2025-10-07: Lucky Lucky Neko-san
- Log: Lucky Lucky Neko-san
- Cast: Umie Akabane, Ann Takamaki
- Where: Gotokuji Temple, Shimokitazawa, Tokyo
- OOC Date: October 07, 2025
- IC Date: July 22, 2012
- Summary: Ann and Umie go to the Gotokuji Temple for similar reasons: the maneki-nekos. One is using them to get over her fear, while the other is looking for luck. Thanks to the temple, Ann sees another side of Umie, while Umie, oblivious to the fact that Ann is one of the Phantom Thieves that saved her life, gains a new acquaintance! Also, one of the maneki-nekos is suspiciously Tatsuya-faced.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
Umie Akabane is fearless, in control, and always knows what to do next.
_Umie Akabane is fearless, in control, and always knows what to do next._
Umie Akabane is a normal, boring person who can enter a shrine whenever she wants (within hours of operation) like anyone would, and not be scared of something silly and vague, like 'something Seeing her'.
Which is why Umie is here, squatting down before the expansive row of white manekinekos of all shapes and sizes.
Considering the circumstances of the times Ann *has* seen Umie, her outfit is thankfully different, neither being a bloody, muddy Triple 7 uniform or the utilitarian garb she wore in Kaneshiro's palace.
She's actually dressed *nicely* this time, with a white blouse, shorts, red headband, and matching red bracelet on her left wrist. Both wrists and lower arms are covered with thumbsleeves, despite it being officially July in Japan.
Obviously, she's trying to match the lucky cat statues.
Leaning forward on her black and white tennis shoes, the ash blonde young woman seems to be in a deep, meditative state, communing with the flock of lucky cat states.
"..... Cat."
She can be here. She's certain of it. Nothing will Perceive her here.
She is the one doing the perceiving, specifically of a tiny white Maneki Neko, nearly the size of her thumbnail.
A warm summer breeze disturbs her reverie, letting long bangs drift over her face. As she draws one back with a red fingernail, something seems to startle her, making her flinch back with a uncharacteristically subdued 'eep!', onto her... back.
Oh god please don't let there be anyone here to see this, she picked this time to visit for a reason!!
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
Ann Takamaki doesn't visit shrines very often. She just feels... out of place, despite knowing the etiquette, and being (reasonably!!) well-behaved.
The way people look at her, the times people mistake her for a tourist. ... She just feels like an outsider.
This isn't to say she doesn't like the temples and shrines in Tokyo, though. They're pretty, serene -- there's not a lot to not like. And sometimes, well -- sometimes, she could use a bit of extra good fortune.
And sometimes people she knows could use it, too.
It's why she's here today, in a little cozy corner of Tokyo she's been partial to since she discovered it. The -temple-, however -- that she has no idea about, other than the fact that it came highly recommended, and there was something about... cats? And, well. Cats are great! Fuzzy and independent and cute and fuzzy and fierce and fuzzy! Just look at Morgana! Or don't, because he'd be mad to be associated with cats, which is soooo weird still, because they're so FUZZY--
anyway ann's expecting like cute fuzzy wuzzy kittens populating the shrine and not
"WAH CREEPY CAT DOLLS"
--that. ...That's what she's not expecting.
This would be the yelp of Ann Takamaki, coming in RIGHT when Umie tries to adjust her breeze-blown bangs. IS it responsible for the Triple 7 employee's topple? Who can say, really? But Ann, seeing someone collapse in the distance, assumes the worst.
"Ohmigosh, I'm -so- sorry! I just got startled, are you okay--"
And this is how Umie Akabane gets her first wish to this temple dashed against the edifice of pawing felines as her vision fills up with the sight of a young woman with sky blue eyes and platinum blonde hair done up in twintails, wearing a black UGO tank top with red-rimmed sunglasses hooked into the scooping neckline, denim cut offs, red sneakers, and a red flannel button up worn wrapped and tied around her waist leaning in and looking like the most concerned person in the world for Umie's unfortunate foible.
Oh good. A youth is staring at her.
"--it's you--"
And staring. And staring. With big, wide, blue eyes that are just getting bigger and bigger and DAMMIT ANN SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHO YOU ARE RECOVER RECOVER RECOVER--
"--you -- you you youuuur head! You l-landed right on your head! Are you okay?! Concussions are the leading cause of death in shrines! I think!!"
great good nice save
(concussions are not the leading cause of death in shrines)
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
Good fortune, good luck, and connections: in a way, Ann and Umie could be of one mind in that being a reason to visit.
If Umie was asked, it'd be her entire reason for being here. Good luck, good fortune, good connections.
From Umie's point of view:
When the ash blonde young woman had looked away for a moment to adjust her hair, the manekinekos were arranged artfully, all facing towards the walkway in all different sizes.
'WAH CREEPY CAT DOLLS!'
