2025-11-20: Type Help
- Log: Type Help
- Cast: Myunghon Yeo, Umie Akabane
- Where: The Cardboard Dragon, Hirasaka Ward
- OOC Date: November 21, 2025
- IC Date: August 14, 2012
- Summary: Myunghon attempts to access the help directory (no such directory found) and also texts Umie following the events that led Sudou to be in their storefront. Umie's attempts to calm them lead them to fall further into masking as Merry.
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
However Umie Akabane's Saturday was going, she receives a somewhat uncanny text from Myunghon:
> help
Myunghon usually takes a bit of time to compose their messages online and on the phone, so this is already unusual enough on its own.
> cd help
This is the last text that Myunghon sends for a bit, which for all anyone knows was meant to take them to the help directory. By the time Umie arrives, she finds the Cardboard Dragon... well, not burnt to the ground, but perfectly intact, actually -- inside, Myunghon is... seated against the counter, looking rather pale and terrified, face slicked in seat as they huddle against their white coat. They have a chocolate-coloured blouse on, with a black ribbon tie, white inverted pleat skirt, leggings, white shoes.
They don't look roughed up or harmed, but it's quite clear they're beyond perturbed.
Shinjiro Aragaki has arrived from Historia: The White Chronicle.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
-----------LATER-----------
Umie will go meet up with Tamaki, as promised, to show her Tartarus, and be angry at a Dirt Man yanking a man into the Dark Hour, likely while keeping all of this in the back of her mind.
-----------BEFORE-----------
Umie recieves a text as she watches her laundry spin in the dryer.
She frowns as she types. Was this a mistake, or something else?
> everything ok???
Nothing.
Like the times when Mai-chan goes on for long periods without saying a word, it's often the moments where nothing happens that become the most alarming periods of all.
-----------NOW-----------
There is no one at the fire escape door, because Umie, despite knowing Myunghon's opinion on breaking and entering, is taking the other way in. _Let it be an opinion, this is an emergency_.
Besides, if all goes well, Myunghon (as well as anyone that may be currently attacking the Cardboard Dragon) won't even know Umie is here until it's too late. (For them, that is. Not Umie. Umie will *not* be too late here.)
There in the shop proper, when Umie feels it's safe enough, the shroud is allowed to dissipate, though Umie's resonance stays hidden.
"Yeo-san." Umie's voice is quiet, carefully broaching her existence without it being too much of a shock; it's possible that Myunghon may have noticed her coming in from the stairs, or not at all up until now, with Badb's shroud obscuring her presence cognitively. After all, Myunghon is expecting her, which sometimes is all that it takes to undo the spell, while at other times, it takes more.
The shroud isn't as much for Merry, besides.
Dressed in her usual casual clothing, Umie wouldn't look like anyone aside from a customer. (How many customers get serial killers to visit the places they frequent?)
"What happened? Is the danger still here?"
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Myunghon startles at the first sign of Umie speaking up, scrambling around like they've gone from their terrorised state to one of full fight-or-flight alert again, despite Umie's caution. Myunghon doesn't appear to have noticed Umie at all, distracted as they are, whispering, "Akabane-san-- Akabane-san..."
They try to peel themself off the floor as fast as possible, and ends up stumbling as they whisper, "There was someone here-- a blonde man--" Their thoughts are in a tangle, and they're not capable of untangling it so easily. "I'm certain he was a killer. He had a presence, Resonance, that was not unlike yours... and he was asking after you. I smelt-- there was blood on the money in his wallet, and I'm certain he had killed. Possibly recently..."
Myunghon's head is still stirring as they clutch onto Umie's shoulders. "I don't believe he was any random thug. No, there was a threat that I could not shake-- there should be video recording--" they're hyperventilating again at this point.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
The shroud is working, in fact. Maybe a little too well, as Myunghon startles, nonetheless. There's not much that can be done about that.
(At least Myunghon will miss where Umie came in from.)
'a blonde man--' There was... yes, Shinjiro had confirmed that the blonde man they both saw once was Sudou. But there's others, right?
There's... 'he was a killer.' Others. 'He had a presence.'
A resonance, not unlike hers. Blood on the money in his wallet.
It's funny, what can occur in the span of a heartbeat. Recognition, fear, relief, sadness, paranoia.
But the one she can't feel right now, *shouldn't feel*, is panic.
She can imagine it like a viper poised at the back of her mind, wanting to strike her in a moment of indecision.
