2026-02-28: A Hidden Reason
- Log: A Hidden Reason
- Cast: Tsubasa Seki, Shinobu Shimizu, Ayame Watanabe
- Where: Mt. Katatsumuri Forest Trail
- OOC Date: February 28, 2026
- IC Date: Tuesday, October 2, 2012
- Summary: Two aunties and a delinquent climb a mountain.
(|===================== Monad - Katatsumuri Forest Trail =====================|)
-==== Round 1: Forest Trail Tales of Terror! - Challenge Level 1 ==============-
| Approach Options: Understanding or Guts |
| Conditions: Bothersome - Charm Down L1 and Scary - Guts Down L1 |
-==== Challenge ===============================================================-
Here in the forest on Katatsumuri Mountain, the trail walk allows people to get
well away from the hustle and bustle of Sumaru City. It's quiet here, the sound
as you start on the trail punctuated only by the sound of birdcall and the wind
rustling through the boughs. Perhaps it was the rumors that brought you to the
mountainside: story has it that there are spirits and other creatures in the
woods. Perhaps you have your own reasons. Perhaps you're here for perfectly
innocuous purposes.
You're not alone. You encounter an apparent forest walker/hiker on a tear
towards the exit; they glance over their shoulder worriedly as they rush up
towards you. "Run! Run while you still can!" they tell you, in a panic. Perhaps
if you can calm them down, you can get some more information out of them, or
maybe you can rally yourselves for whatever it is that this person has left
behind?
(|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Tsubasa heard this mountain's a bit fucked, on the Dark Side of Sumaru. (They post as BirdsWrites, obviously. Why wouldn't that be their username?) They can't substantiate anything, though, so that's why they've come here today, in a magenta and green wig and a bright pink and blue hoodie over a checkered tank top and cargo pants, a bag slung over one arm.
Good news: they remember at least enough from Ichika's education to have brought a water bottle and not left their arms exposed!
They... have not transformed into their sick-ass feather cape, though. They're still not sure if this is that kind of mountain or not. Of course, they're interrupted by their climb up by a guy ranting and raving as he runs down, where they exclaim: "Whoa! You even know where ya goin'?!"
"HORRORS! HORRORS FROM THE DEEP!"
"Uh, 'kay..." Tsubasa reaches out, stiffly, to take his hand. "... c'mon, dude. Get ya back down to th' carpark."
And that's where Shinobu and Ayame will find them, leading a fucking inconsolate guy out of the trail. "Oh, yo!" They call out, when they see trustworthy adults. "This guy, uh -- he's way freaked out?" "SAVE YOURSELVES!" "Reckon he saw somethin' up th' trail or some shit... fuck do I do, man?"
There's a nice, friendly bus stop nearby (it's where Tsubasa got here) you could leave him. But hey, why's Tsubasa here? "I, uh, there's some shit I gotta check out up there," they're trying to explain to this disconsolate customer, even though Tsubasa doesn't have a Persona. "It's cool, dude, I'm great at savin' myself..." "YOU CAN'T! YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY!! FROST TAKE YOU...!!!"
Is it safe to leave this youth unattended?!
MONAD: Tsubasa Seki has acted with Understanding toward Forest Trail Tales of Terror!! Base! <Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
There have definitely been rumors about strange things happening on Mt. Katatsumuri. Shinobu's not about to leave something so close to home unattended. She doesn't like the idea of looking into it alone, though, so she considers the options of who all to reach out to - and ultimately invites Ayame.
If there is something up, it'll be good practice for working with her together more in the future. And if there isn't, it means she gets a nice nature walk with her sister. Win-win.
...It's off to quite the start though, because not long after they get there, they hear shouting... And when they race onto the scene, they find Tsubasa leading a man away.
"Hey, Seki." Shinobu greets in return, offering them a casual wave. They look to the hiker, then back to them. "...Yeah, sure is."
What do they do? Shinobu frowns consideringly. And then she hears that Tsubasa has to check something out up on the mountain. Shinobu glances toward Ayame.
She gets the feeling she probably doesn't even have to say anything for them to be on the same page.
"Hey, don't worry, they're not gonna be goin' up there alone. Besides..." Shinobu says. She steps forward, rolling her neck and cracking her knuckles. She's only 5'3", but she still has a way of looming when she wants to. "...I'm way scarier than anything that might be up there."
MONAD: Shinobu Shimizu has acted with Former Delinquent toward Forest Trail Tales of Terror!! Efficient and Bravery! <Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
Ayame, too, has heard the rumors. So when Shinobu reaches out to her, she's happy to help! And they have been working together an awful lot lately...
Bessides, she's still a little emotional after Maria's rescue; it's nice to spend time with her sister at times like that.
HORRORS!
What do they do.... Ayame steps forward and, with all her 5'1" height, reaches out to pat the man's arm. "There, there," she says. "You just stop here and relax. We'll take care of them. I'm not afraid of frost!"
"My sister is very tough," she agrees brightly of Shinobu.
"Hello, Seki-kun!" she greets cheerfully. Then she looks back to the hiker, "I'm quite familiar with this path, actually. So rest assured, everything will be fine."
MONAD: Ayame Watanabe has acted with Green Thumb toward Forest Trail Tales of Terror!! Empathy and Focus!
(|============================= Monad - Results ==============================|)
-==== Forest Trail Tales of Terror! - Round 1 =================================-
Shinobu Shimizu Guts Success
Former Delinquent Efficient and Bravery Fatigue: 0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tsubasa Seki Understanding Success
Understanding Base Fatigue: 0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ayame Watanabe Understanding Success
Green Thumb Empathy and Focus Fatigue: 0
-============================= Party Conditions: ==============================-
Starting Conditions: Bothersome-2 and Scary-2
Final Conditions: Bothersome-1 and Scary-1
-======================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====-
-==== Reach: 1/6 |= | =====================================================-
(|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)
(|===================== Monad - Katatsumuri Forest Trail =====================|)
-==== Round 2: Even in the Forest, T R I S H - Challenge Level 2 ==============-
| Approach Options: Understanding or Proficiency |
| Conditions: Bothersome - Charm Down L1, Clumsy - Proficiency Down L1, Fairy |
| - Subtract 1 Fatigue on success., Hard - Understanding Down L1, and Scary - |
| Guts Down L1 |
-==== Challenge ===============================================================-
Be it weather, exertion, a lack of supplies, or a mix of the three, one thing is
certain: you're hot and thirsty.