When Umie's head snapped up, all of them seem to be turned to look at her, inexplicably, for a split second, which made Umie add her voice to the chorus.
'eep!"
Another blink, and they're back, but so is she, on her back.
Thankfully, the connection made here was not Umie's head with the ground; she at least retains some of her balance in this mundane, normal state.
But not enough, much to her dismay, as she hears someone come running up.
Warm brown eyes blink open and focus on Ann's face.
'--it's you--' Umie's lips purse in a unvoiced question.
'--you -- you you youuuur head!'
The manekinekos have heard your wish, Ann; no matter how badly you fumbled there, your other identity would not be pierced by Umie, who can't even percieve why Akechi keeps mentioning how he always has time for his favorite Triple 7 employee, gender neutral, oh hey hint hint.
"Oh s---- stars!" Even Umie cannot cuss at a sacred place like this. She raises up, feeling her hand just to make sure. "... I don't think I did. A-ha... ha..." Her mind is going through a litany of checklists; nope, no, nope, nope, all clear, do not need to go to hospital, great.
She *jumps* to her feet, bowing her head slightly. "I just... got startled. But I'm not scared. At all. Especially of cute cat statues..."
_It's F I N E._ Umie Akabane is not scared.
".... They didn't... move, did they...?" she asks, in a tiny voice. "A few seconds ago."
Joker did not mention anything about the cat statues being cursed when they exchanged information here. But maybe he would have, _if she didn't load him down with too much information_.
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
"Y-you're seeing stars?!"
ANN'S SHRINE TRIP SO FAR: may have insulted the sacred cat statues. May have almost let her secret identity slip kind of sort of. May have given a valuable ally and convenience store companion of Ren's a CONCUSSION.
So.
Goin' great so far!!
Ann, still spooked by how rapidly Makoto determined their identity from some little inconsequential stuff like their shouting loudly about it in public restaurants, and having no idea how a Will of Rebellion actually works, just assumes that once more her quick thinking and superb acting talent have covered her ass once more. She's -much- more concerned in this moment with the notion that Umie's seeing stars which, judging by the cartoons she watched as a child, -definitely means she has a dangerous concussion without any cartoon physics to protect herself with-.
But then Umie insists she's doing okay, and the beginning of Ann's Sus Face Squint is short-lived as Umie literally -kip ups- back onto her feet. "Whoa! Flexible!" gasps Ann, hands covering her bubblegum pink lips with SHOCK. Concussed people wouldn't be able to do that, right?? So she should be fine... ....
...
... which isn't stopping Ann even a second from leaning in, raising an index finger, and slowly moving it back and forth within Umie's field of vision because she saw in a medical procedural show that's how you detect concussions and she's not exactly sure -how- it does but she assumes it'll be super obvious.
She's kind of getting impatient and starting to rapidly wag her finger back and forth when Umie insists she is not afraid of cute cat statues and then wonders if they've moved or not. Sky blue eyes shutter out a blink.
"U-ummmmmmm..." Ann begins, and then s l o w l y looks behind her as if expecting the statues to be RIGHT BEHIND HER like they were Mario Boo.
Instead they're all just still assembled right where they were in countless, neat little rows.
"... n-no? God, you totally freaked me out for a second there." Ann sags, visibly relieved, before looking over the cat statues once more. "You're right though. They -are- pretty cute! I dunno why they freaked me out so much, ehe."
And, grinning a big, eye-shutting grin, Ann haplessly scratches her cheek before trying to reassure:
"It's okay! I'm pretty sure these are supposed to be good luck cats, not evil cats. They've been in this same spot for like, a thousand years." it was nowhere close to a thousand
"Trust me, I did my research." TRANSLATION: ann glanced at a tourism site for like two seconds
A second passes. Ann's brows furrow. Talking about the cats like that, though -- Umie seems... nervous? "... You sure you're okay?"
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
It's alright, Ann. One advantage Makoto had that Umie does not is... being a high school student. _Of course_ the Phantom Thieves would be around Umie's age, being slightly older than Ann, Ren, and Makoto are.
After all, who tries to go so supernatural things when you have school? (...Umie did, but _that's besides the point_, she only had one hour! ... ish.)
As far as Will of Rebellion goes, Umie is on the case, thankfully. She'll discover what is it, and hopefully, it'll be done in order, without her finding out the most basic, barebones concepts *last*, like, oh, _what it's called_. (Flash over to where Umie is telling Akechi to switch back and forth like he was a light switch, which he does... when she blinks, while not giving any other information. It's going to take a while.)
This is how names like 'Green Spooky Hour', 'Gun-shaped Persona Summoners', and 'Badb, the bird goddess of death and war that reflects a part of me and reminds my child self that death is always around the corner and also I might have some repressed emotional issues but that's for future me to deal with'.
'Whoa! Flexible!' Ann exclaims, and now, she's on the receiving end of a glance she may have given Umie barely a few seconds ago: 'panick'.