Myunghon's hands clutch on Umie's shoulders; she closes her eyes, and lets a breath in, and then out.
"You've dealt with him before, right?" she murmurs, softly. "He wants to make you afraid, or, heck, he wants to stir shit up. Or throw us all into whirlwind so that we're not ready to counteract him the next time he strikes. You *know* who he is, Merry-san." She plants her own hands on Myunghon's shoulders, attempting to steady them. "Let's sit down, right now. Get something to drink. Hell, maybe he figured out we were trying to ally with the Phantom Thieves. I don't know what the hell his information network's like. So, we got to settle down, and think about our next plan of action. You *can* do this, Merry-san. This is where the leader part comes in."
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
This is the Umie Akabane that assertively decided that Myunghon shouldn't have alcohol when they visited the Triple Seven that she worked at. In a single breath, she takes control, as she reminds them that he wants to make them afraid -- stir shit up. Throw them into a whirlwind. There's a timid noise from Myunghon, even as Umie reminds them that they know who he is--
Tatsuya Sudou.
"I--I can't...! Akabane-san, I'm too scared--" Myunghon's whimpering, hyperventilating, mind stirred, wincing a little as Umie mirrors the gesture and holds onto their shoulders. They're coaxed into a seat, at least.
You can do this, Merry-san. This is where the leader part comes in.
There's nothing but Myunghon's very loud, shaky whimpers and breathing for the first few moments... they reach for the black coat at the coat hanger to drape around themselves like a security blanket (very purposefully so), and then regulate their breathing further, cupping their hands into their face with one final whimper--
"... that's correct," answers Merry.
They left their head, and reach out for their phone. "The security cameras were operating within the premises of the Cardboard Dragon at the time. I doubt that he is so careless as to show his face, yet--"
A pause. A frown.
Merry hands the phone over silently to Umie Akabane, where there's a CCTV shot of the man -- blonde, in a pair of jeans and a red t-shirt and blue overshirt, but his face... it's as if there's a shadow stretching behind him, with black shadowy hands covering his face.
"He was taunting you as much as he was me, now, is he not," Merry murmurs.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
'I--I can't...! Akabane-san, I'm too scared--'
"You weren't this scared of him in Seven Sisters, remember?" It may have been a better tactic to be more sympathetic; that may be what Myunghon needs, right now. However, in this moment, with her own heart threatening to speed up--
Myunghon will see the twitch of Umie's mouth as she looks away, letting Myunghon have a chance to settle in. "I'm here now, there's nothing that can happen without me knowing about it."
Tall words; false words, on top of that.
"Yeah, if we have evidence, we can throw that at that reporter trying to bring his existence to light. If you saw his face, then..."
Umie trails off, as Myunghon frowns, and lets out a sigh. "No luck?"
She takes the phone from Myunghon, and stares at it for a moment.
".... What is this..." Her throat threatens to revolt, suddenly dry as sandpaper. "This is..."
Her hand rubs her face as the other goes to hand the phone back. "We just need to..."
Think, Umie, think. Try to get ahead of this.
"_I'm not giving him what he wants_," she finally hisses, one eye peeking through her hand.
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
That was Merry, too, Myunghon would point out.
The compartmentalising is getting stronger, one could point out, but nevermind that. Merry is functional now; Merry is here. There's a delighted little smile, as opposed to that full-blown begging and panic moments ago, as Umie affirms that nothing can happen here without her knowing about it. Yes, that's the confidence they need.
"The reporter. Amano-san?" Merry comments. "Regardless, Akabane-san, the absence of evidence is in itself evidence... this is still an indication that that was no ordinary foe."
Umie's working through her own struggle, and Merry pulls forward, with an ease and confidence in their body language that wasn't there before. "We do have a contact in the police force that would believe us. Suou-san. He said his name is 'Taka Suho'... an obviously fake name."
A pause, as they turn to look beyond their shoulder to Umie. "Have you uncovered anything else about our friend here...?"
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
While Umie has yet to realize the separation between the two, there's definitely a change in how Myunghon operates. Umie can definitely tell.
Surely, Umie's pep talk wasn't *that* effective, was it?
Warm brown eyes widen, slightly, but Umie lets out a breath as she rolls with it.
"Y-yeah, Amano-san." Rolling her shoulders, Umie takes a seat on a surface nearby, be it chair or otherwise.