Ducking into a small grotto reveals the entrance to a otherworldy shrine, which
may become very familiar to some. A field of dark lined with transparent doors
and stardust sets the stage for a cool spring, the flooring around it set in
smooth rounded stone. Four pillars stand at each corner, framing a potential
paradise for weary travelers.
It's a shame that there's this obnoxious counter in front with all sorts of
advertisements for different drinks. Sparkling? Caffeinated? Alcoholic?
Sugar-free? It's all here, and it's way, way better than what you brought along,
if anything at all.
Those prices are a little steep, even if the offerings look pretty tempting.
Just who runs this establishment? Oh right, it's Trish: the fashionable
money-grubbing fairy! "Sorry, but this isn't a charity, you sweaty little apes,"
she says, sassily pinning her hands to her hips. (She'll make a concession for
any non-apes, if present.) "I got a business to run, so the only thing that's
free here is looks and vibes."
(|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Man! Shinobu is so cool, though!!! Luckily, it's not just Tsubasa who's thinking that: the hiker looks a lot more convinced seeing her step up, too.
"But," he starts, "it's not just them, it's -- the signs are all messed up, too!" Except here, ENTER MOM, as Ayame steps up to reassure him with her gentle nature that she knows this path.
"Yeah man," Tsubasa says, "it's cool, these aunties know what's up. Uh..." They pause, for a moment, quietly inventorying what Ichika would do in this situation, before they reach into their bag and pull out a water bottle. (It's fine, it's sealed.) "Jus', like, drink this, bus'll be 'round soon, it's cool."
They manage to leave the man at least... mostly calmed down, as they set off for the trail. Together, as it happens!
"Didn't expect to run into you guys here today," Tsubasa says, rubbing at the back of their neck. They're the only one who can place the fact that they ran into them both yesterday, of course, since the sisters don't know that Tsubasa is Phoenix... but they sure remember how rough it seemed like it was on them. "You, uh... gettin' out into nature to recharge or some shit? Hope that guy was jus' blowin' smoke up our asses... oughta be a cool trail or whatever."
Man, it's SO AWKWARD trying to express sympathy to adults even when you KNOW they just had to face the terrifying patriarch robot and it fucking sucked.
But up they go, up the trail. Clomp, clomp... it's getting warmer, up here, even though it's October. "Ughhh, fuck this," Tsubasa grouses, as they pull off their hoodie and tie it around their waist. "Exposin' ya arms can't be that bad, it's so fuckin' hot..."
On they go, like that, until Tsubasa pauses. "Hey, I felt somethin' cool," they remark, as they step off the trail to look between the bushes. "... huh. Check it out, there's this whole, like, grotto? Gotta be better than this fuckin' sun, man." And, of course, in they go.
Into... Trish's Grotto!
"Huh..." Tsubasa remarks, as they step inside. "Hey, sweet, drinks!" They're not all that phased by seeing a fairy behind the counter; maybe that means their brain is just justifying it. (Sure, let's go with that.)
But when they step up, the fairy running the joint -- TRISH, everyone's greatest foe -- lifts one of her little fairy hands in a 'stop' gesture. "Sorry, but this isn't a charity, you sweaty little apes," she insists, planting her hands on her hips. "I got a business to run, so the only thing that's free here is looks and vibes."
Tsubasa pulls their wallet out, scowling at it. "Uh... I mean..." Actual cold drinks instead of whatever sauna's in their bag sound amazing, but should they really be spending the money they looted from Maria's Kingdom vault so frivuously?
"Fuck it, man, gimme an iced coffee," they say, caution to the wind.
"Great," Trish smiles. "That'll be $4000 yen!"
It's a disaster in slow-motion...
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Shinobu's glad to provide some support. She knows yesterday was pretty rough for Ayame. It cut pretty deep for both of them, but Ayame perhaps moreso.
She smirks when Ayame praises her toughness, though she's glad she's here to provide a kinder approach than her own.
The man explains - the signs, huh... Fortunately, Ayame's their secret weapon here, too.
The hiker is calmed down, and Shinobu sends Tsubasa an approving nod.
"Good thinking. Never easy dealing with things like that, huh?" She says, and smiles. "Yeah, me either. Good seeing you, though. Been a while."
Getting out to nature to recharge... Shinobu considers her answer for a moment. She glances subtly to Ayame to check her reaction.
"Yeah. Seemed like a good day for it, y'know?" She replies with a shrug. It's a half-lie, but she doesn't want to worry them - and doesn't know they already know. "...Well, we'll just have to keep our eyes open. Safer that way, anyway."
They proceed forward, but despite the date, it's getting warmer. It's not an easy climb... But then, there's something cool.
"...A grotto?" Shinobu repeats. A suspicious frown crosses her face, but she follows them inside. And within...
"Oh, it's Trish." Shinobu comments. ...She's been around long enough to be familiar with her game - but also to know that she's not someone they want to tangle with.
This also means she's smart enough not to say out loud that the vibes aren't worth the price of admission.
Trish is about to sell Tsubasa a 4000 yen iced coffee... Shinobu frowns. She strides up to the counter, leaning casually on it with one arm. With some effort, she smiles.
"Hey, c'mon, Trish. We're the only customers around - the last one just ran off screaming. You can give the kid a better deal than that, right?" Shinobu suggests. With her free hand, she flips a yen coin up and down tantalizingly.
MONAD: Shinobu Shimizu has acted with Esoteric Skillset toward Even in the Forest, T R I S H! Patra and Focus! <Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
Ayame smiles at Tsubasa and Shinobu both. 'Auntie' doesn't bother her so much; she's hardly in a position to protest that age. But she's helping, and Tsubasa seems... a little something. What is it? Well, Ayame doesn't know. "Hmmm." Getting out into nature... Ayame does not LIE but she does say, "I like this mountain. We'll have to see if anything spoooky is here." Yes, she draws out 'spooky', with a little laugh.
