2026-02-14: The Solitary Studio

• Log: The Solitary Studio
• Cast: Kazuhiro Motojima and Wakana Oosaka (played by Kazusa Motojima), Hazuki Nakao, Kanae Fuyuki, Roger, Fuuka Yamagishi, Isabeau Fontaine, Katsuko Yoshinaga, Yukari Takeba, Moriko Kumamoto, Umie Akabane, Kasumi Yoshizawa
• Where: Kazusa's Studio near Electric Town, Akihabara, Tokyo
• OOC Date: February 14, 2026
• IC Date: Tuesday, September 25, 2012 (After School)
• Summary: In talking to two people close to Kazusa (Kazuhiro, her younger brother, and Wakana, her best friend), Hazuki has located what she hopes are Kazusa's Threads and Eye: homemmade games and art, and a private studio where she works. Hazuki has invited other Persona Users to come check out the studio, to learn more about Kazusa and pick up activated Threads. Things get a little... tense.
• Content Warning: Some light allusions to emotional/verbal abuse by a parental figure.

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<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.

Akihabara earned the nickname "Electric Town" in the 1950s after becoming a major market for home electronics. (It should be no surprise that the Motojima Corporation, major producer of consumer electronics, has long ties to the area as well.) Going further back, it also housed a freight line, and one thing that anybody needs when transporting large amounts of goods is a place to put it all. Which means, of course, warehouses.

The building Kazuhiro indicated is not directly on the main drag for Akihabara. It is a 10 minute walk away, into an area that is more quiet and subdued. It is an old, narrow warehouse, the exterior made of concrete and exposed beams, tucked away in a cluster of other, similar buildings. Kazuhiro, a Shujin first-year, is waiting around the side, standing about 5'7", with short, messy black hair, purple eyes, and in his Shujin uniform still. He's leaning against a wall, with a cardboard box at his feet, trying to stay calm. With him is Wakana, also in her uniform, with her hair in a short brown bob with a floral hair clip. She looks more noticeably downcast.

When Hazuki and whoever she's invited along show up, Kazuhiro gives them a small half-wave, picking up the cardboard box and leading everyone inside. The interior is a rough, unfinished concrete floor, with fluorescent lighting on the ceiling. An old, creaking freight elevator in the center of the building takes everyone up to the third floor, and then finally, the last room at the end of a narrow hallway. Wakana looks distressed as Kazuhiro fishes a pair of keys out, and the younger teen takes a moment to put a reassuring hand on Wakana's shoulder before letting everyone in.

The 'studio' is a long, skinny room. The floor is finished concrete, while silver ducts and wiring conduits crisscross the high ceiling overhead. Large windows fill the right and far walls, and along the left are a deep closet, bathroom, and finally a small kitchenette with an electric kettle and a small fridge. Near the kitchenette is a round table with a couple of chairs illuminated by the far window.

Immediately to the right, however, is the main workspace. Tucked into the corner is a large, sturdy c-shaped desk made of heavy, polished wood. A large tower sits underneath the desk, and a high-end office chair left slightly pulled out. In the middle of the desk are two flat panel monitors, with a plush white rabbit tucked between them. On the desk is a large headset, keyboard, and mouse. Above the desk are several wooden shelves filled with various anime figurines and tchotchkes.

To the left sits a strange kind of third monitor with buttons on the edges--it seems to be set into a heavy duty metal frame and kept at an angle. Next to it is something that looks like an equally strange half-glove, and a pen in a small, round stand. To the right, though, there is no equipment. Instead there is a lamp clamped to the side and drawing supplies lining the edge of the desk. There is a large, half-finished illustration in vibrant colors depicting Night Parade's Yuki-offa and Kaguya-hime locked in a pitched battle, two characters Hazuki should be very familiar with. Above this space, on the wall, is a corkboard with a cluster of various references and mood items pinned to it. On the corner sits a worn sketchbook with a thick black cover.

While the shelves over the desk are new, beside the desk are several bookshelves made of older, industrial-looking metal. One is filled with all kinds of printed media: magazines and reference books covering things like fashion, historical clothing, anime, manga, and video games, as well as magazines like Coolest and several sets of manga stacked high. Fuuka may recognize one art book in particular, received with the purchase of an anime soundtrack, left standing upright on a shelf. The other has some more manga, but is also packed full with various anime and movie DVDs, music CDs, and a substantial game collection. All of it seemingly kept here to keep it away from prying eyes.

There have been rumors that Kazusa got caught out in cosplay at a convention... they may seem a little bit more credible now, in the face of all this.

This workspace area is tucked away underneath a loft accessible by a ladder, though all that seems to be up there is additional storage space. Boxes containing older sketchbooks, prized mementos, and even several boxes containing computer parts.

"Here we are," says Kazuhiro quietly as he steps inside. He carries the cardboard box over to the wooden table and sets it down, then turns to look at the others. "So," he says, looking to Hazuki. "... is this the kind of place you needed?"

The studio is warm and stuffy, a consequence of the natural light streaming in through the large windows all afternoon. The air smells like old paper, charcoal, ozone, and ramen. Wakana steps in after Kazuhiro, going for a light switch to turn on some track lighting and turn on the HVAC, which trundles to life with several loud creaking noises. She doesn't say anything, just grips the straps of her backpack tightly. But... she did promise to bring what they thought the Threads might be.

<Pose Tracker> Hazuki Nakao has posed.

Hazuki is nervous about this. This is the first time she's really taken a Thread to an Eye super intentionally, with other people there, including the mundane.

She sent out a series of texts, internet posts, and clandestine locker messages ahead of time, making sure all of her known Persona Users got the address and time.

She's dressed in her normal afterschool fit, hat and black jacket combat, as she slowly joins the others in heading towards the studio.

Once they get through the creaky building and to the studio, her eyes widen at the displays of personality she had never seen in her interactions with Kazusa.

Anime figures. Art books, anime, CDs, manga... many she recognizes, some she does not.

And that Night Parade illustration she made... that catches Hazuki's attention the most. She approaches, looking it over...

"Wow," she says. "She had a lot she never said..."

The attention to detail was incredible, after all. She's turning it through her head, looking for inaccuracies and finding none.

She turns to Kazuhiro, nodding.

"This is it. We'll just have to see if everything resonates..."

"How often did she come here?" she asks Wakana, looking around. "If there's anything here that might help us save her... we might want to take a look. The... things we're gonna do to help her require accurately knowing her... it's weird."

A pause.

"I know this all sounds like a load of crap, so... thanks for assisting her."

<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.

Ah, Kanae thinks as she steps inside and looks around. Not just a secret nerd, but a powerful secret nerd. "this stuff is pretty impressive," she admits. "It's way more than a figurine shelf or a couple posters..."

Not necessarily good impressive, but not necessarily bad either; impressive in that it makes an impression.

Kazhiro has shown the way, and Hazuki invited Kanae, based on that moment of Resonance before. She doesn't voice her htoughts at first--not most of them--but...

Kanae's in ordinary clothes; a nice (short) skirt with leggings, a layered loose wide-neck shirt over a tanktop. She's pretty good at colors, and her makeup is on point--definitely 'feminine' style. However...

If everything resonates?

"It's fine," Kanae assures Wakana. "I hunt weird stuff."

Pause. "Don't tell Touma-kun. I don't want him worrying about all this."

She has an athletic bag. There may be more than just her tennis racket in it.

<Pose Tracker> Roger has posed.

    Roger is among the gathered. He is happy with his lot in the human world, even if by all accounts it is... not an enviable lot, materially speaking. He isn't going to turn away from stopping a Homunculus from doing their thing, because no self-respecting Sanguin Humor would. His human clothing is very simplistic casual wear that favors the color red, for whatever reason, and for all the world is just a heavy-set guy of vague 'is this a high schooler, is this a young adult, I don't even know' age and slightly strange but not anatomically impossible proportions. For his origins, he's personable and friendly enough for those who haven't met him.
 
     'Sincere' might be the better descriptor here.
 
     "Wow... she really loved to play." He saw that enthusiasm back at the convention even before that unpleasantness happened with her father, and now it seems to pale in comparison to... all of this.
 
     "If this is a place she liked to be alone and was important to her, yes!" He says, with enthusiastic affirmation.

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.

Kazusa's situation has been on the back of her mind. It was obvious through their meeting what happened to her... but she didn't know her or the people around her well enough to do any digging. Fortunately, there are people who do - and when word reaches her, she's sure to be there.

"Hello again, Oosaka-san, Nakao-san, Roger-san..." Fuuka greets. She doesn't know Kanae or some of the others, but they get a polite nod too before she looks toward Kazuhiro. "And... you must be Motojima-san's brother?"

He looks tense. She can't blame him.

Fuuka follows the others into the studio, looking it over. This place... She feels awkward walking into it. It feels very personal - the sort of thing that Kazusa kept hidden. Her eyes stray to a familiar art book.

...She still has it...

She looks back to Kazuhiro, and then to Hazuki and Roger.

"Where should we get started?" Fuuka asks. They're the ones most experienced at this, so it seems best to let them direct the pace of investigation.

<Pose Tracker> Isabeau Fontaine has posed.

    "Eeehh? I thought the 'Otaku' was not considered highly in this country..." Isabeau Fontaine, the world's worst, is also here. "... is this why she has hidden her shame away?"

