2025-09-19: The Way It's Meant To Be
- Log: The Way It's Meant To Be
- Cast: Shinjiro Aragaki, Yukari Takeba
- Where: Iwatodai Dormitory, Iwatodai
- OOC Date: September 19, 2025
- IC Date: July 13, 2012
- Summary: Yukari confronts Shinjiro over his affiliation with Strega and her vague suspicions about the Kirijo Group. Surprisingly, he agrees they're suspicious and offers to look into it... though Yukari also worries he's too willing to sacrifice himself for another person.
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
It is Friday, and the Iwatodai dorm lobby is empty for the day. Well, almost.
Shinjiro is in the kitchen! He's cleaning up after his cooking earlier, before the sumo match tonight Suzume told him about on TV. He might decide to stick around and watch, but hasn't fully decided if he should really be connecting that deeply with his dormmates, despite some of his desires to.
He's got his apron on as he scrubs a pan, and it seems he's almost done. There's a tray of oyakodon packaged nearby, to take over to Sumaru as a gift to the Cardboard Dragon crew.
The way he cleans is efficient, serious, and honestly, completely damning of his tough guy image. It's a good thing he waited for everyone to leave to start cleaning... right?
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
It's Friday, and Yukari just got back from school. She's late... as in very late getting back. At this time of night, almost everyone is studying for Finals.
Which is, what she meant to be doing, until suddenly a wild Niko appeared behind her after school!
"Ugh..." She says as she shuts the door. She just knows she's not gonna get any more done tonight either. Call it a wash, try again tomorrow, assuming she doesn't show up again.
She's just gonna march straight upstairs anyway though, until... she hears someone in the kitchen, and has a thought. Who would still be down here in the kitchen this time of night?
Process of Elimination says the guy that doesn't have to study for finals. (She assumes it's not Ken, who is too young for that either, and unlikely to be able to cook.)
Then takes a moment to look around
Yukari approaches the counter to set down her bag, before coming up to the entrance to the kitchen, and knocking on the frame twice.
"Heyyyy there." She still looks sweaty from the long walk back on the summer evening. She feels gross, but it doesn't matter.
"Got time for a chat?"
It doesn't sound... exactly casual.
Like it's politely that, enough that he could get out of it if he wanted by saying he's busy. But... not on a subject that's 'light' or small talk - or even cooking.
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
As Yukari steps in late, Shinjiro hasn't reacted on his own, too busy cleaning, though he is definitely hoping to not have to do finals ever again. (The odds are 50/50. Mitsuru is scary.)
As Yukari approaches the kitchen and knocks on the frame, he glances out, considering what this is about. It's not casual... he could say no pretty easily, but...
If there's something to worry about, better get it over with quickly.
"...sure. Lemme just finish this pan, it'll be five seconds."
It is indeed a short wait until he's done cleaning up. Once he's done and turns off the sink, he steps to the side to let Yukari step in, as now he has to put these pans away!
"What's up?" he asks as he maneuvers around a kitchen so deftly it seems like he was made to do it.
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
Yukari just nods, and lets him finish, not saying anything. She doesn't do anything like lean against the door frame either. That'd seem pretty smug, or flirtatious, and that's not the vibe she wants here.
"So... a friend of yours asked after you. Someone who kinda ambushed me after school?"
Her eyes float up, "Even if... she doesn't see it that way." She says, as if in abstraction, like she only barely gets her logic.
"You remember the Strega girl in the Palace? Niko-san?"
It's at least, a start, a way to go into other things perhaps.
"She wanted to know why you joined SEES and... was pretty insistent about it."
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
As Yukari talks, Shinjiro keeps up his kitchen cleanup, only looking over to nod. He's listening, though he grimaces aafter Niko-san is mentioned.
"Goddamnit," he says. "Niko... We met a few weeks ago. We ran in similar circles, so she declared us friends instantly. I think she does that with everyone, though. I ended up putting up with it because it's better than getting stabbed." Not to mention he doesn't think she's *that* bad, though that can wait. "Then she visited me while I was in the hospital after that ninja attack," he says, reminding about the one he mentioned the other day
"I told her I was rejoining. I can tell her to leave you alone, but I doubt it'll work. She's pretty much a free spirit."
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
"'Similar Circles'?"
Yukari echoes, interrogatively, but then shifts tone, "Yeah that sounds like her."
There's a lengthy pause at the idea of her visiting him in the hospital, and his offer to tell her to leave her alone.
"Iiiii don't think she'd listen either. It's not worth it. It's more just... a little nerve-wracking. Given that Strega attacked a school? I thought her being there meant she was threatening our school unless I didn't go with her."
