2025-08-28: Give Them Something To Remember

• Log: Give Them Something to Remember
• Cast: Myunghon Yeo, Umie Akabane
• Where:
• OOC Date: August 28, 2025
• IC Date: July 02, 2012
• Summary: After receiving word of Kaneshiro's confession, Umie goes to meet with Myunghon at the Cardboard Dragon. However, trouble may still be brewing on the horizon, just from different sources, both mundane and supernatural. Can Umie avoid breaking and entering? (The answer is no.)

---

<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.

    Myunghon's agreed to meet Umie Akabane today -- they've got a lot to be catching up on and it's been far, far too long since they sat down and actually discussed matters in a more private place than a Benny's in Shibuya. When Umie arrives at the alleyway, though, she spots trouble.

    There's an old cop on the wrong side of in his fifties lurking around. He's got salt and pepper hair, a stubble, and a face that looks like it's been through the worst of alcoholism. He's wearing a detective's uniform and has a long coat on, staring balefully up towards the Cardboard Dragon. "I know you're in there," he grumbles to himself. "Should just smash a window... that'll teach that Chon bitch..."

    He starts to skulk off back towards the main street, whether or not he sees Umie. When Umie checks the fire escape door, it's locked -- no, bolted shut, she remembers, from the way it's got a piece of iron to shut it from the inside. (Why a fire escape door is designed that way is anyone's guess, though.)

    A text comes from Merry not long after:

    > In some trouble at present.
    > May need to reschedule

    ... it doesn't take much to connect two and two together, though, and the problem seems to be... gone.

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

    The news of Kaneshiro's confession filled Umie with a mixture of excitement, dread, caution, and possibility. Boxes have been opened. Can the right ones be closed back up?

    There is one person Umie wants to ask, however- one of Kaneshiro's victims, who so happened to be at the heart of a nest of interested Persona Users: Myunghon Yeo.

    Slipping into that zone of supernatural activity over the Cardboard Dragon feels like taking off a pair of dress shoes at the end of a work shift: time for the real dance to begin.

    (It's not that Badb affords Umie an extraordinary amount of extra physical ability, but when you start slightly below 'normal, fit', it's like taking off training weights.)

    Wearing her baseball cap and a pair of glasses with her hair in a ponytail, Umie has since tied her coat around her waist, Umie's made an effort to take a casual route around the Cardboard Dragon. After what had happened just before Kaneshiro's Palace had collapsed, paranoia seems to be the winning theme of the day, and it pays off nearly instantly.

    Using Badb's cloaking abilities as a failsafe as soon as she sees the unfamiliar, scruffy looking man, Umie realizes it may not be needed; she's already as anonymous as a crow on the field, as long as she waits for the man to move on.

    A text is sent back: 'no problem, he seems to be moving on. I'll find another way in.'

    What back route, one may ask, if the fire escape door isn't one already?
    
    Umie's going to find out, using the the fire escape as a starting point.

    "Hup!" Her hands grab onto a ledge within her range. She's a little rusty, but... it really hasn't been that many years since she was trying to scale up and down obstacles during the Dark Hour. Why not outside it?

    Let's just see how tight the security is on this building, shall we?

<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.

    > ????

    Not waiting for Myunghon further, though, Umie scales the building -- actually not terribly hard, given that this is an old-style tiled building from the 80s, compared to some of the sleeker, smoother ones; none of the windows on the actual shopfront of the second floor provide any actual point of ingress because they're old louvre-style windows that only open about forty degrees out and doesn't fit a person.

    The third floor, on the other hand, has a window that's open at present, allowing Umie to smoothly invade the Cardboard Dragon into...!!

    Oh...

    First of all, she hears the sound of droplets from a leak in the ceiling -- that's a rotted ceiling tile with black mold on it, with a bucket half-filled bravely tanking the weather sneaking into the old building. The rest of the walls one one corner are mottled and aren't much better -- this is a damp and unhealthy place to live. Also she can see a slightly open door to a bathroom and-- is that a URINAL inside, and several stalls?? This isn't even a RESIDENTIAL bathroom???

    One of the windows is just shattered, but it's boarded up with plywood and planks of wood. There's a somewhat cute picture of what looks like a Jack Frost and KOOL BOSS written on it. The rest of the room barely resembles a living space, with a minifridge plugged into the wall just sitting outside, a lumpy (but thankfully dry) futon in the middle, a large pile of clothes ready to be dragged to the laundry in one basket and a lot of others in... cardboard boxes, not even a wardrobe or anything.

    There's one of those cheap assemble-it-yourself plastic garment racks upon which some of Merry's shirts and coats are hanging. It also smells like Disinfectant here, with half a bottle tipped over from one corner where it's kind of oozing onto the floor tiles.

    Finally, the Rumourmonger themself, who looks EXTREMELY ALARMED AND MORTIFIED right now from where Umie's just CLIMBED INTO THEIR HOME from where they're half-huddled with their phone in their blanket. Shoot, shoot, shoot, they really weren't thinking Umie would just CLIMB UP-- they're dabbing their face first and foremost. Mask has to come back on.

    "I--I was not expecting this... I would have opened the door for you," Myunghon stammers. Why can't their voice steady?! "Hello, Akabane-san." The blanket drops. A pause. "S-should we speak downstairs?"

    This is a Hellscape of a living space.

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

    Had this been something sleeker, like one of those modern buildings, this would have been too dangerous to even try. However, it requires going one floor up; the third floor, to be exact. Hopefully there's nothing up here oh no she's going in anyway, because she didn't want to accidentally misjudge a ledgegrab and end up a broken mess in the alleyway below. (.... It really is a miracle Umie ever survived her early teens.)

    And behold! This is why you do things in conventional, expected ways, Umie: because the world is distorted, and order is a rare and valuable commodity that keeps things from going completely topsy turvy. Congrats, you're a criminal now, if Myunghon decides to press charges.

    "..... Ah?!" Umie quickly turns around, facing away from Myunghon. "Really sorry! I.... didn't think you'd... I was..." ... checking to see how secure a building is. You know, like a terrible person who invades people's private homes.

    _stop laughing, Mai-chan_

     "I didn't know you... uh, lived... here... I swear I'll be more careful next time!!" She has her face in her hands to hide the red flush of shame on her cheeks. Her words muffled. "Please don't charge me with breaking and entering...!!"

    'S-should we speak downstairs?' ".... T-that'd be nice, yes..."

    She still hasn't recovered from her shame; her hands are stapled on her face.

<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.

    "No one probably should live here, but..." Myunghon says in their chagrin, as they quietly reach for their coat jacket and drapes it over their shoulder like it's a ritual to protect themself from the ills of the world. There's a little sigh, stil trembling as they dab at their face again. "T-that police officer left, correct...?" They sound like they're uncomfortable to even bring him up, like they'll summon him.

