2026-02-26: Heartbreaker
- Log: Heartbreaker
- Cast: Ren Amamiya, Umie Akabane
- Where: Dollhouse Corporation
- OOC Date: February 26, 2026
- IC Date: October 01, 2012
- Summary: Taking place after 2026-02-25:_Gestalt, Joker pulls Umie aside to tell her about two certain Ryouharas' recent activities. While Joker's theory that Umie was unaware was true, the full truth of the matter is more complicated, as are many things to do with the heart.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Joker, Umie, Phoenix and Akechi have successfully plumbed the depths of the Dollhouse Corporation and retrieved the passcode they need to reach Maria and rescue her. Now the four of them are on their way back outside. With the four of them having accomplished the mission, it's quieter, less hectic. Because of that, there's more room to take it easy. Take it slow.
Over time, Joker gradually falls behind the others--save Umie, whom they signal with a nudge and a significant look, to get her to do likewise. Once the two of them are far enough away from Phoenix and Akechi, they step close enough to her to be able to murmur under their breath, "I've something I must ask you, Umie Akabane. It's about that boy you have in your care--the younger Ryouhara."
The fact that they know there is an older Ryouhara might tell Umie everything she needs to know about what this is going to be about. Still, Joker lets her react first, watching her closely behind that domino mask.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
"Mm?" Umie casts a quick glance over her shoulder as Joker nudges her. The look, however, causes Umie to spiral into dozens of theories. Ah, it must have been how she reacted to Jerri. That'd be the logical one. Or maybe, he suspects... nono, she's kept *that* feeling under wraps.
Or... maybe, Umie could just let the poor thief talk.
She seems surprised, by the mention of Kurou. ".... Yes?" She tilts her chin, slightly. That's an odd way of putting things, especially in light of Hyousuke's curiosity, but perhaps there's a reason for it, or, Joker was being careful.
Still, a ball of dread begins to form in her stomach.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Well, there are definitely a lot of things they could talk to Umie about. This thing, though, is about something that affected The Phantoms directly--and Phoenix in particular. But Joker wants to be certain of the situation first.
For right now, Joker studies Umie's face. She does seem surprised--and cautious. This is not a conversation she really wants to have, but she's not shutting it down immediately. So: "What do you know about him?"
It's a chance for Umie to signal for help, if that's the situation she's in.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
So many, many things.
Joker is studying her intently; he's studying how she's reacting.
If only it were that simple as full innocence. She could play the victim and act like she doesn't know anything at all, but would that truly sound like trust?
How much does she trust Joker, and how much of it is just her wanting to protect her own pride?
Umie's eyes cast down. "Not much, but enough. He's an associate of the Ryouhara family, which... are connected to the NWO." She grits her teeth. "If you are worried about information... he doesn't know anything about my connections to the Phantom Thieves. I took him in because... he had no one."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Joker studies Umie, and Umie understands that they're watching for her reaction. Full innocence would be simple, but lying in order to pretend she can be friends with both sides would be a great way to fall out with The Phantoms on the spot.
The fact that she's direct about knowing that he's with, or at least connected to, the NWO does a lot to convince Joker she's being truthful.
"I see." A beat. "Are you sure he has no one?"
This might be a dangerous question.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
'Are you sure he has no one?'
Aha.
".... At that time, yes. That's why he was there with me when Maria was attacked." Umie frowns. "The only person he had... tried to take on the Old Maid himself."
She pauses, turning her face away. "... Another NWO agent, and another Ryouhara."
These facts are painful, to utter aloud.
Why did she think she could get away with it?
"It turns out," she mutters, with some cynicism, "that man thought he could take him on."
"... Despite me," she begins, forcing her eyes back up to Joker's.
Deal with it. Stop misdirecting.
"Telling him not to. He survived, we found out, but he lost a part of himself. Or something."
She lets out a sigh. "But that doesn't matter here. What did the idiot do, Joker-san. The other one, not Kurou Ryouhara-kun."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Sometimes it's not about thinking you can get away with it. Sometimes it's just about hoping you can.
