2025-08-17: Full Moon Knowledge
- Log: Full Moon Knowledge
- Cast: Minako Arisato, Suzume Fukura, Mitsuru Kirijo, Ririka Kawase, Reiya Aomori, Shizuka Kuroki, Koh Katsuhiro, Hitomi Mandai, Moriko Kumamoto, Fuuka Yamagishi, Tyler Gould, Yukari Takeba
- Where: Command Room, Iwatodai Dorms, Iwatodai
- OOC Date: August 17, 2025
- IC Date: June 27, 2012
- Summary: What are Full Moon Shadows? And what's the deal with Strega? Why's every ding dang person got Evokers now, and why's that homeless dude always skulking around acting all surly? SEES holds a meeting to answer ALL these questions!*
*SOME QUESTIONS ARE NOT ASKED NOR ANSWERED PLEASE CONSULT LOG FOR FURTHER DETAILS
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
In the war room on the fourth floor of Iwatodai dorm, some of SEES has gathered for a meeting. Shuji Ikutsuki, the Chairman, is seated in one of the chairs. There are also sofas and other chairs arranged around a coffee table there.
The coffee tables has an assortment of cookies on a plate, and coasters for drinks.
Minako Arisato is seated at one of the tables; she has a bottled water which she is sipping. She leans forward, a little eagerly. Once everyone has arrived...
Ikutsuki sits up straight and smiles. "Thank you for coming, everyone! We've had some realizations after the recent fight in Tartarus, with the rescue of Yamagishi-san. You might say that we've got..."
Here it comes.
"...a fuller picture of the situation." He grins. He just made a pun but some may not know it yet. Others might.
Minako groans.
<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
Suzume has come for the meeting, because any additional information is always welcome. Some of the older members (Mitsuru of course, Yukari, Minato, Minako, maybe Hitomi and Shizuka) already know some of this...
...but she doesn't. It's been very busy ever since she was recruited from Mementos and it's only gotten more busy since then. SOme of the information she might have absorbed second-hand, but not all of it! Plus, as Ikutsuki says, some of it is new. She definitely wants to be here for that.
So Suzume is already here, with an extremely adult drink. So adult she shouldn't be drinking it.
(It is a canned Boss coffee, cafe au lait. She shouldn't be drinking it because it's night-time caffeine.)
While Suzume appreciates a good bad joke, she either doesn't think Ikutsuki's qualifies or doesn't recognize it as a joke, because she doesn't (yet) know exactly what they're talking about. So she takes a sip from her drink, but keeps the can resting against her knee with her hand on it rather than actually setting it down.
"OK," she says, simply. "I'm listening."
<Pose Tracker> Mitsuru Kirijo has posed.
Mitsuru Kirijo is here long before anyone else arrives.
Maybe that's to be expected, given her role in SEES. Still, as others filter in, her promptness is the stuff of myths: already seated quite comfortably in her favorite chair, with that ever-regal, straight-backed poise, she looks like a queen on her throne.
She doesn't -mean- for it to look that way, but there's just such an aloof, distant presence to her that feeds the proverbial flames.
It's late enough in the date that she's opted for her casual wear -- as far as the word 'casual' can go for someone like her, at least. A flower, ruffle-front blouse, a pair of black leather pants and matching, knee-high boots complete the outfit simply but in a way that one can just imagine the obscene price tag on it. Mitsuru wears it like it was made for her. Because, well. It was.
One leg crossed over the other, the Gekkoukan student council president is enjoying her tea (the tea, of course, was custom-made to her exacting specifications before the meeting; she thinks this is perfectly normal. ... at least she's willing to share) when Ikutsuki greets everyone. And then deploys the weaponization of words.
Mitsuru, to her extreme credit, does not choke on her tea, or even flinch. She just sort of -- pauses. Shuts her eyes. Completes that sip. And -painstakingly maintains her high composure score.-
"... Yes, well," she says slowly, coolly. "Perhaps we ought to get straight to the point, Ikutsuki-san."
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Ririka's tried to make herself a little scarce as she sorts herself out. Sadly it's only been two days since the last meeting. She did at least take a nice tip to a spa with her sister and gain some clarity yesterday... even if she has no idea how to translate that into action yet.
She slinks into the room and tires to be unobtrustive and unnoticeable, which is kind of hard because she's 5'10". But she drops herself into a chair with a bottle of water and just starts drumming her fingers on the arm of the chair.
She blinks and looks to the chairman. That sounded like a pun. She recognizes that tone of voice... but she doesn't get it.
... And she's afraid to ask for clarification.
Warning 'my-desc' for Mitsuru Kirijo(#85PenA):
player is missing description
<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
Reiya is there early, but not as early as Mitsuru. He makes a point of being seen walking up the stairs instead of just showing up when no one is looking. Yes, that's something he makes a point of doing.
He has not elected to acquire drink or snacks. He is in 'casual' attire, which is to say trousers and a nice shirt, with a hint of color as a purple undershirt. He is here!
He doesn't break at the pun. He just once, slowly, blinks.
Then it's over.
<Pose Tracker> Shizuka Kuroki has posed.
Shizuka came in as early as she could, still in her school uniform as she nibbles on a cookie absentmindedly. As hesitant about journeying into the Dark Hour as she still found herself, she definitely devoted herself to the work of SEES. After all, the sooner they found an answer to the Dark Hour, the sooner she'd never have to deal with it or anything else scary again.
Right?
She sits up as Ikutsuki starts, listening intently, until he makes his little crack. The corner of her mouth curls up a bit, her hand quickly coming up to cover it as she tries to suppress a giggle.
"G-Good one, Chairman!"
<Pose Tracker> Koh Katsuhiro has posed.
Koh is in attendance, not as punctual as some but certainly not late. He looks a bit tired, a hand scrubbing at his cheek. He too finds a seat at one of the couches, plopping down and offering a brief smile for the gathered members of SEES. And a wave. He inspects the palm of his hand briefly before scrubbing the small stain from in.
He doesn't get the joke. But he smiles like he understands that it's something he should be doing since the Chairman seems pleased.
He also leans forward to pinch up a cookie. Not to eat yet, but to keep in reserve.
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
"I don't get it," says HITOMI MANDAI, who is sitting on one of the sofas. She has,
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
"I don't get it," says HITOMI MANDAI, who is sitting on one of the sofas. She has, as a change of pace, an apple juice in one hand. She might have been more mindful of the important of rest than Suzume.
She sips her drink. Her eyes turn to Ririka.
To Reiya.
Shizuka.
Koh.
Sip.
<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.
Moriko's running a bit late. She also shows up in full leathers, with her helmet tucked under her arm. She looks around, sets her helmet down anywhere remotely convenient for herself. Then works her gloves loose before taking a seat. Taking only long enough to work her arms loose to reveal the oil stained t-shirt and some recent bandages.
Probably explains suscinctly why she just flops onto a chair, leans back with one leg crossed over the other and her arms crossed. Too many meetings!
Only after does she realize she left her water bottle behind and she grumbles for a moment, but decides it can wait.
"Get what?" sounding clearly confused. What'd she miss?
At least Ririka and Reiya get a wave. Eventually.
<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
SEES gathers in the Iwatodai Dorm war room - and Fuuka Yamagishi is here, too! She's a little on edge... This is her first time really meeting the Chairman, and her first time being asked to attend an official meeting. So, she sits in her chosen chair, back straight and hands folded in her lap politely. She's trying to make a good first impression on everyone... though most of them have already met her by now, so it might be a bit of a fruitless endeavor.
Her focus is largely on the chairman, but her eyes do stray briefly toward Ririka to check on her as she slinks into the room, trying very hard not to be noticed. She offers her a small smile, before looking back toward Ikutsuki.
A fuller picture of the situation...? Shizuka seems to think it's a joke. ...Is it...?
Fuuka forces a wider smile on her face, trying to be polite. It might be clear from the look on her face that she, also, doesn't get it.
She has a bottled water in front of her, too. She hasn't gone for any of the cookies yet, though. ...She wants to, but she hasn't.
<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.
Once again haunting the halls of the Iwatodai dorm is the one and only Tyler Gould. When more information is promised on what they're doing here, he's definitely planning to attend and soak in the information.
Rule #1 of Ghost Hunting: Don't Go Blind
In fact, he's taken this goal of listening and learning a step further, carrying a small notepad along with him in order to take notes, along with the Dr. Salt in his other hand -- it seems Suzume isn't the only one who's opted for night-time caffiene. Because really, if they're finally going to achieve disclosure, he wants to be able to reference it whenever he wants.
