2025-08-21: Fumbling in the Dark

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<Pose Tracker> Hazuki Nakao has posed.

Hazuki Nakao has had a WEIRD week. One where she still knows little of the exact details she needs... and still needs to find out things about this supernatural world to better prepare herself to save Taro Nakata.
Tyler pitched introducing her to SEES to the group, and fortunately(?) it seems they accepted. She may have vital intel on the Homunculus threat, after all, as one of the few who knows anything about them. And they definitely have intel on how to survive this crazy world she's entered...
So, that's why Hazuki's stepping through the door of SEES's dormitory, clad with a gloomy countenance and a cute hat/jacket combo, touching her choker for luck. Her brown eyes glance around, before spotting the little guest book at the counter.
Taking the pen first, she signs her name in hiragana, writing a little smiley face next to it, before setting the pen back down.
Hazuki will then glance around again for Tyler and whoever else he's brought down to the first floor for the introduction, a little shy in her approach.
"Hello...?" 

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.

Yukari looks up from the latest issue of 'Coolest' while sitting at the dorm table, "Oh, hey there!" She stands up on sight of a guest, strolling on over.
 
It's a school day, so she hasn't changed out of her uniform, cardigan tightly wrapped around her waist due to the summer heat, "You're the girl from the arcade right?"
 
She gives her a sympathetic look, as she can tell with a single look... "Come on in. Maybe have a seat over here?"
 
She points to the Chairman's chair, since the Punster isn't here today, and well, she's the guest of the hour.
 
The man can cede his chair- NO HIS PRESENCE LINGERS STILL!
 
Anddddd given what little she knows of the situation, there's an 'air' around Yukari that might not seem too unusual to some members of SEES...
 
... some might swear it's a little gloomy.
 
"Do you want something to drink? Or..." 

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.

Surprise! It's Suzume!
Suzume had had a chat with Hazuki recently and, on hearing that she was coming to the dorm, decided to make herself present again. It's not *just* so Hazuki has someone else she recognizes on hand; Suzume wants to hear what she has to say anyway.
Suzume is also wearing jeans and a black T-shirt for the Hanshin Tigers, one of the big Central League baseball teams, which has their mascot looking surprisingly serous for a cute stylized tiger. It's probably one of the only times recently she's bothered to think about what she's wearing.
"Yeah," she agrees with Yukari, about who it is, followed by: "Hey, Hazuki-san. I know we just spoke," yesterday, "but I thought I'd get the whole story. And, uh... yeah, I'm part of the group." She didn't confirm that part before, but... yeah.
She would have offered a drink. Yukari beat her to it. She sits back down after having risen for the greeting. 

<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.

Weird weeks are the norm, for Tyler Gould. Especially since coming to Japan.
This week, therefore, was completely normal and nothing strange at all happened.
When Hazuki told him about the things that happened to her, it made two things abundantly clear:
1) Hazuki Nakao has awakened (which is great because it means they have more to talk about!)
2) She had a lot more information on the situation happening with this new paranormal threat than they already did... and sharing that information might help her get allies in saving her friend, and them a better idea what they're dealing with.
So, given that Reiya had been placed in charge of investigating that particular threat, Tyler had sent a message to inform him of these facts, and suggest that Hazuki be brought in for a debriefing. It seemed like a win-win situation. He might not even get punched!
"Hey," he greets, pushing off of the corner of the room that he'd been leaning against. "Glad you could make it." and, since 'girl from arcade' isn't nearly enough specification, "Hazuki Nakao, the Goddess of Tricks." For Yukari's sake, and... "Yukari Takeba, our very own Rocky Balboa." The knockout blow lives on. Suzume, at least, seems to actually know Hazuki!
Today, Tyler's opted to not bother changing out of his school uniform after class. There were far more important things to deal with tonight than fashion consciousness, after all.
With one particular exception, but he's not going to spoil that for the others~ 

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.

Reiya Aomori is very interested in this particular matter. The Homunculi are a big problem, and Reiya has committed to understanding them.
Reiya, of course, is here. He could be somewhere else, but he isn't. When did he get here? Don't worry about that.
Because he's at the couch, and he stands up to greet Hazuki, "Hello."
Gloom, from Takeba, is not unusual. But the gloom on Hazuki is... also not surprising, actually.
"Reiya Aomori," Reiya introduces himself then. He's also still in uniform.
A pause. "I'll come directly to the point."
"We would like to have the information that you do. I intend to try to rescue your friend."
"...You aren't obligated to come along. It may be dangerous, or just difficult. Regardless of what you do, I intend to help."
"...However, I will not stop you, either. I only ask that either way, you allow us to assist. It is our mission."
"...I can also share what I found following your friend." 

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.

Ririka can relate to weird weeks, honestly. She's kind of had a weird month, and her first week Awakened had... well, a bunch of surprises. And her adjustment to everything has been... bumpy.
Yesterday helped, though. After some... confusion, she had a nice time jamming with Tyler, out of the dorm.
Today, however, there's homework to do and a meeting coming up. She's at the table downstairs, textbook, notebook, and extra pencils all neatly laid out. Meticulously laid out, even--she'd checked everything was in place twice before starting.
She's also dressed in her uniform, though no cardigan. Normally she'd change, get more comfortable, but if they're having a meeting... She's got a pair of headphones blasting, something loud and raucous, and she's been humming along to it as she works.
But something else cuts through the noise, a sort of... she'd describe it as a golden tone, though she's not sure anybody else would know what that means. (Supernatural senses don't always map cleanly to physical sounds for her.) She blinks as she looks up a moment before Hazuki enters. "Nakao-chan..."
She pauses, and stands up, moving to sit with the others. "... you've been through a lot, haven't you...?" she says gently. "We'll do what we can to help, okay?" 

<Pose Tracker> Shizuka Kuroki has posed.

         Shizuka is also in her uniform as she comes down from the stairs and into the lounge area, covering her mouth as she lets out a small yawn. She looks around at everyone, including the new face, as she walks over to the partition and leans on the side of it.
 
         "Oh, is this one of the people involved with the Homonculus stuff? Name's Shizuka Kuroki, pleasure. We'll get your friend back."
 
         She gives Hazuki a weak wave, momentarily stepping into the kitchen to get herself a glass of water with another yawn.
 
         "Sorry, been studying and it really takes a lot outta ya." 

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.

Someone was coming over to Iwatodai Dormitory to discuss the recent goings on regarding the threat of the Homunculus. Fuuka's a part of this now, too, and she wants to help.
She knows what it's like, to be thrust into the supernatural without warning, to feel powerless in the face of it. It's not something she wants anyone to have to deal with on their own, now that she can do something about it.
A girl arrives, and others go to greet her, to offer sympathy and to get to the point. Fuuka elects to remain seated on the sofa where she is, so as not to crowd her right away. Hazuki is like a beacon to her senses, and Fuuka wonders briefly if she was the same way, when she first awoke.
"It's nice to meet you, Nakao-san." Fuuka greets with a polite incline of her head. She offers her a small smile... but she's a little shy and nervous herself, so she certainly isn't going to blame Hazuki for her shyness. "I'm Fuuka Yamagishi."
Yukari offers a drink, and Fuuka is relieved that someone did. 