    She's still in her school uniform, complete with suspenders; she had things to do after school, and hasn't gotten in to change yet. Her honey-blonde hair is tied up in a ponytail behind her head, with three massive curls making themselves known back there -- and two more drills spiralling out to either side of her round cheeks. She's a big girl, both in breadth and height, and evidently has a lot of room for judgement in that heart of hers too.

    "Hmph," she tosses those curls over her shoulder, as she turns to Hazuki. "How will we begin?"

<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.

As she had promised, Katsuko was there, trailing behind Hazuki at a similar pace. Katsuko did not know the extent to which the Will of Rebellion protected her identity, but did not intend to find out the hard way. Thus, when she arrived at Hazuki's behest, she did so in disguise. Not to the extent to which she had at the con - that would have just drawn more attention. Instead, she altered subtle things, and styled herself in a way that would not look out of place in the middle of any shopping centre or bustling pavement.

Her hair was tied into a messy bun, and covered further still by a cheap, unbranded, baseball cap. Reading glasses hung off the bridge of her nose, obscuring eyes that had been contoured with a different style of makeup than she might usually have applied. It was a little imprecise, but as much as her need for perfection railed against it, she supposed it served her purpose - it went against her aesthetic, and might have helped to disguise her further. Below, she wore a plain, wine-red shirt that hung a little loose off her torso, and jeans that did the same with her legs, leading down to a pair of trainers from whatever brand had been cheapest at the time. It would not stand up to scrutiny, certainly, but it stood a chance of keeping people from instantly recognising her once she was back to her usual self.

"So this is what she was like..." Katsuko said, doing her best to feign amazement. She did not push too far - she was not as good an actress as she hoped, after all - but she suspected she had to at least *try* to not come off as an emotionless automaton. Her eyes scanned over the reference materials, the supplies, the art... All of it reminded her of that day, and of her own inaction. Silently, she cursed. If she'd acted, perhaps she might've saved herself the trouble of having to free Kazusa up again, and save herself risking her own life. But it was too late now. All that was left was to act. "What now, Nakao-san?"

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.

Yukari doesn't really know Kazuhiro. She doesn't even know Kazusa. However, she still knows to arrive from Hazuki's warning. She's got a duffle bag, in addition to her school bag, and hoisted on her shoulder is a Yumibukuro.
 
A bag for transporting a bow. Weapons laws are after all quite strict in Japan, even for Athletes. A bow has to be unstrung in order to be transported.
 
Which makes it kind of a pain to carry around, but a necessary evil for all this supernatural stuff.
 
Also there's a gun sewn into the lining of her bag! Well... not a real gun, but she does not want to try convincing police in Tokyo you're abiding by the law carrying one.
 
When she walks into the space following Fuuka, she looks around and- "Another Otaku, huh?" She murmurs almost inaudibly before she sighs, "Hopefully this time we don't get turned into anything weird..."
 
She sideeyes Kanae though at her declaration of 'weird stuff'. "Uhhhh, welllll, have I got news for you on just how weird this can get... hope you like Kappas..."
 
She at least thinks she's a Persona User, it makes sense by what she said.
 
Then Isabeau pipes up, less uh, discreet than her, "Well it's not really? Though it really depends on how... intense you are about it, I guess."
 
She then turns to Fuuka, giving her an apologetic look, "I don't know the first thing about her so... I'm not sure how much help I can be with this part."

<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.

Moriko does know Kazusa, she's arrived in her leathers rather than anything else. It makes it easier to excuse her bike bag and a few other goodies. Which is you know, a good thing.
 
 She's got her bag strapped to her back, obviously, but mostly because she's got her helmet under her left arm.
 
 "Huh. And she was giving me a hard time about buying a few models." Is Moriko's own response to the situation. Mostly to herself. Probably audible to a few others.
 
 A hand goes up to Fuuka and Yukari at least since you know, she knows them.
 
 For now, she's looking around though. Mostly at the other people. This was already all sorts of awkward with how she'd come across the problem in the first place.

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

    Speaking of kappas... "... Kero, kero."

    The quip comes from a certain blonde-haired, frazzled and tired looking young woman, standing at a hair or two over 5 feet, who just files on in with them, fresh from her shift. "Hope I'm not *too* late." Giving a nod to Hazuki, she glances about, silent in her thoughts.

    .... Thought #1: .... is she seriously the oldest person here, this is really kind of embarrassing

    Thought #2: If this isn't a supernatural/cognitive spot, a 'Mask-san' would be easier to spot. However, at least in the case of the Phantom Thieves... Well, Umie's going to *try* to be a little more helpful there, at least, given her earlier lack of ability to even explain how entering ATeliers even worked.

    Thought #3: Guilt. It's just guilt. She's seeing Kazuhiro, and realizing that the past week or so has been just more of whatever sort of hell he's had to deal with. If he had left the duty all on her shoulders, he'd be even worse off than he is now.

    "If anyone here's feeling like they have to justify feeling like something's off about Kazusa Motojima, just accept we're past that point, and this is the point where we do something about it."

    Maybe, being the completely responsible, all-knowing adult of 20 years can be a plus here, if she cuts away that particular bit of awkwardness.

<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.

    As someone who isn't a member of the Phantom Thieves, Kasumi Yoshizawa has not felt like she ought to interfere with supernatural issues. However, this time it's a gymnastics club issue. Thus, the first year honour student of Shujin can be seen following Hazuki's group from behind. Maybe a little bit from a distance. She doesn't exactly want to implicate Senpai or the others, after all... But other Persona Users should be fine, right?

    And, gosh... There's a lot of other Persona users here. This world is clearly a lot bigger than the Phantom Thieves, huh...? But...gradually... It quickly becomes an issue that Kasumi can't just follow and hide in the shadows forever. She offers Wakana Oosaka-senpai a small, shy wave from the back of the group. She quietly notes Kazuhiro as well. That's Motojima-senpai's younger brother, huh?

    Kasumi wonders a little if Wakana knew about this homunculus thing too. Or if this is a recent discovery for her too? She finds herself examining Wakana from the back quite hard.

    The redhead splits off from the group once more as they enter the studio proper. Her eyes make a quick scan of all of the otaku merch. It's surprising to her, near world shattering for her own internal image of who Motojima-senpai was... is, as a person. Why would a rich, popular girl put so much effort into this hobby?

    ...It's a little judgemental of Kasumi, admittedly. It must be nice to have a hobby outside of gymnastics.

    Okay. Enough delaying. Kasumi gently approaches Oosaka-senpai, sliding up next to her as the others work. "...Hello, Oosaka-senpai." She pauses, not actually sure on what she should even say. "Um. Thank you for having us? And you too, Motojima-san." She hurriedly bows to Kazuhiko.

    ...How much do these people even know? How much should she say? Being an outsider gives her a solid layer of deniability. But when it's something like this... Her ignorance is a sin. She shifts her stance a bit.

    "How much do you know?" She asks Oosaka-senpai. Her tone similar condolences at a funeral.

<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.

Wakana gives Fuuka a polite nod. "Hi, Yamagishi-san... I hope you've been well?" The last encounter between the two of them that she knows of... didn't go that well. "... thanks for coming."

Wakana gives Kasumi a small wave in return. Is her Kouhai part of all this, too...? That's kind of surprising to her.

Kazuhiro nods to Fuuka. "Yeah. Kazuhiro Motojima... I'm a first year at Shujin."

Kazuhiro nods to Hazuki. "... good." He looks to the others gathered, curious. Some he recognizes from Shujin, of course (or from the 777, in Umie's case), others not so much. Wakana recognizes some of the ones he doesn't, though--like Fuuka.

Wakana takes a deep breath as Hazuki asks, hesitating. Kazuhiro gives her an encouraging nod, and the girl replies, "... a lot. I'd come with her to study, or work on the cosplay, but... she spent way more time here than I did." She looks a bit taken aback by Kanae's reassurance. "I... see? And don't worry, I won't. I'm... still not sure if I believe all this, so..."

But Kazuhiro speaks up Kanae calls it impressive, rubbing the back of his neck. "Our father is... well." He glances nervously to the side. "... there's some stuff he doesn't approve of, so... our grandparents paid for this space for her." He shakes his head at Isabeau. "It... depends where you are, Fontaine-senpai. If you're over in Akiba, it's cool, but if you're our father..." (That would Akihabara, a few minutes' walk away from here.)

Kazuhiroo has a faint chuckle at Roger's characterization of liking to play. "That's... yeah, I guess you could say that." He looks to the collected nerdy artifacts. "... she always liked the games our family's company made."

Katsuko--or however she was identifying herseolf--commented on this being what Kazusa was like. "Yeah..." says Wakana sadly. "... she tried to keep it hidden, to keep her father from fiding out, but..." Theysaw how well that worked out. She gives Yukari an uncertain lkook. "Turned into anything weird...?" She looks at Hazuki, a but concerned, though she can't bring herself to ask what that was about.

Wakana remembers that incident with Moriko. "Sorry about that, it's just..." Well they've already hinted at what Kazusa's father is like.

Umie might, in fact, be the oldest one here. "Oh, hey, Akabane-san," says Kazuhiro with an awkward half-wave. "So you're here too, huh...?" Being Kazusa being off... he sighs. "Yeah, I don't know much about this, but... it makes more sense than my sister being the way she is."

"Hello, Yoshizawa-san," says Wakana softly. "W-well... Kazuhiro-kun got the key, so... thank him."