    They go downstairs, nonetheless -- so that's where that staircase goes! The first floor of the Cardboard Dragon is another business entirely -- a nice little restaurant. Technically, Umie can tell this *isn't* a residential space, easy enough to pick out from things like the bathroom being a men's bathroom and the general design. There's no kitchen. The only kitchen-like space is the kitchenette downstairs.

    But they're back at the store in proper order, and Myunghon lets out a shaky little sigh. "My apologies for sidetracking us so much." They're upset that they're back to being made feel unsafe in their home. Shinjiro said they should text. They should do that soon. "Can I offer you a drink, Akabane-san?"

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

    "Y-yeah. I waited until he left before I even tried it." _Then why did you try it, Umie, you can pull your hands down from your face_

    ".... You know I, uh, told the... Hampton Eaves," Umie starts, too shaken to actually manage a better way of dodging around the phrase 'Phantom Thieves', "about this place. So you might want to, uh, put... a sign..." A hand unlatches itself from Umie's face, to vaguely gesture with a single finger towards The Window, with the finality of a murder victim trying to write out their final message in blood. "..... Just... in case."

    The hand clamps right back to her face. (Give her a minute.) aaaaaa------

    ---NOW---

    "Are you sure you're not the one needing the drink, Myunghon?" Umie's back to her usual, more snarky self, or some semblance of it, as seconds pass between her and her latest Bad Decision, slowly separating the two in time, forever apart, as it Should Be. "And why are you apologizing to me for?"

    A pause. ".... I'd like a drink, yes." Because she's parched from SCALING A BUILD-- "... Just... whatever you have around. I don't want to be a bother." BEYOND WHAT SHE DID ALREA--

    Still. "Has that guy been harassing you, Yeo-san?" A note of concern enters Umie's voice. "He didn't seem to be a persona-user, but... neither do I."

    Pause. "... I guess that means's life's going on like usual, huh... out with one piece of trash and in with more... I still can't believe it, though. That it all... came together, like that. It's almost scary." Also scary? SOMEONE INVADING YOU--

<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.

    Hampton Eaves?? It takes Myunghon a little bit too long to click. (In the original there was probably a gag about a gang from Saitou Prefecture, or something. It takes them just as long then to figure it out.) "You are in contact with them?" Myunghon sounds a little surprised. "I did wish to speak to them about any further agreements... and perhaps try to have them meet other Persona-Users... but I am uncertain how they prefer to operate. I honestly expected them to drop me a calling card and tell me to meet in Mementos, if I'm quite frank, Akabane-san, not..."

    A pause, as they shiver. "... to be honest, I probably would have as woeful a reaction if they did invade through the third floor too. Perhaps I should thank you for preparing me for that possibility."

    Umie points out that Myunghon themself could -- and she's right, so it's not long before they prepare some tea and return with two cups. Myunghon's looks noticeably paler, since they prefer their tea very light, but they don't want to expose guests to what is essentially the LaCroix of teas, so they get a proper one.

    Umie asks about the cop, though. "... yes. His name is Ishiba. He's been -- profiling," Myunghon decides to use the word Yua identified for them, "me. He's taken me into the station more than once under flimsy charges, and being very-- handsy," their heart twists unpleasantly, "and hurting me... then..."

    There's a quiet tremble. "He also whispered he knows where I live. And now I suppose I am... finding that out, am I not? Haha..." The laugh sounds very hollow and nervous at the end there. "Sorry, with all that in mind, hearing noise on the third floor frightened me so much I thought--"

    Well, they thought Umie was *the cop*.

    Kaneshiro is a good offramp. Not literally, but he might as well be an offramp at this point. "... I could not believe it until I saw the news. Reiko-san is a busy person..." They sigh. "Also, I do not recommend fighting the Joker Killer, having your belly sliced open, stapling yourself with staples meant for cats, and then hurrying to Shibuya for another showdown. I am not certain how I lived through that."

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

    ".... not... quite. They rescued me, back when I nearly became the Joker's next target." Pause. "... If they contact you that way, congratulations, you have as much of a contact with them as I do. If it's their leader-- or the person I think is their leader, he's a bit of a show-off outside of battle, so I think he'll just have you meet him somewhere where he can properly dramatic." She rubs the side of her head. "You know, to... make a better one-on-one impression then some random idiot with a Persona and too much nervous energy would?"

    "Thank you," Umie says, as Myunghon prepares some tea; she sips it as Myunghon explains.

    And listens, not speaking a single word, or another sip.

    It... never occurred to her. Kaneshiro was the same, wasn't he? It's not that Umie is somehow immune to the tides of racism in Japan; her ignorance could count as another 'fine' feature of it.

    "... And you thought I was that cop," Umie says, sighing. "I get it. A man his age, though... he wouldn't be able to scale the way I did. So I think you're fine, barring anything supernatural." Pause. "... Again, I'm very sorry." She's apologizing for the... what time was it, now?
     
    At least her face is its usual color. "One day, I'll have to show you how. With your coat, I think you might have an easier time of it than I would." She finally resumes sipping her tea.

    "And... if there's some way I can help..." But what? They can't go changing hearts of everyone that's simply wronged them. "For every head cut down, two heads spring up," she comments, softly. "A hydra."

     That and, what sort of monsters would they become, assuming it worked like it did, there?

    She winces, hearing about the staples. "Do you... need help, with bandages, or anything? I was lucky enough that I got healed, though the blood loss wasn't great." Her head bows down. "... Guess I have to apologize for not literally telling you 'hey, let's postpone the Benny's meet-up, had a bad case of the Old Maid', but even that was some seriously good timing."

    "Just a lot of things, happening at once. If I was a betting person, I'd say everyone's odds of things settling like they did would be..." Her fingers massage her forehead. "... I was never good with doing percentages in my head." She's still stuck on it. "... It felt..." Amazing? No, do not use that word in front of Myunghon. "But you felt it too, right? That presence that tried to shoot Kaneshiro's... shadow... thing."

<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.

    Myunghon's face creases to a frown -- "So that was why the Joker Killer said that. You were one of the targets... I did not know. I..." They sigh. Were they going to be in the crossfire as well, one day? Is Ishiba going to be frustrated enough that they just take out their frustrations on them that way? "Hmm. Mm... the one in the dark coat, perhaps?" Myunghon has to consider which one looks most 'leader-like', but realises that's a bit of an assumption based on looks. But a lot of them seemed less confident... the words Queen used made it clear she hadn't been there from the start.

    "Dramatic is fine," Myunghon sighs. "My nerves are just simply frayed from jumping at the shadows of what I perceive to be intruders."

    Umie finishes the conclusion for them, and Myunghon somewhat retreats into their own body, knees up to their face. ... they're really good at doing that, like it's a little act of contortionism. "It's all right. I know you were just-- trying to be careful." A pause. "I am embarrassed someone saw the third floor..." A person as unhealthy-looking as them is probably doing themself nnnnooo favours living in a space like that.

    But then Umie says she'll show them, one day!! "W-what, climbing up buildings?" Myunghon sounds a bit shocked. "I think if I made one mistake, my bones may just disintegrate into powder..."