<Pose Tracker> Hazuki Nakao has posed.

Yukari is the first one Hazuki spots. As she welcomes her in, Hazuki moves to take the central seat she was offered, unaware of its cursed pun power. Perhaps it'll possess her.
"Oh, thank you... I remember you. I'm Hazuki- uh, Hazuki Nakao." She catches herself on her introduction after a few seconds. Her English accent is palpable, despite clearly being Japanese ethnically.
"Please. Do you have any cold water?" she asks of Yukari, before turning to Suzume. "I understand, Fukura-san... I guess you've got cool allies, then...!"
Tyler introduces her as the GODDESS OF TRICKS, and there's a proud smile with slight pink to her cheeks. She earned that title! Mixups and mischief alike...
"That's me. Wow, are you in the boxing club, Takeba-san?"
Reiya gets to the heart of the matter. He wants to exchange information, such as what he got by following Taro (weird but she did it too). He intends to help, and it's up to her whether she will engage.
Having gotten to the stressful parts, she takes a breath. "Okay... I understand." A pause. Another series of breaths, as if she's still coming to accept the sheer *strangeness* that has entered her life.
"I'm going to save Nakata-kun. If you want to come along, I'd appreciate that. What did you find...? And where should I start explaining?"
Ririka gets a nod, as well. "Thank you... it's been really scary, but... there's things I have to do."
Fuuka gets a nod. They've never met... they must have a lot of members.
Shizuka gets a grimace, coming right out and saying the H word. "...so you know. How he's been replaced by a monster, right? That's not..."
"That's not a human being." 

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.

Suzume is glad to see other people she knows here too, and likes - Reiya, Fuuka - to make up for some of the others that she definitely isn't close to. "<Yo>," she greets a couple of them, in what may as well be English if it's not, by this point, a multi-lingual greeting.
Cool allies? Suzume isn't quite sure how to respond to that. "Some of us try," is what she decides on. Some of them, are of course, not cool at all. (Sorry Ikutsuki. Though, you're not the same kind of ally...)
"They don't let girls in the boxing club," Suzume says, with a scowl.
(She knows, because she showed up once in her first year. They didn't let her join for two reasons: one, high school boxing is not mixed-gender, and two, she was so small that even if they had, she wouldn't have had anyone in the same weight class. She's a bit bigger now, but she's never been back.)
Suzume isn't Reiya and isn't in charge, but: "Why not start at the beginning? I mean, if you didn't learn anything the way we did, you might've found out something Reiya-san didn't. And then we can say what we know and see if it's any different. You've been there and none of us have."
She pauses. "Unless you got in and didn't tell us," she adds, glancing over toward Reiya. He *is* kind of mysterious. 

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.

"Huh!?" Yukari Takeba almost recoils from Tyler's statement, before replying back to him, "Hey! Don't confuse her!"
 
And as Hazuki inquires if she's in the boxing club, ultimately giving an answer that's different from Suzume saying that girls aren't allowed in the boxing club, "Don't take what that guy said the wrong way, I'm not into any weird hobbies like that."
 
She goes to the kitchen - still not fully unpacked, and begins to grab a glass of cool water. Even with ice!
 
And brings it back to hand it to Hazuki, before saying, "Goddess of what now?" She sighs softly, even as Hazuki apparently accepts this.
 
Reiya offers immediately to help, and Ririka offers sympathy, but... then Hazuki says Taro's been replaced by a monster. That causes a slight shiver from her, even if it merely confirms what Reiya told them. "Creepy..."
 
...
...
...
 
Eventually though, after she takes a seat, "Uh, yeah... not just not obligated." As she follows up on what Reiya says, "...but are you sure it's a good idea for you to go at all? Like... you're new to this, and usually after someone awakens they're kinda wiped for a while..."
 
She's not outright saying she shouldn't go, but perhaps some in the room may understand it's on her mind, kinda leading that way.
 
"I mean... I hate to say it, but one look at you right now? You're kinda a mess..."
 
She won't turn down information of course but... she also thinks that right now she might feel obligated just because Taro is her friend. 

<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.

Using Hazuki's title was something that was coming without any doubt. Just like calling a preplanned meeting 'destiny', introducing the 'Goddess of Tricks' adds a certain sense of gravitas that things just go better with. Besides, it's an awesome title and if he had one like that he'd want it used, too.
"They *should* let girls in the boxing club." Tyler chimes in after Suzume points out that they don't. Because clearly, there's *at least* one who's more than capable in his opinion.
Yukari's outburst about confusing Hazuki gets a largely noncomittal shrug, "I speak it as I witness it." He'll let Hazuki explain her title if she so chooses.
He's heard most of what's coming already, so he opts to let the others ask the questions for the most part -- at least right now -- taking a moment to withdraw his notebook from a pocket so that he can compare, and perhaps add to his notes on the topic. 

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.

Reiya hasn't met him. And--cool allies? Hmmm. Reiya does like being cool.
Reiya does tend to get to the heart of things. Besides, "...I see. I respect your resolve." Reiya nods, once, as if to commemorate the moment. "I will join you, then. And I will endeavor to ensure we all come through the battle safely." A look to Yukari. Yukari's feelings... he understands them. But, at the same time, isn't it her choice?
"We are familiar with the term 'Homunculus', and know that he has little time remaining if he is to be saved. That it is an inhuman doppleganger that will supplant him if allowed."
"...Yes," he agrees with Suzume, "The beginning is best."
A pause. "I did not get in. I haven't moved further on the matter since the meeting. ...But the 'feeling' I had of him remains fresh in my mind."
"...Mm." A question occurs to him. He is not sure, yet, how to ask it. 

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.

Ririka looks up to Shizuka and gives her a small nod. "Hi, Kuroki-senpai."
But then she glances over to Fuuka. Hazuki is really noticeable to her... and the questioning look she gives Fuuka might be interpreted as 'Do you sense that, too?'
Goddess of Tricks is a cool title, and from what she's seen, Hazuki's earned it. There's a confused glance Tyler's way, though. "Rocky Balboa...?" she repeats, with a little difficulty, and in a questioning tone.
Really scary. "I can imagine. If you'd like to talk about it... I... I only awakened last week, so I'm still getting used to things." She's not directly outing HJazuki as being Awakened, that feels a little mean, but she wants to offer anyway.
The Homunclus. Ririka draws in a sharp breath. "... yeah, we heard." She pauses her music as she settles into a chair.
She frowns as she glances to Suzume when she mentions Boxing Club. "Really? Not at all? ... well that sucks." Thankfully there is no Skateboarding Club she has to appease, but... she still gets plenty of pushback and strange looks.
But then she looks at Yukari. "Why is that weird? Sanada-senpai boxes, doesn't he?" Tyler endorses girls in boxing club, and Ririka nods. "That's right. If they want to, they should get to."
But then she calls Hazuki a mess. "Come on, Takeba-san, wouldn't you do everything you could if there was a friend of yours in danger?"
Ririka Awakened to protect her friend, after all. She kinda gets it.
"It's a really weird feeling," Ririka agrees with Reiya. She looks to Hazuki apologetically, fingers tapping rhythmically on her thigh. (It's the Yuki-offa stage music: she has that in her head now since she's thinking about Hazuki's match.) "I... I sensed something really strange that night," she admits. "... but I didn't know what it was, or what to do about it. I'm sorry. But I'd like to help if I can." 