KAzuhiro offers a nod to his fellow first-year. "Hey."

Wakana tenses at the follow-up question. "... Nakao-san says there's a parasite," she says softly. "... but that there's a way to free her from it. But she needs..." Oh, right. The thing she asked for.

She shrugs off her backpack and takes out a small plastic box. In it is a collection of various CD-RWs, many of them with multiple titles that have been written in, scribbled out, and rewritten, or various version notes that have been scratched out and updated over time. Inside the jewel cases there are slips of paper with various notes written as the two seemingly traded the discs back and forth.

She hands the box to Hazuki. "Is... is this what you needed?"

<Pose Tracker> Hazuki Nakao has posed.

Hazuki is asked where to start by multiple people. "...I think we should start looking around, see if there's any clues that might help us in the Atelier," she says, no longer concealing proper nouns.

She turns to Wakana. "Can I see the games she made? Her own act of creation... it should be enough."

Yukari gets a frown, before she smiles a bit. "We all made adorable Kappas, though..."

Roger gets a sad nod. "...it seems like she was lashing out. Feeling like you have to bottle this up... it doesn't excuse it, but it explains it."

Umie gets a firm nod. "She's a Homunculus. We know that for a fact... the people at Peacock Silk were able to confirm." A pause, as she turns to the others who she doesn't know if know what a Homunculus is, like Kanae.

"It's... a kind of spiritual parasite, from what I've been told. A creature turning into a possible Kazusa Motojjma, stealing her life and soul alike."

A sigh, as she's offered the box. She looks through it, listing stuff aloud. "Manorvania, Crystal Legend, shader experiments... she really put a lot of time into this."

As she picks up one of the games, suddenly, there's a 'click' in the resonance. Anyone Awakened can feel it, a hum of energy through the object, before it fades into a low sensation that can only be detected if focused upon. It'll happen with each one she picks up. A series of Threads...

"This... this is it! You all feel that, right?" she looks around, trying to confirm that she's not just hoping for it.

<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.

"`Don't be a bitch, Isabeau,`" Kanae tells her rival in French. "`She's allowed to like what she likes.`"

"That's true though," she admits to Yukari. Why is it fine with Yukari says it??? What else Yukari says though gets, "Kappas? ...I mean, not especially." She pauses, and sighs loudly, shaking her head and putting up her hands in a big shrug. "They're little turtle demon guys," Kanae says to Isabeau. "Honestly, do you even hunt monsters?"

But she looks back to Kazuhiro. "Oh," she says. "So that's how she got all this stuff..." She looks curiously at Roger, given his earnestness, but the matter of her father, well...

"Sucks." There's not much Kanae can say of fathers.

Kanae looks curiously at the box, though. And she adds for Wakana's sake, "Thanks, though. It's not the kind of thing that's easy to explain. You get it." She pauses, though, looking to Roger when Hazuki mentions lashing out. She says nothing. Still, Peacock Silk. what a name.

Click. Kanae does feel it. Hazuki asks, and Kanae nods. "Yeah, I do," she says.

<Pose Tracker> Isabeau Fontaine has posed.

    There's a girl here who understands Isabeau's scepticism! (No, Isabeau, you're just BEING A JERK.) "Otaku are very strange," Isabeau agrees with Yukari, nodding firmly. "I believe they would change you this way."

    She gives Yukari a sceptical look, though, as she invokes kappas. "I do not know what is this 'ka-pa'," she answers her, "but I know that I hate him." Foreigners! They don't know a thing about mythology!! "... besides, is a secret warehouse hideout not intense enough to be weird?"

    She turns her nose up, at Umie. "Adults do not understand the affairs of high school," she points out, acrid. "You are far from it, now. You do not understand why it would matter to know this."

    Kanae tells her not to be a bitch, though, and Isabeau replies in her own French: "`Make me, skank.`" She knows plenty of monsters! Just not weird Japanese ones! GOD!!

    ... are people like that REALLY just lashing out?!

    She at least translates, helpfully, for Kanae, when Hazuki explains the parasitic nature of Homonculi: "A beast, to be Hunted down."

    Still, Isabeau starts looking around. At least until she looks up from holding a book, feeling -- "What did you do?" A moment later: "Yes, I have feel that. What is that which you have? Is it your 'Thread'?"

<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.

None gathered seemed to recognise her, and Hazuki had not blown her cover. Things seemed to be proceeding smoothly - moreso than she had dared to hope, if Roger's enthusiastic response was anything to go by. Did he know about such things too? A question for later, perhaps, if ever. For the time being, she kept her focus on the task at hand. Briefly, she was concerned that Fuuka might have been able to place her despite the disguises she'd taken on, but it seemed that that was not a danger either. She was in the clear.

The focus in her eyes shifted to a glint when she felt something *click.* It was hard to describe it as anything but that, but - judging by the looks and reactions of others gathered in that space - she was not the only one. Hazuki's reaction only cemented that they were on the right track, and Katsuko felt the faintest hints of a smile begin to tease at the corners of her mouth. It was only a momentary twitch, but anyone that knew Katsuko well most likely knew that look. She was pleased. They could finally act.

One thing yet concerned her, however, and she regarded Yukari with the closest thing to puzzled expression that she dared to muster - in other words, a tone that was barely above flat, and a brow raised a mere fraction of an inch.
"Dare I ask what kappas and strange transformations have to do with this?"

<Pose Tracker> Roger has posed.

    "Those games are a lot of fun!" Roger agrees with Kazuhiro's explanation. If it weren't for this, he'd still be playing them. But that's okay. This is to make sure Kazusa gets to play again. There are many games in life you have to play simultaneously with the ones you want to.
 
     Where there's trepidation and worry, Roger seems to be more at ease in the way he takes in all he's seeing. After all, so far this looks like the place! What is there to worry about if they're going to go and save Kazusa from the Homunculus? (A lot of things, but, human brain is a strange space for him to exist in. Fun! But strange.)
 
     "Kappa is also a character in the Night Parade games, too," he adds, helpfully. "I like playing as everyone in that game! But maybe not that one as much as some others," he tilts his head. Is it because of what happened in the Atelier, or...? Who knows. It is a mystery and in mixed-awakening company is more than a little strange to speculate on in the open.
 
     "...I think if her father played those games too, he'd have a lot of fun," is where he leaves it as Hazuki talks about Homunculi. Roger stands by her side and nods a few times.
 
     "Hazuki-chan has the right of it!" He says. "Where I'm from, we really don't like Homunculi. But once they're there, it's hard to get rid of," he looks downcast. "...But it's thanks to a lot of friends here that we got rid of one that was leaving me too hog-tied to deal with..." And then, a smile again. "Don't worry. We'll help her, too!"
 
     Wakana shares the collection of various CD-RWs. His eyes light up as he sniffs, not because he has a scent, it's kind of habitual at this juncture. There is that coincidental 'click' in the Resonance as his eyes widen.
 
     "Yes! That's right! This is it! Great job!" He cheers, maybe a bit too enthusiastically, for Wakana. "We couldn't do this without your help too... you're the most valuable players!"

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.

"Iii hope so too." Fuuka agrees with a sheepish laugh at Yukari's comment. She really doesn't want to become a kappa again... Once was bad enough. She meets Yukari's apologetic look, and offers her a shake of her head. "It's alright... I'm just glad you're here, Yukari-chan. You might be able to spot something out of place that some of us who do might overlook."

Fuuka nods back toward Moriko and offers her a small smile before looking at some of the others that are here - Katsuko at least seems to be in the clear, she doesn't call her out vocally - before looking toward Wakana and Kazuhiro.

...She frowns, though, as Kazuhiro mentions their father.

"I've... seen how your father treats her. I'm sorry." Fuuka apologizes, looking away. ...She then briefly realizes that maybe it was rude to say that out loud, and looks sheepish for a moment. Her attention settles on Kasumi as she asks an important question.

How much do they know? Enough to know that there's a parasite, it seems.

"I want to help her, too." Fuuka comments. Hazuki begins to look through a box of offered discs - and there's a 'click'. Fuuka gasps.

"Yes, I felt it." She confirms with a nod. She closes her eyes for a moment, trying to focus and recall that sense of resonance - to detect it, even as it becomes faint. "There must be other things here that carry the same sensation - I'll try to feel out any others that might be here..."

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.

Yukari gives Umie a startled look, then frowns, "Don't ever do that again." She doesn't want to be reminded of the horrors of that night before she facepalms at Hazuki, groaning.
 
"Just... don't." As she repeats the warning/request, and nods towards Moriko, "Oh hey Morimoto-san, good that you showed up."
 
With Fuuka and her at least, she feels more comfortable about being here. "... I guess that's possible." She says, noncommittally to Fuuka's idea that she might find something others might miss.
 
"They definitely get a little like that sometimes..." She agrees with Isabeau- hedging because she's come to realize a lot more people in her orbit are kinda low key Otaku.
 
"Uhhhhh..." 'But I know that I hate him.' "... not sure how to take that one." She says, letting Kanae explain, before looking towards Katsuko, "I know you asked- but you really don't want to know."

Yukari Takeba has heard Mitsuru Kirijo speak a lot of French in her time in SEES. She's definitely never heard that word though.
 
Nor the one Isabeau says after.
 

 
"Your Dad huh?" Is it weird that hearing that, she feels jealous. Just the idea of having a Dad around to disapprove of what you're doing, to want something for you...
 
