2025-12-24: Where Different Pieces Fit Together
- Log: Where Different Pieces Fit Together
- Cast: Katsuya Suou, Tamaki Uchida
- Where: Kuzunoha Detective Agency
- OOC Date: December 24, 2025
- IC Date: August 30, 2012
- Summary: Katsuya and Tamaki catch up at the Kuzunoha Detective Agency and get a chance to chat while they're not in the middle of a crisis. They talk about recent events and Katsuya's brother, and Katsuya makes another attempt to ask about what happened in Mikage-cho. However, it's not Tamaki's tale to tell.
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
It's been weeks since he's been by the detective agency with anyone at all, let alone by himself.
Considering recent events, though, it's likely wise to check in. With work being the way it is and their often-clashing schedules, he hasn't had much chance to stop and talk to the others in their little group. That and-- well, he'll be the first to confess that he'd cut the rest of them out of his own involvement with the Palace. Considering the rumors about the young man in question and what else they'd found out, though, Katsuya is still unfortunately convinced it was necessary.
"Hello?"
Pushing open the door, he steps into the detective agency office, his gaze as always first taken by the enormous golden lucky cat statue. It always reminds him of the dog statue at the police department and, well, it is a cat.
Of course, the other thing about coming out here is, just days ago he had gone to a festival event in Iwatodai, and there he'd crossed paths with Tamaki Uchida and not under 'dire circumstances' for a change. She had told him something very, very important and he's been doing his best to not dwell on what he'd done.
Also, he'd caught a goldfish.
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
Like clockwork, the lucky cat statue located just inside the Agency meows, pleading with Katsuya for "1000 yen, please, nya~!" As it does with anyone and everyone who passes through its doors. It's definitely not antagonizing Katsuya in particular, no.
Todoroki seems to be in the middle of a phone conversation, and stands from his desk to move to the rear kitchenette, the low rumble of his voice diminishing as he disappears to go make some tea for himself. He does give Katsuya a nod before he steps away, however, gesturing to Tamaki's desk as he does so.
Tamaki has been spending the better part of the day trying to organize her case files before her university classes resume within a few days. From the looks of it, she has made steady progress, with a tall stack of binders placed on her desk and only a few scattered pages and half-filled binders strewn about in a yet-to-be-organized state.
Even this late in summer, the heat and the tedium of her task seem to have gotten the better of her, and she remains slumped over on her desk, dozing quietly next to several now-empty canned coffees. Katsuya's 'Hello?' and the cat statue's mewling cause her to wake up with a start.
There's a bright, saturated yellow divider tab stuck to her forehead. She blinks several times as she tries to gain her bearings, but seeing that there's someone present jolts her to something at least resembling full wakefulness within moments. " -- Suou-san! Hello! What brings you here today?"
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
The last time Katsuya had been in here, he'd given 1000 yen to the statue. He had assumed that, like Coppy, it had been to collect money for a good cause but... now that he thinks about it...
His musings -- punctuated as they are by the statue's request for a donation, are interrupted when he glances over at Todoroki and finds he's in the middle of a serious phone conversation. Briefly, Katsuya gestures towards the door, only for Todoroki to gesture at Tamaki's desk, and the older investigator makes his way to the kitchenette before this game of Charades can get any more involved.
Speaking of Tamaki, she appears to be busy, if he's to judge by all the paperwork, binders, and empty cans of coffee. She also appears to be asleep--
Well, for a half-second more, that is. She rises suddenly from slumberland, and Katsuya can't help but notice that something has made the jump to wakefullness along with you.
"Actually, I, er..." he starts, pausing as he thinks about how to say this. "Uchida-kun, there... is something," he says, gesturing vaguely in the direction of his own forehead. It would be better to try to ignore it, almost, except...
Well, he knows that as embarrassing as it would be for him to be in the same situation, it would be moreso for him to be in the same situation and not be alerted of it.
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
Tamaki stares at Katsuya in quizzical confusion for a moment before she catches his meaning and peels the plastic tab off of her forehead. Her quiet snicker gives way to open laughter as she shakes her head at herself. "Snrrrrkkkkhahahahaaa. Wow, not my proudest moment." Whatever embarrassment she feels, if any, is brief and fleeting, falling away from her like water off a duck's back.