<Pose Tracker> Shizuka Kuroki has posed.

         "If they let girls join the boxing club, most of 'em would just join to stare at Sanada-san." Shizuka calls out from the kitchen with a chuckle. She comes back in with her own glass and sets herself down on one of the couches.
 
         "Yuka-chan's got a point, it's not good to rush on in headfirst, but I think if we're on her side, she'll be just fine."
 
         She sets the glass on a makeshift coaster of a folded up napkin and turns towards Hazuki, tilting her head slightly.
 
         "So how did you find out your friend got replaced? Does he look different, sound different, act different? Would be helpful to know what to look for in case of any future incidents." 

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.

Fuuka listens - but she feels a bit out of touch. She feels a little too nervous to chime in on the banter... Most of them seem to have at least met her before, while they're complete strangers to each other. It might be the way she sits straight up, hardly moving. She does meet Ririka's look, though, offering her a quiet nod of confirmation.
At the mention of girls joining the boxing club, Fuuka glances to the side nervously. She understands and agrees with the sentiment, but she's not sure it's very... realistic. She can imagine the kind of pressure that would be on those interested in signing up.
Hazuki wonders where to start, and Fuuka nods as Suzume suggests starting at the beginning.
"Yes, I agree. Sometimes it's important to go over things, even if you already know them." Fuuka agrees. "...I can take notes, too."
She is, in fact, already getting out her supernatural notebook. (That is, notebook with notes on the supernatural. It is, itself, an incredibly normal object.)
Yukari asks if it's a good idea for her to go, and Fuuka glances her way. She does have a point there.
"Yes... It took me a week before I was truly able to get back on my feet." Fuuka comments. The Homunculus, though - Fuuka listens as the weird feeling is mentioned. It was brought up before, too...
She wants to know what it's like, so she knows what to look for - but she has a feeling she'll find out sooner or later regardless. 

<Pose Tracker> Hazuki Nakao has posed.

"Oh..." Hazuki says regarding the boxing club. She didn't know! Though, she's asked to start at the beginning...
"Okay. Well, after the tournament... my grandma convinced me to apologize. I grabbed my baseball bat and waited outside his school, right? In case there were... ghosts. You all were suspicious about him, after all..."
She's completely serious, before continuing. "When I called out to him, I... blacked out. I awoke in this creepy carnival with a red sky, with big tents. A giant red talking pig ran up to me, having fled something... he said he was a Sanguin Humor, a type of 'Shadow'."
It still feels so weird in her mouth, saying all of this. It's so... unbelievable. But it's real.
"He tried to protect me and lead me out of the 'Atelier' we were in. But then, a type of Humor called a Coleric Humor came in droves. They were... I don't know how to describe them. You know those slinky toys? Like one of those, but it was holding a mask and was a jester. They started rolling, trying to kill us..."
"I ended up in a cocoon after trying to attack them and protect the pig. Inside the cocoon, it felt like I had a choice... to reach out to these constellations I saw, or to go backwards and leave all of this behind. I... chose to go forth." A pause. "I think it has to do with what, uh, Igor and Safie were telling me in the Velvet Room about my destiny...? But I can explain that later... I barely understand it."
"My... Persona, Janus, spoke to me, told me that I was undergoing a great change. And then this magical girl outfit appeared on me as I burst out of the cocoon, and with a single swing of the bat, I killed like, a bunch of them with an explosion of light?"
Pause. "There's more, but... let's take a second. I know it sounds ridiculous."
She takes a sip of the ice water Yukari gives her. Wiped... can she do this?
"I've been a little exhausted... all I did that night was scream in my pillow. And then the power went out, the Dark Hour, or so I've heard. But even if I might never be 'ready'..." Fuuka gets a glance. A week, huh...?
Kinda a mess... that's kinda Hazuki normally but also, yes. She frowns as she hears that. "...he's not the only one counting on me. That pig Shadow, Roger, only wanted to play. I... want to be able to bring him joy, too. As I told that rumormonger... we are all connected, like the stars in that constellation. A crucial star hiding out of fear... breaks the connection. And if I have the power... I have to do something."
"...I can't look away."
There's more grimacing from Hazuki as Reiya explains what they found. Shizuka also asks how she figured it out. "He... he radiates *wrongness*, even outside his behavior. It's one thing to see Nakata-kun, though... and another to see the Homunculus's true form. His face was melting off..."
Ririka gets a nod. "I'd appreciate the help. I understand... I wasn't someone you could tell just yet." She's not gonna explain Goddess of Tricks. Find out by playing her...! 

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.

Yukari has no comment on girls being in the boxing club, in part because she thinks it's weird that everyone's in such support. Being a strong and independent woman doesn't require boxing in her eyes?
 
Yukari nods quickly to Fuuka's point, "Yeah exactly. Like - there's no need to rush back into things."
 
But then Ririka tries to ask a question of her and Yukari looks Ririka square in the eye and says in a blunt tone, "It's different. I signed up for this. She hasn't - and she's completely wiped out? Don't you remember what happened with you insisting on going to Tartarus that night? You made all that big talk and then-"
 
Yukari doesn't hold back on what she said next, and Ririka may remember Yukari picking her up, saving her by pulling her into cover as she huddled down, crying, "-you just got in our way. It was a bad decision and now you're pushing her to make one too."
 
Hazuki though does say she's exhausted, and...
 
"... Pig Shadow?" Yukari looks a little weirded out by that statement, "Wanted to play how?" She's maybe imagining horror movies there.
 
As she explains more...
 
"... Bring a Pig Shadow joy? Are you sure you're not running a fever?"
 
Look Yukari isn't used to Shadows being anything other than mindless horrors really, and Kaneshiro's Palace only elevated them into a different kind of monster.
 
'...I can't look away.'
 
"... Of all the things to say." Yukari sighs, running a finger through her hair, gloomier than ever, "I still think it's a bad decision for you to go back so soon. But... I'm not going to try and stop you."
 
She sits back at that point, and mostly just starts listening more on the topic of the Palaces. Face melting off?
 
... Well, pretty scary, but could be scarier. After all, the scariest things are the ones you can't see. 

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.