"I'm failing to see how a shadow will help us. Someone's going to take one look at that and say 'doctored'." She considers, bringing her left hand to her chin and crossing her legs. "I may be looking at this too literally, ie 'is this evidence that Amano-san can use'. We already know he's trouble, as well the fact that his Persona isn't like anything either of us have seen."
THe mention of Katsuya Suou brings a smile to Umie's face. "Indeed, he would--"
'Taka Suho.' "Eeh?" The flat look on Umie's face is unmistakable. Is he *trying* to get caught?!
Unless...
Is that what this is?!
'Have you uncovered anything else about our friend here....?'
"Just that he went after Tsubasa Seki-san at Aoba Park." She rubs her neck. "Seki-san was not happy to see me snooping around their business, and honestly, I don't blame them, with how the police have been acting. Some weirdo going around asking all their friends if they're okay? Yeah, that's suspicious as hell." She shrugs. "Meanwhile, I was trying to make up for lost time. Damn bastard gave me a concussion."
She thinks for a bit. "He was at another place too. Shinji-ku-- Aragaki-kun was with me, and recognized his face. He's either trying to stretch out his legs, or he knows we can't do anything if he's just out as a normal person."
Or, he wants to be caught, perhaps. Called out, even.
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Umie's not the only one wearing masks. And when things do truly become too hard, it's best to delegate to a mask borne from a truly impossible, life-or-death choice. The revolution demands it.
"No, I'm not saying to take this to the media," Merry does clarify. "But this power was not known to me before. And his Resonance resembled yours. Perhaps a little bit too deliberately. I'd only known his powers from direct combat before, and yet..." A pause, as they surreptitiously glance to Umie. "Is this a manifestation of that... arm, I wonder." They're being coy, but they're very clearly indicating the Mark.
Is he trying to get caught?
"I am in privy to the Joker Killer's own identity myself... but perhaps it is best, if we both know, from your reaction, that we do not spell it out," observes Merry. But Umie talks about how Umie went to Tsubasa, and had a rough time... there's a deep frown as Umie shares that the Joker Killer gave her a concussion.
"I think it is quite certain that the police will do nothing about it. It's quite clear, from the way Suou-san alone has been treated. But we do not need to rely on them," murmurs Merry. "But it seems that he has taken an interest in us."
There's a wide, dangerous smile on Merry's face. "How intriguing."
This, from the person who was just about to have a breakdown a minute ago.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
Is it a manifestation of the Mark?
Umie frowns, then sighs, crossing her legs in a sitting position. "I guess I never went over that point." She sighs, drawing her fingers through her bangs. "By the way, I told Joker about the Mark finally. Figured he should know, if the NWO gets entangled in things. He knows that it's tied to the NWO, and that they gave to it me..."
"As well as the fact that the Old Maid apparently has it." Which was one point Umie forgot to clue Myunghon in on.
She'll correct that now, however. "He definitely has it, though I can't verify if his Mark is visible." She smirks. "It's not like I can go up and ask him to show his right wrist."
Unless... could it be that it's not always there...?
She rudely shoves that thought aside.
Myunghon's other words cause Umie to pause. Her lips thin into a line.
"... Yes. And yes again, for exactly that reason. It's been a pain, trying to thread needles like 'hey, police are covering this up' and not look like I'm just Ms. Obvious over here." She plants a hand on each knee. "But the difference between 'the police are covering up his crimes and blaming it on scapegoats' and 'they're doing this because he's..." She clears her throat. "... 'a complete bastard's son who I don't know the identity of, at all, especially not that guy, do you want to imply he's a bastard, you just did by assuming I meant that guy, etcetc'... yeah, it's a lot different, even if it leads to the same thing."
'How intriguing.'
There's a beat, where Umie's expression freezes, finding herself between two positions.
Does she want to be the one who yearns for someone to save her, or be the person who solves her own problems? There's only one choice here.
She answers with a widening smile of her own; one that Umie's given many, many times before. "Let him bring it."
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
It's fine that Myunghon Yeo is suffocating inside, begging for someone to save them. So long as they still have masks to play, then they can still interface with the world. That's the way the last few very difficult months, which have exposed them to a lot of physical, emotional and other kinds of violence, which could become reality at any moment, has shaped for them.
"Hmmm. I had already made that inference, but to have you confirm it is pleasant," Merry observes, with a widening smile as they tuck their head down, like they're enjoying being in the centre of a spider-web of information. "Why the right wrist? Perhaps whoever it is is making a statement that it is not the sinister hand that carries darkness."
