2025-09-14: You Cannot Separate Yourself From the World
- Log: You Cannot Separate Yourself From the World
- Cast: Umie Akabane, Myunghon Yeo
- Where: Central Street, Shibuya
- OOC Date: September 14, 2025
- IC Date: July 11, 2012
- Summary: Umie is restlessly waiting for her shift to end when Myunghon arrives with a dose of reality. While Umie struggles to understand how a parent could want to harm their own child, Myunghon realizes Umie could be compromised without realizing it, due to her Mark. The supernatural world may have its dangers, but in the end, the 'mundane' world may be the most dangerous thing of all.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
"Welcome to the Triple 7--"
"Welcome to the Triple --"
"Welcome to the--"
"Welcome to--"
Umie feels like she wants to scream.
"Welcome--"
This job has become the most dependable in terms of money, being flexible on shifts, being available, the employee discount, as well as other things, but it still wears her down. After weeks of tasting a frentic, dangerous whirlwind of faces, events, and connections, the monotony feels cruel.
The Badb in her, having gorged herself on blood, seeks for more of the same rather than starve.
Bright red nails tap against the countertop restlessly.
But it's the way it should be, she reflects, as the last of the rush of Shujin students file on out into the July air.
It's likely a coping mechanism in itself; the rush of solving an immediate problem and the high of embodying the Badb is much easier than remembering that all that is sourced from some other pain.
Cause and effect.
She'll likely be running through the streets of Shibuya during the Dark Hour tonight to blow off some steam. Practice for the next ninja attack. (Seriously, ninjas??)
Eyelashes flicker down to cover reddish brown eyes. Clean-up in aisle 4. Some drink fell over onto the floor, the tea-colored liquid spilling over the tiles.
".... Got it," Umie says, a second later after her fellow staff member calls out to her.
She'll be off, soon enough.
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Myunghon looks shellshocked and dazed when they walk into the Triple Seven in SHIBUYA. How'd they end up in Shibuya?? Well, there was a whole deal where they knew their mother's patience had come to an end but they didn't expect to have just narrowly escaped, in their eyes, being such a disappointment they were one lucky break away from now being a concrete bag in the Bay of Tokyo.
"Oh, thank you," Myunghon absentmindedly calls in turn to being welcomed. The konbini's probably a bit more quiet with how much later it is, so the after-work crowd's already well dispersed with the fifty-percent-off shelves cleaned out by people who have nothing better than a half-off bento and a binbo cup to cry themselves to another workday after.
The sudden chill of the air conditioner does catch them a little offguard, and they start wandering through some of the shelves, perhaps just wanting to escape the bustling crowd of Central St. because they're not doing great with crowds at the moment. They're certain they were being followed, which is kind of stupid, but they can't shake the feeling. Mother was right. Every corner now feels like it carries a threat in it.
They end up next to Umie cleaning the tea spills where they're staring at..... alcohol.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
If you want a place separate from the chaos of Sumaru City, you can do worse than Shibuya: lots of people, just enough distance from Sumaru City to think your problems are gone (they are not), and you can just hop on a train and go back to Sumaru City when you're done! Easy peasy!
But can you really say you're ever that far away from your problems? Some just come along for the ride, like carry-on luggage.
As the world outside the windows of the Triple 7 goes dark (except it's that sort of dark that never goes completely dark, due to the city lights), Umie takes a moment to readjust her hairband and the two buns on either side of the back of her neck before going to clean up that spilled beverage.
Mopping the liquid, the blonde looks up at the familiar resonance. Persona Users, both awakened and not, pass through the konbini store from time to time, always leaving Umie on the edge of her seat if they'd notice her; however, when it's someone familiar...
"... Yeo-san." Umie looks up, blinking. "... Oh, you found out I work here?"
Umie immediately assumes -- hopes, even -- that Myunghon is here to talk shop, or exchange information. Why else would they be here unless--
Oh, right. Their sister's in Shibuya too. And people come to Shibuya for a lot of other reasons, least of all Umie Akabane, a self-described normal, boring person.
Myunghon is staring at the alcohol, which makes Umie do the same, her eyes snaking back to Myunghon themselves. "Do you need help?"
What a question to ask Myunghon right now, Umie.
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Yeo-san.