People suggest that girls should join boxing club.
Suzume stews, because, on one hand, she *did* try to join the boxing club, she *would* have liked to join, but on the other hand...
"Well, they're not gonna make an exception," Suzume says, slightly sharply. "Whatever." She's got her tonfa these days, anyway; she's still learning how to use *those* properly, but she has to admit that they do help her overcome the inherent reach disadvantage of being five foot zero. "But boxing isn't weird. ...and I wouldn't go to stare at Sanada, come on. I'm not like that and you know it."
Suzume has a bad habit of bouncing her leg while she's thinking. She's doing it now, while Hazuki explains, though not with a whole lot of vigor; just some movement she can't quite break the habit of. She does not take notes, though she probably should. (Fortunately Fuuka has her covered.)
"See," Suzume says, "THAT'S why I wanted her to go first. Because all the Shadows *we* run into don't look like that, and they don't talk to us. The only talking Shadows I've ever seen are in Mementos, and they're kind of demons... they're *not* friendly."
...
"Though the cocoon is just as weird," Suzume decides. "And the 'magical girl outfit'. We don't get outfits." She glances over at Yukari, who's the one who made her actually think about what she shows up to Tartarus in... "We have to stick with our uniforms. And I don't think we summon our Personas the same way either."
"But what's that about a destiny, and everything? Nobody told me about any destiny." Do I have a destiny? Suzume thinks.
She suddenly looks over at Yukari. "Oh, you don't try to stop *her*, but as soon as I say that I can't just sit back and not do something when it's something I *can* do..." Suzume says, rolling her eyes. "Not that you could, anyway. But I don't think this is the kind of thing you can leave forever. You don't get to wait for 'so soon' to be over." She looks over at Hazuki. "...though if you CAN wait a couple days, you might want to. Just so you don't fall on your face."
"At least you don't have to do it alone, probably." Assuming that other people can even *get in*. 

<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.

"You haven't seen Rocky?" Tyler asks of Ririka, opting to jot *that* down in the little notebook he's carrying. While he might be more into horror movies, himself, Rocky is just a part of *Americana* at its core and the expectation is that everyone's seen it at least once.
"I know I'm going." to help Rescue Taro. Whether or not Hazuki does? He's leaving that decision entirely up to her... but it also seems pretty clear to him that she's already made it. Either way, he's re-stating his willingness to ensure that she's got a decent headcount of her supporters in this mission.
"The benevolent kind of Shadow, apparantly." Ultimately, Tyler just chalked it up under the seperate category of 'Talking Animals' which also includes a certain Peacock. "Roger." he adds. Because names are important.
To Suzume... "Why make an exception for one when you can just change the rule so that *anyone* who wants to, can?" To him it's common sense. But he doesn't have as much pressure from societal norms to suggest otherwise.
If anything, societal norms are a foe to be vanquished.
He is, definitely, still taking notes in addition. Even now Hazuki's ending up providing more new information, and the truth is, sometimes the more you tell a story, to different people... the more comes out. At a moment he doesn't have to write, he holds up his little notepad towards Fuuka, "We can compare, later." he suggests. Compare, condense, make sure they all caught *everything* that might be important. 

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.

In their way. "...Takeba-san," Reiya says. "You're not wrong. And I'm concerned about Nakao-san joining us. ...But I think if we try to cut her out, she'll go in on her own. Is that right?" Reiya asks Hazuki. "So let me protect you. Then, you can focus on saving your friend. Is that acceptable?" A look to Ririka. "...it's normal to want to help your friends. But it's normal, too, to step back and consider what you can actually do. We need to approach this carefully, without sentiment. That way, we all come back alive."
But... Hm.
"A creepy carnival... This much be some kind of supernatural space," Reiya reflects. "That's good. That means there is a way to target the Homunculus."
protect a pig. Reiya lifts an eyebrow. "A... pig?" The Velvet Room, and a destiny. He's been to the Velvet Room, but...
"...It is not uncommon for the first summoning of a Persona to have increased power. That is probably what happened." A pause. "but..."
"...A star, is it...?"
He sighs. "Well. If that's how you feel, then that's fine. But I reiterate--we have chosen this battle. Allow us to help."
He doesn't comment on Shizuka's approach to the boxing club. ...Though he suspects she might be right.
"Hmm, senpai. Yes."
He looks to Suzume. "Talking Shadows... yes. I think you should come with us, for your experience."
"Kirijo-senpai put me in charge of gathering information, but my recommendation is that we rely on our field leaders again, if possible, for command of the mission."
Then he looks to Tyler. "...I've never heard of friendly Shadows. I think we should be careful."
But, he doesn't answer about the boxing club. There are good reasons for that! 

<Pose Tracker> Shizuka Kuroki has posed.

         "A pig? The ones we see are usually like... blobs and tables and hands and stuff. And they talk and have names... So there's different kinds of Shadows... I wonder if the Chairman would know anything about that."
 
         She turns over to Suzume. "We should definitely have special outfits, though."
 
         Taking a sip of her water, she goes back to Hazuki. "So it was the vibes. Makes sense, I suppose. It wouldn't be a doppelganger if you could easily tell the difference by sight. And Ya-kun's right. You're not getting rid of us too easy." 

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.

Do baseball bats work on ghosts...? A quizzical look crosses Fuuka's face. They'd probably work on Shadows, if a person had a Persona, but ghosts...? She's a little glad no one apparently saw her - waiting for someone outside the school with a bat has... different connotations, even if it was meant for someone else.
But she listens - and as Hazuki explains, Fuuka notes everything down. Talking Shadows, different types of Humor, strange cocoons and Igor and Safie...
She meets Tyler's glance briefly, nodding at his suggestion.
"Yes, good idea." She agrees. It's good to have multiple sources of notes - one of them may have missed something that the other caught. And as Hazuki decides to take a moment to pause...
"...I'm sorry. That sounds like it was really stressful, Nakao-san." Fuuka murmurs sympathetically. "How are you feeling now?"
Still, Hazuki can't look away. Fuuka nods quietly. It's something many of them understand.
Radiating wrongness... Fuuka 'hm's thoughtfully to herself.
"If that's the case, we shouldn't have any trouble tracking him, at least..." She shivers, though, at the description of the Homunculus's true form. It's an unpleasant mental image.
"I'd like to offer my help, as well. I don't... like the idea of leaving someone to their fate in a place like that." Fuuka offers. ...Because it reminds her all too much of her own experience, and makes her think of what might've happened to her if no one had come looking for her. 

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.

