2025-12-08: Burning Point
- Log: Burning Point
- Cast: Umie Akabane, Maya Amano, Ulala Serizawa, Jun Kashihara
- Where: Peace Diner, Yumezaki Ward, Sumaru City
- OOC Date: December 08, 2025
- IC Date: August 22, 2012
- Summary: After hearing Jun's message to Tatsuya Suou and seeing the Joker Killer's video, Umie Akabane makes a rushed decision to call together a meeting of the minds. Information is exchanged, plans are revealed, Umie makes mistakes, Ulala serves plates of common sense, Jun remains resolute in trying to keep out of danger, and Maya keeps things as positive as ever, despite the danger the Joker Killer presents to everyone involved.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
----EARLIER----
Umie visits Seven Sisters High School to try to casually find out information on a certain Maria Sakurai as discreetly as she can.
As for how it went--
----NOW----
Well, Umie Akabane is not over there in Seven Sisters anymore, is she?
Trying to figure out if someone's 'bad luck' had simply sync'ed with their 'time of Joka' by coincidence, or if they were one and the same, is difficult to do from idle questions alone.
But it's not like she's a mark for the Old Maid, or anything. Just give it a few days, and come back. Easy.
No, she's ordering at the Peace Diner and frowning at her how light her wallet feels as she slips it back into her purse as the strangely overpolite archaic cashier rings up her order. A few minutes later, and she's sitting down at an empty table with her tray of food. Off comes the baseball cap and the large earrings; the pale lipstick is wiped off on a napkin, her jacket's colors are reversed as she turns it inside out (or, more like, it was inside out to begin with) to hang on the booth behind her, the t-shirt is straightened, the cargo pants rolled back up into shorts underneath the table.
Lastly, in goes a french fry into her mouth as she straightens the white wristcuffs on her wrists. The fries are important (to her stomach).
She checks her phone, before looking up.
".... Maybe I'm the one in my time of Joka," she grumbles.
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
Maya arrives carrying a tray loaded up with food just a few long moments later. It's not all for her, though; Ulala's order is on there, too.
"This was a great meetup place!" Maya says, setting the tray down. She is the very picture of contentment as she slips into the booth. "It was a long day and I'm starving."
<Pose Tracker> Ulala Serizawa has posed.
Ulala Serizawa is in her nice green spider-web dress. Normally, she prefers places where she can get BOOZE, but they are meeting a teenager - the burger place is the only option. Besides, she likes a good burger, and Maya's ordering her food...
So Ulala's scoping out the restrooms so she can make sure her hair is still okay. She doesn't really know Umie Akabane besides the fact she's a Persona user, and doesn't want to LOOK LIKE A DORK in front of serious business! It's important! First impressions are everything!
"Hey," she says as she finally joins the booth, sitting next to Maya.
"Ulala Serizawa. I don't think we've formally met. It's nice to meet you, Akabane-san," she introduces herself.
A pause.
"I like your hair," she also notes, her own done up in that five-star bun, a bright dyed red.
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
For his part, Jun's fortune... goes up and down, as is only appropriate for a wheel. The other day was good--the concert over in Tokyo was a good time, and he picked up a CD after the show. He didn't have a chance to go over to Ririka and say hi, but so it goes; they've only met once or twice before anyway.
Right now, he's heading into Peace Burger after getting a text from Umie asking to meet there. He arrives in time to see Maya bring a tray of delicious fast food to Umie's table. He smiles to them and Ulala--he doesn't know her, but Umie and Maya are both friendly presences, so she's fine by him--and waves before joining them at that table.
"Amano-san, Akabane-san, it's good seeing you two again." He then bows to Ulala before sitting. "I'm Jun Kashihara; it's a pleasure to meet you."
His smile fades into a look of concern. His dark bangs remain draped over one eye, but he's dressed in a pinstriped green button-up shirt and black slacks now that school is out of session for the summer. His face itself remains as pretty as ever. Umie seems in a poor mood, and if she's the one who called him here... "Did something happen?"
Jun doesn't know what help he can be, and the fact that Umie has a couple of adult friends with her implies that she isn't just calling to vent. In fact, one of those friends being Maya tells Jun this is probably Joker Killer-related. He'll wait for Umie to actually speak first, though.
(Is he going to get something to eat? Well... maybe later. Jun isn't a big fan of greasy food, but a chocolate Peace Shake would hit the spot...)
