2025-08-05: Knives Out

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<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.

        Finally.
        FINALLY.
        Myunghon has been driving and walking all around the Greater Tokyo Metropolian Area, knocking off a whole bunch of locations that they've received from their intel to be associated with Kaneshiro -- which ended up with a whole lot of red herrings -- and now they've finally isolated the half-a-kilometre block where their Palace might be in Shibuya, because--
        Because they've sent a message to those interested to go meet at a Benny's, a family restaurant. They're upstairs and they've booked the whole floor, and there's blissful air conditioning (sorry Shinjiro) to protect against the sweltering June air.
        Also because...
        They're looking pretty deathly right now as they perch on one of the chairs in their usual manner, deploying god-knees and superior ankles, and looks like they're about to throw up and their already usually pale face is even paler than usual. So this is what Palace Sickness looks like (they came up with that term just now)?
        Being a Navigator isn't always fun and games.
Ayame Watanabe has arrived from Historia: The White Chronicle. 

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.

Shinjiro Aragaki slept on the streets again. It wasn't because there's anything wrong with the safehouse, of course, but after his meeting with Mitsuru he felt guilty and like he needed to self-flagellate, so he went back to his usual spot.
When the call was received, however, he promised to show. Now, dressed in his red coat and beanie, Shinjiro is... shivering.
"Fucking cold," he says as he walks in, placing his order. Hamburg steak with a side of croquette. He settles in near Myunghon, clearly showing tired eyes again and dusty, dirty clothes. "You alright, Myunghon? We've got the whole floor, yeah?" 

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.

"I... can't believe I came all the way to Tokyo to meet at a Benny's" Yukari says with an air of slight exasperation, "I almost didn't even answer the text because I thought it was a weird prank."
 
Shinjiro complains and Yukari is just, "Well yeah, what do you expect at a place like this?"
 
There's a sigh, before she then glances towards Merry because...
 
"Uhhh you don't... look so... uh - just a second."
 
Yukari reaches into her bag, and after some fumbling brings out a packet of something and flags the server to ask for some warm water.
 
Once she gets it, she pours of granules into it, mixes it up with a straw...
 
...then hands it over to Merry. "Here, sip this slowly. Just some Goreisan."
 
Yukari herself has just ordered some miso soup and green tea. She's on a diet. Not that she'd say that to anyone. 

<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.

Shinobu... is not a Navigator. She's someone who knows people, but that's not going to help much here - especially since most of the people she knows are wise enough to stay out of Junya Kaneshiro's business.
She doesn't know what that says about them, then, that here they are planning to dive right into it. But, that's not enough to dissuade Shinobu, who arrives at the Benny's at the appointed time.
They were able to rent out the whole upper floor? ...Well, she can't deny that they need the privacy. Shinobu arrives with her own - the hamburger steak and chicken, as well as a drink.
She stares at Myunghon for a moment, though.
"...You alright, boss? You look more half-dead than usual." Shinobu asks. Despite her tone, she is a little concerned. She takes a seat, and offers Shinjiro and Yukari a nod. ...It looks like the latter's trying to help Myunghon out, at least, so that's a relief. 

<Pose Tracker> Remi Ryuuja has posed.

Remi has lending what aid she can, but for reasons that she hasn't discussed with Myunghon but that they likely already know... her being directly involved in this manner would be... problematic.
But that doesn't keep a certain woman by the name of Ariel from lending a bit more direct--if still covert--form of assistance.
She's sitting near Myunghon, but in a bit more normal manner, with her legs crossed at the knee. She has short black hair with a fringe and bangs that frame her face, and thick black glasses. She is dressed in a long brown ankle-length dress with a slit up one side, a long-sleeved dark yellow top underneath, black tights, and sensible black shoes. She's also has a tan trench coat, and despite all of the layers and her best attempts to suppress it... she can't help but let out a little shiver every now and again.
She glances to Myunghon, quietly asking, before anyone else arrives. "... are you quite alright, dear? I know this is important but... please, do not overextend yourself."
But she looks to Shinjiro as he enters and gives him a small, enigmatic smile. "Greetings." But she's studying him carefully as he shivers and complains about the cold.
"... And our dear archer friend. Greetings," she says to Yukari. She looks curiously at what the girl offers Merry. She also offers a quiet nod to Shinobu.
For her own order she has a salad and some water, apparently. 

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

        So what was Umie doing to contribute to this grand Navigator effort (does she even count as one because it doesn't feel like she qualifies???)? Well, there were some... setbacks, on Umie's part. But that has nothing to do with right now. Forget Joker Killers and whatever the hell else; if they don't have a plan, the Hirasaka Ward may become bulldozed over by some Shibuya transplants.
        Speaking of, they're in Shibuya! She ordered the rice casserole with shrimp. "This is a good Benny's, though. Lot better than the ones in Sumaru City," Umie points out to Yukari, as if that makes it any better.
        "So this is the part where you, Merry, explain what's going on. No real estate chat." Forgive Umie if she's a little sassy. To guard against the healthy A/C regimen, she has her windbreaker zipped up. "Is this some navigator resonance business?" Yes, Umie is still running with the term, despite only hearing it *once*, maybe, from Mitsuru. (How long ago was that? Really, not that long? Guhhh)
        "What did we see back there with Kaneshiro, Merry? You saw it, and I saw it, but nobody else did. Then we got talking about vacations and I lost the thread."
        Speaking of... Myunghon looks a little... green in the gills? ".... You okay, also? Is this what your message was hinting at?" She settles back in her booth, crossing her arms. "I mean, I can't say no to a good Benny's run, but I'd like some context." 

