2025-09-10: Seeing it Right
- Log: Seeing it Right
- Cast: Tatsuya Suou, Tsubasa Seki
- Where: Hirasaka Ward, Sumaru City
- OOC Date: September 10, 2025
- IC Date: July 08, 2012
- Summary: Tatsuya searches out Tsubasa Seki to stop them from further spreading rumours that he's working with the Joker Killer. A confrontation soon follows, and...?
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Suou has posed.
Tsubasa Seki. If you talk to them, be kind about it. They're probably afraid of you. I don't blame them.
... so were Shinjiro's words, when Tatsuya inquired about just who's been spreading the rumour that they've been working with the Joker Killer. This is going to get out of hand really quickly if he doesn't nip it in the bud. Damn. Finding a single Kasu student's not going to be a real easy task, Hirasaka's huge and they're everywhere. Still, he's not unused to doing legwork... so he starts asking around. It's rough going, since his is a known face in Kasu High -- there's something of a rivalry since even on This Side, he's known as one of the 'coolest and most handsome' guys in Sevens... apparently. He's never paid that gossip any lipservice, but it doesn't mean it's not there to get in his way.
It's strange, to be around Hirasaka again. This was where it all started. He's been to Sumaru Prison again... being there was like a stake to the heart -- where everyone was hearing Eikichi's concert, he's still haunted by the ghosts of the scene where the Master Joker descended upon them. When Sugimoto left that concert, all he could do was fear he had the Crystal Skull and was about to absorb Ideal Energy from people once more.
Tatsuya'd really like to not get involved with people... but if people are spreading damaging rumours, he can't leave it alone. Legwork it is.
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
The parts of Hirasaka Tsubasa most often frequent are not the good parts of Hirasaka -- the old-fashioned, rustic family homes, the touch of grit and can-do attitude, the traditionalism -- no. They live in a block of apartments with enough cockroaches to form the mass of a man, bars over the windows and futons draped over the outside railings because there's simply no place to air them. Those apartments are one of a series, here where all hope has fled, replaced with broken windows and backalley deals; a konbini, on the corner, has a girl gang hanging out behind it just to keep order there.
It's not Tsubasa's gang, though. No, Tsubasa is...
"You mean that guy with the fighting dog? I see him around sometimes, uh... maybe by Kameya Alley?"
"Hm? Tsubasa-kun? Why would you ask? Well... they're a student at Kasugayama. Why don't you go there and find them while they're leaving?"
"I see a girl with a fake tan and bright hair hanging around here pretty often, but she's waaaay too flat for my tastes. The girl with bleached hair who hangs out with her is MEGA hot, though!"
... Tsubasa is kind of hard to pin down, despite their wild appearance.
Tatsuya was directed to cut through an alleyway to get to where someone was pretty sure Tsubasa lived. The tragic thing is that when all these people tell him about them, well -- some of them turn around and tell Tsubasa someone was looking.
And so --
BONGGGGGG, the drain rings out like the peal of an ancient prayer bell, as the wooden bokken impacts against it. It would have been far more effective to sneak up behind Tatsuya and clobber him before he even knew they were there, but if they'd done that, they'd have passed up on the opportunity to force him to turn around only to see their silhouette cut into the light of the setting sun as they stand between him and the easiest exit.
They are a Kasugayama student, apparently, just as Ma'am said; they're dressed in the boys' uniform, though their sleeves are rolled up and their pants are worn low on their hips, and the bottom half of their shirt is unbuttoned and tied over their navel. Their hair is bright as hell, and today's order is purple and green on a white base; likewise, their tan is both deep and deeply fake, and concealer across the right side of their body can't quite obscure the unevenness of scars.
"Heard you were lookin' for me," Tsubasa spits, as they take a step forward. Their neck cracks to the left, to the right...
"C'mon."
Oh. They're not expecting this to be a polite conversation, are they.
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Suou has posed.
Tatsuya can smell an ambush coming from a mile away, especially one that's pretty obviously set up like 'walk through this alleyway', but... an ambush suits him just fine. No, actually, what's on their mind is how inconsistent the accounts are about them -- one person identified them as a 'he', with the 'fighting dog'; another identified them as a 'she', with a fake tan and bright hair and lean features. And Ma'am... identifies them as using they/them pronouns. ... it's bringing him back to one of the rare, precious conversations he had with Jun.
