2026-01-01: A Stranger's Ear
- Log: A Stranger's Ear
- Cast: Umie Akabane, Kazusa Motojima, Kazuhiro Motojima
- Where: Triple 7, Shibuya Ward, Tokyo
- OOC Date: January 01, 2026
- IC Date: Monday, September 03, 2012 (Afternoon)
- Summary: Kazusa and her younger brother Kazuhiro stop by the 888 after school to get some snacks. Umie notices the Homunculus that is wearing Kazusa's appearance, and discretely pulls Kazuhiro aside to try and ask some questions.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
At the end of the day, there shall always be Triple 7.
Despite being chased by a serial killer, a NWO agent beating her up during a late night shift that ran into the Dark Hour, getting visited by said earlier serial killer (and it turning out... okay...?), and countless other events that have occurred, there has always been the Triple 7.
And hey, it's not all bad. There's been some co-workers that have been fun to work alongside and get to know (like Ren!), and that employee discount has been great in a pinch. The shifts are flexible. She's even taken a liking to the uniform colors of hot pink and lime green (not enough to wear them outside this store, however). No one has caught the person leaving origami animals in secret spots in the break room, either.
So, really what's the worst that could happen on a day like today, with the sky peeking past the skyscrapers that sunny blue cast of late summer?
"<Second aisle.>" Umie's English is not the best; her pronunciation is flawed, and engaging in conversation with her may soon elicit a 'deer caught in headlights' look if it goes on too long. But, when an American tourist wanders in looking for aspirin, she can at least get them to where they need to go. Thankfully, not much is needed beyond this, as the tourist tries some rusty but well-meaning Japanese. "<Your Japanese is very good!>" She would have said this regardless. "<Thank you for shopping with us!>"
She's gotten better at those phrases, specifically.
The tourist leaves through the sliding glass doors, leaving behind a whiff of early September heat that soon dissipates into the cool, climate controlled realm of the 777.
Twisting a red nailed finger around a long strand of hail to the side of her face, Umie tugs it behind one ear.
..... the schools must be getting out about now.
She stretches, tapping the front end of one dress shoe against the tile out of force of habit. Time to get ready.
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
The schools are, indeed, just about getting out right now. And while students may disperse in may different directions, some of them, naturally, will come here.
One pair of Shibuya siblings, for instance, actually live in the Shibuy Ward, so this particular Triple 7 is a natural place to stop. Of course, they're not the only ones, and a few groups of students filter in ahead of them.
One might be forgiven for being distracted with customer service to individually notice every individual customer.
Unfortuantely, one customer in particular demands notice for any Persona User.
Walking through the girl is a Shujin 2nd year (evident by her uniform, with the polo tucked in, suspenders and all.) She stands about 5'2", with a gymnast's build, and she has long, straight black hair held in place with a pink headband and purple eyes.
And she's wearing a pleasant smile that is utterly at odds with the fact that any Persona User can detect that she is something inhuman wearing a teenage girl's skin.
At her side or half a step behind her is someone taller, about 5'7", also in a Shujin uniform, though he has short messy hair and a similar shade of purple eyes--siblings, maybe? he's trying to keepa relaxed, casual smile on his face, but something about it is strained.
Some of the other students in the store--particularly Shujin students--might be taking glances at her and whispering, though... not in a way that suggests they know there's a monster lurking under her skin. It's for some other reason, probably.
Kazusa goes to start looking through the shelves, seemingly oblivious to the whispers and stares. Kazuhiro hangs back, flashes of concern on his features.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
Things couldn't be better, if one was satisfied with a normal, boring life.
And Umie Akabane is, in this moment, a normal, boring adult that no one needs to Percieve.
The sliding doors ding repeatedly with the uptick in traffic; the colors of many local schools (maybe one or two from a city over, it's not rare) mark the aisles. Thin plastic crinkles as snack foods are taken off shelves, maybe joined by pre-packaged meals to be consumed later. Umie's voice greets them with just enough enthusiasm to be paid a fair wage at the end of her shift.
Welcome. Welcome. Welcome. Welcome. Wel--
....
Umie is barely able to stifle the shudder that creeps over her. Her fingernails dig into the countertop.
