2025-11-30: Mementos Request: Who's Enabling The Trafficker?
- Log: Mementos Request: Who's Enabling The Trafficker?
- Cast: Ren Amamiya, Ichika Kawase, Ryuji Sakamoto, Makoto Niijima, Hajime Yasuda (NPCed by Crossroads Bar)
- Where: Mementos - Path of Chemdah
- OOC Date: 2025-11-30
- IC Date: Sat, Aug 18 2012
- Summary: The Phantom Thieves (and Ogre!) delve into Mementos to try and get information about Eiji from another source -- his best friend, Hajime. He proves to be almost as much of a piece of shit as Eiji... almost. But while they're able to get a lot of information out of him, Hajime's been kept on the outside of his kidnapping business -- even if there are adults who apparently know more about it...
- Content warning: Intimate partner violence, coercive control, stalking, human trafficking, misgendering/deadnaming, strong misogynistic language.
<Pose Tracker> Crossroads Bar has posed.
Eiji's Shadow is safe in his Palace, protected and unassailable. Efforts to route out and comprehend the horrors written therein are apace; it is a thing they ought take piecemeal, because the dose makes the poison, and the poison running through Eiji's brain is more potent than most.
But one of those scouting efforts turned up a new face, unlike the dozens of faceless party-goers at his wedding --
'Hajime Yasuda'.
Ichika will recognise the name.
Her Request doesn't come from the Phan-Site, yet all the same: Who's Enabling the Trafficker?
With his identity strong enough in the Palace to warrant features, a new avenue of attacking Eiji's Palace opens up to them: finding and questioning Hajime's Shadow. Any fears that he might have been warped enough to warrant a Palace of his own are put to rest when his name leads to a Shadow in Mementos, pacing deep in the Path of Chemdah.
And you know what that means --
-- they have the opportunity to level grind a little while they're here, too!
After all, finding their way through Chemdah means fighting through several other Shadows... especially if they want to stop off to check out those treasure chests on the way to Hajime's exclamatory signal.
(And frankly, Mona's driving, so Mona gets to decide whether Joker has to pick those locks and get that treasure or not. GIVE HIM THE TREASURE, JOKER. IT'S SHINY AND HE WANTS IT.)
Shiisaa, Makami, and Inugami plague the Phantom Thieves as they delve through the trainlines of Chemdah, the lights ahead of them cast in sickly yellow as trains rattle in the distance. There's a hidden wall, on the way -- and Mona revs his engine, wriggling the back end of his bus, before he CRASHES into it. There, they find one of Jose's special Stamp Podiums hidden away!
Then he's gotta back up, back it up...
Nyooming along the train tracks, eventually, that exclamation makes itself clear: a warping in the Cognition of Mementos, all swirling in on itself. Diving through, they find themselves in a pocket of Mementos -- in front of the greaser to end all greasers. His hair is bleached blond and slicked back with WAY too much hair gel, the collar of his Hawaiian shirt is aggressively popped, and sunglasses are veiling his eyes. He's tall, too -- he'd even be tall for a white guy, at five-foot-ten, though he's definitely Japanese.
"Can't believe that bitch called a fuckin' hotline on me," he mutters, to himself. "I sure as hell weren't goin' too fast... fuck, man, Eiji-kun said she'd be good for it by now, maybe she's just tryin' to embarrass me?!"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Level-grinding is also possible in Eiji's Palace, of course, but... it is a potent poison in there. Joker doesn't mind the more generic sort of creepiness of Mementos when The Phantoms realize that there's value in finding out what Eiji's nearly-as-shitty best friend Hajime Yasuda might know about all this. (There's also value in leaving Eiji's Palace, given how badly it affects and continues to affect Ogre. Joker worries that she might not be able to make it to the end, despite how earnestly she requested to join them for the heist. They keep this concern to themself; they don't want to make her feel weak or like a burden.)
He doesn't have a Palace of his own, so down to Chemdah they go, Joker at the wheel of the Monabus as usual--and all too happy to have him ram shabby walls to reveal the treasures (lower-case T) behind. Sure, Mona. They'll give you the treasure. They also appreciate the shininess. They appreciate turning the crank of one of the Stamp Podiums even more, trading a bright star for a dim crescent moon. It's just satisfying.
One of the whirling vortexes comes into view not long after that, and diving in, they find the Shadow of a greasy-looking guy.
"That him?" Joker murmurs to Ogre. When she confirms it, they nod, then leave the Monabus with their friends.
They hear what he mutters. They just choose not to acknowledge it as they approach, hands at their sides rather than in their pockets. "Hajime Yasuda?" they say, more to get his attention than to confirm his identity. "We have questions for you."
They'll nod again to Ogre here--and to Queen and Skull. This'll probably come to a fight, so they need to all be ready.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ichika is definitely down to level grind. She's happier to do it in Mementos than in the Palace for sure. ...She appreciates that Ren isn't bringing his doubts to her, though--or would, if she knew. She has some of her own...
Down, down, down, through the Monabus.
"So not only is your cat not a cat," Ogre says, "He's a bus."
This is relevant information to her. She actually has her driver's license now! ...But that might be a hindrance to the way the Phantoms drive down here, actually, given how many things they run into.
"Stars, huh...?"
Ichika does indeed know the name and the face, though.
"This is how you find people down here, huh?" she asks, and then when they actually go through the vortex--
"That's him," Ogre confirms.
Ogre is dressed in her thorny armor and horned mask, and she saunters more than walks, willing to be intimidating to this guy. She doesn't like him much.
Least of all since she hears his muttering.
But her glare is all she offers at first. She's not going to try to pry the lead away from Joker; he knows more what he's doing when it comes to this stuff.
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Another trip to Mementos means more heads to crack. This was the easy part of the job and something Ryuji is pretty good with. However, this latest Palace and it's denizens were, again, REALLY bothering Ryuji. It felt like the longer the blonde looked, another scumbag would just come crawling out like a roach escaping an empty box.
Ryuji just sighs when Hajime opens his mouth. "Wow. Such a way with words... Gotta be him, right?" Ryuji lays the sarcasm a little thick as he looks around the place.