Myunghon looks really, really startled for a moment to be IDENTIFIED, turning and tilting their head down and-- oh, that's not another goon with a gun, that's Umie Akabane. They look particularly stunned to see her there, dressed in her Triple Seven uniform as their brain shortcircuits for a moment--
SUPERLUMINARY -- As a veteran ninja, Umie Akabane must adopt many undercover identities, such as that of a convenience store employee.
Oh, you found out I work here?
Their fisheyed stare lasts a few seconds too long in stunned silence, before they admit: "... Akabane-san. I'm a bit lost."
Really????
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
Umie nearly gave her life for the Triple 7 cause! (Mostly because she was hunted down by Sudou while wearing a Triple 7 uniform, which is likely one of the most offensive things about that whole night.)
As that silence drags on after Umie's initial question, the konbini worker uses that time to politely clean up the rest of the spill, chucking the broken bottle (thankfully plastic) into the trash receptical on the cart.
"Lost, huh..." Umie continues to work, quietly wheeling the mop cart back into its awaiting closet, closing it behind her with a dusting of her hands.
"Well, you're not lost anymore now, are you?"
A pause. "My shift's nearly done. Wait a few minutes and I can properly escort you back. Or..." She rubs her neck. "Something. Honestly I wouldn't mind blowing off some steam..."
She means go to Mementos. Not alcohol. But will Myunghon hear that?
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
There's nothing more embarrassing than getting hunted down by a sequence killer and being reported in next morning's news that you were found in your convenience store uniform, surely. You don't even get to die with class. Well, it is a class issue, one supposes, but not in the same way. Myunghon tries to centre themself with a few calming breaths, and Umie doesn't need Badb to know that the Rumourmonger is pretty high strung at present.
"That would be-- kind of you, Akabane-san," Myunghon does conclude. They look towards the shelves. "A lot of things have happened, and I was reminded on how a lot of people consume... this stuff," they gesture towards the alcohol, "... to drown away their sorrows. Perhaps it is a good time to start. Perhaps it is a fool thing. Perhaps both."
They're really just nattering, though Umie expresses a desire to blow off some steam. Myunghon doesn't seem to have picked up that she means go to Mementos, which might be funny, because Myunghon JUST CAME OUT OF MEMENTOS and that's why they're lost, because they didn't expect to escape out to Tokyo rather than Sumaru.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
At least the red in Umie's uniform would disguise some of the blood. (Yes, that's a thought she's had.)
"Of course. I insist." Umie does, in fact, seem determined to leave with Myunghon, now that she's had a moment to study them and their demeanor. "...." She wants to ask if Officer Ishiba is harrassing Myunghon again, or if it's related to their attempt at becoming yet another 'memento', but she can't here. Not openly.
So, those sharp eyes instead narrow slightly as Myunghon looks at the alcohol again; Umie folds her arms, her expression critical.
"... That would be a very bad idea, Yeo-san," she responds, her gaze turning thoughtful as she lifts a finger. "I see a lot of salary types use it, yeah. But it seems to me none of them ever really 'escaped' from anything, since I see them come back a few days later for another round."
But really, it's just an exchange of words, not something serious... right? Umie glances up at the clock; it's finally, finally ticked over. "Wait here. I need to get changed out and all that. Shouldn't take too long."
Of course, that may mean Myunghon gets the time to buy some booze, as someone else is now staffing the counter.
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Myunghon does flinch a little in turn as Umie insists, before they feel scrutinised by those sharp eyes. It isn't until after Umie tells them it's a bad idea and that no one's ever escaped anything with alcohol that they drift their gaze back towards some of the colourful and elegant bottles because people've paid a lot of money to package them in exciting and interesting ways. But Umie orders them to wait so she can get change, and it isn't until she leaves that Myunghon realises they're a little scared by Umie right now, and THAT opens up the newly closed wound as their mother's words just freshly marinate themselves into their brain all over again.
This is what you are, Myunghon Yeo. Someone so powerless she can be acted on without consequence.
By the time Umie comes out, Myunghon's stuck having to empty their pockets to one of the other employees because hanging around a Triple Seven's alcohol section with their long, roomy coat apparently made them look suspicious enough that Umie's coworker had to check whether they're trying to palm alcohol away with them or not.
In a way, this is even more embarrassing and mortifying than just buying the damn thing.