They've had to do a lot of searching to get to the point where they were. You find out that it's more than just LG, the B's exist too, and then the T's, and then the whole wide world is open from there. He doesn't remember anymore HOW they got there, but at some point, he, Eikichi, Ginko and Jun had all piled up ontop of one another staring into one computer at W-Slash looking up that queer people exist. (Maya and Yukki were just cackling in the background.)
But even as he tries to ignore and pretend to be ambushed, the BONGGGG sound is impossible to ignore. He turns around, still dressed in his red motorcycle leathers, with the 'X' black mark through them. He has a shinai bag with him, with something that's LIKE another bokken inside, but who knows what, and his right hand is gloved in leather. He's pretty darn tall, and his hair as usual is done in his pageboy cut, since some things never change.
"... you could've just brained me as I was walking down," Tatsuya points out, his voice low and steady. "But I'm not here for a fight. I'm here because I heard you're spreading rumours I'm working with the Joker Killer for some reason. I need you to stop."
Of course, Tsubasa can get the jump on him at any point in those four sentences!
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"Tch," Tsubasa spits off to the side, again, resting their bokken on their shoulder as they tilt their head to look down their nose to him. (Mind you, he's taller than them; but tilt your chin up far enough, and that doesn't even matter.)
"Yeah, you fuckin' hate it, huh? Like I never seen you. Gettin' right in his face, makin' him scream like he was dyin'... can't remember if you even managed to touch him or not. Yeah, Boss'd tell me I'm stupid gettin' on ya when you gave less than no shits 'bout me kickin' ya back then..."
They take another step forward, and then another.
"... but seein' you act like Jun-kun's best fuckin' friend after you tortured him makes me sick." And the address they give him speaks to their own relationship with the boy, as they advance.
They swing their bokken back, as they yell, "ROUND TWO, YOU PIECE OF SHIT--!!"
... and, well, they've got all the anger they need for an assault, a decent amount of strength to swing the weapon back, but...
Let's just say Tsubasa's never actually taken a self-defence class, let alone enjoyed the power of Persona.
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Suou has posed.
Tatsuya's face remains rather eerily calm through all this -- no, rather, he's not calm, but rather with that long, despairing look he always seems to carry, but... he's a little puzzled at what Tsubasa's saying. 'Making him scream like he's dying'... 'gave less than no shits kicking him'...? Nothing about what they're saying make sense until...
But seein' you act like Jun-kun's best fuckin' friend after you tortured him makes me sick.
Something suddenly switches in the blink of an eye. No, his countenance doesn't change, he's just the kind of guy that doesn't really emote very readily on his face, but something starts burning inside of him. A cold rage that's only really visible from the way his eyes narrow slightly.
"Take that back."
Tsubasa brings the wrath of the bokken to bear on him, and even if they're wooden swords, that's still a *hard* piece of wood. People die getting hit by wooden baseball bats all the time. But they're deeply angry -- and that's affecting their judgement...
... and Tatsuya deftly steps to one side, not adopting a hostile or combative posture.
He seizes the bokken soon after, holding it like he's got the blade like it's in a vise, exerting all of his natural and supernatural strength. An unnecessary show of power, perhaps, but making something small notable like 'the blade doesn't move one bit' happen might snap them out of it.
Besides, he's upset too.
"I don't care if you throw insults at me. If it weren't for how Rumours work in this city, I wouldn't even care if you told people I work for the Joker Killer. But..."
His eyes narrow, as the first betrayal of emotion leaks out of his voice.
"Don't you dare suggest I'd hurt Jun in any way." Jun, just like that, first name yobisute? "That, I can't let slide."
+ooc it's so messed up all this time i thought bokken were the bamboo ones you see in kendo but that's shinai
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"Fuck you," Tsubasa spits out their reply.
And that's that.
The bokken slams down on thin air, but they snarl, planting one foot forward as they swing it horizontally across into him instead. They think it will surely be harder to dodge that -- and in one sense -- they're right.
He doesn't dodge. He grabs it.
"You -- fuckin' --" Tsubasa snarls, as they tug at their weapon, finding it stuck there in his hands. Dismay joins the anger gritting their teeth, a touch of horror; the realisation that they've picked a fight with someone who destroyed Jun just by reaching for him.
It's a moment of struggling panic which gives Tatsuya the room to say his piece -- until he gets to his betrayal, anyway.