He nods when Ichika confirms they have the right guy. For the moment, Skull just holds his weapon and waits for the festivities to begin, balancing his pipe on his shoulder. Skull looks over at Ogre, giving her a look to make sure she is ok with all of this.
<Pose Tracker> Makoto Niijima has posed.
Level grinding is, indeed, a time honoured pastime, and frankly, Makoto is a little eager to have an opportunity to take some aggression out on some shadows after an encounter this morning. Whether Ren has hung out with Mishima enough for those not with them to benefit for Morganacular Homicide, but that's ren problem.
And anger is an easier and safer emotion than some others right now.
She's also just as happy not to be in Eiji's palace. Those backrooms are too clear an example of the fate she was lucky enough to avoid. It would be too easy for her to be another of those 'flowers' in the depths of Eiji's palace, but for Kaneshiro instead of Eiji.
"He says it has something to do with humanity's cognition of cats turning into vehicles? Either way, it's useful." Queen, tutorial fairy in training, responds to Ogre's statement. (Is she gonna steal all Morgana's jobs?)
Still, her introduction to Hajime Yasuda, however he relates to Eiji Yamada, is not a good one. But a Shadow shows someone's twisted desires at the forefront. Still, her eyes narrow.
"...Who is he talking about?" Makoto says, quietly, looking to Ogre. Does Hajime have a target of his own? Or is this person a reward simply for working for Eiji?
Still, she's prepared to let Joker take the lead right now- she's pretty confident how this will turn out, however.
<Pose Tracker> Crossroads Bar has posed.
Mementos likely is a much less dangerous place for Ogre to get some levels. Even if they're trying to find someone connected to Eiji, at least that's one confrontation at the end instead of a Palace specifically designed to torment her.
At least Shiisaa's pretty cool. You know, for a guardian lion-dog that's trying to bite them to death. He's not a bad guy, he just has resting bitch face.
But as for the kind of guy who would call someone out for having a face like a female dog, with all the lack of respect of a really wretched dude --
"Tch... hey, guys, your broads are harshing my vibe!" Hajime yells, as Joker calls his attention to them. (Sorry, Joker. Hajime is a transphobe and loud about it, he's not going to respect your gender any time soon.) "Whaddaya want?!"
He's addressing Joker and Skull with that question, frustratingly.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Lots of people, and Shadows, and Demons, have resting bitch face. It's fine. He gives a lot of XP, and that's what counts.
Shadow Hajime better give a lot more XP for the trouble he's immediately giving The Phantoms (and Ogre, who is at present still a temporary party member). Joker doesn't care about being addressed as a 'guy'; they're genderfluid, so it's not incorrect, and they wouldn't discuss their futei-sei status with scum like this anyway. Their eyes narrow behind their mask when Shadow Hajime disrespects Ogre and Queen, but they don't let themself get baited. The others are counting on them to stay calm and take--and maintain--the lead.
"It's about your friend, Eiji Kamiya, and the work you're doing for him," they reply. "You are helping him out with his operations, aren't you? Exactly what work do you do for him? How far along is he in whatever he plans to do to Tsubasa Seki, and what part are you playing in that?"
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
It's kind of fun, actually, running over Shadows and running into things...
But Queen explains about Mona, and Ogre nods thoughtfully. "I see," she says. "That's cool. All that smart people stuff is over my head, but he's got a sweet look."
That's the guy, though, and who's he talking about? "Dunno," Ichika says. "Some girl, probably. Sounds like he tried to move on her faster than she wanted, and she did something about it. Good for her."
A pause. "But that's not always how it goes with him. He used to date Tsubasa... He treated them like shit, back before they decided they weren't a girl or anything. Really big on 'you can't get anyone better than me'."
She's 'harshing his vibe', apparently. She looks at Queen, and back to Hajime.
She shrugs expansively. She tries not to get heated, either. Instead...
She waits. Joker's got the questions down, anyway.
GAME: Ryuji Sakamoto flips a coin! The coin lands on its edge!
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Skull clicks his tongue when the cognition Hajime addresses him and Joker. He really does consider breaking his pipe over this guy's face. It would feel so rewarding...but for the moment, the blonde narrows his eyes and looks over to Joker.
No Skull didn't want to let his emotions get in the way this time.
But then Ichika mentions this guy hurt Tsubasa and the blonde takes a deep breath.
The leather clad Phantom marches over to Hajime and narrows his eyes as he slouches in place. "Hey pal. Hurry up and answer the questions." He smiles darkly as he makes eye contact with the cognition, knowing that a) he will say something rude and b) when he does, Skull was going to break this guy's nose with a headbutt. "Also if its not too much, apologize." Ryuji smiles again as he starts to get up in Shadow Hajime's face.
<Pose Tracker> Makoto Niijima has posed.
'Harshing his vibe', huh. There's a lot more Queen could harsh right now, but instead she glares coldly at Hajime. It's pretty clear contributing will only make him angrier- and honestly, Makoto's a little tempted to lean into that, but Ichika seems to be a little calmer. "...This is a habit of his, then." Makoto says. still coldly- but she definitely tenses when Ichika mentions he dated Tsubasa. "...after the fire, right?" Makoto asks, more quietly.
She can't imagine it happened when Tsubasa was still... someone else. More than that, Makoto's hoping she didn't fail someone else with her inaction.
Selfish of her, really.
Ryuji, meanwhile, seems to have decided aggression is the correct approach, and Makoto's first instinct is to quietly hiss at him to step back- but it's a little too late for that, isn't it?
And maybe, Queen wants an opportunity to smash Hajime's face in too, but she's supposed to be the responsible one. She casts a look to Joker, but it's not too hard to see her hands balling into fists, waiting for her tekko.
<Pose Tracker> Crossroads Bar has posed.
"What fuckin' operations, man? You smokin' shit? We're high-school-ers, idiot!" Hajime taps his temple, aggressively, as he leans forward. "And we ain't into that young gang shit, what you take us for, Kasugayama trash?! Man, I moved on from those girls ages back! Like, you know what Eiji-kun said when I posted up those photos of that bitch Tsubaki to my socials? He looked at how fucked up her head was and turned to me and went, 'I was too polite to say this during that display in front of school, but she looks like she was ran through a woodchipper, I hope you have a little more self-respect next time,'" and he affects a deeply pompous voice to relate it. "Of course I got self-respect, goddamn! The wounded girls are just EASY, man! Yeah, back then, I had this girl who lit herself up kowtowin'," he adds, to Makoto. "The crazy ones are always more fun. Like this bitch I got now -- 'cept some fucker musta turned her against me! Rough game, man, the sluts who got touched before they hit highschool are always easy to twist up..."