She crosses her arms, "... Her logic though, it's not normal." She says as she looks away from him. "I don't think she even realizes that she is a threat."
There's a heave of a sigh at that, before her eyes drift towards Shinjiro, "Andddd she told me I shouldn't trust the Kirijo Group."
Which Niko didn't realize was basically preaching to the choir. "... What kind of history do these 'Similar Circles' you ran in have with them?"
Of course, she can't help but notice the Evokers they have. Something that she suspects they're not suppsoed to.
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Shinjiro realizes at that echo that this might be more of an interrogation than a regular chat... but why? He doesn't have much to hide. Well, he does, but not related to this.
"I was homeless until recently. Hung out in the alleys behind Port Island Station, as you know. It's delinquents and criminals and street rats, the type of people society turns its nose up at." He rubs the back of his head, but he wants to fix any misunderstanding before it gets to the rest of the group.
"I think she does. I just think she's also trying not to care about anything," Shinjiro shrugs about Niko to Yukari. "Why? Beats me."
Though, there's the similar circles history question... "On the streets, you get to know some pretty shady people. I used to have a working relationship with Strega, in the sense that I needed things and they'd sell them to me. It's how I got that Evoker. I'm using mine now, at least, so people can stop worrying it's gonna explode or something." A pause.
"But now that I'm back here, doubt they'll give me a second thought. I'm fine with that.."
But he circles back. "Shouldn't trust the Kirijo Group? That just seems like sound advice. Corporations aren't our friends."
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
"Right. I knew that part." Yukari says, even though she didn't know for sure he was homeless. Just suspected.
Homelessness in Japan is complicated anyway. It's only counted by the people who actually are sleeping out on the streets, not people who buy a room overnight at a net cafe or a capsule hotel because they can't afford rent.
But he talks about a 'working relationship' with Strega. "... Right." And there's skepticism in Yukari's eyes. Oh not on him being with Strega or anything.
Things just don't add up. Why go to Strega for an Evoker, then only recently come back to SEES?
Why does someone leave, then seemingly come back so easily?
But as for the advice, "... Of course I know that." On not trusting corporations, "But it's different when they have Evokers, right? And the way she... changed, when talking about Kirijo."
There's this look his way, like she's just not buying it all.
"One wouldn't think she had bad blood with anyone, with how she acts. Not really... but, she the way she talked there, it's obvious she does."
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Shinjiro grimaces, turning to Yukari at the skepticism. But as she mentions it's different... "I assume they've got skeletons. Stuff I wouldn't want to know. Myunghon was worried about me coming back, so I told them that if anything seems shady, I'll let them know." A shrug.
But about the bad blood... "Look. I don't trust them either. But I trust *Mitsuru Kirijo*. Even if her dad is some shady evil businessman, that doesn't reflect on her and our goal to stop the Dark Hour. Don't let Niko sway you on that."
Yukari has no business knowing why he came back, and especially if she's not asking directly, so he doesn't touch on that. Instead, he's focusing on *his* beliefs.
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
Yukari absolutely understands they have skeletons. After all, her father is one of them.
Not really... there wasn't enough of him left to bury.
"... Right." She says on telling Merry, trying not to give away that she's in fact already asked Merry to look into the Kirijo Group.
But then he relays that he doesn't trust them but instead he trusts...
MITSURU
KIRIJO
"Of course you do."
She mutters... she's already broken eye contact again when she says that, like she's not all that impressed with that answer.
"I'm not questioning our goals here." Yukari eventually replies on the matter. "Just... there's so much we're obviously not being told. Strega... then those weirdos in Sumaru attacking cops..."
Now she looks at him far more closely, "...Apathy Syndrome." Like she's trying to check his reaction on that last one. "Doesn't it seem shady already?"
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Shinjiro grimaces some more, but... if Yukari's bugging him about this, there must be a reason, so eventually his face relents.
The mutter, at least... "What's that supposed to mean?"
But, about Strega, and the cops, and Apathy Syndrome... he does have to think about it, admitting in the end, "...yeah. Why *does* Strega have filed off evokers to offer? Why did that chick in Sumaru have a specialized one? Hell, I ran into her, she uses cartridges, I think. Isn't that like the Theurgy?" A pause. "Then there's things I don't understand. Like you said, Apathy Syndrome. Where did it come from? Why are the Shadows here so different than elsewhere? But the Kirijo Corporation has always been good at covering things up..."
It sounds like that's personal, a slip of the tongue. He brushes off it once he realizes, trying to divert subtly.
"...what, do you think they're connected to all of this?" It doesn't sound hostile or even suspicious. "Well, I guess they'd have to be..." He realizes mid-thought.