    There's a shake of the head from the Rumourmonger, regarding healing. "Oh, that is kind, but no, it has been a few days, I did find proper treatment." A pause. "No, I mean... you do not exactly *book* an appointment with the Old Maid, now do you?"

    When Umie expresses the odds, however, Myunghon feels a little ashamed to admit they've been calculating odds -- variables. "Something like an eighteen percent chance of success. There are many little variables that could have made the whole stack of Koalas fall. We could have just as easily been crushed by that piggy bank rolling around. My sister awakening to her Persona was just one such chaos element in the equation."

    But Umie brings up the shadowy figure, and they tremble gently. "Akabane-san... I could not sense them until they chose to let themself be known. You and I were in that room. I'm certain the Phantoms have their own Navigators too. How did all of us fail? What level of shrouding is possible-- and..."

    A longer pause. "That masked figure... it was very... human. I tasted-- felt-- their bloodlust."

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

    "It's okay," Umie says, seeing Myunghon's frown. "I learned a lot through that attack, and, thanks to the Phantom Thieves, I'm able to get that information out." She sips her tea, looking down. "... That's why I was so willing to just jump in, like that. Fighting on a serial killer's turf, like that..." There's a sense of awe in Umie's voice, before she looks back up to continue. "It's like I said: the more people left alive, the more we learn. Though, if you ever feel like you need to prepare, I can tell you exactly how it went down. I don't have to dance around it, like I've had to do for other people."

    "The one in the dark co--?" Umie laughs. "Yeah. That's..." She starts, realizing how awkward it's going to sound. "He goes by Joker. It seems to be a coincidence; Old Maid was irritated that he had the name at all. The show-off had me come to a temple and showed up on a rooftop, like out of some comic book. Can you believe it? Who does that?" (Umie's grin, before she immediately shuts it away out of embarrassment, certainly says she does.)

    Myunghon contorts themselves into that ball, and Umie falls like contorting away into a cabinet herself, after so casually *dismissing* Myunghon's own trauma. "... Don't be." She shifts in her seat. "If someone saw my place unannounced... I'd be a little embarrassed too." Seriously, how disorganized can a one-room apartment get?! (Also, Umie, you totally saw black mold there. Why aren't you calling Myunghon out on it?!)

    ".... I guess, yeah, that'd be one conclusion." Sipppppp. "I just never consider it unless I have to. But you get a sense of these things, after a while. I don't think I've tried anything talling than... four floors, maybe?" (That's still enough to kill someone, Umie.)

    Did Umie Akabane book an appointment with the Old Maid? Umie makes a face. "What kind of idiot do I look like?"

    18. ".... That sounds about right," Umie says, thoughtfully. "Your sister... the violin player, right? Did she get caught up when we were teleported in?" Umie *thought* that resonance seemed 'new', in that she hadn't seen it before. But how much could escape a single person's notice?

    Speaking of that... "Can I try something, Yeo-san? It probably won't work, since I'm literally right in front of you. However, after giving you one big scare, I don't want to give you another without asking first, at least."

<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.

    "Do you... need more protection? I know the Sevens rumour -- no, it has become more than that, has it not?" Myunghon does feel the need to settle logistics. There is a deeper breath as they ruminate on this for a time further. They remember saying something to that effect -- the more the Joker Killer slips, the more they learn. They don't want to admit it's half-bravado. "And... I certainly would not pass up more information, no."

    Umie explains how the one in the dark coat is Joker, and Myunghon is about to ask the obvious question -- no, a coincidence. ... really? They immediately get up and drag a rolling corkboard into sight, which has a big map of Sumaru and Tokyo and has red string on pins, the kind of stereotypical mind map one sees in media. They busily take a piece of string and connects... ...

    A picture of a Hamburger Burglar along with a picture of a Red Pigtailed Old-Fashioned Girl, and stick a post-it note on it reading: 'FIRST KITCHEN'.

    ... ... what kind of infernal logic happens inside Myunghon's brain?

    "Even if both people believe it to be coincidence, I am not so trusting that it is deliberate on a deeper level than our own consciousness, Akabane-san," Myunghon admits. "For instance, we still do not know who created or sent the Meta-Navi app. I still believe there is a mastermind behind it. And that mastermind may have designs we are still dancing to."

    Working through this connection helps them feel a bit better, at least -- better than balling up and shrinking away from the world. "I--I do suppose anyone would be embarrassed... I have tried my best to try to fix some of the damages, but I am not physically capable of it myself and the funds to renovate it are somewhat beyond me. I want to fix that broken elevator, even, but..."

    A pause. "Well, it is useful that intruders like him have to walk all the way around." They don't like to admit it, but it is opsec. But thinking of Yanagi's needs is superceding that.

    The ease in which Umie talks about scaling buildings is bewildering. "Ahaha... you do sound like one of those-- western superheroes in films. I can imagine you weaving from rooftop to rooftop in the Dark Hour, a masked shadow in the night." Thinking of Umie's coolness is helping them relax a bit.

    A frown, and then they nod as So-young is brought up. "Oh, yes -- one more detail; people *can* be caught in the wave that transports us to a Palace, so we need to be absolutely certain no one is within the vicinity, otherwise we risk drawing people that cannot protect themselves in there with us. And... the way we were all split up is frustrating too, but we may not be able to do much about that but try to be flexible with who we end up with."

    But Umie wants to try something, and Myunghon blinks gently. "Ah...? Please, go ahead." They reach their bandaged hand up to brush a bit of their white hair back. ... speaking of, Umie hasn't cleared them of Mark suspicions, huh? Those bandages sure are awful suspicious...

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

    "Y-yeah..." Umie's expression shifts. "... I kind of... tried to add onto it. I think it's working, but I don't know. I might have..." She takes a moment to sip her tea. "... messed it up." Yes, Umie Akabane is not becoming a rumormonger anytime soon. "So the seven in Triple Seven and the seven in Seven Sisters is a lucky number. But it's lucky because there's a chance you get it. That wasn't what I was trying to do, but it happened anyway." She shrugs. "I had good intentions. Maybe you can help in correcting things on your end, Mer-ry-san," she adds, one eye closing in the laziest wink imaginable.
    
    Of course it's half bravado. Half of everything Umie does is half bravado; it's one of the best tools you can have. "I'll tell you, but... I'll need more tea, first."

    And Myunghoin goes to that board, making Umie tilt her head like a confused dog. ".... So... Hamburger Burglar's... so.. cat burglar, so... That's Joker, and... Red Pigtailed Old-Fashioned Girl is... Old Maid, because..." Blood. "Fire." Obviously.

    .....

    Umie claps her hands flatly in front of her. ".... Please show this to Joker if he ever comes by. I'm *begging* you. I *need* to know what reaction this gets."

    A person with higher designs. Umie is quiet at that, happy for Myunghon to move onto the next topic. "I bet you can get some of us to help you, when you feel better, Yeo-san. Your place is valuable; Time Count is pretty pricey, and sometimes he gets on my nerves with the whole 'mysterious' act of his."