Shujin, again. Why is it always Shujin...?
A random customer comes up with his item, and Umie plasters on a mask of a polite cashier, ringing his item through and collecting her charge. "Please shop with us again!"
Common pleasantries can be distracting, but not for long, as Umie notes the uniforms of the others, and tries to listen in and read their mannerisms. Something is noticable to them too. She can't ask now, unless--
Umie notes one student in particular: Kazuhiro.
"Ah, Umetsu-san, could you take over for a moment?" Umie calls out to her co-worker, shooting the newbie co-worker with a doe-eyed 'please?' expression before the latter relents.
It's just a matter of trying to separate one student from the other, but how? And how to justify asking, when she's just a cashier?
She'll try to signal Kazuhiro from behind one aisle, making a beckoning motion with a half-covered hand, the wrist likewise covered with a white band. "Sir," she says, once he manages to look her way, "you dropped something." She keeps her voice low, not wanting to attract Kazusa's attention.
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
For all that some Shujin students might be pointing and whispering, for all that Kazusa herself might be riling the senes of the Awakened... Kazusa herself doesn't seem to be... doing anything. She's humming a little as she looks through the selections on offer, looking through prepackaged snacks.
She holds one up cheerfully to show to Kazuhiro. "Look, Kazu-kun! This one is cherry-flavored! And it's on sale!"
"That's... great, nee-san," says Kazuhiro with a strained smile. "Hey, I'm gonna go look at the drinks, okay? I'll see you at the register."
"Okay!" says Kazusa brightly, in a way that is totally unmenacing or threatening, while being something completely inhuman underneath the skin.
Which might help create some distance and give Umie some cover to attract his attention. Kazuhiro stops, glancing over to the seemingly random shopkeeper who's just tried to get his attention.
'Sir, you dropped something.'
The look on Kazuhiro's face is quizzical, followed by a soft, "Hm?" But there's a look in his eyes that's studying Umie carefully for a moment.
He knows he didn't drop anything.
But it's only a moment before he puts that casual grin back on, a little less strained this time, and pivots to turn to Umie. "Hey, thanks, Miss. What did I drop?"
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
Umie backs away slightly, in order to lure Kazuhiro further into the aisle, angling herself against one side so she has a better ability to glance behind. Besides, with the presence Kazusa has, it'd be hard to sneak up on Umie.
Even in this place, bereft of the supernatural, something that is anchoring itself in the skin of a human is enough to make the Badb in Umie call to the heavens, for something damned is here on Earth. Why deny its presence any longer?
Umie knows that person(?) is there, but what does Kazuhiro know?
"Is something wrong?" Umie murmurs quietly, her gaze silently conveying a certain level of seriousness that the words she asks can't quite touch.
"That person who's with you... did something happen?"
It's a mood that clashes with the uniform, which loudly tries to scream 'casual polite convenience and service', not 'trust me with the things that fill you with dread and fear'.
But the expression on Umie's face certainly does. "You... just have the look of someone who's afraid no one will believe them."
It's a guess, really. Maybe his concerns are just a mirror of the gossip that is following Kazusa right now.
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Kazuhiro's already rolling with the 'dropped item' story, so he doesn't object, for the moment, as Umie draws him further into the asile.
Kazusa is very clearly still standing where she was, looking over the snacks. And most of the Shujin students seem wary of getting close to her.
Whatever Kazuhiro might have expected from Umie with the 'dropped item', what actually happens... certainly wasn't it. When she asks if something is wrong, Kazuhiro tenses, and he's a bit stuck.
Yes, something is definitely wrong. But... how to explain everything they've been through, to a stranger, no less?
And it's not exactly the type of thing you discuss with a random konibi clerk.
"O-oh, that's..." The smile strains, as he tries to project casualness. "She's my sister, and..." He glances over in the direction of the asile he left her in, seemingly at a loss for how to finish that sentence.
And then Umie makes that guess, and the facde drops away from his face, leaving something something deeply concerned in its place.