As he spies familiar faces, he offers polite, wordless nods to the others. Devoid of externalized emotion as usual, content to simply exist in the space as opposed to cracking jokes (or terribly wonderful puns). The exchange between those who don't, and don't get the joke is observed, and ultimately he opts to simply take a seat not too far from Ririka. Maybe, if she's lucky, the shadows that are likely sympathetic to the goth's presence will help hide her from unwanted attention!
Okay, so shadows don't usually work that way. At least he's tall!
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
"I'm glad someone appreciates my art, Kuroki-san!" Ikutsuki says.But the blank looks on Hitomi and Fuuka's faces tell him everything. He sighs, as he looks at Mitsuru. "I suppose this is a no... pun... zone."
Minako groans again.
"So, as you know, when you rescued Yamagishi-san, two powerful Shadows appeared. They have a certain similarity to two of the Major Arcana of the European tarot card deck, the Emperor and Empress. Notably, however..."
Ikutsuki leans forward. "Before some of you came, we faced two more. Arisato-kun, Arisato-chan, Iori-san, and Takeba-san fought against one on the monorail, the Priestess. And a month before, the night the twins arrived..." He shakes his head. "...The Magician."
He frowns, and then he looks between everyone. "Now, then. Arisato-chan mentioned to me that her group spotted it. The Dark Hour had a full moon -- even though it was a waning crescent moon, normally."
He frowns. "...But, the Dark Hour also had a full moon when the other Arcana Shadows appeared." Ikutsuki shakes his head. "This can't be a coincidence."
Minako frowns, herself. Then she looks between everyone for a moment, before she looks at Mitsuru. She hesitates, but she sounds hopeful.
"Senpai, this means... if we pay attention to the phase of the moon in Dark Hour, we might have an idea when those Shadows might appear, right?" she asks.
Even if the moon's phase is quite variable in Dark Hour from day-to-day.
<Pose Tracker> Mitsuru Kirijo has posed.
I suppose this is a no... pun... zone.
"Yes," Mitsuru says matter-of-factly, "that seems appropriate."
Is she just not noticing the clear punmanship there, or so powerful that she is -flagrantly denying its existence-?
Either way, her expression does not change even a fraction. Of. An. Inch.
There is the soft -clink- of Kirijo Family china as Mitsuru sets her cup back down on its designated saucer with a practically natural sense of etiquette. She, otherwise, remains largely silent, pulling a few locks of royal red behind one ear and turning her gaze on the others gathered as Ikutsuki explains the situation as they know it -- as if, perhaps, trying to gauge their reactions.
It's only when she feels eyes on her that her attention turns, towards Minako. She considers that frown and the hopeful words that follow, and considers.
"... That's true," she concedes. "But unfortunately, time and space in the Dark Hour does not work as it does in here, in our... conventional world. As Ikutsuki-san has explained, the discovering the pattern of the full moon during the Dark Hour has been... difficult. It does not adhere to our normal understanding of the moon's phases."
She realizes, after the fact, that she might just be putting a damper on Minako's hopes with her unrelenting realism. A second passes, and then she offers:
"But... you're right, Arisato. This seems to be a repeating pattern, and if the Arcana Shadows continue to follow this rule... This is a tremendous step forward for us. ... We simply need to be prepared for anything."
There. She tried!
<Pose Tracker> Shizuka Kuroki has posed.
Shizuka suppresses another chuckle, quickly reassembling herself with a cough. She puts her hand on her chin as she takes in the intel. She remembered the Priestess and the Magician, at least. She hadn't taken the monorail for a week after the Priestess. Definitely got her steps in going to school. So the Shadows are based on the Major Arcana, were they? That meant...
"If they're based on the Major Arcana, then that means there's only so many of them as well, doesn't it? Unless we start getting cups and coins into the mix..."
She nods to herself as she takes a sip of water.
<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
Suzume is dressed casually herself. Apparently she does not think 'an official meeting' is worth putting her school uniform *back* on for, which means you get jeans and a loose T-shirt. Suffer. Or don't. She's pretty comfortable at least.
She gives Ririka a bit of a thoughtful look as she arrives, but doesn't say anything - positive or negative! Tyler actually gets a bigger scowl than she does. Suzume does at least smile twice, though: when Hitomi sits down, and again at Fuuka.
She reaches for one of the cookies because even if other people are holding back, *she* is going to at least have one, dammit.
"Can I ask a question?" she says, before adding, "That's not the question. Why are they named after tarot cards anyway? We're going to run out of those eventually, there's only like twenty, right? Or are there fewer big Shadows than that?"
But that's just one question. As for the full moon... "I guess this means someone should start making a moon chart for the Dark Hour," Suzume says, perhaps not realizing that in some organizations that means she just volunteered herself. "Keep track of when the different phases are to see if there's a pattern." She'd noticed the full moon the day of, when she was with Minako and the others.
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
Hitomi's face furrows as Ikutsuki speaks more about the Shadows. The big ones. She has heard of them, even if the Emperor and Empress were the first big ones she faced. She glances at Mitsuru for a moment; sips her juice.
Moon phase.
Hitomi squints harder, as if she just bit into something sour. Then, "Oh," she continues, and that seems to deflate her, making her sink deeper into the couch as her eyes roll heavensward and she wordlessly, silently groans. How disrespectful!! Then again, it is late.
"... Is there any pattern to how the moon appears in the Dark Hour?" she asks, before glancing at Suzume with a vague grin, then looking at Shizuka. Who speaks with some promise. There's an end to it, perhaps even an achievable one!
<Pose Tracker> Koh Katsuhiro has posed.
"When the moon is out, huh." Koh considers that, nibbling on the cookie he's pilfered. The young man muses upon that information.
"...Do you think they come from the moon?" He asks, "Like aliens?" He's probably not being serious.
"That sounds like a good idea, though." He notes at Suzume's suggestion, "And a good question."
<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
It's nice that Moriko isn't glaring as hard. That's nice! Reiya is his usual stoic self in this meeting, though, only looking to her once as she arrives. A repeating pattern, and the moon...
Reiya is thoughtful. He is silent.
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Ririka glances back at Hitomi and shrugs a little. She doesn't get it either. Moriko gets a small, awkward wave back. She has a brief, though awkward smile for Fuuka, her fellow Navigator. She glances to Tyler but doesn't say anything.
She'll have to figure out the shadows on her own, most likely.
Magician, Priestess, Emperor and Empress... Ririka wonders what the significance of the Tarot is, but she listens quietly.
But the full moon... Ririka blinks, and then stiffles a groan. She just got the pun.
But they're discussing shadows... She was there for two of them. Quietly, Ririka offers, "The Emperor and Empress shadows were really..." She's about to say 'loud' but that might be taken the wrong way. "... noticeable to me, but... maybe that was a side effect of not being Awakened yet, or something." She kind of ended up being unable to fight, after all. She's still embarrassed by that too. "... And I don't know if that helps us plan ahead," she admits.
It could be important, she's trying not to hold back.
She looks at Suzume a bit guiltily and then glances away.
<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.
Resting her arm on the table, she props her chin up with it and says, "So we both know, and don't know when it's going to appear?" There's a hint of a scowl. She also doesn't really know anything about the tarot deck, or if the things are showing up in order even. "How far out of sync is it? You could probably learn to time it with-" she taps her finger against her cheek, "Well. Probably not like timing a head. Nevermind."
She settles back in quietly. Clearly still not getting the pun, but she had been off in her own little world for a moment. Somewhat making a mental note to go and study up on the tarot deck, if all else just for an excuse to look the thing over. It might help! Like walking or biking a track. Or playing a racing game of the track.
Probably not.
"I can help with the chart." She finally says. "Maybe I can spot something with whoever else is on it."
<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
Suzume smiles her way, and Fuuka smiles back. She even offers a small wave!
From Ikutsuki's words, it was definitely a pun. And then he makes another one. With some effort, Fuuka's expression doesn't change as she tries to remain polite.
Ikutsuki goes into his explanation, then. The two powerful Shadows she fought, as well as those faced by SEES before her rescue... All of them happened when the moon was full in the Dark Hour. That does suggest a pattern.
Suzume raises a good question - why tarot cards? But also... a moon chart. That goes along with Hitomi's question.
"I think that might be a good idea... if such a thing hasn't been done already." Fuuka agrees with a nod. She's always supported gathering as much information as possible.
<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.
Does Tyler notice Suzume's scowl? If he does, he opts not to return it, or even alter her greeting as a result. Instead, he stays fucosed on the conversation at hand. The intelligence being shared.
His focus is, largely on the Chairman, and on others only when they too speak. Occasionally on the notepad when he's scribbling. Once he's got a moment to interject...
"It's been a belief in many cultures that the full moon is when the veil between worlds becomes thinnest. Right up there with certain hours of the night," between midnight and 3 AM, which by default includes the Dark Hour itself. "...and certain days of the year. At least the cosmos is kind enough to keep these horrors on a schedule for us."
