clothes... and as it gets high enough, Suzume *rockets* forward. The wind surrounds her, whirling, dancing, like she was simultaneously a bullet propelled by it and at the center of her own personal tornado.
She drives in with both tonfa in a rapid flurry of punches, right-left-right, before crouching down and delivering a powerful uppercut to launch the die in the air with another explosion of wind!
AS: Suzume Fukura spends Limit on Psych! AS: Tandem! Suzume Fukura has used the Wind skill Race the Wind on Multiboss! 3 Hits! AS: Suzume Fukura: Loses 8 SP from Sick! Psych removed! AS: Suzume Fukura's turn has ended. AS: Avoid Neutral! Multiboss takes 37 Wind damage from Suzume Fukura's Race the Wind. Resist! AS: Avoid Best! Multiboss takes 25 Wind damage from Suzume Fukura's Race the Wind. Resist! AS: Avoid Worst! Multiboss takes 45 Wind damage from Suzume Fukura's Race the Wind. Resist!
<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.
"Oh, please do. It gets lonely otherwise." Tyler replies to the threat of haunting, voice carrying more tension than normal as he braces for impact of dice coming his way. Waiting for the girl to take the Evoker meant he didn't have time to properly get out of the way, so hopefully it's gonna be worth it...
The darkness comes first. Darkness which, he figures, should feel like an old friend... instead makes him feel green in the gills, cheeks puffing out before he forces himself to study. He doesn't even have time to properly feel the ick before the ice follows, and for as hard as it struck? Neither he *or* Houdini seem to be be that worst for the wear for it. It seems both he and the dice they're fighting have an affinity for the cold.
"You wound me, Yukari. Allow me to share my good fortune." is his reply to the archer. "Besides. I had no idea, either..."
The questioning comes next from Suzume, "It seemed like a good idea to grab one." he responds noncomittally -- if Reiya hadn't had one the other night, the odds are *he'd* be the one haunting them all tonight. "Looks like I was right."
Besides. The dice seemed to be affected much more by the newcomer's own magical strike than his own, despite his success yesterday. Which means it might be time for a change of tactics...
"Alright, Persona..." he lifts his Evoker to pull the trigger once more. This time, instead of ice, or poison.... it's pure *darkness* that escapes the chains, directed at and threatening to envelope the dice that threaten the group. Looks like he had a few tricks up his sleeve afterall!
AS: Persona! Tyler Gould has used the Dark skill Mamudo on Multiboss! AS: Tyler Gould: Loses 8 SP from Sick! AS: Tyler Gould's turn has ended. AS: Avoid Worst! Multiboss takes 103 Dark damage from Tyler Gould's Mamudo. Resist! AS: Charm removed! Explosion! 40 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Multiboss has posed.
Moriko awakens, her fox-like Persona blasting out lice at a die. It takes the hit, rolling backwards in pain into Yukari's arrow shot. The dice shudders as ichor pours straight out...and it dies.
Suzume and Tyler come in with a combination, windy tonfa punches smashing another dice into the air. As she does this, Tyler's darkness affects the two remaining dice, blasting the one in the air back down in such a smashing combination that it's destroyed immediately.
This leaves one left. The final die spreads a poison mist against Tyler and Suzume, before rolling as fast as it can (Which isn't fast it's still slow) to fire a shadow blast at Yukari! It then rams into Suzume, Moriko, and Tyler, trying to poison them with that same mist by ramming straight into them while it surrounds it. But it's lagging... this should be it.
AS: Multiboss spends Limit on Break! AS: Persona! Multiboss has used the Almighty skill Poisma on Tyler Gould! AS: You still have 3 regular actions and 0 bonus Weak actions! AS: Persona! Multiboss has used the Almighty skill Poisma on Suzume Fukura! AS: You still have 2 regular actions and 0 bonus Weak actions! AS: Persona! Multiboss has used the Dark skill Mudo on Yukari Takeba! AS: You still have 1 regular actions and 0 bonus Weak actions! AS: Persona! Multiboss has used the Slash skill Blight on Suzume Fukura, Tyler Gould, and Moriko Kumamoto! AS: Multiboss: Break and Spd_Dn removed! AS: Multiboss's turn has ended. It's time for an All-Out Attack! AS: Avoid Neutral! Moriko Kumamoto takes 82 Slash damage from Multiboss's Blight. Weak! AS: Break! Moriko Kumamoto can take another Weak action this round! AS: Take! Suzume Fukura takes 0 Almighty damage from Multiboss's Poisma. AS: Poison added! Sick removed! Explosion! 40 damage! AS: Break! Suzume Fukura can take another Weak action this round! AS: Avoid Best! Suzume Fukura takes 73 Slash damage from Multiboss's Blight. Critical Hit! AS: Break! Suzume Fukura can take another Weak action this round! AS: Multiboss gains 1 Limit from Momentum! AS: Take! Tyler Gould takes 0 Almighty damage from Multiboss's Poisma. AS: Poison added! Sick removed! Explosion! 40 damage! AS: Break! Tyler Gould can take another Weak action this round! AS: Avoid Worst! Tyler Gould takes 97 Slash damage from Multiboss's Blight. AS: Break! Tyler Gould can take another Weak action this round! AS: Avoid Best! Yukari Takeba takes 82 Dark damage from Multiboss's Mudo. Critical Hit! AS: Break! Yukari Takeba can take another Weak action this round! AS: Multiboss gains 1 Limit from Momentum! AS: Tyler Gould spends Limit on Shift! Moriko Kumamoto can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Tyler Gould spends Limit on Shift! Moriko Kumamoto can use another Weak skill this round!