"YOU TWISTED PIECE OF SHIT!" Tsubasa roars, with all the anger of someone defending Jun, as they abandon their sword to fling themself forward towards Jun. They're leading with their fist; they're sure that he can't possibly recover from grabbing their blade quickly enough to dodge that.
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Suou has posed.
There's a moment in which Tatsuya just wants to indulge in his anger, but Shinjiro's words come back to him.
Be kind about it. They're probably afraid of you. I don't blame them.
... ... it's that last part that gives him pause. What did Shinjiro mean by that? Even Shinjiro was afraid of him, in some way, he thinks. He's doing himself no favours just being this ghostly spectre just passing away in the middle of the night, but he can't get himself involved with people. This isn't his body to... ... that's right. It's not his body. He can't create grudges that the him of 'This Side' won't know about when he's done. When he has to go away, and melt into the Other Side, like he should.
Tsubasa smacks him with their fist at full strength, but Tatsuya barely budges an inch. Oh, it's not like he didn't feel anything -- but then they set the sword aside. They still haven't crouched into a hostile stance or made any physically aggressive moves -- just the upset words from before.
"Stop this. I think you've misunderstood something."
They'll keep standing there to take every blow, perhaps with no small amount of thinking they've deserved it for escalating than de-escalating like Shinjiro told them to. Long enough to let Tsubasa exhaust themself of strength. Is the dog around? They hope they don't have to calm a 'fighting dog'. They don't even like fighting demon dogs. Sudou's Hellhounds are probably fair game, though.
"You've got to listen to me."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Oh, Lance is nowhere near. Tsubasa wouldn't risk her safety around a monster like this. They're snarling, they're furious --
-- and there's an awful lot of white showing around their blue eyes.
Tatsuya barely budges, and Tsubasa feels something sick, in their stomach. "Fuck you!" They exclaim, as they pivot back on one foot to slam their fist into him again, as if the problem with the first was its lack of wind-up. It wasn't. "FUCK YOU!" They exclaim, with more fervor, as they close into his space to slam the back of their knee into his to try and bring him down to the ground, instead.
"Fuckin', shit," they pant, grasping onto him in a motion that should have let them throw him to the ground if only he'd actually crumpled. They scrunch their eyes up and it might become clear from the tension in their gruff voice that they're fighting tears.
"I really... can't save him..."
They're the one who sinks to their knees, pounding a fist into the uneven concrete of a path which hasn't been repaired after the last six earthquakes. "Fuck!" They scream, and brace for the end.
Of course it's coming, right?
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Suou has posed.
They kicked him, he thinks, even while he endures this. There's only one instance that comes back to his mind that suits such a scenario. He's seen them at the basement of Kasugayama High School, on that time that Eikichi Mishina was being targetted by the Joker Killer. Strega got in his way. But he did rush there, to the basement, at the last second... ah... the shape of the misunderstanding is taking hold. That's right. That was when the Joker Persona taunted him with his own face.
... ...
It's really his fault, that Tsubasa is working all their rage out right now on him. It's his fault, as they swear and notice tears in their eyes, even as the fervour rises. And then...
I really... can't save him...
"..."
Tsubasa sinks to their knees, and braces for the end.
"I see."
Tatsuya slightly bends his knees, and then holds his hand out gently. Not too close to alarm, and very slowly.
"... You're trying to protect Jun too, aren't you?"
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"Don't fuckin'... like that..." Fuck, Tsubasa is crying, and they scrub at their eyes, smearing white and blue makeup. "The kind of guy who makes a dude scream and then turns around and acts like it's them against the world... I hate you! D--don't you fuckin' pity me! Don't -- don't -- I ain't tellin' your story 'bout what a great fuckin' guy you are, fuck you! You think bein' star of Sevens means shit, you..."
... oh, no.
What might at first have seemed like an entirely homophobic reaction is in fact...
"I saw it," Tsubasa snarls, still furiously scrubbing at their eyes. "You got right up in his face -- and he screamed like he was dyin' -- beggin' you to stop it! Straight beggin', man, and you didn't give a shit! I couldn't get you off him, couldn't do anythin', just -- had to watch you run over like you hadn't just fucked him up, like you cared soooo fuckin' much, and now here you are spittin' yobisute like I'm fuckin' stupid, like I'll sell him out just to save my own skin? Fuck you. I know you been fuckin' with him when he can't even remember what you did to him... I won't let you!"