... she wishes she had that. "Well I guess it makes sense that she'd be targeted..."
 
In truth, she can't really get it at all. Like she can but, it's so far outside of her experiences that it seems so...

... but maybe not so much for someone she knows. Fuuka says she wants to help her, and after a moment, she agrees, "... Yeah, me too."
 
She looks at the box, feeling that unconscious hum of spiritual power, "Uhhhhh yeahhhhhh? It's not gonna... do anything, right?"

<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.

    A parasite... that actually causes everything to click into place for Kasumi too! "A possible Motojima-senpai..." She repeats. For some reason, that strikes a cord with the gymnast. "I wonder where that possible Motojima-senpai came from, then? Is that what she'd like to become? Or... Maybe a way for the parasite to blend in?"

    It's difficult to oppose someone's happiness. An outgoing personally would serve as an effective shield. At least, without the experts around.

    Though... Thinking about it some more, it could be an external thing too. What the people around Kazusa would prefer her to be like. It's hard to say when it's Kasumi's first time, but... It's clear that this parasite is dangerous.

    There's a visible... No, it's more like an invisible wave. "Yes! I can feel it too!" Kasumi blurts out. "Is there...more resonations we should be chasing then?"

<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.

Moriko glances to Wakana and shrugs, "I ran into the thing expecting to at least try and apologize." She crosses her arms, "I had thought I might have gone too far at the time."
 
 She's starting to poke through the room though. Helmet left at the entryway hanging on anything she thinks will support the weight of the thing.
 
 Hazuki mentions she was making games though, getting her to turn her head. "I kinda thought that's what it was." She means homunculus, "But I've only seen the one so I was kind of-" She holds her hands up, "Guessing?"
 
 She starts to tug at her gloves too. Mostly to stuff them in her jacket for now.
 
 The 'click' does get a briefly confused look.
 
 "River turtle yokai." She replies to Isabeau's question offhandedly. "Unless she means something else." Glancing to Yukari.
 
 "Yeah." She frowns. "Ugh. That reminds me of-" That becomes a scowl.
 
 The smile is returned to Fuuka, briefly. And she adds to the thought, "I don't know the story, but I'd still help anyway." That's just who she is. Any consequences positive or otherwise are a later problem
 
 Hand up for Yukari too. "Like what?" asked to both Yukari and Fuuka. "If you mean like hiding places." She glances over, "Well. Not? I dunno. That'd be athing for elsewhere right?"
 
 "It was.. not doing the best job of blending in." She notes to Kasumi. Not that she knows the person. She fishes out her phone. Eventually and offers it up with the picture of the two doing a selfie. Probably out of character for both. Moriko's even smiling! (It's still vaguely evil looking.)
 
 Finally she just settles on the obvious answer. "Point me in the right drection. Or wrong." She shrugs.
 
 She's also pointedly ignoring father talk.

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

    Yukari's startle prompts Umie to get her her most decent (but not best) customer service grin. "I'll try."

    Adorable kappas...?? Umie tilts her head towards Hazuki, her expression flattening. "That's... one way of looking at it. Still hoping that was just a fluke..."

    "From what I've managed to gather, combined with..." Umie gestures to the entirety of the room, "all this, it feels like a defense mechanism. Placing distance between the person you want others to percieve you as, and the person you yourself...."

    Umie trails off, as Isabeau turns her attention on her, after railing against the tyranny of the kap-pa. "Hm?" The blonde rolls her chin back towards her at her comment.

    Ah, but this *is* a teenager. She shouldn't be too mean, or reveal Isabeau's status.
    
    ... Or reveal that Kazusa could be in real danger, rather than just 'changed'.

    She gives her a thin, sharp little smile. "Ah, I'm sorry," she murmurs, her eyelids lowering slightly. "You must have mistook me for a heartless jerk." She conceeds, just a little, with a gesture of her hand. "Believe me, if it was simply high school business, I'd stay out of it."

    WIth that, she glances towards Wakana. "Mmn." She frowns, nodding to Wakana. "You don't need to believe any of it completely. Probably for the best you don't, but..." She sighs. "You and Motojima-kun..." How should she put this?

    'You all feel that, right? '"Mnh." Umie's lips twitch. "Yeah, definitely not a fluke."

    She looks back to Wakana and Kazuhiro. "... Guess that means you two were the heroes she needed."

<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.

"Kappas...?" Wakana asks with a concerned expression. "Homunculus?" She looks at Kazuhiro uncertainly, who just nods back with a grim expression. "Homunculus is what I heard," he says quietly. He hesitates. "... not sure about the Kappa thing, though..."

Hazuki mentions lashing out, though. Kazuhiro quietly notes. "... she had to keep our father from finding out. To... stay above suspicion."

A lot of time... "Yeah," Wakana says. "She... wanted to make games, or do art for them, so..." She normally wouldn't talk about it, but... they're in her studio. It's a bit late for secrecy now.

Kazuhiro and Wakana, though, don't feel anything, and just shake their heads a little.

Kazuhiro nods to Kanae. "They paid for the studio and the computer... but all that stuff is hers, I think," he says, nodding to the bookshelves. Sucks. He sighs and nods. "... yeah."

"Welcome," Wakana says to Kanae. "I... I had to be convinced," she admits, a touch guiltily.

"Well it's not a warehouse anymore," Kazuhiro says to Isabeau. "They, uh, convert old buildings like this all the time."

"Uh, yeah, they are," Kazuhiro says to Roger, goodnaturedly enough. Kazusa might have chewed him out for that type of enthusiasm but he seems a bit more easy-going. But if their father played them... Kazuhiro looks pained. "... No, no he really wouldn't," he says quietly. "He doesn't really value video games, or creative pursuits..."

Wakana may appreciate the enthusiasm a different time. "Ah, well... glad I could help...? Just... please don't lose those. Kazusa-chan would be so mad if..." She looks down, and doesn't finish the thought.

Kazuhiro tenses a bit, as Fuuka mentions she's seen how their father is. He looks to the side again, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ah. Were... you there too, then?" He means the convention. "... but thanks."

Kazuhiro shrugs a little to Yukari. It's... a bit more than 'disapprove', but... he doesn't know what Yukari's been through, either.

"I don't know," Wakana says to Kasumi. "I guess if she never wanted to make art or games..." That's painful for her to think about though. Kazuhiro speaks up. "If that's what she wanted to become, she wouldn't just done it, I think..." There'd be no need for all this secrecy, right? But blending in is a good instinct.

Wakana shakes her head at Moriko. "I... don't think you went too far." She defends or tries to patch things over for Kazusa a lot, but this time it's just her recognizing the truth of the matter.

That selfie Moriko has shows Kazusa looking a bit more preppyish tahn usual, with a sleeveless blouse, skirt, and a sweater tied around her neck. Oh, and the smiling. That might be the most out-of-place part.

It is a defense mechanism, as Umie points out more directly, and as Kazuhiro hinted at before. But when labeled as the heroes Kazusa needed, Wakana looks down at the ground, something like guilt flashing across her face. She doesn't reply, but Kazuhiro gives Umine a quiet nod.

When Fuuka tries to look for more of that same kind of resonance, she doesn't find anything exactly like it... but she does something brimming with a similar kind of potential. One is the old, warn sketchbook sitting on the desk, and there's another coming from the loft.

But there's plenty in that sleeve of CDs, at least.

<Pose Tracker> Hazuki Nakao has posed.

"Sorry, sorry," Hazuki tells Yukari, as she turns to those confused about the Thread (mostly Isabeau). "I resonated the Thread! Now if we take one to an internet cafe or another place you can be 'alone together', we can enter the Atelier!" She's given Isabeau the website, at least, and she'll give it to any others who need it after they're done.

Kasumi gets a shrug. "I'm not a master... but I don't think so. I think we've got the big part of it out of the way..."

Wakana gets a nod, though. "They'll all be returned!" She looks to the others, seriousness in her eyes. No one is stealing Kazusa's stuff.

And then, a glance back to Yukari, cheerfully. "It might explode!"

A pause.

"...that was a joke, by the way."

But on the musing about a possible Kazusa... "I don't know. You'd have to ask Peacock Silk. But... either way, I'm going to save her. Give her a chance to be different on her own terms... but even if she isn't, that's okay. At least she'll live."

<Pose Tracker> Isabeau Fontaine has posed.

    "It is still weird!" Isabeau insists, of the converted warehouse.

    "I do not think it is as simple as having her father play a game," Isabeau says, to Roger. "His expectations were not met, and the family was in disharmony... or something like that. It is not a thing I have experience with, but I do not think it is solved so easy." Children are stubborn, after all... at least, that's where Isabeau's thoughts are.

    Yukari doesn't know how to take her hatred of kappa, though, and Isabeau folds her arms. "I am a quick judge of character." She lifts a hand, to gesture to Moriko. "As you say, they are monsters. I am a Hunter. We cannot," coexist, "exist together."

    She does not translate the French.

    "I do not care that you are a heartless jerk," she clarifies, to Umie. "Many times what is needed is a jerk without a heart to be swayed. I only tell you that you do not have the information we do." The gossip, she means.

    She looks to Kasumi, sharply. "Any 'possible thing' created by the parasite must be rejected by us all. It is not her way. If you accept a monster over the girl, you are my enemy, as well."