<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.

        "I'll manage, Shinjiro-ssi," Myunghon admits weakly to Shinjiro. The others don't look sick. Is this a side-effect of their enhanced sensitivity? Would some other navigators, like that girl who was lost in Tartarus, feel this as keenly, or worse? Is this going to affect their ability in the Palace? They really hope not. If they were useless because of sickness, then this whole plan might just be a bust for them.
        "Ah, thank you, Takeba-san. I haven't had these in a while... you're really prepared. I'm grateful," Myunghon answers, and accepts the pills -- wincing a little -- and then taking them down with some water.
        There's a short, whallow breath as they nod to Shinobu. "Yeah. I'm really hoping this will clear if we do finally enter it -- I've never had a problem in Mementos." There's a faint smile at Ariel's concern, but then they say, "If we don't do this, it's not just the shop, Ariel. They've threatened Kasu High and other schools too."
        Their energy redoubles as they remind themselves of the stakes. "I'm doing this for Hirasaka. Our community."
        Umie gives them a little sass! "You're going to make the sick one explain it all...? Hmm. It doesn't look like you're feeling it like I am, so... maybe it's not everyone with the sensitivity...?" Myunghon looks like they've just exploded a branch of theories in their brain, but there's no time to dissociate and enjoy their own Mind Palace at this point in time.
        "Anyway. Thank you all for coming. As you might know, Junya Kaneshiro is a bit of a thorn on our collective side at present, having threatened many in Hirasaka and Shibuya both. When he left on that day, both Akabane-san and I sensed a rippling distortion from him... as far as I understand, a sign that he's manifested a Palace, which, to the extent of my knowledge, is a supernatural space that you navigate to not unlike Mementos." They're not 100% about that, but... it feels like it's in the right direction. It's harder to corroborate this.
        "From the community's efforts, we then know that to discover somebody's Palace, you need to know three things:"
        They raise a lanky, bony finger covered in bandages.
        "Their name and identity."
        Another finger.
        "The location where their Palace has created a distortion -- so sensed because right now, I feel like I'm on death's door."
        And a third.
        "And third... the form the Palace takes."
        They set their phone down, where it's open to the Meta-Nav. "And then we use this phone application, which no one has been able to figure out where it came from, and input our guesses."
        Myunghon gestures, still managing to look somewhat presentable despite their sickness. "And there we have it. We have one and two -- Junya Kaneshiro, Yakuza Crime Boss; this stretch of Shibuya, and now I'd like to request some collective imagination."
        They lower themselves and put their hands together, placing their chin over the back of their palm. Sadly, they don't have glasses to reflect like mirrors like they're about to put their child in a robot. "What form do you think the Palace of a money-obsessed Yakuza boss resembles?"
        Then, looking at people having food, they actually stare down at the menu, because they haven't thought about food, which is incredibly usual of Myunghon. "Oh, can I order the kid's meals...? Do they come with a toy?"
        SIDE-TASK: Get Myunghon to Actually Eat Instead of Getting a Happy Meal Toy and Not Eat Their Food 

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.

Shinjiro nods once, worried about Myunghon. Shinjiro-ssi, huh? He must have upgraded...
Yukari, though, gets a shake of a head. "It's colder than usual." Air conditioning, his nemesis!
Umie gets a little nod, as does Shinobu and...Ariel, whoever that is (he recognizes her from the Cardboard Dragon, but doesn't know who she is). He shivers again, but he's listening carefully to Myunghon. "So we have the first two... first, empty your mind of any theories, until all the facts are in. Instead of starting on bullshit about a secret backstory or something, we gotta start at the end of our queries... what do we know about Junya Kaneshiro?"
He's going to give some guesses himself, until Myunghon starts TALKING ABOUT HAPPY MEAL TOYS. "Playing with a happy meal isn't going to rid of your nausea. You need to eat something nourishing, maybe some protein." Despite having already ordered, he looks over the menu, trying to find some recommendations for Myunghon. It is pretty obvious that is what he is doing. 

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.

"I just keep on some on me at all times. You never know when one of the girls around you in class is feeling under the weather." She tells Merry, like it's no big thing to just be prepared.
 
And like it's never for her, when obviously it absolutely is.
Yukari looks to Shinobu as she returns to her soup - then looks at Remi at the invocation of being called 'Archer friend' just like she was called Yumi recently, "You can just call me Takeba, you know."
 
Then she gives Umie a sidelong glance as she indicates Sumaru's is worse, "I'm not sure how... next you're gonna say it's due to some Rumor or something."
 
'I'm doing this for Hirasaka. Our community.'
 
"What are we doing anyway?" As she looks back and forth between Umie and Merry as if to ask 'Saw what?' because she saw nothing!
 
"A... Palace." She repeats as Merry explains, "And it's like Mementos... right." They said it last time and she'd mistaken it for a trip to a /Palace/ Palace.
 
Leaning forward a little she inspects the phone app, as she tries to memorize the conditions and... "A phone app. That... doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Is it a problem that I only have a flip phone?"
 
But then Yukari furrows her brow, and thinks of the locations that a money-obsessed Yakuza boss...
 
"A resort? Or... oh what about a big yacht?"
 