But forward...
Tsubasa is getting hotter. "You'll get bug bites," Ayame suggests. "Then you'll be itchy and hot."
But cool... Hm. A grotto... Oh.
Oh.
"Oh, a fairy!" Ayame says, and brightens, until Trish calls them apes, and she frowns. Shinobu seems to know her.
...And she seems to be--
"Really?" Ayame wonders. "Really?" That price for an iced coffee. "Honestly, it seems to me that it's a good chance for a lesson in economics! For instance:"
"You could charge one exorbitant price for one coffee..."
"Or you could charge three less exorbitant costs and make more overall profit!"
Ayame brightens. "One third that price, and I'll pay for all of us, instead of just one of us."
...Trish probably won't take one-third. But even half would be better than that.
MONAD: Ayame Watanabe has acted with Tutorial toward Even in the Forest, T R I S H! Diligence and Patra! MONAD: Tsubasa Seki has acted with Proficiency toward Even in the Forest, T R I S H! Base! (|============================= Monad - Results ==============================|) -==== Even in the Forest, T R I S H - Round 2 =================================- Shinobu Shimizu Proficiency Success Esoteric Skillset Patra and Focus Fatigue: 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tsubasa Seki Proficiency Success Proficiency Base Fatigue: 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ayame Watanabe Proficiency Success Tutorial Diligence and Patra Fatigue: 0 -============================= Party Conditions: ==============================- Starting Conditions: Bothersome-1, Clumsy-2, Fairy-0, Hard-2, and Scary-1 Final Conditions: -======================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====- -==== Reach: 2/6 |== | =====================================================- (|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)
MONAD: Tsubasa Seki has drawn a new Challenge!
(|===================== Monad - Katatsumuri Forest Trail =====================|)
-==== Round 3: The Underbrush Gives Way - Challenge Level 1 ===================-
| Approach Options: Proficiency or Charm |
| Conditions: Clumsy - Proficiency Down L1 and Smooth - Charm Up L1 |
-==== Challenge ===============================================================-
The trail thins out directly ahead of you. It seems the underbrush has grown
over it, and you'll need to clear it. This isn't so bad, but when you step into
it, you discover a terrible realization:
The underbrush is covering where a small landslide made a new slope.
The ground suddenly becomes a sharp, steep slope. You're tumbling down it -- and
you'll need to find a way to arrest that fall or at least roll safely down the
sudden hillside. Be careful of not hitting a tree on your way down!
(|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Ayame is certified old, man. But it's cool, she's cool.
"Yeah, I been... uh..." Tsubasa trails off, for a moment, as they try to think of how to describe working for Tamaki at the Detective Agency, starting on ILLICIT HORMONES, moving house again, getting kidnapped by ninjas...
"Busy," they settle on.
"It's cool, tho'," they add, of choosing today to hike. "Good place to clear ya head..." ... but then Ayame declares it to be potentially spoooky, with three O's, and Tsubasa just gives her the universal sceptical look of a teenager who just heard something incredibly uncool. "C'mon," they urge her, trying not to laugh about it, which just kind of means it ends up as a snrk.
Ayame urges them to consider the bugs, and Tsubasa says, "uuuuuugh. No, man, it's cool, I got bug spray..." But it's only after Ayame nags them that Tsubasa remembers to dig around in their bag and actually spray it on. That's true mom power!
The grotto, though, is a place for bad deals. Shinobu suggests that there's got to be a better deal behind her counter, with the world's coolest coin flip (according to Tsubasa), and Ayame remarks that she's a fairy, at which point Tsubasa remembers they really ought to say something like --
"No, man, it's like, a hologram or some shit. Y'know, mirror tricks. Cool bit, tho'."
Flawless execution. No one has to know that Tsubasa's beaten up so many Pixies in Mementos.
Trish huffs, though. "The real rort is your offer! Hmph... but there could be more customers here. All right, I'll do you a special deal -- $5000 yen each!"
"You went higher," Tsubasa points out, dryly, quietly inventorying the grotto to figure out how easy it would be to just steal shit while she's occupied.
"And I'm sure all your little stinky friends are blown away by your powers of perception," Trish pouts. "Fine. Fine! Two thousand a pop, and no less. Nothing can change my mind! Not unless I see the best coin trick I've ever seen!"
Some more negotiation (and some sick tricks from Shinobu) later, and they're walking out with some nice iced coffee to sip. "Man," Tsubasa sighs, "least this coffee's cold... guess I coulda asked her for some beer, but I been givin' that shit up, y'know? Tryin' to keep me rap sheet clean so I can get me detective's licence in a couple yeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE--"
That's the sound of Tsubasa stepping right onto a slippery slope and sliding down like it's the world's worst slippy-slide. And all their claims about trying to keep their record clean might come into question when the thing they fumble for in their bag, as they're falling, ends up being --
-- a crowbar?!
A full-ass fucking crowbar that they just slam into the side of the bank to try and arrest their fall before they break a leg or some shit.
WHY DO YOU HAVE A CROWBAR, KID.
MONAD: Tsubasa Seki has acted with Breaking and Entering toward The Underbrush Gives Way! Specialty! <Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Tsubasa has been 'busy'. Shinobu recognizes the tell-tale sign of a long story someone doesn't feel comfortable telling, and she nods. Whatever they're going through, it must be rough.
"Well... Hope your schedule eases up soon, then." She offers. Ayame's drawn out 'spoooky' gets a smirk out of Shinobu. ...She also has useful advice that slipped her own mind. Bug spray is very important.
Also important - knowing a bad deal when you see one. Fortunately, she's been around the block more than once.
A hologram, huh... If that's what they think, they're not going to second guess them.
"You okay with that...?" Shinobu asks, as Ayame suggests paying for all of them. Ayame provides a lesson in economics, and Tsubasa points out that the price went up.
Shinobu does, in fact, perform a sick coin trick. The coin is flipped and rolled, and then, finally, pulled out from behind Trish's ear!
...This is much more impressive with a fairy than it is with a human, considering the relative size. The coffees are paid for, and Shinobu flips the coin one last time - this time, landing on the counter in front of Trish. And as they leave...