"I apologise for the trouble. I was only waiting for my friend to change," they politely say to Umie's coworker.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
It wouldn't be the first time. Umie's bedside manner can be lacking when it comes to delicate situations; her need to take control and steer things becomes a hinderance where a delicate word or two would do so much better.
It's a natural consequence of being someone who has had life continually slap away her hands from the reins for so long; it becomes compulsory.
"It's fine, they're with me." Umie emerges from the back to come to Myunghon's rescue, now dressed in the heroic garb of: a casual tee, shorts, and sneakers (she can't afford to get her dress shoes scuffed up). Adjusting the duffle bag on her arm, Umie walks to Myunghon. "Let's go."
Outside (once they get there), Myunghon shall see a particular trait some people have gotten familiar with when it comes to Umie: she turns around and, with a blink, she says, "..... uh."
".... "
Where..... do people go, anyway? She can't just *ask* if Myunghon wants to go to Mementos, because clearly, Myunghon looks like she wants to find a place to calm down in! Not everyone is like you, Umie! "... Um.... there's...." A montage of sites cycle through Umie's mind. "... shrines ..?" Shrines... can be relaxing, for people. Meiji Shrine as a lot of space around it; they won't even have to get near the actual shrine part. "Or do you want to go home?"
She hesitates. "You look like you have something you need to get out, is what I'm trying to say. So, let's... try that, in a private place." Another pause. Umie itches the side of her head. "... I guess there's my apartment, but it's..." Messy? Small? Umie, you literally saw the status of Myunghon's living quarters. (... Because you literally broke into her apartment.)
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Come on, Myunghon, try to reassert yourself a bit. You literally got dumped out to Shibuya without meaning to, and that was an act of literal teleportation -- even if their mother has spies around (which they're sure she does), it'd take a while for them to act upon it, at which point they can disappear further into the crowd or take Umie up on some of her offers.
Myunghon does look a little bit more relieved to step out of the Triple Seven, though, since they now feel like they've embarrassed themself in it. But despite Umie expressing she wanted to blow off some steam, she's suddenly the one at a loss as to where to go! Shrines...? They're not familiar with any in Tokyo, and shrines have a way of being a bit creepy later at night...
It feels like a place you might get ambushed by a bridge ninja.
"... I didn't come to Shibuya more than I was unceremoniously dumped here," Myunghon does first start, to set the context. "I had to use the other trains to escape."
That should be obvious enough to Umie, and vague enough even to passerbys what it means: they'd just come to Mementos and was scrambled enough that they had to exit at not their preferred destination.
A private place. "... I wouldn't mind. A room at a Karaoke place would also work, if you want to blow off some steam there. I'll pay." Myunghon has NO IDEA that a Karaoke room was the site of something particularly dire for Umie very lately.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
Shrines are perfectly legitimate places to establish contacts! Just ask Joker. (Also, Umie associates Katsuya with the outside area of Meiji Shrine.)
Besides, the outsides of shrines are fine. They are not boats. If it was a shrine on a boat, then Umie would have some issues, even on the outside of the shrine on the boat.
"... Oh." Umie immediately realizes what Myunghon is getting at. "... How... does that work, anyway? I've never tried it." Yet. It's just a matter of time, for Umie. She can never let something sit for long without testing it.
The latter part of that sentence, however, piques her curiosity: 'to escape'.
Myunghon was escaping from something.
"Karaoke..." Umie's face pales. "... I guess that'd... work." Please, don't let Myunghon *also* be sick with a condition where they may die soon. Umie will swear off karaoke places forever!
"... Sure," she finally says. Myunghon couldn't have been escaping from her death using Mementos. That's where you go to *meet* death, after all.
She takes out her phone (a hilariously outdated model) and looks at it, attempting to scroll until-- "Yeah, I think there's a decent one near here. Should be inexpensive. Let's go."
And there goes Umie again, directing the flow of things; though she won't object if Myunghon has another place in mind.
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
... ... ... in a way, it's at least a lot more obvious if Myunghon is sick from a condition that will end them sooner than later given the Everything that is their, uh, everything. It's probably not going to be as big a shock as it was with Shinjiro anyway -- at the very least, because it wouldn't be her first time! Ho ho ho! Ho... I made myself sad, hee-ho.
Myunghon doesn't immediately explain until they've located a Karaoke place, booked an hour and also ordered some damn drinks because you can't get into one of these without ordering at least one. They ordered some tea, and also said it's fine if Umie wants to eat too. Since these places also have food! It's magic!