Ririka glances over in Shizuka's direction as she says the girls would just stare at Akihiko. She frowns a little in puzzlement. "... you really think so...?"
But Fuuka, at least, silently backs her up on what she's sensing, and Ririka gives her a small smile at having her instinct confirmed. Her new senses are... still a lot to deal with, so it helps to know she's not alone in this... even if she knows Fuuka processes it a different way.
'Realistic' isn't something that's always mattered to Ririka, though.
But she listens intently as Hazuki describes her experience. Getting the bat, waking up in an 'Atelier', meeting a 'Sanguin Humor', whatever that is... Another type of Humor, and then...
And then... Ririka blinks. "A cocoon...?" she asks quietly. That doesn't sound at all like how she Awakened... nor, she's pretty sure, how anybody else in SEES did. "Yeah," Ririka agrees with Suzume. "I didn't get an outfit and I don't think my Persona talked to me, either...? Though..." She considers. "I've seen other people summoning Personas without Evokers, too... I'm still not sure how that works."
It is a lot to take in, but... Ririka's ready to accept it, at least. Well, ready enough to accept it until they can check it out, at least. What would Hazuki have to gain by lying?
She nods to Hazuki though. "Yeah, it's... it's just... one of those things. Being aware of the supernatural..." She pauses. She had a chance, to forget, that first night she found the Dark Hour.
But she didn't.
And then Yukari reminds her about Tartarus. Ririka huffs a little and looks away, crossing her arms, her cheeks flushed. (Her fingers are now tapping on her upper arm instead of her thigh.) "That was different. I wasn't wiped out." She was overwhelmed, but in a different way than at the arcade... She takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "Besides, this is different. Nakao-chan is Awakened, I wasn't yet."
She does remember Yukari saving her... she still feels embarrassed about getting overwhelmed so easily...
She blinks at Tyler next, though. "... No...? I don't know what a... Rocky is...?" That's the problem, Tyler--she's not in America! She won't make any comments about your Japanese media literacy, though. (She does appreciate his stance on changing the rules, though.)
She does look to Reiya, frowning a little as she considers his words. "I mean, I guess that's fair, but..." She sighs a little. "Well... then we can plan, and be careful. Either way, I'm still interested in helping. If this is some kind of weird supernatural space we're unfamiliar with... maybe Yamagishi-san and I can help make sense of it." She doesn't explain how, though. 

<Pose Tracker> Hazuki Nakao has posed.

"I don't know, pattycake?" Hazuki shrugs about what the pig wanted to play. "Games, he said. He seemed really sweet though..."
About bringing him joy... "I'm fine. If he can have a want... a desire... then I'll help him achieve that."
Yukari thinks it's a bad decision but also won't stop her. "Thank you... I appreciate that. I'll give it a few days... I still need to get into that Atelier."
"I'll be careful, I promise," Hazuki tells Suzume about the various Shadows. She's probably lying a little, but... if she can negotiate a Shadow, shouldn't she? Mindless, though, she won't try on those ones.
A destiny... "Igor told me... that if I can't complete my destiny, the dissolution of humanity is the risk. I don't know what that means... he has his attendant, Safie, helping me out in their airport terminal. Safie helps me get new Personas." A pause, and an excited beam to Tyler. "Like Mothman! He's very cute..."
About getting in, though... "Roger said I should bring the 'thread' to the 'eye', whatever that is. Threading the eye... I think I know who would know...
She inhales twice, before... "When I defeated those Shadows, the employees of Peacock Silk were there. I talked to, uh, the woman with the cane, the punk rock woman, and their peacock... I offered to trade them for information later, but the Homunculus showed up and chased us out."
"Myunghon, my rumormonger friend, asked me to talk to them and figure out how to get in there. They did a lot for me... so I'm going to help them out too."
Reiya asks if she'll go either way. "...you're right. Either way, I'm going in there and saving him. And..."
A pause.
"I'd appreciate your group's help." The way she says that has a certain amount of distance to it...
"...that's acceptable," she then tells Reiya. "I don't think I'll be a liability... there was a rush in there, like everything made sense once my Persona came out. Like I had changed in a way..."
"I won't try to get rid of you," she tells Shizuka, before turning to Fuuka. "I feel..."
"I feel determined."
Ririka starts defending herself from something Yukari said, and Hazuki starts looking between them. As Ririka needs to calm herself down... "Are you alright...?" 

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.

Ririka says it was different, and huffs, Yukari replies, "Right? I'm saying I want her to stop and really think about it first before going - like you didn't."
 
Whereas Suzume notes that Yukari relented in this circumstance, "And?" Yukari replies easily to Suzume, as if there's no doubt in her mind this is in fact different, "You acted like you wanted to do it just because we saved your life so you had to immediately pay it forward by volunteering on something that was almost a suicide mission when you had zero experience in Tartarus. Honestly?"
 
She says as her tone drops, "I still think that was pretty dumb." And then she turns like it's not even worth continuing that conversation, because she doesn't think Suzume will understand why she thinks this is different.
 
What Hazuki said - tells Yukari in a way that she kinda does get it, irritating as that might be to her.
 
Reiya though, surprisingly is the one to deescalate her in this situation, as she leans back, "Well it's not like I said I'd stop her from going." She says, but ultimately sighs, and lets it happen.
 
"It's a lot to take responsibility for." She murmurs, in regards to Reiya's offer, before sighing and nodding, "... Right, well as long as he's taking responsibility. Just, take it easy until then?"
 
Hazuki cites Igor as telling her things about her destiny, and Yukari sits up, "The guy with the long nose?" Yukari just looks weirded out, before taking on a suspicious look, "Are you sure it's a good idea to listen to someone as shady as that?"
 
Still though, she sits back and listens to the rest of it, not commenting on anything Myunghon said - she doesn't really want to go into her own affiliation with her.
 
Especially with Reiya in the room. "Well... we'll do what we can. Just, understand, we don't have any firsthand experience dealing with this kind of place."
 
As if she's trying to warn her to not necessarily expect a happy outcome, without actually saying that. 

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.

"Then you make 'em," Suzume replies to Shizuka. "I don't know how."
Suzume bristles at Yukari's response. She starts to raise her voice: "Yeah, I owed you. But I *also* wanted to do it because like hell was I going to leave someone else in there! Not just because I was 'paying it back', but because *I knew what it was like*! You think, after being stuck down there myself, I wanted to leave anyone else like that? Alone, just expecting a Shadow to kill you, when you can't do anything about it because you *can't fight back* - "
Suzume realizes she is raising her voice. She groans, flopping back in her seat, before straightening up just enough to give an apologetic look... to Fuuka. "Sorry," she says. "Didn't mean for everybody to hear all that. Especially you."
She remains flopped back for a while longer and mostly addresses the ceiling. "Good luck," Suzume replies to Tyler. "It's not just Gekkoukan you'd have to change, but every other school. And you'd need to find enough people interested to do it. None of the leagues have *mixed* fighting, apparently, so you'd need to set up a whole girls' competition." She's not holding her breath. "Plus, there are other issues too. I don't even know if I'd want to enter, after all that."
Suzume *does* know what a Rocky is, at least. She is not the oblivious one this time!
(No, she hasn't seen the movies. Her spoken English is not really good enough to keep up with a movie, despite her protestations - she really is much better when it's written - and she has never seen a subbed or dubbed version. But at least she knows what they are.)
"Uh huh," Suzume says, with the tone that implies she *knows* that Hazuki won't be careful, but also understands that (because Suzume, herself, is exactly the sort of person to value other things over her own personal safety in a pinch).
"Wait, back up. 'Dissolution of humanity'? In an *airport terminal*?" Suzume suddenly straightens and turns it into a forward lean. "Nothing like that happened to me or anything. And more than one Persona? Like - " Like Minato, or Minako; Suzume doesn't know anyone else like that. "Well, not like me. I've only got one. All of us here right now do. I do know Myunghon, though. They're okay." That's praise, from Suzume.
She says nothing for a few moments. Then: "I don't have a lot of, you know... I've never been in there any more than you have," she replies, glancing over toward Reiya. "But... yeah. I'm in. I'll do what I can." 