    'You sound like...' "... I'm not... _that_ good..." Umie makes a face. "The mask is just because..." Is... Umie... turning red? Is she seriously that embarrassed? "It was like that, when I was younger. ... But then I realized all I was doing was pretending. Demons can be easily impressed, when they want to be." She's looking at her empty teacup, eyelids lowered. "... Sorry, I'm usually not like this."

    "So that's..." This should be valuable information because it can lead to someone getting caught up that shouldn't be. Instead, Umie puts a hand to her chin. "That... might come in useful." If Shiryuu tries to get the jump on her, it may be the one chance she has to get away, while getting them on a level playing field. Come to think of it, is that how Katsuya came in with her without having to mutter the same ritual? "It has to be the same for Mementos."

    "It's okay. I leaned into it. We had a nice group on my side of things," DESPITE THE NWO AGENT THAT WAS THERE, "maybe at least one person that kind of sort of was possibly with the NWO, but..." She shrugs. "You have to roll with the punches, you know?"

    Myunghon gives their permission, but all Umie does is hold up her teacup, her hand closing around something beside it. "First, you're going to have to fill up my tea."

    And when Myunghon does, and looks back, Umie is... just not there. A second passes; it's very possible Myunghon's own senses will detect Umie the moment they begin to *look*, but in the seconds it took for their attention to focus on something else, Umie's shrouding ability took over. It's not that she's *invisible*, there are tells.

    Just being aware that someone was in this room and would likely still be in this room is enough.

    If they don't locate Umie in time, something hits Myunghon's head from behind: a stale koala cracker.

    Umie's standing not that far away now, admittedly, with that serious look on her face. ".... Sorry. I doubt my abilities would match that person's. I still would like some tea, though." A pause. "it's funny that you say it was a human presence, though. And... several other things, as well."

    She looks to the side. "... So I'd like ask you a question, but you'll probably want to refuse, given how your day's gone."

<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.

    Myunghon looks a little surprised that it WAS Umie who spread and expanded that rumour. "I see... no, I certainly cannot fault you for trying to widen the net. But Rumours are very fickle -- even if you have good intentions, it's something that's powered by people's perceptions and Cognition. 'A specific school emblem protects you' has a specificity that tends to make people interested... too broad, and people's reactions tend to become 'but that could be anything, could it?' and it loses some power. I will certainly see what we can do... but I think it is fine. ... though it does make me wonder if you can dash to your nearest Triple Seven to escape the Joker Killer now."

    Umie's figured out that Joker is the Hamburger Burglar, and the Red Girl is the Old Maid. ... ... ... and the Fry Guys next to the Old Maid is... Strega? And... uh. The Gentleman from Kentucky is currently smack dab in a lot of strings in the centre, next to the Wild Duck...

    Who's the horrible purple monster just stuck in Tokyo Bay, the Greemace? Should she ask?

    "What? I can't simply leak my thoughts to--" Myunghon pouts. "There is a chance he will find it anyway. Ah, it will be an adjustment to have to refer to 'Joker' and 'Joker Killer' as individual people..."

    Umie positively says that people would help with their place, though. It is a valuable, important place. ... the Time Count being pricey and mysterious only one of them, Yeo-boy. "... he may have had a factor in why I wanted to start the Cardboard Dragon. It unsettles me, and I do not like being in Rengedai Ward if I can help it. Too many memories."

    But Umie gets flustered about superheroes! "... I do mean what I meant that time, when I said I liked the mask. If you enjoy it, and find inspiration and power from it... does that not translate to Cognitive strength? I think the more confidence we have in our images, the more that translates to strength with the supernatural dangers we face. That is why... Rumourmonger Merry is hope, after all."

    Even if they feel the farthest thing from hope, right now. They were huddling scared of a cop harrassing them when Umie broke in.

    Umie, however, thinks dragging people in can be useful. ... it's true. "Do you remember Ebisu Beach? I was trapped from being able to escape with you to Kazama-kun's car. I raced to the pier instead, and fled into Mementos through the boat rental service. That, it appears, is considered a public transport point enough to count."

    Then she also brings up the NWO, and... well, Myunghon knows that's Remi, but they're not gonna say anything about that. "True. That is something we have to consider -- we had someone named 'Vesper' present, and I was not able to determine his allegiances. I thought he was with the Phantoms, to be honest."

    Then... tea. Myunghon refills her, and-- then--

    They do look a little bit alarmed as Umie disappears, and they glance around, confused... then their Resonance senses start to act up. "Is this... is my vision being manipulated?" Myunghon asks. They cup their mouth gently. "... I can taste something in my mouth, smell something. I taste... darkness and smell crows."

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

    "It got limited to our work badges," Umie says, running a finger along the edge of the teacup. "Had a few people ask to buy mine." Did she give in? (There's a sign at the Triple 7 saying work badges are not for sale, so, yes, yes she did.)

    Myunghon objects, and Umie sighs, rolling her eyes. "Finnnnne."

    "I have trouble calling him Joker myself, for reasons. I just call him 'Detective-san' for now. 'Old Maid' for Joker Killer." Her shoulders move in a small shrug. "I told him that he needs to impress me." Her expression grows serious, despite how potentially silly the 'deal' was. "... I want to see what he does." (But really, will it take that long?) "We should probably try to call Joker Killer 'Old Maid' as much as we can. With Sumaru City being the way that it is... the moment people realize the Phantom Thieves' leader is named Joker, it could lead to some side effects. But, since we're the only ones that know--" well, that and a bunch of others now, oopsie doodle "--it should be fine."

    "Ahh." Umie makes a sympathetic sound. "Well, we're better off for it. I like coming here." AND BREAKING AND ENTERI--

    "... Is that it. Huh..." Umie's lips tease on the edge of that frown, trying to find something to hook in her own beliefs. "... I..." No, she can't say anything about *what* and *why*. Who was that person back then, and this person now? Who was the girl, before that?

    The fingers of her right hand tense. "There's still some secrets I need to keep, Yeo-san." It's a polite way of saying 'thank you'. ... But she can't force herself to commit to any of that, just yet, no matter how much power cognitive beliefs may hold.

    "There's... a person I fought on Ebisu Beach that has stalked me once before. I couldn't really fight back that well in Shibuya, but he's going to come again for what he wanted me to gather for him in a month's time. I have a few weeks left." She groans. "I really don't want to involve anyone in this, so it may just be easier to lead him to an abandoned subway bathroom and get us both trapped in Mementos. With Badb's abilities I'd be able to evade him and get away. That's my plan." (It is a good plan, Umie thinks.)
    
    "Oh, Vesper-san." Umie's tone brightens. "Yeah, he came in with us when a bunch of us tried helping that lost girl in Tartarus. Swell guy. I guess, a guy like that'd fit right in with the Phantom Thieves, huh?" She grins. "I'll have to figure his deal out next time I ever run into him. Nice enough, though."

    But now... a test.