She inhales sharply and clasps her hands together as she stands from her desk to properly greet Katsuya. "Well! I take it you didn't come here solely about ..." She silently taps her forehead where the tab was moments ago, then breaks out into a grin. "But seriously, what's up?"
She's at least got a few ideas of her own regarding topics to catch up on. "Got anything to share about the Joker Killer? How did we both end up at the Atelier and the Palace in parallel? Or, uh ..."
Her expression falters, and she grows serious as she asks her last question. "How's your brother? I haven't heard from him in a bit ..."
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
Surely, she'll be embarrassed, or upset at herself for having the issue pointed out. It's how he would feel, Katsuya assumes.
Tamaki catches him off-guard by not only 'going with the flow' of it, but by even laughing at herself. "I thought it was best to mention it," he says, discharging the excuse for himself that he'd had prepared before he'd spoke up. It hardly seems needed now, though.
It's not what he had expected, but then, the same could be said about a number of his acquaintances of late. Someone who can use a Persona is not a 'normal' person.
Unfortunately for Katsuya, the same applies to him as well.
"No, of course not. I wanted to ask about recent rumors, particularly after that recent Palace. I know what my colleagues are talking about," he explains, "but when it comes to what everyone else is... Of course, I also check Darkside, but that does not tell me about everything that is happening."
Especially when it comes to what people are passing about as rumor, and thus, what could become true.
"To tell you the truth, in both cases it was both Darkside and Akabane-kun that led me into those circumstances," he says, of the Atelier and the Palace. "However, when it comes to the Joker Killer... no, not beyond an apparent recent attempt. Amano-kun and Serizawa-kun were able to help handle the situation. It appears that he is preparing for something..."
And Ulala, last he checked, was also thinking about trying to call him herself.
"I am hoping that we may be able to work with Sakura-san to learn more, particularly about the sanitarium," he concludes, because that's the best he has. "If we are correct in the connections between the killer and Tatsuzou Sudou, then the killer likely is in truth Tatsuya Sudou. In fact, at this point, I would be surprised if he were not. We will need some way to gain entrance to the sanitarium, however. I do not think we will be able to walk in the front door."
But Tamaki has something else she wants to ask about, something a lot closer to his heart. How is his brother?
"..." Katsuya glances away from her. "I have not... heard from him in a little while." Or heard about him, if he's being more accurate. Tatsuya's keeping his number blocked, it seems, and he still hasn't called home. "I still don't know what he's thinking. He missed his final exams, and the second semester starts next week. At this rate..."
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
Tamaki nods while grinning at Katsuya's offered explanation. It was best to mention it! "I appreciate the heads-up! Thank you!"
She curls a finger over her chin as she recalls her own routes. "The way I found out about the Atelier, I had found out about from some old classmates I had reconnected with. I figured it'd be prudent to get some firsthand experience on something that was a new topic to me at the time in order to help out another client." Tamaki grimaces, gritting her teeth. "There's another Homunculus forming, no doubt about it, and that'll mean another Atelier."
Flatly, she adds, "Do not, under any circumstances, try to take on a Homunculus during the Dark Hour." Given the sharp swerve from her usually jovial attitude, this may stand out in stark contrast. "Barely got out alive."
"Seki-kun is who clued me in on the Palace. They're helping out around here, you know." Tamaki rubs the back of her neck. "They've got talent when it comes to spotting things that don't quite add up in public investor reports. A lot of kids that people write off as delinquents actually have something going for them, they just need someone to see it in them, you know?"
That's a bit a tangent, though, which she realizes after having said it. Katsuya points out the rumors on the Dark Side boards, and Tamaki catches his drift. "Wonder if there's a way to find out what was true before a rumor sets in. If someone had gone in early enough and obtained the same information, then we know it was legitimate from the get-go and not just internet scuttlebutt."
She furrows her brow and holds up a finger. "And -- look, I've been through two incidents already prior to all this, and something about that Palace reminds me of those days. They were all cognitive reflections of someone's ideal world. I feel like I'm starting to see the beginning of a throughline, and if that's right, we might need to start looking more closely at the Nanjo Group, the Kirijo Group, and possibly even the government itself. ... That last bit is why I'm interested in Sakura-san, personally."