Yukari taps a mail to SEES... send, send, send... A mail comes back, which she taps and opens, reading.
 
"A vault full of money that he swims around in- Oh get serious-!"
 
She taps back an angry reply and before long- 'dont get mad at me! i heard thats an american thing!' 

<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.

'Shinjiro-ssi'. Shinobu glances his way. If they're referring to him that way, he must've done something to earn their trust... Her estimation of him goes up a few notches.
"You think it has something to do with the Palace...?" Shinobu considers, as Myunghon says they hope it'll clear up. "What, 'cause it, like... knows you're hunting it, or something?"
Shinobu looks toward Ariel. She considers her suspiciously for a moment. There's no recognition on her face, her disguise works well enough on her... but that's part of the problem, because everyone here she's seen. ...Still, Myunghon seems to vouch for her, so Shinobu lets it go.
"...Yeah. There's a lot at stake here. I really don't wanna see Hirasaka under his thumb." Shinobu mutters. Her thoughts go to Tsubasa, briefly. Kid has it bad enough as is, without adding that onto it. She looks toward Umie, then - offering a brief nod of greeting before considering her words.
"...Yeah, I noticed you seemed to pick up on something. I didn't see it, but..." Shinobu comments with a shrug.
She looks back toward Myunghon as they start to explain. A name and indentity... Check. Location... maybe close to check? The form... and then, the app. Shinobu leans in to look closer - then pulls out her own phone.
"...Yeah, I don't have it, either." Shinobu comments, nodding her agreement with Yukari. "Creepy-ass logo, though. Is that an eye?"
She frowns, though, getting back at the topic at hand. Shinjiro raises some good points. Don't focus on theories.
"He's an asshole." Shinobu provides... then offers some clarifications. "...A rich asshole with all kinds of connections, who thinks he can do whatever he wants."
She pauses and looks toward Yukari briefly.
"Oh yeah, I think I read those comics..." She considers briefly, before looking back toward Myunghon.
"I don't... think so?" Shinobu considers. "...Do they? Benny's is kind of outside my usual price range..." 

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

        Yukari asks what they're doing. "We're eating at Benny's," she says, flatly, with a shrug. "For all I know. that could be the case. Lot of diners that hate outsiders getting into their territory..." Sumaru is just weird, like that.
        Myunghon points out Umie's not 'feeling it' like she is. "Am I... supposed to be sick? I mean," she begins, slouching disagreeably back in her seat. "I just thought it was..."
        She's been feeling restless and sassy since she got here. She practically grumbled her order at the poor waitress, has been folding her arms the entire time, and is forcing a poor, sick Merry to explain everything. Her finger's been tapping on the table. She's been shifting in her seat.
        (And here Umie just thought she needed to stop by the Triple Seven for some items. But even if that was the case, she's not like *this* during her tim--)
        Shinobu is spared the anger, Umie reigning it in with a little wave back. "So this is similar to Mementos, huh. And this... distortion is why I feel like..." ... she wants to clock someone?
        What does Umie think the Palace of a money-obsessed Yukuza boss resembles? She sighs, rubbing her neck. "I dunno. A bank? A bank, made of gold?"
        One can practically see the blood vessel bulge on the side of Umie's forehead as Myunghon considers a toy. "When have you last eaten, Merry? Happy Meal's not going to cut it, unless that toy's going to..." Oh. "I guess that toy could be useful, with how weird it gets in there. I gave a paper crane to some pixies and they flew off on it." 

<Pose Tracker> Remi Ryuuja has posed.

Remi didn't notice what Myunghon and Umie did... but she did notice that Myunghon noticed. She was standing right next to them, after all. But she keeps quiet on that front.
She sighs quietly to herself, her smile momentarily fading as Myunghon reminds her of the stakes. "Yes, I am aware, but you will need to keep your strength up..."
The shop, and all of the neighborhood. And her damn hands are tied. But still, she puts on that soft, mysterious smile once more to keep up the act.
But Myunghon gets to explaining. Name and identity, distortion... check and check.
The form the Palace takes... well, it's a Palace. She's seen a few. What what does it mean to guess the form... do they need to know the floorplan? Square footage? Whether or not it has an atrium or a terrace?
She keeps silent, but she does glance at that Meta-Nav app.
"My dear, Merry," says 'Ariel' softly but sweetly, "Please do recall that an army travels on its stomach, hmm?"
"I would posit that collecting what we know of the man should be the beginning of our queries, not the end," Ariel says to Shinjiro. But she nods approvingly as Shinjiro urges Myunghon to eat.
"Ahh, but when last we met you had not introduced yourself, so I thank you now, for the gift of your name, Takeba-san," says 'Ariel' with a theatrical lilt and a slowly widening smile. "But do be careful when giving your name to spirits, hmm?"
She stays quiet on the subject of a yacht. No, that may well be a different form of 'Palace' that she might be aware of... a secret she can't afford to share.
"A vault of money that you can swim in! What a whimsical idea! Only you could conceive of such a thing, Takeba-san."
'Ariel' can't really do much to hide her Resonance--that's Yua's thing, not hers. All she can do is to make it so that nobody thinks to look at her too closely. She meets Shinobu's suspicion with a smile. "How do you do?"
But Umie does have a good guess. "A bank made of gold..." Ariel repeats softly. "He would have to use the levers of finance to fund his schemes, would he not...?" she muses to herself. 