And so, they're now in a somewhat too cold room with mild strobing disco lights and Myunghon's definitely tucked themself a little tighter around that damn coat of theirs, which at this point probably counts as some kind of serial killer.
"I'm not certain, to be honest. I wasn't paying the greatest of attentions, I just wanted to flee from mom--" A pause, as Myunghon shivers, saying too much. "Momentos-- Mementos was a safer place at the time." BRAIN "I thought it would deposit me in Sumaru, but I suppose I was not paying attention. Don't do that. Carelessness will kill in Mementos..." they definitely sound like they're lecturing themself.
They did notice Umie was a little reticient about Karaoke, but she's the one who ultimately relented, so they let that be for now. "... this reminds me of when I had plans to take everyone out to one to celebrate Kaneshiro. We still haven't celebrated Kaneshiro... everything else happened instead."
A deeper frown. "We'll lose our minds if we can't even celebrate our wins."
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
The drink is, at least, welcome, since Umie was thirsty anyway-- as well as the food! It's something on the light side, though, as Umie's not about to take advantage of Myunghon's generosity. ".... mmnn. The strobe lights are annoying." Umie is fiddling with the controller when she looks up, noticing Myunghon sinking into their coat. "...." She's just about to ask about it, when Myunghon begins to open up.
Mom? Of course Myunghon would have a mom. People have moms and dads. Just because Umie doesn't think about her own doesn't mean that Myunghon wouldn't have a-- "I wonder if there's a logic to it, or if it's random. There's a whole lot we don't know about Mementos; I try to be careful in runs through there, but it's..." No, she can't say it's *fascinating*, like some weirdo, but she can't just act like the place doesn't hold some level of freedom to her.
Freedom, and danger.
"It could be a way to travel, if we could just figure it out. Think of the amount of busfare we'd save on..." Because of course Umie would think in those terms. "In a way, it's a more honest version of the subway. Death can happen there, too; it just isn't going to announce itself."
There's a certain confidence that is given to the person that can see some parts of the fields in front of them, but is it really a false confidence, seeing as how quickly death can find you anyway?
"... Celebrating would draw attention, even if we tried to keep it a secret," Umie says. "Besides, I doubt the whole lot of us would be up for socializing that way." She holds up a finger. "That's where we're disadvantage. If I see you, Myunghon, walking down the street, I'd know it was the same Myunghon I saw in that Palace. If I was a NWO agent, that could put you at risk." Her hand drops to her lap. "But it also means, if I was an ally, I'd be able to help you if you were in trouble. Those are the pros and the cons. Separating yourself from the world to keep yourself safe... vs. letting the world in, consequences be damned."
"... mmn..." Umie presses a button, turning the lights to all red. "... That's disturbing." There's more button pressing, as Umie tries to furiously *fix the problem of the lights*. (Thankfully not at the speed where there may be health issues.)
".... Sorry, I got carried away."
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Umie is fortunately a bit too distracted by the damn lights to probe further into the issue of Mom, despite their slipup, and she muses on the nature of Mementos instead. "There... were signs. The signs changed, on the station platforms," Myunghon recalls, because of course Myunghon has some measure of being able to recall a scene they go through, even though they were distracted, if they want to be at least a decent investigator.
They have an inkling of what Umie's about to say, though. "... it is fascinating," they finish, as if allowing Umie to say it's okay. "To understand the rules of such a place is to give us more power." There's a soft, delicate sigh as they murmur, "Another way to gain an advantage, when we have so few. But I would wager that what trouble you run into in Mementos would offset the cost. Shadows exist on the trains at times. I've myself become too used to using Mementos as a method of escape, but I've been in danger because of it."
Umie doesn't agree on celebrating, though. Myunghon looks a bit puzzled, but -- there's a rather visible tremble as Umie points out that their identity is a known factor. Somehow, that exposure's particularly bothering them at the moment. And doubly so when Umie says if she were an NWO agent--
And now they know the Mark is associated with the NWO...
"... you cannot separate yourself from the world," Myunghon responds, suddenly firm and a little more agitated. "No matter how much you'd like to, it's like the alcohol you said those salarymen tried to escape. No matter how much it hurts. No matter how frightening it is. No matter how many lurkers await in every shadow. No matter how close the abuse is."