    Isabeau shakes her head, her arms folding again. "If a girl is now eaten by a beast, this is my business. I do not allow this to happen." She addresses the girl of the hour yobisute: "Kazusa's manner I do not care for, and also, I do not care about. It is wrong for a person to be forced by what is outside them. For this reason," she steps forward, reaching out with full intent to pluck a Thread right out of Hazuki's hands, "I will be taking this."

    Isabeau, herself, isn't immune to the expectations of her father. She has absorbed his philosophy in the months they've been together, sponge to water...

<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.

Kanae rolls her eyes at Isabeau. But she agrees with that much. "We see a monster, we Hunt it," Kanae answers simply. "That's all there is to it."

She looks to Roger thoughtfully. They really don't like Homunculi... Where he's from. There's something about him...

"Good you have good friends," she comments. She doesn't chime in on the matter of fathers any more than she did a few minutes ago. Instead, she looks to Yukari at her confusion with Isabeau. "You get used to her. Or you don't."

Kanae does also not translate. Kasumi is curious about the parasite; Kanae is, too. Moriko gives more details on the Kappa. And...

"Don't worry about it," Kanae suggests to Umie. "She's just rude."

But Isabeau explains further. That it's not solved so easily... and that they are monsters. "She's right," Kanae says simply. "Whether you like Motojima-san or not--sorry, Motojima-kun--she's the victim of a monster, and the monster needs to be taken care of."

"It's the right thing to do. Though..." She considers. "...Well, I guess her family life isn't my business. But I don't want Wakana-san to lose her friend, either."

She walks up, from the side, and towards Hazuki--before Isabeau--

"Dumbass," she says, in Japanese, "You think you're going to save her alone? All these people want to help and you want to risk it for your own ego?"

She scowls. "I'm with you," she says to Hazuki. "And we'll do it together. Not for ego, but because she's in trouble, and she needs help."

<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.

Katsuko stared expectantly at Yukari, blinking only once or twice as she waited for a followup, then nodded curtly when none was received.
"...I see." She said, a little disappointed that she had not been looped in on things, but now was not the time to push for it. "If it was that bad, I will make sure to look out for any kappas." It was difficult to say whether she had made a small joke at Yukari's expense, or if she was genuinely concerned that kappas would prove to be a horrific threat within the Atelier. Her voice might as well have been a sheet of paper, for how flat she kept it.

Her business with Yukari concluded, Katsuko stepped forward, eyeing whatever items had not been crowded around. She treated the place like a crime scene, stepping carefully and never letting herself touch a thing without assurance she was not interfering with anything.
"She had a passion for this." Katsuko said, speaking to nobody in particular. She kept her eyes forward, moving them slowly across everything. Something inside her - something deep in her gut, and something in the blackest recesses of her mind - pricked at her, leaving the faintest hint of bitterness in her mouth. Katsuko dismissed the notion that it could be shame, and made a point of refocussing her efforts.

"She truly did love her craft. For her father to disapprove of such things, and for the Homunculus to agree..." Her voice and her body were still water, calm and unassuming. But her words spoke to anger. Subtle and not yet brought to fever pitch, it was more like the first few bubbles of a yet-to-be-boiled pot breaking the surface. But when she thought of her own hobbies, of her own figures and painting and craft, and how she might feel if such things were robbed from her by someone that was supposed to love and support her, she could not help herself. Katsuko turned to Kazuhiro and Wakana, and a firm look settled into her face.

"We *will* put a stop to this."

Suddenly, her voice was steel. Cold and sharp, but hard and unrelenting. "You've both helped immensely today. Thank you." Just because she did not speak in a soft or friendly tone, did not diminish the fact that her gratitude was genuine. She was not concerned about Kazusa living through it - not like Hazuki - but they had spared her the effort and resources required to look into things herself. That alone had earnt her gratitude. She then turned back to Hazuki, and regarded her with those same, steely, eyes. "I trust we will be making use of these CDs soon?"

<Pose Tracker> Roger has posed.

    '...No, no he really wouldn't.' Roger tilts his head again at Kazuhiro's grounding reminder about the kind of person he is. Isabeau backs it with a lot more extra nuance as to why, and he starts pressing his fingers together nervously with a downcast look.
 
     Isabeau mentions being a Hunter of monsters, besides. It seems to go over Roger's head, for his lack of flinching or nervousness. Ignorance is bliss!
 
     He returns to a more confident look as Hazuki excitedly declares they can enter the Atelier. "That's right! You thread through the Eye of a needle! And now we can do that!" Roger says this like this makes sense to everyone here now, even though it may very well not, but he says this with straight smiling closed-eye confidence.
 
     "Dealing with a Homunculus is a team game!" Roger reasserts. "We're all going to save her Atelier! But first," he looks up.
 
     "Just to muck about the basics before we all go whole hog on this... even if there wasn't a Homunculus, we'll all be dealing with Coleric Humors. It's their job to keep everything that's not from the Atelier out!" A pause. He tilts his head. "This... probably includes me, too."
 
     "The ones you'll get to talk to will usually be Sanguin Humors, and they're the ones that reflect an Atelier host's desires, dreams, and goals, like someone you might know." That's him! "They can keep Coleric Humors at bay if you stay on their good side..."
 
     "The biggest issue is Melanc Humors! They're the ones that reflect what an Atelier host doesn't like about themselves... and they're the ones the Homunculus likes to take over. They regulate Sanguin Humors to keep everything in balance, and," he snorts, "that's a real pain! But when we reach and deal with those..."
 
     He softens up some. "The Flegmat Humors, who tend to just go along with things around them, can make it harder for a Homunculus to take back control of a Melanc Humor. As soon as we deal with enough of them..."
 
     He pumps a fist into the air. "We can save Motojima-san from the Homunculus! Now... I don't know fully what to expect of the Atelier beyond this, but I know we'll win!"

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.

Yukari voices her support, and so does Moriko. She's glad they're both behind her on this - it'll make things much easier.

Yukari does worry whether or not it'll do something, though.

"Don't worry - from my understanding, entering an Atelier is an active decision... I don't think the Thread alone will cause anything to happen until we're ready."

She looks toward Wakana, then.

"Oh, yes, I'm doing well..." Fuuka offers, remembering Wakana's earlier greeting. She had been so focused on the task at hand... "Of course. Even if we... didn't get along, I can't just leave her."

She sees the way Kazuhiro tenses. Her expression is sympathetic.

"Yes... I was." She confirms, and then nods. "You're welcome."

Fuuka does feel something. It's not quite the same... but she moves closer to the desk.

"I'm sensing something from this sketchbook... and there's something in the loft, too." Fuuka comments. "These must be significant, as well."

Hazuki explains that she resonated the Thread which means, they can use it now - and Roger provides a convenient rundown on Humors and what each of them do. It's been a while since Taro's Atelier - it's good to get a refresher.

"The four Humors... Thank you, Roger-san." Fuuka replies with a nod. "It's important to know what we're dealing with... We'll have to decide when we're ready."

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.

Yukari gives Hazuki a glance like 'Don't worry about it'. Before Katsuko- she may be joking, but Yukari looks pointedly to a game cartridge that formed the basis of the last Atelier's problems, then back to Katsuko, "Maybe that'd actually be a good idea..."
 
Eh!? Apparently she didn't even think there was a joke in that.

Yukari doesn't much care if anyone disapproves to be honest. If she voiced her thoughts, Kazuhiro wouldn't much like her at all.
 
It just all seems so petty to her, that this be the catalyst to this thing happening.

"... I dunnooo. Seems too quick even for that." Yukari says in consternation at Isabeau's insistence she hates them as Kanae says that, "Eh it's fine. I know her type."
 
Wait what is Isabeau's type? How is Yukari Takeba familiar enough with it? MYSTERIES ABOUND!
 
Hazuki's joke though, "Eh!?" She actually takes a step back, before her expression becomes somewhat upset. "What's wrong with you!? This is serious you know!" She rubs her eyes as Fuuka insists it has to be active.
 
"Ugh. ... Yeah I remember now but..."
 
Which is when Isabeau walks up and plucks the object in question, and she makes a frustrated noise, as the pendulum swings in the other way from unserious - to far too serious.
 
"Maybe to put it into perspective it took almost thirty of us to take out the last Homunculus we faced. The last thing we need here is grandstanding!"
 
Now it's her who's walking up, and crossing her arms, "The way you're acting it's like you never grew out of being one those Middle Schoolers who think they're the Chosen One or something, it's really embarrassing actually, when you obviously don't know the first thing about hunting this kind of monster."
 
Indeed, Roger pretty much demonstrates that fact right away, with the information he gives. "Now that he's said all that, do you think you're the expert, or are you ready to get real about all this?"

<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.

    Moriko presses Kasumi, and she rushes to clarify. "I think the parasite was trying to find the path of least resistance... Right?" She says, tilting her head at the end. She's really not sure about her line of thought yet. "...That is a pretty cute selfie." She says, awkwardly. It's still strange seeing Motojima smile. And that evil looking smile from Moriko...

    There's a lot more talking, not all of it Kasumi can follow. But Oosaka-senpai answers her question directly and... Kasumi cross her arms underneath her chest. Her hand squeezes her forearm.

    A Kazusa Motojima who didn't want to make games or art. That isn't Kazusa Motojima then. This is a situation Kasumi can't ignore.

    Hazuki makes her joke, and Kasumi falls for it entirely. "It'll blow up?!... Oh! It was a joke." Whew. That's one issue caused and then solved in a moment.