Tamaki nods at the mention of a 'recent attempt'. "The attack at Shujin, right? I heard about that, I was actually there trying to glean what I could from inspecting the scene and talking with those present. I ran into a Gekkoukan High student there, oddly enough -- a previous acquaintance already -- and he's got some thoughts on the Joker Killer's method of moving from place to place like he does."
She quizzically raises an eyebrow at Katsuya. "... Is Serizawa-san still planning on calling the Joker Killer on herself? She let me in on that plan of hers and came to me for tactical advice. ... and I'm worried about the way she doesn't seem to value her own life as much as others."
Hell, she's worried about that for a lot of people. Lot of that going around lately.
Tamaki gives Katsuya a wry grin after he muses about the Joker Killer's real identity. "Yeah, I've heard some of the aliases he's used from various people. About as subtle as a pile of bricks, but that's induction, not deduction. It's best to be thorough."
Speaking of people she's worried about ... "He comes by every once in a while. He's alive, at least. Usually looking worse for wear, but we keep changes of clothes for him and I've got a healthy stockpile of first aid kits here. Just ... please don't press me too hard on how exactly I have access to those."
She lowers her head and gazes up at Katsuya through half-lidded eyes. "If you want some insight into his mindset ... a long time ago, I was in a similar position to him. I recognize the sense of urgency and purpose he moves with. School took a backseat for me, then, too, and what I had to do was legitimately more important." She lifts her chin back up and shakes her head sadly, gesturing with a hand as she continues. "Don't get me wrong, I don't think it's a good state to be in. It's better than being dead or struck with Apathy Syndrome, though. And ... look how I turned out."
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
"I see... from St. Hermelin?" he says, because he has a good idea of at least some of whom she means at this point. But there's more.
There's another Homunculus forming. "--Are you certain? I haven't heard anything about it just yet." He regards her steadily, but... it's not as if he has real reason to think she wouldn't tell him the truth about this. "...I see, so there will be another Atelier soon... this, on top of everything else..." He shakes his head.
She has a warning for him, delivered in such a tone that it takes him by surprise. "You... have personal experience with that? I had seen a warning on Darkside," he adds, glancing askance, but he nods after that moment's thought. "Of course. I have no intention of doing something like that."
But when she speaks about the Palace, he pauses. "Seki-san?" And he might have written it off if she hadn't gone on to note well the rest of the person in question's identity. "Tsubasa Seki... I see. So they are aware of such things? I had not realized." Not everyone who is aware of the supernatural currents has a Persona, and not everyone who has a Persona is necessarily in the know. One thing does not mean the other. But it also doesn't mean he doesn't wonder about it for a moment. Except--
No, that can't be. They had almost been killed at the incident in the park. If they had a Persona, they would have been able to fight back instead of barely escaping with their life. Case closed.
"No, you're quite right. They appear to be a thoughtful young... er, person," he hazards, doing his best with this. "Though, they are a little bit brash. And... I cannot say I understand their choice in fashion, but..." It's not like they started a trend, though. He's encountered plenty of people who attain a similar sort of look in and around Sumaru.
"It's possible," he says of what was before rumors got started, "but I cannot know for certain. I suppose if you were keeping your fingers on the pulse, so to speak." It's the sort of think Baofu might be better equipped to scrape, given his position with the website. The recent incidents, though, have gotten her thinking, especially in line of what's been before. "Do you mean, the incident in Mikage-cho? I have only heard rumors. It's hard to know what actually happened." Mark isn't talking, for one, and the Watanabe's viewpoint into it seems to be limited. "So, Nanjo and Kirijo... they have some connection with a group in Port Island," he says, speaking of SEES, "but that's as much as I know. I don't have the time to look into it, I'm afraid."
And if what Akechi has told him is true, the government is involved deeply in these matters. But then, if they assume the involvement of Tatsuzou Sudou, then they already knew that to be the case.
"I see... I wasn't able to follow up on it, but I overheard some of the particulars," he says, of the attack near Shujin. "Is there anything new you learned from that?" He shakes his head, looking distantly pained. "Unfortunately... there isn't anything my colleagues can learn from regular policework."
Is Ulala still planning on making that call? Hesitating, Katsuya nods. "To be honest... I'm not comfortable with it. If she's determined to do it, though, then the least I can do is protect her if she does." He frowns, thinking on what Tamaki's just said to him. "Do... you think so? I hadn't... considered that." Bit by bit, he's begun to seem that much more troubled than before. "If it's still possible to talk her out of this, perhaps... could I count on you to help me?"