<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.

        Shinjiro's got a sharp mind. "That's right. This isn't a matter of rationality -- a Palace is a private place that represents how you view the world, like a metaphor. We'll catch him when we look through his eyes -- see what he sees. Learn what puts him at ease. A resort or a big yacht... those aren't bad guesses at all, Takeba-san."
        A blink, as SEES suggests a money-pool though Yukari. "Like ... that cartoon duck?"
        They input RESORT and YACHT into the Meta-Nav app, but it then spits out errors after each one. "No hits... well, that's why we're at a restaurant, to get comfortable while we work this out." Well, the others are already getting comfortable with their food, you haven't ordered squat, Myunghon!
        "That isn't a bad way to put it, Shinobu-ssi..." Myunghon remarks. Like the equivalent of the body's natural defences... it's the Palace's way of defending itself? This is all just theorem and conjecture, but it makes sense to them. Though it's just as likely it's background radiation from its manifestation.
        "Hmm... we have not figured why it appears on some Persona-User's phones and not others. I don't think flip phones matter, though -- it somehow can still appear on one, Takeba-kun," Myunghon remarks. Shinobu also confirms that she didn't sense the distortion, and Myunghon nods at that. Another discrepancy between their powers... it's the 'chi', as Baofu puts it, the sensitivity. That girl from Gekkoukan, Yamagishi, probably would have this solved in a jiffy.
        Ariel is an oddity, but they have been an employee at the store too -- like at that Dark Hour sale, when Shinobu was the vaunted Pika-san. ... it probably doesn't take *that* much to put two and two for Shinobu, but now's probably not the time.
        But perhaps Umie's restlessness is just the 'Palace Sickness' manifesting in their own way. What's to say it has to be the same between people?
        "A bank of gold...? I suppose when you look at it, the Big Banks tend to be some of the most vile criminals of all. The Great Recession of several years ago was all initiated by the burst of the housing bubble over in the United States... does Kaneshiro view himself much a banker, though, I wonder?"
        It is a good suggestion.
        Before they can hit ENTER on BANK, however, Umie calls them out on when they last ate, and Ariel reminds them on the importance of nutrition. Shinjiro, Shinobu and Ariel would already know that Myunghon likely hasn't eaten anything today. And there's probably a 50/50 chance they didn't eat yesterday either, save for the Koala March crackers and possibly other substances you shouldn't put in your mouth.
        "Look, I ate... um--" Myunghon suddenly looks like they have to exercise their brain cells. They boldly proclaim: "I tasted a Shadow to obtain their weakness last Mementos trip!"
        That's the best defence they can muster???? They can't even remark on a single meal they had?!
        Myunghon looks whimperingly as Shinjiro chides them, though. "So, no toy...? See, Akabane-san says they would be useful." They look so heartbroken. Are you an adult or a child, Myunghon?!?! 

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.

Shinjiro nods to Myunghon, giving Remi a SIDEYE as they refute his investigation. He and Myunghon have, strangely, reached a wavelength between their DETECTIVENESS, the disco detective and the dragon detective...
But, everyone suggests a bank... including Yukari's friends! "Sounds fair enough. Money goes into banks. It only leaves if you withdraw it... a private bank, perhaps."
But Myunghon interrupts with the revelation they not only didn't eat today, but they didn't eat actively in... maybe weeks. They're clearly subsiding on something. It might be photosynthesis- wait, no, Myunghon doesn't get enough sun...
"If you haven't eaten much in a while, nothing too rich, might make you sicker. So we need protein, nourishing, and also not break the bank..." Shinjiro muses, looking over the menu. But then he considers: all Myunghon has to do is refuse to eat... "If you get a kids meal, are you going to stick the toy in your mouth again? I mean, I don't care, but that's not food."
Shinjiro has been working with them for a bit now, and it seems he quickly clocked onto their bullshit. It happens that he's really good at handling it, somehow. Is this the power of the tsukkomi?
"Probably another hamburger steak dish would be good for you, I think..." 

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.

'Ariel' causes Yukari to squint a little as she evaluates that line, before looking at her confusion, "Uhhhh. Why would I have to be careful? You're as human as it gets." She mutters, before her comment causes her to give her an exasperated look, "It wasn't me who came up with it, it was just a guy in our group who was messing around. Look don't worry about it.

"Looks like..." Regarding the subject of the eye to Shinobu, before Merry declares it can appear on a flip phone, "How though? It doesn't... really have apps."
 
Before she looks at both Shinobu and Merry on Junpei's answer of 'reading those comics' and in regards to a Cartoon Duck and she groans, "Was he literally just guessing based on some comics he read? Sheesh."
 
She mutters, before Umie guesses a bank, to which Yukari sounds dubious, "You think? He's a crime boss... I dunno any crime boss that ever wanted to be a banker."
 
Yukari actually reflexively recoils at her answer of tasting a Shadow. "What!? You did not."
 
Leaning back she crosses her arms at Umie's statement, at Merry's reply, "What kind of an adult are you?" She sighs in exasperation as she stares at Merry, joining in on the sudden pile on of people trying to force the issue.
 
"Look, I'm not going to some weird supernatural 'Palace' with someone who looks like they're about to collapse any second now. We'd never let someone in your state go anywhere in my group... so no. Get something in your stomach first and make sure you can keep it down - or I'm not going." 

<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.