    Isabeau addresses her, and...Kasumi really struggles to identify who this Senpai is. A foreign, blonde second year who isn't Takamaki-senpai... "Oh! Fontaine-senpai!" She declares, clapping her fist into her open hand. She matches Isabeau's hostility with an open smile. "I completely agree, Fontaine-senpai. Motojima-senpai is my senior in the Gymnastics Club. If this isn't her, then as her junior, I cannot abide by this parasite possessing her and stealing her life."

    Roger starts explaining, and thank goodness for that. It's deeply appreciated. Kasumi does her best to understand what's being said, comparing it to her brief experience with Palaces. "Humours... So, like... Black and yellow bile, phlegm, and blood?" She tilts her head. "...And the aspects the person doesn't like about themselves... If the Homunculus takes control of that part, does that reflect in the outward personality of how the Homunculus acts then?" She's really trying to be thoughtful about this!

    But, most importantly... "Thank goodness. We can save Motojima-senpai." Kasumi lets out a relieved sigh. "I'd be glad to help with expelling the Homunculus." ...For our non-Will of Rebellion users here, Kasumi goes under the radar as far as being Awakened goes.

    ...Thirty other Persona users, at least??? How many other Persona Users are there...?

<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.

Moriko just gives Isabeau a funny look. "They're mythological." While she holds a gun that makes a fox pop out of her head. She's probably holding the ideas as separate. Notably she hasn't seen a kappa in person that didn't come with someone else probably creating it somehow someway.
 
 To Wakana she shakes her head, "She might have had some backlash coming, but I think I was too mean." She holds her hands up, "I meant the apology even if the thing wasn't actually her."
 
 She does nod to Katsuko though, "Yeah. Stopping it as soon as we can. Just you know. Loop me in." She seems a bit aloof sometimes. Not intentionally, but she's trying!
 
 She also... actually breaks out a notepad for what Roger's talking about. This goes over her head, but she can work on it.
 
 Fuuka points up to the loft and well, she makes her way there. "On it." She tells the other SEES student. "I do want to see the sketchbook though." She's curious. And probably going to be nice about it and all.
 
 "I don't think I've ever acted like a chosen one, but if you have the option to stop it. You should take it." She glances back, "We should plan this out so we avoid the problems of last time though." she adds in a quieter tone, "And so I don't get a concussion again."

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

    Umie's smile splits, growing lopsided on one side. "... Really. So that's what this is all about? Is that information what compels you to make judgements on everything here?" These Hunter types really do love to just cordon off things into their own little boxes, don't they?

    Just like they lord over everyone else with their experience and expertise.

    Kanae's cut-in draws Umie's pursuit to a close. "Right, right," she says, shrugging. "We've got more important things to do."

     Wakana's guilt, however, is something Umie zeroes in on next, if for different reasons, just like when Umie suggested that defense mechanism. ... Guilt and defense mechanisms? Umie knows quite a lot about those.

    "Maybe she didn't know what kind of person she wanted to be. It's not like people do, even as they get older," Umie supposes. "Handling the pressure of your parents, trying to project an image of yourself towards others at school, while trying to figure out what she wants..."

    WIth so many Persona Users here, it can be easy to assume everyone's one of them, even Wakana and Kazuhiro, if Umie didn't assume they didn't. Kasumi stands out as someone she doesn't know, but, assuming she's just a concerned student, Umie assumes she's just the same as the former two. "She deserves a chance to find out who she is, and make her own amends in her own way. A Homunculus takes that future away; whether or not it has a right to a future of its own, it can't be done at the expense of another, especially by consuming a part of them."

    Looking over at Roger, Umie smirks. "That's the Roger I remember meeting. Maybe this one'll transform us all into something a little more flexible, eh?"

    She'd join looking around, but, for the moment, she feels... like she shouldn't. This is a teenager's place.

    They deserve privacy, from adults.

     She will 'accidentally' take more than one CD when Wakana isn't looking, however.

<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.

@emit
Wakana looks relieved at Hazuki's reassurance. "Good." And even more than Kazusa being mad... it'd be nice to still have a reminder of what her friend was like.

But even if Kazusa isn't different... Kazuhiro rubs the back of his neck again (he's doing that a lot today), looking uncomfortable. "She wasn't always like this... I mean, I guess it's easy to say that, but..." He stands up from where he'd been leaning against the table and bows. "I appreciate all of you taking the time to help." A moment later Wakana bows, too.

Kazuhiro regards Isabeau for a moment. Expectations not met, huh... he quietly wonders if she realy does have experience with that, but keeps that thought to himself.

Isabeau plucks a thread, and she gets a CD marked 'Super Space Hunter (fixed sound test)'. It's about a bounty hunter in space who wears a suit of armor and definitely isn't a girl under the armor.

Kanae apologizes to him, and Kazuhiro shakes his head. "No, I get it, Fuyuki-senpai. I'm... not exactly going to fault anyuone for not liking her."

Katsuko comments on Kazusa's father and the Homunuclus agreeing. "... that's how I knew it wasn't her," Kazuhiro says quietly, looking to the desk, and the shelves. "... she'dnever give all this up, if she didn't have to."

Roger starts to explain about Ateliers... and all of it is, sadly, going over Kazuhiro and Wakana's heads. They look to Hazuki for confirmation about this, even if it's probably better they don't try to retain any of this.

"I'm, uh... glad you're so confident," Kazuhiro says quietly. He's trying to smile, but it's not quite making it. He still appreciate some source of cheer in all this, though.

Wakana nods to Fuuka, as she says she can't ignore Kazusa. "... thanks." She saw Fuuka at the convention, she didn't have to ask. Kazuhiro nods to Fuuka as well.

Should a PErsona User pick up the sketchbook, it will give that same sort of activation click like the CD-RWs did. It's an old, beatup sketchbook, but it's got a lot of art in it--primarily different character sketches, with lots of work done for studies in how different types of clothing fold and drape.

"Thirty...?" Wakana says with some alarm, as Yukari explains about the previous Homunculus they encountered. "But..." It doesn't take too much to scan the room and see there aren't nearly that many people here. (There is definitely a Night Parade cartridge in plain sight to look to as an examplar, though. Several, in fact.)

"I don't know if that's normally the duty of a kouhai..." Wakana says quietly. "... but thank you. You really don't have to, after..." Well, it's no secret how Kazusa has treated Kasumi over the course of the school year.

Wakana nods a little to Moriko. She's not going to argue too hard... everything involving Kazusa lately is a little taxing. (Okay, it's been taxing for a lot longer than that.) "Well... thank you, then."

When Moriko heads up to the loft, what she's looking for is right in front of the ladder: It's a box full of cosplay supplies, but on top is a pair of detailed sketches of two Fatal Klash characters--the reference Kazusa made for her and Wakana's cosplay outfits. It clicks like everything else when picked up.

Wakana had been harder to convince to help, and had guiltily been trying to enjoy the 'nicer' Kazusa... even if she wasn't genuine.

But Umie talks on the Homunculus taking Kazusa's future away. "... That's what our father is trying to do to her, too," he adds, quietly. "He'd take..." he gestures around. "... all of this away from her, if he could."

When Umie goes to take a pair of Threads, she ends up with two discs, one labeled 'Red Whirlwind/Blue Cyclone (patch 5)' and another labeled 'Crystal Legend ~~(up to third dungeon don't talk to green grass-runner)~~ (fixed)'.

<Pose Tracker> Hazuki Nakao has posed.

"Ehehe..." Hazuki frowns apologetically as Yukari dislikes her joke!

But then Isabeau is starting problems, as Yukari turns forward. The disc is snatched quite easily.

"He's right," she nods to Roger. "Thanks, buddy."

Then, she quiets down for a bit to look through manga, collect titles. What genres was she into?

It'll let her avoid any impending fights, at least.

<Pose Tracker> Katsuko Yoshinaga has posed.

Katsuko said nothing during Roger's explanation, but it was patently clear that she was paying attention. Her sharp eyes barely blinked, she remained stock-still save for the occasional nod of acknowledgement, and the only time she ever deigned to look away was when she needed to think on something.
"I see." Was her eventual response. "So what should our plan be? I take it we must neutralise the Melanc humours first, so that our efforts with the Sanguin humours will be smoother?" It was an educated guess at best - her experience was limited to Mementos, after all.

Katsuko had not been paying much attention to Isabeau. She was aware of her presence, but it was in the same way that one was aware of a gnat buzzing around their ear. An annoyance, in other words. However, once Yukari lay into her was almost enough to create the beginnings of an amused expression. She suppressed it in short order, however, instead choosing to stand back and watch the fireworks from a safe distance. There was no reason to involve herself with such things, but at the very least, she could allow herself to indulge in watching them unfold.

Moriko's aloofness did not seem to bother Katsuko. In fact, she welcomed it - having someone (seemingly) level-headed around was appreciated.
"Indeed. It's best we take care of this as soon as possible. That *thing* has been enough of a problem already, and we don't need it becoming more of one. If you intend on forming a team, however, Nakao-san is leading this one." It wounded her pride a little to let such naive - in her eyes - person take charge, but the supernatural realm was still relatively new to her. Inexperienced and disinclined to save Kazusa for any reasons beyond the practical, even she had to admit she would not make a great commander.

Wakana's comment made her mind flit back to the models collected on her shelf, each one a labour of love, each one displayed proudly. She thought of her own father, of how she might have reacted if he could not let her indulge in that hobby she loved so dearly... It was almost enough to pull her expression taut.
"...Cruel. It is a cruel man to have her give all of this up."