"... I... do... a lot of running," Umie says, awkwardly. It's the truth, just in a sideways direction.
...... so yes, the Phantom Thieves may have some contenders for 'lazy opsec moments', but that goes to show that Umie does not feel any reason to be suspicious of Ann.
(.... because Umie senses nothing, but neither would Ann, from Umie.)
"... O-oh, you don't have to do that." Umie tilts her chin towards Ann's finger. "I'm... familiar with the protocol, actually. I have to take blood thinners, so... it's a risk." This, at least, is delivered more casually, as she adds a small smile, tilting her head towards the cat statues. Perhaps, she'll feel better if she's trying to 'perform' for someone else?
"Ah, right. Good luck cats, not... bad luck cats. That would make for a terrible shrine..." Think, Umie, think! Be less nervous! Stop thinking about whether your hair roots are showing when you look at her hair! That has to be natural, right? Which means she shouldn't ask about it!
"... S-so did I!" ... For a few seconds, when Umie got that letter from the Phantom Thieves.
Is she okay? "O-of course I am!" Umie squeaks. Umie did *not* squeak when facing a serial murderer-- more than once, in fact.
"... I should introduce myself. Umie, Akabane." She clears her throat. "I know that rhymes, I get told it all the time."
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
... I... do... a lot of running.
"Huh," Ann says, lips pursed. Does she not believe--
"Ugh. I -really- should exercise more. But it's suuuuch a paaaaaaaain."
Oh. No. She was just lamenting the impossibility of training because -- effort.
This is Ann, sagging into a half-bent position, arms dangling lifelessly beneath her, her very expression the vision of pain and adversity!! ... because jogging sucks is why. It - fortunately - doesn't last too long before she is rubberbanding back into her unflappably bright spirits, shouldering her white satchel bag a bit more securely after all that movement and blinking once as Umie admits to being familiar with the finger test.
"Oh, really??" Ann says, eyes wide. "Huh. I guess that makes sense... so that means I musta been doing it right, right? Heck yes!"
Ann Takamaki fist pumps in victory against her side -- here.
"I wonder if that means I could be a doctor... ...?"
........................
Thankfully for EVERYONE she's swiftly distracted by this by Umie's -obvious distress-. That thousand yard stare as she very obviously contemplates the possibility of Dr. Ann, Medicine Woman comes to an end as she glances back Umie's way, blithely oblivious to any staring or thoughts as to her hair. She watches Umie squeak - SQUEAK. The Umie who tried to reassure her in the face of what was definitely a schlocky slasher monster come to life. That Umie! Squeaking!
Her head tilts. Her lips purse.
"Huh..."
But! Introductions! That thoughtful look is immediately wiped away into a blinking stare of confusion, which swiftly metamorphoses into a wide-eyed look of surprise when she realizes--
"O-oh right, you don't know who I am!" ANN OF COURSE SHE DOESN'T YOU'RE STRANGERS! "Err, I-I mean, my friend mentioned someone with your name who works with him! It totallyyyyy took me off guuuuaaard, y'knooww?"
why
does she feel the need
to extend those vowels
"Mmmmaybe you know him? Ren Amamiya?" A second passes. And then she realizes--
"Erk. I still haven't introduced myself, have I?? Ughh, sorry--" And, rubbing the back of her head with one hand, she offers the other out for a shake of greeting coupled with a beaming smile.
"Ann Takamaki! It's nice to" definitely, totally, for the first time "meet you, Akabane-san!"
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
Ann doesn't seem to believe her. Ah well, Umie will just railroad over that and keep moving on, as if nothing happen--
'But it's suuuuch a paaaaaaaain.' "... Oh, well," Umie starts, because she *cannot help herself*, "it doesn't have to be running. I just get restless, so it gets a lot of energy out." It's the truth. The fact that she's running through a green glowy danger hour or a mind meat zone? Details. "Especially at night. Though... I wouldn't recommend it unless you have a means of self defense. Can't be too careful." This is also true. Shadows, demons, and lurkers all present hazards.
"Oh, ah," Umie's lips pull into a polite smile, not wanting to further dampen Ann's spirits with talk of what would be proper protocol for testing people with concussions. (... as if she could truly say her information is up to date, anyhow.)
"Yes." This is Ann's power; Umie cannot engage in gremlin activities while within this powerful a field. "... I don't see why not, if you have the gumption." This, thankfully, is also truthful! (For all Umie knows, Ann has excellent scores in applicable subjects, after all, and her bedside manner would be *amazing*.)
But Umie's Squeak has left Ann with a potential medical mystery: how is this the same Umie from that night? Could Umie Akabane have a twin? Twins exist, in this small world, and--
"...." Umie blinks once. Twice. Three timeeesss and then she stooopps-- With a wry halfsmile, she asks, just as Ann completes it, ".... Amam--" And like that, Umie seems to relax, her shoulders shaking as she laughs. "I take it you're classmates. Shujin High, correct--" She makes a sound with her tongue. "Sorry, I need to stop being so nosy. Amamiya-kun's a dependable guy, but he can be so quiet sometimes!"