Their voice is quivering by the end, and they notice it too, and they cup their mouth behind their sleeve and remarks in turn, "My apologies. I also was carried away..." as they reach for their drink.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
"... Signs, huh..." Umie frowns. This could be useful, but--
That meant Myunghon was in a hurry, her brain insists on saying, despite her trying to focus on the content of Myunghon's words, rather than what they were *doing*.
"... It's a place where you're free from the limits of the outside. Time, space, reality... the shadows seem like a trade-off." Which is a point that Myunghon expounds on, with more detail. "Hiding and escaping from shadows and demons has been something I've had a lot of practice on. Though, there's some differences in how they act versus the Dark Hour..." She's likely been on this point before; it's one of those things she wants to examine and pursue, but she doesn't quite have the knowledge base to make it all make sense.
She's so wrapped in thought over it that she doesn't realize Myunghon begin to shiver; the dark of the room makes it even harder, and likewise, easier to wrap herself in her thoughts.
So much so that when Myunghon firmly responds, Umie looks up, briefly surprised, but quiet, intent on listening.
"...." Umie realizes the the slip-up she had with her words; to say 'separate yourself from the supernatural world' would have been closer to the truth, but would it, really? "... yeah. You can't, really." She takes a sip through her straw of her mixed drink. "I told you... I gained a lot of experience in escaping from shadows and demons. But other persona users... those were the people I was most afraid of coming across. Like they'd know me, if they saw me. But then, I realized, they couldn't, unless I let them."
She sets her drink down. "At some point... I just had enough of being a coward. Now..." She lets a slow, half crescent smile spread on her lips. ".... I'm everyone's problem."
The smile dissipates even faster than it had formed, as Umie goes back to puzzling over the controls.
"As I told someone once, I prefer it when someone speaks their mind to me." An unusual trait to have in a society that values politeness; yet even so, Umie can be just as tied to those rules as anyone. "You've got something on your mind, though. Was it what you were running away from?"
To be direct is to expose yourself, after all.
And Umie, evidenced by the wince on her face, immediately regrets how easily that question came out of her. ".... Mnn. Sorry. That's not the sort of person I'd care to be."
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Hearing Umie speak of how enamoured she is with the supernatural world brings to mind thoughts when they felt the same way. At some point, they've decided to take their shoes off so they can engage in one of their favourite hobbies, the fetal position, difficult as it is with that arm in the sling to have their knees between their chest and arm.
"Mementos is affected by the Dark Hour," Myunghon gently shares inbetween the proverbial licking of their wounds. "I've seen trains point to Tatsumi Port Island during that time. That was one of the first differences I identified. Whether there are more is beyond me at present."
But Umie speaks of having experience eluding Shadows and Demons... but other Persona-Users?
"Mmm. There are others with masks and a strong sense of cognitive concealment. I don't believe I possess such a power," Myunghon admits, not knowing that they DO, but they unconsciously chose not to -- because that's not what their Rebellion represents.
That the revolutionary is flesh and blood is their greatest weakness. They can only become Hope with their death, flesh and blood becoming a star in the sky.
But that smile creeps across Umie's lips, and Myunghon does quietly shudder again. She's so...
"... you said it last time. If there are people observing us, stalking us, then let us give them something to remember." Umie speaks of being a coward.
Their mother's words ring out again, fresh salt on their wounds.
Myunghon Yeo, all you've done is signpost yet another way for people hurt you. All you can do is uselessly protest them. These are the actions of a coward.
Their lip curls in and they feel their top row of teeth clenching down.
These are the actions of someone fragile, so easily shattered, with no confidence nor conviction. I would have more respect for you if you were a ghost right now.
Umie prefers it when someone speaks their mind to her. No doubt because it's more information, Myunghon immediately thinks, and then winces internally at how calculating that thought is. What was it they're running way from, though?
"... my mother."
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
The fascination persisted, even as the innocence and willingness to embrace it broke.
"... So they're not as separate as I thought..." Umie whispers, her eyes breaking from that damn remote with a spark. "So they *are* connected! Somehow."