They take a ragged breath, as their shoulders sink. "Fuck... not that I can do shit... can't never do shit... but I ain't gonna... tell your story. I ain't..."
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Suou has posed.
Tatsuya has to remain calm, at this point, no matter how much he was incensed about Jun earlier. There's a reason behind why Tsubasa feels the way they do, and he has to listen. He takes his hand back. Past the gesture that looks like pity to them, or his reputation in Sevens... any other situation and he might've guessed that he had a rumour about an abusive reputation with Jun.
But...
"... okay," Tatsuya answers, after listening to Tsubasa's side of the story. "I'm not gonna mince words, then, and just tell you what happened. You must've known by now strange things are happening in this city, right? You've probably heard of how Rumours are coming true... and you were down there, at the entrance to Kasu's Air Raid Shelter. You probably saw some really weird things. Things catching on fire, just because that asshole in the paper bag mask waved his hands. Things that looked like Monsters, probably."
They let that sink in, because Tsubasa's probably going to resist, on some level of consciously to cognitively.
"That creature that had my face on it that you tried to kick and it just pushed you away... that wasn't me." A pause, as he tries to think of a way to make an analogy. "That was a creature the Joker Killer summoned, to taunt me and Jun both."
... this is getting really dangerous. But he did say he won't mince words. Besides, if Tsubasa's been this exposed to the supernatural, maybe being honest with them's going to just validate their experience more, compared to how others are probably taking what they say with a grain of salt... or worse.
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"'Course there was fire," Tsubasa snaps, though it's far less intimdating now they're all blubbery. "Those fuckin' murderers were throwin' Molotovs." Bam, there it is! The justification!
"But there weren't no monsters, tch... just people dressed in weird-ass costumes. Like that chick dressin' as a cat, or the one in that goth loli getup, or you in that stupid motorcycle look," they look up to glare at his outfit, "'cuz your whole fuckin' gang was in on Halloween or some shit."
Still... Tatsuya says it wasn't him. That it was a creature. "You think I'm real stupid, huh?" Tsubasa glares. "I definitely saw you! Anyway, if he could summon creatures like that, the fuck didn't he do it before?" ... so they didn't remember most of the Personas they saw. What was different about this, then? Was it just... that Tsubasa attacked that one directly, so their mind couldn't blank it away quite so easily?
"... tho'..." Their frown deepens, as they look aside. "... there was this girl, screamin' like she was dyin'. It's why me an' Jun-kun and the Death Boss an', like, everyone piled down there. But there weren't no girl... no body, neither. So, maybe... that was some kinda... thing he summoned... maybe."
It's something they can't deny quite as easily as Tatsuya's clear guilt, and it does bother them.
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Suou has posed.
Molotovs, huh... maybe that's what an individual would cognitively defend themself with, where society would say it's a gas leak or an underground explosion. But try as he might, he doesn't remember Tsubasa from the other side... someone as significant and bright as them would stand out. Perhaps they had a different path in life. ... he can only hope it was a nicer one before he ruined it all. Stupid Napoleon...
... Tsubasa dissing his motorcycle look kinda stings, though. Tatsuya doesn't look that stupid, right...? Besides, that's the fashion choice that the he of 'This Side' chose. ... why, if he were allowed to choose, he'd...! He'd probably go save the world from Napoleon and Nyarlathotep in his school uniform.
... he's so lame he should disappear right now ...
Nice try.
"I did run down there, at the end. I got stopped by some other colourful assholes outside. You saw how a whole patch of the road outside is like a crater even now? The blocked-off one just down the road from school? They planted a land mine to stop me. Ruined my bike. You're right, the motorcycle leathers are stupid without a bike to ride them on."
If he could summon creatures like that, why didn't he do that before? That's a mystery Tatsuya hasn't answered. Why is Sudou working with Strega? It's a worrying connection. As much bravado as he piled on Jin, there's a whole cobweb of conspiracy that he has to clear now.
"So you were all baited down there..." Tatsuya murmurs. "That Air Raid Shelter has a lot of creatures down there. You must've heard the rumours, right? It's possible he convinced one of them to play the role of a Kasu High student..."
There's a faint sigh, as he considers how to better convince Tsubasa... and a really dumb idea comes to his head. A really, really foolish idea. The space they're in allows for it, right now.
Tatsuya kneels in front of Tsubasa. "Seki-kun. Rather than try to convince you with words alone... I'm going to show you the creature *I* can summon. You'll be able to tell that it's different. It's not going to hurt either of us. Okay?"