He clicks his tongue, looking from Joker over to Ogre. "Tch, what's... oh, yeah, the woodchipper bitch did change her name, didn't she? Not that I care! Anyway, there's no way Eiji-kun is plannin' to do anythin' to her! She's way too ugly for him, man... he likes hot chicks. And a lot of 'em," Hajime grins. "Goes through 'em like a knife through butter... it's funny, like, those bitches are always so distraught over him dumpin' 'em they drop outta school! He always says I'm too rough with chicks when we're out on the town, but you better believe that when we're hangin' out private he's tellin' me what's the best way to grab a girl by the hair and slam her face into somethin' before she knows what hit her. And fuck, it ain't our faults all the girls out there these days are undisciplined as shit!"
At which point, presumably, Skull headbutts him.
His skin is so greasy, man.
"You piece of shit!!" Hajime roars, as he staggers back, clutching his head. "I'll make you pay for that, you white-knight bastard!"
He erupts in a plume of Shadow -- revealing his warped anger as Eligor, as flames erupt from him to wash over the Thieves and Ogre!
GAME: Crossroads Bar has assumed form 1, Eligor!
AS: Crossroads Bar has readied for combat as Eligor! They is now fully healed! Ready for 4 opponents!
AS: Persona! Crossroads Bar has used the Fire skill Maragi on Ren Amamiya, Ryuji Sakamoto, Ichika Kawase, and Makoto Niijima!
AS: You still have 3 regular actions and 0 bonus Weak actions!
AS: Crossroads Bar's turn has ended.
AS: Counter Worst! Makoto Niijima takes 42 Fire damage from Crossroads Bar's Maragi. Resist!
AS: COUNTER! Crossroads Bar takes 28 Earth damage in return for their attack!
AS: Block Neutral! Ichika Kawase takes 49 Fire damage from Crossroads Bar's Maragi. Critical Hit!
AS: Block Worst! Ryuji Sakamoto takes 54 Fire damage from Crossroads Bar's Maragi.
AS: Avoid Best! Ren Amamiya takes 34 Fire damage from Crossroads Bar's Maragi. Critical Hit!
AS: Haze added!
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
It is fun! You don't need to know how to drive well when you're driving the Monabus. At that point, crashing into things is the point.
But we digress.
Shadow Hajime talks incredibly mad shit. The main thing that Joker gets from the verbal diarrhea that spews from his mouth is that he doesn't know anything about what Eiji is really doing, which absolves Hajime himself of absolutely nothing. They might have chastised Skull for setting the Shadow up for failure, but hearing what Shadow Hajime says about the girls he's 'dated'--what he says about Tsubasa in particular--and about how he and Eiji both have treated others all around, and how he apparently thinks Eiji's exes choose to 'drop out' after he dumps them, has Joker clenching their hands too, much like Queen.
It's kind of astonishing that the calmest of all of them is Ogre. At this point, Skull is just speaking for the trees.
When Shadow Hajime responds to violence with violence and a transformation into an Eligor, Joker calls up his cognitive dagger. "Shut up. For now. The questions will resume once we've beaten some manners into you," they say curtly. "Everyone, remember--we don't kill."
A torrent of flame surges towards Joker and crashes up against a wall of azure fire as Joker clutches their mask. Fire against fire is actually a viable method; the flickering blue parts the Maragi as Arsène rises up at Joker's back.
"But anything up to that is fair game!" they bark, just before the dark-winged rogue cackles and calls up a plume of darkness to whorl around Shadow Hajime's combat form, again and again and again.
AS: Persona! Ren Amamiya has used the Dark skill Multi-Eiha on Crossroads Bar! 3 Hits!
AS: Ruin: Ren Amamiya gains 1 Limit!
AS: Ren Amamiya's turn has ended.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"...You know about that?" Ogre wonders of Queen when she asks about Tsubasa. "Yeah. After the fire. Their confidence was shot after that."
Ryuji--she appreciates Ryuji. Demanding an apology. She actually smiles faintly at that.
But the Shadow... he's talking super mad shit. And Ichika is surprised--Ogre is surprised. Hajime really doesn't seem to know much... But he knows enough. The 'wounded girls'.
'Self-respect.'
"You just think of girls as meat," she says once Ryuji headbutts him. "...Undisciplined. I'll show you 'undisciplined.'"
Ogre looks calm--but her anger about these things is something she's trying hard to keep a handle on. To use, instead of just give in to.
Ichika calls up her shield. It continues to be kind of clown colors, because that's the last one she picked up.
Ogre gets knocked on her ass, but gets back up. Her shield doesn't help that one much.
But that's not what she uses. "Momiji!" Ogre calls, and a second Ogre appears--in a beautiful kimono, with terrible claws and long horns. "Let's get him a little confused. Marin Karin!"
Momiji strikes a sexy pose, mocking the Shadow by blowing a kiss--
She's trying to piss him off as well as confuse him.
...She might be a little vindictive.
"Right. No killing. ...But I'll make him regret some."
AS: Persona! Ichika Kawase has used the Almighty skill Marin Karin on Crossroads Bar!
AS: Ichika Kawase's turn has ended.
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Skull groans at the feeling of that guy's skin. It was enough to make his own skin crawl off and run away. Still Ryuji is pretty happy that his headbutt connected. He'll even deal with his team thinking he jumped the gun again. "Heh. Call me whatever you like, Asshole. I'll keep hitting you until you start talking with a little more respect."
When the Shadow turns into a Eligor, the blonde clicks his tongue again, readying his stance. "Why couldn't you turn into something manageable?!"
Captain Kidd appears rocking the metaphorical seas behind Ryuji as he slouches in his stance. The Skeleton Persona rears up on its flying boat and aims it's cannon toward the Shadow. Within moments, a beam of electrical energy fires off toward it's target, splintering as it makes contact.
"Right. No killing. Doesn't mean I can't fuck him the hell up!"