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
As Maya nears with her bounty of food, Umie quickly tries to wash the grumbly wumbly look off her expression and replace it with an air of confidence. "I know, right? Seemed like an appropriate choice."
Brown eyes then slip down, noting the amount of food on Maya's tray. "...eehh, being a reporter must be exhausting..." All the food looks so good, too...
... oh, Maya's... carrying Ulala's meal for her. Right. Umie sips the taste of a potentially awkward comment away, noticing the chipped nail clutching along the side of her paper cup. (It's time for a change of color. She should go for red next, but that bottle's getting low too...)
The strange thing is, while Maya may have told Ulala Umie has a Persona, the person in front of Ulala may as well appear to be like Jun, ie lacking any Persona at all. "... Umie Akabane. Nice to meet you too," Umie says cordially in her seat. Ulala's comment draws a smile to Umie's lips. "Ah, thank you. Your hair's great too! The red compliments the green really well..."
Umie looks back up as the last of the group arrives, welcoming Jun with a nod. "Kashihara-san. Glad you could make it." Jun had managed to catch Umie's earlier 'time of sourpuss'; Umie shakes her head. "... Long day, is all." He hasn't bought anything, it seems; she should have asked if another place would have worked better.
Then again... the topics she's got lined up aren't exactly appetizing.
"Thanks for meeting me on short notice. I'm trying to get a better idea of the scope of things, concerning a certain, ah." She waves a hand, as if mentioning the name might invite trouble. Alas, it's likely better to just say it aloud. "The Old Maid, aka the, uh... Joker Killer." The latter name slips off her tongue hesitantly. "... Could we... go with Old Maid? I'd rather not say anything with the word 'kill' several times."
Her eyes stray towards Jun, briefly, as she quietly adds, "It concerns a few things I've heard through Kuzunoha. I don't know how comfortable you feel, but for a certain person's sake, I'd like to get some clarity on some events." She doesn't directly come out and say 'events that happened to him', but the implication is there, as is the reasons. "It's also for your sake, as well."
She looks to Maya and Ulala now, expanding the conversation wider. "But it's also to try to compare notes across the board, too. Information is power."
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
Before he can object, Maya sets a burger in front of Jun. He's a growing teenager; he needs to eat to keep up his strength, right?
"I have some notes for my article I can share," Maya said, taking a french fry from the tray. "But we've hit a roadblock in our investigation, so we plan to lure out the J--the Old Maid ourselves." Maya caught herself before she could say it and rewards herself with a bite of salty, greasy fry.
"Ulala, you find out anything new about him that you haven't shared with me yet?"
<Pose Tracker> Ulala Serizawa has posed.
Ulala DEFINITELY feels odd woman out as Jun arrives... but she's here to be useful! She grins at the hair compliment, and nods to Jun as he introduces himself. She takes her food from the tray, not even noticing Umie's awkwardness about it. "Thanks, it's a bitch to put up everyday, but..." She likes it!
Though, then they're getting to business... "Old Maid... that's fine." He has so many names... Joker Killer, Old Maid, Tatsuya Sudou...
Maya then chooses to REVEAL their plan to lure him out. Her face is momentarily neutral-to-downtilt, before she comes back into a subtly put-upon smile. "Not too much, though I'm reminded that Uchida-san at the Detective Agency suggested we stay in groups when it's time to enact the plan."
Since they're revealing that much... "We have a very strong lead on the true identity of the Old Maid. So time's of the essence here... especially if you saw that video he posted, calling you two out." A tip of the head towards Jun and Umie.
"He's definitely planning something..."
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
Maybe another place would have worked better, but it's fine. It's made fine by Maya Amano, who sets a burger in front of Jun without comment! He blinks wide-eyed and protests, "No, it's all right, you don't need to worry about me--"
But for some reason, he'll fold once Maya insists. "I'll accept your gracious offer, then, Amano-san. Thank you." He gives her a small smile and nod of gratitude, and takes his time to eat. Small bites, lots of chewing. His mother taught him to eat that way.
Umie claims she's just had a long day. Jun gives her a look like he doesn't believe her, with those pursed lips and concerned eyes, but he only nods once.
The topic does indeed turn to the Joker Killer--or the Old Maid, as Umie requests they call him. Jun is just fine with that logic, and he nods again. He isn't freaking out at the mention of him anymore. Exposure therapy works, apparently! But... things she heard from Kuzunoha... He frowns a little. That message was for Tatsuya... But... He glances away, brushing a few strands of hair back. Maybe she's here on Tatsuya's behalf...