<Pose Tracker> Isabeau Fontaine has posed.

    "I do not need help," Isabeau issues to Kanae, acerbic. "You can attack the Atelier with your friends. I will not be slowed down."

    She looks to Roger -- looks down her nose to Roger -- then. "My team is the Wild Hunt, and I will inform them of this threat. I can inform them of the details from school... and adults can handle this better. I just happen to be skilled enough to keep up. Hmph... but I will tell them what you have told me." She's looking at him a little sceptically, though...

    Her attention turns to Yukari, then, as she folds her own arms. "Thirty of you, yes. Come, walk with me, and we will wait until the hour is right for me to crush you under my heel." She casts her jealous green gaze out over the crowd, as she adds: "Well? You want a demonstration? I am generous enough to show my strength to any one of you in doubt. Do not mistake ethics for weakness... I will Hunt this parasite in my own way."

    Her gaze falls on Kasumi, then. "You are wise not to make an enemy of me. Fight well to return your teammate to her real self." Her real self as a JERK!

    ... but Isabeau values that far more than any surface niceness the homunculus has, now.

    And she looks to Moriko, as she adds: "Tell me what problem you had last time." She's not so arrogant that she won't learn from other people's mistakes, apparently.

    To Umie, she sneers: "You would like for me to judge you?"

    Isabeau turns, then. "Do not leave the loft untouched," she advises Fuuka. "I have what I need, in any case. I will take 'Space Hunter', and I will raise the hunting-horn."

    There is a long beat of a pause, before she slides her green gaze over to Wakana.

    "Do not worry. When your friend is her usual self, I will return her art to her."

    Her 'art'...

    ... what a particular way to look at strings of code.

<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.

Kanae thinks that Roger knows quite a lot about this stuff. She listens as he explains. At least Kazusa's brother doesn't mind her not getting along so well with her on kanae's part, but...

But Kanae hears Isabeau. "Yeah. Your team. Just leave everything to a bunch of people who aren't involved, because they're 'better' at it, so they can do 'what it takes' to kill the monster."

Kanae shakes her head. "Don't bother listening to her," Kanae advises of Isabeau, looking to Yukari. ...Yukari, who's already won her respect. "...She doesn't care about saving people. She just cares about hunting monsters."

"When 'that time' comes, she won't be any help."

Kanae will take one too--but look to the others. "...If it took that many people before..."

"Then cosndier me one of them for the next."

<Pose Tracker> Roger has posed.

    Thirty Persona users had to come and help, all in all.
 
     "A lot of friends came to help," Roger says to Wakana as Yukari rightfully puts into perspective the immense effort it took. "But... the last one had a lot of time to make a mess of things, and nearly took over completely," a worried look, sobering. It was a terrible time. To suddenly just be aware something was wrong when--
 
     ISABEAU INTERRUPT
 
     He shrinks a little to her imposing personality and nature, stepping closer to Hazuki. Something about the way she's looking at him is scary! And he's a hefty guy.
 
     "Um... okay... if that's the game you're playing," he says, as he looks to fulfill Kasumi's inquiry. "I've heard of that before when I met some of you, yes," he thought the teacher they were referencing might have been the wisest person imaginable. Since he does not attend high school, it may be for the very best that... he never learn the truth.
 
     "They use Melanc Humors to bludgeon the rightful owner of the Atelier as much as they can so they'll take over, so... that makes sense!" Why, doesn't he know? He should!! Or... he presses his fingers together. "I don't have any problem knowing when I see a Homunculus, maybe it's not as easy for the rest of you...?" It is, actually, those using Resonance can tell when something is very, very wrong with someone they're around. Roger's sense for it follows just as bright a signal, if a slightly different one.
 
     He turns to Wakana and Kazuhiro and promptly bows.
 
     "Thank you! Kazusa will be back to play before you know it!" Still, as he rights himself up, he can't help but think. His friends all share very similar interests together, but what would happen if someone suddenly decided they not only wanted to do something else but didn't want him to play games with them, or anyone else, any more?
 
     ...
 
     The weight of human anxiety and doubt asserts itself on a psyche that didn't normally have the capacity for such things. But he's still Roger, someone who wants to play as everyone as someone, and all he can do is be who he is as they help Kazusa win that back from the Homunculus.

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.

Yukari confronts Isabeau, and Isabeau counters back. Fuuka, moving toward the sketchbook, freezes for a moment.

...She's never been good at confrontations like this - though she's glad Yukari does it.

"This... isn't the time or place to argue over who's better..." Fuuka murmurs quietly.

Isabeau advises her not to leave the loft untouched, and Moriko is on top of that.

She looks over the sketchbook. ...It does feel a little bit like she's prying - but understanding Kazusa will help get them closer to helping her.

...It's because of that, though, that she finds herself surprised by Isabeau's last comment. Not because she doesn't think of it that way - but because she's surprised she would how much of herself Kazusa must've put into it.

And Kazuhiro's point, about how their father would take all of this away from Kazusa too, if he could...

...She might need saving from more than just the Homunculus.

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.

Wakana is in disbelief in a sense, but- "Believe it."

However Isabeau is hardly going to take the challenge lying down, "A demonstration? Like-" Yukari wonders what she's talking about at first, but then... she makes it far more clear. The context- 'crush you under my heel'.
 
'Don't bother listening to her.'
 
Yukari is quiet, all the same, not really responding to the idea she won't be any help. She's just staring at Isabeau.
 
'You would like for me to judge you?'
 
She keeps staring.
 
'Do not worry. When your friend is her usual self, I will return her art to her.'
 
Yukari just walks straight up to her, and before Isabeau can even comprehend what she's doing likely because one doesn't expect such a feminine girl to act this way, the girl has attempted to slap her straight across the left cheek with the palm of her right hand.
 
Hard enough that it might feel like it has an echo, should it land.
 
"I. I. I. Stop being such a selfish brat! You think acting like you can handle something you know nothing about on your own proves you're strong? Shows you're independent?"
 
And yet, despite her yelling, she punctuates that point by a de-escalation, to a volume far softer, "... That's going to be real cold comfort to the people at your funeral, to whoever these people are that you're leaving behind."
 
She stays standing close to her, almost like she's inviting her to slap her back. Because as powerful as Isabeau thinks she is... right here?
 
She's on even footing with Yukari Takeba, should she wish to demonstrate dominance.

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

    Isabeau's reactions draw Umie right back like a moth to a flame. "My, my." Umie's mouth opens slightly, the dark space of her mouth appearing like a small sickle in the light of the warehouse. "You--"

    Umie may know only a little of Roger, but she knows enough to want to protect him, especially as he does his best to mitigate Isabeau's anger.

    ... And Yukari does further, cooling the Badb's joy, alongside Fuuka's expression.

    The Badb in her wants to go further, but... Kazusa may not be the only one with a defense mechanism that's been in this room.

    She's still an adult. The difference in years may be less no less than five, but she has to hold herself accountable to it.

    Especially when Shujin has seen more than enough of corrupt adults. One is enough.
    And *especially* when there are people in this room that have had to deal with the sort of person Kazusa Motojima was, and now is.

    "It's Fontaine-san, correct?" Umie switches modes, drawing a bang back from her face. "As the person here representing your team, your actions reflect on them. If you want to act like a stuck-up brat, no one will stop you, but those actions will reflect on the people you're with, as well. You want to be on their level? Then *act it*."

    "But what do I know," she adds, the crooked, open smile splitting her lips, "I'm just a boring, normal adult."

<Pose Tracker> Isabeau Fontaine has posed.

    "You do not have what it takes," Isabeau issues, to Kanae. "You and your 'other way'! Father would never approve of your -- your fancy!" For the mild, dark-skinned girl who knows her, Isabeau apparently has deeper depths of emotion...

    ... though when Yukari steps up and SLAPS HER, she may note, close as she is, the tears which gather in the corners of her eyes.

    She does not dignify them with recognition, as she glares at Yukari, face hot. "`Die in a ditch, you haughty goddamn prep!`" Her voice raises -- and raises to French; Kanae may well have to translate. "`You think you're any different to me?! I see you! We're the same! You're just too weak to back it up!`"

    She shoves Yukari to the side, as she storms out. "`ASSHOLE!`" She yells, behind her, at Umie, as she tries to get the last adult word in a way which Isabeau can only hear as insufferably smug.

    Which is something she hates far more when it's someone else doing it.

    She at least has the frame of mind to translate her last lnie to Japanese: "I will show ALL OF YOU--!!"

    ... she even slams the door, behind her.

<Pose Tracker> Kanae Fuyuki has posed.

Kanae is close enough to note those tears--but unlike other times Isabeau's been got, this time she doesn't step in to defend her. Maybe she's one of the only people who would actually show up at that funeral...

But it's not like she'd say that.

Kanae watches Isabeau go, and then turns to look at Yukari.

"She told you to die in a ditch," Kanae explains. "And said you were haughty, and weak. But she thinks everyone's weak compared to her. ...And I mean, she is pretty strong." Kanae sighs.

"I'm not entirely fair to her," she admits. "She does try to help."

"She's just... so awful about it. I wonder why I even bother..."

Kanae sighs again. "Whatever. Call on me, please. I do want to help. I can tell a lot of you aalready know each other, or are friends, or..." Something, she trails off.