AS: Persona! Ryuji Sakamoto has used the Elec skill Zio on Crossroads Bar!
AS: Ryuji Sakamoto's turn has ended.
<Pose Tracker> Makoto Niijima has posed.
Queen grimaces at that knowledge. Some best friend she was, back then-
Because there's so much a recently orphaned sixteen year old could have done back then. It won't stop her own guilt.
Queen's eyes lock onto Hajime the second he mentions the name 'Tsubaki', with a fiery fury, full of rage. But the more Hajime talks- the more he talks about Tsubaki, about Tsubasa, the more Queen's anger rises to her throat. It's hard to imagine either of them- the perfectionist student council treasurer she used to know, or the angry guy they know now 'kowtowing' to someone like this. And the vision of them like that...
Frankly, she fully understands Skull's impulse to act, delivering that sudden, violent headbutt. There's no need or desire to chastise him right now. Sometimes hitting a bastard like this is exactly the right call.
The wash of flame comes towards the group, and Queen charges into it, pulling her scarf around her arm to act like some sort of shield. It doesn't do well, the fire catching and scorching her, hurting like hell- but it's enough to get her through, as some of the flame absorbed by her scarf is turned into a rocky barrier from the armour she claimed from Kaneshiro's dungeon. She slams fully into the Eligor that is Hajime, no longer trying to restrain her own fire.
"That's not their name," Makoto growls, her voice only getting louder. "And don't you dare talk about Tsubasa like that, you worthless scum!"
And then Joker reminds her- no killing. Right. The Phantom Thieves don't kill. No matter how badly the target might deserve it. "Understood."
"Ogre's right- if anyone needs discipline it's you." Makoto's eyes flare. "I'm more than happy to beat some manners into you!" Makoto calls- but instead of launching into another strike, Makoto's hands swipe across a... panda calculator?? "Johanna!" She yells, flipping backward to land on her motorcycle persona, a wave of almighty magic coming off the device. "Come on... show me your weakness you bastard."
AS: Persona! Makoto Niijima has used the Almighty skill Shadow Factorization on Crossroads Bar!
AS: Makoto Niijima's turn has ended.
AS: Take! Crossroads Bar takes 0 Almighty damage from Makoto Niijima's Shadow Factorization.
AS: Makoto Niijima's Strength Scan! Crossroads Bar resists Fire!
AS: Makoto Niijima's Weakness Scan! Crossroads Bar is weak against Elec!
<Pose Tracker> Crossroads Bar has posed.
"Ooooohhh... I get it!!" Hajigor crows, as he levels his spear at Joker. "You guys are friends with the woodchipper bitch! Yeah, apparently she's got some of 'em... even that dame Eiji-kun never got over. What was her name... Ichika-chan! That's it!" Hajigor laughs, his red armor rattling with the sound. "Eiji-kun was so pissed about her shitting up his perfect girl by association. Goin' on about how she was confusing his doll, man... how it was so unfair she was getting in her head when she desperately wanted to go back with him! Y'know, I feel like almost gettin' her back made him so mad it all came back up to the the front of his head again... haha, dude, he went through like four girls after that, fuckin' rapid-fire."
Respect, Skull says. "What, you want me to remember the names of those two-bit whores? Fine, fine. Lessee, there was Toana-chan... Yawako-chan... Fumisa-chan and, uhh... Riseko-chan?" And Ichika might recognise two of those names, at least --
-- because Toana Hamagami and Fumisa Michijima were two of the names on those papers Tsubasa brought back from Eiji's palace. Those names... they really do belong to real people...
Multi-Eiha washes over his red armour, his black warhorse whinnying as it rears upon its hind legs. As Eligor crashes back down, he comes spear-first, cleaving into Joker's space.
"Sure, I heard Eiji-kun talkin' about sweet cuts of meat," Hajigor says, as he turns on Ogre. "But if you ask me, they're not dinner -- they're the SHOW! They owe me that much after the life I've had!" Momiji strikes a sexy pose, but Hajigor abjures the display, stabbing into the Persona twice with his spear. "You think I'm going to embarrass myself going for another ugly chick?! Everyone would laugh at me, man! I'm the one laughin'!"
Electricity knocks Hajigor off his horse, briefly, and he snarls as he grasps its saddle and claws his way back on. (Queen will be able to tell everyone why that happened, of course -- he hit the weakness.) "You bastard!" He roars, as he summons an even greater wave of flame to wash over him --
-- and Queen, as it happens. "I'm the one who decides what discipline is!" He roars, to her. "It's a man's world out there, baby -- get used to it! And get better friends, while you're at it... that woodchipper accident is really pathetic, you know that? She's got that tough-guy punk act, but she's really just daddy's little girl! Too bad she fucked that up!"
Apparently, the power of talking shit about his exes empowers him, because he casts Tarukaja as he gets all fired up. Eiji has some real winners for friends, huh?
AS: Persona! Crossroads Bar has used the Slash skill Cleave on Ren Amamiya!
AS: You still have 3 regular actions and 0 bonus Weak actions!
AS: Persona! Crossroads Bar has used the Slash skill Double Slash on Ichika Kawase! 2 Hits!
AS: Aggression: Crossroads Bar gains 1 Limit!
AS: You still have 2 regular actions and 0 bonus Weak actions!
AS: Persona! Crossroads Bar has used the Fire skill Maragilao on Ryuji Sakamoto and Makoto Niijima!
AS: You still have 1 regular actions and 0 bonus Weak actions!
AS: Persona! Crossroads Bar has used the Almighty skill Tarukaja on Crossroads Bar!
AS: Crossroads Bar's turn has ended.
AS: Block Neutral! Ichika Kawase takes 64 Slash damage from Crossroads Bar's Double Slash. Critical Hit!
AS: Block Worst! Ichika Kawase takes 72 Slash damage from Crossroads Bar's Double Slash. Critical Hit!
AS: Counter Worst! Ryuji Sakamoto takes 121 Fire damage from Crossroads Bar's Maragilao.
AS: COUNTER! Crossroads Bar takes 31 Fire damage in return for their attack! Resist!
AS: Block Worst! Makoto Niijima takes 70 Fire damage from Crossroads Bar's Maragilao. Resist!
AS: Haze added!