"All right," he agrees. He snaps another wide-eyed look over at Maya when she mentions. "Lure him out? Are you sure that's wise?" he utters. Ulala may or may not agree, but she's on board with this idea... and in a sensible way, at least. Jun might protest anyway--but then she mentions something unexpected.
"Video?" he echoes blankly. "What do you mean?"
Jun doesn't hang out on social media, it seems... Or at least doesn't watch viral videos.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
Not only did Maya bring Ulala's meal, she places a burger in front of Jun.
Something about that makes Umie's expression soften, just a little. No wonder Tatsuya referred to her the way that he did...
"It looks good, though!" she says to Ulala. "Very chic."
".... Amano-san." Umie frowns, leaning forward in her chair. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" Her voice carries a note of warning, as well as a feeling of deja vu. Wasn't she warning Shiryuu about the same thing, Umie thinks, despite him not directly coming out and saying it? "It took several people with Personas just to get him off my back, and I'm no slouch myself when it comes to slipping out of a difficult situation. I was lucky. Even if you think you're prepared, you might not be. His abilities... they're not..." She frowns, her right hand grabbing for a french fry to pop into her mouth. "It's just not a good idea, okay?" she amends, after sipping her drink.
She makes a hesitant look back towards Jun; while Ulala and Maya seem plenty confident, and Umie can sense they have Personas, she doesn't have a sense yet of how Jun feels, or his limits.
(Yet she was the one who invited him here. Typical Chariot behavior.)
"His identity's the other wrinkle here. Hell, every time he attacks, instead of being reported, it gets covered up, sometimes with someone being a scrapegoat. Him attacking and getting away might be the least of your problems, depending on how things go."
Ulala gets to the heart of the matter, naming Umie and Jun specifically. Jun mentions not seeing it, as Umie gestures with a fry. "... Probably for the best you don't watch it. You're not going to get that peace of mind back." She sighs, popping that limp fry into her mouth and washing it down with some soda. "... He's popped up in at least one place he thought I worked at, asking for me. I've been having to lay low since, and it succckks. I have some funds, but. Rent's rent." Ah, there comes that grimace again, proving Jun's suspicion correct.
"But it's better than being dead, or worse, having people be hurt because of me," she murmurs, with a quiet, somber tone.
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
The surprise is evident on Maya's face when Jun admits he hadn't seen the video. Maya was positive he had seen it; it felt like everyone had. But like Umie, she's relieved to find out he didn't see it. And she hopes he doesn't go looking for it.
Maya takes another fry from the tray. "That's why we want to have as many people as possible to help stop him," Maya says, gesticulating with her newly-acquired fry. "We can't allow him to continue threatening the safety of people like you and Jun-kun. The longer we wait to take him down, the more people will be hurt by him."
<Pose Tracker> Ulala Serizawa has posed.
Jun and Umie very much do not like the plan. Ulala sighs, picking at fries, and she decides to affirm Maya's point. "The alternative is that he kills more people. I'm willing to take the risk... I'd be the one calling. As long as that bastard is out there, no one is safe. I'm not going to let him take someone I care about from me!"
It might sound like a hypothetical worry... but Ulala has a deep reason, a reason that pushes her closer and closer to the decision that the Joker Killer must die.
But Jun isn't familiar with the video, and Umie is forced to lay low... that proves her point even more. "I won't show it to you in front of the food... but if you want to watch it yourself, which I feel you have the right to, look up Joker Killer: Real or Myth. He calls you the 'one true Joker' in it, someone who'll lead us back to the correct time..." A shake of the head.
"He's obsessive and insane..."
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
Jun most certainly doesn't have a Persona, and his Resonance reflects that. That doesn't necessarily mean anything--there are quite a few Persona-Users out there who ping as normies--but he doesn't really act like someone who's awakened either, does he?
Umie says he's better off not seeing the video; Maya insists the danger is exactly why they have to take decisive action; Ulala... doesn't show it, but tells him how to find it, and gives him the basis of how it's relevant to him.
In a word, Jun is flabbergasted. "The what?" he utters. Obsessive and insane--those are accurate descriptors--but Ulala's explanation leaves him feeling... deeply unsettled. "By 'the one true Joker,' is he implying that I should be going around murdering people?"
He can't even touch the bit about 'the correct time.' He doesn't even understand what that's supposed to mean. That burger isn't going to get touched again for a while, too.