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
What's that supposed to mean?
"... Forget about it."
If she gets into a fight about Mitsuru Kirijo, it could turn ugly, especially without saying why she doesn't like her.
What she thinks Mitsuru is keeping from her.
"Yeah, sorta. Though it didn't seem to be exactly like it at the time. Just... made me think that she's using earlier models, maybe... before they made this Theurgy."
There's this lengthy pause as Shinjiro asks whether they're all connected to this. "Exactly." Re: 'I guess they'd have to be.' "And she said she'd look into it, but... Iiiii dunno."
She trails off, not ever verging quite into direct accusations just... healthy, suspicion.
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Shinjiro shrugs at the forget about it, not pressing on that. Instead, in a way, the skepticism and suspicion is getting to Shinjiro a bit. There's only two people he truly cares about in SEES - Akihiko and Mitsuru - and that doesn't at all absolve Mitsuru of bad decisions or apply to her family. No, he's never trusted *the corporation*, not after they covered up a death and made it look like a drunk driver to protect him. Absolved him. Took away all the blame like it was easy for them.
There's no direct accusation, but... "...if Kirijo is hiding something, she thinks she's doing it for the right reasons. That doesn't make it good, but I know her well enough to say that. But the rest of Kirijo? They could be selling this shit and we'd never know. ...hm."
There's a thought.
"If they are, I could poke around. Nothing to lose there, I don't think."
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
"...The right reasons." She echoes again, and there's a bitter hollowness in her voice at that idea.
"Just what are the 'right reasons'?"
Did that verge on a little personal?
Yes, yes it did. How could she ever think there's a right reason for dragging her father's name through the mud. Not through action, but inaction.
'A gas leak' He's the head of the facility, he takes responsibility. He's not alive to though, so it remains a curse on his name, his reputation even after death.
One that Yukari and her mother inherited.
"... Huh... well if you want to... I don't even know how one would go about... doing that. It's not like we can go do some light 'corporate espionage' or anything."
She knows her limitations, and she knows that's unrealistic after four years of thinking she'd come upon something... and instead awakening to the Dark Hour.
She came upon something alright.
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Shinjiro knows nothing about Yukari's dad, but he can see the mutual personalness between their words.
"...all I mean is that she's not some crime boss or scumbag or something. Anything that was done likely wasn't up to her, and if she knows about it and is hiding it from us, she thinks it's better we don't know... even if that's wrong."
He exhales. "I can talk to Myunghon. We're pretty close, and they're very good at info-gathering. I trust them with my life. I can also poke some people I know from the streets, see what they know." Then, a thought. "But if you're clearly suspicious, and it's making *me* suspicious, it's better not to let this creep up on us as a surprise, right? Information advantage. Best case, we absolve them. Worst case? We can get it to stop."
After all, he knows a missing puzzle piece that Yukari doesn't: Persona suppressing drugs exist, and Kirijo has access to them... but so does Strega. That alone makes him *very* suspicious.
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
Something in Yukari's eyes narrows at 'it's better we don't know' like she thinks it's offensive that Mitsuru Kirijo would think it's better she not know what happened to her own father.
"It's wrong alright." She says, flatly to that, without letting her anger burn any hotter.
She doesn't want to get kicked out of here, if she were then... then that'd be it.
She'd never find out.
"Hmmm... sure. If you think Myunghon can handle it." She says non-comitally, like she's not sharing that she already asked them.
After all, if she shares that, then Shinjiro might hold back talking to them... and perhaps Myunghon gets a new angle if Shinjiro thinks they're not working with Yukari.
"... I might have an idea. I'll look into it too... though..."
She looks around the corner of the door frame to double check no one is listening in, "...It might be best not to say who until I know they're on board."
It's definitely not a sure thing, asking Fuuka.
"But they have a set of skills that... neither of us do for this kind of thing."
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
The narrowing eyes gets a soft look, like Shinjiro understands that kind of rage, even if he doesn't understand what's behind it. He just sighs.
"They can," he says about Myunghon. But then about the idea... he nods. "Good idea. If they can find anything with that set of skills, it's better for all of us."
But there's a thought running through Shinjiro's head. If there is indeed a conspiracy... oh no. What if Kirijo Corporation is connected to the NWO? It'd make sense. He clearly is ruminating, his overthinker's brain going into overdrive. In the end...
"If this gets back to us, tell them I put you up to it. You can probably sell it pretty easily... the mysterious delinquent returns, but why? To poke into this, of course." They both know that's not the reason he's back, but if it is indeed NWO, he'd rather be the one to take the fall, since he's taking the suspicions to Myunghon. After all... it'd be his fault for expanding this. Besides...