Was that a joke? He doesn't laugh. He does, however, look towards Suzume here.
"A lunar chart would be an excellent idea, Suzume. Then we can make certain we're well-rested and well-equipped for the battle to come."
The idea -- hope? -- that the shadows are based on the Major Arcana and might be numbered accordingly does make him wonder, though...
"So, when we 'run out' of the deck... does the Dark Hour simply... go away, or are they more like a Doomsday Clock, counting down our hours until armageddon?"
...because running out of Major Arcana Shadows is not guaranteed to be a Good Thing, he's decided.
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
Ikutsuki sighs. In a way, he too is immune. Most would consider themselves executed after that.
Minako glances sideways at Mitsuru as she explains. This does offer them a hope -- one with asterisks, one with questions -- but there is a chance that, now, they will know when those large Shadows might appear in the short-term.
"Right!" she says. "That's important." Then, she looks at Suzume, and she considers for a second. "If we weren't already, we should track that, Fukura-chan." She looks at Hitomi. "That way, if there isn't any pattern, we know it. And if there is... great!"
She looks at Moriko, then she nods. Then, she looks at Fuuka. "Can you help Kumamoto-san with it, Yamagishi-san?"
"That's right," Ikutsuki says to Shizuka. "But we shouldn't make too many assumptions. We have a good idea, but--the fact two showed up at once, this last time, means we need to be flexible and prepared for the unexpected, too. But... it's a leg up."
Then, he looks at Koh. He hesitates for a moment, before he says, "No, but they're clearly out of this world." Minako groans again. Then, he looks to Tyler. "Good question, Gould-san!"
He sighs. "We're not sure exactly where they're from. And we don't, yet, know what the effect of defeating them will be. But we did notice some interesting things."
He frowns, then leans back. "First, there was a disruption in the Dark Hour. We're not sure what it means -- but it was more pronounced this time, with two. And the last time that one was defeated, it affected Tartarus, and caused a new area to open a little later. The Arcana Shadows have an impact on Dark Hour and Tartarus."
He leans forward. "We can't say for sure if it would stop Dark Hour. But it's worth doing for another reason. Every time we've taken out an Arcana Shadow, there's both a reduction -- if temporary -- in new cases of Apathy Syndrome and there's more recoveries."
Minako glances down for a moment. Then, she nods. "So... either way, defeating one when it appears is doing some good." She closes her eyes for a second.
That answer feels so right that it's comforting, somehow.
<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
The chart is delegated. Reiya's eyes are on the Chairman still. They shouldn't make assumptions, but...
Defeating them does some good...
"If defeating them cures Apathy Syndrome patients," Reiya says, "Then there's no question. They must be defeated. Every single one of them."
He looks to Tyler. "We can't know everything. But we know that much."
"They are the enemy. And our enemy must be defeated."
<Pose Tracker> Mitsuru Kirijo has posed.
Suzume asks a very pertinent question. -Why- are they named after tarot cards?
"..."
Dark red eyes flicker towards Hitomi, catching that look; for a time, Mitsuru says nothing. But eventually...
"Kuroki has the right of it," she finally says, echoing Ikutsuki's sentiment. "The naming structure is in part because we have reason to suspect there is a limit to these Shadows." Her gaze turns towards Suzume, nodding a single dip of her head in acknowledgment. Tyler's pondering dovetails smoothly into her next point, providing clarity in no uncertain terms straight from the source:
"There's still much we don't know." Much she doesn't say, either-- "But as Ikutsuki-san says, with the destruction of each previous Arcana Shadow, there has been a notable effect; on Tartarus, on the Dark Hour itself -- even on the people who have fallen victim to the Shadows within it."
She only frowns a small frown at Ikutsuki's joke to Tyler. It's a small, so small frown. But it has the weight of a neutron star behind it.
"... in any case... It is the Kirijo Group's current belief that in some form or the other, dealing with these Shadows will be key to putting a final end to the Dark Hour."
And she can finally make up for her family's hubris.
It's only then that she exhales. It's such an understated thing, but it, too, feels like it carries its own weight behind it. "Trying to discern some manner of pattern to the Dark Hour's lunar cycles would be a tremendous help. I will be glad to help where I'm able, of course. But..."
And here, she looks to Ririka, and Fuuka.
"... It's my personal belief that the two of you will both be critical in finding and dealing with these Shadows." A frown settles on scarlet lips; Mitsuru's gaze shifts to her teacup, watching the ripples flowing out from the once-calm surface as she speaks. "As much as it pains me to admit, my powers of navigation have been falling increasingly short of the mark the further we delve into Tartarus -- and now it seems woefully insufficient for finding and grasping the nature of these Shadows. I don't wish to put this much expectation on the both of you, so soon after you've both come out the other side of such harrowing ordeals, but..."
She looks back to the two of them, one more time. Even if she might not want to put that weight on their shoulders. "We have high hopes for you."
There's a profound difference between 'want' and 'need'.
<Pose Tracker> Shizuka Kuroki has posed.
Shizuka quickly did the math in her head. If there were 22 major arcana, and they had fought four so far, that meant there were 18 more of them. They'd have to do this like 18 more times! Maybe 9 if they kept teaming up! She surreptitiously bites her lip, dreading the next year. These things were trouble enough already...
Mitsuru taking charge did a lot to ease her nerves, though. Kirijo-san had a habit of doing that. She releases her lip and lets out a sigh, trying not to let anyone hear.
"So we've got the Arcana Shadows and the top of Tartarus. That's two different goals within our reach. I dunno what'll happen with either, but it can't really make anything worse than it already is, right?
<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
Ririka looks guiltily at Suzume. Suzume doesn't seem to respond to it, though she does meet Ririka's eyes. She saw that. She's not ignoring her.
A limit to the Shadows... "Huh," Suzume says, returning Mitsuru's nod. She's not afraid to face her, at least.
Suzume takes another sip from her coffee. Half done, at least. "I'll help with the moon chart, but I'm not staying up through every single Dark Hour to do it," Suzume says, agreeing with Fuuka and Minako (and, yes, Tyler). "So we should probably split that anyway, unless you want someone to be garbage in every morning class."
She doesn't care as much as some people, but she also is not a morning person by nature, so morning classes are already unpleasant for her.
But as for the rest of it...
Suzume thinks for a few moments. She crosses one leg, lifting it up to rest on her opposite knee and jiggles it slightly, absent-mindedly while she thinks.
"I'm still in," Suzume says. "I mean, obviously. If it's doing SOMETHING good..." At least something's going right, she thinks, before finishing her cookie. It gives her time to gather her thoughts.
"And I mentioned this before, but I've got a third goal. I want to go back to Mementos, where you found me. To see... if there's something in there, too. Maybe it's changing but we don't know. Maybe there's big Shadows in there, but we don't know that either. So... I know I'm not an official team leader or anything. But I'm going back." And she doesn't want to do it alone, but she doesn't want to *say* that straight out. One, she doesn't have the authority to command, and two, she doesn't like to admit she can't do something herself.
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
Hitomi watches what Ikutsuki summarizes and lays out. And while much of it isn't that great to hear, there's one thing that definitely is.
"Heh," Hitomi says, and she straightens up slightly, as if this gave her back some of the spinal tension that Ikutsuki had CRUELLY STOLEN with his HORRIBLE DADJOKES.
yea
Suzume has a good question, though. A space passes. Hitomi looks towards Mitsuru instead of Ikutski as she sips from her juice once again. She turns her eyes towards Ririka, towards Fuuka, as they are given a charge. A burden. She smiles a little at them.
Mementos comes up.
"... Does anyone know if those weird, uh, people from the beach in Sumaru or whatever even know about that place?" Hitomi says, looking from Suzume to the others. "I heard about this from Takeba and that just, like, occured to me."
<Pose Tracker> Koh Katsuhiro has posed.
Koh snickers at Itsuki's answer. Now that pun he can get into.
But the knowledge that each Arcana defeated is doing some good makes him agree with Minako's assessment. Tyler's suggestion, after consideration, earns: "Well, if it's a countdown, we'll just have to see what's at the end when it comes." He returns to nibbling his snack.
"Seems simple." He smiles brightly.
He remains silent on talk of Mementos, not having any experience to speak of.
<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.
Moriko sits up a little straighter. She's technically supposed to be more involved and she's paying attention! That means she probably should look like it. This mostly just means she turns an intense look at Fuuka and says, "Look forward to working with you on it!" Her voice is.. far less scary looking at least. She hopes. Probably more sleepy than anything.
Same to Suzume, "We just have to do it in shifts. Or I can-" She scratches her cheek, "I'm fine doing it. I like being up late. Also. Mementos?"
She replies to Kuroki's comment on it not getting any worse with, "Probably shouldn't tempt it."