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.

"Then you make 'em," Suzume replies to Shizuka. "I don't know how."
Suzume bristles at Yukari's response. She starts to raise her voice: "Yeah, I owed you. But I *also* wanted to do it because like hell was I going to leave someone else in there! Not just because I was 'paying it back', but because *I knew what it was like*! You think, after being stuck down there myself, I wanted to leave anyone else like that? Alone, just expecting a Shadow to kill you, when you can't do anything about it because you *can't fight back*, but you have to try - "
Suzume realizes she is raising her voice. She groans, flopping back in her seat, before straightening up just enough to give an apologetic look... to Fuuka. "Sorry," she says. "Didn't mean for everybody to hear all that. Especially you." She really did not mean to say too much about her, especially not here and now.
She remains flopped back for a while longer and mostly addresses the ceiling. "Good luck," Suzume replies to Tyler. "It's not just Gekkoukan you'd have to change, but every other school. And you'd need to find enough people interested to do it. None of the leagues have *mixed* fighting, apparently, so you'd need to set up a whole girls' competition." She's not holding her breath. "Plus, there are other issues too. I don't even know if I'd want to enter, after all that."
Suzume *does* know what a Rocky is, at least. She is not the oblivious one this time!
(No, she hasn't seen the movies. Her spoken English is not really good enough to keep up with a movie, despite her protestations - she really is much better when it's written - and she has never seen a subbed or dubbed version. But at least she knows what they are.)
"Uh huh," Suzume says, with the tone that implies she *knows* that Hazuki won't be careful, but also understands that (because Suzume, herself, is exactly the sort of person to value other things over her own personal safety in a pinch).
"Wait, back up. 'Dissolution of humanity'? In an *airport terminal*?" Suzume suddenly straightens and turns it into a forward lean. "Nothing like that happened to me or anything. And more than one Persona? Like - " Like Minato, or Minako; Suzume doesn't know anyone else like that. "Well, not like me. I've only got one. All of us here right now do. I do know Myunghon, though. They're okay." That's praise, from Suzume.
She says nothing for a few moments. Then: "I don't have a lot of, you know... I've never been in there any more than you have," she replies, glancing over toward Reiya. "But... yeah. I'm in. I'll do what I can." 

<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.

"You will." It's a promise made in that moment from Tyler to Ririka. He can't let that kind of injustice stand! ...and, he'll probably endure the reverse in return. But, watching these sorts of things is important for fostering understanding~
Then Hazuki's telling him about... "Mothman?" Eyes widen slightly. "I didn't realize he was a Persona. You'll have to show me, sometime... but that explains so much..."
All of the sightings that went dismissed by the normal people out there? If they occured during the Dark Hour...
Then Suzume's talking about what he'd have to do in order to get the rules to change and... he considers the possibility. The steps that would be involved.
Then, the corners of his lips curve slightly upwards.
"Starting a revolution *is* on my bucket list."
What have you done, Suzume? 

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.

Reiya doesn't answer Ririka, but the way he looks at her, there is a question in his stoic expression: 'Is it different?'
Still: "You can hold multiple Personas?" Reiya picks up on that immediately. Though he's still dubious about the 'nice Shadow' idea, and that might be a liability. "...Then you probably won't be a liability, no. You'll be an asset. I'll focus on defense--you focus on using your abilities."
A pause. "...The woman with the cane, at Peacock Silk... I know her, too. She told me a lot about the Homunculus."
"It seems we might finally have something she'll value enough to give us the rest of the information."
But destiny, and... the dissolution of humanity. Reiya frowns. "I don't know if he has an angle," Reiya sounds. "I'll focus on what I can do right now--help you save your friend. If there's more to it... We'll approach it with a scientific mindset."
Determined, and...
Reiya knows it's a lot of responsibility. He nods to Yukari, at her 'if'. Then--
Reiya looks to Suzume--but her apologetic look says that she already knows she went far. He doesn't tread on her feelings, instead looking to Fuuka, and nodding.
"...But there is one question I have," Reiya says.
"I've promised to protect you," he says. "But if it comes down to you or him... Which do you want to prioritize?"
"We may not all come out intact, from a mission into a dangerous, unknown space. So think about that. Think about what you value more--your life, or his."
"And I'll support your decision to my utmost."
He considers Tyler, next. A revolution...
He could be dangerous. Reiya will remember this. 

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.

Ririka sits up a little. "Dissolution of humanity...? That... doesn't sound good... What does that mean, though...?" But for getting in... Ririka considers. "The thread to the eye... like... the eye of a needle...?" No, that doesn't make it clearer.
"Peacock Silk..." Oh that's right, Hazuki was there, wasn't she? She'd been distracted...
But Hazuki asks if she's okay, and Ririka glances at Yukari out of the corner of her eye. "... Yeah, don't... don't worry about it." Oh, no, she spoke too soon. She looks to Yukari again as she's addressed once more. "You know, I did think about it. A lot, actually. That's why I went on the ground floor team." Because that way there was an exit, if she needed it... at least, in theory.
In a weird way she's kind of glad to see she's not the only one getting worked up by Yukari. She looks to Suzume next... they both volunteered, that night of the briefing.
Ririka blinks at Tyler. Another promise...! "Um... can we talk about that first...? I don't even know what it is we're talking about, still..."
She catches that look from Reiya and... isn't entirely sure she knows what it means, but still pretty sure. All she can do is shrug a little. Maybe she's not so sure herself. Or maybe she just doesn't want to commit to an answer.
But Reiya says they have something valuable for the trade. "What's that...?" 

<Pose Tracker> Shizuka Kuroki has posed.

         Shizuka perks up at a certain part of Hazuki's recollection. "The talking bird, right. So it actually DOES talk..."
 
         She tenses up when Suzume raises her voice at Yukari. She hated this... hated how they had to fight. She knows Yukari's a bit... blunt, but wouldn't this all be easier if...
 
         She giggles at Tyler's declaration. Were... all Americans like this? "A revolution? Ty-kun... That's... revolting. Hehe."
 
         She turns over to Reiya at the mention of a trade. "Yeah, what could we have?" 

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.