Joker remains stoic as Umie admits to more and more of the truth. They don't get angry; they simply watch her, hands in their pockets as the two of them trail behind Phoenix and Akechi. They watch as she looks away; when she forces herself to look back, their dark eyes are still on her.
"I see. That makes sense," they reply, mulling on this news. So the older Ryouhara challenged the Old Maid and lost, huh... Not just the fight but a 'part of himself,' whatever that means. Joker's extremely curious about that, but they choose not to push just now.
"I'm afraid, Umie Akabane, that this is something the two of them collaborated on," they reply instead, noting that the younger Ryouhara's given name is 'Kurou.' "Specifically, the elder kidnapped and tortured one of our friends, and when we came to rescue them, the younger trapped us and tried his damnedest to kill us all."
Their tone is even--almost conversational. It's a little too cool to be friendly, however. "How did you get involved with them? I thought you were terrified of the NWO."
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
Kidnapped. Tortured. A friend. A Persona User? A civilian? Kurou tried to murder them.
The mask does little to hide the horror on her face, or the way she staggers back a step, a hand to her mouth as her teeth clamp over it.
Joker was right on one thing: her heart would break.
What is happening beyond that is an echo chamber of her own thoughts, interspersed with delighted laughter.
Shiryuu warned her. He _warned_ her. But she didn't listen.
She'll take control of this. Joker is looking out for his friends, and she, in turn, has to give him the means to look out for them.
"Shiryuu Ryouhara." Umie breathes out, letting the knuckle drop from her lips. "That's what his name is. It took many, many times, to get that far."
How did she get involved with them? "More like, 'he threatened me'," she murmurs, shaking her head. "First person I ever fought, even. He came and found me afterwards after he saw me fighting alongside Katsuya Suou- the cop you've seen me associate with. He wanted to know who else in the police department had Personas." She shrugs. "Wouldn't take 'no, fuck off' for an answer. So, I prepared for him to come after me. Sure, I'm scared of the NWO, but you just... deal with it, you know? Agents attack you, and you just fight back, heal yourself, and move on. Only... every time he tried to attack me, something'd happen. Something'd be off, or I 'ruined' the moment--"
He kidnapped a friend of the Phantom Thieves and tortured him, Umie thinks. Stop making him sound like...
Umie frowns, shaking her head. "It doesn't matter, in the end. He hurt and tortured your friend."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Joker is satisfied when they see Umie's reaction that she really didn't know what Kurou's been up to--or if she had an inkling, she was in denial about it. She's a kind person at her core. They might not know the exact dynamic she has with the Ryouharas, but they're sure of that much.
...Well. Mostly sure. Enough room for doubt to be relieved to see the look on her face.
They remain poker-faced when Umie reveals the elder Ryouhara's name. Shiryuu. And the way Umie describes it, it sounds like she's got a close relationship with him--for good or ill. (Joker can relate.) They remember Sergeant Suou and nod accordingly, and consider how she describes the way Shiryuu has been going after her after threatening her. They simply must raise their eyebrows at how she says he claims she 'ruined' the moment.
Yes. They can definitely relate. How many people like this are there in the NWO? What is their problem??
"Correct," they reply. "The Ryouharas are our enemies now." Well, they would've been sooner or later, being NWO enforcers, they silently add. "I pray you need not join them." They look forward. "...And I fear you may be put to the test. When we fought Kurou Ryouhara, I challenged him to inform you of his NWO membership--ergo he knows you have some manner of connection with us now."
And given that he has clearly not said anything to Umie about it...
Still, Joker glances back at her. "...If you need us to protect you, you need only say the word. You've been a fine ally to us up until now," they murmur. The offer is sincere, too--but they know there's only so much masked vigilantes who fight in the shadows can do about people who are going after Umie in the real world, who are living in her goddamn apartment. If she accepts, hopefully they can all figure something out.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
Umie spots those raised eyebrows of Joker's. It takes everything inside her to keep from quipping back a 'I know, right??', but *somehow*, she manages.