<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.
Moriko squares up and stands her ground when Yukari stomps up to her, she's not going to back down of course! Though they're both interrupted by things beyond their control happening. And then Moriko takes the plunge because she's always been the sort to intervene and the idea of having it done to her, rankles some pride she didn't know she had. She may not seek out the spotlight, she might have a reputation for fighting, but it's hers!
"I don't." She states simply to Yukari right before she had pulled the trigger. "You're right."
That it took something out of her to do that is confusing, but she clenches her teeth and forces herself to stay standing. She wants to be strong.
"You three are filling me in on this after." She sounds a bit tired already, but she's going to push through it.
"That's kinda weird." She admits to Tyler. "Appreciate the help though." She's got a rougher way of speaking when saying that.
The dice is slower, but that doesn't matter when you're clearly not expecting the thing. She puts her arm out, rolling to the side at the same time. That hit a lot harder than she expected it to and she visibly whinces and flinches back away from the dice, dropping to a knee briefly. She's taken worse crashes, why had that hurt so much?
Pushing herself back up. She looks around, grabbing for the evoker. Lifting it through the ache in her arm. She's still left handed!
The trigger is pulled, the fox spins into the air above her and lands before her. Sitting up regally and letting out a sharp bark. Dragging the remaining die down. Trying to crush it beneath the weight. Only to follow up with a series of sharp spikes when it's in reach. Each striking from the ground with a crunching crash.
She has no idea why her own persona is a fox dressed like a shrine maiden. That's something to talk to the others about later. Though Suzume's questioning look was met with a shrug of her own. Even if it's with a bit of a grimace.
AS: Persona! Moriko Kumamoto has used the Earth skill Riotous Gryva on Multiboss! 3 Hits! AS: Persona! Moriko Kumamoto has used the Earth skill Magna on Multiboss! AS: Persona! Moriko Kumamoto has used the Earth skill Magna on Multiboss! AS: Persona! Moriko Kumamoto has used the Earth skill Magna on Multiboss! AS: Moriko Kumamoto's turn has ended. AS: Avoid Worst! Multiboss takes 51 Earth damage from Moriko Kumamoto's Riotous Gryva. AS: Paralyze added! AS: Avoid Worst! Multiboss takes 51 Earth damage from Moriko Kumamoto's Riotous Gryva. AS: Paralyze added! AS: Avoid Neutral! Multiboss takes 45 Earth damage from Moriko Kumamoto's Riotous Gryva. AS: Paralyze added! AS: Avoid Neutral! Multiboss takes 75 Earth damage from Moriko Kumamoto's Magna. AS: Bind added! Haze removed! Explosion! 40 damage! AS: Avoid Best! Multiboss takes 56 Earth damage from Moriko Kumamoto's Magna. AS: Bind added! AS: Avoid Worst! Multiboss takes 92 Earth damage from Moriko Kumamoto's Magna.
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
Moriko notes that she's right, "That doesn't make it any BETTER!" She shouts, as Moriko indicates that they're just going to fill her in after.
And Yukari looks livid, from the idea. Because again. Again someone...
Suzume thanks her for the healing, "Don't mention it." She says, and there's a terse edge. She's not angry at her right now.
Good fortune he says.
"You think this is... GOOD FORTUNE?"
Wow, one guy sure knows how to accidentally push Yukari's buttons.
A shadowy blast suddenly erupts from the Dice, as Yukari suddenly does a quick side step, and a pivot, only catching the tail end of the killing blast. "Too obvious." She chides the Shadow, angrily.
She knows even now - she's risking her life. She could die. All of them could.
Io summons winds, which rise about the Persona, buffeting her hair, before they descend, smashing down into the Dice in a swirling, churning maelstrom.
Even as Yukari raises a Skill card, and a lance of light forms between Io's outspread hands, then hurtles down towards the Dice she tried to pin into place.