AS: Take! Crossroads Bar takes 0 Almighty damage from Crossroads Bar's Tarukaja.
AS: Atk_Up added!
AS: Ren Amamiya spends Limit on Shift! Ichika Kawase can use another Weak skill this round!
AS: Avoid Best! Ren Amamiya takes 77 Slash damage from Crossroads Bar's Cleave. Critical Hit!
AS: Ichika Kawase spends Limit on Shift! Ryuji Sakamoto can use another Weak skill this round! SP +8! Healed 20!
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
There's a lot to appreciate about Ryuji. Demanding an apology, then headbutting a Shadow they're trying to question when it inevitably doesn't, may not be good tactics for questioning, but damn if it isn't satisfying in its own way too.
But again, we digress.
"Exactly," Joker calls to Skull with a smirk--and a little bit of a chuckle at how he and Ogre chime in together. This isn't the time or place to comment on it, but they have good vibes as a couple. Manners, discipline--whatever they call it (and there is a poetic justice in echoing Shadow Hajime's shit back at him), they'll all make sure the Eligor gets plenty of it.
Queen in particular calls Shadow Hajime out for deadnaming Tsubasa right as she charges through the fire to slam into him. Joker shoots her a little glance and a little smile. ...They feel a little comforted by that. Once again, though, not the time or place. This isn't about them.
Shadow Hajime continues to be an absolute piece of shit, likewise absolutely refusing to shut up. The smallest, meanest, most meagre credit Joker can give him is that he actually remembers the names of those girls. Shadow Kamoshida didn't even remember Shiho's name, and he sent a cognition of her out to fight for him. The 'Not the Worst Shadow Ever' Award is not exactly prestigious, though.
Joker snarls in pain as Eligor charges them with a spear. It cleaves into their Persona, running it through and dispersing it into non-existence. Joker staggers at the psychic back-blow of the attack, dipping into a crouch as they touch their left hand on the ground. They grit their teeth, then glare up at the Shadow.
"I see your real love is the sound of your own voice," they observe coldly. "Fine, then. We came to make you squeal, anyway."
Queen reveals Eligor's strength--as well as his weakness. That smirk returns to their lips, this time humorless. "Electricity, huh... How unlucky for you!" Joker once again calls upon their other self as they stand back up--no need to even trade masks out, thanks to the magic of Skill Cards. "Arsène, light him up!"
Once again, the grinning spectre with the black wings and chimney-tall top hat materializes in azure flame, spreading their clawed hands. Rather than calling up darkness, though, they call down a bolt from the literal blue. ZORCH.
But electricity isn't their wheelhouse. The train of their coat sweeps around them as they whirl to face-- "Skull! It's showtime!!"
AS: Persona! Ren Amamiya has used the Elec skill Zio on Crossroads Bar!
AS: Ruin: Ren Amamiya gains 1 Limit!
AS: Ren Amamiya: Haze removed!
AS: Ren Amamiya's turn has ended.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Damn right," Ogre agrees with Queen about Tsubasa's name--about how not to talk about them. But Hajigor... "Tch," Ogre answers what he says about 'Ichika-chan', what Eiji was mad about. It doesn't make her as angry, though, as it makes her unsettled. She wants to cover it over with mad, but that's half the reason she's so 'calm'--because she's varying between enraged and nauseous. Still...
"Those names... they wre on the papers," Ogre says. "They're real people."
The papers Tsubasa gave her.
The 'show'. Ogre's lips curl into a scowl. --But then--
"Agh--"
Her Persona gets stabbed, and Ichika's thrown back. They hit hard, and she crumples to one knee. "Gh," she says again. "That's..."
"My Persona's... not... UGLY!"
Ichika calls, "She's a goddamn badass!"
A man's world.
"Skull!" she calls. "You got this!" Joker is already calling to him. Ogre does the same, recognizing it.
And then--
"Momiji!"
Healing sparkles land on the party, mending hurts and soothing pain. And then she throws out her hand, "Up yours, asshole!" and red light shimmers as his buff goes away.
"Hmph," Ogre says. "I can do this all day."
AS: Persona! Ichika Kawase has used the Recovery skill Mediarama on Ren Amamiya, Makoto Niijima, Ichika Kawase, and Ryuji Sakamoto!
AS: Support: Ichika Kawase gains 1 Limit!
AS: Persona! Ichika Kawase has used the Recovery skill Mediarama on Ren Amamiya, Makoto Niijima, Ichika Kawase, and Ryuji Sakamoto!
AS: Support: Ichika Kawase gains 1 Limit!
AS: Take! Ichika Kawase takes 102 Recovery healing from Ichika Kawase's Mediarama.
AS: Persona! Ichika Kawase has used the Almighty skill Tarunda on Crossroads Bar!
AS: Ichika Kawase's turn has ended.
AS: Take! Ryuji Sakamoto takes 102 Recovery healing from Ichika Kawase's Mediarama.
AS: Take! Ren Amamiya takes 102 Recovery healing from Ichika Kawase's Mediarama.
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
This guy really knew what to say to make Skull lose his cool. When Ichika's name is mentioned, the Phantom Thief grinds his teeth as he holds himself back from doing another stupid move.
No this was going to take some finesse.
Skull does grin when the electricity hits and causes the mounted Shadow some discomfort.
However, then the wave of fire hits and Skull is unable to do anything but be enveloped and scream.
For a moment, Ryuji looks done.
In the next moment, however, a pipe swings rapidly to wave off some of the flames. Skull coughs as he glares at the Shadow. He looks covered in burns and soot. "You keep talking and I'm gonna hit you harder each time. You're not the brightest asshole, are ya?"
The pipe drops to the ground, letting out a 'clang' before Ryuji begins to wind up.
He spins once. Twice.
Then he grabs the pipe with both hands and swings for the Shadow's very nice helmet. "TAKE THIS!"
'Skull, it's showtime'
'Skull you got this'
"Don't have to tell me twice! Knock the teeth out of this punks stupid face!" Skull points as Captain Kidd takes aim. "BLAST 'EM WITH ANOTHER ZIO, CAPTAIN KIDD!" The Skeleton Persona lets out it's quiet scream and fires off another blast of electricity toward the Eligor.