He's expendable.
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
"... Yeah here's hoping." Fuuka might just be too grateful, but then again, she knows how she maybe can sell it to her. She's a smart girl, as gentle as she is.
There's no way she won't understand the suspicion once she puts it all together for her.
"... Why though?" Yukari gives him a look like she's startled, but also suspicious at his offer of letting him take the fall.
"... I can take care of myself you know. I don't need you to take the fall for me."
She says, wondering, why? If it's because he's a guy and she's a girl... well, she'll definitely be upset about that.
But there's something she's missing here, and her brain doesn't quite connect it... even as she remembers that image of him almost goading the cop to shoot him that day.
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Yukari gets another nod, but as she asks him why... he takes a breath.
"There's a non-zero chance this is connected to a very shady conspiracy. The kind that kills people for digging too close. The one with the old-model Evoker was one of them. So if we can divert all the suspicion..."
A pause. How much should he say? He doesn't know Yukari, or trust her. But...
"It's better that I take the fall. You've all got more of a life ahead of you than I do. Look at me, I don't even go to school." A big of a diversion on why, but he does truly believe it.
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
Shinjiro explains his logic, and Yukari watches him closely, as if trying to get some sense of what's behind this.
It doesn't not sound like he's doing it because she's a girl. But he's not also not saying that too.
"This is more important than that." Is Yukari's simple reply.
More important, than her future?
"Besides... Senpai. If you got killed because of something I put you up to, then threw you under the bus for it? I don't even want to think about... trying to live with that."
She looks away and too the side, taking a deep breath, "All this macho stuff, it was... pretty cool in the alleyway." She admits, and that's hard enough for her to admit that a guy was pretty cool.
"But... not so much that night with the cop. I don't want anyone to throw themselves in harm's way because of me, alright?"
It's not quite that she thinks he was death seeking. But she was disturbed, at the lengths he'd go to protect someone else.
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
"...fine. You've got your reason, then." He remembers back at his hideout in the alleys, being unable to figure out why she fought. Now Shinjiro's starting to piece it together... and it's not a bad reason at all.
He feels guilt at that, reaction but also... throwing himself in harm's way... he grimaces softly. But he can't change his ways over this. They've all got more life than he does."
"...it's not about being macho. I have my reasons, but don't think this is something I do because I think it looks cool. It's just... the way the world should be." But, he sighs.
"I'll try not to face down any more guns, at least. That wasn't fun, Takeba."
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
"Yeah... I do."
It's not a bad reason, no. It's just... not the primary reason either. Not really.
It's more like a goal to have along the way.
"Oh...!" She recoils a little, like she's startled at his response, "I didn't mean it like that. Just you know... a lot of guys think they have to be like that."
Not even in front of girls, just in general.
"The way the world should be... huh?" She echoes, abstracted, like that comment bothers her and she's not sure which way it bothers her.
"... Yeah, try not to. It's my job to keep you alive you know. And a bullet outside of the Dark Hour... there's not much I can do about that."
It disturbs her that she can't, enough that she's started pulling books on First Aid. She doesn't have enough time really to learn it all but...
... she can't get caught helpless like that again, she just can't.
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Shinjiro nods once about the guys. "I know. They're all over the place in the alleys."
But about the way the world should be... he doesn't respond, but grimaces some more. It's what he thinks, and this conversation can't change it. So it's not worth explaining.
"Sure. I'll do my best," he responds about the bullet in the Dark Hour. "It's not like I *want* to die."
"But my Persona heals gradually, so you shouldn't have to focus too hard on me in combat. It's still appreciated, though." Shinjiro says as he steps over to the tray of oyakodon, lifting it up. "I should get this to Sumaru soon. Gonna give it to the crew at the Cardboard Dragon. Made some food for Myunghon, too." A pause. "There should be some left in the fridge, too. Help yourself."
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
There's a nod there, because well she thinks she knows how guys are. But, her opinion is influenced a lot more by the losers her mother dates than she realizes.
A lack of positive male figures in your life for ten odd years will do that to a teenage girl.
"Good. And ehhh..." She's saying it like she believes him but thinks he needs more care than he thinks he needs.
In that regard at least.
"Oh! Don't let me keep you then. I'm... supposed to be studying for finals." She sighs as if studying tonight is a lost cause, thanks Niko.
But to his offer, "You sure? Uhhh! Thanks! I'll repay the favor some day." And she does mean that! It's just, she hasn't cooked in four years.
Her last Dorm had a Dorm mother, and cooking wasn't done by the students. So she's a littttllleeee out of practice.
But it's not like she doesn't know. She used to have to feed herself.