Regardless, stopping the shadows stops the Apathy problem. "I'm game for.. any of it. I'll do my best to help." Said in a way that suggests she's sticking her neck out either way!
<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
Fuuka nods as Minako agrees, too. Even knowing that there's a lack of a pattern would be useful. And when she asks her to help, Fuuka nods.
"Yes." She confirms, looking toward Moriko. That intense look... Fuuka flinches just a little, but her voice is friendly enough, at least.
"I'm good at making charts, so... I'll lend whatever help I can."
Suzume gets a good nod, too.
"I think dividing it up between us would be a great idea." She agrees.
She listens, then, as Ikutsuki continues, explaining things further. A disruption in the Dark Hour, changes in Tartarus, and the recovery of Apathy Syndrome patients...
"I'd heard that Natsuki-chan's friends awoke after they collapsed..." Fuuka considers. Oh, it's 'Natsuki-chan' now. "I'm glad it helped others, too."
Mitsuru looks toward her and Ririka now. With regret, she places a mission on their shoulders. Fuuka smiles back just briefly, before looking back toward Mitsuru. She's always been a little intimidating... but right now, she's able to look back and nod her agreement.
"You all have already done so much for me... You've let me stay here, and you've all been friendly with me. So, if I can be of any help at all, I'd be glad to continue supporting you officially." Fuuka replies. She'd been staying with them provisionally... but some of those she'd spoken to would already know she'd been thinking about it. "It isn't just a sense of obligation, of course... I've been thinking about this for a while."
And, with navigation brought up, Fuuka looks toward Suzume.
"I'd be happy to lend whatever help I can... when you plan to go in there, please let me know." Fuuka offers.
<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.
Tyler's question is answered -- but not. They don't know the *truth* of it all. Not yet. Some of it is going to be flying blind... not a totally new thing for him, although obviously not his preferred result.
Reiya's quick answer gets his attention, though. "Obviously. Even if they do herald an apocalypse, I doubt *not* defeating them would provide any positive results." Beat. "But if defeating them produces measurable results, that's good. Were there any other variations observed going into this last full moon to provide a potential indicator of *two* Arcanas rather than one?" Or three? Or maybe the deck gets thrown at them?
That question, in addition to being asked of the Chairman, extends towards Fuuka and Ririka at Mitsuru's singling out the pair and their abilities. If *they* felt something different...
...but Tyler, they weren't awake for the first two!
Shut up, logic.
Koh gets a nod, though. "Let's hope we like what we find at the bottom of the deck."
Then there's... "Tell us what you know of Mementos, Suzume? I... don't have experience with this one."
Admitting a lack of knowledge leaves a distaste in his mouth that only Dr. Salt, and answers, can cure. At least he controls one of those two things right now.
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Moon charts sound like they might help. Tyler's got some input, and Ririka listens... are they a Doomsday Clock? Ririka frowns. "Could that be why they only showed up recently...? The Dark Hour's been around for longer than just a few months, right?"
An impact on Tartarus, and a reduction in Apathy Symptom cases, and recoveries... "Then if one isn't defeated..." Ririka frowns. "... would that make it worse...?" Hurriedly she says, "N-not that I'm suggesting we shouldn't fight them, just... wanting to be clear on all of the consequences."
She sits up straighter as Mitsuru addresses her and Fuuka both, though. Something even Kirijo-senpai struggles with... She glances to Fuuka again and then back to Mitsuru, nodding. "I'll do my best, Kirijo-senpai."
It might be a lot to take on, but... how could she do otherwise?
Ririka's not sure if Suzume noticing or not is better at this point. "I can take shifts with filling out the moon chart too," she volunteers, on that topic. One night or two up late won't kill her... probably. Maybe she can make other observations, too. "And I'm still interested in exploring Mementos."
There's a brief smile for Hitomi, if an awkward one. At least one of the people from that beach fight has been to Mementos, but Ririka has no way of knowing that.
Yukari Takeba has arrived from Shimokitazawa - Street Scene.
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
"It's possible," Ikutsuki says to Ririka. "And... I don't think I'd like to find out."
Minako looks at Reiya. She blinks at him when he says that. It's so simple -- no, it's straightforward, but that doesn't mean it's simple. But aren't things often not so straightforward? She tilts her head in his direction.
"You say it without any doubt, Aomori-san," she says, looking at him curiously.
She looks sideways, then, at Mitsuru. She blinks once, but then she smiles -- and looks back at Fuuka. "I'm really glad. I didn't want to put any pressure on you, but when you helped guide us in that fight... you were incredible, Yamagishi-san," she says. "I haven't seen you in action, Kawase-san... but I'm excited to."
She looks at Mitsuru. "And having you on the field teams, too, Kirijo-senpai!" she says. She grins, then she looks at Koh. She beams at him.
"Yeah," she says. "The only thing for it is to get there, right, Katsuhiro-san?"
Then, Minako looks at Suzume, and nods when she considers what she says.
"I think it'd be a good idea," she says. She looks at Tyler. "It's weird -- it's like a messed up subway. I've only been a couple times, and you were there for one. I don't know much about it."
"It would," Ikutsuki says. "Fukura-san is right. If we ignore the other things that imperil the world... then we could resolve the Dark Hour and Apathy Syndrome, only for another danger that we don't understand to hurt us."
<Pose Tracker> Mitsuru Kirijo has posed.
'Natsuki-chan,' is it?
Despite herself, the smallest, privately humored of smiles touches the corners of scarlet lips as Mitsuru Kirijo brings her teacup back to her lips, expertly timed to hide her own pleasure.
She's glad to see her theory on that little matter ended up proving out, in the end. Even if the active memory can't remember the pains they shared...
The subconscious always knows.
Reiya's sudden burst of talking - relative to Reiya and his typical silence - draws Mitsuru's eyes. For some reason, her brows furrow; it's hard to call it a -softened- expression, but it teeters dangerously close in those brief, flickering moments. Still -- she says nothing, at least for now.
But it isn't until Ririka and Fuuka both offer up their willingness to help that Mitsuru more openly smiles. It's still small, of course; and she still expertly suppresses a sigh of relief before it can even form, maintaining that impeccably proud presentation, but...
"You have my gratitude. Both of you." Minako mentions that she'll have opportunity to be on the field, and this time, Mitsuru's smile -does- grow, looking much more pleased as she shuts dark red eyes.
"Mm. I look forward to working with you, Arisato. It's been too long since I've been able to charge from the front. I must say, I missed it."
How does that subtle tone of anticipation sound so very terrifying?
"It'll be good to be in the thick of it once more."
Is it wrong to ask them of this, even if Fuuka insists it's not a matter of obligation? ... She isn't sure. Mitsuru just knows it's necessary. Everything else, frankly, has to be secondary.
But, Suzume has a request; Mitsuru blinks at the question. A second passes after as she cups her chin and glances aside, brows furrowed as if considering that possibility and all the pros and cons of it earnestly in a remarkably short time. Lips part.
"... I agree with Arisato and Ikutsuki-san. SEES has been growing at a breathtaking rate, of late," begins Mitsuru, slowly. "It was always my hope that we could investigate into other supernatural occurrences in Japan, but simply put, we never had the manpower for it. Now, however."
Well, look at this room; there's over double the amount of members here than there was when SEES first started, and that doesn't even account for everyone who has joined the would-be extracurricular organization.
"I believe, especially with Kawase and Yamagishi willing to lend us their support, now is the ideal time to branch out. I will provide what support and resources I can, but if you wish to take point in this, Fukura, then we'll leave the responsibility of heading up the investigation of Mementos to you." Mitsuru's dark brows furrow mildly. "I admit, I'm curious about the nature of that place, myself. Still. While we may be able to more reasonably spread out our resources and personnel now, remember: the Dark Hour is what takes priority for us."
It's when Hitomi speaks up, though, that Mitsuru cocks her head almost owlishly to the right. "'Weird people from the beach of Sumaru'?"
<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
Reiya has strong opinions on this matter already--though... he's also been very quiet at the revelations going around, has not seemed surprised at much of anything. Then again, he doesn't usually look surprised at things. That's normal for him.
...He doesn't volunteer any information that someone else hasn't already mentioned, either.
Instead he looks to Minako. Her curiousity gets a nod. "...Apathy Syndrome is my enemy, too. My..." He remembers. Yukari said he gave it away, with what he said. "...No one should lose loved ones to things like that. We have a duty to protect people from it."
"I try not to take any action unless I'm sure of it."
Then Suzume, "I'm willing to go to this Mementos. I think we should learn all we can about it, as the Chairman says." He looks to Mitsuru. He noticed her expression before... but doesn't voice whatever it was that was there.
"Very well. And..."
"I will continue investigating the matter of the 'Homunuculus," Reiya says too. "And gahtering what information I can on various supernatural threats, so that we can decide what to do about them."