"So, uh, heads-up - that was Trish. She tends to pop up when you least expect it. The only thing on her mind is money. She'll get you what you need, but it's gonna come with a hefty price tag... She's got a long memory too so, uh... don't try anything." Shinobu advises. "...Still, nice dealing, you two."
She listens as Tsubasa speaks and nods appreciatively when they say that they've been giving up beer - and then they drop, a moment too late for Shinobu to notice that she's about to walk onto the slope, too. Shinobu curses under her breath as she goes slipping, too.
"Careful! You alright, Nee-san, Seki?" Shinobu calls out. She shifts her feet, trying to slow her momentum as she looks for any nearby debris she can grab onto to stop herself.
She notes Tsubasa's crowbar. Maybe it should be suspicious to her, but Shinobu sees no problems with this.
MONAD: Shinobu Shimizu has acted with Proficiency toward The Underbrush Gives Way! Base! <Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
Old... Well, Tsubsa's been 'busy', and Ayame nods. "Yes, I'm sure school and your friends keep you very busy!" she says warmly. She has no idea Tsubasa is doing PERSONA BUSINESS and she's not inclined to press anyway. Tsubasa is skeptical, and Ayame laughs softly. "Probably not," she allows after a moment. But...
Bug spray! Ayame has already applied hers, of course. As to the fairy, well--
"It's been a pleasure doing business with you," Ayame answers cheerfully. "I'm sure," she says then to Shinobu. She's the one of the three who has the most money, she's sure.
Sick tricks!! that's cool. Ayame drinks her coffee, and then listens to Shinobu. "I see... That's not very nice at all," she comments. "I expected fairies to be sweeter."
Pause. "Hoologram fairies."
But drop, and Ayame slips too, tumbling down and tucking herself in to avoid injury, before she catches herself. "Oh!"
"...I'm all right!" Ayame says, though she winces a little. That hurt!
"...Seki-kun," she says with a low tone, "It's good you aren't drinking! That'll impact your growth!"
Crowbar...
"My, what a fortuitous thing to have on-hand!" A crowbar.
She pushes herself up. "Well that was unpleasant. Let's be more careful, yes? It'll be all right. I have a first aid kit if you hurt yourselves..."
MONAD: Ayame Watanabe has acted with Mom Talk toward The Underbrush Gives Way! Friendliness and Efficient! (|============================= Monad - Results ==============================|) -==== The Underbrush Gives Way - Round 3 ======================================- Shinobu Shimizu Proficiency Success Proficiency Base Fatigue: 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tsubasa Seki Proficiency Success Breaking and Enterin Specialty Fatigue: 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ayame Watanabe Charm Success Mom Talk Friendliness and Efficient Fatigue: 0 -============================= Party Conditions: ==============================- Starting Conditions: Clumsy-2 and Smooth-2 Final Conditions: Clumsy-1 and Smooth-1 -======================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====- -==== Reach: 3/6 |=== | =====================================================- (|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)
MONAD: Tsubasa Seki has drawn a new Challenge!
(|===================== Monad - Katatsumuri Forest Trail =====================|)
-==== Round 4: Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Give Me a Sign - Challenge Level 2 =====-
| Approach Options: Charm or Academics |
| Conditions: Clumsy - Proficiency Down L1, Smooth - Charm Up L1, Smooth - |
| Charm Up L1, and Stupor - Academics Down L1 |
-==== Challenge ===============================================================-
As your group walks through the forest, you are suddenly confronted by a
musical, child-like voice, echoing down from the forest canopy.
"A-ha! What an excellent, marvelous twist of fate for me to come across you!" A
spritely (literally) little thing in a blue-green cap and little outfit unveils
himself from an overhead branch. "I am the one you humans call 'Robin
Goodfellow', or as some would also call me, 'Puck'." He does a little bow.
"I've learned of a thing you humans call 'Wang-Long' Fortune Telling, which
supposedly tells the compatibility between fellows," Puck says, hovering in
midair. "I wish to test this myself, so, I would be interested in your
birthdays! Which of you would be compatible with one another? I do wonder!"
It seems innocent, but sharper senses may feel the weight of many, many tiny
fairy eyes peeking from behind leaves, rocks, and just about every nook and
cranny nearby. "Oh, and, in case you take me for a fool, there may be
consequences! I do appreciate a good bit of cunning, however."
Tell your birthdays or not to this trickster fairy; he may be playing a trick on
you either way.
(|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"So... don't steal her shit, huh?" Tsubasa wonders, to Shinobu, once they're out of there. Their one saving grace is that they didn't say that in earshot of Trish...
"Nah, man, fairies suck ass," they add, to Ayame. Luckily, before they have to explain how they know Pixie is the worst, they're able to add: "It's in the lore a... uh... y'know, it's mythology an' shit," DON'T TELL THE ADULTS ABOUT YOUR CHILDREN'S CARD GAME FOR THE LOVE OF GOD TSUBASA YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE COOL, "how th' Fair Folk are actually all pricks an' ya jus' say they cool so they don't skin ya none."
They're rewarded for their teenage dismissiveness with -- SLOPE! Luckily, it's just a slope. Ayame and Shinobu have surely fallen down plenty of them in their days, and even Tsubasa's able to think fast enough to stop themself from tumbling. "Yeah, I'm cool!" They call out, as they pick themself up... and they're wincing, so maybe they did hurt themself?
(No, they didn't. That tumble just kind of -- reminded them of the injuries they're already carrying.)
"I'm cool," they insist, to Ayame and Shinobu's concern. "Jus', uh... got in a fight th' other day, sooo... yeah." It's not wrong, technically speaking.
"Uh," they add, as they pick themself up and put themself back on the trail. "It weren't a big deal or nothin', booze was jus', uh... y'know, shit what was cool. An' it made me feel better," they add, a little more awkwardly as they share something more vulnerable. "But me, uh... one a me partners was tellin' me some shit, an'... ain't no good habit, y'know?"
(Wait a second, one of their partners--?!)
Anyway, do you remember when Tsubasa was slagging off the Fair Folk moments before eating shit on a slope?