    Umie wants to encourage Myunghon, but the moment she does, she knows-- the game'd be up.

    Myunghon knows what to do, though, and Umie gets a better idea of what Myunghon really meant when she 'tasted' things. "... <Good.> You know what the Badb is, right?" Umie is fully visible there now, as she was, right when she made the motion to throw that betraying koala cracker. "The battle crow." She rolls the fingers of her left hand around, dark red nails and all. "Dark abilities, confusion, charm, manipulation. Kind of similar in theme to your Persona, in a way. Just no badass coat."

    "That person we encountered may have more experience with it. The NWO possibly has its own interests in Mementos, especially if there's people targetted that come from their ranks." _Umie, you can't just say 'the NWO' so casually like that_!! "We're lucky they went for Kaneshiro first. And that they didn't just pluck us all down while we were fighting. It'd be easy, right? Just like when I attack; I use everyone else's attacks as cover. Maybe they needed us to get to that point before they could do anything, but as surprised and weakened as we were..."

    She sighs. "It's a shitshow no matter how you look at it. I couldn't see that much, but I definitely *felt* it."

    But now?

    "There's something I've been meaning to confirm, Yeo-san." Umie's eyes look to Myunghon's right hand, bandaged up as it is. "Could you undo the bandages around your wrist? Really, I just need to see a little bit of it." Red-brown eyes study Myunghon's expression carefully. "... You can refuse, if you like. It's fine, if you do."

<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.

    "So that was what that sign is..." Myunghon ruminates. "It is true that scarcity does fuel a Rumour. Nothing agitates the mind like needing to have something that simply is not *always* available."

    Detective-san, huh? Myunghon didn't really figure him to be the type. "Is a Phantom Thief not more the opposite of what a Detective is...? Well, that is one way to obfuscate the trail, I suppose. ... I think they might be upset if I start calling him Hamburger-san, though." But there is a nod. "... Old Maid, yes. That was what the police have been calling him all along..." They are privy to his name, thanks to Shinjiro, but that's not a detail they'd like to spread just yet. It's a very, very, very dangerous piece of info.

    But it's clear that Umie has her own hangups regarding cognitive beliefs and who the girl who believed in such things was, and who she is now. There's a gentle little nod. "I understand. You and I likely know more than most about the costs and effort a mask requires." In more ways than one.

    But there is a pause as Umie talks about clearly Shiryuu, and there is an embarrassed look for a moment as they say-- "I also was stalked and we fought to a standstill. His case intrigued me, however, so I said I would look into it. Soo... I may have already involved myself, A-ka-ba-ne-san," they mirror how Umie playfully said Me-rr-y-san earlier.

    But the test.

    Badb... the battle crow. "Badb Catha..." Myunghon murmurs. "A war goddess. One of the three Morrígna. ... are you sure you do not have other powered siblings? Goddesses of three are starting to become a recurring theme... nevermind." But the Koala!!

    Don't hurt the Koala...

    But Umie speaks of 'the NWO', so casually, just like that. Myunghon already knows, but it is interesting to see how other people relate about it. "It's a warning," they advise. "They could have just sniped us, each and every one of us. Kaneshiro was just the sacrificial lamb, because he came to the end of his usefulness for them. I do not much like any of it..."

    There's some alarm as Umie asks if they could unravel their bandages, though. Oh, did they hit the mark on the Mark? There's nervousness, their eye can't make eye contact (though they largely don't prefer eye contact anyway). "... all right. I trust you have an important reason, but..."

    Myunghon quietly slips off the coat jacket, and has to roll up their dress shirt sleeve. Then they undo the bandages and it's... a graphic content warning. Their flesh underneath the bandage is unpleasant to look at, scar tissue from burns and large gashes and probably suffering from the effects of some atrophy and malnourishment. It doesn't take Umie much to extrapolate: then the rest of their bandaged body is also...

    "I-- um..." They hold the arm up gently, wincing as they do so. The arm movement is pretty stiff and weak.

    "Is this sufficient?"

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

    ".... I really should've asked for your opinion first," Umie says, sighing. "But I thought it was a really neat idea, and... yeah." She holds up her hands.

    "It's a boring story," Umie says, to Myunghon's observation. "Probably should keep it quiet here in Sumaru City, or he'll find himself with a detective's badge." (Why, oh why, is Sumaru like this...?)

    Oh, right, Old Maid is... "... Oh. Right. It's felt like a more neutral name that I just never thought about it." Pause. "... Would... it be possible to turn him into an Old Maid with rumors...?" (_UMIE NO_.)

    "...." Umie makes a sound, as Myunghon provides some valuable insight, far sharper than Umie would have expected from someone who only knew so much about her. "... Maybe that's it..." she murmurs, leaning on her elbows. "It makes it feel a lot better than 'I get embarrassed'."

    And yet, she does it, because it protects her. Maybe it's the same for Myunghon, whatever their mask may be.

    "... Wh--" Umie sputters, clearly surprised, "He did that to you too?! What did he want? Do you know his name? How does he--" Oh. Umie stops, tapping her nails against counter surface. "... Got a little overeager there, heh."

    But at least Umie has a plan, now, as she grins at Myunghon's playful stringing of her surname. "Well, perhaps I could use a little bit of your help, when the time comes."

    "... No sisters that I know of," Umie says, with a smirk. "My parents haven't had any affairs that I know of, either. I think Shimizu-san and Watanabe-san's Persona sister status is safe for now." God, that'd be... annoying, as much as she's been lightly jealous of the Suou brothers at times. It's easier to be jealous than to have to deal with it.

    "It has to be, yeah. We'll need to be careful, from here on out. Not that we should be jumping in all nilly-willy at any chance we get.... but you get my meaning, right?" Though I wonder which of us that person was more after..." She places her head on one upturned hand. "So. Do we *really* know how this all works, or did we just see some part of the process and *think* we know?" She holds up a finger. "Just because we had our hand in making the bread dough doesn't know we know the recipe, so, my theory is... we may not have to worry as much ourselves. The Phantom Thieves, however..." She trails off.

    It may not be something any of them can help, for now.

    And there's other matters to look after, as well.

    "... Y-yeah," Umie says, in a small, guilty voice. How many people has she forced into an uncomfortable position, doing this? "You can wrap up now."

    Umie's arms, meanwhile, have kept covered in every instance Myunghon's seen her in, no matter the context or weather.

    She lets the silence hang in the room, before gently holding up her right arm. (It's gotten easier each time. What Tatsuya said must be true.) "... Yeo-san. Promise me... that you won't say a word of this to anyone unless you *absolutely have to*."

    If, and only if Myunghon promises, does Umie tug off her ring sleeve, exposing the Mark's eerieness to the light. "If you see anyone with this, please be careful." Her eyes glance about the room, looking into any nook or cranny an eye could be looking into.

    ".... It's... not a tattoo," she says, her voice barely above a whisper. "And it's..." She stops.

    What should she say? What could she trust Myunghon with, if this was just because she felt guilty? "It's..."

<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.