Ace Detective Ann has solved the case! Maybe.
Meanwhile Umie'd never think someone like Ren would be friends with someone as exuberant as Ann seems to be, but isn't that what school does?
Taking Ann's hand for a handshake, Umie grins back, an expression that is reflected in her gaze. "Great to finally meet one of his friends. Moving to a new city's hard enough as it is, but a new high school on top of it? I moved here back in April, and I'm still getting situated as it is."
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
Can't be too careful.
Ann Takamaki frowns a small frown and shoulders that bag a little closer still.
"... Trust me, I know."
But, fortunately, the past can no longer hurt Ann, and the present is currently full of someone telling her she -can definitely 100% be the best doctor in Japan, and possibly the world, and also history??- (NOTE: UMIE DID NOT SAY ANY OF THIS). Ann abruptly brightens at this clear endorsement of her abilities, nodding vigorously in time with Umie's assessment.
"Mhm, mhm!" she enthuses, bouncing on her heels. "Hehe, it'd be awesome to be able to help people get healthy like that. ... Oh."
Ann has a realization! A realization that twists pale features in a grimace like she just ate the world's sourest candy.
"But you have to go to school for like, a decade, to become a doctor, don't you...?" Is that what gumption is...?! "Ugh, nevermind, maybe."
Well.
So much for that.
For now, she sets her sights on more achievable objectives: like furthering her detective chops by solving the Mystery of the Squeaking Triple Sevens Clerk, or expertly covering her tracks once more by invoking the name of Ren. The -latter- seems to do its job, with Ann just -barely- managing to avoid heaving a sigh of relief that Umie seizes upon talk of her classmate. Her dependable leader remains dependable...!
"Oh, it's okay! We're classmates, actually!" Ann assures, her grin like a warm ray of sunshine as she takes Umie's hand and shakes vigorously. "He can be pretty weird, right? But that's why he's so cool! It's kinda like, he knows exactly what to say, exactly when to say it? Mm. And when to listen, too. ... A lot of people just don't do that."
Still, talk of the city draws commiseration from Ann after she gingerly releases Umie's hand, heaving a small sigh. "Mm. I guess we've all got that in common." Ann blinks, realizing she may be overstating her own situation with vagueries, and waves her free hand in the air in a 'wait wait wait' kind of gesture. "I mean -- I moved back here from Europe, but it was a few years ago now! But it still took a lot of adjusting. Tokyo's just so big, and crowded..." She frowns, just a little. "... it can honestly feel kinda suffocating, sometimes."
A second passes. And once more, she waves that hand: "This place is great, though! So cozy. And this shrine is really neat!" She turns to face Umie fully, smile on her lips, tossing her thumb behind her.
"Aaaactually I heard there's this kinda unique way they do fortune prayers and blessings here, but I feel kinda awkward just doing it by myself..."
Her head tilts, brows raised.
"Would you mind joining me, Akabane-san? It shouldn't take too long, I swear!"
Has Ann clocked Umie's discomfort, or is this just fortuitous timing, and she truly does feel awkward going it alone?
The wonder of Ann Takamaki is that it very well could be both.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
'Trust me, I know.' Umie gives Ann a quick, but subtle glance, followed by a dip of her chin in a quiet nod. She doesn't, and can't know what caused Ann's words, especially how it became the genesis of Panther. For a small show of empathy, it's secondary.
However, chaos awaits her, as yet another case of Umie's Marked status causing chaos whereever she goes... happens! When will her reign of corruption and bolstering self esteem in noncommital ways stop?
"Yeahhh... and it's expensive," Umie grumbles. "Not my bag, really, either. And dealing with people for so long? Better to be a mountain hermit and not have to deal with it." CRISIS AVERTED(?).
Weird? Ren? Umie blinks. "Huh." Maybe Ren's a completely different person in school? "He seems... normal to me?" ... Says the young woman who dragged a young man who showers in his motorcycle leathers and carries a katana around out for a birthday bash (that failed _miserably_), forced herself into multiple situations to make connections, or forced a ninja to accept an umbrella because his old one was collapsing in on itself.
... what does this say about her...? oh god, her weirdness meter is messed up
But it's what makes him cool; Umie laughs at that, ducking her head down, her shoulders shaking. "That's a great way to put it. Life's too short. He's pretty sharp, too." Almost to a fault, she thinks. "Though sometimes I wonder--" No, Umie, stop being a worrywart. It's not like he followed you into harm's way, that night.
She waves a hand, dismissing the thought.