So here's the Fair Folk. "A-ha! What an excellent, marvelous twist of fate for me to come across you!" The sprite's voice echoes up from the branch he's perched on. "I am the one you humans call 'Robin Goodfellow', or as some would also call me, 'Puck'."
"Uh," Tsubasa says, and it's not entirely clear that the blood's drained out of their face on realising that they fucked up, under all their layers of artifice, but it's not entirely obscured either. "Yo, Puck." They even bow back to him, though it's stiff as hell.
"I've learned of a thing you humans call 'Wang-Long' Fortune Telling, which supposedly tells the compatibility between fellows," Puck says, hovering in midair. "I wish to test this myself, so, I would be interested in your birthdays! Which of you would be compatible with one another? I do wonder!"
He's not the only fairy who's smelled blood in the water, evidently -- though he's the only one who's revealed himself, right now. "Oh, and, in case you take me for a fool, there may be consequences! I do appreciate a good bit of cunning, however."
Tsubasa wonders, briefly, if they totally already know they was talking shit and whether they should just get to apologising, before they decide that fairies would rather they play along with the question. "Wang Long, uh... I'm August?" They say, rubbing at the back of their neck. "Y'know, the Red Dragon... tho' I wouldn't be surprised none if I was in Joka." Tsubasa actually knows about fortune telling, huh?
"Ah! The Red Dragon, ruler of passion!" Puck declares, brightly, as he claps his hands together. "Unique amongst the Dragons, you have negative compatibility with the Light Dragons which rule July, and no positive affinities whatsoever! April's Scarlet Dragons might be totally disaffected, but it's the Red Dragons alone which are so contentious they have only enemies to their name!"
"Uh..." Tsubasa starts, awkwardly. "I mean, yeah, I'm an asshole, but..."
They look over to the adults, as if to say, 'HELP'.
MONAD: Tsubasa Seki has acted with Academics toward Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Give Me a Sign! Base! <Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Ayame says she's sure about paying for them - so, reluctantly, she nods. ...It's true, she probably is. Tsubasa, too, gets a nod.
"I sure wouldn't suggest it." Shinobu agrees.
Fairies, though...
"Yeah. You'd think so, but..." She trails off. Tsubasa explains the mythology. "Yeah, that's about right. The best play is not to get involved with 'em at all, if you can help it."
Better not to mess with them at all, if you can help it.
And then, slope - fortunately, this is far from Shinobu's first time taking a fall. She knows how to roll with it, and how to keep it from being more serious. Tsubasa says they're cool, and Ayame confirms that she's alright, too.
She's a bit relieved by that, but she's still a little worried...
"It's alright if you're not." Shinobu assures. But a fight, huh... Shinobu accepts that at least. "...Yeah, I get that."
Drinking, huh... Shinobu won't judge them for that - she's been there, too. Sometimes you have to do something people tell you not to to take back control.
...One of their partners, though, huh? She knew about the one, but... Seems like some things have been moving up for them.
"Sounds like they have a good head on their shoulders." Shinobu comments.
And at the bottom of the slope - more fairies. Is this a coincidence, or where they just waiting for someone to literally fall into midst?
"Puck. Nice to meet you." She replies, echoing Tsubasa's bow. She can feel the eyes all around her. She can tell they're being watched. Shinobu sends Ayame a glance, following that with a telling glance toward the bushes before looking back toward Robin Goodfellow.
Wang-Long Forture Telling... Ah, that's right... Tsubasa is an August birthday, too. The Red Dragon, ruler of passion... No positive affinities whatsoever. She meets Tsubasa's glance.
"Hey, passion's a good thing. Means you've got drive, y'know?" Shinobu says. "Just means you gotta work your way up a bit harder than some, is all. Means that the relationships you do build are 'cause you worked at 'em, rather than some predestined affinity. That means somethin'. ...Sides. You're not alone."
She looks back toward Puck.
"August here, too." Shinobu says, pointing a thumb at herself.
MONAD: Shinobu Shimizu has acted with Charm toward Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Give Me a Sign! Base! <Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
Definitely don't steal from Trish.
At the matter of mythology though, Ayame pauses. "Oh!" she says. "Oh, I suppose that's true," she says. "Koume-chan has a game where she has all sorts of nasty fairies. But I like the stories about cute fairies..."
A fight! Ayame frowns, but it's more a worried from than a disapproving one. "Oh, dear..."
But she says one of her partners, and Ayame tilts her head. "Business partners?" she wonders cluelessly. "That's very enterprising!"
"Oh, Hello Mister Goodfellow!" Ayame glances back to Shinobu, and in her eyess it's clear she knows.
Tsubasa looks for... help! And Ayame smiles. "She's quite right," she says, catching herself before using Shinobu's name. "That's an admirable trait. When you get a bad fortune, it doesn't mean everything is ruined--it means you just have to work harder!"
A beat, "And you're nothing of the kind," she says to Tsubasa. "As for me..."
Ayame says brightly, "I actually know a lot about Wang Long, too!" It's very popular with housewives, after all. "I already know the most important compatibility--you see, I'm a Purple Dragon. They say it 'honors justice' and is 'honest' and wishes to be free, and I think that sounds very nice! But of course, my husband is a Silver Dragon, protecting moderation. He's artistic and doesn't like to fight..."
"Well, that suits nicely, but more importantly, they have the best compatibility together! We're very happy, you know."
She notably hasn't given her actual birthday. Mysteriously.
"What about your birthday, Mister Goodfellow? I'd love to know if you and I could become friends!"
MONAD: Ayame Watanabe has acted with Mom Talk toward Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Give Me a Sign! Friendliness and Efficient! (|============================= Monad - Results ==============================|) -==== Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Give Me a Sign - Round 4 ========================- Shinobu Shimizu Charm Success Charm Base Fatigue: 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tsubasa Seki Academics Success Academics Base Fatigue: 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ayame Watanabe Charm Success Mom Talk Friendliness and Efficient Fatigue: 0 -============================= Party Conditions: ==============================- Starting Conditions: Clumsy-1, Smooth-1, Smooth-2, and Stupor-2 Final Conditions: Smooth-1 and Stupor-1 -======================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====- -==== Reach: 4/6 |==== | =====================================================- (|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)
MONAD: Tsubasa Seki has drawn a new Challenge!