AS: Weapon! Ryuji Sakamoto has used the Strike skill Street Justice on Crossroads Bar! 3 Hits!
AS: Aggression: Ryuji Sakamoto gains 1 Limit!
<Pose Tracker> Makoto Niijima has posed.
"Don't bother with fire against him- he's weak to electricity!" Queen calls, confirming Skull's effectiveness. This does tie her hands a bit though, he can resist the nuclear flame of Johanna as easily as Makoto can withstand the Eligor's flames. She doesn't have the right skillset for this- fortunately, she doesn't need to. Joker and Skull have that covered.
"Papers...?" Queen will have to ask about that later- especially as the flames wash over her, eliciting a yell of pain despite her attempt to defend herself, Johanna shattering under her as she's dropped to the floor-
And Ogre gets them all back on their feet, Queen pushing herself up despite the burns. "The life you lead." Queen lets out a disparaging bark of laughter. "Someone as weak as you can't have had a single hardship in your damn life if being laughed at makes you this pathetic. You're not a man, you're a walking joke. At the rate you're going, you won't even be worth laughing at. What kind of man only picks fights with people who can't fight back?"
Makoto Niijima is like her sister in a lot of ways. One thing that's very similar is their knowledge of how much harder women have to work to get half the recognition.
That just means in a fight, she needs to hit harder, and more viciously. "Now imagine how much you're gonna get laughed at from the beating you're about to take from a couple of 'little girls'! Johanna!"
The personabike rises again under Makoto, and she goes full speed forward, before suddenly hitting the brakes, doing a one eighty, and letting Johanna's exhausts flare with a sudden flash of white hot flame before aiming to hit full speed again.
AS: Take! Makoto Niijima takes 102 Recovery healing from Ichika Kawase's Mediarama.
AS: Persona! Makoto Niijima has used the Strike skill Flash Bomb on Crossroads Bar!
AS: Makoto Niijima's turn has ended.
AS: Block Best! Crossroads Bar takes 74 Strike damage from Makoto Niijima's Flash Bomb.
AS: Haze added!
<Pose Tracker> Crossroads Bar has posed.
What little can be said of Hajigor is that, at least, through his horrific transphobia he reveals the allyship of Joker's party. He might not be the worst Shadow out there, but man... he still sucks so much.
(It might make sense that he at least sucks less than Kamoshida, though -- because this warped little pocket of space isn't a Palace, at least not yet. Maybe if you gave him a couple more years...)
"Who doesn't love hearing themselves talk?! Man, you oughta hear me when I'm on the hunt -- I'm a real sensitive guy! Girls love guys who'll open up and actually talk to them... and if you're clever, they won't realise that eventually, you're talkin' over them. Man, ever since Eiji-kun opened up to me about how he really felt about chicks, he's really helped me up my game there..."
He levels his spear at Ogre, as he snaps: "Women aren't badass, man! Women don't do shit! Man, even when that woodchipper girl punched me back, it was totally pathetic! And then she tried to punch Eiji-kun and she couldn't even hit him, man, it was hilarious... girls talk like they're so tough, but they ain't shit!"
The healing, though. The healing could be a problem...
"Ugh, you sound just like my mother, you shrew!" Hajigor yells at Queen. "Going on and on about how being a single mother is so hard and I should be more appreciative! Bitch! Why would I appreciate a woman who's never even there!? Women need men to straighten them out or they just become toxic cesspools!"
He slashes his spear into Ogre's space again -- but before he can press his attack, Arsène's electricity zaps Hajigor off of his mare! (That is, indeed, a mare, this metaphor will keep getting worse, that is a promise.) He swears, as he tries to get back up. "You little...!"
He can't quite get back up on his high horse, though, because Skull's charging in with that pipe. Violence against a Shadow is a thing draped in metaphor -- one must interpret the way he slams one of Eligor's massive horns off of his helm in a single massive blow, the way he crushes his crown with the next, the way he dents in the side of his helmet so that one of those yellow eyes staring out from the darkness dims.
And then, just to add insult to injury, he gets zapped away from his horse a second time when he turns back to get back on her. "Argh, you son of a bitch--!!!"
That's when Johanna revs up.
The mare whinnies and bolts out from under Hajime's hands, leaving him to slam face-down onto the tracks -- only for Queen to run him down. No, not just run him down -- she runs him down, then turns her bike around on his armour, squealing wheels doing some terrible things to that steel as the exhaust proceeds to choke him out. She escapes to the party lines long before he's even able to react.
"Ugh..." Hajigor groans, as he drags himself sitting, only to realise that all the stars around his head are making it impossible to get up.
He's Downed...!
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Joker doesn't know what papers Ogre means, but prior experience with other Palaces means they have no doubt that it's a reference to cognitions of girls who appeared in Eiji's Palace. Given what they all said, there's no doubt of what became of Eiji's exes--as if there was any already. Ogre tears down Shadow Hajime's power-up and sweeps away all the damage The Phantoms have received, before Queen gives the Shadow that much more of a dressing down before and spins her Persona's wheels at him just before Skull comes in for a final beatdown and one last Zio.
It's more than enough to knock Eligor down. Joker pounces in an instant, drawing their Makaronov and pointing it at the Shadow. Skull and Queen follow suit with their own guns--they've fought together enough to know what to do--while Ogre... doesn't have a gun yet, as Joker belatedly remembers.
Well, it's fine. That's something to bring or send her to Untouchable for later. For now, three guns surrounding the Shadow is more than enough for a Hold Up. Ogre can sit back and enjoy the show.
"So," Joker says, voice smooth and sharp, "tell us more about those girls Kamiya used to date, who 'dropped out' afterwards. Names, addresses, and so on--without the misogyny, if you please. One more negative word about women and you'll have plenty more holes to bleat out of."
That's a bluff, of course, but Shadow Hajime doesn't need to know that. "Anything else anyone wants to hear?" Joker adds, dark eyes sliding to their companions. To them, asking further about the human trafficking is a waste of time, since Hajime has made it clear he doesn't know anything about it, but if anyone else has something they want to know...
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Someone found some and brought them to me, in the Palace!" Ogre explains the short version for Queen's benefit. But Hajime... He says something that gets to her--Ogre is visiblyuncomfortable about his approach to girls, because it would work just fine on her. It did work just fine on her. She steps back, because of it.