"But I'll give you my number."

<Pose Tracker> Kasumi Yoshizawa has posed.

    Wakana says that Kasumi doesn't have the duty. Yet, Isabeau agrees with Kasumi.

    "Fontaine-senpai is right. ...On this topic, anyways." Kasumi says to Oosaka-senpai. "You might not understand why I'm intense on this. But... This counts as a gymnastics club issue, too." She pauses. "This isn't Motojima-senpai's real self. I'll use my power to help her."

    It doesn't matter if Kazusa is a jerk, or how awful she's been to Kasumi in the past. Teammates should lift each other up when need be. Kazusa was trying to do that in her own strange way... Kasumi is going to return the favour, in her own way.

    Kasumi nods gently with Roger. "Well... I can't say for anyone else, but... Well, it's like knowing what you're looking at isn't right. But if no one else around you is acknowledging that, it can make saying it aloud nerve-wreaking. Especially if this is your first time encountering one..." She brushes a hand gently through her ponytail. The fact that Rodger doesn't know for sure is very interesting. "So Motojima-senpai is ashamed of being happy...? Cheery?" She supposes it makes sense. With her father's pressure... Kasumi is very thankful that her father is supportive. "...I really hope she can find some peace with herself, then. With her father." It's the least she can wish.

    Since things seem to be reaching a natural conclusion, Kasumi tries to wave Hazuki down. "Ah, Nakao-senpai! Can we exchange contact information for when it's time to go into the Atelier?"

    Then - Then the pink one slaps Fontaine-senpai across the face. "Wha-whaaaaa??" It's turned to violence so quickly... And Isabeau sputters and flees.

    Kasumi is stuck like a deer in headlights at the sudden esculation and deesculation. "Fo-Fontaine-Senpai is really quite forceful, huh? ...Are you okay, uh... Are you okay?" She asks of Yukari, even if she doesn't know her name.

    This excursion is going to be eventful if this meeting is anything to go by.

<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.

Moriko pulls the box of cosplay supplies for a moment. There's that click again. Just to be thorough, she carefully reaches into the box, looking for anything that might be inside of it before deciding that the entire box is the thing. She pulls it with one hand, calls out over her shoulder, "Someone come grab this so I don't accidentally break anything." Sure it's probably mostly cloth, but why risk it.
 
 Hopping down after. She realizes she could have just you know, done that. Oh well.
 
 Just in time for Isabeau to insist she doesn't need help. "Why go in solo when you could cheat and tilt the odds your way? Anything less's stupid." She's got a bit of twang to her voice there. "Sucker bet."
 
 "I at least went in with almost no info, got beaten up. If you mean the other thing. Got overwhelmed, underestimated the enemy." She crosses her arms.
 
 She crosses her arms. Thinking quietly as Wakana talks. "Not an easy answer either." She eventually decides.
 
 She does make her way over towards the manga collection too. Curiosity's got the better of her. She can't help it. Besides, if it's like the circus it might help. Maybe.
 
 It's mostly curiosity.
 
 The tablet's noted. A bit out of her price range. (Well, it could be if she'd stop spending on other things. Oh well.) Fuuka's skimming of the notebook earns a curious look too. "I think it's going to happen either way." Stated quietly, in a wry tone to the other girl.
 
 The sound of a slap gets her to spin on her booted heel. Sure Yukari gets quieter, but she reaches into her jacket and starts to pull the gloves back on. Walking over just in cas.e
 
 Because this shouldn't be a surprise. And she's almost bouncing around already.

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.

Yukari has heard a lot of French from Mitsuru - but never any of those words. She can definitely guess what they might be though!
 
She also sees the tears, but as Isabeau continues, "You realize it kinda loses effect if I can't understand a word of what you're saying?" She says, not seeming to budge at all, because you know-
 
However, she shoves her, and Yukari does stumble back a pace before catching her balance on the furniture before she'd fall over.
 
Kanae translates, and Yukari watches her leave as she stands up, "Yeah... I guessed as much." She sounds, resigned?
 
It bothers her, the idea that someone is going to perhaps go to their death, just to prove something.
 
After you're dead, there are no second chances, no trying again - no... anything really. There's just nothing left at all.
 
Inhaling, she looks towards Kasumi, "I'm fine..."
 
She's really not. Kanae didn't really translate the part about how she isn't any different from her.
 
But she didn't need to. She already knows it. It's like looking uncomfortably into the mirror.
 
"... We have work to do."

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.

Fuuka looks over the rest of what's on the desk, too - and surprise crosses her face.

"This drawing tablet... That's a pretty advanced model." Fuuka comments. She's seen this model more than once, and has considered picking one up for herself before, in fact. That's not the kind of tech someone gets out of idle curiosity... Kazusa must really know her stuff.

And then - Fuuka gasps as Yukari slaps Isabeau. She didn't expect things to go that far... but it's not Isabeau Fuuka is concerned for as the latter storms off, swearing in French.

She doesn't know she's swearing, but her tone itself speaks volumes.

"Are you alright, Yukari-chan?" Fuuka asks, then looks toward Kanae as she translates. Fuuka nods.

"...Thank you. For helping." Fuuka offers. "Um, I'm Fuuka Yamagishi. You can have my number, too - and anyone else who doesn't already. Let's... work together on this, alright? We'll need everyone..."

<Pose Tracker> Kazusa Motojima has posed.

As Hazuki persues Kazusa's collection, she can see quite a few different genres represented. A lot of them have elaborate character design or costuming, as it happens. But there's a healthy mix of fantasy, action, slice of life, and even the odd isekai, magical girl, or period piece. Most of them have female characters either in the lead or as major roles.

Cruel, Katsuko calls it, and neither Kazuhiro nor Wakana can really speak against that. It's a difficult thing to comment on, more than they already have.

Kazuhiro looks a bit alarmed by Isabeau's... shall we say, rather fierce demeanor. "Ah... could you please not... demonstrate in here, senpai? I'd rather not harm the studio..."

Wakana blinks and nods to Isabeau's reassurance. "Ah... thank you." It is an odd term, isn't it? But certainly, there is plenty of art involved in the creation of a game, right?

Kanae, meanwhile, gets a CD that reads 'Manorvania (fixed the whip crash bug)'. It may or may not help to learn the plot involves hunting a vampire. "Thank you, Fuyuki-san," says Wakana softly, as she vows to help out this time.

"Thanks," Kazuhiro says to Roger with a nod. Still an odd choice of workds, but... he seems earnest enough, so Kazuhiro is willing to let it slide. If Hazuki is vouching for him, then...

Fuuka might feel like she's prying... and, well, technically they all are, but perhaps she can be assuaged by the knowledge that Kazusa's brother apparently was willing to invite them all in.

Wakana looks at Yukari. "I'm trying, but..." All of this is a little hard to take in. Kazuhiro seems to be having an easier time, or at least is willing to be more open-minded.

But Kazuhiro and Wakana jump a little as Yukari goes for the slap, shooting worried glances at each other. "H-hey, I know things are getting heated, but why don't we all... take it easy..." Kazuhiro tries to suggest.

Isabeau storms off, and maybe that eases the concerns about the studio getting messed up.

Kazusa may have been trying to help, but she was still pretty terrible about it. And who knows if she'll truly appreciate this later... but in the moment, Wakana does. "I... thank you, Yoshizawa-san. I'm... sure the team will be better off having her back to her old self." Part of her wants to believe that, at least...

Moriko finds the cosplay supplies, and it's not the whole box, it's the reference sketches on top. "Oh, that's--" Wakana starts, walking over to Moriko. "... that was the from the cosplay we put together," she says softly. "When..." Her tone grows sadder and heavier. "... we went to Level-Up Con," she finishes.

Fuuka comments on the tablet. "Yeah... our grandparents probably got that for her," Kazuhiro comments quietly. "I... kinda hope she gets to use one professionally, someday."

But since the main objective has been completed, Kazuhiro rubs the back of his neck. "Thanks again, everyone,." he says with a slight bow. He'll let people look around a bit more--hopefully there aren't any more altercations--and then he'll lock up once everyone's ready to leave.

<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.

    Ah, Umie, you did it again.

    Umie sighs, pressing her fingers to her forehead. "So much for being the responsible adult here," she groans, quietly, before turning to Kanae. "Fuyuki-san, you know her, yeah? Make sure she doesn't get hurt out there." Umie may be no fan of her group's general tone, but that doesn't mean a teenager should suffer for lousy role models. "We all have our defense mechanisms."

    It doesn't make it right, no one said how Kazusa acted was right, either.

    Taking a glance at Yukari to see if she's doing okay but letting people like Kasumi and Fuuka ask her directly, Umie takes a moment to slip those two CDs away in her jacket. Whether the Phantom Thieves need one, or someone else, she'll make sure someone gets a chance to get in.

    Then, Taking the cue from Fuuka, Umie nods. "Most of you already know, but I'm Umie Akabane," she says, with a lopsided grin. "A boring, normal adult who sticks her nose into things. You'll probably see me around Shibuya working all kinds of shifts, and if you're lucky, maybe even a shift at the Triple 7 during the Dark Hour." She holds up a wine red index finger. "Don't neglect your sleep, though; you'll have plenty of time when you turn twenty to mess it up." A few months in and she's certainly done so.
BBS: New BB message (2/133) posted to 'Announcements' by Junes: New Monad: Kazusa's Atelier