Was that... a pun.
"You know. My father, Seiichiro Yukichi, is one of Tatsuzou Sudou's oldest friends," Merry suddenly points out after Umie speaks about the Joker Killer's role in things.
"And two years ago, at the cusp of the great worldwide recession, I capsized his corporation, Frey Pharmaceuticals."
They don't expand any further than that, but the implication is definitely very clear what they're saying here. Merry rises from their seat and rather lavishly drapes that black coat around themself further, as if it were going to smother them. "Well put, Akabane-san. There are more avenues of investigation to pursue here. And it is well that you are on better speaking terms with Joker, though--"
A pause.
"Would he agree to a one-on-one meeting if you facilitated it, in Mementos? I have some items I'd like to clarify with him."
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
In a way, it's been the same for Umie: for all that she has loved the past few months, it has brought with it more and more knowledge of the tightrope that lies underneath her feet. Each time she hears the tones of Mai-chan is a time she feels scared when she doesn't hear it, and every time she doesn't hear it, she is afraid of the void left behind, gaping wide below each step. The battlefield is different for Myunghon, however; the stakes just as high.
"Same here. My senses aren't as good as yours." Umie frowns, as Myunghon asks the next question. "Because it's--"
Because it's the one ____________ put ___ ____ on.
"It doesn't matter," Umie hisses with a anger she instantly regrets, as she looks down.
Wait. The sinister hand. ".... God... I just got it..." Umie groans as she rubs her face. "That's a sinister pun, Merry-san."
Myunghon's father, one of Tatsuzou's... closest... friends. ".... I wonder if he ever heard about the time Tatsuzou thought it'd be great to--" She needs to stop. This venom is meant for only a few people.
Especially when Myunghon reveals the rest of the story, with their father. "... No love lost between you two, sounds like..." She swallows, beginning to realize the connotations of what that may mean.
It's likely for the best if it stays right here, Umie thinks.
'And it is well that you are on better speaking terms with Joker, though--'
Umie clears her throat. "I suppose, yes." Don't think about it don't think about it don't think about it you'll blush and this is *not* a great look because he did literally nothing but be Joker for fuck's sake
One of the fingers close to her crossed ankle digs in. Right. Business. "If this is about the meeting, I think I could clarify a few things there too, if you want."
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Umie's stopping herself a lot. What was it she was going to say? Merry doesn't particularly see fit to probe, though they do wonder what it is Umie thinks about Tatsuzou. "He is the reason I am in this state you see. No evidence, of course, but..." that vivid smile is just getting more and more dangerous.
If Merry picks up on how Umie feels about Joker, though, they don't comment on it. Hmmm. How intriguing. Perhaps they should play the field of romance a little too. Surprise Tsumugi. How do tactics apply there?
"... I would be pleased. We do not have particular means to contact each other other than you or Jose, so it may be more expedient," Merry does affirm. "Thank you, Akabane-san."
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
It's definitely noticeable.
It's something spikey that lurks at the edges here; something that is called forth at Myunghon's smile.
It's an anger that so badly wants to be free.
.... Yet another place where Umie and Myunghon have their similarities, it seems.
Buit the thought of Joker and his own convictions and words (pushing aside the embarrassing feelings that flutter in her stomach, _you don't even know who he is, Umie_), brings with it a cold bucket of water.
They don't kill. It is that difference, even in terms of logistics and debate, that the Phantom Thieves are hard set on.
"Alright." Umie nods. "He's strict about the conditions they've set, and, in talking to him, I think it was pretty clever of him to do that." She motions with a hand. "It's not about us forcing each other to agree; it's about making sure everyone is on board. We should really ask ourselves if we're going to be the boon we're claiming to be, if we leave any back doors open to leave them unprepared."
She closes her eyes. "In my opinion, I think you should tell him everything, Myunghon. What Jose did, the attack at the warehouse, and even this," she says, indicating Sudou's surprise visit. "We're the ones that face the public; we can't be leaving any back doors open, or we'll be the ones that'll accidentally bring any allies down."
Her eyes open, and she grins. "We're not the Phantom Thieves, and that's a good thing, because there's already a Phantom Thieves. We are a Cardboard Dragon, however, and with it come those strengths and weaknesses. Consider what is the best way to help them, while considering our differences."
"That's my lecture. I'll pass the word on as best I can." She itches her cheek. "I think it'd be good for two leaders to meet one on one, eh?"