(|===================== Monad - Katatsumuri Forest Trail =====================|)
-==== Round 5: The Fork in the Road - Challenge Level 2 =======================-
| Approach Options: Charm or Understanding |
| Conditions: Bothersome - Charm Down L1, Hard - Understanding Down L1, Smooth |
| - Charm Up L1, and Stupor - Academics Down L1 |
-==== Challenge ===============================================================-
You've reached the end of the forest trail. Ahead is a fork that will take you
back towards the entrance if you want, or, if you ignore the signs here that
state that ahead is private property and that you absolutely shouldn't
tresspass, you could potentially take an approach that would take you right up
to the back of the Morimoto Sanitarium.
Assuming, that is, that's somewhere that you want to go.
But tresspassing is a crime, and there are plenty of stories that, true or not,
suggest eerie things take place in the sanitarium. It's quiet here. You can't
even hear the birds. There's nothing for you but the sound of the wind in the
branches.
Do you have a good sense of your group's mood and whether this is an adventure
you want to chance? Or would you prefer to bolster their spirits and urge them
on ahead?
(|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
Tsubasa, mysteriously, totally didn't stop Ayame from paying. They're such a freeloader!
(They also don't get paid much in their line of work... which explains why they do so much in Mementos.)
"Yeah man, he's cool," Tsubasa nods, to Shinobu. Except, of course -- Ayame doesn't get it at all, and Tsubasa just kind of... stares at her, for a second, before their blue eyes slide over to Shinobu, as if to ask, 'is she giving me shit or'
That silent conversation tells them everything they need to know about how much shit they're not being given right now.
"Uh." Tsubasa takes a breath, rubbing at the back of their neck. "It ain't, like... uh. Okay. So look, sometimes shit's like... different to a guy gettin' married to a chick. See, I'm seein' a girl, but my girl's also seein' a boy, an' me an' her boy are tight, too, even tho' we ain't like, seein' each other that same way. It's this, uh... polyamory shit. You prolly never heard a it..." Tsubasa waves a hand. "Anyway, it ain't /cheatin'/ 'cuz we all know 'bout each other, an' it ain't an /open relationship 'cuz we all dedicated to each other. It's different to bein' gay or bi, like, you can be poly an' straight, but it can also be a way to get married and still be seein' someone you couldn't be marryin' too. So," they shrug, "yeah."
Wait, what?
Educating Ayame on nonstandard sexuality configurations is that easy?!
HOW DOES THIS KID KNOW HOW TO DO THAT?!?
(Not shown in this quick explainer is the many, many, many times Tsubasa's had to explain their whole thing to ignorant onlookers who can tell they're not normal but have no idea how gender works... man, the closet just ain't an option for them when they're presenting like this.)
Goodfellow comes across their path, though -- and Shinobu steps up to speak in defence of August. "Huh," Tsubasa remarks, trying to play how impressed they are off cool and only mostly managing. They actually crack a grin, in related news, when she reveals that she's an August kid too. "Sick!" That's right: Tsubasa actually is physically capable of speaking in such a way that warrants exclamation marks. "Yeah, man, jus' means we work fuckin' hard!" Tsubasa insists, thumping their chest, as they look back to Puck.
"Confident and adventeruous, they call you... hmm, hmm... I do see it!" He muses, thoughtfully. "But it does mean I won't find any affinity with you..."
Ayame offers her own Housewife's Knowledge to the table, though, and Puck rests his chin in his hand, as his elbow rests on nothing at all. "Purple and silver gets along, I see, I see! And unlike the other two firecrackers here, the Purple Dragon has no negative affinities... you only have people you get along with! But me? Me?"
He hops up. "Why, I'm the Sun Dragon!" There's no Sun Dragon. "Born in the month after December, I spread mischief!"
"January comes after December, dude," Tsubasa points out. "You mean th' Yellow Dragon?"
"No, no! Not that stuffy balance-protector! I'm talking about the month before January!" Puck folds his arms.
"That's December," Tsubasa says, deadpan.
"No, no, no! You don't understand the months at all! It goes October, November, December, Endleofan, January!" Puck gestures, wildly.
"Huh," Tsubasa rubs at the back of their neck. "You, uh... might wanna go down there an' talk to th' calendar guys. They musta missed that one."
"Maybe I will!" Puck huffs, as he floats off into the treeline, and those dozen-hundred eyes follow him.
"Phew..." Tsubasa sighs, as they keep on walkin'. A beat later, they add: "Like, I get he's jus' a little person, but it's pre' convincin'."
Flawless execution. No one knows you know that fairies are real, Tsubasa.
As they get closer, though, they come to the sign... and Tsubasa disregards the no trespassing effortlessly. "This way," they urge the sisters, as they keep walking forward. "C'mon." Why they have a crowbar might become more obvious... and Shinobu, at least, might be able to catch the way they're keeping their phone half-stashed in their pocket to capture things discreetly.
... it's a question which becomes a touch more concerning, with some horrible, pained sounds, coming from the Sanitarium... and caution tape, wrapped around the trees to block off the path. That sign won't stop Tsubasa, evidently, as they duck underneath it... but it's not long up the trail before they run into a guard posted, there, in an entire hazmat suit.
"No civilians up this path," he insists, his voice a touch warped by his suit.
"Fuck's goin' on?" Tsubasa asks, hands jammed in their pockets.
"Experimental chemicals got loose," he reports, gesturing back with a gloved hand. "You wanna get sick and end up like those howlers in there, kid? Scram."
"Tch... that groanin', that's sick people?" Tsubasa asks, gritting their teeth. It's indistinct, but it's loud enough that they can imagine what the already sick patients of the Sanitarium might be dealing with, right now. "They kickin' up shit 'cuz they crazy, or what --"
"I said, scram!" The man raises his voice, taking a step forward. (Tsubasa takes three steps back.) He looks to Ayame and Shinobu, as he insists: "You two, deal with your dumbass kid!"
MONAD: Tsubasa Seki has acted with Scar Talk toward The Fork in the Road! Empathy and Focus! <Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
"I'd definitely prefer those." Shinobu says. Some of the fairies she might run into might be 'cute', but those tend to be the most dangerous of all.