It may come off better if it's not just him making the case.
There's no hiding it: his face falls when Tamaki says he comes by here sometimes, often worse for wear. "How often?" Katsuya asks of her immediately, and it's probably not impossible to see the wheels in his head are turning. Through Umie, he did get to talk to his brother, once, after the events at the art exhibition in Aoba Park, but...
Even if that had gone off amicably enough (all considering), it's still not as if they're on regular speaking terms.
"I... do understand that there is something he feels he should do, but..." Again, he shakes his head. "Putting off his schoolwork and worrying his parents, are these things really necessary? Even if he were to just call them, to say that he's safe..." He sighs. "I know that he's in some sort of trouble, and he's... worried about it following him home, or something like that. Still, is it really necessary that he do it alone?" Even if she says she turned out alright, he can't entirely put a stop on his own worries.
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
Tamaki nods in confirmation. "Yeah, from St. Hermelin. You remember Kirishima-san from the other day, right? She's one of them. We were both members of the fencing club, specializing in different disciplines. I don't know if you've met Inaba-san or Sonomura-san yet, though ..."
About a newly-forming Atelier, Tamaki confirms: "Dead certain." Tamaki raises a hand. "That warning on Dark Side was, in fact, mine. The good news is that we've obtained the Thread, so entry should be possible soon enough."
On the topic of Tsubasa and how much they know, Tamaki looks up at the ceiling and squints before returning her head to eye level again. "I think they're only kind of aware? They don't seem to have a strong grasp of supernatural concepts, like they're mostly relaying what just sounds like metaphor to them. Their information was second-hand, too, mostly coming from another Persona-user who goes by Phoenix -- though Phoenix's own understanding definitely surpasses Seki-kun's." When he mentions their sense of fashion, the edge of Tamaki's mouth twitches. " -- I think I do understand it. It's a delicate topic, and that's all I'm going to say."
About Mikage-cho, Tamaki nods. "I was at Mikage-cho when that incident happened, yes, as a 3rd-year at St. Hermelin. My own involvement there was limited: I was on the sidelines, holed up trying to protect some classmates and the nurse." She pauses, hesitating over whether she should mention this next part. "... Aaand prior to that, I was much more heavily involved with an incident at Karukozaka High as a 1st-year. The full details of both of those incidents are also delicate topics. You saw what that Palace was like, you can maybe hazard a guess about how those supernatural spaces can reveal some pretty intimate details about someone's life. Mikage-cho's really not my story to tell, and the less said about Karukozaka High, the better."
When Katsuya says he can't look into things on Port Island, Tamaki jerks a thumb over at the pile of binders on her desk and sighs. "Don't worry, I'm on it. The best that I can be, at least. My focus has been on breadth, while most other people such as yourself are more in the weeds on some more specific task. I've got a bit more of a zoomed-out view, seeing where concepts overlap, where different pieces fit together, you know?"
Tamaki shakes her head when Katsuya asks if she learned anything of note about the Shujin attack. "Not much I didn't already know going in, I'm afraid. I actually wasn't aware that Amano-san or Serizawa-san were present, so we could ask them."
Katsuya's insistence that he protects Ulala garners a nod and a plaintive smile from Tamaki. "That's about the best I can do for her, too." When he asks for her help, though, she nervously smiles and raises her hands. "Aheh hehhh ... I may have bungled my chance to talk her out of it. It -- set something off in me, and I was too hard on her. That may seem uncharacteristic of me, I know, but there are a few things that really get under my skin. Namely, when someone considers a person to be disposable, or someone who 'won't be missed'. I'm used to responding to that sentiment with anger, but that's usually for the likes of Kamiya in charge of his Palace, someone applying that label to a different person, and my ire was misdirected towards Serizawa-san over her doing that to herself."
How often? "Every ... week or two. The stretches that he's gone for have gotten longer and longer, though."
Is putting off his schoolwork and worrying his parents really necessary? Is it necessary for him to go off alone? Tamaki lowers her head as she prepares to give Katsuya an uneasy answer.
"They ... might be. The last time we spoke, it went about as well when I had that flash of anger towards Serizawa-san, for much the same reason. I'm sorry."