The ones with masks and cognitive concealment. "There's a few I've encountered besides the Phantom Thieves. Like, Prince-san, Vesper-san, and Its-picka.... Its-su-pik... uh, the girl, with the gold... necklaces, and the giant sword? She was really enamored with them, to a fault." Not that Umie could fault her; she was, as well. "... I was harsh on her," she says, softly. "It was because I didn't want her to do something she'd reg--"
She looks up at Myunghon, raising an eyebrow at her last comment. "... Even if you did... I have some abilities like that, but you've clearly seen me have to throw off my mask because it caught on fire. It's just paper mache, after all. Whatever they have for their masks? Nothing seems to make those things budge." ('Prince-san' may be worth visiting.... if she can get Akechi to admit to it. Ngh, she'll need to work up to that one.) "I'm clearly not like them," she concludes. "Then there's the ones that use Evokers..."
She trails off, remembering Shinjiro's confession. Even if Myunghon seems to also know Shinjiro's sins, mentioning it would be....
No, what matters here is Myunghon, and now that Umie has built up the direct connection to 'prick' it, it's now in Myunghon's hands on how they respond.
'... my mother.'
"..." Even in the disparate light the disco ball now casts, Umie's expression is immediately concerned; sympathetic, even.
".... Merry-san..." Myunghon was running away... from their mother?
Part of Umie wishes she was back in the Triple 7, being restless. Another part wanted to fight something; it'd be easier than dealing with these emotions. But the final, and most important part, feels at peace with where she is now.
"I'm all ears," she says, softly. "I won't tell a soul." Unless she absolutely has to, but that can be a problem for future her.
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
"Somehow, yes," Myunghon murmurs. "Even if that 'somehow' might just be how cognitive this all is. Perhaps the fabrics that allow the Dark Hour, Tartarus and the Palaces to exist are one and the same, even if multiple people are manipulating it in different ways."
"Ixquic," Myunghon clarifies for Umie, because they can appreciate someone with a strong sense of identity, even at Akari's age. Prince-san... was that the one with the bright red mask and the princely outfit when they engaged the Joker Killer? They barely remember him hovering over them when Yua was holding them, saying they could be brought to the infirmary.
The topic of what it is these people with more powerful cognitive masks is indeed a good question, as is the ones that require Evokers to summon their Persona... but at the same time, Merry themself is one such curiousity, as a bearer of the Meta-Nav app as opposed to those who don't.
But Umie says she won't tell a soul.
They're worried. Even if Umie herself doesn't, does that Mark have the capability to leak information between differing bearers? What if even Umie herself doesn't know? Does such a many-headed hydra exist, that can share information between them? They feel awful suspecting Umie, now that Umie's already told them a grave secret of her own.
... she did tell them about the Mark. So they should repay in kind.
"... my mother, Suzie Park..." Myunghon first lays out. Suzie Park is a pretty famous actress, having won several international awards in both Japanese, Korean and English movies. Most recently, she's been in the role of a stern but conflicted head of an intelligence agency in a spy flick.
There is hesitation, though. This is an enormous breach. Mother will find out about it sometime, and then Umie will be in danger, in a way she probably wasn't before -- Umie had her fingers in many pies, but she didn't suppose organised crime was one of them.
There's visible stress as Myunghon clearly is trying to figure out what they can share and how. They go for the one that's very deniable to the mundane:
"... she's a Persona-User. And very displeased with me. And her last summons..." Okay, that's already very abnormal. Who describes meetings with their mother as 'summons'?
They shiver very lightly, as they feel something give inside of them. "Well. She decided I needed to be punished." Their shoulder's on fire again, and that's a reminder of Ishiba. Just another person who wants to abuse and hurt them.
"Now I've had my mother *and* father *and* a vile, racist cop both with attempts at my life," they quiver. Wait, that was also unknown to Umie. "In truth, I don't have your courage or tenacity, Akabane-san. I can't grin and call myself a problem for others to deal with. They said I had true power, that I should make them realise that, but..." Who's the 'they'?? They're jumping around so much!
Myunghon's head sinks at this point.
"You said on that day I don't need to be powerless... but I do, even being over there with you all."
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
"Maybe. Like how there's different ways people summon their Persona. ... In the end, we're all just doing the same thing. Against Kaneshiro, it didn't matter, as long as we all worked together." Umie's smile is genuine, if small, like it was afraid of being noticed. "We all went our separate ways, but we all came together to support each other. It was... incredible."
"Ixquic," Umie repeats, still managing to trip over the word. She mutters it a few more times, trying to get the hang of it. "Gold-san would have been easier," she then sighs, raising her hands in surrender. "But if that's the name she chose, I'll stick by it."