"Cool." Shinobu replies with a nod, as Tsubasa confirms about their partner. But then - business partners. Mysterious, Shinobu has to turn her head and cough into her fist - but she does meet that glance from Tsubasa with a shake of her head. Ayame's absolutely genuine.
Shinobu has no trouble following along with Tsubasa's explanation. Mostly, she's just impressed they were able to spin that up on the fly - though she gets the feeling there's probably a story behind that, too. Still, it's good to get some insight into how they're doing.
"It's good, bein' close like that. Important to have each other's backs even if it's not the same between you." Shinobu comments.
Ayame is aware they're surrounded - and she's impressed at the way she manages to answer the question without giving a direct answer. She should've thought of that, too... But at the same time, that reaction from Tsubasa is important, too.
Shinobu grins back with a nod.
"Damn right." She agrees, and looks back toward Puck as he assesses Ayame next. And he's... the 'Sun Dragon'.
Endleofan... Shinobu briefly wonders if this is a Dark Hour sort of situation, or if he just wants to make himself seem more important. Either way, he and his entourage leave.
"...Yeah. Super convincing." Shinobu agrees. ...It's probably easier to leave it at that. She nods to Ayame. "Clever thinking there, Nee-san."
She follows after Tsubasa. She's just as unbothered by the idea of trespassing. She can spot that camera, too, but she doesn't look directly at it. Soon enough, they can start hearing things. Those sounds... Shinobu grimaces. It sounds awful. She watches as Tsubasa engages the guard, listening to the conversation. And when he looks to her and Ayame...
"Don't call 'em a dumbass." Shinobu starts. "So, experimental chemicals, huh? In a place like this? Funny. I didn't hear anything about a leak. No sign posted or nothin' - you really oughta keep awareness up, that's pretty dangerous."
She shrugs.
"I know a guy, he said this trail was supposed to be safe... Is there anything else we oughta be concerned about?" Shinobu asks. It's suspicious to her - maybe with some poking, they can get something to slip...
MONAD: Shinobu Shimizu has acted with I Know A Guy toward The Fork in the Road! Specialty! <Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
He's cool! But Ayame, indeed, does not get it. Not even a little bit. But when Tsubasa explains...
This part she does get. And she listnes thoughtfully. "I'm familiar with gay," she says of course, and she says it just like that. But 'polyamory'...
"Oh, my," she says, surprised by what she hears. "So, you're with this girl, and she's with a boy, and the three of you are all all right with it..."
She looks very thoughtful. The question marks above her head are practically visible.. But after a few moments, she rights her head and smiles. "That's wonderful!" Ayame tells Tsubasa. "Your girl seems very lucky, as do you and her man. I think it sounds nice. ...If I had any romantic interest in women, why, I might be curious about it myself!"
It's that easy. Though, "It must have required a great deal of discussion and understanding to reach that point." She pauses. "And it's probably no fun to have to explain all the time... I'll just have to remember, hm?" A smile.
But PUCK. Puck. He seems intereted in what she's saying. The Sun Dragon, though?
"Oh wow!" Ayame says, and she doesn't actually argue with Puck on this one, instead hiding a laugh about 'talking to the calendar guys'.
...She shares a look with Shinobu about 'little person'. Instead she smiles. "Thank you. I've played a lot of old adventure games where you 'game over' if you say the wrong thing to a fairy..."
But soon, there are awful sounds coming from there. Caution tape... And a guard.
"...There are sick people in there," Ayame says, "And they haven't been evacuated in the face of dangerous chemicals!?" She sounds alarmed--indignant. But--
The man rises his voice, and as he insists, Ayame squares her shoulders.
"Do you think your supervisor would like to know that you're interacting with the public in this way? Causing more panic and trouble, shouting at children, and making your organization look bad?"
"Of course we'll go back," she allows, quietly stepping in front of Tsubasa. "But I don't see a badge or any other sign of authority..."
"If you'll tell me who you're with, my mind will be put at ease, and I won't have to ask my friends in the press or police what's going on."
MONAD: Ayame Watanabe has acted with Mom Talk toward The Fork in the Road! Friendliness and Efficient!
(|============================= Monad - Results ==============================|)
-==== The Fork in the Road - Round 5 ==========================================-
Shinobu Shimizu Charm Success
I Know A Guy Specialty Fatigue: 0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tsubasa Seki Understanding Success
Scar Talk Empathy and Focus Fatigue: 0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ayame Watanabe Charm Success
Mom Talk Friendliness and Efficient Fatigue: 0
-============================= Party Conditions: ==============================-
Starting Conditions: Bothersome-2, Hard-2, Smooth-1, and Stupor-1
Final Conditions: Bothersome-1 and Hard-1
-======================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====-
-==== Reach: 6/6 |=====| =====================================================-
(|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)
(|===================== Monad - Katatsumuri Forest Trail =====================|)
-==== Round 6: Finders Keepers Losers Weepers - Challenge Level 1 =============-
| Approach Options: None |
| Conditions: Revelation - The best result. |
-==== Challenge ===============================================================-
You've made up your mind, and you know what you're doing next. From here, it's
straight shot to the Sanitarium: you think you know how to make your approach to
mitigate any chances you might be seen by security, automated or otherwise.
You take one step forward to make your approach then and nearly trip over a
small chest that heretofore had been partially hidden in the underbrush. It
opens easily: inside are some Medicines that can be used to heal yourself from
the damage received in a fight and a single shiny piece of obsidian. The right
person could turn this into a potent accessory. Was this a demon's horde?
Right now, it may be the least of your concerns. A present is simply a present,
however it comes into your possession.
(|============================================================= Monad 1.1 ====|)
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"Cool," Tsubasa nods, when Shinobu Gets It. They figured she probably would, but there's always a tense moment of wondering when it comes to adults hearing stuff like this!! Ayame, meanwhile... is familiar with gay, and she processes, and processes, and...
"Yeah," they nod, when she 'dings'. "Didn't have no instruction manual or nothin'... jus' came 'cross the word recent-like." Tsubasa's the one with the most experience looking up queer subcultures online, obviously. "Uh, it's cool, tho'. I'm... used to explainin' shit."