    Myunghon does look significantly more uncomfortable at present -- revealing their scars isn't something they really enjoy doing, because... well, why would they? People should be correct to look grossed out by how much of a Hollow they've become. (ha Ha! Dim Spirits has been out for three years now and is taking the world by storm, as youths everywhere tell people on the internet to 'get pud', in reference to how often the game tells you 'YOU PIED'. You have to pudding in order to prevent getting pied, you see.)

    Turn Sudou into an Old Maid with rumours? "... that may make things worse. When old grandmothers are involved with violence, media loves to reveal they secretly are a martial master."

    There's a soft little smile as Umie reflects on embarrassment and secrets. They choose to not harp on that, because it's a topic Umie feels a bit guarded on, as they take the time to re-bandage themselves -- it's a bit of an effort, and Umie can clearly tell Myunghon's range of movement on their arms isn't perfect. But they've been doing this for months now.

    "Oh-- yes, I sensed him tailing me so I led him to a quiet place... he threw me into that bridge dimension and we had to battle," Myunghon explains. "In the end, I managed to disorient him long enough that he sensed he did not have the advantage, but he wanted information on that... shinigami of his. I thought it was intriguing, and thus I chose to take his case on. He was cagey with his name, but--" Myunghon raises their finger to their eye. "That eye of his... only turns blue at a certain point. It is brown, normally. I was given 'blue eye' as a descriptor, so... that was intriguing."

    Umie has her own metaphor, though -- just because they're making the bread doesn't mean they know the recipe. Or where the flour's coming from. "Yes... many of the things we are privy to feel like they are along someone's design. The Meta-Nav app, the presence of Palaces... who knows what else."

    But the conversation is more serious now, as Umie asks them for secrecy. In response, "... I am going to deploy my Persona too, Akabane-san."

    Umie might've seen it before -- Kudlak rises in a column of Blue, and then the air around them sounds more muffled. It's a silence field, to ensure that anyone listening in suddenly can't. "A silence field. I'm certain our enemies have methods to pierce it... but I consider the extra peace of mind worthwhile. But-- yes, I promise, as both Rumourmonger Merry, and Myunghon Yeo, your friend."

    But the Mark... Myunghon looks a little alarmed by it. "What is..." Myunghon feels like they don't have enough secrecy. "Akabane-san...?"

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

    "Guess we took similar approaches," Umie says, eyebrows lifting slightly at Myunghon's recollection. "He just, uh, threatened me a little?" She makes a face, her mouth shifting to one side. ".... he kept assuming I was some kind of..." Her head lowers against her shoulders, as she tries to wrench the word straight out of the air like a throwing knife that just so happened to be sailing in her direction. "..... mhmmhmslutmhmmhm." She bristles. "_And I'm not_, flirting us a perfectly reasonable method to throw someone off. Or tease them." (Which may be the problem.)

    Damn self-important bridge ninja asshole...

    "Eh? A... bridge... dimension?" Umie squints. "Maybe this'll be harder than I thought... disorientation... that may be my ticket as well, here." Her mannerisms grow more serious as she considers the rest of Myunghon's information, leaning forward on her elbows. "So, a shinigami? Is that his Persona, or something else? That's something to do with death, so... bridges... to the afterlife...?" She may be getting confused here. "A blue eye that's normally brown... You'd think white, since that's associated with death. But blue..." (She's overthinking on this, just a little.)

    Maybe Myunghon is the stronger one, Umie thinks, as she's glancing at a possible confirmation of her worst fears, while Umie looked away from the slightest hint of what lay underneath Myunghon's bandages. Are those Myunghon's equivalent of a 'mask'? While Umie is unaware of how certain Persona Users's masks are more literal in how they obscure a person's identity (moreso than the simple measures she's able to create with Badb), the symbolism is still there.

    They're all at the mercy of things that feel intentional, and connected in a masquerade of unknowns, grasping at reasons. While Umie has tried to clear the confusion, a part of her wonders if she's simply following some directive of her own, casting another kind of confusion without realizing it.

    Myunghon lets Umie known they're about to summon their Persona. "...?" Umie's mouth makes an inquisitive sound, then looks up at the column of blue, briefly looking in awe of Kudlak, up close. She senses the change as well-- something in the air feels... muted. It might drive her nuts if she didn't realize the security it added, as Myunghon explains. "I mean, it's not like my tricks are fool-proof either," she sympathetizes, with a lopsided grin.

    Wounds come in different forms; while Umie cannot understand or know the story behind Myunghon's own, the act of exposing them was enough to convince her to take an equal risk. The brand itself could be seen as innocuous enough, especially compared to the visceral sight of Myunghon's scars and what could have caused them. It's a simple matte black 'design', something that could be mistaken for a tattoo, if rather well-done, considering no presence of a blemish or scar, even along the edges, that would plague something so rigidly black, as clear as the day she recieved it. The skin around it is paler, as if it hasn't been exposed to light as much.
    
    "I had to show you this, because the information I might share will make more sense. Be very careful with it, Merry-san; I can just as easily lead you the wrong way." She's laid her wrist out, as if testing that complusion to jerk it back and cover it back up.

    She wants to, so badly, but like Tatsuya had said...

    "I've only used its power once, a long time ago. The feeling I felt was similar to the feeling at Ebisu Beach when demons were summoned, as well as when the Old Maid uses his powers. It's not a complete match, but there's a *lot* of things I don't know. The Old Maid said someone told him I was 'similar' to him." She pauses for effect. "I probably would have been dead, if the Old Maid hadn't held back, originally. Phantom Thieves or no. He called it 'playing lions', but by running, I'd just shown I was prey."

    There was more he said, but it felt like complete nonsense. "You know know something no one else has figured out just yet, Merry-san," she says, using Myunghon's Rumormonger moniker for a reason. "The Old Maid... is somehow connected to this Mark, and whatever it represents."

<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.

    Myunghon somewhat shakes at that word, since they didn't really get that sort of sense from Shiryuu. But in a way, he is very traditional, so perhaps a 'flirting' approach ended up causing a miscommunication? "Ah... yes. He was able to create a space that resembled a non-Euclidean mess of old bridges and shrines -- extremely disorienting, but he is able to cut the space between you and him in an instant. I am certain I am lucky to escape with only minor wounds..."

    As to the shinigami and blue eyes, though, Myunghon has no idea. "I'm uncertain, but there is something he is after -- critical enough he'd approach a Rumourmonger such as myself. "I believe he thinks of Persona as the personifiations of shinigami, but there was something else he was after... at this point, I'd best not say more, not because I want to hide things, but because I have not confirmed anything, and I don't wish to mislead you either."

    But... stronger? Myunghon themself would not think so, at lest -- what Umie is capable of doing with Badb, as well as her actual physical strength in being able to climb UP the Cardboard Dragon and enter, are all impressive feats to them. But they all have their strengths and weaknesses... and Myunghon is definitely experiencing one of their worst weaknesses in the form of real-life harrassment.