'I guess we've all got that in common.' Ann clarifies, saying she moved from Europe a few years ago. Umie's mouth opens in acknowledgement. "Ahhh--" _No_, Umie thinks, _that does not mean you can ask about her hair routine_. "What difference does a few years make? If you still feel that way, I don't see why that can't be valid," she says, folding her arms, then gesturing with her left hand. "I mean, maybe that's why you didn't see me as some weirdo sprawled out on the walkway and walked on."
Or, maybe Ann still did, but just let concern overwhelm that desire to walk on.
"But yeah..." Umie sighs. "Big cities do that. Amamiya-kun had to correct me when I just sandwiched two places together as one." She smirks, dismissively, shaking her head. "It does get that way, though. Running around at night... I suppose it's less for my health and more to clear my mind. It gets so quiet, it's... nice--"
She clears her throat. "In the place I live, it does. Obviously, not *everywhere*."
Except during the Dark Hour, naturally.
OH thank *cat god*, Ann is offering it without Umie having to steamroll right in and commandeer the situation. And far more naturally, too!
"Sure. Why not?" Umie says, attempting to seem as casual as possible, like she wasn't just immediately seizing upon it like a weakness in a battle.
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
He seems... normal to me?
"Y-you think so?" Ann squints at Umie. Targeted by Joker Killers, thinking Ren is normal...
Just what kind of shady people is Umie associated with?!
Still, it bears mentioning:
"I mean, it's not like it's, like, a bad thing," Ann clarifies, and then a small - fond - smile touches those pink lips. "He's the good kinda weird. You know? Nice and thoughtful. Like those people you usually only hear about in stories."
Though sometimes I wonder--
Ann turns a questioning look Umie's way. A second passes. And then she offers, as if - somehow - predicting the sentiment behind those words.
"It's okay, I know he kinda" does reckless things and is secretly a COGNITIVE CRIMINAL "t-takes on a buncha stuff but -- Ren totally knows how to handle himself."
Her expression is a more sober, thoughtful thing, as the subject turns to the downsides of big cities. Hands clasped behind her back, Ann weighs back on her heels as her brows furrow. "It's weird, right? A lot of people would rather duck their head and mind their own business when faced with a weird situation. ... Not like I can blame them, I guess. When I first got here, it always felt like... 'how can a place with so many people feel so... lonely?'"
One can only imagine, with the way she looks, how that kind of sentiment bubbled up in her. Still; she digests what Umie is saying, and sky blue eyes fly briefly wide.
"B-but I'd never ignore a weirdo in need!" A second passes. "I mean, you're not, like, too weird or anything!"
Ann.
the empasis on too really doesn't help
Still. She makes her offer. And as Umie accepts--
"Yesss! Thank you thank you!" enthuses the blonde Shujin student, side-pumping a fist in grinning, eye-squinting victory. "Okay!" And here -- she looks to take Umie by the wrist, grinning all the while.
"Follow me!"
Before -dragging her off- straight towards--
THE TEMPLE INTERIOR
Where EVEN MORE CATS await them. These ones with price tags!
Yes -- the temple, in addition to the traditional omikuji, seems to be selling beckoning cat statues as well. Ann has - fortunately - released Umie at this point, swaying forward and back on her heels as she looks around herself in thought.
"Hmmm," she muses. A second passes. And then she realizes-- "Oh! So, like. This temple, right? From what I heard, you can buy these -totally cute- cat statues from them. I thiiiink they call them maneki-nekos? Anyway, instead of getting fortunes, you can get a cat, and like, impart a wish with it! And you can either leave the cat at the temple grounds for good luck, or keep it with you until your wish has been fulfilled, and then return it to the temple in thanks, like bringing it home." She beams brightly.
"Pretty cute, right?"
See? Not scary at all!
... that's a lot of cats though...
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
See, Umie is what Akechi has deemed 'a dangerous woman'. (As a joke, in a conversation, where they were joking with each other.)
Umie's lips soften into a smile. "... Yeah." Sure, it's only been a few times that he's even had a chance to exhibit it (retail is no place for kind and thoughtful displays), but she's noticed it. "A little goofy too, sometimes, but I think that's good for someone his age. People take themselves too seriously sometimes." _Like Umie_.
Oh, Ann. You could have let it pass, but now, you have Umie's attention. "Wait," Umie's gaze turns to Ann, a concerned eyebrow raising. "He's not in trouble or anything, is he?" _Right_, she thinks. You are a 155cm Japanese woman who winds herself easily when you don't have access to a Persona. What are you going to do, weird people out?
"I can't blame them either," Umie agrees, to Ann's thought. "If I treated every customer that walked into any job I worked at like they were worthy of 100% of my attention, I'd have nothing left for myself at the end of the day. But some things you can't look away from."
'How can a place with so many people feel so... lonely?'
The same way someone with a person who says they're always there for them will feel like they're continuously cut off from the rest of the world, Umie thinks. "We're all caught within the messes we've created for ourselves," Umie murmurs, to this blonde young woman she's (supposedly) just met. "That's why it's always notable when you see someone else try to do the things you thought you didn't have the strength to do yourself."