But then he snaps--
"She's not just a woman," Ogre answers of her Persona. "She's a monster. And that makes her cooler than you could ever be!"
His mother...
She can appreciate, "You guys are real good," the Phantom Thieves' capacity for fighting. "Especially you, Skull. That was badass."
Ogre does not have a gun, though. She stands menacingly at Hajime either way.
Anything anyone else wants to hear...
"...The way Eiji's trafficking people. Girls and others." She saw some men down there, too--just not many. "What do you know about it? Really?"
"You have to have noticed what he's doing."
<Pose Tracker> Ryuji Sakamoto has posed.
Skull is pleased as punch that he messed up this jackass' helmet. He hopes that he has to tell all his other Shadow friends how some jerk messed up his face. Probably would get trash talked by a mean looking Jack Frost. Such was the way of the world.
However, when the Shadow falls prone, Skull immediately drops the pipe and wipes around the shotgun slung over his shoulder. He cocks it once and points it toward the Shadow with both hands.
"Well well, you do know how to shut up but..." Skull grins devilishly as he points the barrel closer to the Downed Shadow.
"So what is Eiji saying about Ichika Kawase?" Skull says, kicking up some dirt to try to get in the Shadow's totally real eyes or their equivalent. "Come on...I know you two talk so cough up what you know!"
Skull turns his head when Ichika praises him. He rubs the bridge of his nose and smiles, keeping most of his attention on the shadow. "See that buddy? Talk to women nicely and they'll appreciate you! OK! Cough up the answers or I'm going to get real mean!"
<Pose Tracker> Makoto Niijima has posed.
Makoto's blood runs hotter at the hatred Shadow Hajime hurls at her. For more than a few reasons. For so, so many reasons. "That sounds like your problem." Makoto says, her voice cold, her eyes briefly tracking to Skull. A perfect counterexample to Eiji.
Fortunately, they manage to run the bastard down- and when that happens, well.
The Phantoms know the formation.
Queen takes up position behind Hajime, placing her revolver just out of arm's reach, pointing at the back of the Shadow's head. There's the loud, definitive click as she cocks the revolver.
Everyone else asks their questions, and Queen notes Ichika's short version of the story. She doesn't catch Ogre's uneasiness clearly, though, caught up as she is in her rage.
"What does Eiji have in mind for Tsubasa Seki?" Queen's cold voice gets to the point, her pistol discipline all that's stopping her from placing the gun fully to his head. Pistols have a very particular range of efficacy, after all. "And don't you dare use that name for them."
<Pose Tracker> Crossroads Bar has posed.
"YEAH, women are monsters!" Hajigor yelled back to Ogre, when the fight was happening, but by the time he's down, he sounds more like --
"Wh-- okay, okay, I give, man! Don't shoot, Christ!" Hajigor lifts his gauntlet-clad hands in surrender.
It takes him a pretty long moment to reply to Ren, though. One must assume he's trying to think of non-misogynistic ways to refer to women with the two brain cells he has spare. "Uh... first up's... Toana Hamagami, yeah. She lived in Aoba Ward, but her dad was goin' through some mad money trouble... Eiji-kun said he broke up with her 'cuz the guy sent her off to go live with her aunt so he didn't have to pay for her shit no more? Uh... and, uh, Yawako Inose... she was a Hirasaka girl, but, like, from the nice part of Hirasaka, so she passed mus-- I mean, uh, she was good enough for-- I mean -- don't shoot me, man!!!" Hajigor cries, holding up his hands a little higher. "But she did real bad on her exams after Eiji-kun was done with her, so I heard she dropped out and had to enrol in Kasugayama... that would've been the last straw with her family, she really didn't get on with them. Then there was Fumisa Michijima, she lived in Rengedai, her dad was a lawyer but like, never talked to her since apparently she was a bastard... her mom slept around and he had to raise the kid, sucks, man. And, uhhh... Riseko Koigawachi, she was this real hard-luck girl, y'know? Like, an orphan and everythin'... somehow she still qualified for Sevens, so I guess Eiji-kun took pity on her. She must've gotten adopted by some guys out in the country or somethin', I dunno..."
His single glowing eye widens, though, when Ogre insists Eiji is trafficking people. "Human trafficking... like, slavery? Hold up just one second, that's not what's going on here! Just because we know what we like in our relationships doesn't mean we're buyin' and sellin' people! No way that's real... I won't believe a word of it, not until I hear it from Eiji-kun's own mouth!"
... even if they managed to disgrace Eiji in the real world, the people around him would stick by him, huh?
The Change of Heart... it might be their only shot at justice.
"A-anyway, he's talkin' big about how he's figured out how to get Ichika-chan back now!" Hajime turns his attention to Ryuji, waving his hands in front of him to try and convince him to point that shotgun somewhere else. "He said he's gonna fix her reputation, and mine... yeah, he's sayin' how things will be different this time, y'know? He's not gonna let things go wrong again... hell, he's even gonna let her wait 'til twenty since she's so cut up about losing her girl. He feels bad about the accident, y'know? If he'd kept control better, she never would have gotten away from him... because he let his lower deck give orders to his top deck, he had to correct the situation way before she was ready."
There's a gun BEHIND HIS HEAD TOO and he HATES THAT. "Uh -- that's how he's fixin' our reputations!" He yelps, straightening up. "He said he was gonna get, uh, Seki-san out of the picture! He's talkin' about how she--he? He's a bad influence on her? Fuck, man, don't shoot!!" Hajigor yelps, quite pathetic now he's off his high horse. "He's mad at, at him, man! Blames him for confusing his girl! He's been stalking him online and stealing his photos of Ichika for his collection! He even said he's the one who told the media how Seki-san was the one who did the arson at Aoba Park -- he was so sure the police were gonna put him away after that, man! And apparently he wasn't even the only guy who had that idea, he said his dad's friends were in on it, too!"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Between the four of them, they all ask the important things--including Ogre, insisting that Shadow Hajime must know something about Eiji's trafficking. Joker isn't so sure of that, but no harm in asking again when they've got the upper hand.
It gets results too, after a fashion; he underscores that he really doesn't know, that he won't even believe it until he hears it from Eiji himself. Joker glances at Ogre. It was her request, but it really underscores that a change of heart is necessary here.