Beyond that, Ulala and Maya's points are well-argued. Jun sighs, but only gives his companions a gloomy look. "I understand... You're all like Tatsuya, aren't you? You're... I don't know. Capable. That's why you can talk about luring him out like it isn't a death sentence."
...Not necessarily a death sentence anyway, given Umie's heavy warnings and apparent need to go into partial hiding. But... his thin eyebrows furrow. "His true identity..." He glances around, leans in, and lowers his voice. "By any chance, are you referring to Tatsuya Sudou?"
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
'but if you want to watch it yourself, which I feel you have the right to, look up Joker Killer: Real or Myth.'
'All I can tell you is that if he remembers... there'll be extremely disastrous consequences.'
"Serizawa-san, _stop_," Umie interjects suddenly as she pushes forward against the table. "_This isn't a good idea_."
Umie collects herself, taking a breath. "He wants Kashihara-san to see it. He wants..." She remembers, this time, to look towards Jun, in order to include him in this, instead of talking like he isn't here. She invited him here for a reason, even if it meant she'd have to carefully weave a balance between information and omissions, to give Jun some semblance of control that Tatsuya, tortured by this unseen 'past/reality/alien abduction(?)/etc' couldn't give him.
But is that just her thrusting her own importance into this? Just what pulls her strings, right now?
"... he wants you, Kashihara-san, to think that what he's saying is real." She clears her throat. "Which is *isn't*, it's all fiction." Her own burger sits sad and dejected, much like at least one other on this table.
'We can't allow him to continue threatening the safety of people like you and Jun-kun.'
"That's..." Umie's eyebrows rise, as Maya takes about *her* safety along with Jun's, just minutes after she had tried to appeal to Maya about her own and Ulala's. Though, it wouldn't be just them two, would it? She said so herself.
Jun, meanwhile, intuits another piece of information, about their abilities. "... Suou-kun, you mean?" She settles back against the seat cushion. "... Yeah," she admits, hesitantly. "Though, to Amano-san and Serizawa-san, I'd probably seem like I lack one, right now. That's a trick some users can do, though...." She gives a wry smile. "It just gets ridiculous when I'm just out there with everyone else, doing the same things."
'By any chance, are you referring to Tatsuya Sudou?'
Umie coughs, not expecting Jun to be the one to say that name. She casts her eyes towards Ulala and Maya, and then, just goes for it. ".... Yes. Probably where he got the idea of this 'correct world'." Not correct time. "From his own father's delusions of a world free of sin. That's why I showed up when I did, to try to find your friend, Tsubasa Seki-san. The context I couldn't say there was that, exactly, for everyone's safety."
She purses her lips, and leans against her elbows on the table. "... Where did you find this out, Kashihara-san?"
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
Emotions are running really high and Maya is immediately on red alert. She likes things Positive, with a capital P. And this is about the complete opposite of that.
She rushes to address all of it before the tension can get any higher than it is already.
First, Jun. He hadn't said it explicitly, but there was enough there for Maya to read between the lines.
"Jun-kun," she says firmly, and she presses a hand to her chest. "We don't know each other well, but when I first met you, I got the sense you're very capable. The only thing I think you're not capable of right now is believing that yourself."
Maya nods firmly. "So let's work on that together, okay?" Let's think positive!
Next, Ulala and Umie. Maya was no fan of hiding the truth from anyone, but there were times when it was better for people not to know things. This was one of them.
"I agree with Umie-san," she says. "That's a video I regretted watching, too." But unfortunately, this was part of the job. And her job, as Maya Amano. Not the reporter, but the person. She was scrapping for every bit of info she could to put an end to the Joker Killer once for all. And if that meant exposing herself to unsavory things, she'd do it. She was all in, now!
"We know about him too," Maya chirps, eager to move the conversation to something less controversial. "There's a few others who know, too."
<Pose Tracker> Ulala Serizawa has posed.
"If he wants him to see it, that doesn't matter. It's up to Kashihara-kun. He's what, a third year? He has the right to make his own decisions, to know about what's threatening him and other people," Ulala retorts back to Umie instantly, frustrated by it. She sees it as overprotectiveness towards a teenager... but a teenager who is involved in this world can't be coddled.
Maya backs up Umie, and Ulala sighs. "It's not a pretty video... but this isn't something like celebrity drama or foreign wars. This is personal life or death...."
But, the name of the Old Maid comes up. "That's him. He's currently in a sanitarium in the mountains, according to public knowledge. But it's too dangerous to go there and check it out directly... so this is the next best thing."