Maybe it's just Ann's likeable personality that's made Umie open up! ... Despite Ann, in the next second, mentioning _how weird Umie is_ (though Umie literally called herself a weirdo moments earlier).
"Eh, given how you've just defined 'weird'..." Umie snickers, waving a hand scarlet-nailed hand. "I'll accept it. Besides, there's no need to dance around it. A person scared of a cute temple like this? It *is* weird." She holds up a finger. "... but that's why I'm here. *Because* it's a cute temple with lots of cat statues." ... Which Umie learned about when this place was picked by Joker for their exchange of information some weeks back, wherein he showed off in order to make a dramatic one on one impression. Seriously, who acts like that? (Narrator: It was a highly effective tactic, and well worth Ren disturbing his sleep schedule for one night.)
Ann's enthusiasm is catching, but it's also just a tad bit troubl-- oh no she has Umie's (oddly covered, isn't Umie hot wearing those??) wrist, and they're going towards--
oh no
_oh no_
THE TEMPLE INTERIOR
the cats are totally all looking at Umie, they totally are
Umie tries her best to not betray the way her legs want to quake at the sight of _so many things looking at her_ ANN SAVE HER, YOU CAN TANK, RIGHT
The (dyed) blonde nods slowly to Ann's explanation (which seems like it's coming from a mile away, like, maybe across a canyon or something) as she takes a tenative step forward. "... Right."
Carefully, she brings a hand out to c a r e f u l l y pick up a lucky looking maneki-neko--
..... why
.......why does it look like Tatsuya Suou, this is literally a tiny statue of a lucky cat
"..." Umie makes a face. "..." Still, it makes her remember the way Tatsuya saw that Mystery Burger that had a stamped logo that *somehow* looked like his face and ate it, like he was used to it.
".... I think this one is lucky."
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
Wait. He's not in trouble or anything, is he?
Oh no. Ann better cover!
"Wh-whaaaaaAAAAaat? Noooooooo waaaaaaaaaaay! Hahaha! That's, like, soooooooo crazy!"
... yeah that oughta do it.
"He's just -- y'know -- got a lot of-- of hobbies! Yeah!" Ann's expression suddenly brightens, not because she just cottoned on to an actually viable excuse, but because the thought of Ren dedicating himself to so many hobbies is just -so inspiring-! Y-yeah! "And who knows how many part time jobs now. It's really kinda dizzying! But he's, um." What's old people language for this situation--
"A reeeal go-getter!"
...
Well. She doesn't feel remotely bad about this. It's true! It's not a lie when you're exclusing important secret details if the rest is accurate!
For as much as she scrambles -then- though, afterward, that brief moment of almost glum thought is broken when Umie offers her insights on the nature of cities, and the nature of inspiring people. "Mm," she exhales softly. "Maybe."
And despite the noncommittal answer -- the young Second Year looks visibly heartened all the same.
"Yeah. I guess so, huh?"
Inspiring people by doing things they didn't think they had the strength to do themselves. How topical. After all--
THIS IS UMIE'S LIFE NOW
having been -dragged by a force of nature into the very heart of evil-. Or, like.
A shrine!
Luckily, Ann is so enthusiastic about taking Umie in or some sudden exposure therapy that she doesn't directly dwell on how weird the thumb sleeves are; maybe they're just a fashion statement? Like honestly -- Ann Takamaki, slave to fashion, totally gets that.
What she -is- a bit more keyed into is the way Umie seems like she's -visibly uneasy- in the temple grounds. Her brows furrow a bit. Is this, like -- some kind of thing she's always hearing about like how Catholics are terrified of churches--?
"Hmmm," is Ann's thoughtful noise, murmured mostly to herself.
But rather than draw attention to Umie's discomfort, and potentially make a scene of it in front of so many other people, Ann just keeps things natural, technically looking over that tension while keeping up that casual talk to keep Umie focused on anything other than where they are. Can Ann tank!?
Ann is the BIS for social tanking!!
To wit:
"... Huh."
The way she peeeeeeers over Umie's shoulder to squint at that maneki-neko that she has selected, pink lips pursing just so, eyes two sky blue slivers of scrutiny.
"That cat..." she begins.
"... looks seriously mysterious and brooding."
Does she--
without even knowing who a Tatsuya Suou is--
does she see it?!
"Like one of those visual novel romance protagonists who are always so somber but then you find out halfway through they have some quirky habit like he's terrified of milkshakes or, like, makes weird sound effects or something."
Is she just directly calling out Tatsuya Suou's type without knowing it?!
"Maybe that's the form your luck takes?? That's kinda neat!"
