2025-08-12: Should Have Dodged
- Log: Should Have Dodged
- Cast: Shinjiro Aragaki, Niko Kirisaki
- Where: Port Island Station back alleys, Tatsumi Port Island
- OOC Date: August 12, 2025
- IC Date: June 24, 2012
- Summary: In which Shinjiro gets hugged...
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Shinjiro Aragaki is having a frustrating day. After meeting that Sevens teacher yesterday and receiving the school emblem, he's considering how to get more leads on the Joker Killer, and is at a loss. This requires thinking. Thinking requires blood to flow.
So instead of hanging out in his little corner of the alleyways that he claimed, he's pacing through. People give him a wide berth, usually, because they know he can beat them in a fight if it comes to it, despite his high school age. He's just stronger.
Holding a canned coffee, he's walking through a chain-linked fence into a deeper part of the alleys... the more shady parts, the kinds criminals like to hang out in and that the drunks avoid. He usually doesn't come down here, but he's hoping danger gets his brain moving. What's the worst that could happen?
He's looking for somewhere to take a seat, a crate or something. He's pretty obvious, in his winter coat and beanie.
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
Street smarts are a wonderful thing to have. There's certain people you just don't want to mess with, it pays to know who to just leave be. Niko Kirisaki is a bit of an outlier in that regard. She doesn't have a reputation so much as people who directly interact with her for ten seconds already commonly end up wondering 'what have I done'. That, and, well, the way she looks. People can tell at a glance that there would be few asses she couldn't kick. Lucky for everybody, she's usually looking for fun activities more than people to hang out with.
But no one would argue that she sure does look the type who belongs in the alleyways, and she does indeed frequent them on her downtime. In this, the shadier parts of the area, there's less people around, but to a fault, everybody there looks like Trouble with a capital T to the casual observer. Everybody knows to mind their own business here. A good place to be alone with one's thoughts... if they have the Guts.
Out here, you see all sorts. There's no real reason to take notice of anybody in particular, even if they have hot pink hair, wearing little enough to show off their impressively built body, and... filing their nails with a survival knife?? Sure, why not. That girl sitting on a crate over there probably had the same idea Shinjiro did. Best to just pass on by.
That would have gone without incident, in most cases. But Niko is far from most cases.
"Shin-chaaaaan~"
...She said that loudly enough to turn heads. Nobody dares say a word or even breathe - knowing that if they said anything, they'd be in trouble one way or another.
Doesn't mean that nobody's curious why this girl - who Shinjiro has never seen before in his entire life - would address him as she's known him forever, cheerfully waving. While holding a knife. That part's honestly the most normal part of all of this.
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Shinjiro is BECKONED by some girl with a knife who knows his name. Knowing his name isn't hard, you just have to ask, but placing him so casually when they've literally never met? A little weird. Shin-chan? Even weirder, grimace worthy.
At first, he's going to ignore her, but quickly realizes he's in the dangerous part so that's a bad idea, also she has a knife and he doesn't really *like* getting stabbed by knives.
Instead of taking a seat, he steps over to her. "Do I know you?" He takes a sip of his canned coffee.
He's eying her outfit. For some, it might seem like he's looking at how risque it is, how her impressively built body is shown off. For him, he's wondering why she's not wearing more clothes. It's fucking cold, after all.
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
That's those Street Smarts kicking in, realizing that ignoring Niko once you have her attention would be a very dangerous thing. In fact, the people who stopped moving just now are quick to hurry along once they learn that Shinjiro is as confused as they were. Literally anything could happen here in a few minutes. Best not to be around when it does.
Even if the way Niko acts entirely doesn't match her vibe, casually pointing in Shinjiro's direction with the knife. "Nope! But I know you~"
Standing up from her seated position, she's not exceptionally tall, little above average for a girl, nothing special. All things considered, it's reasonable to estimate her younger than Shinjiro is. But she sure doesn't seem to give a lick about respect, nor is she at all intimidated. She really... looks genuinely glad to see him, for some reason. At least she doesn't leave much of an opening to wonder about that.
"I've heard a lot about you! You like our candy, right? Jin says you're a good customer." She pauses, tapping the flat of the knife's blade on her lip. "He also says less nice things, but don't worry about that, that's just how he shows he cares."
She suddenly stares at her knife as if wondering where it came from, then shrugs before slipping it into her jacket's Knife Pocket. Yes she has one of those, doesn't everyone?
"What's with the coat?" she asks out of nowhere, having also noticed something's off there, and feeling the exact opposite. "You come from somewhere it's not summer right now?" As if that'd be a rational explanation.
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
As the crowd disperses and Shinjiro has a knife pointed at him, he tenses. Play it cool, don't give her a reason to see you as a threat...
"I wouldn't call it candy," Shinjiro says as he looks down to her, a tall boy, listening carefully. Jin, huh? So she's Strega. That explains a lot more, and also makes things *much* scarier, since it means she's likely a Persona user. Only once the knife is gone, does the tension mostly disappear.