"This is a task I can perform."
"...My Persona has more stealth abilities than most," he clarifies, "In opposition to Yamagishi-san and Kawase-san's abilities. So... if you need something done quietly, count on me."
<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
"They know about a lot of things in Sumaru," Suzume says, in reply to Hitomi. "They definitely know about the Dark Hour because they have it too. I'd think they know about Mementos because it's a rumour. But Tartarus? I don't know, wouldn't they have to come here to see it? It's not so tall you could see it from all the way over there."
'Mementos?'
'Tell us what you know of Mementos, Suzume?'
"You know how Tartarus is the hell tower?" Suzume gestures with her mostly empty can of coffee. "Mementos is like that, but... different. There's a rumour about a challenge... most people can't say 'Mementos' five times at a train station bathroom. It freaks people out if you try it. But it's a rumour which is why I figure they know about it in Sumaru."
She pauses, then: "I did it. Before I had a Persona. And it's real! It sends you to the hell subway. SEES found me in there, along with Yamamoto-san, who was watching so I could prove I did it." Jiro Yamamoto, another second-year at Gekkoukan. "He doesn't really remember it... like Moriyama-san." She is not Natsuki-chan to Suzume.
"But it's... weird. All twisted tracks that don't go anywhere, or split and then reconnect. Like something that *grew*, instead of was built. Parts of it look like blood, or... uh. Meat." Like Tartarus, in some ways. "And it's full of Shadows, but different Shadows than Tartarus."
"Past that?" Suzume shrugs. "That's why I wanna go back. It goes down and down and none of us know what's there. You can get in with an Evoker, though. YOu don't need to use the dare."
And it sounds like they're agreeing. Suzume wasn't expecting to be put in charge of it. She straightens. "That would be good, thank you," she says to Mitsuru, before looking toward Fuuka... and Ririka, after a moment. "Yeah. ...Okay," she agrees. "Let's work together."
Reiya, too... "If you find out something about it, I'd like to hear it," Suzume agrees. But they already had this discussion.
<Pose Tracker> Shizuka Kuroki has posed.
Shizuka crosses her arms and brings one leg over the other. Mementos, the Homonculi, the Dark Hour... The truth of the world was stranger than any manga she could ever write. What had she gotten herself into...?
Well, nothing to be done for it now.
"I'm interested in finding out more about the Homonculus stuff myself. Just let me know what I can do to help, Ya-kun. Geez. Our plates got a lot fuller all of a sudden, didn't they? Good thing we got so many people here to give these problems a real Persona-l touch!"
Her lips curl back up and she glances around at each person present.
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
Hitomi is ON THE SPOT
Thus thank Hitomi Mandai: 'ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff'
She looks startled when Mitsuru looks *to* her. Her face reddens as she sits upright, regaining muscle tone as if she's being put in front of the teacher. She has been noticed by the sempais and she has found the true revelation behind that promise.
"Oh uh" she says. "Well okay this is kind of two things. One was, uh, it was Kawase's so I'm going to let her talk about it but it was also in Sumaru." She indicates Ririka as she says this with a tilt of the juice bottle. "The other was, uh, something Takeba told me about."
Hitomi sips her now-nearly-gone juice. ".... We do have a lot more people, huh?"
<Pose Tracker> Koh Katsuhiro has posed.
Koh has finished his cookie by now. He's mostly silent as he pays attention to Suzume's explanation.
"Huh, there's a lot more to the world than I thought." He mentions after Shizuka speaks about how full their plates are. Her own pun earns a sincere giggle..
He composes himself after. "Well, I'd like to learn more about all this other stuff too." Eyes go to Ririka, waiting for further information.
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
Yukari's mostly been quiet throughout the meeting, it's perhaps not all that unusual, if one understands the occasional furtive glance at Mitsuru Kirijo - as if trying to read deeper than surface level, to peel back her secrets.
The revelations of the cycles of the Shadows and Apathy Syndrome's link to it. Well, she'd noticed much the same after Minako pointed it out, but it's nice to have it confirmed.
She doesn't say anything about branching out to investigate other areas like Mementos. Part of her is suspicious that Mitsuru knows she's already done the same - despite Akihiko insisting he wouldn't tell her.
Hitomi though mentions the people at Ebisu beach and Mitsuru questions it, so Yukari looks Hitomi's way as she starts fumbling over it and, "Uhhh - it's okay Mandai-chan. I'll take over for that one." She then turns back to Mitsuru, as if continuing her search for secrets that won't come up to the surface, as she speaks.
"I was in Sumaru City investigating these strange 'cards' for the Chairman, when I took a few hours to unwind. While I was there I felt... something odd, and dangerous. Kinndaaa like the Dark Hour but during the day?" She shakes her head as if that feels inadequate in explanation. "Well, there were a lot of people down there who were...well... they didn't understand the danger, so I decided to look into it."
Yukari has this look on her expression like she's trying to decide how best to put this and coming up short, "Well... there were several Persona Users ambushing a Sumaru City Police Officer, and whatever they did, it let them summon their Persona in broad daylight. I have no idea, how really... but it let me do the same? Iiiii managed to help fend them off but..."
Now her brown eyes are just fastened on Mitsuru... not even to mention Reiya and Shuji, "One of them had this weird Evoker? It was like a Revolver, with cartridges. Well, eventually they had to retreat and they summoned, well - Demons to cover them? Like I'd heard rumors about Demons but I didn't think they were real!"
There's a sudden emphasis there that shows despite several weeks to process, she's still a little freaked by the developments.
"Uh, and that Persona User wasn't the only one really with one. There's other too... but, that's not how a lot of people in that city summon their Personas either? Like the cop they were attacking was one too, but he said he got his from this ancient kid's game from like the Showa Era called the 'Persona Game'. I have no idea how that's possible."
That's a lot of information right there and she's really more interested in what the others already know about it, so she decides to stop there, "Soooo yeah, I think maybe given what you were saying about our numbers... investigating Sumaru City too might be a good idea."
<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.
"I'm pretty good with timing and keeping track of things." Except for people. Moriko's a bit dubious on tracking people sometimes. She tries though! "Let's-" she holds a finger up, thinking, then pauses and shakes her head. "Uh. Pick a good day?" That will work. In theory. Right? "I just have to let the geezer at the shop know."
"Hopefully." She replies to Tyler, briefly shoving a mental bit of pessimism away.
"Maybe some seal broke somewhere like the sessho-seki stone?" This time a reply to Ririka's comment." There's a frown, "Not that I've heard any, but there's so many stories about that sort of thing anyway."
She props her chin up against her hand again as she thinks on one of Minako's comment, "Is it connected or separate? Do we know anyone we can acquire some information out of one way or the other? I mean..." She trails off. She had thoughts on how. She won't mention them! A little mental note though to call gramps.
"Who was working on the homonculi? I was.. going to help there." She looks to Reiya then, "You were one right? Good excuse for a few things." There's that intense look on him now.
Yukari mentions cards! She fishes around for a moment, then holds up the card she'd received from Myunghon, "One of these? Or a different weird card?" She hadn't tried to use it yet. She'd gotten something approaching instruction. Sort of. She had been planning on just winging it. "I can ta-..." she trails off. Muttering, "Next time I take my brother there I can take you there." Nope. She might not be ashamed of most of her habits, but card games are still a step too far for her!
<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
"I'm in contact with a rumourmonger from Sumaru," Suzume says, without looking at Yukari, though after she speaks. "So, you know. I get some information that way. I'll be back there. They're at the game store Mandai and I go to sometimes."
"So if you want me to ask anything specific, let me know. And I'll see what they charge for it."
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
"Yeah." Yukari confirms at Moriko's card, "Basically? There's so many of them though... uhhhhh..."
She considers whether she should have said anything with Hitomi around about how many there are, given Hitomi's trading card collecting habits.
"... though I also had to go to a weird cabaret lounge with a long nosed guy to get it to work after?"
Her tone suddenly becomes sort of weirded out, "Still not sure what that's about."
<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
Fuuka offers Minako a smile.
"I'm glad you think so... I'm looking forward to working with you, Arisato-san - and everyone else, of course." She replies, relieved. And to that end... she offers Mitsuru a polite nod.
"Thank you." She replies, then smiles toward Ririka. It's difficult for her, but it's an attempt at encouragement, at least. "Let's both do our best together, Kawase-san."
She looks toward Reiya as he speaks, then. Apathy Syndrome... he said it was his duty to stop it when she spoke with him before. That lines up with what he's saying now, too.
Branching out... Fuuka supposes that would be important, even if the Dark Hour is their priority. There's so much happening, between the threat posted by the Homunculus and the mysteries of Mementos...