Fuuka returns Ririka's smile with a small smile of her own.
The mission to rescue her... It was really stressful on everyone, wasn't it. Fuuka looks a little sheepish. They started this because of her... Fuuka gets quiet - and when Suzume apologizes she nods, just slightly.
She's eager to get back to horrible monster puppeting Hazuki's friend, at this point.
"The 'dissolution of humanity'...?" Fuuka repeats, surprised. That definitely goes down in her notes, alongside a big question mark. That sounds... incredibly bad! Unfortunately, it seems Igor - who is also the long-nosed man Yukari met in the shady cabaret? - wasn't forthcoming with more information than that. But, Safie...
"You can hold multiple Personas?" Fuuka asks. That is surprising.
But the people from Peacock Silk were there, too...
"Were they there from the start? Did they get drawn in when you did...?" Fuuka asks. Just how much do they know?
Hazuki tells her how she feels, though.
She feels determined.
...That's a surprise. She wouldn't blame her for feeling afraid, or uncertain...
...But determined?
"You're... very strong, Nakao-san." Fuuka comments. "...But please be careful, okay? It won't do your friend any good if you get hurt. Please don't rush in without help, if you can avoid it."
She nods, though, when Ririka suggests they might be able to help make sense of it.
"Yes, I believe we may be of some use..." She agrees - though she doesn't elaborate on how yet, either. It's hard to explain without actually being in a place where she can use her powers, anyway.
But then Reiya asks a question and Fuuka gasps, clasping her hands over her mouth.
"Aomori-san?" She starts. The question seems like a lot on its face, but... can she blame him for asking?
...It's a realistic possibility. They could get hurt - they could get killed. It nearly happened on the night they went to rescue her, and it could happen here, too. 

<Pose Tracker> Hazuki Nakao has posed.

"I think he has my best interests at heart..." Hazuki pouts, telling Yukari. "I trust him... after all, Mothman?" She gestures with one hand, like that explains everything.
But, she gets the vibe Yukari is putting down. As if... she senses that Yukari's a pessimist, she *smiles* softly. They're opposites there.
"I have hope we'll save him."
Suzume asks about the things Hazuki's uniquely learned... "The dissolution of humanity... that's what he said. Don't ask me. But... yeah, it's an airport terminal lounge-type place. Blue and classy?"
A nod about multiple Personas, "Myunghon told me that, yeah. They're really kind... helping me get a prescription I was struggling to get..." They *met* at that tournament... is this girl just trusting shady people?!
Tyler wants to start a revolution! Hazuki laughs a little. "You Americans threw all our tea in the harbor. You want to try again?!"
Reiya, though, has an important question. Hazuki becomes lost in thought for a minute. It's a binary question... which does she value more? In the end...
"I don't want to die... but I made a promise to save him. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you pulled me out of there at his expense."
"So, if it comes down to it... save Nakata-kun."
Already, she was prepared to die for Roger. She'll do it again. That's what a hero does... right?
Shizuka and Ririka ask what they could trade... "...I clearly have a different experience than most, so that's one thing! Should be pretty free to trade?"
This girl has never heard of opsec outside of military shooters.
Fuuka asks about Peacock Silk... "I don't know. They had their own Personas... very powerful. Seemed... experienced, like they knew about all this Atelier stuff..."
But about not risking herself... "I'll try." That one's honest. Even if she'll probably get hurt eventually. 

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.

"I don't think some shady guy giving you something called 'Mothman' really helps your case." Replies Yukari in exasperation before saying of saving Taro, "... Yeah."
 
Multiple Personas is pretty rare, but it's not that unusual... right? They have two people in SEES who can do that...
Suzume yells back, and Yukari stares at her like she's being patient with her - and doesn't in fact yell back. Because... when Suzume apologizes to Fuuka, it's like Yukari's eyes are making the only point she needs to in this moment.
 
And indeed when Ririka says that she did think about it, Yukari doesn't reply back either, just staring at her until she's done - like what's she's saying isn't persuasive... because she's not actually understanding what Yukari means by 'think about it'.
 
It's clear to her at least they both think they made the right call and just aren't going to budge.
 
What she focuses upon is instead...
 
... is Reiya's question, which has her peer at Reiya for a time, like she's about to yell at him, and then doesn't. "... That's not a fair question to ask her." She says bluntly, "But you know that don't you?"
 
Yukari locks eyes with him, and Reiya may get the impression over time that Yukari thinks Reiya is asking mostly only because Hazuki's answer...
 
... only is meant to frame whether Reiya thinks she has to protect her from herself.
 
Fuuka said that she thinks Nakao-san is strong, and Yukari was discounting that - perhaps because of how she convinced her, but now?
 
"... Geez. Now I think it's an even worse idea for her to go." Yukari finally responds to Hazuki, "If you go in there thinking like that- you're going to make things worse for not just him... but everyone."
 
Well, she doesn't hold back - but she also agreed to let her go. 

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.

"I went somewhere blue," Suzume agrees with Hazuki, "but it wasn't an airport. And nobody told me about that kind of stuff there. There was a musician though." Thanks Suzume. Very helpful.
Suzume meets Yukari's gaze, but hers shows simmering anger. Suzume is a hothead; this is no secret. She gets angry easily - she gets a lot of emotions easily, really, but Yukari brings out the worst in her, and she's not sure why. Maybe because she reminds her too much of someone else, in some ways.
But she doesn't raise her voice again, at least. So there's that. And she really did seem like she means it when she apologized to Fuuka, as Suzume didn't mean to use her as an argument point, or put her on the spot.
After a few moments, Suzume just *looks* at Tyler. What has she done? More than he knows. How could he? He doesn't have to deal with the same kinds of problems she does. Oh, she's sure, he has his own. But they're not the same. And she doesn't feel like explaining this to him.
"Good luck," she says, simply, her head flopping backwards again on the couch cushion until she's staring at the ceiling. "Just hope they don't think you're trying to put *yourself* in the girls' league." He's way too tall for that, anyway.
She stares at the ceiling briefly, anyway.
"Oh, come on!" Suzume says, raising her head to look at Reiya. "You wanna ask that here and now?" But she supposes the question makes sense... and so does the answer. "It makes sense," she admits. "She," and she points at Hazuki with one finger, "can take care of herself. Even if she's new at it she *can* fight back, or at least run away. Nakata-san can't. He's stuck there, right? And he doesn't have a Persona, as far as anyone knows."
It's the same decision she made, isn't it? With Jiro, when she picked up the tonfa.
As for Peacock Silk: "I thought they were some fashion place Takeba went," Suzume says. "To hear that they've got Personas too... weird. But if that's where the information has to come from..." She trusts Reiya, at least. "I still think we should try to get it ourselves. I mean... we don't know what they want. We know what Hazuki-san wants; help with Nakata-san. But the other person you talked to, she could want anything. What are you going to offer her?"
A beat. "And there's the peacock. I thought only parrots talked. So that's weird. ...Do you suppose the peacock is magic?" What? It could be. 

<Pose Tracker> Tyler Gould has posed.