"He's..." She sighs, gesturing loosely with a hand. "Look, at some point it went from 'you'd hate to become my enemy' to 'stop wearing those shoes' and 'stop eating expired konbini food'--"
She stops, mid-sentence. No, this is still that person, who did as Joker explained, and what's more... "... I was the one who pushed, after a while."
"I'd like very much to keep my enemy list low, yes," she says, her casual tone coming back for a moment, before she forces herself to look directly at the problem. ".... No, not just that," she murmurs, a second later. "..."
"Considering what I know... Kurou Ryouhara-san will remain in my care, for right now. I want to know his answer, too." She gives Joker a weak smile. "It's very convenient for me, I know, to not want to show my hand and what I know, but also... the NWO, and the people who work for the NWO... can be two different things."
Umie looks briefly ataken back by the offer; she looks away. ".... What, saving my life once wasn't enough to let you know I'm trouble?"
Stop hiding and act like you actually trust him, Umie.
".... I don't need protection from them, especially. The rest? I've handled myself just fine. Right now, I want to figure out what the NWO is trying to do to your friend. There could be others. They may be convinced to tell me, even."
<Pose Tracker> Ren Amamiya has posed.
Joker's eyebrows remain politely raised when Umie describes the progression of her relationship with Shiryuu. "Interesting," they comment, deadpan, when she stops herself. They smirk briefly when she admits she started pushing after a while. "How like you."
But 'brief' means it goes away right after, and Joker's neutral poker face reasserts itself. She makes a good point about there being a difference between the NWO and those who work for it. They admit that they liked Kurou in their first encounter; the two of them bonded almost right away over their nail polish. You know, right after Kurou threatened them with an umbrella--but that was him following Umie's lead. The misunderstanding cleared up immediately, and no harm was done.
Plenty of harm was done to the Phantom Thieves, though. And that's not something Joker can disregard. Not for someone else's safety. They can accept Umie's strategy, but they don't need to be keen on it. Even if... "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, hm? I understand." ...they're doing the exact same thing. They and Umie might have more in common than just their painted nails and their favorite color. "I won't push, then. Simply know that the offer stands if you change your mind."
Joker chuckles, low and soft, at Umie's tsun-ing. "Hadn't you realized? I enjoy trouble." They also want to know what the NWO is after, though--and why Shiryuu threatened Tsubasa to wreak havoc on the NWO. "In that case..." They tilt their chin forward, towards the two walking ahead of them. "Talk to Phoenix. They can tell you more, if they so choose."
That will have to be between the two of them, though. Right now, they've still got Maria to rescue--and for that, they all need to get out of this Kingdom first. The problem of the Ryouharas will still be there afterwards.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
Umie *sees* those raised eyebrows. "Look, the man cannot stand something being off center," Umie huffs, waving a hand, as a bit of her usual self creeps in. "And konbini food is perfectly fine! Akechi-san'd back me up on that."
Egotistical, full of himself, violent, refuses to explain himself, show-off....
... a person that protects people, who has similarities with her in ways she didn't expect. Maybe, it was all just to fool her.
'How like you.' "Oh stop it," she huffs back, but not unkindly, evidenced by answering smirk on her own lips.
'It sounds like someone who stands for broken things... 'Umie Akabane.' That's the name I like the most.'
'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.'
Just how compassionate can she really be?
"Alright," she relents, when Joker reasserts the offer. "Usually attacks are pretty sudden, so... don't get your hopes up."
Ah, but Joker enjoys trouble. Umie blinks, then, unbidden, laughter bubbles up, caught by a quickly placed hand. "Do you even... *snerk* hear yourself..."
Oh, Joker does. And he likely knows she appreciates the same, Umie realizes. But, that's where that trust comes from, as well.
(Thankfully the hand keeps her from just awkwardly blushing at the poor Phantom Thief.)
"Mmn," Umie responds, softly, on the topic of Phoenix. "Alright. Probably after this is over."
Maria, she means.
"Thank you for telling me, Joker." And for trusting her, she doesn't say.
She then joins Joker as they catch up with the others.