Making sure there's no interlopers, he sighs, taking another drink. "It's fucking cold," he says simply. "My temperature regulation isn't what it used to be." If she knows about the 'candy', she likely knows what he's taking, and possibly, what it does.
A pause. "You got a name?" If he's going to talk to her, at least would be better to be on an even level.
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
Niko has never once seen anyone as a threat. Not since... well, she doesn't like to think about that. It's clear enough that she doesn't care who might hear anything she says, with how loudly she keeps talking, not even giving the surroundings a passing glance. Shinjiro has her undivided attention. Heaven help him.
"You wouldn't?!" Niko seems scandalized. "But it tastes so good!" Suppressants objectively do not taste good. Are they not talking about the same thing here? No, they are. Interact with Niko long enough and this sort of thing will cease to be very surprising.
Canting her head, she wonders aloud, "Cold? Even in that?" Temperature regulation... that sounds complicated. Does she know? ...Like, anything, in general?
Oh, her name, she knows that one! "I do! It's Niko! You can call me Niko-chan~" If only someone would! Why is everyone so weird about that? Being friendly is easy, just follow her example!
Speaking of... he said he was cold just now, didn't he? Well in that case...
"Want me to warm you up?"
oh no she's spreading her arms wide open--
================================================================================
_____________________________| QUICK TIME EVENT!!!|_____________________________
_ For the love of God, dodge _
_ _
_ Shinjiro Aragaki: _
_ +qte/react <guard/evade/charge>/<guard/evade/charge>/<guard/evade/charge> _
========================================================= Velvet Room MUSH =====
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
"..." Shinjiro pauses. He has her undivided attention, and also, she thinks suppressants(?) taste good, which is totally wrong. At the very least, his features soften. If she's on those... well, that's something to empathize with. It's not a fun road.
"I think it's some sort of hormone bullshit," he clarifies. "Makes it so I run colder."
Though, when she tells him to call her Niko-chan... well, he didn't get a last name, and he thinks asking would be a problem, but he's not being *that* familiar. But to just say that might be too dangerous... "We'll start with Niko."
And then, she's coming for a hug! Is she going to draw the knife again and stab him in the ribs?! Sadly, he did not prioritize dodge as an action ever in his life (except for emotions), so...
Shinjiro Aragaki inputs +qte/react guard/guard/guard...!
A hand rises up as if to indicate it'll be okay. Certainly she won't hug him anyways. "Tch, I'm fine. I live like this. Don't you got better things to do?"
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
"Hmmm..." is the sum total of Niko's comments on 'hormone bullshit', so it seems. In the end, she just shrugs, asserting, "Well it's actually super hot, if you were wondering. If I wore that right now I'd totally die." She blinks, quickly correcting herself, "Oh, not because of, y'know, fashion. Not my style, true, but it looks great on you, Shin-chan!"
She's never going to stop calling him that, is she? Obviously, when she'd prefer him doing the same thing. She doesn't look unhappy about just 'Niko', though. "That's cool! Better than 'Kirisaki'." Well that was easy. Though she cautions immediately after, "I'm serious, no take-backsies, okay? It's just Niko, Ni-ko."
Interacting with Niko means walking a fine line with letting her get away with things and pushing back. Because if you don't dissuade her strongly enough, Niko might get it into her head that a hug would be a good idea. 'I'm fine'? He's totally not fine, he just said! At least there's no knives involved, because that's not how you hug people, but... she's totally hugging him. Not moving out of the way was a poor choice indeed.
QTE!!! Challenge Result: FAILURE! Shinjiro Aragaki takes 132 damage and gains 60 SP!
And now Shinjiro knows that yes, Niko is just as strong as she looks. And that her hugs are not gentle at ALL. ...She is warm though, if it matters.
"Shh shh shh, it's okay, I've always got time for you, Shin-chan~"
She genuinely thinks this is helping. Does that make it any better? Probably not!
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
"That makes sense," Shinjiro nods about the heat. It seems her temperatures run in the other way. Looks great on him, though... as tattered as it is? Strange.
But as she gives her surname, he considers just calling her that... until the take-backsies, at least. His survival instincts are strong enough for that. "Niko, got it."
Shinjiro makes a grave mistake. He didn't realize the extent of Niko's mania, as she decides to blow over his boundary and hug him anyways, rendering him at half health...! It kinda hurts (though he's resilient) and she's *very* strong, but she is warm. That's better than all downsides.
He lets her have it for a moment, before moving to gently shove her off. If she won't take a gentle shove, he gets a little more forceful, but he's hoping he can indicate that it's all better now. Why is he being so soft on her...?
Well, partly because he empathizes with her and therefore can't bring himself to be a dick. Mostly because she has a knife and a Persona and the clear willingness to use them if she wants to, though.
"Thanks, I guess..." He shrugs. "Do you often just wait in alleys for people to force into a hug?" It's slightly joking. Slightly. "It's boring as fuck back here, I'd assume someone like you would be at a club or something."