'Think about what you value more--your life, or his'
Reiya's pragmatism doesn't go unnoticed. Tyler, too, is well aware of the odds that they might not all come back each time they go out.
'Not a ghost today. Maybe tomorrow.'
"Buy time for both Reiya, if you can." Tyler suggests, "Hopefully, we can overpower the creature before it comes down to making that choice." A nod towards Hazuki, here.
The best defense is a good offense, clearly, in the Goth's mind. It's definitely not the most careful of approaches, and he's not above attempting to play human shield.
Looking over towards Ririka next, he lets his stare remain fixed on her for a few long moments. Then? "Better after. Then I can answer anything that might get lost in translation."
He's drawn amusement from Shizuka! "If that's what you call it before you see the revolution in action, I look forward to seeing your opinion of the grand finale." ...does he have a grand finale in mind? Maybe not yet, but he might have an idea of the scale he'd like to see should he put a revolution into action at some point!
Hazuki, meanwhile, brings up -- appropriately -- the Boston Tea Party. "The ocean itself would run Earl Grey for weeks." he replies in turn. Would he? ...of course, given reason. He doesn't have it yet. That doesn't mean he won't eventually. Might want to lock your tea up a little tighter tonight...
"Someone." Tyler corrects Yukari, neck and hair whipping around as he turns to stare at her, now. It's a minor miracle his glasses didn't fly off! "A cryptid most often sighted between the Appalachian Mountains and the American Midwest. It's said that seeing the Mothman foretells disaster."
Here, his lips curve upwards.
"...and in Hazuki's possession, it almost makes me feel a sort of pity for our foe. Almost."
To Suzume? "Thank you." he answers, though after a moment. "But I would hope they have better sense than to think I should be involved in any sort of athletic endeavours." 

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.

'Aomori-san?' Fuuka starts. Reiya does not relent from his question. And Shizuka and Ririka both ask, what could they have?
"...For one," Reiya says, "We have the answer to my question to Nakao-san. ...And she has things to trade that we don't. If she gains the information or if we do, it's all the same, isn't it? Provided that we can save him."
He looks seriously at Hazuki. What does she value more? It's a question that seems very important to Reiya to ask.
And Yukari might have a guess why. Is she right? Is she wrong? It's hard to say, and Reiya doesn't confirm it. He instead just turns to her, and matches her gaze for those long moments. Does he know?
"Chase two hares," Reiya intones. "Catch neither."
"You must always know your objective on a mission." He pauses, and looks to Suzume. "Better to ask now than on the battlefield, isn't it? Here, where there is..." He was going to say calm. But, "Here." Then a nod to Tyler. "...Ideally," he says, "We can do both. Let's not give up before we've started. But just in case... I needed to know."
"The peacock is probably magic," Reiya decides.
The Mothman... Hmmm. "No," he says to Tyler. "No one thinks you're an athlete."
"...We will see if this omen is good for us or not." 

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.

Ririka groans a little at Shizuka's pun. "Kuroki-senpai..."
She nods along with Fuuka on the matter of helping. That difficulty in explaining is also why she hasn't, yet. "We can try to explain, but..." She glances to her fellow Navigator. Should they try?
But Hazuki's experience might be the trade, she thinks. "I guess... if they deal in information, that might be the easiest thing to get more information with... They also deal in stuff from cognitive spaces, but that might be... more risky to get."
But Peacock Silk is powerful, it seems. Ririka considers that. Experience... "Well they did manage to get a bunch of Persona Users together in the store the other day... I wonder if that's a type of information they wanted too...?"
Ririka just stares back at Yukari. But she's not yelling this time, at least. They might have to just keep misunderstanding each other, because what happened to her that night is something Ririka doesn't really like talking bout.
Ririka, unfortunately, chooses the next moment to focus on entirely the wrong thing. She looks to Suzume. "Musician?" Maybe she needs to check this place out sometime.
Tyler says after. Yeah, now's not really the time to discuss that, is it? "Okay, but whatever this is, you need to ask me ahead of time if I'm free. My schedule's kind of crowded..."
She looks to Reiya and nods. "I guess... though it's a bit hard to figure out what kind of a price they'll take for something as vague as 'information', isn't it...? But figuring out that thread and eye thing would be a good start..."
"Well, if you can figure out how to get in, I'll do my best to support everyone." 

<Pose Tracker> Shizuka Kuroki has posed.

         Shizuka mugs at Ririka for a second before turning to Hazuki. "That's a big decision, Nakao-san. We'll make sure you never have to actually see that possibility." She gives her a smile and a supportive fist pump.
 
         "Maybe... the peacock is also a Shadow? Talking animals..." She shrugs at Suzume. "I've definitely gotta stop by there and see. And hey, maybe if Yuka-chan shops there, I might find something really fashionable!"
 
         She chuckles again at Tyler. "I guess those Shadows should keep their sweaters safe, then."
 
         "Geez, Ya-kun... You're really cool, you know that? If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were actually a real soldier!" How little you know, Kuroki. 

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.

An airport terminal lounge...
"That sounds different than the place you described." Fuuka comments thoughtfully, looking toward Yukari - which sounded more like what Suzume is describing. Are there multiple Velvet Rooms? But there was an Igor in each one... Is it the same long-nosed man? ...She'll put a pin in that thought for now.
Despite her surprise, Reiya doesn't relent from his question. Others have their own comments, but ultimately, Hazuki gives her answer. If it comes down to it, save her friend...
Fuuka frowns just a little. That dedication... she's already willing to make that decision. She's glad she at least thinks about it.
These are the kinds of decisions they'll have to make, though. It throws everything into stark reality.
"I hope it doesn't come to that..." Fuuka comments. "We'll... do our best to make sure it doesn't."
Hazuki says she'll try not to be reckless, though... and Fuuka nods quietly.
"...Alright." She replies. For now, she can only trust her... and, do everything she can to help.
"Yes... I think anything else we can learn would be valuable. We still don't even know how to help Nakata-san even if we can find our way inside." Fuuka says. 

<Pose Tracker> Hazuki Nakao has posed.

"That's your opinion..." Hazuki says softly about Mothman. But then Yukari tells her she probably shouldn't go, because she's not prioritizing herself.
"...he asked me to choose. There's no reason to go in there if I can't accept the consequences. I made that choice... I have to live with the possibility... and Nakata-kun *didn't get a choice*."
Even though she *says* it... it probably hasn't fully dawned on her, that she could really die. She almost did, sure, but in the safety of this evil pun chair... is it really the same?
She takes a drink of her water, thirsty after all this talking. She lets it wash down. Suzume agrees with her... even makes the same point at the same time.
Tyler explains Mothman. Hazuki nods a few times. "Yeah... he's gonna be strong. I just know it...!"
Reiya says they shouldn't give up hope on it... "I agree... the goal should be for everyone to make it out."
Hazuki shrugs about the information trade to Ririka. "Who knows? I'll figure it out."
As Shizuka's talking, and Fuuka continues about it not being something they'll allow, she starts to rise, downing her water. "...let's hope that's the case! But I can't only rely on you..."
"I need to rely on my self too."
She'll allow parting comments... and then she'll bow her head. "I should be getting home, Grandma's waiting... thank you for your assistance. Tyler or Fukura-san can give you my number, in case we need to exchange information." She glances to the to she mentions as she says that.
"Let's do what we can."
And then, she leaves. She'll have to think about this SEES group... and how much she'll let them control her in the coming mission. After all...
Hazuki may want to connect, but she doesn't want to be leashed down. She could never be part of a group with such a strict-seeming structure...

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