He's familiar with how stubborn the mind can be, to protect itself against unexplainable things. This might be the only chance he has, now that they're doubting some of the elements of the account they've clung onto -- to force Tsubasa's mind to confront the shadow of a Persona, that they can more clearly recount what it is they truly saw on that day, when Jun was screaming, and he rushed to their side, and Tsubasa attempted to kick the Joker Persona...
... and Apollo, ultimately, smashed it to smithereens with his own fists.
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"They said it was makeshift explosives, but... they said it was a gang attack, too. Even my doctor told me that... said I was havin' an 'episode' even thinkin' the Joker Killer were there." And there's a story, to that, but it's not one Tsubasa focuses on. "So... it coulda been a landmine, sure."
They're uncomfortable agreeing with MEGASATAN here, clearly, but they can't exactly say he's wrong about that one. Though... "Tch, ya fit right in at a costume party."
Devastating.
Tsubasa shakes their head. "Rumours are rumours, man, it's whatever," they insist, stubbornly. "'Course it ain't monsters, it's just some gang coverin' their tracks up, what are you, five?"
But Tatsuya gets on Tsubasa's level, and they shrink back, as if they expect him to hurt them. They stare at him, for a suspicious moment, as he instead insists it won't hurt at all.
"... sure," they say, slowly and at length, as if they're assenting to someone showing off a particularly venomous snake.
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Suou has posed.
"Well... they're wrong. You saw what you saw. People're gonna try their hardest to convince you otherwise, one reason or another."
This is getting really embarrassing, though. Are these clothes really that dumb...? He even thought the him from 'This Side' chose well... is this the kind of embarrassment his brother routinely feels, when the kids tell him he's lame? He's turning into Katsuya!! He'll never be able to survive this embarrassment!
It turns out the way to defeat MEGASATAN is to make fun of his clothes. Wow, well done, Tsubasa! You defeated the Demon Lord!
"If you believe the Joker Killer exists, why not monsters?" Tatsuya wonders. "Isn't believing someone will turn up to kill whoever you want if you call your own cellphone number something a five year old'd believe too?"
Besides, they're relenting to him summoning his Persona, so on some level, he understands that they can't completely resist the idea of the truth that they saw either. Molotovs, not fire spells. Makeshift explosives, not... er... deliberately made explosives. Okay, Jin likes to keep it real, not magical.
But he focuses, and an impressive roil of Blue gathers at his feet and then curves upwards in a cylindrical fashion around him--
"Persona."
--and in an instant, that crimson and white shadow of a humanoid rises from within him, hovering in mid-air, Apollo, bearing a garment not unlike that of a sunburst, with a shoulder cape and epaulets. Its face is completely shrouded by a full-face mask with a stylised flame burst, with a large crack running down the entire middle length of the mask.
...
now if tsubasa thinks apollo also looks like a clown he's just giving up right here
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Nah. Tsubasa's just a spiteful dick.
"Uh... yeah, but..." They rub at their opposite arm with a hand, clearly unsettled as Tatsuya points out how unbelievable the Joker Killer is. "But that one... really happened."
Still...
Tsubasa can't quite perceive the blue, but their ears still work. Perso... na, their own mind hitches, on the word, as they find themself thinking of the masks Tsumugi spoke of --
NEVER MIND TRAIN OF THOUGHT OVER "WHAT THE FUCK"
Tsubasa scrambles backwards in the alleyway until their back's against the wall, shrinking back into it as they stare up at Apollo with wide eyes. "What the fuck," they repeat themself, again. "What the fuck."
At first, to their eyes, Apollo appears indistinct; just a blur of angry red behind Tatsuya, easily overlooked or explained away. And if Tatsuya hadn't specifically insisted he could summon a creature, hadn't called attention to the man behind the curtain, it might well have stayed thay way -- impossible to make out in much detail.
But just as they were called to focus on the Joker Killer's apparation when it assaulted Jun, Tsubasa now looks up at Apollo, quite specifically...
"... but... that..." At first their struggles make little sense, as they manage to make out Apollo's indistinct edges. "N... no way? I... I remembered everythin'... I weren't like Jun-kun, I knew what happened, s-so... so why... t-that thing killed you, right? But then... you came right back..."
Here, they look as if they'd been stabbed. Indeed, their hand clasps to their chest, as if their heart might well bleed out around them.