Fuuka nods, as Suzume, appointed to head up the search into Mementos, says for them to work together.
"Yes." She agrees with a nod.
Yukari is up next, and Fuuka looks toward her as she speaks of what happened in Sumaru City. ...It's a lot, really. But she can understand why it's so important.
She looks, briefly, toward Moriko. Her eyes are drawn to that weird card - and then toward Yukari, as she confirms.
"A long-nosed man...? That sounds scary..." Fuuka repeats with a quizzical expression. ...It's something out of a horror story, but she supposes she's been through enough right now that she can only accept it as true. Yukari doesn't seem like the type to exaggerate like that.
<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.
"Mementos, Mementos, Mementos..." Tyler's eyes widen ever so slightly as he speaks the words aloud. "I see Bloody Mary has gotten herself some new, more effective branding. Good for her."
Because the dare the American knew? He attempted. It did not work.
He nods along to the explanation, though, jotting down notes here and there. "Well, I said it before and will again; I'm perfectly willing to lend my free time to exploring those things that we still have questions about. Sometimes, demanding answers is the only way to get them."
With violence. Or worse.
Reiya's words... largely go over Tyler's head. The emotional connection is lost on the detached, logical brain. But, "It's an enemy for all of us to vanquish." he agrees on Apathy Syndrome. "...and while I don't know the guy you followed," Taro, "I do know Hazuki reasonably well. Maybe she can tell us more about these homunuculus...suses. Homunculi? The dopplegangers." A smidge of irritation at not knowing the proper plural for the newest threat(?).
"A lot of us, but a lot of them, too. Two opposing forces, with both growing larger in number by the day... there's something poetic about it."
Moriko, meanwhile, becomes the new focus of his attention as Yukari speaks of the chairman tasking her to find out about cards and, Moriko apparently *possessing* one. More notes are taken. "Where did you get that, Moriko?" he asks, already preparing to write down the answer. What does it do? ...he doesn't know yet, but if it's connected to What They Do, having some might be important.
And then Yukari is talking about going to a caberet lounge with a long nosed guy?
"Scandalous."
One word, delivered without emotion.
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
"I bet," Minako says. "I'm looking forward to seeing you in action, senpai." Even if Minako is a little scared of how she sounds excited -- at least, in the way Mitsuru Kirijo sounds excited.
She looks back at Reiya, then, and she blinks at him. He must have been touched by Apathy Syndrome, she realizes. Her expression softens.
"Yeah," she says, quietly. "That's... that's an impressive attitude, Aomori-san." But it bothers her, too.
Is she that certain? Is anyone else?
Her brow furrows -- and Minako is spaced out for a moment, as Suzume explains about Mementos.
Ikutsuki looks at Mitsuru, and then he nods in agreement with her. "Dark Hour must remain our main focus. But... I agree. It's important for SEES to be like a healthy tree -- and branch out!"
Why.
Ikutsuki looks at Shizuka, too, and he nods. "It's a good idea to look into matters in Sumaru. And the beach," she says. Then, he looks at Hitomi. He smiles again.
"You might say that we've planted a lot of SEE--"
"Chairman, no," Minako sputters, coming out of her trance.
"--SEEdS, and they've really sprouted!"
Minako groans, putting her face in her hands. When she speaks, having let her guard down, there's a bit of an Osakan accent. "Just let me know when you're goin', Fukura-chan. I'll help. To get away from that."
"We'll be grateful for any help you can provide, Katsuhiro-san," Ikutsuki says, smiling at Koh. "We're putting our faith in you, too."
Then, Minako looks at Yukari. Her eyes widen -- Ikutsuki knows about Yukari's side mission, so he nods -- and she stares, surprised for a moment. Then, she looks down.
"I think that's... that's something we should try to help with, too, Takeba-chan," Minako says. "I feel like, if demons are real, and they're attacking people..."
She looks at Yukari, then at the others. "I don't want to look away. So I'll help."
But then she looks at Fuuka, who repeats something Yukari said. Something that Minako missed. Her eyes widen for a second. Then, she frowns and looks down -- again, so distracted that she doesn't answer or reply to Tyler's accusation.
"Hm..."
<Pose Tracker> Mitsuru Kirijo has posed.
Good thing we got so many people here to give these problems a real Persona-l touch!
Mitsuru's brows heft just fractionally as she looks Shizuka's way. There is one second, exactly one, that passes, an infinity in microseconds where all possibilities seem to converge towards Mitsuru Kirijo, acknowledging a pun--?!
"... Hm? Yes, I suppose it is a relief."
--oh but nope she just casually ducked her head to the side and evaded the wordbullet completely like she was in the matrix
With the matter of Mementos seemingly resolved - for now - Mitsuru offers one small nod of acknowledgment Suzume's way as she offers her thanks. "You can thank me through your work," she says simply. She doesn't intend it to come off as discourteous, but, well. That distant tone of hers still carries through all the same. "Should you find anything of note in there, please do report it to me. That space is a potentially dangerous curiosity."
With that, though -- Reiya speaks up once more, this time offering something more official. Professional business -- that's something that Mitsuru has a much easier time engaging in. She half-turns crisply in her chair as he mentions that term, Homunculus. She had read the well-detailed reports he had filed with her and Ikutsuki. It's... troubling. But with her own attentions spread so thin...
"Thank you, Aomori. I'll entrust this task to you then."
... she relies on the greatest of arcane leadership artes: D E L E G A T I O N.
Right now, though -- her attention is wholly on Hitomi. That the Second Year freezes up under the everpresent Eye of Kirijo makes no nevermind to Mitsuru; it's almost like she doesn't notice her effect on people in how it does not even remotely temper the expectant look on those fair, aloof features. She waits; her brows furrow at the explanation. But before she can press further--
Yukari steps in. Mitsuru blinks, but her stare tilts Takeba's way all the same. If Yukari is looking for something past that icy surface, in this moment, what she gets is that same expectant stare the student council president had leveled on Hitomi, and all the considerable weight behind it.
Indeed, she seems to take what Yukari says in remarkable stride. For those searching for conspiracies, perhaps the fact that Mitsuru only responds with the furrow of her brows and a mild, "Hm," of thought suggests that she might have some knowledge of what Yukari is talking about, and simply refuses to say. Or, maybe it just means that Mitsuru is an introvert and prone to losing herself in her own interior world of speculation. Which sounds the most scandalously juicy, really?
No -- it's only when Yukari mentions this,
One of them had this weird Evoker?
That she gets a reaction she may very well be craving: Mitsuru Kirijo's eyes widen. And then, for a brief, rare moment, she looks -- troubled.
It's there; and within a blink's breadth, it's gone, replaced by that steadfastly aloof look once more.
"... Is that so," she finally says, in the face of all that - yes, including Suzume casually talking about rumormongers and Yukari talking about long-nosed weirdos. Because her train of thought is mono-focusing on one thing in particular.
One of them had this weird Evoker?
One of them had this--
One of them--
"..."
Mitsuru's fingers wrap a little more tightly around her teacup's handle.
"Thank you, Takeba. Thank you, Fukura. Your assistance is appreciated.
"I will look into this matter."
And that's... it.
That's all she offers.
With a tone of finality that expresses one cool sentiment: 'this is the end of this subject.'
Her stare affixes into the distance after that. So lost is she, that when Ikutsuki's pun train comes, all she manages is a distracted, "Yes, very good, thank you," like some sort of default cycled response that can't bear to acknowledge the crimes committed.
An Evoker.
He decided to throw himself back into things, with an Evoker that clearly was not his SEES one.
"..."
Shinjiro... what is happening with you...?
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
It's possible. "... I don't think I want to find out either," Ririka admits.
Minako's exicted to work with her. "Oh, well... I'm looking forward to working with you too, Arisato-san."
Mitsuru's gratitude... Ririka nods solemnly. "Of course, senpai." She looks to everyone else and bows her head briefly. "I'll do my best to support everyone." For her, if she has a gift... whether it's Music or Navigation... she can't help but use it. And right after she pledges her support, Mitsuru approves the expansion of their mission.
Weird people from the beach at Sumaru. She nods to Hitomi as she's indicated. "I think they attacked Sumaru TV, too... one of them used something that seemed like an Evoker, but it's different from ours. She made a supernatural space where there hadn't been one before... and she could make it difficult to find your way around in it, too. She and this other woman, they could both summon their Personas, too... as did everyone else." Yukari mentioned some of them at Ebisu Beach didn't use Evokers. "The other one didn't, either," she notes. "... but I'm not sure how she did."
Reiya's investigating the Homunculus. "I'd like to help with that, if I can," Ririka comments. It might be awkward, but... running away from that awkwardness won't fix anything.