    "True... all we can do is take due precaution," Myunghon admits, of their silence field. But the topic now is on Umie' mysterious mark, which is not a tattoo -- and it's too clean to be sickness or a wound either. And Umie warns of the dire portent of the information she's about to bestow on them. Their throat feels dry, like they're about to find out more things they're at the mercy of.

    "Demon summoning..." Myunghon looks stunned. "The Old Maid is often backed by Demons, such as those Hellhounds. I could not have guessed there was such a mechanic behind it." 'Playing lions' brings back an unpleasant memory of how poorly Yua took it, and how much they know why that is -- and yet, they don't know how much they don't know about lions and lionesses, in the end.

    "... thank you, Akabane-san, for entrusting this with me. This goes out to no one, of course, you have my promise," Myunghon gently says, a little rattled. "But... the presence of Demons in Sumaru is something actively on my mind. What is the logic? Is there any logic? Why are some areas far more infested -- I chose this location in part because it is close to the Air Raid Shelter in Kasugayama High, which is rife with Demon activity at the worst times..."

    A soft, trembling sigh. "... you with this, and I with the Meta-Nav app. As you say, I cannot help but feel as if we are being played by greater forces."

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

    "So like it was at Ebisu Beach." Umie considers, red-brown eyes flicking a touch off into the distance just enough that she only notices Myunghon's subtle reaction out of the corner of her eye. "Might luck out with Badb, but a lot of her powers depend on cognition, I'm beginning to realize. I can't just walk away and expect you to forget I was there; I have to distract you with another task. But even that..." Could that be just because of Myunghon's powers? "The more aware you are of me being here, the harder it gets, which makes sense, I guess." The fingers of left hand splay out over the countertop as she leans back, dismissively waving her right. "Guess it just means escape is best."

    Myunghon may have more information, but she's unsure on it. Umie shakes her head, her hair buns shifting with the subtle movement against the back of her chair. "The guy's got a lot of weird beliefs. I'll just have to use them against him, like a proper 'ninja' would." (Why yes, Umie did use two fingers to highlight those quotation marks.)

    Demon summoning. It feels weird to have it be called that, like Umie was some sorceress out of a video game; it shows on her face, as she makes a face at the counter, mouth moving in that thoughtful, gremlin frown. "What's weird is, he didn't, with me. Maybe because he chose to? But..." She leans in. "He could teleport. And there's one thing I forgot to mention, that's a big one. Really took me by surprise." She raises her finger. "I was able to use my Persona. So were the Phantom Thieves." Her hand drops, for effect. "This was in Shibuya, in the evening, but well before the Dark Hour. I was able to sense it straight away. I'm not sure why he didn't just summon back then."

    Really, there's one way to figure out yourself, Umie knows, but as her expression sours-- "... There's something someone told me; and it might be some glimmer of 'hope' in our battle with the Old Maid: he can only do it so many times before he 'runs out'." Should she say any more? "There's a cost to these things, but what it is, I don't know. Maybe the Old Maid is 'different' since he's clearly not stopping anytime soon, but I'm going to assume the same isn't for me. So if I use it, it will likely be because I have no other choice."

    "But anyway. None of those feelings," Umie says, to complete one of her original points, "was like what we felt with that sniper at Kaneshiro's Palace. Like you said, that was 'Human'." You can hear the way she emphasizes that word, giving it more weight, rather than dismissing it.

    "And this..." Her eyes glance around, trying to taste the proper word for it like Myunghon would taste concepts that shouldn't have a 'taste'. She fails, miserably, as she grabs her thumbsleeve and begins covering up the simple marking/ "Not sure what this is. 'Not-human'? But not 'opposite'. Different. Unrelated, maybe? Having something to compare it to makes it easier, eh?"

    WIth it fully covered, Umie adjusts the fabric so that it lays secure against her skin. "Maybe we're being played. But I'm not taking it lying down, and I don't think you are either, Yeo-san. You're marked as well, by something else. Though..." She frowns. "The Meta-Nav app allowed us to get to the Palace in the first place. While I get that it's creepy, can I ask... why, you feel the way you do about it? Just so I can understand a little." Umie's usual candor and demeanor seems to have returned, mostly. "Or is it just in general?"

    "... if it's... okay to ask. I know Joker wanted to check my phone because he suspected I had it, though I was too surprised to think about it at the time." It doesn't mean Joker had it, of course; maybe it's a sign of something else?

<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.

    "The extent to which these 'Anti-Navigators' can influence space is still something I grapple with at times," Myunghon admits. "Ebisu Beach, what people have described happening in Kasugayama High, that sensation we felt at Sevens when the Old Maid attacked... I do not think my powers very great, but I do feel the importance of being able to find counters to these -- spaces. We continually walk into disadvantageous battlefields because of it..."

    There's a genteel nod as Umie reflects on how it's harder if someone is cognitively aware she's there. "True. It's a power best for evasion and avoiding conflict altogether, which is powerful in its own right... a fight is not the end-all-be-all -- you and I have both been to Mementos, and we both know how important pacing for a long investigation is."

    Ninjas, huh... there's been a lot of those lately. Maybe Myunghon will get another visit from another ninja, even.

    But Umie drops a very important detail -- the presence of the Old Maid was able to let them use Personae, in Shibuya, in broad daylight. "... was it the same field as Sevens? Does the Old Maid's power or presence cause something in us that instinctively makes us able to protect ourselves, since we are awakened?"

    Umie speaks of hope -- just the thing Rumourmonger Merry's been fostering -- but at a cost. "There is a cost to everything, I find," Myunghon admits. "But the crucial difference is that whether or not one *cares* about the cost. Someone like the Old Maid... he might feel he has nothing to lose, and that makes him much more dangerous than someone who still has to consider their day job the next day."

    The sniper. The very human one, filled with bloodlust. Myunghon shivers again just thinking about it. "It was taste, of his bloodlust, his superiority, again..." Myunghon frowns. "What a strange way to sense the supernatural. And I am just barely coming to terms with... ... no, nevermind."

    Umie speaks of how they're both marked, in a way. Myunghon doesn't want to make light of Umie's plight, because they'd probably find the Mark much more terrifying, but there's a sinister quality to the Meta-Nav app on a way that's more akin to...

    "... I ... mm. I do not like knowing I do not know, even if that is better than not even knowing I don't know," Myunghon speaks. "And... perhaps a metaphor is apt? Imagine if you had mysterious voice-mails left that were really useful to you when you came home. You have no choice but to act on them, but all the while, you're left wondering... who is this person? What is their motive? How do they know so much about me? What's the pattern in those in us that have received Meta-Nav apps and those who hasn't?"

    They shrink into themself again. "... maybe... I'm just a little exhausted feeling as if I'm being stalked at present." In more than just the literal stalking happening moments ago with the cop!

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

    "Yeah. I thought that was the Mark, at first. Sometimes it feels like we're all scrambling in the dark for whatever source of light we can find."