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
Personal space or possible consequences be damned - when Niko wants to do something, she doesn't let little things like that bother her. Not a care in the world, this one. Or so it appears. There's probably more beneath the surface, considering what she's hinted at. If it's unclear whether she even realizes that herself, don't worry - even Strega's own members are frequently uncertain about that.
Perhaps this is her greatest power, insisting on being on friendly terms so strongly that it starts to feel as if it really does only make sense. When she looks so happy about it, this couldn't have been that poor a decision, could it?
Shinjiro's ribs might have their own opinion about that.
At the very least, she doesn't persist once the hint is given that she should back off. She does so with a bright smile, asking, "Better?" He looks better, in her estimation. She totally helped. Good job, Niko!
"Any time!" she responds to the 'thanks' - and that should be alarming, she really might do that again any time. Better learn to dodge. As for whether she does this often...
"Hehe, well if it works, maybe I should!" But she sobers up a bit after that, admitting, "I do like to hang at Escapade. It is pretty boring here, but you know. Sometimes you just wanna be alone with your thoughts for a bit." Yes Niko has thoughts, rude for thinking otherwise.
Speaking of thoughts, seemingly apropos of nothing, she asks suddenly, "You know a guy called Tatsuya Suou?" Only to cover her mouth, quickly adding, "Oh no, don't take me asking about another guy the wrong way, Shin-chan, I still like you!"
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
"Yeah," Shinjiro responds when asked if he's better. Anything less will get him hugged again. The any time gets a grimace. Next time, he has to dodge...
"I get it. Sometimes more important than partying," Shinjiro says about alone with your thoughts. "It's why I came out here." Until she rudely interrupted it!!! Not that he really minds, because it's gonna give him more fuel for thinking later.
Though the specific question causes his eyebrows to rise, as he thinks. Why does she want to know about Suou? "I've met him. Helped me out in a pinch. Don't know him otherwise, though someone I know does. Why, he owe you all money?"
He will not mention the katsudon he owes Tatsuya. That's a deal between men. Maybe knowing her interest in him will help loosen his brain, though...
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
Niko is a learning experience - and the lessons to not encourage her and dodge when appropriate are well-learned. It probably won't hurt her feelings. Concerns just seem to kind of slide right off her. Whatever sort of things she might have to think about are probably no big thing.
"Wouldn't say important. Nothing's really important." After casually dropping a heavy statement with a blank expression as if that indeed is no big thing, the smile returns in short order, she too realizing, "I guess I got in the way of your thinking time. Oopsie~" She sticks out her tongue. That's fine, disposition changing so drastically that quickly, very normal.
Placing her arms behind her head, she casually responds, "Nothing like that. Jin's really annoyed with him though." She snickers. "Well he's always annoyed, I mean more than usual. Something about him being abnormally strong." With a shrug, she adds, "I mean, I was there, I could tell. I was just thinking, maybe if I could find some stuff out about him, I could cheer Jin up a bit? Bring him back to normal annoyed levels, you know?"
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
"Hmm," Shinjiro says about nothing being important. Terrible thought, but, he'll let it slide. "Yeah," he says about getting in the way, but it's over, so.
Though, her words give him a clue. Was there? Did they fight Tatsuya? Well, even if he did know anything, he doesn't really have any place in this. "I'm not getting involved. He saved my life, and besides, I'm mostly retired. You want information, ask people who would know him. You've got a name, after all." A beat. "I just don't know shit about him." He means that genuinely. Tatsuya's a mystery...
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
"Awww, what a shame." The way she says it, you can just tell that she's immediately going to follow that up with, "Oh well!" That might just be how her pattern goes. Never worry about any one thing for too long. The only things she ever seems to worry about are leaps of logic that only she would make, such as--
"Oh, I don't mean about saving your life, of course. See, I knew I was right, he's cool." She wags a finger at Shinjiro. "I know what you're thinking, but it's not a competition, Shin-chan. You're just gonna have to deal with both of you being cool." Impressed yet by her mind-reading abilities?
Unfortunately, that does mean that she can't just ask who she happened to be talking to anyway. She sags a bit, letting out a whine. "Suuuuch a hassle... well, maybe I'll find someone to ask, if I feel like it." Over it in seconds, as usual.
"Anyway, you were here to do some thinking, right? Then I'll get out of your hair-- oh, you want my spot?" She wipes the crate she was sitting on off with a hand. "Good spot for it!"
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Shinjiro pauses at her leap of logic, even as she let him off. "I wasn't thinking that," is all he says. He's not cool, anyways. Tatsuya is, though...
He nods once to her. He knows people she could ask, but that seems like an awful idea so, no. "I'll take the spot. Thanks. Take care, Niko." He watches until she leaves before taking the spot.
Hopefully, this does not come back to haunt him with her thinking he's her friend now. (Jokes on him, she absolutely does.)