"... I don't know," he admits, after a moment. "She's not acting like herself, but... even when we're alone she insist she's fine." And by implication, he doesn't believe her.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
----SEVERAL YEARS AGO----
"Why do I have it?" Umie asked her mother, as she sat at the kitchen table, her homework laid out in front of her. It was a random question, as a child's questions sometimes were, even at Umie's age.
"Have what?"
"My mark. Suzue-chan saw it and said it was a tattoo."
The noncommittal answer came from Umie's mother, as always, avoiding the question altogether. "Maybe if you cover it better, you wouldn't have situations like this, Umi-chan."
"But..." Umie frowned at the topmost page of her homework, glancing at the black mark on her right wrist like a well-defined bruise against her skin. "The sleeves get itchy, in summer..."
Why did Mom not even look at her when she said that?
Why does no one seem to care?
----NOW----
There's certain things Umie cannot ignore, even when it runs the risk of blowing that nice, normal, boring cover she clings to like a life preserver.
It's hardly something someone would tell anyone.
"It's okay," she assures, trying to soothe Kazuhiro. "Sometimes I notice things others don't." She taps the side of her head, close to her eyes. "Also, just... your face."
She lowers her voice. "When did it start? Like, when did you first notice something was off?"
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Neither Kazuhiro nor Kazusa know anythinga bout The Mark... or the superantural in general, really. (Well, Kazusa had that one run-in with a ghost in Sumaru that she's still trying to rationalize, but that definitely wasn't a real ghost, she's certain of that.)
Kazuhiro rubs at the back of his neck a little, glacning to the side as Umie calls out his face. "That obvious, huh...?" He lets out a quiet, mostly good-natured laugh. At least he can roll with that small embarrassment.
When did it start? Well... that's tricky. And there's certain things he'd rather not say, about a certain ill-fated convention trip. "Well... like that, just... a couple of days now. But she... well, she wasn't in a great state before that, either..."
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
Most people wouldn't know about Marks (aside from the excellent work of Masao 'Mark' Inaba, of course). Most people would only have varied opinions on what ghosts and demons are.
Most people wouldn't know that, when their sister suddenly changes personalities, something supernatural may be to blame.
And why would they? Many times, it's something that can be explained away with mundane (and sometimes equally serious) explanations.
Umie's lips turn up in a half grin, as Kazuhiro looks embarrassed. She holds up a finger, giving Kazuhiro a playfully chaste wink. "Call it a 'cashier's intuition'."
Thankfully, the hows aren't nearly as important to Umie in this moment as the timeframe. (This will change, but that will have to come with some more investigation.)
"... I see." Umie puts a hand to her chin. "What was she like, before? Not great as in 'she was sick', or just, like, 'bad mood'?"
Umie has nothing to even go on here; to assume one thing or another could lead her completely off the mark (ha ha).
"... If you don't mind."
Telling Kazuhiro that something is wearing his sister's skin? That's completely off the table. Even if Kazusa seems to mean well and isn't hurting anyone, it could be a ruse in order to fit in.
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
There are, honestly, plenty of normal (and very worrying) mundane explanations for Kazusa's sudden change in behavior. And Kazuhiro is plenty aware of them.
It's hard not to be, with how their father is.
But this... this doesn't track. And something about it just makes the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
"A 'cashier's intuition', huh...?" Kazuhiro looks at Umie for a moment, considering that. He maybe doesn't quite buy it, but... he's got no reason to argue against it, either. "Well, I guess you see a lot of people every day, huh?"
Before... Kazuhiro tenses a bit, casting a worried look to where Kazusa is, presumably, still picking out snacks. (She is.) "For the last week she'd been... ahh... really down," he admits, softly. "Then a couple of days ago she just suddenly... got better."
It's clear from the frown as he says it that he's not convinced.
But he doesn't exactly want to bring up before before, either. He knows his sister's reputation, he knows why she is that way, but to just say it to a stranger is... a bit awkward.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
"Yes." Umie folds a thread of blonde hair behind an ear. "Quite a few. You notice a thing or two," she murmurs, seeming almost smug about it.
Thankfully, for Kazuhiro, Umie won't, no, *can't* ask him something quite that direct or personal. "Ahh, so... like that." Red brown eyes cast from side to side, making sure her co-worker isn't awash in a sea of merciless consumerism while Umie pursued her own ends, as well as see where Kazusa is.