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
"Yes, I recall. I had thought you were former classmates. So, then you must also be familiar with Inaba-san--" She goes on to say as much and Katsuya nods as if to assert his own agreement here. "I have not yet met your friend Sonomura-san, however." Perhaps, when the time is right, he can try to see what they have to say about what happened in Mikage-cho that others either can't or don't want to say more regarding.
"I see, so that was you," he says, trying to think back about the username. "So do you post there often? I only read, myself." It's probably just as well, because he'd probably pick something extremely stupid as a username on a place like that. But she says she's found the Thread already for the Atelier. "So, then it's only a matter of time. If you need assistance, please do not hesitate to call me." Knowing her, Umie will also likely involve herself.
"I see... so rather like Watanabe-san's husband." Who really doesn't have any choice but to be aware after the attempt on his life. "Phoenix? That was the one who fought to try to save them, I think. I wonder why they are interested in protecting Seki-kun. ...Perhaps they feel another attack by the Joker Killer is likely, or..." He shakes his head. "All I can do is speculate, however. It isn't as if I have any evidence to the contrary."
Leaving behind the topic of Tsubasa's choice of fashion (like the night to Katsuya's daylight, if a nice suit is the sun), his mention of Mikage-cho brings about the topic he'd been trying to ask Masao about some weeks prior. While she has some idea of what happened, she says it's not her story to tell--
In contrast to what happened at Karukozaka, which she was more involved with.
Which was also a deeper, personal look into someone else's life.
Slowly, Katsuya exhales a long breath. "I... see. I will respect your, er, their privacy, in that case. If it should become relevant to ongoing cases, however, please.... consider telling us what you do know." That's 'us', not 'him': it's not just about what he wants to know. It's about what they all should understand in order to proceed and survive, should it become relevant and necessary.
His gaze follows the movement of her thumb. "Ah. So it is that complicated? I have some basic understanding about Tartarus and the situation with that, but I suppose, ah... only what most people might come to know." In other words, what Umie told him and what he's gleaned from the boards and other Persona-Users. "Thank you for keeping an eye on it, Uchida-kun. Between things in Sumaru and my work at the police department, I'm afraid I'm limited in what I have the time for." He nods, as if to agree with his own statement to follow: "It's good that we have people looking at as many things as possible. As you say, it can become important to find the connections between disparate things."
Like Ateliers, and Palaces, and whatever it was that happened in Mikage-cho and now Karukozaka High as well. He'll look into the latter, but he expects to find little if anything.
"I see... I don't know if there's much more than that, but we could talk about that once we're able to learn what we can with Sakura-san, perhaps," he says, of the Shujin attack.
She understands how he feels about Ulala putting herself in danger but... might have bungled the attempt to talk her out of it, Tamaki herself admits. "So you..." he asks, seeming just that much taken aback by this bit of fact about how they had been with one another. "...I see... so, she did not take that well." He shakes his head. "I am... admittedly not that certain that I can... do better," he hazards, feeling put on the spot, "but, nevertheless, I feel I should talk to her about this. Having her put herself in harm's way..." He frowns, deeply. "Perhaps we can come to a separate conclusion about what we ought to do. Even an attempt to make our way into the sanitarium to confirm the matter may be less dangerous, considering what they said about what happened in the attack outside Shujin High."
Tamaki meanwhile gives him a little more information about his brother. Every week or two... and the stretches are getting longer. Like he's pulling away even from the people here.
Katsuya fidgets with his sunglasses, the expression on his face decidedly unhappy. "I see..." So in other words, even if he stayed here for a week and watched like a hawk for his brother, there's no guarantee they'd cross paths. In fact, it's entirely possible that his brother wouldn't come by here ever again, even without knowing Katsuya could be waiting for him. "..."
He's silent, thinking this over.
Finally, he shakes his head. "No, it's... alright. This isn't something you need to worry about. I am sorry to trouble you about it, Uchida-kun." He inclines his head, just once. "Thank you for looking out for him."
He's silent for a few moments more, as if he were thinking about the matter still.
Then, at long last, he turns his head to look towards her desk. "Now... I had come by to ask about if there were any new rumors circulating. Do you mind if we talk about those?" It's a blunt attempt to change the subject, yes. But his family's burden shouldn't be the burden of the people at Kuzunoha, too.
He might even come to learn something new here.