"Better, once we figure this out." Shinobu offers to Ariel. "But, thanks."
It takes a second for it to click - she's spoken to her before. So she must be... Well, she probably has her reasons. It probably would've been smart for all of them to be concealed in someway...
Too late for that, though. Might as well just keep going anyway.
She looks toward Myungon as they agree - but also as they say no one knows why it appears on some phones and not others...
"...Weird. To be fair, I don't know if I want that icon leering at me all the time, anyway." Shinobu replies with a shrug. ...And apparently, Yukari's suggestion came from someone she was chatting with. Shinobu suppresses a laugh. You go, random teenager, figuring out their problem for them.
"Knowing him, I bet it's probably somewhere he can lord it over everyone. He sure didn't mind throwing his power around once he knew there was nothing anyone could do about it." She comments with a shake of her head.
Still, there's another important matter at hand - actually getting Myunghon to eat something. They say they tasted a Shadow...
Shinobu's expression doesn't change. Either this isn't the first time she's heard this, or it just isn't surprising at this point.
"That don't count, boss. That's like... brain food. Not real, physical food. Gotta look after your body, not just your mind." Shinobu says. She doesn't actually know if Shadows come from the brain... but she's trying to put it in the way she thinks sounds most convincing. 

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

        Umie gives Remi a sideeye, but thankfully, not because she suspects some secret identity, beyond this one. No, it's much more simple: "... You're a spirit?" She squints, fork in her mouth. Alas, it's just Umie feeling spicy. Before long, she's back to eating instead, assuming this is just part of Myunghon's taste in associates. (Though, doesn't that count Umie too?)
        "Huh, makes sense. Our Personas are largely symbolic, so... why not... Palaces, I guess." Myunghon means 'looking through his eyes' symbolically, right...? "So this is a phone app you can download someplace? Weird for it to be a phone app, of all things." She nods at Shinobu. "Feels like I'm going to get a phone virus just looking at it."
        She has another spoonful of shrimpy rice, and gestures with her fork to Yukari. "I mean, if you have a lot of money, you'd want to keep it safe someplace, right? But also, show your wealth. So, a gold bank."
        Bleary eyes blink at Shinjiro, moving back to Myunghon. "... You ate... a shadow, Merry?" Isn't that almost cannabalism?!
        Oh no. oh no. No, merry, you do *not* get to Akabane-san your way out of this one!
        "Oh, for crying out l--" Umie looks as crusty as the crust forming on her rice casserole. "... Okay. If you eat something that fills you up, I'll give you a prize, Merry." 

<Pose Tracker> Remi Ryuuja has posed.

Myunghon explains more about Palaces, and resort and yacht turn out to be valid guesses. Hmm... so rather less literal than she thought. She'll keep that in mind, then.
It's true! 'Ariel' was there at the Dark Hour sale, she just had on a Masquerade Mask instead of the glasses. (And she also refused to take it off when Merry and Shinobu removed theirs.)
Ariel just smiles at Shinjiro when she gets that sideeye. She still thinks you can't just jump to the end! (If Shinjiro pays enough attention to her, he might catch her rubbing her arms a little for warmth every now and again, though she's trying to be discreet about it.)
Is Remi messing with Yukari a tiny bit? She might be messing with Yukari a tiny bit. Sorry, but she's in character right now. "But you still chose to share it," she points out. But she'll let that drop for now." But being a banker. "The banker's trade he may not relish, but the walls within may yet be his wish. Ill-gotten gains, once laundered and disguised, must still find a place to reside."
"Of course," Ariel says to Shinobu. "I do hope we resolve this with all due haste."
Yes. There was a reason Myunghon set out disguises for the Dark Hour meetup, wasn't there? (And why she brought her own mask to begin with, sorry Myunghon.)
She just smiles at Umie without saying anything. "Am I?" Look, Remi was a theater kid. You're lucky she's this tame. (Compared to Myunghon.)
Eating shadows... "Our dear Merry is capable of a great many things," she affirms, in a manner not unlike how she had backed up Myunghon's words at the sale.
She snatches a hand out--she has blindingly fast reflexes--to snatch the phone out of Myunghon's hands, resting it in her lap with both hands on it.
"... including accepting a meal," she says gently. She pauses for a moment. "You may still get the toy after." 

<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.