"But you had dark skin," they whisper. "Light hair. Blue... and white. And then... like the photo got developed, or some shit..."
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Suou has posed.
Tatsuya keeps his focus. If it were a novice Persona-User, they'd tire themselves out and collapse over time; he's been well-trained to do this, over many countless battles, to the point where it feels worryingly easy to bring Apollo out and have fine control over what it is he wants Apollo to do. Over time, the lines could blur even further, to the point where...
... where, yes, the Joker Persona might be able to wear his face, because he understands well the intimidation factor -- and why it is Sudou is doing so... because Nyarlathotep is doing so.
He flares their inner strength, bright and resplendent, so that its presence is undeniable. Tsubasa's struggling as well, as if they've been stabbed... some part of Tatsuya worries. The scar on his back's been coming back as well, even though the Tatsuya on 'This Side' was never stabbed by Sudou. Is he causing a trauma to return from the Other Side?
He has to focus.
"Yeah. I saw it too... it's like a negative, right?" Tatsuya encourages, slowly, letting Tsubasa work out the detail themself. "It was causing everyone in the room to freak out. It was causing Jun to scream out... but he wasn't hurt -- he'd had blood on his face from... his hands, from somewhere else," since Tatsuya didn't quite make the connection that it was Atsushi's blood.
"But... I arrived, and hurried to his side. That was the first thing I checked, that Jun wasn't injured..."
A pause.
"And this creature of mine -- Apollo," he carefully gives the name out, knowing that names have strong cognition. "I commanded it to smash that thing to bits. And it fled."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"... I saw everyone freakin' out," Tsubasa remembers, slowly. "But I was just fuckin' pissed... Jun-kun said he'd look out for me, but this fuckin'... it was attackin' him. I tried to kick you -- or -- o-or whatever it was, but -- just fell the fuck over, man..."
... it's not the Other Side that's hurting them. It's... "I couldn't do nothin," they say, again, their voice tight. "I tried to -- to fuck it up, stop it from hurtin' 'em and I was just -- powerless, man, fuck."
Their other hand joins the first, clutching at their chest. "S-so... so you... really used this Apollo thing to kill it? But... but then, why... why'd I see it like that? I was... just seein' shit again?" And there's something fragile, to the question, despite their tough guy exterior.
Another 'episode' kind of implies they've had one before.
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Suou has posed.
"... yeah. You're not wrong," Tatsuya confirms, looking distraught about the fact that the thing, the Joker Persona, was attacking Jun. "I don't have a solid name for it -- so let's call it the Joker Persona." Again, names have cognitive value -- and since Sudou summoned it, and is adopting the Joker name, Joker Persona it'll be.
But it's not Other Side deja vu that's causing them problems... it's the fact that they were powerless to do anything about it.
"Giving it a name gives you some power over it, Seki-kun. It's kind of like calling it out, that you're not scared of it. And... no, I didn't kill it, I think it just ran away. I've been hunting it down for a while. I nearly was able to stop the Joker Killer before the first killings at Sevens, nearly a whole month back... but I messed up and he got away. Now it's become a whole mess, and more people are dying..."
Why did Tsubasa see it like that, though? Were they seeing... shit again?
"I wish I could give you a clear answer, but... did you see something like this before, then?"
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"The... Joker Persona, huh." Tsubasa shudders, speaking its name; perhaps a lesser man could not at all.
But... he didn't really kill it. That's... what good is having power over something when it just runs rampage like that? Unless...
They feel like their thoughts are running on five different track lines, each hurtling towards its own unique and uniquely deadly cliff. But -- but Tatsuya's been fighting it, he says. And --
Tsubasa shakes their head. "No -- yes? I don't know. I -- maybe. I think -- I noticed there were two Ogres, at one point, but -- but I, I forgot. But no, it's -- it's, like -- like when those fuckin' Phantom Thieves gave me a Psychotic Breakdown before they cleaned their image up, everyone said I was laughin' when they pulled me outta the fire but I don't remember settin' it or nothin'... then, then, like, late at night, like, more'n once, I been lookin' at someone and they've just completely moved somewhere else and I... I musta blacked out? But I was still standin' there, like..."
... they've clearly been on the border of a lot of supernatural events, even if they don't have words for them. Does that explain why they were able to face the Joker Persona down and see its features clearly enough to attack it?
(Tatsuya may recognise, as well, the same paranoia which made him the enemy in the way they blame the Phantom Thieves... though they sound very sure they caused it.)