"By the way, have you figured out why you have the Meta-Nav app yet?" Umie then asks, seemingly picking up on that thread. "You were asking about the masked people earlier... do you think they're connected to it as well? It all seems centered on Mementos, so." Whether or not they have it on their own phones is another question, of course.
The questions Myunghon asks themselves are ones even Umie's never thought of; it's likely a blessing she's never gotten that far. Her trust in herself is shaky enough as it is
But a secret for a secret... it's a time-honored act, like exchanging a blood vow. A bond of trust, as well as a crack in one's ability to defend one's self from the world. Yet, no one can hide from the world. Myunghon said as much, herself.
"Suzie Park... the actress? No- wait. Is the actress?" Myunghon's instincts prove to be correct; as knowledgeable as Umie may seem, she seems as shocked, as well as confused, as to what Myunghon will say next. "... She's a Persona-User, huh..." But what did that have to do with...? "Why was she displeased with you? Because you had a Persona?" Summons? Even if Park is an actress, who 'summons' their own child?
And punishes them?! "Wait... what?!" Anger displaces the veil over Umie's resonance briefly, like a mask being flipped on its head. "Both your parents?! That's... that's terrible! No one should have to deal with that, especially if at least two of you have Personas!" ... Oh, the soundproofing may not be *that* good, if she gets any louder. Umie lowers her volume, which similarly seems to seal up her resonance in turn. "All of them... the nerve..."
'In truth....'
Courage? Tenacity? Umie hears those words, being applied to *her*. How? The girl who hid for years from other people like her?
".... I..."
They only say that because they don't fully know you.
They only say that because they don't fully know her, she thinks.
But nice people don't have Personas like Badb. They don't smile like she does, when she's riding high on a thrill.
It's Umie's turn to look torn, pulled in two directions on the basis of a few words.
It's just an act.
"... It's just an act," she says, weakly. "... I'm..."
".... I can't take credit for that," Umie says, finally, shaking her head. "Shin-.... er, Aragaki-kun was the one with that line." She looks down, with a grimace. ".... I barely could stop myself from launching at your friends. All I could see them as were dogs of the NWO." It's not fair. Why does Shinjiro have to be the one to think he needs to die? Not even Umie feels that way, about herself. Be punished? Definitely.
Who is Myunghon, the rumormonger Meri, or the Kudlak? Who is Umie Akabane: the konbini clerk, or the Badb?
.... she'll take that boon Shinjiro laid at their feet, and run with it.
Umie breathes through her nose. "You're not powerless, not anymore than I am. You did exactly as I would, what I was even *planning* on doing with that damn bridge ninja. .... Take the tools in front of you and use them to survive. EVen if she came with my Mark, I have never looked at Badb as a curse--"
.... Because Badb is her. But so is the konbini clerk. It must be the same, Umie reasons, for Myunghon.
".... I doubt your mom has that same app on her phone. Even if it could be a Mark of its own, you used it to your advantage, and you got away. You can be someplace where none of them can touch you. Your mom can follow, but she can't move through it like you can, because your persona... is like mine. It operates in shadows." That smile appears, as sharp as ever, but kindness lies in her eyes. "She clearly didn't know you, if she was disappointed. She showed her hand too early, and she can't use that same trick again."
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
What Umie describes does feel like the shape of what Myunghon desires their Hope to be. To have a joining of disparate people who will come together for nothing more than the sake of a greater good, regardless of how the world treats them. Will they be able to achieve it? Their fear is that even if they perish for it that people are so quashed that it will never happen. Their greaters have tried and failed in history.
"No... do you think it has to do with masked people?" Myunghon wonders gently, a little distant and off with their wondering. Was that the commonality? Why them, then? Though they in their own right has a 'mask' -- their bandages. And many more proverbial masks.
"The actress," Myunghon numbly nods in turn. But the 'why' becomes solidly more complicated given they're omitting huge, huge parts of the story they can't risk telling. Why was she displeased, after all? Because they have a Persona?
Even the look on Myunghon's face says that's not the case, but Umie is aghast that both their parents now are of the same mind, even if they're on opposing ends.
"Akabane-san... ... my father is, I am beyond certain, someone high within the New World Order. My mother, I am also certain, opposes him. And yet, now, they've found me both displeasureable enough to dispose of. Two years ago with him, and then, today, with her."