        "Kaneshiro..." Myunghon remarks. "If you read it another way, it literally could mean 'money castle'. I suppose a Bank is a money castle." They don't actually know Junya Kaneshiro's surname is actually spelt that way. Gold, if you want to put it another way. A Bank of Gold. Who knew Junpei was such a brilliant mastermind? Maybe he's the one actually behind all the Palaces? Feigning ignorance behind a deceptive veil of manga and layaboutism...!
        Junpei! It was all you! You and your Funyarinpa.
        Myunghon lets that stroke pass from their brain, as Shinjiro chides them about food. It's clear this isn't the first time they've been lectured on food. Why are they so reticient about food, anyway? "Uh--"
        Shinjiro asks if they're going to stick the toy in their mouth. They suddenly start sweating like a perpetrator who's just been found out and Pursuit ~ Cornered 2012 is playing. "Nnnno....?" Oh, that sounded so unconvincing, Merry.
        Yukari gives them an out, as she expresses skepticism about flip phones. "I thought so too, but I actually saw it on their phone. That became a hot topic for the tech-heads on the Dark Side of Sumaru for a bit, and... no one figured out how it was possible." A dark frown for a moment. "I do have some suspicions this technology is coming from a dark place, but... it's about as unstoppable as the Dark Hour comes every day. You just have to deal with it. And... no, you can't download it, Akabane-san. It either appears on your phone, or doesn't."
        A deeper frown. "You can also throw away your phone, and get a new one, and it just appears on the new one. Like it knows which phone belongs to 'you'."
        Shinobu says it's somewhere they can lord it over everyone...
        "Hmm. Not just a normal bank, for sure. A normal bank is a place people can use," Myunghon remarks. "A big bank? A... hmm..." Somewhere untouchable. A bank on the peak of the mountain? They're not thinking big enough. Higher, Myunghon! Space Banks, here we come!
        But the pile-on suddenly is reversed on them! "W-what's wrong with liking kid's meal toys?" They're actually blushing about that? It's almost cute... almost. But Yukari delivers their ultimatum, and Myunghon does slink back on their seat where they're basically still a ball. From Yukari and Ariel and Shinobu and Shinjiro-- as Ariel just snatches the phone out of their hands!
        "H-hey, Ariel! Awwh..."
        At the very least, Umie is giving them a lifeline, while also getting the wrong idea. "Tasted! I didn't eat the whole Shadow. It tastes jolty when a Shadow is weak to Electricity, like when you stick your tongue on a battery."
        This is somehow only even MORE worrying.
        "Okay... okay, you all have a point."
        They take a fork and sneaks a little bit of hamburger steak from Shinjiro's plate. There's a pause as they stare at the forkful of hamburg steak and pop it in their mouth start chewing... slowly. Why do they look so... sad, all of a sudden? They let that look pass, however, and swallows. It looks like defeat, somehow. Defeat and public embarrassment.
        "It's..." A pause. "... ... beef... y?"
        T-that's all they have to say about it...? 

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.

Shinjiro actually DOESN'T care if Myunghon puts it in their mouth. He just wants them to eat. "There's nothing wrong with liking the toys," Shinjiro actually acquiesces, because it doesn't matter. "But if you *don't eat the kid's meal* then it's a problem..."
Ariel snatches Myunghon's phone. As they do so, they decide to take some of Shinjiro's hamburg steak. He is clearly Accepting Of This if it gets food in their mouth, but-
When they look sad, eat it, and seem defeated... his expressions soften.
"That's good enough," he says. He may have realized something, or he may not have, but he seems fine with a single bite for now... "Let's talk later."
On the Kaneshiro topic, he looks over to Ariel, who he definitely noticed being cold, but has not placed why. "Give it back to them. The sooner we're out of here, the sooner we can get warm."
Shinjiro, it's *sweltering outside*. 

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.

"We're not at the store right now?" Yukari says of Remi's theatrics, in a tone like 'What are you even doing.' with second hand embarrassment.
 
Yukari then groans at Umie's point of showing off one's wealth, "But why not a mansion or something? A bank seems... just weird, who thinks of themselves as wanting to be a banker?"
 
Whereas Myunghon speaks of Kaneshiro's name meaning and suddenly invokes Shuuji Ikutsuki which triggers Yukari's Pun Traumatic Stress Disorder, "Nnngh, makes me wonder if he changed his name on purpose or something. He seems like that kind of guy."
 
Merry keeps explaining the app and Yukari gives her a curious look, "Dark Side of Sumaru? Is that kinda some... Night club?"
 
Context clues don't really allow her to put together it's an internet webpage because she's just not on the internet... almost ever.
 
Look she never had a computer! Blame her Mom!
 
Yukari makes another face when she indicates she tasted a Shadow, "Why WOULD you? Haven't you seen what those things can do to a person!?" She says, aghast on the idea... given what Dark Hour Shadows do to people.
 
And then, Myunghon eats, "Great." She says, like she herself is going to agree with Shinjiro before, "Now eat at least half of it. And prove to us you can keep it down."
 
What a harsh taskmistress.
  

<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.

"Right?" Shinobu replies with a nod of agreement toward Umie and a shrug. She has enough problems without getting something like that. It'd be hard enough for her to replace her phone on that budget, and it's pretty important for her. Still, the app...
"That is weird, huh. Even the Dark Side can't figure it out?" Shinobu considers. She figures a place like that would be able to figure out something... but if even they can't, that's a pretty big deal.
"So, wait, it's like... something that sticks to you rather than the phone itself? ...That's weird." Shinobu replies. As Yukari mentions the Dark Side of Sumaru, Shinobu looks toward her.
"It's, uh - kind of a gathering place on the web to discuss everything weird going on. If it sounds shady... that 'cause it is." Shinobu glances toward Myunghon. She figures they can give a better explanation.
"...Yeah, me too." She replies with a nod toward Ariel.
She considers everything everyone's put together, though. It feels like they have a pretty good picture right now... Will it be enough? Or are they completely off-base, now?
They'll find out, she supposes. And for now -
- thankfully, Myunghon acquiesces. Shinobu can't help but feel a little sorry at how defeated they look.
"Sorry, boss." She apologises. ...Notably, though, she doesn't stop Yukari from ordering Myunghon to eat more. 