"Curious that you've been willing to beat and degrade women with Eiji Kamiya all this time--even acknowledge that he's the one who 'taught' you that behavior--but don't believe he'd go as far as buying and selling them," Joker remarks. "I don't know whether to call you naive or hopeless."
Especially since they made it clear they came in here thinking Hajime was doing the same sort of atrocious work.
They don't react to the begging, beyond a grim smirk and keeping their gun steady. They know Skull and Queen will do the same.
For now, they memorize the names that Shadow Hajime lists. Their smirk fades when the topic turns to how Eiji is planning on 'getting Ichika back.' Their lip curls when he talks about how Eiji had to 'correct the situation before she was ready.' They reassert neutrality soon, though. So he really thought getting rid of Tsubasa would get Ichika back? ...Well, he has Hajime convinced of that, at least. And this has been going on for a while, too, if he also tried to get Tsubasa arrested for the Aoba Park arson. Something else stands out to Joker, though.
"His father's friends, hm? Tell us more about them. Names. Addresses," Joker commands. Even a general idea of where they live might help them with code words if it turns out any of them have Palaces.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ichika looks Skull's way when he asks about her--but finds herself at least a little reassured by his manner, rough as it is. And Queen seems to care a lot about Tsubasa, which endears her to Ichika even further. But monsters, huh...?
It's not great, when he agrees with her. Not for that.
She memorizes the names of the girls, too. "...Asshole," she says of Eiji, but her breathing is a little shakier for a moment.
Until--
Of course. he doesn't believe it. Hm. She looks to Joker too--and nods.
"That's not going to work!" Ogre snaps--but then... doesn't elaborate. Better not to tell the Shadow more than he needs to hear.
"How generous," she spits. "Letting her wait."
"She never would've been ready for that."
But... that's how...
Joker has the matter of the names covered, so Ogre will just work on composing herself for the moment.
<Pose Tracker> Makoto Niijima has posed.
Makoto takes notes of the names. "All of them in Sumaru, and no one noticed...?" ...Maybe Makoto really does need to reach out to that Persona using cop. Hell, maybe even Akechi... But how without giving things away? But... that's something to try another time. They have a way of acting now, even if it's one the law can't.
She can't help but grimace at the way Hajime talks about Eiji's plans for Ichika. Makoto casts a quick glance to Ogre- she can afford that, from behind the Shadow. Is she okay? Having so much of her personal traumas thrown in front of the Phantoms? She doesn't move her pistol, but she does mouth 'Are you okay?' to Ogre.
"So that's why Tsubasa was blamed, instead of the Joker Killer..." Eiji was the cause, him and his friends. "...Does Eiji have any new friends too? People that might be children of his dad's friends?" She frowns, though. "And why was he so sure the police would put Tsubasa Seki away?"
She doesn't want to think about it but...
Well. Joker's an example of the results of police corruption... It shouldn't surprise her. But she wants to believe in the sort of police force that her father would be part of.
Even as it gets harder...
<Pose Tracker> Crossroads Bar has posed.
"What, it ain't...?" Hajigor blinks his one glowing eye, looking to Ogre as she insists that plan won't work. "But Eiji-kun's so good at plannin' shit out... I dunno, man. Seemed like a good plan to me..." He has no clue that he's talking to the woman of the hour, of course.
"It's different if they choose to stay with you, man!" Hajigor whines to Joker. "That's the whole sport of it! You gotta trick 'em into thinkin' that's the best they'll get! But like... you get a mail-order bride and hide her passport, and it's like... you didn't do anythin', you just had money, that's no fun! Wait, don't shoot!!" He yelps, raising his hands high again. "Look, going that far is fucked up, okay?! I just -- I'm not like that! I'm not!"
He takes a breath, looking up to Joker. "He said he ran into this, like, property mogul when he was doing it... uh... god, what was his name... Furu, Furuuu... Furudate, yeah! Uh, the Furudate Development Industries guy, I think that's what he said? He lives in Shibuya, he has a bunch of property out there...? He was real surprised at how happy that guy was at his initiative, apparently Furudate had been talkin' to the police about it... and some other guys, too? I guess Furudate said that rebellious daug-- sons! Sons! Rebellious sons were always like this, like -- like he mentioned this girl who ran away from her proposal and now she's always causin' problems for her parents? So, like, either they go prodigal and come back and get in line like they oughta, or someone, like... makes sure they do? Man, now I say it, that's kinda fucked up... Eiji-kun said he was gonna make sure that Furudate-san could take care of it, though, so... I dunno, man."
Hajigor sighs. "But no, man, he hangs out with me and the cool guys at school, that ain't changed none? It is weird, though... he's hangin' out with his dad's friends a lot more these days. Like, I figured he's anglin' to get a job somewhere...?"
At this point, there's little left to do but commence an All-Out Attack -- and when the dustcloud clears, Shadow Hajime stands in the clearing, clutching an injured arm and sagging on an injured leg as a bruise swells one of his eyes shut. (Nice shot, Skull.)
"Fuck you guys," he grumbles, as he limps away. "Hate it when people kick my ass..."
... they can't kill him, but they've at least got a lot of information out of him.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Furudate of Furudate Development Industries, over in Shibuya... That's something to look into later.
"You are," Joker tells Shadow Hajime when he insists he's 'not like that.' "Because Eiji Kamiya is, and you're enabling him."
Maybe he'll remember that deep down when Eiji confesses and fix his own heart, maybe not. But a change of heart isn't happening tonight, and they certainly won't kill him. An All-Out Attack later ("The show's over," Joker announces with a smirk as they tighten their gloves), and they'll be able to head back to the real world together... to decide on their next move--and warn Tsubasa of Eiji's intentions. That'll be Ichika's job, but Joker is certainly in favor of making sure they're safe.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"I'll be fine," Ogre says to Queen, and then, a little more firmly, "I will be."
But she listnes about Eiji, and his friends--and when Joker assures Hajime that he is like that.
"...I mean..."
When Hajime is gone, she turns to Queen, "Reminding myself that Eiji's worse than the people around him helps. It reminds me... He's not the norm."
"He's distorted, like Mona says."
"But I am pretty tired... Let's go back, Joker."