Umie nods. "Alright..." This may be as far as she can go, without drawing attention. She can get a name later when she rings up Kazusa or Kazuhiro's orders, maybe.
Now then. What should she do, now that she's called this worried brother over, got him to confess a little about his personal business in a way that goes far beyond her job's duties, and possibly made him feel too embarrassed tom buy something? Try to reassure him? She has nothing to give him.
"... You're a good brother, looking out for your sister like that," she says, instead. "You're probably not the only one who's noticed the change, or the one who's concerned. But you definitely have that someone else may not have is your sister's best interests at heart. She may need that, when she comes out of whatever she's going through, right now." Was that fair, to say she'd come back? How could Umie even know?
"I'm Umie Akabane," she says, pointing out her name tag, where it's written in hiragana. "... Hang in there, okay?"
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Kazuhiro gives a small nod. "Like that," he says. There are probably more clinical, technical terms, but... well, he's still only a teenager, after all.
He's probably shared more than he 'should' have, but... things have been... very strained, for the last week, and there hasn't been any good outlet for it. He's in pretty dire need of someone to confide in, even if just a little.
Kazuhiro was only momentarily embarrassed about being caught out in his worried mood, but... the worry for his sister kind of took over from there.
He's a good brother. Kazuhiro rubs the back of his neck again, while glancing in the direction he thinks Kazusa is. "... Thanks. I'm... I'm trying." He still feels powerless in the face of this, though. He just nods a little when Umie says others have noticed--he's pretty sure half the school, at least, has noticed--he's not blind to the rumors, or the pointing and whispering, even if he's been playing most of that off.
When she comes out of this. "... yeah." Translation: I really hope she does come out of this.
He's worried she might not.
He drops his hand again and looks to Umie as she introduces herself. "Kazuhiro Motojima." Motojima, like Motojima Corporation, manufacturer of home electronics and video games? He doesn't clarify. But he does offer a small flicker of a smile. "... And thanks, Akabane-san. For listening. I'd... better go get my drinks before my sister wonders what's taking me so long."
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
Maybe there is, but Umie wouldn't know them either.
There may even be terms for what's going on with Kazusa right now, words that have solid ideas and concepts behind them.
Umie would like that to be the case, because the Badb inside her is restless for closure.
"Sometimes trying is all you can really do."
Umie can taste that powerlessness, whether it's just her own projections that she's laying on Kazuhiro, something he is genuinely feeling inside, or both.
"... Motojima." Why does that name sound familiar? "Yeah." Umie nods to Kazuhiro. "Sometimes the best ears are those of concerned strangers. Take care, Motojima-kun."
WIth luck, that's all Umie will ever seem to be to him.
Goddamn it, Umie thinks. She neesd to stop involving herself in these things...
.... But not before pulling out a piece of paper to remind herself to get a wig.
She might not want someone like Ren or Ann to notice her snooping around the school gates, after all.
<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.
Concepts and terms for what's going on right nw would be... a big boon. Sadly, Kazuhiro lacks the perception to notice the supernatural.
All he can do, sometimes. "I guess." He's gonna keep trying, regardless... even if he's not sure if it'll help.
It's not that much of a projection.
The ears of a stranger. Another flicker of a smile. "... maybe so. You too, Akabane-san."
He heads off to go finally grab a couple of cold drinks, heading back to the register area where Kazusa is, indeed, waiting for him. But she doesn't seem upset. Instead, she just smiles. "Oh! There you are, Kazu-kun!"
And up goes that strained, forced smile. "Hey, sorry, nee-san. Just ah..." He holds up the two bottles. "... took me a while to decide what I wanted." Someone attuned to the situation might recognize that for the little white lie that it is. On the other hand...
Kazusa seems entirely sincere. "No worries! It took me a while to decide, too!" She declares with a smile. "There's so many good things here, aren't there?"
"... Yeah, there sure are," comes Kazuhiro's uneasy response, as they both move to stand in line. "... but we'd better get home before our parents gets concerned."
"Of course!" says Kazusa brightly, following him to the line.
And just like that, they'll check out and then leave, leaving Umie in relative peace, for now.