This is getting dangerously close to truth. Umie's going to investigate her now that she has a name. It might only be a matter of time before she figures out that she's connected to crime, and by extension, Myunghon is too. They're terrified at the punishment that's to come, if that were the case.
"Please... don't investigate her," Myunghon is close to begging. They know they can't stop her, though. "I know you will, but-- retribution could come to so many people, from what I've already said."
These are words like someone who's bound to an organisation like the NWO... but they also said Suzie Park is opposed to the NWO... but at the same time...
Umie admits to how enraged they were at -- Myunghon's friends. So she knows they were their friends? They suppose that can't be helped at this point -- Umie might think they're ensnared and trapped by the NWO, with the logic prior. "You told me the mystery will continue without me. That people will die whether or not I am there or not. And that... did inspire me to continue."
Badb 'came' with the Mark... so the Mark grants Personae too? But Umie speaks to how it's all just as much of an act, that she isn't on some level that they aren't -- that they've done many things that she would, are still planning to do. Umie doubts that Suzie has the same app -- and Myunghon suddenly wonders if that's true, or whether she carefully hid that fact and didn't follow them to make them think that.
"Unlike Kaneshiro, unlike the Palace, this is not something I can easily come to people for help. Because it will impact their day to day lives greatly. People have enough troubles of their own, Akabane-san. I can't have them leaping at the same shadows I am..."
Their heart sinks further, and they quietly rise from their seat. The drink is finished. The tea was too strong, as always, and thus, ashen. They check their phone and frowns despondently.
"... it's probably too dangerous for me to go home to Sumaru tonight on my own at this hour. I'll check if So-young can put me up for the night, or find a hotel on short notice."
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
"No clue. Just a shot in the dark, really. But, I don't remember seeing any mask on you, so, it's probably way off." Umie shrugs nonchalantly, once again. "Might be worth asking the next time you see one... if they'll talk. Maybe Ix...quic...san?" (That *would* be taking advantage of someone's possible naivete, Umie.) "But even if she had it... maybe all that proves is 'okay, you and Ixsquic-san have it' and we're still at an impasse."
'.... My father is, I am beyond certain, someone high within the New World Order.' There's a vague, complicated expression on Umie's face, as she fights with several conflicting thoughts on how to continue, and what, if anything, she should share.
No. Admitting that she is likewise bound in the same way to the NWO? While Umie dislikes her parents... she knows their distance is just as much protection for her as it is a cold, uncaring shoulder. She can't violate that by spreading their name around. Akabane is a common enough surname for there to be some plausibiity.
"... So it's more complicated than I assumed," Umie says, her tone a touch more subdued.
Myunghon's begging her not to investigate. Umie wants to.... but she knows it'd mean throwing her own parents in the crossfire.
"... I have... similar... connections," she admits, vaguely, holding up her right hand, Mark fully covered. "Which is how this happened. But because of that..." It's a matter of pride that demands her at least admit that, lest Umie shows herself to be truly the coward she thinks herself to be. "... I'll be a poor person to investigate it. But if there's a way I can help, I'm springing on it." It's a contradiction, to have enough pride that stepping back feels like an insult, but yet, she feels she is a coward.
As for the NWO agents, it's admittedly as much Umie reading into context as anything else. The fact that Yumi implied they were here of their own free will, not the NWO's, as well as how they repeatedly refused to respond to Umie's own anger... those can't be the actions of agents, but people who at least care about someone they know.
Umie wishes this was the case as much as she wishes it wasn't, so she could continue to hate them with impunity.
"Not every problem's going to allow for that," Umie admits, on the topic of coming to people for help. "But you know people will, if you think of a way. But it sounds like you're aware of the consequences, too. When it comes to the NWO, not everyone does. Not even me." The scent of the NWO is enough to throw Umie off the trail of wondering about Suzie Park's own danger, even if part of Umie wonders why she'd 'summon' her child instead of simply meet her.
"Pretty sure we all are," Umie murmurs. "I'd offer my place, but it's a tight fit. Park-san-- your sister, that is, is probably better able to help there. Still. You know how to find me. If you need a sneaky woman with a shrieky persona, I'm always game."
Finishing her own drink, she murmurs, lazily closing one eye in a wink. ".... Unless you want to sing a song or two... I guess I can be shrieky like that too, if it'd give you something to laugh about. Better a cute memory than a hangover, mm?"