Ulala's definitely feeling like the odd woman out again, and maybe a bad person. She doesn't *want* Jun to see the video, or for them to have to fight Sudou... but what else can they do? Her life got turned upside down. Why is this so easy for Maya and Katsuya and everyone else? She's just a lingerie saleswoman, for the love of God.
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
He wants him to see it... Whatever this video is, the idea gives Jun chills, despite the summer heat outside. He gives Umie a discomfited look, which doesn't get much better when she starts addressing him directly.
"I... see." He swallows hard. "...I'll be sure to avoid it, then."
He seems to have accidentally implied he knows more than he does, though, because Umie starts talking about things Jun doesn't understand, like 'having one' and 'a world free of sin.' Maya kindly encourages him to believe in himself, and although Jun does genuinely appreciate the attempt, as evidenced by how he smiles back at her...
"I get the sense that this isn't precisely something one can work on, per se. But thank you, Amano-san. I'll do my best to support the rest of you," he says. "What you're doing is important, and whether or not I believe in myself, I believe in all of you."
Ulala argues that he's old enough to make his own decisions. Jun appreciates that sentiment too, but he shakes his head. "No, it's fine. I promised Tatsuya that I wouldn't get involved." As in Suou-kun? Jun nods to Umie. "Of course, I've gotten involved anyway... but only because I keep getting approached," he adds wryly. A little humor here, since he's here now because Umie approached him, if via text.
He pauses when Umie asks him how he knows this. "...I don't know very much. But if you mean that name, I heard about it from Katsuya-san and Akechi-kun." He pauses, a troubled look settling on his face. "...I heard about it because I've met Sudou-san. Twice, now. I didn't know who he was the first time, but..."
He's supposed to be in a sanitarium. Jun believes that. He also knows who he met.
"He was polite to me. Friendly--almost kind, even," Jun continues. "But... there's no mistaking that he has a... questionable relationship with reality."
Not to mention how odd the train got when he appeared...
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
Maya dives right into the thick of things, keeping the group dynamic thriving, going from one to the next.
It's honestly a pretty amazing sight, to Umie. How do people just *do* this, naturally, without second-guessing themselves five minutes in?
Jun believes in all of them. It feels too much, to confront it directly. Umie's eyes drift to the right as she tucks one of the bangs behind an ear. ".... I guess I have no choice but to try to live up to that belief, then, eh?" That momentary glimpse of insecurity is tucked just as neatly, disguising it with a thin grin that seems on the edge of being askew.
Ulala's reasoning, meanwhile, Umie can't fault either. In any normal circumstance, it'd be perfectly sound. This is how the world *should* work. "... Yeah, but it's kind of complicated." She pokes at her burger with a fry. "We can't even count on rumors to stay just rumors. The metaphysical fabric of this city," please don't mind Umie she's making these terms up as she goes, "is just thin as hell here. It never really hit me until I moved *out* of Sumaru City that there's just a lot of things we assume are just normal."
_No wonder everyone thinks Sumaru City things are weird_.
Jun pokes lightly at the reason he's here, and he *is* correct. "Ah, well, I *did* happen to hear something about a few... events that happened with you recently," Umie lightly slings back, with half-grin. "When Takk- er, Suou-kun, heard about it, it took me and Uchida-san both to get him to stay in one place until he ate something." Her expression sobers as she continues. "But really, Kashihara-kun, you can call me if you're in trouble. I bet either Serizawa-san or Amano-san'll be here even faster." Yes, she's volunteering you two, deal with it
(Also Jun is now at the socially acceptable level of -kun now, now that Umie's convinced he's taking things relatively well (albeit with some misunderstandings on Umie's part here and there!).)
Jun reveals where he heard it, and Umie seems to relax a little. "Gotcha. Glad you managed to get into contact with them."
However, it's the other party that Umie wants to know. "Maybe this is an oppurtunity, too." She looks at Maya and Ulala, then back at Jun. "It's possible that he may've let some things slip when he talked to you. It doesn't have to be now, but if you can remember anything specific, you can tell us. Further visits... we can probably make sure they don't happen, eh?" She tilts her chin slightly, her grin turning impish. "We'll be the three... uh...." Weird sisters? No. No nono that is NOT the right reference, uh, musketeers...? no Umie, think, damn it
".... We'll be your protectors, so that Takkun doesn't hurt himself trying to protect all of us at once." She frowns. "I can't get the guy to stay still at all!"