'Endleofan', as it happens, is the Old English word for eleven -- one left over ten -- which means that he's citing December as the tenth and adding one on. ... he's probably just being a pompous, mischievous ass.
"... yeah," Tsubasa admits, to Ayame, when she talks about game overing to a fairy. It must have given her good thinking! "Almost got kinda freaked there a sec."
Speaking of getting freaked out:
Hazmat suits.
"It's a recent development," the guard responds to Shinobu, quite brusquely. "You're lucky you didn't wander in before we got this perimeter put up, or you'd be sheltering in place with them."
"Don't that mean you got 'em trapped there?" Tsubasa barks, alarmed. "What's in there, th' fuckin' Plague?!"
"We just need to decontaminate everyone," he answers, forcing himself to be more calm, before he turns to Ayame. "I'm with the government," he answers her, and flashes a badge at her which looks official in the glance she gets. "And you'll excuse me if I'm a little jumpy keeping kids from getting wrapped up in this, ma'am."
"Fuckin' -- fine, I'm goin'!" Tsubasa snaps, as they turn, shoving their hands deeper into their pockets, and stalk away. .. Shinobu might note the way their fingers curl to lift the camera free of the lining of their pocket, taking some photos with the blind angle of their hand as they stalk off.
... this guy probably wouldn't have let them take any photos regular-like.
Once they get to the other side of the caution tape, and back to the fork in the path, Tsubasa sighs, leaning against the sign. "Shit," their shoulders sink, as they flick through their photos. "Alright. Photos suck, but I'll take 'em back to Uchida-san, anyway... sorry, but that's really why I had to come up here. There was a rumour, but..." ... but they didn't know how that rumour had taken root, and Tsubasa took it upon themself to investigate, apparently just in time to find that something horrible happened. That's why they had their phone at the ready! "Uh... you ain't mad, right...?"
Tsubasa kicks back at the grass, only to yelp, 'uh, hey?!' when their foot impacts something. "Sec," they say, as they crouch down, digging around in the grass to pull out... a chest! A chest with medicine, and also a piece of obsidian glass. "Huh," they blink, as they open it up. "Sick. We got loot. Sure this ain't one a ya video games, Watanabe-san?"
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Tsubasa nods, and Shinobu nods back. She knows that uncertainty well. If she can prevent any extra worry... then she's glad to.
She listens as Ayame works her way through it... But she does get it in the end, and responds positively. It's not a surprise, but it is good to hear.
As for Puck, it seems like Ayame's games have prepared her for this, at least.
"Maybe I oughta look into that." Shinobu comments with a smirk.
And when it comes to the guard, Ayame approaches him with a concerned indignation that plays nicely with her own act.
"Musta been really recent." Shinobu considers. The government, huh... Not exactly reassuring. "...Fair enough. Good luck, then."
She moves to leave with Tsubasa... and as she does, she shifts just slightly, to hide that camera from the guard's view as they take some pictures.
They return to the fork, and Shinobu watches as they page through their photos.
"Nah. It's not a big deal. Had a feeling it mighta been something like that." Shinobu assures with a shake of her head. "I noticed it earlier. Didn't wanna draw attention to it or anything."
They kick at the grass and uncover... treasure! Shinobu raises an eyebrow.
"Damn." She says, with a whistle of appreciation. She doesn't need loot for this to have been worth it - but it certainly doesn't hurt.
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
No instruction manual... Ayame nods. "That makes sense." She smiles back.
"It could've been a problem," Ayame agrees. But she doesn't seem that stressed...
Hazmat. 'The government', but not a specific agency. However... with Tsubasa there, especially...
On the other side of the caution tape, Ayame looks sympathetically at Tsubasa. "I see," she says. "That's quite dangerous... But no, I'm not mad." She hesitates for a moment. "...No," she settles on, "It's natural to want to do something about such things."
"You say you're going to give the photographs to someone? That's good. Would you send them to me as well? I know some... people... who might be able to do something about it."
Then a pause. A video game...
Ayame laughs softly. "I suppose it could be! Hmmm. Obsidian..."
She could get a cool weapon with that. Maybe...
Well, "Just promise you won't come back alone," Ayame says to Tsubasa, "And I'll be satisfied." She pauses. "because..."
"No government agency introduces themselves as 'the government' like that."
<Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
"Yeah," Tsubasa nods, to Shinobu. "Like... no one asked me to come out here an' check or nothin'? I jus'... saw how a lotta people talkin' 'bout it online were all like... already scared a th' nutjobs... uh, that shit, it, uh..." They look back down, to the chest. "It happens 'somewhere else'. Y'know, 'those people', they ain't ya neighbour. I, uh..." They pause, and shake their head.
There's no way they can talk about how they were in one of those wards for a while.
"... jus' figured no one'd give a shit."
Which, by a surface read, might well include them, with how much ableist language they've thrown around here. Still... it can't be that simple.
"Sure," they add, looking up to Ayame. "I'll send th' photos to both a ya... an' it's cool, I'll bring a buddy if I come back. Weren't gon' look for trouble none anyway." They pause. They look back over to Shinobu, who definitely saw that crowbar. "Not, like, much trouble," they amend, a touch more truthfully.
"It is fishy," they scowl. "But... that don't mean it might not be th' government." ... they probably shouldn't tell Nice Housewife Ayame that there's a government conspiracy controlling society, though. Anyway, Shinobu's bound to know about it already, she's way too cool not to know.
They grab a bottle of medicine, hand another over to Shinobu, and then clasp the chest up and stand up with it, handing it over to Ayame. "Uh, take it, y'know? Looks like medicine, prolly need that crap with all ya kids."
Which, handily, also means she gets that obsidian...!
... Tsubasa really needs to play more RPGs, though. You're clearly supposed to open the chest, clear it out, and leave it there, not pick it up and take it with you...
(Why not? It's a good chest. Solid. Probably mahogany or some shit. Put some knitting shit in there, you're golden.)
... luckily, Tsubasa can probably get a ride back with Ayame, once they get to the base of the mountain. Man, they oughta get their licence sometime...