    Myunghon talks about their own abilities, and Umie looks at them like they've grown a second head. "Don't sell yourself short. We're both learning. You were the one that explained what was going on when I saw Kaneshiro's shadow. Tell you what: if you ever need someone to bounce your abilities off of, sign me up. I need practice." No, she's not going to admit how much fun it was to just disappear from _an ally_ and throw a stale koala cracker at them in a poor imitation of sniping. Besides, for it to be called sniping, you at *least* need to get further away than 'tossed animal cracker' distance.

    "I think so, but I could be wrong. It just sticks out in Shibuya because there's usually nothing there." The way Myunghon words it as 'instinctively makes us able to protect ourselves' causes Umie to raise her head from its position atop her hand. ".... Is that how it works? Huh... I guess I never thought about it that way. I suppose that'd be it, since I felt that dread." Awakened. She's *thought* of the concept, especially when she's encountered Ayame and others...

    Huh. "... Then we're back at square one, with a wounded lion on our hands." Umie shrugs. "Well, if he keeps it up, I'm going to be more mad at him than scared." Pause. "... Keep some water skill cards on you, Myunghon, on that note. Just in case."

     Myunghon seemed on the verge of revealing something; Umie lets it slide, her eyes studying Myunghon briefly before moving on. "All we can do is move forward, in the end. We know to expect the sniper. Maybe that.... aura's just a smokescreen to make them seem like a bigger threat than they really are."

    Myunghon tries their best to explain their relationship to the app; Umie listens. "...." Shiryuu had found out about Umie through the NWO's files, but even that was something Umie could ignore until it raises its ugly head again.

    Oh, Umie, you've done it again.

    "... Sorry," Umie says, now for another reason. "I wish I knew more, instead of loading you down with more things to ask questions about. But I intend to do my own investigations; maybe, as someone who isn't plagued with this app, I might find some connections. I want to know too." Umie, are you going to ask people to see their phone? (.... no, her Guts level isn't *that* high, wtf, she'll stick to asking to see people's wrists, thank you very much.)

    Was that why Myunghon knew about these select things that bewildered people like Umie? .... ugh, if that's why, then no wonder why Myunghon's putting herself down.

    "Because if it's affecting a friend," and yes, Myunghon, congratulations, you are now Umie's friend regardless of whether or not you consented to it, "then it's my goddamn problem. If this force has a physical face, and it's one that doesn't come with some weird caveat, I think I'd like to slap it, at least once, and tell it to at _least_ acknowledge that they're being a prick." That one bit is important; she's almost wondering if they'd appear with Myunghon's face, or something. It seems to be a theme.

    "And if it's not a case where any of that will apply, I'll think of something else. No one should have to feel that way, Yeo-san."

<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.

    Myunghon blinks a few times -- is it still blinking if it's just the one eye? And Umie points out they connected the dots on what's happening with Kaneshiro. Because they do have a leg up because they were 'marked' by the Meta-Nav app, but... it is true that it's no use selling themself short.

    "... to be honest, I am a little embarrassed," Myunghon admits. "In the Palace, with those twenty-odd piggy banks? ... ... ... I found the correct one by having Kudlak lick it." A pout. "People are already gossiping online! There was this one post that said Rumourmonger Merry is WEIRD. But... yes, I shall be more than happy to practice with you -- as we were before."

    A pause, as they let the silence field drop, because Umie probably has a damn good idea of how fast their SP is draining. It's like they just took off a heavy backpack. But is that how it works?

    "... I am unsure, but I have been trying to reason many things about what we are experiencing as functions of the... mind?" Myunghon pauses. "I think there is some evidence that lends that things with strong cognitive perceptions gain power, and perhaps the opposite is true too. 'I can't use my Persona because this is a mundane space'... but the moment the Old Maid violates it, your mind subconsciously goes 'the rules have changed'...?"

    They helplessly shrug. Water Skill Cards? "... fortunately, the Frost Brothers favour me," they smile. "Would you like one as well, Akabane-san?"

    Myunghon has a weak smile as Umie admits she wishes she had answers instead of questions. "Please, it is fine. Your questions only help stimulate my own thoughts. Your questions offer a perspective different to mine, help me view things in a way I would not have ever realised." A quiet consideration. "I can offer a little more information. The Meta-Nav app is persistent; even if you delete it, it reappears. And it..."

    A gentle frown. "It seems to know what you consider 'your' phone. For instance, I decided to test it by switching to a burner phone exclusively for two weeks -- and it reappeared there. I decided to lose that one, and switch to my old one, and it reappeared there too, like a phantom." A phantom thief? "I even switched to an old gara-kei, one that doesn't support modern apps, and it followed me there."

    A little shiver at that. "Whatever force created this app 'knows' us, Akabane-san. Beyond just a conspiracy on the level of having control of telecomunications in Japan's cell networks."

    But Umie calls them a friend, and there is a soft, slightly embarrassed chuckle. They called Umie friend too earlier, after all. "Oh, I think that that will be our business, trying to place a face to it, is it not? But... thank you. I do sincerely believe it."

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

    
    '... I found the correct one by having Kudlak lick it.'

    Umie's hand shoots suspiciously up to her mouth to keep whatever terribly entertained sound that may fall off from it at bay. ".... Mmhm??" she hums, to cover it.

    "Who cares if it's weird?" she finally says. "We have historical and mythological figures representing our other selves. I was too pissed off over something to even do well in that spot. Your 'weird' saved your party's ass."

    Odd, how Umie's confidence is now back in full display *after* exposing one smidgen of what she hides.

    "... Maybe." Myunghon's theory could have merit; Umie slowly nods. "I'll have to think on that. And experiment." ..... This will be interesting... or not, most likely.

    "--Wait, you had this up until now?" Umie stares at Myunghon. "... I should've told you to stop it once--" No, she may have covered her Mark, but Myunghon still had what they needed to cover.

    "Frost..." Umie's eyes widen. "I have one. It's fine. But thank you."

    "Only if you get something out of it." Please, Akechi is all Umie needs when it comes to 'toxic social link formed on the basis of information exchange'. She doesn't need to create another. The information on the Meta-Nav app further confirms what Umie heard during that meal at Benny's. "Someone mentioned that. That's how I suspected that's what Joker was looking for, even though I had a cheap burner phone."

    She'll have to decide if any of this even *reaches* the Phantom Thieves. (.... Probably not. Let some secrets remain; Myunghon will likely be the better one to decide when the time comes.)
    
    'How terrible~ something watching your every move. Through. Your. Phone. Isn't that exciting, Umie-chan?'

    "If it's watching us..." Finally. _Finally_.

    Umie's lips stretch in that crescent grin of hers, as she raises a finger, languidly moving it along with her voice as she ends with a singsong note, complete with a wink.

    "Then we'll just have to give it something to remember, Me-ri-san~"

    There's a long pause.

    "..... By the way." Umie's hand drops. Is she... being bashful? "Can I meet them, sometime? The Frost Brothers." If these are what Umie thinks they are, they are Mothman sized and therefore adorable in her sight.