But then Reiya offers something, and Ririka blinks. "Stealth abilities..." That phrasing, of being opposite to her and Fuuka's abilities makes her ponder quietly for a moment. She's met two different Navigators with opposing pwoers to hers, recently...
She looks to Suzume. "A rumonrmonger from Sumaru? So you're in Sumaru, too, huh...?" She wants to ask about that Rumormonger, but... maybe she'd better apologize, first.
She nods to Fuuka though. She appreciates the encouragement, at least. "Right!"
She takes a deep breath. "Speaking of Sumaru... Some of you herd this already, but... the 'gang violence' at Kasugayama last week was actually an attack by Persona Users. From what I heard it was the Joker Killer--who's apparently real?--and they were supported by people from a group apparently called Strega. I fought two of them, and they used Evokers closer to ours... one of them planted a landmine and had a flashbang, too. And... someone, I didn't see them, had the power to just make it impossible to detect what was going on. Like it made everything quiet..." She takes a deep breath. "And there were demons, too, but I'm not sure who summoned them."
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
After the eye of Kirijo moves away from her, Hitomi is able to relax. This is a very harrowing meeting for her posture. Do they have a masseuse on staff? Is that Akihiko's role?
Hitomi grimaces at the mention of 'that man' (Igor) even if she's been, for the most part, looking at Yukari and hearing a story that she's only heard part of. She finishes the juice. She rolls her shoulders and sits all the way upright... wh ich is just making her hunch over!! Is she just unable to sit right on a couch?!
(yeah)
"Oh, they had something like that in America?" she asks Tyler, screwing the cap back onto her bottle of drink so she can toy with the thing without getting droplets of sugar water all over herself. "Uurgh," she adds, since now Igor is named, and then she looks at Ikutsuki. Who is still.
Talking like that.
And making those jokes. Hitomi tilts her head to the side, one hand coming up to cradle her forehead as she looks mostly-away from the notionally adult individual. Her cheeks puff out. "... The demons may just be a thing, I dunno... I really don't know a lot about what happened out there... But if they're trying to attack cops in the middle of the day on the beach, that's pretty bad. Was it those same -- jeez!!" This as Ririka brings up YET MORE PERSONA VIOLENCE
<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
"I was," Reiya confirms for Moriko, working on the Homunculi. Tyler may not know the plural, but Reiya doesn't hold it against him. ...he also doesn't comment on the strange cabaret lounge...
Fuuka looks at him, and Reiya nods back to her. So far, she's kept his secret. Perhaps that will remain the case...
"If you know her," Reiya says to Tyler, "I would appreciate you putting me into contact with her. ...Not that I can necessarily tell her about her friend's plight, but it may give us more information on how to help him."
Minako calls it impressive, his attitude. But she's guessed at it; it's personal. "It's just what my attitude is," he says.
Mitsuru DELEAGATES and Reiya accepts.
> MISSION TIME: Investigate Homuculi! Updated to STATUS: PRIORITY.
Reiya nods to Ririka. "I accept. Your help would be appreciated."
He considers the rest. ...Demons, and landmines, and gang violence...
And Evokers, outside the Kirijo Group, still. Reiya frowns, as he thinks about that.
"...We should be very careful when fighting human enemies," Reiya says. "...It is SEES's remit to save lives, not end them."
<Pose Tracker> Shizuka Kuroki has posed.
Shizuka stares down Mitsuru for a split-second that feels like an eternity. She saw that brow raise. She sees the peak of Mount Kirijo in her grasp. Come on, give me even a smile. I'll be happy with an exhalation through the nose. I'm almost there...
...Hm?
Shizuka wordlessly slumps in her seat, nearly becoming liquid and falling to the floor. She obviously still had a long way to go. This time, she does not giggle at Ikutsuki's joke. An exhalation through the nose is all she can muster.
She pulls herself back up and brushes her uniform off. "And here I thought our Personas wouldn't even work on humans..."
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
She expected something of a reaction at least to the Evoker, even the smallest one. For Mitsuru not to react?
Well, she'd either have to be someone inhuman or... she'd have to be involved.
Fortunately, both seem to be discarded from Yukari Takeba's list of suspicions about Mitsuru Kirijo - for now.
She indeed remains quite human in Yukari's eyes. Some part of her wishes it was otherwise... it makes it more difficult for her that Mitsuru Kirijo is in fact, a girl just a bit older than her.
She has to bite back the words 'That's it? You'll look into it?!' Because... she can't have this confrontation, not yet. What happens if she's cut loose? What happens if she never gets any closer to the truth of what happened?
"... Yeah sure." Is her mild response to Mitsuru's thanks, as if it were the least warm 'You're welcome' that one might receive.
Right before she turns to Tyler, and looks embarrassed, "H-Hey don't get the wrong idea or anything, the Chairman sent me and Aomori-san to figure these things out. It's not like I'd go to some place like that otherwise."
Even though she's also gone back again, to attach another card.
"Well sure... against Demons..."
Is it really so simple though, Minako? Yukari's gaze meets hers, and there's more hesitation. She wants to investigate Sumaru City, certainly...
... and she couldn't ignore the people on that beach...
... but it means fighting people who are trying to kill them. And it means fighting back with lethal force.
She doesn't want anyone to die - but what if protecting people from not just Demons but Persona Users... requires them to kill.
Eventually contemplating the answer to this, and coming up far too short, she tears her gaze away from Minako's to look down instead, "I don't want to look away either." The fact of the matter is though, even if she did...
... she no longer has the option.
For some reason, it makes her feel worse that Reiya of all people is the one to say what she can't bring herself to in this room.
<Pose Tracker> Koh Katsuhiro has posed.
"Aha, thank you Chairman." Koh gives a bright smile when the man voices his confidence. He seems to have avoided any damage from the puns. He might even find them endearing.
The mention of the woman with the revolver, though, draws a momentarily troubled look to his otherwise cheery expression. He nods along with Ririka's description.
"The woman with the revolver," He says, "From the TV station. She...didn't see like she was entirely in control. Like, something was...wrong with her."
When Koh says this he looks at Ikutsuki with an almost searching gaze. But he does not speak further on it. To voice any further thoughts would be...uncomfortable. For Koh.
"Humans. Yeah. I don't want to hurt people." He affirms in echo of Reiya.
<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
It's not the only weird Evoker Suzume has seen, but she's already reported the other one, if not tonight - the one she saw at the Sumaru TV station, which Koh has just brought up - and doesn't repeat herself.
Suzume is not used to being thanked by Mitsuru; in fact Suzume usually stays out of Mitsuru's way. Not because she doesn't like Mitsuru but simply because they're so different. What could they have to talk about? Even just the year difference is a little awkward.
She feels... well, on one hand, she's glad for the apparent belief in her. But she also kind of feels dismissed in a way she doesn't have words to express. She scowls, almost at the same time Yukari gives her 'yeah, sure'.
But then: "The Shadows in Mementos look and act like demons, too. I mean they turn into them. They look all blobby like the ones in Tartarus while they're just walking around, but if you get too close..." She's still thinking of those murderous Pixies.
She's never going to be a friend of Pixies. Not ever.
Perhaps surprisingly, she does *not* chime in with Ririka explaining Kasugayama. She wasn't there, of course, but she heard about it after the fact... Instead, she finishes her coffee, setting the empty cup down as she finally stops irritatingly bouncing her leg.
As for fighting humans, well...
The first time she did it, Suzume froze up, for a few moments - until the sword came out. The second time hasn't happened yet. She doesn't know what she'll do. She doesn't really want to think about it; in this, she's actually aligned with Yukari, despite their difference in opinions on so many things.
The scowl returns. She eats another cookie to hide it.
<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
Oh no. Ikutsuki drops another pun on them all - and then another, and Shizuka has one too... Fuuka struggles to keep her expression polite. Her eyes stray to the cookies again. ...She cautiously reaches out and takes one, holding it in both hands, nibbling at it slowly like a mouse. It makes the perfect cover. ...It's delicious, too.
Minako makes her declaration, and Fuuka watches her. She doesn't want to look away. ...And Yukari doesn't, either.
It's a feeling she shares with them. Of not wanting to - and not being able to. She doesn't voice it, though.
Ririka brings up the events in Sumaru City and Fuuka has heard most of this, already, but she listens anyway. And Reiya makes a very valid point.
It is SEES's remit to save lives, not end them.
"...I agree." Fuuka replies quietly. "I want to keep people safe."
...She still feels bad about using her Persona on Yumi, even if the spells hadn't even scratched her. She still thinks about it, even if she did it for the sake of protecting Ririka and her friend. Would she do it again, if she had to? She's still wrestling with the thought, a little.
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
Minako looks at Mitsuru, blinking once Why does she seem troubled? And why did she cut it off like that? She frowns for a moment, then looks down.
That long-nosed man, though...