AS: Persona! Yukari Takeba has used the Wind skill Garula on Multiboss! AS: Persona! Yukari Takeba has used the Pierce skill Single Shot on Multiboss! AS: Yukari Takeba's turn has ended. AS: Avoid Worst! Multiboss takes 132 Wind damage from Yukari Takeba's Garula. Critical Hit! Resist! AS: Haze added! Bind removed! Explosion! 40 damage! AS: Multiboss is unable to continue fighting! AS: Avoid Worst! Multiboss takes 88 Pierce damage from Yukari Takeba's Single Shot. AS: Multiboss is unable to continue fighting!
<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
"Ugh," is Suzume's not-very-helpful response to Tyler. "There's nothing lucky about this, except how we ran into her before they got her! And don't try to do the strange-and-mysterious thing! You're trying too hard! Especially with the 'strange American' thing. <I speak English>!" (Not well. Her accent is pretty harsh.)
This really isn't the time... And, honestly, Suzume *does* realize this because she doesn't push it. She is trying to keep Moriko safe here, and it looks like - in what's finally going her way - Moriko prefers to stay back. Which means Suzume, with her fists, can stay in front. "Stay back," she suggests to Moriko; if she won't run she can at least stay protected, fox priestess Persona or no.
Suzume blocks the die rolling into her, but turns it from a straight block into a sidestep. Both of them get lucky; Suzume manages to roll the die in such a way that it bounces away from her, but still manages to catch one of the points in her gut, which makes her stagger. Thank goodness for Yukari's help, or...
But she *did* get it, so she's still up.
Suzume lunges in, striking with her tonfa again - just like her previous flurry, but without Atalanta's obvious assistance. There's no wind, but she's trying to literally 'roll' the die away from the rest of the group, bounce-bounce-bouncing it with powerful strikes as she tries to stop it from chasing the others down, ricocheting it off any convenient rock pillars.
Only with her last strike does Atalanta reappear, slamming downward herself to drive the Shadow into the road, a little shockwave radiating away from the impact point! Suzume follows this up with an arm thrusting upward...
...and like Yukari, she has a Skill Card between two fingers. But unlike Yukari, what *she* summons is a sudden short-lived geyser!
AS: Weapon! Suzume Fukura has used the Strike skill Powerful Blow on Multiboss! 2 Hits! AS: Persona! Suzume Fukura has used the Strike skill Hurl Down on Multiboss! AS: Persona! Suzume Fukura has used the Water skill Aqua on Multiboss! AS: Suzume Fukura: Loses 42 HP from Poison! AS: Suzume Fukura's turn has ended. AS: Avoid Worst! Multiboss takes 47 Strike damage from Suzume Fukura's Powerful Blow. AS: Multiboss is unable to continue fighting! AS: Avoid Worst! Multiboss takes 47 Strike damage from Suzume Fukura's Powerful Blow. AS: Multiboss is unable to continue fighting! AS: Avoid Neutral! Multiboss takes 85 Strike damage from Suzume Fukura's Hurl Down. AS: Multiboss is unable to continue fighting! AS: Avoid Best! Multiboss takes 33 Water damage from Suzume Fukura's Aqua. Resist! AS: Paralyze added! AS: Multiboss is unable to continue fighting!
<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.
Tyler has his bag of tricks... and it seems like the dice are pulling tricks out of the same bag. Ice. Darkness. Poison. It's been a rampant enough assault against him that this time when the die rams into him, not only can he not avoid it, but it sends him sprawling to the ground.
He certainly handled that last battle better. Maybe he's not, in fact, anyone's good luck charm... except maybe Moriko's, tonight.
"C'mon, you can do this. Hit them as hard as you can." Her attacks seemed to be a lot more effective than his own against these particular opponents, so... maybe encouraging *her* the same way the others encouraged *him* will help turn the tide of this battle.
"It's okay. I'm kinda weird." He replies to Moriko. An understatement, for sure.
Still on the ground, he's not about to argue the fact that, no, this isn't exactly their time for a lucky break. His, especially. But the dice are still rolling, and he has to lend his own power to this final attack.
From the ground, evoker moves to head. Eyes focus blurry vision on the dice (did his glasses get knocked off? Yup, they might have!).
"Once more, Persona."
The darkness flows forward from Houdini again, fully intent on sufficating the remaining dice along with the other attacks from their side.