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

        "Maybe a piggy bank, then? A gold piggy bank. A giant one." Great, now Yukari's got Umie double-guessing. "God, that'd be hilarious. Can you imagine that?"
        "It follows you from phone to phone?" Umie makes a face. "That just makes it sound even more suspicious!"
         Still, even the Dark Side can't figure it out? "I'm not on there a whole lot, but... yeah, it's sort of a page, full of supernatural info. Not just Sumaru-centric. I get on it every once in a while, but... it can turn into a real rabbit hole." She nods towards Shinobu. "There's that, too." Umie had to scrub it off the computer every time she looked at it when she was still at her parents'. Now, she's more worried about her laptop dying than her parents seeing her search history. _Adulting_.
        SPEAKING OF ADULTING. "You put your tongue on a _shadow_. That's like trying to lick a persona like it's a popsicle." Oh no. OH NO. She's imagining what Badb'd taste like, and _it's not good_. "Talk about eating crow," she murmurs, into her meal. "But yeah. If this is like a Mementos deal, do we... go into the bathroom here and say 'piggy bank' ten times or something? Or is that the phone's deal?"
        _That just makes the phone worse._ 

<Pose Tracker> Remi Ryuuja has posed.

A phone app taht comes from nowhere and shows up if you get a new phone... that is a strange mystery, and one Remi doesn't readily have any theories about.
What's wrong? "Why nothing at all, dear Merry," Ariel says cheerfully. "But isn't the point to enjoy the toy after the meal? Shouldn't it be a reward for sustaining yourself?"
She merely smiles at Myunghon's protest as she holds onto the phone. "Yes, Merry?"
She watches closely as Myunghon swipes... a single bite. Hmm. There is, perhaps, a small narrowing of her eyes as she watches expectantly. Like she's hoping for a second bite. But that narrowing stops when they see that look.
"Are we not?" Ariel asks of Yukari. "Why, I hadn't noticed. It would explain why I have this lovely meal in front of me." A tilt of her head. "The mansion could be a symbol of his wealth..." She looks at the phone. "We should try 'mansion' next."
Remi is ready to relent on the matter of food, but Yukari... "Perhaps we have found you a new governess, Merry! See what dedication with which she sets herself to the task!"
Shinjiro insists she give the phone back. Getting warm is nice, but Remi is more concerned for her friend's nutrition. She sighs, softly, and hands it back. "We should discuss this more later, dear," she says quietly. 

<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.

        Shinjiro at least has their back on the toys. A fellow toy-liker! ... well, Shinjiro's probably not gonna go that far, but at least they're letting them have this little idiosyncracy. Myunghon catches the way Shinjiro's look softens, however, and it seems to spur them to-- look a bit more... fakely vigorous about eating?
        Shinjiro is satisfied with one bite, but Yukari's having NONE OF IT. Their face blues and their eye is just a white circle as Takeba makes her demand clear and ironcald: At least HALF of the steak! And prove they can keep it down.
        "Y-yes, ma'am..." Myunghon seems like they've shrunk a couple of centimetres into that ball of theirs. Maybe they're responding to both Remi and Yukari, at this point. They look to Shinjiro, then steals a bit more food from their plate. A broccoli head...
        "The broccoli's... crunchy...?" Why are they reporting back on it? "It's crunchy..." They're a little distant as they report that. Like it's reminding them of a distant memory. Eating is making them briefly weirder than usual, somehow. There's something like a long pitiable look at Remi, at Ariel.
        But on the topic of Dark Side, they get back on topic for a second to say: "It's a forum website. I can give you the address. It takes a bit of searching, but it is a place where a lot of Persona-Users and Rumourmongers trade information... if you can find the useful threads, at least." There's a nod to Umie and Shinobu, who explain it a little bit clearer than their food-distracted brain right now.
        It's by design that there's a lot of junk by the uninformed, after all.
        Why did they taste a Shadow, though?? "To learn their weakness!" They make a face. "Akabane-san, not you too! I was doing a net good for our party! Electricity weakness! Just because I can't turn round and sense weaknesses like Yamagishi-kun doesn't mean I'm not doing my job, okay!"
        Ariel does give the phone back, and after Myunghon's at least finished their half of the bargain by eating half of Shinjiro's steak, they hit 'go' on the Meta-Nav app.
        'Destination confirmed.'
        Myunghon's eye goldfishes for a moment. "We have a hit. It was a bank of gold...? A pool of gold you could swim in... Takeba-san, please thank your colleague as well."
        The phone thrums with an ominous sensation -- the entire screen's gone to black, with only the creepy eye-symbol of the Meta-Nav pulsating now. "... all right. We should get ready. A lot of you have experienced Mementos already, so there's no telling what will await us. We might have to make multiple trips depending on how much resistance we encounter."
        As if to offer an olive branch, they steal a few more bites, because perhaps even they realise the gravity of what this next new step means for them -- and how much they'll have to support their allies. Because as much as they want to play the clown and act the fool...
        They do care. 

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.

"Don't volunteer half of my steak, Takeba." Shinjiro says with a sigh, but doesn't seem to mind when Myunghon actually eats it. He won't share his observation - it's probably deeply personal to Myunghon - but it's worth talking about privately.
Though, Myunghon gets a nod when the destination is confirmed. "A bank, huh... guess your friend was close enough. Be sure to thank them." he tells Yukari.
And then, he steels himself. He's gonna need to get a weapon real quick. Are there signs in the underground mall? 

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.

"You were just complaining about it, Senpai." Is Yukari's own response to Shinjiro telling her not to volunteer it, not seeming to back down.
"Please... what kind of a weird supernatural world would that be?" She says to Umie's imagery of a giant gold piggybank, "That's too stupid to actually be true."
 