She looks at Ririka, and nods -- a frown on her face. Something has her distracted, still. But Reiya brings up fighting other humans -- and Minako looks to him, then at Yukari. "...Mm. Yeah," she says. "We'll... be careful."
She looks at Koh -- then she frowns, but she nods. "Me too, Yamagishi-san."
Ikutsuki smiles -- then claps his hands together.
"Well! Thank you, everyone," he says. "Together, I'm sure that we will..." Oh no. Here it comes. "...SEE to everything!"
<Pose Tracker> Mitsuru Kirijo has posed.
Strega.
The name invoked by Ririka draws Mitsuru out of a reverie that had made everything after Yukari's explanation and her simple shutting down of the topic fall upon deaf ears for the Kirijo Heiress. Things return into sharp focus for her, a fact only really evident in her slightly sharper intake as she breathes in.
Strega. A group that uses Evokers similar in design to SEES'.
Another woman, who uses her own model of Evoker.
A technology that should be proprietary to the Kirijo Group. ...
She can't help but wonder -- is this the consequences of their sins, once more rearing its head to remind her of all the wrongs her family has done?
Mitsuru's hands draw that teacup and its saucer a bit more closer to her against her lap.
"This is useful knowledge, Kaware," she finally says, abruptly -- and that dark, piercing stare of hers sweeps out to -everyone- gathered. "Listen -- if any of you encounter anyone in this 'Strega,' the woman with the revolver, or anyone associated with them, I wish to know about it. Further -- I do not wish any of you to overextend yourself in these situations. Do what you must, but be careful. These are real human beings." Is she echoing the commitment to saving lives that Reiya puts forth? In a way, certainly. But...
"... they are, in many ways, far more dangerous than a simple Shadow."
... she's lived and seen too much not to know that to a certainty.
Mitsuru exhales. And with that motion, she sets her finished cup of tea down with the most delicate -=clink=- of china against tabletop.
"This has been a productive meeting," she says abruptly. "Clearly there are... many things we must keep ourselves abreast of. I'm counting on all of you." And she sincerely wishes she could just let them live normal lives-- "Should there be anything you require, or anything you need to report, please: my door is always open."
And with this, Mitsuru stands crisply, apparently intent to leave matters at that. She turns -- and then pauses, hesitating at the precipice of her exit.
"... Aomori is right. Our purpose is to save lives, not take them," she begins slowly. "But I would remind all of you: the power we have over others is real and extensive. Consider the Dark Hour, and the fact that people who do not share our gift cannot do anything to stop anyone who does -- and even if they happen to wake, they will not remember anything that happens. You all have demonstrated admirable responsibility with this gift, but consider what someone might be capable of if they did not have your restraint."
Scarlet lips thin. She turns.
"We cannot look away from people who have our gift but abuse it. The mundane world is not equipped to mete out justice to foul people like them. Whatever the form retribution might take--
"It falls to us to deliver it."
And with that, unless others have questions for her? She'll leave.
... She has a lot to think about, now.
<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.
Moriko gives Tyler a briefly withering stare. Even intentional, but from her experience it's probably an overreaction. Oh well. "A store." She replies simply. Turning the card this way or that. "I'll talk about it later." She really doesn't want to tell everyone here she plays that nerdy a hobby! Somehow it's worse than video games.
Even she catches the start of the bad pun from Minako and there's an intense stare that way instead. "I'll see if I can catch any wind of it while I'm at the shop." Which, she thinks is at least helpful. "Lot of people coming in and out. Some... might have some good details." Don't tell them why.
"Weird evoker..." She at least confirms she's listening! "Think there's distribution from an organization or something else?" That's another angle she could maybe pry open. Maybe.
She really should just admit why she's being cagey there at least sooner or later.
Later.
"Should be fun." Moriko means working with Ririka and Reiya. She even manages a smile. A vaguely darker looking one! Tone gives it away though, "Even if he's a jerk sometimes."
"Cabaret? Not a one eyed guy running it right?" It's hard to tell if that was a joke or not. She deadpanned it.
As for Reiya, she does focus on him, "I'm tagging along." She doesn't intend to take no for an answer! She might if it's going to be a problem. She's not that full of herself, but she's going to try and jump on it! "Though if there are any groups specifically that need extra hands." She scans the rest of the groups. "Just uh, call me. I'm probably awake." Unless it's early.
"Yamagishi, let's get started when you've got a chance?" Which is her way of saying she's looking forward to helping.
She does perk an eyebrow at tackling people that are using similar abilities, but abusing it. And stopping them. "Turf wars?" that's what it sounds like to her.
<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.
Turning his attention to Reiya, "I'll give you a heads up when I invite her over sometime," Because they're going to hang out! "That way you can introduce yourself." He's not going to ask Reiya to tell her about Taro's plight. That's between the two of them; if anything, he'd tell the other boy not to lie -- omitting the truth isn't the same thing!
Then to Yukari, he bows his head slightly. "Of course. I hope you were able to get these... cards working, at least?" Cards from 'a store', according to Moriko. He makes a quick note to follow up on that with her later.
Of course, that's all brushed aside in Tyler's mind as Hitomi asks *that* question. What have you done, Hitomi?
You've asked Tyler, of all people... about an American ghost story/urban legend.
"Oh, yeah." he answers, seeming juuust a bit more lively here as he leans forward. "Bloody Mary..." he speaks the words with meaning, as if he intends to command her to appear with just one utterance. "...it's said, that if you go a bathroom in the middle of the night, with only a candle for your light... that if you're brave enough, you can stare into the mirror and say her name. Bloody Mary..." That's three! Good thing there wasn't a mirror. "...speak it slowly. Speak it with power, so that she hears you... and speak it three times. Then wait. As for what happens next..." he lifts a hand, waggling it back and forth. "...it varies. Some say nothing happens. Some say she'll tell you your future. Some say the blood-covered face of her spirit will be the last thing you see before..."
He leaves it at that. He's pretty sure they can guess the rest! Besides. The imagination can often fill in the blanks in a much spookier fashion than other people can.
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
Hitomi turns her head to look at Tyler as he begins to tell her the truth of
Bloody Mary.
As he tells her that when you go into a bathroom at the witching hour, with only a candle for light, you can see -
Bloody Mary.
Just look into the mirror and say her name.
Bloody Mary.
Say it three times, slowly, and with power, and...
"Red paper... or blue paper..."
Somehow, the story of Bloody Mary made Hitomi smile.
yeah, some people are like that
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
'We'll... be careful.'
"... Yeah."
After a groan from another Chairman pun, "It works." Yukari replies, guardedly to Tyler, "I gave the Chairman a full report."
But then Tyler Gould begins speaking on a ghost story of Bloody Mary.
"C'mon nobody really believes that stuff." As she leans back, seemingly trying to pretend to be unaffected by it.
But then Hitomi starts feeding into it, and- suddenly gets up abruptly to try and cut it off.
"You know what? I have homework to do."
Off she storms - clutching one of her arms to prevent showing that her fingers are trembling a little.
<Pose Tracker> Shizuka Kuroki has posed.
Shizuka is not doing as good a job hiding her trembling as Tyler tells the story of Bloody Mary. If all this other stuff was true...
"Aw geez, the Slit-Mouth Woman's probably real, too..."
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Ririka looks to Hitomi. "Apparently Sumaru just has demons? From what I've heard they're pretty vicious, so... be careful in Sumaru, I guess."
She nods to Reiya as he accepts her help, letting out a small sigh of relief. She wasn't sure how he'd take the offer, but... when she gets a moment she'll offer him an apology. (And ones to Suzume and Yukari, as well.) But that's for later. She nods. "Hopefully we can help him before it's too late..
But fighting human enemies. "Yeah, I didn't... plan for it, but... I don't know if people like those other Evoker Users will give us a choice. I mean, as far as fighting. I don't really want to kill anyone, either."
Koh offers insights on the woman with the Revolver. She wasn't in control... "You think so...?" She considers for a moment. "... she did kind of tell me to use Analyze on her, which I thought was kind of weird..."
And the chairman has a parting pun for them. Ririka can't help but groan a little.
Ririka reaches out to get her own cookie, but pauses as Mitsuru speaks of what she shared. Useful knoweldge. "Oh, I'm glad it helped, Kirijo-senpai." But she shrinks back just a little at that piercing stare. Be careful... for they're far more dangerous than Shadows. "... hai, senpai."
That's a disquieting thought, in its own way. Then again... she saw what they did to that guy's motorcycle. (Even if the guy, somehow, survived the explosion.)
But those with their gifts but not their restraint... justice and retribution... For a moment, Ririka's thoughts drift to someone else in Sumaru who threatens others, even without their gifts...
Later.
She nods to Moriko about working together.
She takes a cookie to go. "I should get to homework, too." And she makes her own exit.