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Suou has posed.
Tatsuya waits patiently, listening as Tsubasa sorts out through a lot of their supernatural encounters. He can't blame them -- without any assistance, without anyone to explain what's going on... his own awakening was in front of a burning shrine where he believed Maya-nee was going to die. Then he suppressed it... and the next time, he was on the brink of death again. These events always are precluded by some massive trauma, and Tsubasa's no exception.
Their life might've been easier if they really did just awaken, but some people, for one reason or another, become resistant to it... they're not sure how Miyashiro-san has seen everything she has and not found the potential. (No, he doesn't know she actually does go see Philemon almost every night and calls him a creep that she refuses to identify in front of. Which, valid?)
Ogres (Tatsuya assumes these to be Ogre demons, not Ichika, because he HAS faced many Ogres before), and... "You endured a Psychotic Breakdown...?" Tatsuya sounds surprised. "By these Phantom Thieves..." There's a deep frown on his face. They cleaned their image up, but before... Psychotic Breakdowns... it sure sounds like on the Other Side, when the victims of the Masked Circle were left drained... whether Apathy Syndrome or a Psychotic Breakdown...
There's a quiet pause...and then, finally, Tatsuya unsummons Apollo. It's almost deathly quiet in the bad news alley, after the roil of cognitive power that's been going on for the last few minutes.
"Seki-kun. These Phantom Thieves... do you remember anything about when they caused this Breakdown? Like if they promised to make something great or wonderful happen... did they cause any other Breakdowns from people around you? Did they turn all... shadowy and unresponsive?"
Unfortunately, Tatsuya Suou is already extremely paranoid about the Phantom Thieves, given how a Masked Circle of people with someone named Joker at the head is making them frantic and panicked that it's happening again... and thus... Tatsuya's inherited Tsubasa's paranoia in turn.
This surely will not cause another misunderstanding in the future.
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Tsubasa nods, when Tatsuya asks about their breakdown. "It's... it's... you saw my head, man," they say, voice croaking out at little more than a whisper, made even more indistinct from the way they can't bear to look at him as they relate it.
(... without their wig on, their head looked much like a doll made victim to a girl who was more fascinated with taking her toys apart than playing with them, bare patches of hair peeking out from between massive patches of scarring. It's no wonder they prefer to cover it up.)
They breathe a little easier when Apollo leaves the picture, drawing their legs up to their chest and curling their arms around them. "It wasn't like that," they shake their head. "I... saw somethin' I shouldn't have. Uh..."
They take a breath, looking down at their knees. "... I used to work at City Hall," they explain, after that moment to brace themself. "I was one of Kenta Nakajima's assistants... he gave me access to his account one day so's I could input some data for him while he was busy talkin' to people. While I was there, I poked around a bit... I shouldna done it, but I was curious, y'know? Just... some of Nakajima-san's opponents had some real swank shit, I was wonderin'... well, I found out there was a lot of dark money comin' into City Hall. Like -- five million yen, man -- and there weren't no one associated with where it came from. 'Least, no like... no names, nothin' like, sayin' this money were donated by this group... that shit's important, y'know, so you know who's supportin' the people yer votin' for. With money like that, our opponents havin' such nice cars made a lot of sense, but... but I didn't know what to do, since Nakajima-san was still out seein' people. I asked another assistant, he said he'd figure it out, I should just go about work like normal... but..."
Tsubasa trails off. Their fingers tighten. "... wasn't too long after that..." It's impossible to see how ashen they are, under all those layers of artifice, but Tatsuya can surely hear the distance in their voice.
"... they said Nagasawa-san pulled me out of the fire. Th--the guy I asked to help me out -- Kurou Nagasawa. A-and, and they said I was laughin'. I set Nakajima-san's office on fire, I was inside, and I was laughin'... they said they found evidence he was embezzlin', and I'd been tryin' to help him cover it up, and it drove me mad. Was in hospital for months 'cuz I was mad, even after they saved me from dyin' to the burns. But the money wasn't goin' out, man... it was comin' in. The money was comin' in..."
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Suou has posed.
There's a slow little nod from Tatsuya, as he recollects it. It is, of course, horrible -- and in a way... he's no stranger to it, the way he completely burnt out Tatsuya Sudou's face and eye when he was only eight years old.