Ariel's continued 'act' just causes her to respond with, "And now you're just doing a bit... greatttt." Before she rolls her eyes, "'Governess'? As if. I'm just taking this as seriously as all of you should be."
 
As she just upbraids several of them on the spot... except for Shinobu, who seems to be on her side there.
 
And that sure is Yukari watching Merry to make sure that they keep eating.
 
"Uh-huh. Steamed usually is." Is her response to Broccoli texture.
 
Merry gets back on the topic of the Dark Side of Sumaru, and Yukari looks startled, "People just discuss this kind of thing online? That... seems irresponsible."
 
Welcome to the internet, Yukari.
 
Merry explains further on why they taste the Shadows and- "And when they start coming out of every pore of your body, you might last long enough to think 'I have regrets.'" Wow mean, "For now, keep eating something that won't kill you."
 
EVENTUALLY!
 
"What? It really was!?" Yukari seems surprised and weirded out, "I'll wait to thank him until after I see it."
 
The weird eye symbol is pulsing and... Yukari stares at it, and she notices Merry continues to eat some more...
 
... but she doesn't comment.
 
After all, as unreal as all this feels like now... she's decided she can't look away from it. 

<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.

Shinobu doesn't buy that fake vigor, but she doesn't call them out on it. She's just happy they're eating at all. ...And, happy she doesn't get caught in the line of fire. She does think Yukari has a point there.
Umie backs her up, and Myunghon explains a bit further - and offers to give Yukari the address. And as she says that seems irresponsible...
"It's not the kind of place someone can just search up. If you don't get the address from someone who knows it already... good luck finding it." Shinobu comments with a shrug. "...The information's gotta get out there somehow. Better than all of us just keeping this to ourselves, so newbies gotta wander in blind. ...But you're right to be sceptical. And if you do check it out, take everything with a grain of salt. ...And be careful."
Shinobu hears the mention of 'Yamagishi', and assumes that means the kid got out alright, which is a relief... But, mysteriously! She doesn't dwell on that subject for long.
The keywords are typed in, and then...
"What do you know." Shinobu comments. "So, what do we do? Do we just... go in and kick his ass, or...?"
Well, it sounds like it'll be a bit more complicated than that.
"Right. Good call... don't wanna do this half-way." She decides. If it's like anything Mementos, then it's bound to be dangerous. 

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

        Yukari criticizes Umie's second choice, as Umie downs another mouthful of rice casserole. "I don't know, maybe he had a bad childhood or something. His dad never loved him, and he wanted... a piggy bank. And now, that's why he's a monster."
        Though. "So, we'll go look into this palace, but then what? We... beat him up there?" She sighs. "I guess that's more proactive than just throwing his name on the Phan Site and hoping some person reading it deals with it."
        'Destination confirmed.'
        "Wait, it was a bank?" Umie pumps a fist. "Haha, I was right the first time!" Nevermind she wasn't the only one.
        ....
        Umie looks at the phone nervously, at the pulsating icon. ".... So..."
        She *did* promise Myunghon a toy. Umie's hands disappear into the sleeves of her windbreaker, feeling around the pockets within. She can figure out which will have what based on feel alone, but, at some point, it'll be random choice. If only she had an origami dragon... she'll have to put that on the list next.
        She fishes out an origami butterfly, made of paper with a pink cherry blossom print on it, set against a vivid cerulean blue, and presents it, balanced on one painted fingertip, to Myunghon. "Here."
        Definitely not a vehicle anyone can use, unless they were a pixie. Which is fine, because you do not mess with pixies.
        "Can we finish our meal first? And... maybe pay the bill? They had to deal with my grumpy ass, after all. Waitressing is hard work." 

<Pose Tracker> Remi Ryuuja has posed.

Crunch broccoli... Remi/Ariel looks at Myunghon, at that pitiable look... and Remi just sighs, shaking her head slowly. "Please do remember there are others counting on you..."
But she gives the phone back, half a steak is consumed... and Remi sits up straighter when the destination is confirmed. "My word..." she whispers softly. That is certainly an ominous-looking eye...
Shinjiro objects to his steak being volunteered. "Young sir, your noble sacrifice will be noted in the annals of our upcoming adventure."
She leans forward, to look at Yukari more directly. "Please be assured, bold archer, that I am at all times most serious. A little laugh does wonders for the soul; remember that."
She leans back, turning her gaze to look at the eye. "So this mysterious 'palace' awaits..." she muses quietly. "... very well, then." She leaves her share of money on the table for her meal, then stands up. "Do call me when you return. I shall be sure to bring the car around. May fortune smile upon thee."
And then she walks out. 

<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.

        The path to the Palace has been prepared. There's nothing to it now but to finish their meals, pay as PROPER ABIDING CITIZENS would, as this is as un-negotiable to Umie is as Yukari making sure Merry has enough calories in them that they won't fall over mid-Palace-run. Waitressing *is* hard work. We appreciate your labour, Umie-san.
        As Remi leaves, they might catch a mysterious shadow that's been... SNOOPING on them all this time?! No, surely not. There's no Sister-shaped Shadow that's been lurking, curious as to what the heck her weirdo half-sister and the mysterious and suspicious employees of the Cardboard Dragon and their friends have been up to.
        Definitely not.

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