AS: Persona! Tyler Gould has used the Dark skill Maeiha on Multiboss! AS: Persona! Tyler Gould has used the Dark skill Maeiha on Multiboss! AS: Persona! Tyler Gould has used the Dark skill Maeiha on Multiboss! AS: Tyler Gould: Loses 35 HP from Poison! AS: Tyler Gould's turn has ended. AS: Avoid Neutral! Multiboss takes 77 Dark damage from Tyler Gould's Maeiha. Critical Hit! Resist! AS: Blast added! Paralyze removed! Explosion! 40 damage! AS: Tyler Gould gains 1 Limit from Schadenfreude! AS: Multiboss is unable to continue fighting! AS: Avoid Best! Multiboss takes 53 Dark damage from Tyler Gould's Maeiha. Critical Hit! Resist! AS: Blast added! AS: Multiboss is unable to continue fighting! AS: Avoid Best! Multiboss takes 35 Dark damage from Tyler Gould's Maeiha. Resist! AS: Blast added! AS: Multiboss is unable to continue fighting!
<Pose Tracker> Multiboss has posed.
Moriko flurries earth into the die, grappled by her Persona and forced into one position until it flies backwards. Yukari pins it once more, wind slamming it into the ground. Her single shot smashes into its face, causing it to leak that ink even from there.
Suzume strikes with her tonfa again, rolling it away before it can counter attack, as it bounces back and forth like a pinball until it's flying through the air. It falls down into the earth, water soaking into it messily... before that wave of darkness washes down, suffocating the die. It stops moving, eventually.
And then it fades into nothing.
There are no more Shadows nearby... it's clear. However, the Dark Hour is also ending sooner than later, so it might be best to... get out of the road, and not linger among traffic. Moriko's bike may have to be dragged back.
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
Yukari takes a deep breath in the aftermath, as she holsters her Evoker and shoulders her bow, "Guess we're done here." Before turning around, and smiling as she walks up to Tyler Gould.
"Hey Tyler-kun?"
And the moment she gets in range, she attempts to slam her fist hard into his Solar Plexus, as hard as she can.
Scary that she can try to do that with a smile on her face.
Now whether she misses or strikes home, she does try to step past him and keep walking.
"... You two can 'explain everything' to her. I'm going back."
She doesn't even know her name... but, it doesn't matter.
She needs to sleep off this sudden foul mood.
<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.
"Doesn't it?" She replies, almost chceekily to Yukari. She couldn't help it. That it's nto helping the situation means she'll probably apologize for it later. It's been a very strange night!
Luckily, Moriko doesn't know enough to know that she is a Fortune arcana or she'd probably have a comment to the follow up.
She does agree though, "I think luck's left the building." Whether it's bad food related, shroom related or living waking nightmare related.
There's a lot happening, she'd already tried to step in to help Suzume up when she staggers. Ignoring the numbness in her arm that's only now starting to clear itself. Someone's down and needs help and she's going to!
She's also too slow, but the intent was there.
"Well, if you know yourself." She doesn't sound put out by it at least. "Salt though?" That doesn't seem helpful if they didn't want her trying to brawl the dice with her reinforced gloves!
With the dice falling to the ground, fading away into nothing she then... promptly sits down after grabbing her helmet. Using it as an adhoc stool for a moment. She places the palms of her hands against her eyes. Brushing the handle of the pistol against her cheek which gets her to jerk away from it and look at it. She doesn't throw it away, but it's also clear she's a bit... unsure of it at this point.
Yukari sucker punches Tyler which gets her out of her revery, "Hey!" But Yukari's gone. Then she just shakes her head and tries to figure out where to put the weird gun down at. Or away. Or whatever.
"So.." She starts herself. Then uses her free hand to sweep the surrounding... weirdness. "Did I crash?"
<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
Suzume keeps her tonfa out for a few moments longer, spinning them once on their grip before shoving them through her belt loops. And, once again, realizing she needs to get a better way to carry those.
"OK," she says to Moriko. "You didn't crash, at least, unless you did it before we got here. It's something else. I guess you're coming back with us. This is why you got moved to the dorm, though. We're all a bit like this." A glance at Tyler. "Well, not like him." Then Yukari. "...Or her. Anyway, dorm. There's an explanation there. They gave me one last week."
She does not wince at Yukari's punch. Instead, she walks over to look up (or down, if he fell) at Tyler "Owned," she informs him.
And then she realizes - "Hey! You can't just bail on us," she calls after Yukari. "I'm not dragging this bike back myself and she's going to be too wiped to do it!" She isn't even counting Tyler, either because of the punch or because of his... Tyler-ness.
Suzume fumes for a moment when she realizes she's going to have to anyway.
<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.
The enemies are defeated! Victory is theirs once again! Everything hurts but it's alright!
Hey, Yukari's coming over to way something! Tyler rolls over onto his back, still in the mostly prone position, expecting that the healer is getting ready to help him up to his feet...
...only to get struck by a sneak attack of her own, no where to run as fist strikes true, and the world goes as dark as he might claim his soul to be with a better command of the language.
Yukari has discovered the strange and unusual one's very normal weakness, and that leaves Suzume as the one left and in a condition to give the answers that Moriko might want.
Owned, indeed.