And just like that, she just validates it all with a big, beaming grin, hands on her hips, eyes squinting shut as she nods in acceptance. Soon enough -- she's hopping just a bit with a "nnnnnnn--gotcha!!" of effort to snatch a maneki-neko off the high shelf.
"This is the one! I just know it!" she declares, and brings up that cat statue to the side of her face, as if to frame it and call attention to it. It -- looks exactly like many of the other maneki-nekos here.
except
someone affixed a tiny red ribbon on top of its head
"It's so cuuute! Plus, my Wang Long fortune said that red was gonna be a lucky color for me! This is the one. I know it!"
Did her fortune really say that--?
Well, to be honest.
she doesn't really read wang long fortunes and just kinda glanced at it, read the wrong birth month, went 'hey, neat!' and moved on
BUT IT STILL COUNTS!
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
'A reeeal go-getter!' Umie squints at Ann, warm brown eyes half obscured by eyelid. "... Okay, if you say so," she says, with a slow nod.
Yet another sticky situation resolved solidly by Ann Takamaki! "I mean, I doubt he'd let some clerk he works with know if he's in trouble, but I worry sometimes, you know? After that scandal with that scumbag coach at Shujin, and then that other greedy a--" Oh right. Temple grounds. Probably should be a little more respectful. "That very not nice man that was targetting students for crime." She breathes out a sigh. "But you're right," she says, spinning around on the heel of one foot to face away, "kind of hard to be in any trouble if you're knee-deep in part-time jobs."
Don't worry, Ann, Umie will start worrying about you now! It's inevitable. Don't fight it, it'll only make things worse!
THIS IS ANN'S LIFE NOW
... and wait she's the one dragging Umie into the shrine, maybe Ann's totally going to be fine here
And like anything, once Umie's mind is taken off the existential threat of being perceived by a being from beyond human understanding using the avatar of a mummified human head in samurai armor to communicate with a child who just wanted to feel loved by her parents--
--she does okay. (It also helps if she's wearing a mask, but she just has one in her purse, so it technically, counts, right? Right?!
'That cat... looks seriously mysterious and brooding.'
Umie lets out a snicker. "It totally does," Umie says, a wry half smile cast over her shoulder. And as Ann continues, the grin spreads. "Reminds me of a friend of mine." His birthday was recently, but, this really isn't meant to be a gift you give people, right? "... Like motorcycle sounds," Umie says, nodding along as Ann intuits the natural path of the universe.
' Maybe that's the form your luck takes??'
Ha ha ha, Umie's luck takes the form of Tatsuya Suou
that's, man, that's
oh god she's gonna die, isn't she
"Hhahaha... ha...." Umie's laugh is nervous. "Honestly, he'd be the one that needs the luck. "But maybe that's what I'll wish for." For Tatsuya Suou to have just a little bit of an easier time.
_and none of that monkey's paw shit_
Ann hops up to grab a cute lucky cat with a red ribbon; Umie's mouth forms a soft 'awww' as she sees the ribbon, framed next to Ann's face. "Pheh, you don't need Wang Long to tell you *that*, red is *always* a lucky color. I wear it all the time!"
(The Lucky 7 employee uniform was an unlucky example, but that day was *still* lucky in other ways because Umie didn't die!!)
"... Wait, are you a Scarlet Dragon?" Umie then asks, then quickly adds, "not that it means anything! Wang Long is completely bogus."
She squints. "...... but more likely, you're a Red Dragon. It deals with passion, confidence, and adventure."
A pause. "..... it's still completely bogus, though."
<Pose Tracker> Ann Takamaki has posed.
Some moments just get lost in the blink of an eye.
Like...
that scumbag coach at Shujin
... the way Ann's gaze darkens, for just the briefest sliver of a moment, before she drags Umie off.
Moments, lost in time.
---
But right now though it's all about MOODY GAP MOE!
"Hahaha, for real!" Ann enthuses with a rich little laugh as Umie offers up her -totally off-the-cuff- example of some weird sound effects. "That's perfect! It sounds so dorky!"
oh
oh the slings and arrows tatsuya suou must endure, from such vast distances
Of course, Ann is completely in the dark about any brooding fire-wielding motorcycle-lovers (does Makoto count? ... Makoto doesn't really brood. She just maximizes the adorable dorkiness. hmmm. this requires further thought.), so she is both ignorant of Umie's impending damnation by way of negative-value lucky charms AND she is also completely bemused when Umie mentions that she's wishing for 'his' luck.
"Huh?" Ann asks, tilting her head curiously. "--Ooohhhh. Okay. I totally get it. I guess people do make wishes like that, huh."
And this is Ann.
Just assuming Umie is talking about a boyfriend or something.
She's a trendy adult who wears thumb sleeves in summer, of -course- she's probably playing the field!