Tsubasa shares their story with him -- it wasn't like how Tatsuya described, but rather... they were once employed at City Hall! That's pretty unusual, at this age, Tatsuya does think to himself, but all kinds of strange lives happen to teens. Kenta Nakajima... but they found evidence of some kind of bribery or embezzlement, when they were poking around when they shouldn't have. They're not particularly clued into politics, but as a kind of cynical type, Tatsuya's definitely found himself thinking that politicians probably have secret backroom deals all the time... especially after seeing types like Ginji Sasaki in the past, and now, the NWO.
But the money was coming in. Not going out. "So it's not Nakajima embezzling funds out... it's some dark benefactor who probably wants him in their pockets. And for noticing, they put this other guy you came to who said he'd figure it out, this Nagasawa... you think he used the Phantom Thieves to go after you..." Tatsuya murmurs. "Doesn't sound so farfetched, doesn't it...? If they can make crooks have a Change of Heart, why not the other way?"
... is he convincing himself they're capable of great malice because they're already convinced they're the Masked Circle?
"... I'll tell you what, Seki-kun. I already had my suspicions about those Phantom Thieves. Why don't I investigate them for you. I'll see if they have dirt behind this case of yours," Tatsuya offers, as he gets up -- and then offers them a hand to pull them up again.
"But... you gotta promise me you'll think twice about spreading the Rumours too. If you're careless about what you spread about others... this is a dangerous city, and someone might just end up on the wrong side of that." He didn't say 'stop', he said 'think twice' -- as if he's trusting them with the knowledge. And ontop of that...
There's a tightened look on his face for a while, like he's fighting a first instinct. Then he says:
"You've been through a lot and probably have figured out some of your other friends are going through some of this weird supernatural stuff too. I'm not gonna bother telling you something as trite as 'don't say a word of this to anyone'... I trust you'll have good judgement of that."
He slowly turns, grabbing the bag that he's set on the floor at one point.
"And... take care of Jun, will you? If I'm around him, I'll just cause him more pain. But... it'll put me at ease to know he's got good people like you looking out for him."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Tsubasa shakes their head. "Nakajima-san would never accept shit like that!" They defend him, fiercely. "I reckon -- that's why they set him up. 'Cuz they couldn't just buy him. No-Good Tora weren't no threat, just listen to the name, so they went after Nakajima-san... anyway, that's what, uh, that's... I heard some shit recent-like that made me reckon it mighta been the Phantom Thieves what did it." Did they just cut themself off from mentioning someone who'd put the idea in their head, or was it just hard for them to find their train of thought after so many lethal derailings...?
"... might be dangerous, though. Be careful," they warn him. They eye his hand suspiciously for a moment, and then make a show of standing up themself, as if they didn't need help at all.
They frown. "Listen, man, far as I knew it was the goddamn truth," they say, with a thread of defensiveness. "That's what it looked like to me, and anyway, I ain't no Rumourmonger or nothin', that's someone else's job!" Because of course there is a Rumourmonger in Ichika's gang, even if it isn't Tsubasa.
"... tch... but listen, it's one of those things where, y'know... I wasn't seein' it right," and they're a little more uncomfortable, putting it like that, but they're at least trying to admit defeat. "It wasn't really you... I'll tell Hibari-chan it was just mistaken identity, so don't even worry about it."
They fold their arms, with a sullen shrug. "Yeah," they say. "Everyone else... can do somethin' about it. But... it's cool, I know 'bout keepin' this shit quiet... I ain't no snitch." Even if Tatsuya doesn't have the kind of mask Ichika does.
(There's that word, popping into their head, again. ... it's because Ichika literally wears one, right?)
"... I ain't a good person," they scratch at their cheek, still not quite meeting Tatsuya's gaze. "I came here to beat the shit out of you... and the only reason I'm sorry is 'cuz it weren't really you I was mad at. But... Jun-kun looked out for me. I ain't the sort of person that don't repay that... so if it's something someone like me can fix, he won't have no problems."
They lean down, and grab their bokken, lifting their shorts to strap it to their thigh. It's mostly hidden!
"Ain't my business, but... when I spoke to him, seemed a lot like he wanted to see you, even when I warned him you were bad news. Might be worth seein' him anyway... it's easy to be selfish when what you want is somethin' that'll make another guy happy. Anyway... I gotta go let out my dog. Didn't want her involved in this shit..."
Tsubasa starts off, down the alleyway. "... later," they say, lifting a hand in a wave.