And, nodding to herself, Ann acquires her -own- cat, declaring firmly,
"I know exactly what I wanna wish for. For--" the future of the Phantom Thieves, she's ABOUT to say, before remembering JUST BECAUSE UMIE HAS A PERSONA AND YOU FOUGHT A LIFE-OR-DEATH BATTLE WITH HER DOES NOT MEAN SHE KNOWS WHO YOU ARE, ANN.
"--mmmmy exams! I think I could really use it... aheh-heh."
That aheh-heh was not the awkward aheh-heh of a cover up, it must be noted.
It is the resigned aheh-heh of someone who knows no amount of luck from the gods or cat entities that might be greater than all known deific forces could ever save her abysmal exam performance.
There's just -- a limit to everything. Even the infinite can be confounded...
"Right?? I -love- red! It works with so many outfits! My favorite character of this cartoon I watched as a kid? She wore red -all- the time. And she was just so confident and daring... I wished I could be just like her some day."
it's a villain
she's thinking about a villain.
Still! Ann is quick to wave off any dismissal of Wang Long with a very insistent, "I know, I don't - like - always keep up with it, but it's kinda fun to read and think about when I come across it in a magazine, y'know? The world's a big place! Maybe there's something to it."
Umie - despite insisting that the whole thing is -totally- bogus, and Ann, despite buying into -some- idea that the supernatural and mystical could be real--
...... but more likely, you're a Red Dragon. It deals with passion, confidence, and adventure.
"Hee! That's definitely me! You nailed it!"
MONTH OF THE RED DRAGON: AUGUST
MONTH OF THE ANN TAMAKI: NOVEMBER
-- has absolutely no idea what she is talking about.
"Okay! So, we buy these, and then we either leave them here, or take them with us. What do you think we should do? Hmm... maybe take them with us? They're pretty cute. Aaaaaand..."
Ann Takamaki scratches her cheek, looking aside awkward.
"... I kinda totally don't know how you're supposed to do the prayers."
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
Passing moments, easily missed, easily lost in the shuffle of mundane life. They'd be clues to a hungry detective, but when you're Umie, your hunger is more... focused on the things you want to find out.
(Finding out who the Phantom Thieves are will likely be a day that will throw Umie for a complete loop.)
And that day may be the day Umie fully realizes the full depths of gap moe.
... Though nothing will ever be able to top the complexities of Gap Moe as the Suou brothers. No matter how much Tatsuya suffers, there will always be that impulse to just squish his cheeks!!
'--Ooohhhh. Okay. I totally get it.' Red brown eyes look up at Ann, completely clueless, as she holds the small maneki-neko with the strangely brooding, solemn face (maybe the painter was having a bad day, or they got startled by something while trying to paint that cat-like smile.
Speaking of being startled!! _Exams). "Yeah, those are coming up very soon," Umie says, rubbing her chin. "Probably here to get away from studying, but, if you need help..." She shrugs, smirking. "I'm literally offering the same to Amamiya-kun, so, if you don't have plans, I can try to help. I *am* a recent-ish graduate of Seven Sisters High, after all."
Thankfully, the lucky color is on their side! As Ann talks about a character who wore red, while being confident and daring, for some reason--
Wait, wasn't there a character like that? But that was a--
"I remember a character like that too, but she was a villain." Her lips bend in a secret, sly half-grin. "But a fun one. The sort you like, even if you're cheering for the good guys to win."
'Maybe there's something to it.' "I mean, some of it seems to be a thing, like... bad luck." She points to a poor soul across the way, trying to hold onto a maneki-neko. "That guy over there," she whispers, trying not to draw attention to him... "He's in his time of--"
.... as he fumbles the maneki-neko right out of his hands.
It feels bad to continue to point at him. "But in those cases, you just have to wait it out, and then, before you know it, it'll be over."
She offers no explanation of how or why she knows; it could be just as likely a coincidence. After all, Umie has no clue that Ann Takamaki was born in the Month of the Person Who has No Clue!
"Red Dragons got the better deal," Umie grumbles. "Scarlet dragons are associated with battle, rashness, hastiness, and stubbornness. _Completely bogus_. I'm not hasty or rash at *all*." ANN DO NOT SAY ANYTHING, UMIE DOESN'T KNOW YOU'RE PANTHER.
'I kinda totally don't know how you're supposed to do the prayers.'
".... Maybe we just... clap out hands and pray quietly?"
Or.
There is always the Umie option.
===THE UMIE OPTION===
Umie is kneeling, holding her hands together. "Pleasepleaseplease, let my friend catch a break, Lucky Lucky Neko-san. Pleasepleaseplease. I don't care if it's just that he gets a lucky ticket for a free meal, or is able to just, I don't know, have a nice day. Something so that he doesn't have to feel like everything's weighing down on him. Don't let him get kicked out of high school, his big brother will have a heart attack."
The red bracelet and its bell charm chime as she rubs them and claps three times.
"........ This is probably the wrong way of doing it, but the last time I was in a shrine was--" not too long ago but that doesn't count "--a while."